A/N – Right, well, there's a lot to take in in this chapter, so I hope you find something to your liking here. I want to thank all of my reviewers, but in particular Lena Andromeda Black, for one of her lovely ideas throughout our lengthy PM discussions, and the wonderful Dafina for an idea she put in my head in one of our discussions, too.

If Hermione had thought going to her required meetings with Severus had been awful for the last few weeks, they were about to become absolutely unbearable now, following her tryst with Malfoy over the Valentine's Weekend. Her stomach clenched with guilt every time she even thought of the older wizard. How was she to get through hourly meetings with him without breaking down and confessing the entire thing?

Worse still, her relationship with Goyle had become strained to the point where they barely even nodded in acknowledgement of one another when their paths crossed. Draco refused to speak to her, and Harry…Harry was clearly stuck between a rock and a hard place. She understood that his first priority nowadays was to ensure that his boyfriend was comfortable and happy, but did that mean he, too, had to avoid her wherever possible?

And then there was Ron. Poor, innocent, naïve Ron. He wasn't stupid; he knew that something major had happened over the Hogsmeade Weekend. He just didn't know what it was, other than the fact that Hermione was now the subject of the others' scorn. He, too, was torn between asking her outright or ignoring her like the others. Though he opted for a 'happy medium' (How she loathed that phrase! There was nothing 'happy' about the situation!), his conversations with her had been awkward and forced.

She sighed. She'd brought this upon herself, she knew. But, then, why were they still talking to Draco? Hadn't he also participated? Was he really so innocent in all of this just because he didn't have a partner to betray?

And that was the crux of it, wasn't it? The fact that she'd betrayed Severus; the man she claimed to love with all her heart. The now constant knot in her stomach clenched painfully again at the thought of him. At the thought of her deceit.

Goyle had told her that she had to tell him. That she had to confess before he heard it as some second-hand gossip. How, she had asked, when it would only crush him all the more to hear it from her own lips? Lips that had ventured to unspeakable places on his body. Lips that had, oh-so-recently, proclaimed their undying love. Wouldn't that be compounding the betrayal? Twisting the knife further into the wound?

But Greg would hear none of it. He'd warned her to tell the truth before it was too late. Before every ounce of Severus' trust was shattered completely. Before their relationship was irreparable.

She'd cried then. Oh, how she'd cried at the thought of losing her lover. Of losing one of her best friends and confidantes. And Goyle had looked at her with compassion and pity in equal doses and said; 'Only you can fix this, Hermione.'

Those had been the last words they'd exchanged. She'd been left to sort herself out. Comfort was never afforded to the guilty. Huddled in a ball on her bed, Hermione had cried herself to sleep. The next morning she'd felt like a zombie; emotionally drained and completely unaware of her surroundings. When her mind finally recalled the previous night's events, she'd stifled a sob and gone on with her day, determined to confess to Severus and suffer the consequences.

Needless to say, that never happened. Some Gryffindor I am, the Head Girl thought sadly, I'm a coward. Not even mature enough to face the consequences of my own actions.

But there was no point wallowing. It never fixed anything. There was only one thing that would, and that involved facing the music.

Pity she wasn't in the mood to dance.

-?-

"Don't you think this 'ignore Granger' policy you have going has gone on long enough?" Draco asked, dropping down next to Goyle in Potions.

Sparing a weary glance in their Professor's direction, Greg rolled his eyes. "Because you're doin' such a bang up job in helpin' 'er through this."

"It's completely different and you know it." Came the ruffled response. "What am I expected to say to her?" He brutally started chopping the root in front of him as he donned a deprecating tone; "Hey, Granger, sorry I felt you up and all. It was all a spot of fun. Let's still be friends?"

"Draco," Greg sighed, "It was more serious than that. What if Potter an' I hadn't walked in when we did? You'd 'ave both made a bigger mistake than you already 'ave."

Neither boy noticed the subtle charm cast by the Professor as they continued to whisper over their concoction.

"She's a big girl, Greg. Old enough to make her own decisions."

An exasperated sigh. "You git; it was Valentine's an' she was hurtin'. Was prepared to accept a little warmth from anyone, wasn't she? An' you," a dead roach was jabbed in the blond's direction, "took advantage of that."

As he sat at his desk listening in to the conversation, Severus Snape glowered. He did not like what he was hearing.

"I didn't take advantage of anyone!" Draco hissed, oblivious to the furtive glance Goyle sent in the Professor's direction. "She was more than happy to oblige-"

"That's just it!" Greg hissed back, hoping against hope that Snape's attention stayed elsewhere. "She was 'appy to oblige 'cos she wanted to feel wanted, if only for a night. Be thankful we interrupted the two of you before you got too far into anythin'."

They'd had this conversation before, and it always came down to this.

Draco groaned. "Too far?" he echoed. "She was tossing me off, you git. If that doesn't constitute 'too far', I don't know what does in this place, considering the wards. And you bloody ruined it."

"And you knew that she and Snape were serious!"

"Hasn't looked that way for months. Someone needed to enjoy her."

Severus Snape had heard enough.

He rose from his seat, slowly and deliberately, and approached the two Slytherins. Goyle's heart plummeted into his stomach; he knew they'd been heard.

"Mister Malfoy," the Head of House drawled dangerously, before turning to the other boy, "Mister Goyle."

The Head Boy swallowed hard. They were in deep dragon dung now. "Professor Snape." He nodded courteously.

"I wish for the two of you to stay behind after class." The Professor began, deceptively calm. "House business."

Yes, he decided as he nodded his acceptance, Our lives are forfeit.

-?-

"Mummy?" Sophia asked from the floor of Hermione's room.

From her position on the bed, the Head Girl glanced at her 'daughter'. "Yes?"

"Why no more kisses?"

Hermione was confused. "What do you mean?"

The little girl picked up her dolls and continued to play with them as she responded, "Why you an' Daddy no kiss no more?"

"Sometimes," the Gryffindor sighed, "Mummies and Daddies take breaks from kissing."

"Oh," Sophia pondered this for a moment, before shrugging and nodding. "Okay."

Hermione sighed again.

If only things were that simple…

-?-

Having erected complex Silencing and Locking charms on the room, a misleadingly composed Severus Snape turned back to his two seventh year students.

"Sir?" Draco asked uncertainly, finally realising that this 'House Business' was more important than he'd first assumed.

"Silence!"

The blond nodded and averted his gaze. The Professor was upset with him, so it would be in his interest to do as he was told. He caught Greg's eye and raised an eyebrow questioningly. The Head Boy shook his head in the universal sign for 'If you don't already know, you're more stupid than I first suspected'.

Suddenly Draco had an inkling as to why he and Greg had been kept behind, and, for once, he hoped against hope that he was incorrect. Because, if he was indeed right (as he suspected he was), he would be lucky if the others could even identify his remains once Snape was done with him.

As the Professor descended upon him, his final thought was that he hoped his funeral would be fitting for a Malfoy.

-?-

Harry watched as Hermione played with her 'daughter' in the Heads' common room. He lamented that things between them had become awkward, but the things she'd been doing to Malfoy…they were unspeakable. Namely because they were with Malfoy, of all people. He knew she'd been hurting, but had hoped that she'd spill her guts to him or Ron…Never in his wildest imaginings had he thought she'd go running off to have a fling! Particularly one with Malfoy! It was absurd and so unlike the Hermione Granger he knew that he just could not comprehend why she'd done it.

"When you're done staring, Harry, you can actually ask me. I don't bite, you know."

He gaped at her. It was almost as though she'd read his mind! Surely Snape hadn't taught her Legilimency in the few weeks they'd been together!

Glancing up at him, Hermione rolled her eyes. "And, before you ask, I'm not reading anyone's mind. The look on your face was so typically you that I guessed you needed something cleared up." She shrugged and turned back to her game with Sophia. "So, go ahead. Feel free to ask anything."

Utterly flabbergasted (and just a little uncertain as to whether he should be offended at her description of his facial expressions), Harry cleared his throat. "Right…well…why'd you do it, then?"

Never shifting her gaze from her young charge she responded; "Why did I do what, Harry?"

"Malfoy." He snapped. "Why'd you almost do Malfoy?"

This time she did turn to face him. "I've been asking myself the same thing. Over and over again. All I can really be certain of is the fact that it was Valentines and Severus and I hadn't said more than two civil words to each other in the last two months…" She sighed. "It was a mistake. I know it was. But he wanted me. And I…I wanted to be wanted again. Just for a moment. Hang the consequences…"

Harry almost felt sorry for her. But she'd known what she was doing. She'd known it was wrong. "That's just not like you, though, 'Mione." He said, watching as she smiled fondly at the child on the floor. "You're the first person to think everything through to the letter...and the last person to conduct an illicit affair without considering the consequences…"

"That was just it." Again her attention was on him. "I thought that perhaps for once it would be best if I stopped being a know-it-all. I mean," here she snorted in self-derision, "being myself wasn't exactly working either, was it?"

"Hermione, listen to yourself!" He threw his hands into the air to emphasise his frustration. "You were perfect as you were! Snape's just a git. Always has been, always will be. No amount of love and warm, fuzzy feelings are going to change the way he is." He levelled his gaze with her own. "And you knew that going into the entire thing."

She nodded reluctantly. Since when did her Harry know so much?

They sat in an almost comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Harry checked his watch and frowned. "Oi," he muttered, "Wonder what's keeping Greg so long…I got out of Muggle Studies ages ago. It doesn't take that long to swing by the Hospital Wing and grab Matty…"

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe he got held back. Whose class was he in?"

Leaping from the couch, the Gryffindor boy raced over to where his boyfriend's timetable sat on the side table. He scanned it then furrowed his brow. "Snape's."

Despite her best attempts to be reasonable, alarm bells started to ring in Hermione's head. Something about Severus holding Greg back had made her extremely uneasy, and she was relatively certain the shit was about to hit the proverbial fan.

-?-

Severus dismissed the two young men after having a rather civil –in his opinion- discussion with them both. Once they were gone, he entered his personal chambers and dropped onto his couch, emotionally drained.

He was confused. He was hurt. He was angry. (Oh, Merlin was he angry!) He felt betrayed and then, most notably, he felt stupid.

Stupid for getting so attached to another person.

Stupid for allowing said person to be nineteen years his junior.

Stupid for not putting a stop to their feud months ago.

Stupid for ever agreeing to be her 'friend' (and then some) in the first place.

And, most importantly, he felt stupid for trusting her.

Not surprisingly, Severus Snape was not a man who appreciated being made to feel the fool. Taking a deep breath, he considered his options. He could always take Siobhan up on one of her constant offers…but the very thought caused him to shudder. Though he was certain such actions would definitely inflict pain upon his supposed beloved, he knew he couldn't bring himself to carry them out. After all, he was a Snape, and Snapes maintained their poise and dignity in any crisis. Touching Siobhan Matthews would definitely not be a poised or dignified act.

However, a wicked smirk graced his lips, The mere thought that I had touched her might work just as effectively.

Yes…that was it! He'd somehow have to lead the girl into believing that he had succumbed to Matthews' (dare he even think it) charms. Revolted at the thought, but exhilarated by the prospect of causing Hermione pain, Severus sat back and closed his eyes; his mind working frantically to formulate a foolproof plan of his own.

-?-

When Gregory finally stumbled through the portrait, ashen faced, Hermione knew that something had gone terribly, horribly wrong.

"Daddy!" Matty ran from the Head Boy's side to his other father, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Daddy, I drawed a picture-" he pronounced it 'pitcher', "-for you. Wanna see?"

Crouching to his 'son's' level, Harry nodded, and shot Greg a look that told him they'd speak later, knowing, instinctively, that he and Hermione would have a lot to discuss. "Of course, Matty. Let's take Soph with us, yeah? And you can both draw some more pictures…"

The little boy grinned and bounced up and down with excitement before racing over and yanking the aforementioned little girl to her feet. "C'mon!" He cried, tugging her along as he ran back to his Daddy, "We're gonna draw with my Daddy!"

Bewildered, Sophia looked to her mother. "Mummy?"

Now standing and staring unblinkingly at the Head Boy, Hermione waved her off. "Go have fun, bubs, Mummy has some grown-up stuff to do."

The two Heads waited until Harry had escorted the children into the Head Boy's room, before they spoke.

It was Hermione who inevitably broke the silence.

"He knows."

It wasn't a question, it was a factual statement. Her tone, however, was accusatory.

Goyle was defensive in his response; "You knew it wasn't goin' to stay a secret forever."

Her eyes widened. "You told him! You willingly told him!"

"Oi! Get yer facts straight, woman, before ya' start throwin' accusations around."

"So you didn't tell him?" Hermione's tone highlighted her scepticism.

Greg shook his head. "Not deliberately-"

Hermione stopped listening. Ignoring Goyle's protests, she turned on her heel and stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

-?-

Days dragged by and Hermione spent each and every one trying her very best to avoid any contact with her so-called 'friends'. She'd skived off every scheduled meeting time with Severus as well, knowing that he'd be livid if she dared to show her face in his presence. Life, she decided, couldn't be worse.

Of course, having thought that, things inevitably took yet another turn for the worst when Dumbledore demanded her presence in his office on Friday evening. When she arrived she was unsurprised to find Severus glowering from the opposing side of the room. Avoiding his gaze, she greeted the Headmaster appropriately and waited for him to explain why he'd summoned her. She did not have to wait long.

"Take a seat, my dear." The old Wizard gestured to the chair closest to her.

She complied respectfully and he smiled at her, then asked Severus to do the same. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione watched him hesitate and mutter under his breath (most likely about insufferable old fools) before he, too, complied with the Headmaster's wishes.

After offering them the obligatory lemon drop, Albus folded his hands and leant forward at his desk, looking down his nose, through his spectacles, as he observed them both.

"It has come to my attention," he began, "that the two of you are no longer on speaking terms, and that you, Miss Granger," here he looked at her pointedly, "have been skipping your allocated spares with Professor Snape altogether."

Feeling particularly defiant, she stared directly back at him. "Yes, Professor?" She asked as though she wasn't certain there was anything inherently wrong with skipping those meetings.

Blue eyes, usually glittering with mirth, hardened at her insolence. "Hermione, my dear, I was under the impression that you and Severus were getting along quite well."

They both chose to ignore the snort that comment elicited from the man in question.

"Yes, Professor." She informed him with a nod of her head. "Unfortunately, though, we've had a bit of a falling out, and I thought it best if we spent some time apart. I promise, though, that this entire ordeal will be written up in my journal for the class. I expect all-" she fought the urge to cry as she spoke the next word "-'couples' have similar spats during their relationships…"

"Be that as it may, child, those meeting times have been allocated for a reason, and you should be using them to rebuild your relationship rather than distance yourselves further."

She ducked her head in acknowledgment. "Yes, sir. Sorry…"

"Don't apologise to me, Miss Granger. Apologise to Severus. It is his time you have wasted."

She tried her very best not to scowl at that remark. "Of course, Professor." She turned to face her…What was he to her now? Ex-lover? She suddenly felt overwhelmed with grief. "I'm sorry for wasting your time, Professor Snape." As she voiced the apology, they both knew that she was speaking of more than simply a few missed meetings. Her lower lip quivered and she felt her throat constrict. "I…I have to go." And with that, she raced from the room, silent tears tracing tracks down her face.

-?-

Severus slammed the door to his chambers shut and cursed loudly. He still had feelings for the bloody bint! She'd hurt him beyond belief, and still he lo…wanted her. It was entirely unreasonable! And, though he wanted so terribly to hurt her in return, he wasn't entirely certain he could see his plan through. Not if she was going to look at him as she had today; remorseful and still painfully lovingly.

She was most certainly not forgiven for her actions, but perhaps…perhaps in time he could…

What in MERLIN'S NAME are you thinking? The logical part of his mind roared to life. She participated in lewd acts with a Malfoy, of all people, while you were officially still seeing one another! Forgiveness should not be on the agenda at all!

But that was the problem; it was on the agenda. He knew that, sooner or later, she would seek his forgiveness and (with a great deal of yelling and throwing priceless items), he would inevitably give it to her.

And for what? For her to go out and repeat her actions? Mordred, but he was a fool!

But that was what love did to a person, wasn't it? It turned even the most logical men into fools, and the most ruthless, savage people into little more than a puffskein.

Severus sighed. Merlin, he was in far too deep now.

-?-

Hermione was an absolute wreck for days to come. It was officially over. She knew it was. Her once chance with her perfect match and she'd blown it completely. She was an idiot, a fool and, above all else, a traitorous wench. She deserved Severus' scorn. She deserved his loathing. She deserved far, far worse, too.

That short encounter in the Headmaster's office had hit her hard. She'd raced from his tower, down countless flights of stairs (then up numerous others), and had eventually come to a complete halt on the Astronomy Tower. The sun had all but set; small hints of its light could still be glimpsed out behind the Forest. And Hermione wept. She'd thrown herself at the large, stone ledge and howled, not caring if someone should stumble upon her. Thankfully, she mused in hindsight, no-one had.

For hours she'd mourned her lost relationship –her lost love- in the darkness, leaning over the edge of the Astronomy Tower, wondering –idly- if jumping off would solve anything. Of course, she was rational enough to know that it wouldn't. However, the thought had crossed her mind and that alone had frightened her witless.

Stumbling backwards, Hermione had resolved then and there to get on with the rest of her life. Wallowing would do her no good now. And suicidal thoughts were to be forever banished from her mind.

She had lost her connection to the man who had become the most important person in her life, that was true, but to think about doing something so…cowardly to escape the pain? She couldn't accept that she'd even done that. After all, unlike countless others, her problems were trivial. A broken relationship was not the end of the world, and she was not a drama queen like Lavender or Parvati who probably would seriously consider throwing themselves off the Tower if the loves of their lives left them. But that particular rant was best left for another time…

Resolving to throw herself back into schoolwork to cover her pain, Hermione had left the Tower and trudged back to her quarters, where she spent the majority of the weekend studying furiously for her NEWTs, which were now little over two months away.

-?-

Sunday afternoon found Ronald Weasley marching towards Hermione's quarters, intent on finding out exactly what had happened all those weeks ago on the Valentine's Weekend. He'd let it go for a couple of months, assuming that, at some point, someone would fill him in…but now it was nearing April and no-one had said 'boo' to him about it. Which meant that it was, in most likelihood, very, very bad news.

Having reached the Head Girl's door, he knocked impatiently on the oak. "Open up, 'Mione. We've got to talk."

"Alright," he heard her rustling about on the other side, "Give me a tic."

When she finally opened her door, he was shocked. In front of him stood a thin, lined, utterly miserable Hermione Granger with red-rimmed eyes and frizzier-than-usual hair. Before he even had the chance to comment, she'd started with; "I'm guessing you've finally been told what happened between Malfoy and I, then."

He was gob-smacked. 'Malfoy and I?' The voice in his head repeated. She can't possibly mean…No. Hermione's not like that. However, instead of shaking his head and telling her that, no, nobody had told him anything, he waited to hear more.

Taking his silence as acknowledgement of her assumption, she sighed. "I'm honestly surprised you haven't flown off the handle at me just now when I let you in…Or that you didn't immediately track Draco down and hex him within an inch of his life." She paused, then looked panicked. "You haven't, have you?"

He shook his head.

Relieved, Hermione sighed again. "Good. Because…it was consensual. And he doesn't deserve to be hurt for something that we both chose to do. I mean," she shrugged and looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, "if you and Hannah had pretty much slept together consensually, you wouldn't deserve to be attacked by her friends…"

Ron could feel his blood beginning to boil. She'd all but fucked Malfoy. Knowing that she'd fancied Snape was bad enough, but having an affair with Malfoy? And then another thought hit him; this had happened months ago and everyone had known. Everyone, that was, except him.

Noticing the tell-tale signs of his short-temper, Hermione stopped short, horrified. "You didn't know..."

"No…" His tone was cold and controlled. "But thank you, Hermione, for telling me, your best friend, now…two months too late!"

"Oh, Ron, I-"

He stood abruptly. "I have to go. I need to think."

"Ron, please, wait…"

"No. I'll talk to you when I'm ready." He turned back and sneered. "Give me a few months."

And with that, he stormed out of her room and out of the Heads' Quarters.

-?-

"We really need to sit down as a group and talk this out." Harry said at dinner, noticing for the third night in a row that Hermione was absent.

Draco and Greg shared a look. "Potter," the former began, "it's not that simple, is it?"

The Gryffindor boy frowned. "Why not?"

"She's a woman, Potter. Merlin knows how she'd react if we cornered her and commanded her to talk. Particularly with myself in the equation."

"But-"

"Harry," this time it was Gregory who cut in, "Draco's got a point. She'd flip 'er nut if we forced 'er to sit down and talk to us." He set aside his fork and sighed. "Think about it; Draco would be awkward to talk to in 'er position, then there's you an' I who have done nothin' but judge 'er and argue with 'er about the entire situation."

"And me." Ron's voice joined them, as the red-head himself sat down at the Slytherin table with them. "I'm no help either. I wasn't the nicest person to her tonight." He glowered at Draco as he sarcastically added; "Thanks for letting me in on the situation, by the way."

Harry avoided his best friend's gaze. "Actually…" he started, twiddling his napkin around in his lap, "That would be my fault."

Blue eyes widened in surprise. "How?"

"Well," the Boy-Who-Lived swallowed. "I didn't want you to know because she didn't need all of us avoiding her…"

"And you didn't think I'd catch on to the fact that I was the only one out of the loop?"

The other boys averted their eyes as well.

"Oh…bloody brilliant."

-?-

Severus hated himself for caring that this was the third night in a row that Hermi…Granger! had avoided the Great Hall for dinner, and the seventh meal in a row that she had missed. As he stalked towards the Hospital Wing to collect Sophia, he berated himself for even noticing that the stupid bint was more than likely starving herself.

"We gonna go see Mummy now?" The little girl asked him as they walked out of the Hospital Wing.

He shook his head. "You are going to see your mother. I have other business to attend to."

And, as the words left his lips, he fought his inner revulsion. He was beginning to sound very much like his own father; just another reason as to why he should never contemplate breeding.

The dark-haired child nodded morosely; she knew better than to question him. "Okay, Daddy."

He would not acknowledge the guilt her innocent acquiescence brought forth in him.

Catching sight of Potter and Goyle heading his way, he paused in his stride and waited for them to reach him. "Mister Potter," he pulled the Gryffindor aside, "Please escort Sophia back to Miss Granger. Mister Goyle will collect your child and meet you in the Heads' Commons." His tone left no room for argument.

Both boys nodded. "Yes, sir."

Sophia hugged her Daddy's legs. "Love you, Daddy." She said, her eyes watering at the thought of yet another long week of separation from her idol.

Conscious of the presence of his students, Severus could do little but nod and watch her leave.

-?-

Monday morning saw the seventh years assembled in the Great Hall with their 'children'. Again, Hermione was the only one left without a partner. But, this time, it did not bother her. She was pleased that she could finally attend the class without worrying about Severus' presence.

McGonagall took her place at the front of the class and cast a quick Sonorous to magnify her voice. "Students," she began, waiting for the class to settle, "As your NEWTs are now little more than two months away, it has been decided that the practical portion of this subject is to come to an end."

A series of gasps, exhalations of relief, and even a few moans of bereavement followed her statement. She concealed a smile. Every year was the same. Some students would use this experience as an affirmation that they were to be very cautious about starting a family, while others, like Molly Weasley, would go on to have as many children as they could, as soon as they could.

She cleared her throat, bringing the discussions that had begun to a halt. "During Wednesday's allocated double, you will be required to bring your children to class and assemble, in pairs, in a straight line. You will then be administered a Disillusionment Draught, and will take part in the counter charm to turn your 'children' back into dolls."

A Hufflepuff's hand flew up in front of her and she nodded, waiting for the question.

"Professor, why do we have to take a Disillusionment Draught?"

"It will cut the ties you have formed with your children." The Head of Gryffindor responded, matter-of-factly. "Losing a child –even a faux child- is a pain that no soul should have to experience. As these children are not real, the Draught will ensure that you no longer view them as such. You will, of course, retain your memories of this class, however, your emotions will not be as strong, and you will be able to look back on your time spent with your children with a more logical and rational eye."

She paused and gave the students some time to consider this. Most were nodding, understanding the implications of not taking the potion. Others had turned around to speak to their neighbours, still a little confused. The Head Girl, however, was sitting on her own (excluding the toddler babbling away at her side), sadly observing her friends. Minerva frowned. Something had obviously gone wrong, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Severus Snape's influence was somehow to blame.

Clearing her throat, she reigned the class's attention in again and outlined the requirements for their written assessment, before asking them to line up in their 'families' and prepare for brief interviews with either herself or Poppy Pomfrey, all the while pondering over the Head Girl's current plight.

Things would right themselves sooner or later, she decided, but it couldn't hurt to specifically conduct the interview with Miss Granger herself.

-?-

When it finally came for Hermione's interview with Professor McGonagall, Sophia was restless and overtired. Seating herself wearily in front of her Head of House, the Head Girl waited patiently for the questions to begin.

"And what are your thoughts on this experience, Miss Granger?" The older witch asked gently.

Hermione mustered a soft smile. "It has been…interesting." She said diplomatically, while struggling to hold her 'daughter' on her lap. She pointedly ignored the child's whining as she elaborated. "I owe a lot to Professor Snape, though. He was most kind and understanding…and if he hadn't offered to take Sophia on weekends, I most likely would have lost my mind."

Minerva nodded. "Indeed." She marked something down on her assessment sheet, before looking directly at the squirming toddler. "Sophia…" the child looked back, startled that she was being addressed by the lady with the strange way of talking, "Have you had a fun time back at Hogwarts with your Mummy?"

The little girl shrugged. "Sometimes. Was better before Mummy an' Daddy was fighting. I miss kisses. Mummy an' Daddy always kissing 'fore Hogwarts."

Hermione felt her stomach leap into her throat. She was in so much trouble now! And poor Severus would lose his job!

The Professor, however, didn't even bat an eyelid. She smiled indulgently at the child, before turning back to Hermione and stating, "I did warn Professor Dumbledore that implanting a generic set of memories in each child like that might cause difficulties…"

"Oh…" Hermione responded, her heart still beating frantically in shock. "We wondered if that might have been the case. It was ever so hard to come up with a logical answer that we could give her for the sudden end of our supposed intimacy."

"And what did you tell her?" McGonagall asked, her pen poised over her notebook.

The younger Gryffindor averted her eyes, her cheeks aflame, "That sometimes Mummies and Daddies take breaks from kissing and cuddling."

The Professor 'hmm'ed and scribbled another note on her page. Once done, she looked back up at her student. "That should be all, Miss Granger. We'll be running diagnostic tests on the children on Wednesday's lesson, though all appears to be in order." Her visage softened as she leant forward. "I knew you'd do well, my dear. Even in the terrible position you found yourself in."

Hermione blushed and smiled gently and made to stand. "Thank you, Professor. It has been…trying, but I am proud of my achievements."

As she turned to leave, her daughter's hand in her own, the older woman added, "And if you ever feel the need to speak to someone…about anything at all…my door is always open."

"Thank you again, Professor. I will keep it in mind."

-?-

When she returned to her rooms that evening, Hermione found a note penned in a familiar scrawl:

For your continued absence from your designated lessons, the Headmaster has commissioned me to punish you as I see fit. We will continue your Friday evening detentions for the rest of the school year. I do not need to remind you of the consequences should you choose to ignore this missive.

S. Snape.

She sighed and, with a swift wave of her wand, incinerated it. She would, naturally, go to her detention that coming Friday, but the brutal destruction of the message was therapeutic.

-?-

Wednesday passed in a bit of a blur for most of the seventh years. None could grieve the 'children' for whom they no longer felt any emotional attachment, though each did, in fact, feel as though something was missing from their day-to-day lives. And there was. They no longer had to take a child to and from the temporary childcare facility. They no longer had to set aside countless hours of leisure, study and even sleep time to feed, calm, bathe or play with a small child. They were once again 'normal' seventh years, with countless hours to…devote to the studying for their NEWTs.

Harry and Greg, along with countless other couples, spent Wednesday looking forward to some quality 'alone time' without the presence of a child. Merlin only knew how long it had been since they'd had a chance to enjoy in the pleasures of one another's bodies, without the fear of psychologically scarring their 'son'.

Others, like Draco and Ron, were simply looking forward to enjoying the rest of the school year with a complete 8 hours of sleep every night.

Hermione, however, was relatively unfazed by the sudden shift in routine. It made no difference whether she would be getting a proper night's sleep or not; by Friday her life might as well have been forfeit.

And so it was, then, that on Friday evening, when most of the seventh years were officially enjoying their freedom, Hermione found herself outside the Potions classroom. She knocked and waited for her former lover to bark his usual 'enter' before opening the door.

When she did so, she was shocked to find both Potions Professors in the classroom, looking a little tussled. Swallowing her pain, she silently awaited her instructions.

The Head Girl spent the rest of the night avoiding Severus' gaze and concentrating on completing the tasks he had assigned in absolute silence. Even when the Matthews woman wished 'SevvieWevvie' a gushy goodbye, she held her tongue, choosing, instead, to scrub extra viciously at the stubborn goo on the desk in front of her.

At midnight she was finally released. She made her way back to her quarters numbly, in utter disbelief of what she had seen. After all, while Severus would have been hurt by her actions, she could not bring herself to accept the notion that he would run directly into the arms of that…that…hussy.

No matter how rational she tried to be, Hermione couldn't help the grief that overwhelmed her as her head hit the pillow, and she cried herself to sleep with images of Severus Snape and Siobhan Matthews playing on her mind.

-?-

"Hey, are you alright?" Harry asked the next morning, noticing how worn and fragile his best friend looked as she exited her room.

She shook her head, not trusting herself to maintain control of her emotions. And that was all it took for The Boy Who Lived to practically leap over the sofa and draw her into his embrace. She hugged him back, forgetting all about their recent feud, revelling in his warmth.

"I'm sorry…" she mumbled into his robes. "For all of this…"

"Hey," he soothed, rubbing her back, merely glad that she wasn't sobbing hysterically, "It's okay. Don't apologise. We've all been gits…What with the stress of raising kids and all..."

Hermione shook her head as she pulled away. "Yes…but you were only looking out for me and I…I pushed you away…I did horrible things…I-"

"Well, consider yourself forgiven, then, Granger, and we'll work on getting on with fixing it properly."

She looked across the room, startled by the frank, new voice. "Oh, Malfoy, I…I didn't see you there." In fact, she hadn't seen any of her friends seated comfortably in the small common room. She had only seen Harry when she'd opened her door. She'd expected Greg to be lurking about somewhere, but not Draco and Ron also.

"'Course you didn't." The Head Boy responded when the blond was suddenly overwhelmed by the awkwardness of the situation. "Now, come an' sit down an' we'll order you up some breakfast. You 'aven't been eatin' properly this last week or so and emaciated is not a look which suits you."

She managed a wry smile at his concern and complied, taking the spare seat at the end of the sofa, leaving room for Harry to sit comfortably next to his boyfriend.

"I truly am sorry." She said, when the silence felt oppressive. "For pretty much everything that's happened."

"Yeah, well, so are we." Ron supplied, earning nods of agreement from the others. "But as ferret-features said, you're forgiven, and we'll assume that we're forgiven, so all that's left, really, is fixin' everything up right and proper."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes at the compassion and patience her friends were affording her and she batted them away as best as she could. "Thank you..." And that was the last they spoke of it before getting tucked in to the large breakfast that Goyle had ordered.

-?-

In Potions the next week, Greg and Draco were putting a secret plan into action. One that nobody –not even Harry- knew about, because they were certain the others would not approve. But it was clear to them, and to anyone who cared to notice, that both their Potions Master and their Head Girl were miserable without each other. And, because Draco felt that his involvement had seen that things had gone awry so terribly, he had come up with a wicked (not entirely ethical) plan to force the two back together.

"So…" the blond began at a whisper, stealing a glance in the Professor's direction, "What are you doin' about Granger, then?"

Greg, subtly noting Snape's newfound attention on their workstation, hissed back angrily; "This is not the place to discuss it, or didn't you learn that last time?"

Draco forced a scowl. "Look, I'm just worried about the chit, is all. She's not in the right state to be going through any of this alone."

Chopping a root fiercely, it was clear to any observer that the Head Boy was trying his hardest to maintain his calm. He stole another glance in the Potions Master's direction before responding. "Well it's not my place to do anythin', is it? How am I supposed to convince her that she needs to eat more?"

"But it's no good for her health if she doesn't. Not to mention the b-"

"-Are you out of your sodding mind, Malfoy? This is not a smart place to mention any of it. Especially that." Greg moved his head in Snape's direction, knowing that the older wizard would notice it. "So drop it."

They were, of course, talking about Hermione's dramatic loss of weight, and the fact that it wouldn't be right for her to look so gaunt at the Graduation Ball. However, both boys knew that their Professor would read something else entirely out of their discussion, and they hoped that he would take matters into his own hands from there.

If not, they would just have to put Phase Two of their master plan into action…

A/N- Right, well, I am sorry to say that I will miss Sophia and Matty…Don't worry, there will be mentions to them in future chapters –possibly a flashback or two if I decide to get all artsy on you…

As I said, Dafina, thank you for the Severus/Siobhan suggestion…LOL I know you wanted me to avoid a situation like the one I am currently plotting, but I love to stir things up and that, my dear, was a fantastic way to do it (though you'll notice that I didn't actually pair them together because that would be far too cruel of me…).

And Lena Andromeda Black…Thank you for the seeds of doubt as to whether Hermione was pregnant or not. LOL. Of course, we all know she's not (I'm trying my very best to avoid being predictable) but Severus doesn't. Mwahahaha.

These two plans alone are sneaky, when they are being pulled off by separate parties at the same time? Well, I'll leave you to think of all the crazy things that might just go wrong…

Please leave comments! I adore each and every one!

Ciao for now.