Author's Note: First let me thank everyone who had reviewed, alerted, or put this story on their favorites it means a lot to me.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say that I don't own them? I'm just playing with someone else's toys and do return them in the same shape I have found them (well that may not always be the case).

Severus sat in the great hall at lunch a week later when a letter was dropped beside his plate, he shook his head as he picked it up opening it.

Severus,

Come to supper tonight so we can discuss that matter you asked me to look into.

DM

"All is well I hope." Minerva said as she paused behind him.

Severus didn't answer just rose leaving the great hall, nothing would be right again until he found out the truth.

That evening the first words he spoke to Draco was,

"What did you find out?"

"Well a good evening to you too." Draco said.

"Draco."

"Let's go to the study."

Once they were seated with a glass of whisky each Draco started talking,

"Mr. Kaseload's career took off after he won your case, but I think you already knew that."

"Yes, what I want to know is about his practices."

"What is it you really want Severus, what do you think he's done."

Severus expected this, even knew that he was going to have to tell the young man what he suspected had happen.

"I think he lied to me about the bonding papers."

"What did he tell you." Draco asked not sure if he liked where this was going after some of the things he heard in the last week.

"He told me that it was Hermione's idea, he led me to believe that the papers were already filed."

Draco stared at Severus in shock, he had no reason not to believe what the wizard across from him said. Still that was not the way it happen. Draco set his glass down before saying,

"That's not what happen."

"Then tell me the way it was."

"I... don't know."

"Draco, tell me now." Severus commanded.

Draco sighed, he knew that tone. He was going to have to tell Severus what he knew, but he wondered why Granger never told him in the first place.

"Mr. Kaseload approached us, saying he had an idea for something that would turn the majority of the wizengamot in your favor. That's when he told us of using the marriage law to your advantage, he asked Granger if she would be willing to file the intent to bond papers. She told him only if you agreed to it, he told her you had."

"I would have never agreed to that." Severus said quietly, his mind reeling from this new information. But this revelation really wasn't new was it? Hermione had said as much in her journal, maybe it was just hearing it.

"I don't see why it matters now, the purpose was severed."

Severus stood pacing,

"Severed it's purpose? And what would that be? To anger me? Let me believe that I had no choice in the matter? That she did file the papers behind my back to replace the two masters I just got rid of?"

Draco watched Severus, he knew without a doubt there was something that he didn't know.

"You thought that she wanted….. what did you do?"

Severus stopped turning to the young man, maybe a glossed over version would suffice.

"I was beyond angry with her, I would treat an elf better than I treated her. I mentally broke her so far down I'm surprised that she has any semblance of a normal life."

"Do you love her?" Draco asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"Do you love her?"

"I care….."

"No, do. You. Love. Her?"

Severus dropped back to the sofa, putting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands before finally saying,

"Yes Draco, I love her."

Draco finally asked quietly,

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to hex Kaseload back to Merlin himself."

"I understand that, and there may be a way to get back at him. I meant about Granger."

"There's nothing I can do, I did terrible things to her."

"I can't believe I am going to say this, I agree with Potter do anything to open that door again."

"I don't know where to begin."

"You'll think of something."

The rest of the evening was spent discussing what to do about Mr. Kaseload, Severus wanted to confront him but he was sure if he went alone he would be back in Azakban quickly.

~~^~~SSHG~~^~~

Hermione sat at her table drinking tea thinking over what happen last week, she had been sure that if she had ever saw him again she would at the very least be able to speak to him. Though she left the wizarding world so that wouldn't happen, but her courage fled the moment she saw him. Then she tried to speak to him, it was just…. Overwhelming. So many things she wanted to say, or do. But the one that bothered her the most was after she came home, she had a fleeting thought that she wanted him to love her. Like that would work, she was broken and no matter what she thought … felt he deserved perfect, He was broken too and in her mind only perfect would fix him.

Why she still wanted him was beyond her, he had done so many hurtful things to her in the five and a half years they were together….. until the last six months. In the last six months he had almost been what she had craved for the five years before that.

What made her lie to him that day? She knew the answer to that. What would have happen if she had told him the truth? Would life had been like it had the six months before she left or the five years before that. This wasn't the first time she had contemplated the question, of course the answers never resolved anything but to cause a sleepless night.

She stood frustrated with her feelings and thoughts, none of it did her any good. She was still divorced, she was still alone and she would more than likely always be alone. She needed to do something to get her mind off of her thoughts of Severus and a life she would never be able to have with him.

She finally started pulling things out of the cabinets, cleaning always seemed to take her mind off her problems.

Hours later with every dark corner in the downstairs cleaned, even under the stairs. She sat on the sofa, her mind finally clam for the moment when a thought flitted across her mind. Damn it, now she recalled the look in his eyes when she saw him last week. It wasn't the loathing that she had seen so many times, as a matter of fact it wasn't any negative emotion at all. If she was pressed she'd say it was loneliness and maybe longing. But he never wanted her so why would he be lonely without her or longing to have her? She must have imagined it, maybe it was time to just go to bed and forget this past week.

Author's Note: Comments really do make me smile and brighten my day.

Also I wanted to let you know that I have a couple of Severus/Hermione videos on youtube, the link is in my profile.