The rest of Hermione's afternoon was spent in the rather engaging company of Sebastian Snape. HE was a nice enough lad with interests similar to hers and a winsome personality too. If her heart had not already been won by the older brother, she would have encouraged a more formal attachment to him. As it was however, she listened and spoke but made no attempt to lead him on or suggest that this might go any further. Hermione could see the growing frustration in the lad, giving away his inexperience and immaturity in these matters. The subject arose when she turned down another meeting with the boy in the near future. The annoyance was clear on his face and she let out a sigh of exasperation.

"What on earth is the matter?" she quipped, getting tired of the sulking.

"I was lead to believe you had an existing attachment to me," he said, folding his arms over his chest, "Was I wrong?" he asked.

Hermione gave him a sad smile and shook her head, "I am afraid you have been misled," she said placing a hand on his arm and giving it a pat. "I have very much enjoyed spending the afternoon with you, your company has been perfect, but as for a romantic attachment," she finished the sentence by shaking her head. "Who was it that encouraged this?" she asked.

The lad had flushed a rather vivid red at her words, though he did not appear to be angry with her. He didn't say anything but his eyes glanced towards his future sister-in-law. Hermione was less than surprised at this and she shook her head. "I should have known."

"I didn't say anything!" he said.

"You didn't need to," she replied. Hermione didn't elaborate on that, he didn't need to know the details of the tension between her and Fleur. "I don't see why we cannot be friends however, your company has been pleasant and we have a bit in common," she suggested. She didn't want the lad to feel too disappointed with their 'date' and they had got along fine. He appeared to think that through for a moment, "Besides, it'll keep her off my back. I don't know what I have done to earn such suspicion from her, it seems so unfair," she added. That seemed to do the trick and the lad relented.

"I don't see the harm in it," he said eventually. Hermione extended her hand for him to shake, which he did and gave her a small smile. She returned it, trying hard not to feel awkward; she had just brushed him off after all. Still, something had been salvaged, they'd agreed on friendship and that was no mean feat.

They arrived back at the now empty cake stall and she bade him goodbye, pressing her hand in his in friendship. She could almost feel the disappointment coming from Molly but there was no way she was going to sell herself short just to meet the other woman's approval, it was her life after all and her choice! She watched Sebastian walk away before turning to her other friends with a small sigh.

"What was wrong with that one?" Molly asked the moment he was out of earshot. Hermione shook her head.

"Not now, please," she said. It had been a strain, spending the time with the younger Snape when she wanted to be with the older one. Hearing Molly's complaints about it now was a bit too much to bear. The older woman huffed and placed her hand on her hips but said nothing. Lavender was there to assist however, seeing the look on Hermione's face.

"We'll get the plates gathered up," she said giving Hermione a nod. She turned and began doing as she had said before there was a chance of protestation. Hermione, only to eager, turned to give her a hand.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"What was all that about?" she asked as she stacked up some of the plates.

"Later," she said shaking her head. The last thing Hermione wanted was to confide in her friend only for Molly to overhear. Lavender seemed to get the hint and they cleaned the plates away talking about other things. Mostly about her upcoming wedding; the flush on her face was difficult to hide when she spoke of Ron and there was no doubt in Hermione's mind that she was utterly smitten with the red-headed boy. The day was still six weeks away; however there was a lot to be done. Hearing about her friend's happiness took her mind off her own dilemma and by the time they were done and ready to travel home again, Hermione felt a lot clearer.

The trip home was made shortly after and instead of fleeing up to her room, Hermione and Lavender remained in the sitting room, speaking further about the wedding. About half an hour later, Molly joined them. Hermione swore that if she began questioning her about Sebastian, she would leave, however she left the subject alone. The talk of her youngest son's marriage was a subject she was already heavily invested in and so she fell into the conversation. By the time Hermione headed to bed, she was exhausted and felt far more relaxed than they had earlier on.

Her good mood lasted through breakfast, especially when she realised that she was due to visit her friend that day. It lasted all the way up to the large front door of his home. Sebastian and Mystra were nowhere to be seen, something for which she was grateful. Settling in the same seat as she had before, she waited for a while for her friend to appear. After she had waited for what felt like half an hour, she began to grow concerned. She rose and began to look at the books on the shelf once more, looking for one that might interest her. It was as she was about to pull one from the shelf that her friend bothered to appear.

"I apologise for my tardiness," he said, his tone dry. Hermione jumped and looked around, a smile suddenly fixed onto her face.

"Is everything alright?" she asked. She had no idea what had been the matter but needed to ask. He nodded curtly and she returned to her seat. Pressing her lips together, she looked at her friend; his face was fixed into a mask of impassiveness, one that brought to mind the persona he wore in the classroom, rather than the one she had met in the café, or here previously. She frowned, wondering what it was that was on his mind.

"What did you want to know about today?" she asked, hoping the change of subject would lighten the mood a little.

Severus did not sit; he remained standing by the fireplace, his back to Hermione. She knew his arms would be folded and the line between his brows that appeared when he was anxious would be there. He remained silent. Hermione shifted in her seat, the sound of her dress rustling sounded far louder than it would have been normally. The silence stretched between them and she let out a sigh. If they were just going to sit there silently, she may as well leave. Just as she was about to rise, he turned and spoke.

"What was that about yesterday?" he asked.

Hermione frowned, "What?"

"You know exactly what I mean."

She shook her head, "No, I don't."

"With my younger brother."

Her eyebrows rose and her eyes widened, "We went for a walk around the fair with your sister, then we went by ourselves," she said. She tried her best to keep her tone even, though she was a little taken aback by the abruptness of his tone.

"Why?" he asked. The frown she had been holding back bloomed on her face then and she folded her arms.

"Does it matter?" she asked, her tone darker.

"As he is my brother, yes, it does."

"Maybe you should ask your fiancé about it," she quipped.

"Leave her out of this."

Hermione got to her feet then, "I don't have to sit here and listen to this. I came here as a friend, it seems as though you wish to end that," she said. "You have no bearing on whom I see and what I do. May I politely remind you that you are engaged to someone and should see to it that she no longer fills other, more susceptible, members of your family with idiotic notions that I have attachments to them!" she said. She tried her best to keep her tone even, but knew that her pitch rose as she continued to speak.

"You feel nothing for Sebastian?" Severus asked, finally turning to catch her eyes.

"No. If you go and ask him about it, you'll also learn that I shook his hand in friendship and told him he had been misinformed." She said curtly. "Not that it is any of your business. Who I see is up to me, unless you hold some form of affection for me and are willing to abandon your current relation," she added. It felt a little low saying such things but he had annoyed her with what appeared to be nothing but petty jealousy. An emotion he had no right to feel as there could never be anything between them. His silence was more telling than any words and she got up.

She did not expect him to stop her from leaving, however, she did not expect the huge bang that came from above her head, not the curse that uttered from his lips. Her gaze turned to the ceiling and then his, "What was that?" she asked.

"None of your concern," he snapped.

The frown deepened and she shook her head, ignoring his waspishness. "It sounds as though someone could be hurt," she protested. He opened his mouth to speak but before he had the chance to say anything, she had left the room in search of the noise. She knew it was rude to storm around his house but he hadn't been entirely polite in the first place. She climbed the stairs before he had a chance to follow her, when the bang sounded again. It was coming from the third floor and before she could stop herself, she was up on the same floor. She opened a couple of the doors, revealing only bedrooms.

What she found behind the third door however, answered so many questions and raised so many more. Unable to really understand what she was seeing, she felt her knees buckle and her vision fade. The last thing she was aware of was a pair of strong arms guiding her to the floor.