Hermione's hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. It was just after supper and she was heading towards Professor Snape's classroom.

Her mind was reeling with what Harry had just told her. She really couldn't believe that he'd been so stupid, so careless to use a spell on someone without knowing its use. Sectumsempra could have done any amount of irreparable damage on Draco and although she did not like the boy in the slightest, she didn't like the idea of him killed by her best friend either.

Because that's what could've happened really, if Severus hadn't arrived.

Hermione closed her eyes and shook her head to rid herself of the notion that Harry could be a murderer.

But what really puzzled her, was how Severus reacted. He'd asked Harry for his Potion's book.

Severus had somehow known about the spell and from where it had came from.

How could he have known?

Yes, Harry said he used Legilimens, but still... Hermione wasn't convinced.

The spell had been scribbled in a corner of the old textbook, seemingly as a note to the owner of the manual, the Half-Blood prince himself. It was highly improbable that Severus, having this old potion's book in one corner of his classroom, had riffled through this book and found the spell.

Hermione sped up as she reached the dungeons.

She just had a hunch, a really good gut feeling that Severus held the key for unlocking who the Half-Blood Prince was. Ever since Harry had opened the book and followed the instructions, Hermione had been captivated by the Prince. It had been hard for her ego to accept, that although she was dubbed the smartest witch of her age, there had been a smarter wizard or witch before her.

Because there was no denying that he was a genius. Oh yes, Hermione was pretty certain that the Prince was a male even if she preached the contrary. The writing and the name of the author himself left little room for Hermione to keep entertaining that notion that the Prince could be female.

Hermione had now reached the DADA classroom. On her way she'd crossed path with a handful of Slytherins but now the corridor was deserted. She knocked three times (a habit she'd picked up from her father) and waited.

Severus heard her knock on his door and felt his heart start racing. Albus had stopped talking when the knocks had resounded and now looked politely interested to know the identity of the knocker. Severus wasn't happy to be interrupted, especially since he was just telling Dumbledore what his prized Potter had done.

Putting on a forced scowl, to keep up appearances, Severus walked stiffly to the door and wrenched it open. Outside, Hermione stood there with her gorgeous hair down and determination shown clearly in her eyes. Severus raised an eyebrow and prayed to the gods that the girl had enough common sense not to mention anything relating their, hum, situation without making sure that they were alone.

'Miss Granger', he asked smoothly, trying to convey that he wasn't pleased with her appearance in the present,'why have you come to bother me?'

Not at all affected by his rude question, she had been his student for six years after all, Hermione raised an eyebrow and mouthed quickly: 'Not alone?' to which he answered with an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

'I'm sorry to bother you Professor, but I was wondering if you could help me with my essay. I'm afraid that I don't exactly understand the work.' Hermione almost patted herself on the shoulder for inventing such a quick and believable lie. Already, she was feeling the affect of being in his presence; accelerated heartbeat, shortness of breath and nervousness.

Severus scowled deepened as he snarled: 'Not now Granger, go ask one of your fellow Gryffindors, though I daresay if you didn't comprehend the simple assignment, I highly doubt they will.' He was about to close the door, sadden by seeing her disappointed face, when Albus' voice interrupted his action.

'No no Severus! Help Miss Granger here!' He advanced to the door and opened it wider then stepped out of the classroom. 'Miss Granger, I hope your studies are doing well?' he asked Hermione kindly.

'Yes, thank you Headmaster, I've already started studying for the end of term exams.' Hermione answered back, smiling at Dumbledore. She really admired the man, even if he was a bit strange sometimes.

'And I wish you all the success with them', Dumbledore concluded then with a nod to both, he turned and started walking away. 'Nighty night!' He called back, waving a hand over his head.

'Goodnight!' Hermione's words echoed in the now deserted hallway. She turned towards Severus who motioned for her to enter his classroom. She did and he closed the door after her.

'Now will you tell me the real reason of your visit Miss Granger?' He asked crossing his arms. He was standing about a meter away from the door and she was leaning slightly on one of the back row's desks. She straightened herself before speaking confidently.

'Well, firstly, I would like to learn the spell you used to heal Malfoy.' She waited a second for his reaction, but getting nothing save for an impassive face, she continued. 'Secondly, I wish to know the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.'

There was a tense pause before Severus replied smoothly 'For your first request, I can teach you the healing spell. The incantation is Vulnera Sanentur.'

The way he said the name made Hermione feel that this particular spell held importance in his eyes.

'Vulnera Sanentur', Hermione repeated under her breath. She nodded earnestly to him, urging him to go on.

'For the spell to properly work, one must chant it three times while waving your wand around the severed area. Singing the spell three times is essential because the first time will slow the blood flow, the second will start the healing of the wounds and the final time will knit the wounds back together. The spell doesn't prevent the scarring so dittany needs to be applied.' Severus checked to see if Hermione had followed his speech before continuing.

'Now, for the second request, tell me what you think of the Half-Blood Prince first.' There was no sense lying to her and pretending that he didn't know of the Half-Blood Prince, she was too intelligent to be fooled. Severus knew he was playing a dangerous game, basically asking her for an one hundred percent honest review of the glimpse she'd seen of him as a teenager, but he couldn't help wanting to know.

Hermione, on the other hand, was really flattered but also slightly confused that he cared about her opinion of the Prince. Well maybe not cared exactly, more… Curious. Severus Snape seemed to give little thought about anybody's opinion, which was something Hermione still failed to do. She couldn't help it, but still had come a long way from the buck-toothed eleven year old who wanted to please all her teachers.

'Well... I don't like how he wrote in his book, it's not really respectful of the learning material,' Severus smirked and Hermione blushed, 'well it isn't! But otherwise, I find it safe to say that he was obviously a potions genius...' There she trailed off and looked down towards the tiled floor of the dungeons, scrunching her eyebrows and seeming deeply in thought. Severus could almost hear her train of thought, could almost sense the gears turning. Then, her eyes widened and she jerked her head upwards to stare at him in shock. Severus cocked his head, inviting her to speak. Yes, he thought smugly, you've figured it out...

'You're not him... Are you?' she asked breathlessly. When Severus let a tight almost smile grace his features, she pushed herself off of the desk and jumped up.

'Great gods! It makes sense! How did I not realize it before!' She advanced towards him, a huge, proud smile plastered on her face.

Severus wanted to kiss her.

But he held back.

When he'd fallen in love with her, that one day she'd brewed a potion for him, he'd silently vowed to himself never to make the first move again, for he should never have touched her hand on the mixing rod. It had to be her that initiated the contact for him to let go and reciprocate. And she always had. When she had came to him and kissed him that one night. Then, when she'd touched his hand in the library. Never would he let himself start any contact. He did that because he secretly hoped that she'd stop wanting him so it would make what he had to do easier.

He needed to respond. He'd been silent for too long. She was still looking at him, smiling and waiting with baited breath for him to acknowledge her success.

'Is that all?' His monotonous and seemingly annoyed voice caught Hermione off-guard. She scrunched her eyebrows and swallowed hard. His question had really extinguished her excitement at having finally uncovered the identity of the Prince. She could feel that something was off, he seemed colder than usual.

'Are you mad at me?' She asked the question point blank, emotionless like he always was, without sounding cranky or like a little whiny girl. Hermione was a mature adult and she intended to act like one.

Yes! He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch the air, cry, breakdown and kiss her all at once. I need to kill one of my rare friends and betray you! And I can't even tell you about it! I'm going to die in the war and break you Hermione!

Because that was his plan now. He'd let her believe that he'd never really love her then die during the war. She was young and she's get over him.

He didn't deserve her. She was young and full of potential and deserved a better man than him. She'd find a better man than him. That's why he didn't tell her. He couldn't tell her about his orders to kill Dumbledore. Because, although he was certain she'd prove to be a much better Occlumens than Potter was, she still could be tortured for information during the war. He couldn't tell her for her own protection.

Or at least that's what he tried to convince himself.

He was just so conflicted, torn between what was right and what he wanted. What was right was stopping this affair right now.

What he wanted was her.

'No, I'm not mad at you.' Severus turned away from Hermione and took a step towards the door.

'Please, tell me what's bothering you Severus.' Hermione advanced towards him. She was so close that she reached out and placed a hand gently behind his back. She was genuinely concerned for him and wanted to know what was wrong. She cared for him so much it ached to sense him not happy. It was so strange to think that this cold distant man, her professor for six years, now meant everything to her. He was always on her mind and her heart would jump whenever she would glimpse him. Just now, in his presence, she wanted to hold him and comfort him. But she knew he wouldn't let her and, if she was truthful, she didn't know if she was capable to do so either. There was so much uncertainty about their relationship, so many things that were left unsaid. She'd never even had a normal conversations with him. She wasn't even sure how it would go. In reality, they had never even spoken of the whole affair, Hermione realized suddenly. She hadn't even told him how much she cared for him, how much she loved him, and she'd never heard the same from his lips. She felt like she knew him but at the same time, he was such a stranger to her. Hermione didn't even know his favorite color, where he grew up, how he liked his tea brewed or who was his favorite author!

But that's just how it was.

Slowly, she brought her hand that was resting on his back around his waist. He flinched slightly but she ignored it, continuing the movement until she was holding him from behind, her whole body pressed into his.

Severus felt her touch all over and it seemed to dull the pain for a bit. He brought his arms to hold her intertwined hands with his own. He traced her fingers with his own pale ones. He closed his eyes. He could feel her heartbeat on his back and notice that their breathing had synced up.

It was so wrong.

But it felt so strangely right.

He needed to stop it all.

And he would.

He turned in her arms slowly.

Her.

Hermione

He was now facing her, but not looking at her, his face pressed into her hair, inhaling big gulps of her scent like a drowning man searching for air.

Hermione.

So he kissed her.

A soft kiss that turned more passionate as she pressed her whole body into his, raising herself on her tippy toes to be closer to him. Severus brought his arms up to hold her in the mid back, squeezing her against him. He didn't dare touch her anywhere else than that small innocent stretch of her back. Soft lips, demanding more, never getting enough of him.

So wrong.

So right.

She kissed him and kissed him and kissed him.

And he kissed her back.

All the while trying to ignore the feeling in the pit of his stomach that was telling him that all these actions were making it all worst.

After a few breathless, passionate minutes he stopped kissing her by turning his head away. Hermione understood but couldn't ignore how much she wanted him.

What have we gotten ourselves into?

She dropped her head and released her hold on the back of his head. It was slightly awkward, between their intimate position and the fact that both of them had trouble breathing. Hermione, hesitating, moved to rest her head on his chest.

A very strange way for a teacher and student to be placed indeed.

She still couldn't believe it.

Her and Severus Snape.

Severus was still holding her in a tightly against him. The feeling of her body against him was heaven.

But he felt so guilty.

So, so guilty.

He couldn't do this to her anymore.

He needed to stop it all.

Once and for all.

He released her and turned to open the door.

He didn't look at her.

Just stop it.

He was trying to muster all the hate he felt for this whole situation, this whole war, his whole life.

Just stop it.

And then, with his most deadly and cold voice he whispered 'Get. Out.'

Hermione obeyed.

All her being was pleading for her to stay, to go back into his arms, to continue kissing him, but his voice translated so much raw hate towards her that she couldn't force herself to act.

Instead, she left him, walked right past him like an automate, keeping her composure until she'd reached her dorms, had unclothed herself and had stepped under her scathingly hot shower.

Then she wept.

A waterfall of tears that couldn't be stopped.

She dropped to the floor of the shower and lay on her back as waves of sadness overcame her.

The hot stream from the shower hit her body as she desperately tried to calm herself.

It's not him.

It's the war.

It's not really him.

It's only the war.

Repeating that and repeating that until someone banged on the door, asking her to get out.

…

Severus knew it was for the best.

He just hopped that he didn't have to see her anymore.

He needed to concentrate on the task at hand, on his role in the war.

You were never good enough for her.

Just like you were never good enough for Lily.

Never good enough.

Didn't deserve her.

Too old.

Too bitter.

Too ugly.

Not for her.

And he kept repeating that whenever he relapsed and wanted to see her, wanted to hold her and kiss her and tell her he loved her and that she was his and he was her's and they were meant to be.

Kept repeating that to convince himself.

But it never fully worked.

…

'Ginnyyyy!' Hermione's singsong voice was barely heard in the cacophonous Gryffindor common room. They had just won the game against Slytherin, game during which Harry didn't play because he had detention with Snape.

Everyone was celebrating and the slightly intoxicated Hermione was trying to find Ginny to congratulate her for catching the Snitch. Somehow, Hermione had found herself with some Firewhisky that Neville had passed to her, mentioning something about Hagrid having some or something and Hermione had drank a bit too much, alone in her corner, thinking of Severus. It had been a week since their last encounter and Hermione still didn't know what to make of the situation. In class, he basically pretended she didn't exist. Nevertheless, she didn't feel hurt by his actions. It was the situation they both didn't like, not the people involved. For the millionth time, she wished that they were both free adults, instead of student and teacher. It would have made things so much easier. And then there was the war. It seemed like everyday, students were leaving Hogwarts and wizards were dying.

It was just so complicated.

Hermione looked down to the bottle of Firewhisky. The level of booze had gone down considerably and the alcohol she had ingested was muddling her brain and making her less aware of the consequences of her actions.

So when Ginny finally came in, changed into muggle clothes and with a big smile, she'd ran up to her and hugged her. Then, Hermione dragged her over so that they could talk.

About Severus.

'Ginny, Ginny, Ginny' Hermione said while tapping Ginny's nose with each mention of her name,'who do you think is the sexiest teacher here?'

Ginny, who had been looking around, probably for Harry, and waving to all those who congratulated her, now turned her head and gave Hermione an incredulous grin.

'Damn Hermione! I didn't know you thought about those things!' she replied teasingly then lowering her voice she continued, 'but I certainly have to say Snape. He just looks so mysterious... but there not really any other competition for the title! Although... Lupin does have a certain charm... But don't you dare tell Ron! Oh, anyways, there's Harry!' And with that she was gone leaving Hermione alone again. She witnessed their kiss and felt happy for them.

But then she remember her own predicament.

So she left the party to go her dormitories and fell straight asleep, forgetting her Dreamless sleep potion, thus dreaming for the first time in weeks.

In her dreams, her and Severus were intertwined in a bed, sleeping peacefully.

…

About a week and a half later, Hermione received some unexpected mail.

She was sitting at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for breakfast when a medium sized brown owl swooped down and dropped a white letter next to her plate of toast before soaring off.

Wondering from whom it was from, she turned the blank envelope over and opened it. Inside, she pulled out a piece of white paper. Scrawled in an unfamiliar writing was a small message. It read:

Hermione,

I just wanted to write to you to say that I'm really really sorry for what I did to you. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I still wanted to tell you that I regret my actions and the damage they must have caused you.

Sorry again,

Cormac

Hermione finished reading the letter and felt rather surprised. She really had not expected Cormac to ever apologize, it just seemed so out of character for him to do so. Nevertheless, she was glad for his apology, even if she hadn't really thought of the incident in the past few months. Glancing up, she leaned forward a bit so that she caught Cormac's gaze. He was sitting further up the table and was looking at her nervously. Hermione nodded to him before looking away. She couldn't bring herself to smile at him. She wasn't fully sure if she forgave him. Truthfully, she just wanted to forget the whole shebang.

She went back to eating her cereal and smirked slightly as Ron looked away when Lavender entered the Great Hall. She hadn't felt anything really when they had broken up. If Ron was happier, then she was happy for him.

Harry was so blissfully happy with Ginny and it made her so thankful that they finally ended up together.

She'd told him the other day of her discovery in the library. Even though she knew that Severus was the Prince, she still was curious to why he called himself so, and in all honesty, looking through the old Prophets was pretty interesting. So, when she had found the piece on Eileen Prince, she'd proudly shown it to the boys, just to prove her point that the Prince could have been female.

It was on that same day that Harry left with Dumbledore to find an Horcrux.

Author's note: You can all guess what next chapter will be about… ;)

I put the letter from Cormac because even if I don't love him as a character, he's still human and I'm certain he feels some remorse for his actions.

As always, tell me what you all think, please!

Reviews:

WRose: No, he can't tell her really, as you know hopefully understand why :( Thanks for your review!

Sassyluv: Yes he will! Thanks :)

Mini pony lover: Thank you!

Amarenima Redwood: Thanks! Romeo & Juliet huh? Hope that's a good thing for all of you! ;)

littlesweetangel: Thank you!

ALIASTESIN: Hehehe I try! :P