McGonagall sat herself properly in the chair opening her outer robe that she'd left draped over the side, "As promised, I have something for you." She leaned back pulling the beaded the bag from her the pocket.

Hermione's brows rose, she had forgotten. She slowly uncurled herself facing towards the voice. She felt a warm smooth hand take her wrist opening her palm before something bumpy was placed inside. Minerva helped guide her new gift to her lap as she ran her fingers over it trying to figure out what it was.

"It belongs to you." She said gently watching the girl examine its outer texture with the same concentration she had when learning a new spell or charm. She had hoped the bag may help jog her memories in some way but she kept the disappointment from her voice as the girl looked at her curiously.

"A bag?" Hermione asked gently as she felt along the zipper.

"Yes, a very special bag, you yourself created." Minerva sat back slightly in Snape's chair waiting with bated breath for her to open it.

Hermione was a bit excited to have something of her own. As she pulled the zipper open she reached in, gasping as her arm dipped deeply inside. She could feel many things against her palm and turned her hand wrapping it around a bit of fabric.

She pulled out a t-shirt, it was dingy and old, bearing a Hogwarts Gryffindor crest embroidered in the center, though most of its threads had started to fray. Hermione couldn't stop herself as she brought it under her nose, a habit of hers for which she couldn't recall a source. She furrowed her brows a bit, it had a soft perfume on it. Was it hers? Minerva had said the bag was hers so it wouldn't have been unusual to find her own clothing inside. She smiled softly and set it on her lap before reaching in again.

A childlike excitement filled her face as she wondered what she'd find next. She felt a bunch of books against her arm but bypassed them. She couldn't read them even if she wanted to. Deciding to wait on them until later, she wrapped her hands around something cool and long. She tilted her head as she pulled it out, she let the bag fall onto her lap as she used both hands to examine what she'd found.

"Brilliant." She whispered as she realized it was a hair brush. She held it to her chest for a brief moment before letting it fall into her lap with the shirt.

Minerva smiled brightly as she let the girl pull out whatever she wanted. A tension she had carried into the home with her had begun to somewhat relax before she realized the other task that she couldn't prolong much longer. A guilt laden sadness came to her eyes as she slowly stood to face the man in black.

Severus had just set out his sauce pan when Minerva joined him, he could tell by the way she set her shoulders that she was ready for battle. He didn't need to read her mind to guess what she was about to suggest. He sighed heavily through his nose leaning his hands on the table before him. He hadn't forgotten his brief interrogation with his Godson.

"You told them." He accused.

"I was left no choice." She said strongly raising her chin.

"There is always a choice." His voice held a dangerous edge as he picked up the saucepan setting it heavily onto the counter making it wobble dangerously.

"Severus." She said sternly, their tension broken slightly by a soft giggle from the sitting room. "It may help." She took a small step to level them up.

He refused to turn and look at her, his hands tightening on a knife he had pulled out to prep their dinner. He held back his temper, "You gave me a promise." He hissed slowly turning his head, piercing her with those stone cold eyes of his.

"I intend to do everything I can to ensure that your location and your current status remain as they are." Her voice was gentle but she wasn't going to back down.

"How is it you plan to do this?" He asked turning fully to face her crossing his arms his brow deep his lip curled in a small sneer.

"I was planning to transfigure her room, remove the door. Make it appear like just any other hospital." She took a breath, "You needn't be seen. You can simply stay in your room or even down here. I won't allow the boys to leave the room." She watched the man turn over the information with hope on her face.

"When?" He said finally after a very long silence.

"When is good for you?" She smirked a bit as his brows rose just a fraction before he turned away from her hiding his thoughts from her view.

"Tomorrow." He wanted to get the ordeal over with as soon as possible, he also knew he needed supplies and could use this little favor as a trade of sorts.

"Time?" Minerva couldn't keep out the tone of surprise, she was expecting a long and drawn out fight her eyes narrowed as she waited for the catch. There was always a catch.

"By Afternoon. No later than 3." He said pulling out a paper from his catch-all drawer scribbling down what he needed. His mind was turning as he remembered the girl's reaction to Draco, part of him was eager to try her reaction to Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Though he sure as hell wasn't going to let Minerva know that.

"I will send Tinie ahead of us, merely send her back when you have sufficiently hidden yourself away." She lowered her eyes to his offered paper. Ah, the catch. She looked down the list of food stuffs and ingredients, she was no potions expert but she was sure he was meaning to brew something that bordered on the fine line of the dark arts. From what she could figure out, it was something about controlling the mind, or maybe trapping the mind. She wasn't sure. She simply nodded her head tucking the list into her pocket.

Severus watched her closely waiting for the other elephant in the room to show itself. They glared at each other, their match only lightly disturbed by muttering coming from the other room, the soft thunk of something hitting the floor.

"Severus..."

"Don't." He pushed himself up wrapping his arms over his chest, in a protective posture.

Hermione pulled out another shirt, bringing it to her nose, the coppery smell didn't mask the owner's scent. A flash of memories from that day assaulted her inner peace. Showing her flash after flash until the end. She knew his name, but she didn't know why he was so important to her that day. Why had she taken the hit for him? Why he fought by her side so valiantly? She wanted, no, needed, desperately to know. It made her so angry. She felt so weak and incapable. Still on a high from her emotional turn, she raised the shirt up and pulled along the collar, she grunted with all the strength she had in her arms and pulled, tearing the shirt down the center. It took a bit of effort to make it to the end though when she did she dropped it to her lap and held her face in her own hands as she growled out his name, "Ron...?" She knew he was so dreadfully important, why was he so important? "Who are you...?"

Hermione pressed her head into the dirty shirt, the floor around her chair was littered with a wide assortment of all manner of things. Though most were books there were also half empty potions vials, female and male clothing, small utensils and a Muggle medical kit that looked like it had seen a few very bad days. Hermione had her head buried in her knees folded completely over as her body trembled with another suppressed sob.

She wanted so desperately to recall. Whose clothes were mixed with hers? Why had she put so many things inside her bag? What was it for? She had been able to guess what most of the things were, she had come across what she could guess to be photographs still in their frame. Why had she done that? Why not put them in an album? She pulled slightly at her hair; the tension wafting from the other half of her connection wasn't improving things either. She felt a suppressed rage filling her.

She sniffled slightly as she reached again into the bag, her hand curled gently around something square. She pulled it out carefully holding it in both hands. It had nobs and felt electronic in nature. She gingerly ran her fingers over the nobs turning each one before a soft static filled her ears. She felt a spark inside her mind. Another floating page. She stilled, trying to center herself around it.

Minerva rounded on the man who had moved himself away to the corner kitchen pretending to busy himself. As luck would have it she noticed an old newspaper just to the side near the bin and subsequently rolled it up. She raised her weapon and promptly thwacked, Severus Snape, dreaded potions master, and ruthless headmaster, firmly on the back of his head.

"Have you lost all sense you daft Leo?!" Severus bellowed as he rounded on her his hand coming to touch his head.

"Have you, you senseless serpent?" Minerva tossed her make shift weapon to the side fixing him with a glare that would have sent even her brave Gryffindors running for their rooms. Oh, but he was not a Gryffindor, no, this was a serpent. A serpent caught in a lion's den. "What could have possessed you to say that to the poor girl?"

"That poor girl is stronger than you think." He pushed himself up standing his ground.

"She is ill? Would it have really damaged your beloved reputation so much to have just a semblance of decency?!" Their voices had raised substantially drawing the attention of their spat to the subject of it.

"If you wanted hot chocolate and cuddles you have clearly sought her care to the wrong person." His hand flourished out his face tight with anger.

"Severus." Her tone cut through him like a dull knife slow and painful, "She is not your student anymore, it's alright to speak her name." Her tone was whining now grating on his nerves as if he was being scolded by a parent.

"That's not the point." He huffed baring his teeth. "The girl-"

"That woman is no longer a child. She's 24 years old! She is no more an innocent than you are." She huffed her voice still raised with frustration.

"She's still-" He tried again.

"She just wants to be treated like a human being, can't you just, for once in your life, set aside your stupid walls and treat someone with the respect they deserve?"

"She-"

Minerva took hold of the newspaper again and raised it in warning causing the man to bite his tongue. They stared each other down for a long time before Minerva finally saw it. There in the corner of his right eye, a small flicker. Her own eyes widened as she came to an abrupt realization.

"You care for her." Her tone was filled with surprise her hand lowering the paper.

"I care for her, Minerva, nothing more." He forced the words out but he couldn't hide what had already been seen.

"Oh-ho you are a liar, Severus Snape." Minerva set the paper on the table between them as she watched the man digest her observation, it was suddenly clear to her that he himself hadn't even been aware of his own feelings on the subject.

Their battle of wills was cut to an abrupt halt as a startling crash came from the sitting room. Severus reacted first only confirming the lioness's words, though he managed to quickly still himself it had been noticed. She glared at him but her concern was more important, she turned away to find the cause of the disruption.

Hermione was lying rather awkwardly near the center of the room, between Snape's chair and the side table that had been over turned, the table itself had fallen into one of the bottom shelves shaking loose a few of his decorative potions equipment. She had accidentally turned the bag on its end, subsequently spilling out a vast array of things. She had dropped the radio in her quest for answers. She had meant simply to reach over the edge for it when she had lost her balance thanks to the many things she had put in the chair with her. Her legs tucked in the blanket didn't help her fall as she splayed out over her mess.

She felt so angry, so alone, so helplessly scared of something she couldn't even remember. It filled her entire being, she could feel her soul crackling. Threatening to break upon its weakened points. Her mind was so distracted from feelings coming from Severus as he argued with Minerva. She felt such pain. She just wanted it to stop. Wanted him to stop.

The young woman on the floor let out a distressed sob bringing her hands into her hair pulling tightly at the strands.

"Minerva..." Severus warned sensing the shift in her. Though he was feeling their connection he was unaware of what his subconscious had produced inside her.

The headmistress turned her eyes briefly towards him before coming to Hermione's side carefully stepping around the debris. She bent down gently touching the girls back trying to be of some comfort.

"Hermione?" Minerva's concern laced over her features as she tried to gently pull some loose hair back to see her face.

Hermione snarled and whipped out her arm, luckily for Minerva, she lashed out at the wrong side otherwise she may have sported a very nice black eye. The elder woman jumped back in shock as Hermione went to swing on the proper side. Her fist met air as she snarled,"Don't touch me!"

She was breathing hard now as all her and his frustrations came forward. Her soul ached so painfully as she lifted her head her eyes searching. Nothing but the never ending darkness met her senses and she screamed out again in desperate anger pulling at the hair at her temples. Everything around her felt so pressed in. The feeling of the floor under her the way her legs had failed her tangling in the mess. She knew she was so much more than this. So much more. She wanted to be herself again, she needed it more than anything else in that moment. She was having a right breakdown, a complete tantrum. She felt something riling in her stomach as her feelings bounced back against the wall he had placed back between them.

Minerva looked accusingly at Snape like he was completely to blame for the scene before them.

"Enough." His voice was deep carrying a wavered edge. He wasn't about to let the woman throw herself into a tantrum and risk all the hard work they'd put into her recovery.

His anger already raised from their previous conversation. He strode over, his boot crunching over a picture frame as he took her none too gently by the arm and pulled her up heavily onto her knees.

He never saw it coming.

Her hand whipped round full force colliding squarely on his cheek. The sheer shock of force turning his head away.

The entire room went still as the sound of her strike echoed through all those present.

Her breath felt painfully loud as it passed slowly between her parted lips. Her hand stung dully as she froze, the offending appendage hanging down by her side. She would be a liar if she didn't say her actions had left her with a deep satiated feeling. Though as her anger induced fog started to clear she felt a cold fear going down her spine. The grip on her arm tightened considerably, no doubt leaving behind a bruise. She waited for the retaliatory strike her eyes closing tight.

Severus felt the warmth of her blow seeping into his entire being. The pure unadulterated helplessness that it left behind. As he slowly turned his head back to look upon her and saw her face pinched tightly with fear and something inside him snapped. This wasn't who he wanted to be, this wasn't what he wanted to express. The pure raw fear he had instilled inside the girl had hit something deep into his core. He had never, never, struck a woman and he wasn't going to start now. As her arm trembled in his hold, he felt himself relaxing his bruising force. He was used to others fearing him, and for good reason, but this, this felt wrong. He let out his own slow even breath and shift his weight. His other arm came up and he could hear Minerva's voice calling his name; it seemed she too, feared his recourse.

He pushed it down inside him as he carefully tucked his hands under her arms. He picked her straight up keeping her body from coming too close to his. Her feet fumbled slightly, kicking away various potions that had spilled from her kit, before managing to settle on the floor. He helped to walk her back to the lounge before lowering her heavily upon it.

Once she was sat he turned on his heel his eyes piercing straight through Minerva with great prejudice. The elder woman had sense enough to lower her head in shame as he passed. His steps upon the stairs thumped through her before the shake of his slammed door shook her from her penance.

Slowly, the aging witch came to her feet, she approached Hermione more cautiously this time but felt her heart break as the girl trembled with silent tears.

Her eyes were downcast, her regret falling down upon her open hands as she tried to rub the pain away. "I've...ruined...everything..." Her voice was so hallow, so broken.

Minerva moved to kneel at her side, one hand covering Hermione's tear stained ones in a gentle embrace. "Oh, my dear..." She whispered softly, her other moving up to gently wipe a tear from her cheek, "I do believe..." She tucked a bit of hair behind the girls ear, "You have just set in motion, all that was meant to be..."