A/N: SPOV

Severus heard her reply, and understood her reasoning for it. It made sense when you judged by the sake of one's morality.

But it's an entirely different thing when outside of the theoretical.

He frowned slightly at what he heard, knowing that he'd be having to teach her a difficult truth.

"...yes there is something between Remus and I, something that is trying real hard at becoming nothing…but regardless it's there. I can't deny that. I don't know where it's going… if it's going, but…I can't lie to him Severus."

He wanted her to know that this wasn't some sort of Slytherin ploy; he was surrounded by too many of them already for him to want to be in yet another one.

"...just as I have no intention of lying to you. A relationship of any type takes trust and I feel like sooner or later the lies would surface and everything would crumble." She had continued, and he was glad to hear her refer to it as a relationship.

"It doesn't even matter right now." She seemed to want to make it all go away, and right now, so did he. "I was just hoping that there was an easy answer."

Severus looked at her and let her know that he understood her opinion.

"I can understand your need to be honest to Lupin. I can tell that you care for him deeply, and I don't intend to trespass against that. And I'm pleased to hear that you don't want to lie to me either, and that you do realize that this arrangement is as good as a relationship.

"The only reason I say that you should probably not tell him is because of the nature of what we will have. Some things are not easily forgivable between enemies; even if you were able to find the perfect words to explain to him why you've been with me, how do you think he'd take it?"

"I am sorry, Nymphadora, but there is no easy answer to this. Under the best circumstances, he will accuse me of using the Imperius Curse in order to have my way with you. Under the worst... he'll be disgusted by what we've done together and either leave you or demand that you never see me again. And all of that is predicated on being able to explain this."

Severus got up from his bed and faced her. He cupped her cheek and jaw in his left hand, wincing slightly as he tried to use his right one.

His dark eyes pierced hers, and he leaned into her to lightly brush his lips against hers. It was just enough to leave you wanting more, just to be sure that you were actually kissed in the first place.

"Nymphadora, how would you ever find the right words to tell someone else that you feel a need to love someone differently. Few people would understand the true nature of a passion between two people who express their love through bondage, dominance, submission, and masochism. Lupin wouldn't want to share you with anyone else in a non-BDSM dynamic, particularly me. It's why I offered to keep what we had secret. I'm also supposed to be a faithful Death Eater in the eyes of The Dark Lord, and it's not like I can bring you as a date to a Dark Revel."

Severus dropped his hand from her face, and he had to strain to recover his sorrow-filled eyes to his carefully neutral ones. Using his wand in his left hand, he levitated his documents with Lily's name on it and the broken collar into the fireplace and watched them burn.

"I have to go report to Albus now. I look forward to seeing you again, dear." He nodded, putting floo powder into the fireplace and transporting himself to the Headmaster's office.

I hope she understands my concerns... I don't want to see her hurt by attempting to explain this to anyone.