Hey everyone :) I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in a while. The reason is a bit embarrassing but hopefully understandable: My new job was so demanding that I simple forgot... So sorry. But here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Catherine

Chapter 10 – Judgement

Severus sat at his desk in his office in the afternoon and looked through the third years' essays which were catastrophic. He had pleaded years ago to give the first years a lesson in grammar, spelling, and how to write an essay since wizard children are merely schooled by their parents before coming to Hogwarts, but in vain. The muggleborns, however, and even often the half-bloods were exceptionally better since they had gone to a muggle school before and had at least learned the basics.

There was a strong knock on his door that startled him out of his thoughts.

"Enter," he barked and in stormed none other than Remus Lupin who without greeting started to shout:

"Are you out of your mind!?"

"And to what do I owe this lovely visit?" Severus replied sarcastically but put down his quill. An angry werewolf could be dangerous even without the full moon.

"How dare you feign innocence?" Lupin snarled. "I'm talking about Hermione, of course!"

"Ah," Severus made and looked utterly uninterested, but inside he was starting to agitate. Here we go, he thought bitterly. The first of her many friends to tell me I'm not good enough for her. "Spit it out then," he said calmly but his muscles tensed.

"I don't even know where to start! You were her teacher; do you have no honour? You are twenty years older than her, a former Death Eater, and just – I don't know how to say that in a nice way-"

"Then don't."

"-damaged!"

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Tell me how I am more damaged than you, werewolf, and how you deserve your wife more than I Hermione?"

This made Lupin falter for a moment before his vigour returned. "Dora is older than Hermione and I have never given into the Dark Arts, not like you who revelled in them your whole life."

Severus had several replies in his mind, some even defensive, but in the end, it wasn't worth it. It was Hermione's choice. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Is that not enough?!"

"Quite."

Lupin stared at him for a moment. "Just leave her alone before you corrupt her too much," he said, then left the office in a storm.

Severus stared at the closed door. He had two minds about this conversation: on the one hand, he was angry about Lupin's words – he and Hermione were adults and could do whatever they pleased! – but there was also a menacing voice in his head that kept whispering: what if he's right?

A few hours later he sat in his armchair in his chambers and stared into the fire, his thoughts still full of doubts. Maybe he should end things with Hermione before it was too late?

As if she had heard him, the flames in the chimney turned green and Hermione's head became visible. "Hey, Severus," she greeted him happily. "I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Of course not," he replied mildly.

She looked at him closer. "Are you alright?"

He sighed. There was no need to lie. "I had a bad conversation with Lupin today."

"May I come over?"

He nodded and a moment later, she stood in front of him.

"So, what did he want from you?" Hermione then asked and sat down on the sofa next to him.

He didn't look at her when he said: "To break up with you, of course."

Her face fell. "I see."

"He said I'm too old for you and too much involved in the Dark Arts, not to mention your former teacher."

"He had no right to give you a hard time about it!"

"But what if he's right?" he whispered and risked a glance at her.

"Oh, no!" she exclaimed and, in an instant, she was on the armrest of his chair so that she could take his hand. "We've been through this. Yes, objectively there might be a few obstacles in our way, but subjectively, I don't care! I want to be with you, no matter what!" And she lowered her face to his and kissed him forcefully.

Severus eagerly responded to the kiss. He had hoped Hermione could vanish his doubts and stay with him, and here she was doing exactly that. He might not deserve her, but he still wanted to be with her. As long as she would want him, he would be there for her.