A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you for all the reviews, I, again, am sorry for leaving it the way I did, and for the reunion not being all sweet and nice, but, it couldn't be helped. I mean, it could have, since I wrote it and all, but...yeah, sorry guys. Anyway, on with the misery, and a little good news...anyone up for a reunion of another nature...like maybe pertaining to someone slipping someone else a mickey? Enjoy!

Special Thanks: To my beta TabiPrewett for double checking that this actually reads as good as I hoped it did. You are amazing.

Chapter 26

Almost a week passed her by. Hermione knew now why she never took vacation time. Sitting at home was awful and she hated every moment of it. She had nothing to occupy her mind and was bored, if she wasn't bored, she was in tears again. She preferred to be bored.

Hermione would try to read, but find herself staring off, and then she'd have to reread the same paragraph again since she couldn't remember it. The telly didn't interest her, she didn't have cable, so there was nothing on except daytime TV, and she was depressed enough, thank you very much. Plus, she couldn't keep from crying longer than twenty or thirty minutes, so she didn't risk going anywhere either.

After spending so many days doing nothing more than lying on her sofa and crying throughout the day, Hermione went to Grimmauld Place the following morning. Knowing Ron would be at work, she had gone over feeling secure at not having any more arguments.

Ginny heard the rush of the floo from the kitchen and came into the living room with a curious look on her face. Seeing the tear streaks, and Hermione's face swollen from crying so much, Ginny immediately pulled Hermione into her arms.

Ginny asked what happened as she led Hermione into the kitchen. Hermione, hearing the sympathy in her dear friend's voice as the redhead asked the simple question, promptly burst into tears again. It had taken a bit to get an answer. First, Ginny asked the important question, was someone injured or dying in St. Mungo's? To which Hermione had sobbed out a no. Ginny tried getting more from her wailing friend, but the redhead was forced to wait until Hermione's tears slowed enough to ask any more questions.

When Hermione finally got around to telling her friend the story of why she had arrived in tears, Ginny had growled and stood. Striding towards the living room, with a trailing Hermione who kept asking what she was doing.

Ginny paused in front of the fireplace and looked at Hermione. "I'm going to go castrate the stupid wanker, that's what I'm doing. Isn't it obvious?"

Hermione stood staring at the angry woman in front of her, before suddenly snorting out a laugh. Ginny frowned at her in confusion as Hermione was laughing harder and harder. Holding her sides as tears started trailing down her cheeks.

Then, the laugh turned into a sob as the tears kept coming. Ginny had gone back to Hermione, enveloped her in a huge hug and led her to the sofa. Ginny knew Hermione needed to just cry it out, so she wrapped her arms around her and let her friend cry.

Now, many hours later, Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Ginny telling her about...something, as the redhead worked at making dinner. Hermione couldn't keep her focus long enough to actually catch more than a few words here and there, but at least she wasn't crying anymore. Though, Hermione silently wondered if it had to do with being too dehydrated to actually produce any more tears.

Ginny just asked her for the fifth time is she was even listening, and Hermione opened her mouth to answer, when the door to the kitchen opened. Ron walked inside with none other than Lavender Brown.

Ron gave Hermione a dirty look, making Lavender smirk when she saw it, then he went to the refrigerator. Pulling out a jug of juice, before pouring himself a glass to drink.

Lavender leaned against the kitchen counter, still smirking. "Well, well, if it isn't Lucius Malfoy's new...what exactly are you, Hermione? His girlfriend? Lover? Or his mistress?"

Ginny opened her mouth to shriek at the horrible witch, but Hermione shook her head. It honestly wasn't worth it. Ginny huffed out a breath, before turning back to the stove.

Hermione ignored the obnoxious witch, but that didn't stop Lavender from going on. "I hear he keeps several mistresses at once. Giving them all fancy gifts and taking them to expensive restaurants."

When Hermione still didn't say anything, Ginny gave the curly haired witch a look saying that if Hermione didn't deal with Lavender, she would. Lavender held up a pointy nail and tapped her cheek, having missed the look the two women shared. "Has he given you anything expensive? I don't see any jewelry or see you in any kind of expensive clothing." Lavender said, making Hermione think of the rare book she'd left on his mantel.

A mistress, that's all I was to him. Hermione thought as a sigh escaped her.

Hearing the sad sound, Lavender smirked viciously. "Or has he realized you are nothing, but a plain and boring bookworm, and chucked you?"

Hermione's lips tightened, making Lavender giggle. "Or did he see what you really are? We all saw how you were acting at the Valentine's party."

Ginny growled, and Hermione stood, walking over and patting Ginny's shoulder to stop her from sending out any hexes. Turning to the snotty witch who was still smirking after her rude comments.

"Lavender, what are you talking about. I didn't act strangely at all at the party. I danced, I mingled, I even stopped off and had a chat with Kingsley. What exactly are you referring to?" Hermione asked, slowly leading Lavender into admitting what she'd done.

Lavender huffed, she hadn't seen anything. I lost track of Hermione after she danced with Lucius the second time around. That thought made her smirk. "I saw how you were all over Lucius, Hermione. You couldn't keep your hands off of him. Acting like...a common floozy at a party with so many people. I didn't know you were into exhibitionism." Using Lucius with her attack since Hermione had been glued to his side ever since he showed up.

Ron paused mid-drink. "Really Hermione, exhibitionism? Don't you have any shame what-so-ever? Guess not if you're shagging a Death Eater." He snorted. "Oh, excuse me, an ex Death Eater."

Hermione's lips curled into a snarl. "Is that all you heard, Ronald? She just called me Lucius' mistress, practically called me a whore, yet the part you get angry over is the thought of me being an exhibitionist. Your girlfriend has done nothing, but insult me once again, and once again you simply let her."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Look whatever problems you and Lav have, it's up to you two to work it out. I'm not going to get pulled into the middle of your bickering."

Ginny stared at her brother slack-jawed, but Hermione suddenly smiled. "You're right, Ronald." Making Ginny's jaw drop more as she sputtered in indignation at Hermione saying Ron was right at all.

However, Hermione went on, seeing Lavender looking positively thrilled that Ron was on her side. "It is between me and Lavender. Lavender, I think you and I should talk in the living room."

Lavender rolled her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Hermione smiled. "Would you rather discuss the reasons for my...exhibitionism right here in front of Ginny and Ronald?" Though Ginny already knew.

Lavender looked a bit nervous, but she nodded as she walked out of the kitchen. Ginny made to follow, but Hermione held up her hand as she shook her head no. Ginny grumbled, but went back to cooking. I always miss everything good. The redhead mentally grouched while glaring at her idiot brother.

Walking into the living room, Hermione found Lavender was standing in the center of it. "I don't know why you think I care about what you did at the party, I only left the kitchen, so you didn't make a scene in front of my Ronnikins. He's delicate, you know." Lavender said.

Hermione walked towards the witch and stopped right in front of her. "Ron isn't delicate, he's an insensitive prat. I brought you in here to discuss the lust potion you slipped into my drink."

Lavender scoffed, though she looked more nervous now. "Don't try to pawn it off on me for you being nothing more than a whore." Both of her hands on her hip now.

Hermione narrowed her eyes and after the last few days, something inside her snapped. Before Hermione even had the thought to do so, she reared back and punched Lavender, bloodying her nose with one hit. The ditzy woman screamed as she hit the floor, but Hermione was on her in an instant.

Hermione yanked the witch's hair and made her look at her. "I'm not a whore, though if anyone is, it's you. You stole Ron out from under me, and while I don't give a damn about him not being in my life anymore, you should have known better than to go for any man, in any kind of relationship already."

Lavender roared and struck back, her hand landing flat on Hermione's cheek and knocking her off of her. "You didn't deserve him. You never loved him like I did."

Hermione jumped on the witch again, returning the slap. "You're right, I didn't love him, but that is no excuse for what you did. Did, might I add, in my bed."

Ron having heard Lavender's screams ran into the room, after having finally gotten Ginny off of him. Ginny had done her best to stop her brother from breaking up the fight she felt was completely warranted.

Seeing Hermione sitting on Lavender while pulling his girlfriend's hair, plus, the bloody nose Lavender was sporting, Ron started yelling. "Hermione, what the hell are you doing?"

Ron moved forward and jerked Hermione off his girlfriend and tossed her to the floor. Pulling Lavender up and letting the now sobbing witch bury her head in his chest, not caring about the blood smearing onto his clothes as she cried. He glared at Hermione who was still on the floor. "I expect an explanation!"

Hermione stood up, equally glaring. "I'm doing what you told me to, I'm working it out with her. She deserved that punch for what she did with you while you and I were still engaged. I only slapped her because she slapped me first."

Ron's red face grew even redder. "You are going to have to deal with the fact that you and I broke up. It's over Hermione and I won't have you attacking her because you're jealous."

Hermione growled. "I'm not jealous, you prick, I'm happy we broke up. We made each other miserable and I...I wasn't even in love with you." Stopping when she realized what she said. She never meant to actually tell him that.

Ron looked shell shocked at her announcement. "What?"

Hermione sighed. "Ronald, you and I both know that the only reason we even got together was because everyone expected us to do so. We got engaged because everyone expected us to do that too. It wouldn't have happened for any other reason than that. Hell, you said all of this yourself months ago. You wouldn't even set a date, so obviously, you didn't love me either. You cheated on me, proving you didn't love me."

Ron stood thinking about that for a moment, before he looked at Hermione. "Then, why are you beating up Lav if you didn't love me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because, even though I think you're the biggest prat to have ever walked this planet, and even though you're the worst friend ever, someone that I don't think I even want to be friends with anymore with how you've treated me, you still deserve better than her."

Lavender screamed and launched herself at Hermione. Hermione cursed in pain when she felt Lavender's sharp nails rake down both of her cheeks, and with a growl of rage, Hermione punched her again. Knocking the witch to the floor where she sobbed and held her bruised eye.

Ron looked at Lavender on the floor, then looked at Hermione who had blood running down both sides of her face from the deep gouges left behind from his girlfriend's nails. Hermione who had been his friend for more years than he could actually count right now, was glaring at him.

Hermione, ignoring the pain in her face, pointed at Lavender. "That witch by the way, spiked my drink at the Valentine's party. She put in a lusting potion so strong and used so much of it, that I had no control that night. My choices were taken away from me due to her. Had her plan worked, I could have been fired and charged with assault. Had her plan worked, it would have been rape that night, because I couldn't say no and wouldn't allow anyone to tell me no either. That is the kind of woman she is." Hermione growled at him.

Ron's jaw dropped at Hermione's words. He looked again to Lavender who looked scared and...guilty, he realized. "You did that to Hermione?"

Lavender rolled her eyes. "You were looking at her like you wanted her back. What harm did it do anyway? She was already shagging Lucius Malfoy and she left with him. All it did was probably give him one hell of a shag that night."

Hermione looked at the witch. "That's no excuse because I wasn't hurt, I still could have been. Besides, Lucius lied, I wasn't shagging him, and had he not been capable of stopping me, I would have slept with him without it being my choice. It wouldn't have been consensual. Do you even get that, you stupid bint?"

Ron perked up. "You're not shagging Lucius Malfoy?"

Hermione sighed. "Is that all you heard out of everything I just said? What is wrong with you?" Her frustration and disgust evident in her voice.

Ron looked at the floor. "That wasn't all I heard. It's just...I was going nuts thinking you were shagging him."

Hermione's brows shot up. "What does it matter? No, I wasn't shagging him that night, not that it's any of your business. Nor is it your business that I actually was shagging him later, and it's not your business that I'm not shagging him anymore."

Lavender sat up, a smirk on her blood smeared lips. "He did chuck you. Ha, I knew it."

Hermione shook her head. "No, he didn't chuck me. I left him after...you know, it doesn't matter why I left, but I was the one who left and told him to stay away from me."

Reaching up and wiping at the blood on her cheek, Hermione shook her head again. "I'm done with all of this nonsense, Ronald, don't bother owling me after today. I don't want to be your friend any longer, because I deserve better than you. Ginny, I'm going home, I'll see you later."

Ginny nodded, having stood watching the whole thing from the doorway, and watched Hermione go. Knowing her friend was able to take care of herself and get herself healed properly.

Hermione stepped into the fireplace, looking at Lavender, the floo powder in her hand. "As for you, you ugly cow, you can go to hell and rot there. Oh, and if you think of filing assault charges against me for punching you, I'm sure they'd love to hear what you did to me at that party. I'm pretty sure drugging someone without their knowledge or consent is a punishable offense." It had to be, she decided, though she still hadn't looked into it. "Possibly even bad enough to warrant a trip to Azkaban."

Seeing Lavender eyes grow wide in fear, Hermione threw down the powder and went home. The brunette wouldn't push to have Lavender sent to Azkaban, assuming she actually pressed charges, the dumb slag didn't deserve that. Once home, Hermione quickly went into the loo, and she saw the long gashes down both her cheeks that were still bleeding. Hermione also saw the red handprint from Lavender's slap, and she knew she would need a bit of help with the healing. She didn't have any potions or salves that would heal her either. She hadn't stocked up her potions cabinet yet, she'd been too depressed to think about it .

Hermione didn't want to go to St. Mungo's since it would cause questions that she didn't want to answer, and more gossip about her in the papers. She paused to think of whom she knew what was proficient in healing spells and probably had ample potions on hand. Only one name came to mind. Severus, she thought with a groan.

Hermione hadn't spoken with him since he stood her up at the party. Well, he owes me, and he can pay up by healing my face. She thought sourly, as she moved to the fireplace. Now that she'd seen the cuts, they were starting to hurt worse and she couldn't ignore them anymore.

Throwing in floo powder again, she waited until the green flames roared before sticking her head inside. "Severus." She called out.

Severus was sitting in his den again, a book in hand when he heard her voice and sighed. He'd wondered when he'd hear from her. It had been a while since he'd seen her, but he didn't think for a minute that her silence meant that he wouldn't hear a rant or two from her eventually. "Yes?" He asked.

"You owe me, and I need a favor, may I come through?" Hermione asked, not bothering with formalities.

Severus rolled his eyes. Damn Lucius Malfoy for dragging me into this. He thought, though he hadn't seen Lucius since the night of the party either. "If you must." He said, putting his book down as she came though the flames. Reminding himself of the mantra his newly acquired therapist had suggested.

The mantra was to help curb his annoyance at being forced to socialize with people, instead of simply basking in his solitude with a good book and glass of wine. To help with the constant anger that was always inside him due to what all he'd lived through the last forty plus years of his life. Between his crappy childhood, and the his crappy life at during the war, it was no wonder he was a mess of sarcasm and snarkiness. The squib therapist he saw once a week was the one that Hermione had suggested months ago. The same one who was trying to help him wean himself off of his need of dreamless sleep potions with something called hypnotherapy. They were working together to try to mix the muggle world's idea on mental healing with the magical world's use of Runes and potions. Severus was convinced the only reason he hadn't used an unforgivable on woman for some of her suggestions, was the very nice way she filled her little sweaters that she wore most sessions. Her arse wasn't half bad either the dour man had noticed when she bent over to pull out his file before they started each week. He had even found himself wondering what she would look like with her blond hair let down from the tight bun she always sported too.

Shaking himself from his reverie of his therapist lovely bottom and underfitting sweaters, Severus finally looked at Hermione. The sight that met him had him jumping up from his seat and moving towards her quickly. "Hermione, what the devil happened to you?" He barked out, taking in her bleeding face and the obvious red mark on cheek, while her hair was a wild mess around her. Though the latter wasn't anything new. He'd seen her hair in equally frightening messes all through her Hogwarts career, though lately, it had seemed more tame. Something had clearly happened to the witch as he had sat enjoying his book and previously uninterrupted silence.

Hermione sighed and crossed her arms. "I got in a fight. Look, I'm still royally pissed off at you, can you just heal me, so I can leave?"

Severus glared at her. "No, I will not just heal you, so you can leave. I'll heal you, but you're going to tell me what in the bloody hell happened to you." Thinking he might have to deal with whoever had hurt his friend. Angry at him or not, Hermione was his friend, and since the dour man didn't have many of them, he sure as hell wouldn't just let someone harm one of them.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Fine." She said begrudgingly, having no clue as to his thoughts.

Severus took his time, making sure that Hermione told him everything that caused these wounds, but also taking his time so he didn't leave a scar behind. She was too pretty to have claw marks scaring her cheeks. I will end the bastard that did this to her, he silently decided after he saw how deep the wounds had been.

Hermione told him about the fight, about Ron coming in and breaking it up before sending out accusations. She saw Severus' jaw clench, but he didn't speak as he worked on fixing the damage that Lavender inflicted on her face. Telling him too that she told Ron about what Lavender had done to her the night of the party, that the look on Ron's face confirmed that he hadn't known about it.

When Hermione was done, she waited for him to speak. Severus mentally cursed, realizing he couldn't murder some daft bint over a cat fight. Especially since Hermione had already taken care of it, it seemed. Severus would wager that the stupid cow, Lavender Brown, was now the new owner of a black eye, and from the sounds of it, probably a broken nose too. St. Mungo's could fix it all, of course, but the nose would never be perfectly straight again. Magic could only do so much after all.

In the end, all Severus could say to her about it was that since it sounded like she had thrown such good punches, that he probably needed to check her hand. He found only a mild bruise on Hermione's hand, and she waited until he'd healed that too before asking him why the dark man stood her up.

Severus sighed. "I was tied up and couldn't get away from what I was doing."

Hermione studied him, but seeing his annoyance, and seeing that he looked just a smidgen uncomfortable when he looked her in the eye, she realized he was lying. "Lovely. Now are you going to tell me the real reason?"

Severus sighed again, as he moved to sit, since he was done healing her. Her skin was now smooth and unmarred, as if she'd never been injured. "What does it matter why I didn't make it? It seems to have worked out fine, didn't it?" He paused and frowned in thought. "Wait...did it?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It was fine, Lucius...that night, he didn't...we didn't..." She couldn't go on and moved to face his bookshelves. Needing a moment to get the tears that had started to form to stop. I was just his mistress, she thought again. How pathetic is that?

Severus fought another sigh as he moved towards her, thinking Hermione was embarrassed at what she'd done that night, and that was why she'd turned away. He didn't always know to offer comfort, it wasn't anything that had ever been given to him growing up, and it always left him feeling awkward because of it. "Hermione...erm...you've no need to be embarrassed. It...wasn't your fault, anything you might have done or...said." Patting her shoulder a few times, feeling very foolish for trying to help, when he had no idea what to say to a crying female.

Even as a teacher, if the young female students came to Severus in tears, he usually did his best to pawn them off onto an older female student. Not because he didn't care what had caused the tears, but because he always bungled it and made things worse. Thankfully, the older female students had already figured out his ineptitude and gracefully took over without a word. His little snakes may not have always been kind to the rest of the student populace, but they looked out for their own.

Hermione wasn't embarrassed at what had happened, not anymore at least. She was hurt, angry that Lucius could be so kind and sweet only to show her that his intentions hadn't been good at all. He'd merely shown her that side of him to get into her knickers.

When the curly-haired witch had her emotions in check, she turned to face him. "I know." She said, giving his hand still on her shoulder a small pat thanks.

Severus waited to see if she would add anymore, but she didn't. He lowered his hand from her shoulder and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry I wasn't there that night at the party." It was true, he was sorry for his part in what had happened to her. Even if Hermione being drugged hadn't been his fault in the least. However, it might not have happened, had he not let Lucius talk him into deceiving her.

Hermione looked at him. "Why weren't you? Why would you just leave me there alone when you knew I didn't even want to go? Do you have any idea the hell I went through?"

Severus sighed. "Yes...Lucius did have me come by to help you, after all."

Hermione frowned. "No, I mean what I went through just to get ready. I had to ask Draco to help me. I had him ogling my ass in a dress to see if it looked alright, all while cracking rude jokes at my expense."

Severus sighed and cursed his godson. Moronic twit. "It couldn't be helped."

"Are you going to tell me the real reason?" She asked.

"Does it matter?" He asked her, not wanting to admit to purposely deceiving her.

Hermione threw up her hands. "Yes, it bloody well matters. For all I know you thought it nothing more than a big joke. You stood me up and it was cruel. You didn't even send a note to apologize or even come by personally to say that you're were sorry for leaving me there alone. I thought we were friends."

"We are and I wasn't trying to be cruel." Severus said, his annoyance at Lucius growing over the whole damn thing.

Hermione glared at him. "Then, what were you trying to be?"

Bugger this, Severus thought. "You were not the only one helping out a friend that night."

Hermione paused, her brain quickly working out what that could mean. When it hit her, her eyes grew wide. Lucius. He offered to be her date until Severus arrived, and when she declined, the pale aristocrat had suddenly been there when she needed him anyway. He planned it. She realized. Had the smug bastard listened in, waiting until the last second to make himself look even better?

Hermione met his black eyes. "Lucius asked you stand me up, didn't he?"

Severus sighed, Lucius was his friend, but so was Hermione. He wouldn't let her believe he had simply not cared and stood her up to be cruel. "Yes, he wanted to play the gallant knight in shining armor, being there to rescue you when I didn't arrive. Though, I don't quite think he got what he intended. He didn't mean for you to be drugged that night."

Hermione's eyes blazed. "What were his intentions, then? To use that to get into my knickers?" Well, it worked. Good job, Lucius, you rotten, slimy bastard.

Severus cleared his throat once more, before speaking. "I know he was attracted to you, though I don't think his plan was to...get into your knickers, per say. He could have that night with the potion, and you couldn't have been angry since...you were more than willing." Though Severus had no intention of telling her of just what all she'd been willingly offering to them both that night. Assuming she didn't already know what all she'd offered, that is. Though with her meeting his gaze as freely as she was, Severus doubted she remembered everything. He doubted the witch would be able to look at him without blushing furiously had she remembered him ordering her about like she was his submissive, or if she remembered how well she'd responded to his commands. "However," he continued, "you already said you two didn't sleep together, so...I'm not sure what his plan was exactly." Silently deciding it was for the best to just forget about that night. She'd already made her stance with him clear. Friends only, which was fine with him.

Hermione, still blissfully unaware of his thoughts, snorted in derision. Lucius' plan was just that, I'm sure. He still got in them, but he stayed in them longer by being so gentlemanly about it that night. Stupid Prat.

Hermione looked to Severus again to find him looking at her curiously. "It doesn't matter,"

she said, "since he won't be getting anywhere near my knickers for the rest of his life." Not that it probably matters much to him now, she thought miserably. There are plenty of women who would love to be his mistress.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "I take it you two didn't part well the next morning?"

Hermione shook her head. "We parted fine that morning. I just...recently found out that he's still as much of a ruthless bastard as he'd always been before."

"Care to talk about it? I still have a bottle of wine that you sent me." Severus said, even though the one bottle was all he'd kept, since he had given the rest to Lucius. "You did ask if we could share one, if I remember correctly." He'd been saving it to share with her too.

Hermione shook her head again. "No, I should be getting home. Thank you, Severus, for healing me. I can't believe you helped him conspire against me, though."

Severus sighed. "I owed him a debt, and he called the debt it on that."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Well, you owe me two now over that night."

Severus frowned. "I just repaid one by healing you."

She smirked. "That...merely made up for what you did. You still owe me two."

Severus glowered at her. "Fine, damn bloody witch, what do you want?" Crossing his arms, annoyed at being further indebted to her, especially when he'd only did what he did to pay back a debt to begin with.

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure yet, let me think on it."

The dark man nodded, still very annoyed and thinking his mantra wasn't working for shite. He'd need to see his therapist again soon because it. The realization, Severus found, cheered him a bit, taking some of his annoyance from him. Something to think on later, he decided.

It wasn't long before Hermione took her leave. Just before she threw in the floo powder, Severus stopped her. "Hermione," He said, pausing and taking a deep breath to steady himself. Apologies didn't come easy for him, but again, his therapist insisted that sometimes they needed to be said. Infuriating woman, he mentally grouched, even if he knew that he was starting to sleep better at night because of the persistent doctor. "I...I truly am sorry for not being there for you that night. Lucius asked me to help him, but...I didn't mean for you to be hurt over it. I hope you know that." There, that wasn't so bad, the Potions Master thought to himself. Even as he knew he wouldn't be making such acts of contrition to most people. The rest can all sod off, he silently added. The lot of them.

Hermione nodded and mumbled out a thanks for his apology, once again blissfully unaware of his thoughts. Though his thoughts on the rest of the world getting an apology from him would have been amusing. Throwing down the floo powder, she went home. Once there, she sat in the darkness on her sofa now that night had fully come. Allowing her mind to wander over everything that Severus had told her.

What do I want? Other than Severus to Obliviate me where Lucius is concerned, of course. That thought made her pause, maybe Severus would do it. It might even take all the pain and heartache away.

A/N: So she beat up Lavender...not as badly as the witch deserved, but hey, at least it's something. She told off Ron, something that needed doing. Sadly, I don't see redemption in his future, sorry guys. Plus, we got to see her talk to Severus. I didn't think she needed a long drawn out discussion about it either. She asked why, he told her, he apologized, and that's all that was needed, I feel. Plus, we got to see that Severus is doing a little better now with the therapy he was getting, and doing a bit of lusting after his squib doctor. Anyway, more coming soon. Take care and please leave me your thoughts.