Sorry for the delay!

Ron was marching away, angrily in the direction of the Entrance Hall, his arms still laden with baked goods the elves had gifted him. Hermione stood frozen to the spot momentarily.

"Ron!" Please, come back!" she shouted at his quickly retreating frame.

When he didn't stop she ran to catch up with him, grabbing at his sleeve to try and still his movements.

"It's not what you think-,"

"Please Hermione, I'm not stupid," he hissed. "I think I know you well enough and intimately enough to recognise the signs on your face." His ears were burning crimson as he spoke.

The ex-couple never discussed their previous romance much and certainly never discussed their sexual relationship, but of course he would notice the sated look on her face.

"That's not-," she hesitated on what to say. "Can you slow down please? Just talk to me for a second?"

"Talk? I can't even look at you right now," Ron's voice was dripping with disgust. "I mean, you stink of sex by the way, couldn't you use a spell or something?"

Finally he stopped, turning fast on the spot causing a couple of fruit scones to drop and roll down the corridor. Hermione watched as they disappeared behind a tapestry. Raising her wand she cast a cleansing and freshening charm before locking eyes with Ron.

"It's not how it looks Ron." He laughed angrily at her. "I mean, it is but it's the first time this has ever happened."

"Bullshit," he muttered darkly. "Remus told Harry over a month ago that something was going on with you two."

"Yeah, well Remus was jumping to ridiculous conclusions," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Ridiculous conclusions? Hermione you're just after walking out of his chambers looking like you've been fucked sideways, I think it's safe to assume Remus was not exaggerating or overreacting."

"Nothing happened until tonight," she pleaded and then gasped at her unintended lie. "Ok, well that's not entirely true. I kissed him once before but he ran away."

Ron's face fell, he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts.

"You kissed him?"

"Yes," she said, her eyes focused on his shoes. "After my birthday."

"You instigated all of this?" he said, nodding his head in the direction of Snape's office and quarters. "I thought maybe…" he trailed off.

"You thought what?" she asked sharply.

Ron shuffled his feet looking incredibly uncomfortable.

"I thought maybe, that he had, you know, used his authority as deputy headmaster to, well.. you know."

Hermione stood, shell shocked, mouth agape, she couldn't believe what she was hearing from her best friend. Did he think so little of her?

"So you think I'm sleeping with my boss to what? Get special treatment? More funds for supplies? A better seat in the staff room?" As she said the words it only dawned on her that she had in fact just slept with her boss, only two short months into her employment.

"No! I thought he might have taken advantage of you, he's well aware of your need to please authority figures."

Tears pooled in Hermione's eyes at the crushing weight of what Ron was saying. Was he right? Was she just trying to garner the approval and attention of the only professor who had never freely given it to her as a student. Ron and Harry knew her so well, better than anyone since she took her parents memories and Ron never minced his words. The thought made her throat close up and her breathing constrict. Only moments ago she was so happy, practically floating, how could her perspective have changed so quickly.

But now was not the time to dwell on this unsettling revelation, their friends would surely be wondering where they were.

"Listen, can you just please keep this to yourself for now? I'm not ready to discuss it with the others," she said, swallowing her sadness.

"I don't want to even think about it," Ron said viciously but she chose to ignore it.

"Right, well, where is everyone?"

"In Remus' chambers. I think Ginny went to look for you so you'll need a good excuse for her."

The two began to walk together, standing far apart and neither one daring to speak. The walk was uncomfortable, filled with a tense silence and awkward glances. Never before had Hermione realised just how far the trek from the dungeons to the second floor was. A war was raging in her mind, both wanting to be free of Ron's company and yet the idea of facing the others had her ready to bolt back to her rooms and tuck herself safely away. But she kept moving in the direction of her friends, quickly scanning her brain for viable excuses about her whereabouts for the last hour or so.

As Remus' door loomed in front of them Hermione let out a slow breath and looked to Ron. His jaw was tight, he didn't look at her but stopped with her as she gathered her courage to open the door and cross the threshold. She smiled weakly at the side of his face and pushed through.

"There you are!" Harry yelled from the sofa, his arm draped around Ginny's shoulders. The red haired witch raised a knowing brow at her with wide eyes. "Wasn't your hair straight a while ago? What happened?"

"I-, it was starting to frizz at the roots so I ended the charm." She felt sick to her stomach lying to her friend so blatantly. Thankfully Ron had immediately departed her side and made a beeline for Lavender.

"Grab a drink Hermione," Remus called from his armchair near the fireplace.

Just as she was making her way to the small sideboard loaded with snacks and beverages the fireplace flared green.

"Luna!" Neville shrieked bounding at the blonde witch and lifting her off her feet in a loving embrace.

Hermione praised Luna's uncanny knack for arriving unexpectedly and distracting attention away from her. Grabbing a drink and a second one for the new arrival, she walked over to greet her friend.

"Neville, I've missed you," Luna said patting his chest affectionately after he placed her back onto her feet. The tips of Neville's ears coloured pink and a wide, beaming smile spread across his face. Hermione always had the suspicion that Neville had a big crush on Luna.

"Hi Luna," Hermione said approaching her with a drink extended.

"Hermione," Luna sounded curious, tilting her head to one side in appraisal. "Have you had a run in with a Wrackspurt? You look awfully dazed."

Laughter bubbled in her chest at her friend's perceptive nature, Luna could read a person or situation so well but would insist some likely fictional creature was the root of the cause.

"Oh, I doubt it."

"Have you been making use of your Spectrespecs? Hogwarts is teaming with Wrackspurt activity and they'll take a keen interest in you, being the newest staff member," lifting a single lock of her hair and inspecting it curiously she continued, "and look at all this glorious hair for them to hide out in. You're a Wrackspurt's dream."

The image of a curl wrapped around a different finger danced in the forefront of Hermione's mind as Luna let go of her lock and sauntered away dreamily. Struggling to expel visions of pale hands and deep black eyes the witch sipped her drink and followed Luna's path to the couches filled with her dearest friends. The sated throbbing between her thighs proving to be utterly distracting. Having been quite some time since she had last engaged in sexual activity the feeling was foreign but not unpleasant, in fact, it was quite delightful.

Severus lingered with his fingers wrapped around the cold, brass door handle. He shouldn't have let her go, she had wanted to stay, he wanted her to stay; to lay with her in his bed, with wild, vanilla curls tickling his face. He wanted to wrap his arms around her slight, feminine waist. He wanted to wake next to her and taste her in the morning, hopefully carry her essence with him through the hallways that taunted him with teenage traumas.

Hogwarts was a dark place for Severus. Although Albus' ghost haunted him both in mind and in person, he was not naive enough to believe the portrait of his former employer was fully sentient. He did however twinkle in a certain condescending manner that triggered something unpleasant in his chest. Each time he looked into those icy, knowing blue eyes he was fifteen again. Just a child, burdened with a secret that had followed him into adulthood. Now, here he was, early forties and still working alongside the persons who had shaped his formative years.

Both Lupin and Albus reminded him on the daily of his shortcomings both as a person and as an employee. The past lived on a constant loop in his mind, jeering him for never living up to his potential and for his curiosity. Torturing his mind for the decisions he had made as an unhappy and wrathful youth.

Knowing he was knowledgeable enough to be a professor, either of Potions or Defence did nothing for his self esteem, not when that wasn't a priority for Abus, not then nor until the day he died. The hiring process seemed less based upon skill or intellect than potential usefulness or dramatics. Severus may not have been the most beloved teacher, or even liked by very many, but his graduating students pass-rate on the Ministry testing spoke for itself, a kind teacher he was not, a competent one he certainly was.

Competent or not, Hogwarts still burdened his mind with cruel and unhappy memories. Minerva had always been kind to him, even as a boy. Her friendship sustained him through the second war, torn between two masters and for that he would be forever grateful. Reflecting on it, she was his only true friend since Lily.

Now, there was Granger, Hermione.

The girl was intelligent, intriguing and completely intoxicating. Perhaps he should have pushed her away with more enthusiasm, he was certainly capable of it. He found however that her company was a welcome distraction. How she had ever settled for Potter and Weasley as friends he would never understand, she did not fit into that puzzle.

Why then had he sent her back to them when he could have kept her for himself?

Still grasping the handle he clicked it open and rushed into the hallway to try and catch the electrifying young witch. The witch who only moments before had begged him to take her, him, the greasy, old and cantankerous dungeon bat. He wouldn't stop to consider why she might be interested in him, his overwhelming self-hatred would win and convince him that she held an ulterior motive.

As he descended the deserted dungeon corridors he could hear voices, not quite raised but not hushed either. As he got closer to the disturbance he recognised Hermione's voice seemingly pleading with someone. Severus chose to hang back, not wanting to intrude.

"That's not-," Hermione stalled. "Can you slow down please? Just talk to me for a second?"

"Talk? I can't even look at you right now," Weasley's voice replied. "I mean, you stink of sex by the way, couldn't you use a spell or something?"

Weasley's words were infused with anger and revulsion. Severus knew he should retreat from the quarrelling friends but couldn't bring himself to. Intrigue kept him hidden only a short distance away.

"So you think I'm sleeping with my boss to what? Get special treatment?"

Granger's words resonated in his mind. He was her boss. Had he abused his authority over the witch? Was she seeking his approval through a new means? Had his neglected libido led him astray, caught up in the affections of a beautiful young witch? Certainly this explanation held more weight than Hermione being attracted to him or interested in anything more than friendship. Perhaps neither of them had really given the situation enough thought. Or worse, she had and was in fact using him and his authority for some sort of personal gain.

Slumping his posture and resting his face in his hands, Severus felt his stomach drop as he continued to hide in the shadows of the dungeon corridor. The pair had long since left the hallway when Severus finally shuffled his feet, slowly climbing out of the depths of the castle. The Entrance Hall was still and silent as he headed for the main staircase.

His feet carried him forward without direction, familiar hallways passed in a blur of badly suppressed anger. The staircases mapped his destination without consent and before long he found himself staring up at the stone gargoyle leading to Minerva's office above. Guilt and shame flooded his veins as he hesitated on his next move.

"Severus?" Minerva's voice came from behind causing him to look over his shoulder in the direction of her words. "What's wrong?"

The older witch bustled forward and searched his face momentarily before announcing her password and hustling him onto the winding staircase leading to her office.

"Sit," Minerva said pushing Severus into an armchair next to her fireplace. The roaring fire danced merrily in front of him and he cursed the flames for their joyous nature.

Minerva plonked a measure of scotch on the table in front of him, leaving her signature box of shortbread open next to it. Seating herself on the opposite chair and taking a sip from her glass she studied him over the rim of her glasses.

"What happened?" she asked.

"What are you talking about witch? Nothing has happened," he replied automatically and defensively.

"Your skills as a liar do not have the same effect without first engaging your Occlumency shields Severus, you're quite clearly upset."

"Had it occurred to you that perhaps the date might be why I am not my usual perky self?" Severus lied through his teeth.

"Severus," her tone was filled with quiet concern and a slight warning edge. "I have known you for thirty-one years and I have worked with you for twenty-one years. Give me a little credit."

Unwilling to look his colleague in the eye Severus reached for the tumbler of scotch and scowled at his shoes. He could feel Minerva's gaze on the top of his skull while she sipped her drink. Having known her for so long he knew it was only a matter of time before she broke the silence, the witch was always incapable of holding her tongue.

"Is it Hermione?"

His head snapped up quickly, watching her for a moment he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. This was not the first time he had considered Minerva's meddling in the situation.

"Pray tell headmistress," he sneered, lip curling, "why would Miss Granger be relevant to my assumed situation?"

Minerva raised a brow and pursed her lips into a badly suppressed smile. The twinkle in her eye reminiscent of her predecessor, who's portrait remained thankfully empty.

"Severus, you can lie to her friends, you can lie to Hermione and you can even lie to yourself," pausing she took another drink, "but try as you might, you cannot lie to me."

Snape scoffed, still refusing to meet the witch's eyes. A deeply suppressed part of him revelled in the fact that someone cared enough for him to see past his defences and lies.

"Tell me," she started, "why will you not allow yourself to be happy?"

"Are you encouraging me to strike up a romantic relationship with an employee who also happens to be a former student of mine?"

A kind smile stole across her lips as she tilted her glass in a non-contact cheering motion.

"Please Severus, you know that Hermione is more than capable of making her own decisions and I am positive that if anything happened between you, she would certainly be the instigator."

Humming his unenthusiastic agreement Severus continued to stare at the golden brown liquid in his crystal tumbler, the dancing firelight caused the drink to glint and sparkle hypnotically. Perhaps Minerva was right and his crippling sense of self-loathing was hindering this obvious opportunity at potential happiness. Lifting his head he looked across at Minerva who continued to smile softly and nodded her approval.