They left St Mungos an hour later. While they'd been with Ginevra, all hell had apparently broken loose and flooded the hospital with patients – the corridors were crowded. As they threaded through them to get to the Apparition points, Severus almost constantly cursed under his breath. He had to step over children and other microorganisms, made a little boy cry (Hermione cast him a disapproving glare), and unintentionally jostled against a nurse when he circumvented an elderly woman.

"You move more elegantly in your lab," Hermione said frowning when they reached the second floor.

Severus scowled at her. Not only because of her quip but because her longing for becoming a mother hadn't decreased yet. He had to fight the urge to block it out with Occlumency. But beneath it was something else. Something …

He looked at her briefly. The joy she'd felt in the morning had disappeared, not only from her mind but from her face as well. He knitted his brows. Maybe she had just realized her love for him and her desire to become a mother didn't fit together. Maybe she imagined him as a father and noticed how silly it was. But even if he ignored his hypothetical part in it … "Don't you think you're busy enough with yourself right now?"

Hermione grimaced. "Don't you think it was a little audacious to tell Ginny about my feelings?" she retaliated.

Severus cocked his eyebrow. "She doesn't know about our little problem?"

"No, she doesn't know about our problem. Nobody besides us and Professor Dumbledore knows about our problem." She looked at him sullenly.

Severus returned her look indifferently even though he wasn't. He'd been sure Ginevra was in the know of everything. Even worse, he'd been afraid Potter … "Blessedly you always wear your heart on your sleeves."

Hermione huffed and entered the small courtyard, where several squares were marked on the ground for safe Apparition in and out of the hospital. Severus squinted as he followed her. The sun was high in the sky now, the clouds from earlier had dissolved. He looked around but they were alone. And when his eyes returned to Hermione he cocked his head. Her hair glistened like dark honey, some strands looped around her earrings and the freckles on her nose were conspicuously noticeable in this light. He tore himself away from her appearance when she brushed her hair behind her ears and narrowed her eyes against the sun. Then she stepped into one of the squares and Disapparated without saying another word.

For some seconds, Severus sourly looked at the spot she'd just been standing. Then the noise of an approaching family with decidedly too many children made him follow her.

The next day started with a memorable occurrence for Patty, the house-elf at Severus's service. Well, maybe it even was an extremely worrying occurrence in her eyes; he wasn't quite sure what to make of her expression when he demanded: "Chocolate creme."

She blinked at him repeatedly, the bat-like ears twitching slightly, and seemed uncertain if she'd understood him correctly. So she said: "Sir, sorry?" And awkwardly peered at the tray in her hands that carried two slices of toast, some butter, scrambled eggs, and a pot of coffee – as always when he didn't attend breakfast in the Great Hall.

"I would like to have chocolate creme. Do you think it possible to fulfil this simple request?" He narrowed his eyes, not because of Patty's confusion but Hermione's cravings. He'd checked it. Since her … ovulation … exactly twelve days had passed. He growled softly.

"Of course, sir. Patty will go to the kitchen immediately. Please excuse Patty, Professor Snape, sir. Patty is an awful house-elf." The last words were merely a whisper.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Just get me the … chocolate creme." It didn't get any better saying it again and again. He rubbed his forehead.

"Yes, sir!" She bowed so thoroughly that the dishes on the tray clattered, then she disappeared with a loud crack.

Severus sank back into his chair. Chocolate … For twenty years – at least! – he hadn't touched chocolate. He didn't like the taste and the feeling on his tongue, regardless of how it was served. But Hermione obviously had a fondness for it.

The temptation to keep her cravings at bay with Occlumency was strong. But they had a damned agreement and a bit of ravenous appetite wasn't a valid reason to break it.

Patty returned and Severus ordered her to put the tray on the table. She still looked at him surreptitiously as if pondering whether she should report to the Headmaster that maybe something or someone had taken possession of Severus. And she would have been right! He still hoped she wouldn't do it.

"Thank you, that will be everything for now," he said and sighed deeply after she'd disappeared. What in Merlin's name was this potion supposed to achieve with such a connection?

The first thing he did when Hermione entered the lab an hour later was place a vial in front of her. She flinched at the loud thud and looked at him with wide eyes. "What is this?" she asked when he turned around and rolled up his sleeves.

"Appetite suppressant. You will take this potion once a day until these ghastly cravings have subsided."

She snorted. "I won't do anything like that." She shoved the vial away before she returned to the book she currently consulted for the second potion.

Severus raised his eyebrows. "Yes, you will."

"No."

"Hermione!"

"Severus!" She looked at him frowning. "I'm really sorry we're in this situation but I won't take potions just so you're spared from the effects of this connection. You yourself said it has a purpose. And I don't think it is to give me an understanding of the marvelous world of brewing. Besides, I'd most likely only get a headache from it again. So, no, I won't take this potion."

Severus took a deep breath, held it, and breathed out again slowly. Pesky, braggart, cheeky, insolent, impudent, rebellious … woman! His teeth scrunched when he clenched them. And Hermione being calm not only from the outside but also emotionally made him even angrier. He squinted his eyes until they were merely small slits. "May I remind you it is only your fault we are in this … situation?"

"I do remember." Turning a page, she didn't even look up at him.

Severus scowled before he stalked to her. And because she sat on a swivel chair he was able to turn her around to get her full attention. "I could indulge in a wonderful eternal peace if you had kept your hands off this potion. I consider that reason enough for you to take potions that enable me to at least lead the life I am accustomed to."

Hermione scrunched her nose, reached out and slapped him in the face. His ear started beeping so loudly he could hardly hear her saying, "You cancelled the ritual before it killed you! It was your bloody decision! If you're still so keen to die just jump off of Astronomy Tower!" But even if he hadn't understood her verbally, the enormous rage sloshing through his mind would have given him a clue as to why she rose and left the lab.

Severus just watched her go.

In the afternoon he was beset by a very stubborn owl called Olivia. She threw a missive sent by the Headmaster onto his desk after he'd reluctantly let her in, and lowered herself onto the backrest of a chair, screeching at him until he opened the missive and read it. Then she finally got quiet, puffed up, and shook her feathers, but didn't disappear again through the still open window.

"What else do you want?" Severus growled.

The owl clacked its beak and he rolled his eyes, opened a drawer of his desk and searched for owl treats. Olivia hopped onto the desk and wanted to snatch the treat out of his hand but Severus pulled it away. "Only to be clear on this," he said sharply, "you do not deserve it!" She screeched again, sounding almost indignant, but after Severus finally gave her the treat, she hopped to the edge of the desk, knocked over a luckily closed inkwell and flew away. Severus clicked his tongue, shut the window and left for the Headmaster's office.

Today the nags called students voluntarily dodged away. No smile tugged on his lips and the only thing gleaming in his eyes was anger. Partly because Hermione's anger still swashed through his mind, partly because he was angry himself. Damn it, she'd slapped him in the face! And no, he did not deserve it! The only good thing about her anger was her loss of appetite.

He growled and more students backed away from him.

He entered Albus's office without bothering to knock. The owl had pestered him so much Albus had lost this privilege for today. "What is so important that you set your most pungent owl on me?" he asked indignantly while he approached the desk.

Albus looked up, put the quill aside and pointed at the chair in front of his desk. "You know as well as I do that Olivia is the only way to get you here as soon as possible. If you would not be so terribly stubborn I could refrain from sending her."

Severus arched an eyebrow. They had this conversation every time Albus sent Olivia. Exactly like this. Word for word.

"But as I see you two still don't get along with each other," Albus added and tapped his finger against his temple.

Severus touched his own and found a little bit of blood on his fingers. He hadn't even noticed she'd scratched him with her sharp claws when he'd stood in her way for a second too long. "Damned poultry!" he growled. "Wait until I get ahold of you the next time." He pulled a tissue from his cloak and wiped the blood from his fingers.

Albus smiled. He knew Severus hated Olivia so fervently that it was almost love. Severus had long ceased denying it, for, unfortunately, it had been him who'd acquired Olivia. Because she had already regarded him belligerently at the Owl Emporium. He'd quickly given her to Albus, though, she wouldn't have survived a single week with him.

"Well," he tore himself out of his thoughts while he folded the bloody tissue and put it back in his pocket. "What is so urgent?"

Albus's face got serious again and he folded his hands on the tabletop. "It's about Miss Granger."

Severus rolled his eyes.

"She asked me for another assignment. Now of course I would like to know what you did that suddenly made her want to leave Hogwarts as soon as possible, especially after the outstanding accomplishments last week."

"Who says I did something?" Severus didn't even blush at this question.

This time it was Albus who arched his eyebrow. "I know the connection takes a lot out of you and that you don't cherish the fact it's still active."

"Do you?" he snarled.

"But Miss Granger leaving this project now is out of the question. We need her. You need her, Severus. I trust you sort out the matter with each other."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. She'd really asked for another assignment? Was this because of her hormones as well or had he really gone too far? Actually, he'd thought he'd done and said worse things. For example when he'd given her the sole responsibility for the first failed trials, hoping he'd get rid of her.

But she didn't know about it, he then remembered. That had been a conversation between Albus and him.

But he'd also laughed about her and called her emotions nonsense when she'd told him she loved him. She definitely knew about that. And yet she'd later saved his life! He'd berated her for that, too, and she'd stayed.

No, he had definitely done worse than trying to talk her into taking a potion. And yet it seemed to have been that single spark that had finally burned up something inside her that she had needed to be able to deal with him.

Severus lifted his gaze. "Fine. But I cannot promise she won't do it again. You know me, Albus."

"Yes," Albus said and sounded a little impatient. "That's why I also know you will pull yourself together from now on and make this collaboration work." And that was anything but knowledge – it was an order.

Severus clenched his teeth and rose. But before he left he asked: "You still won't tell me what a potion it was and what its purpose is, will you, Albus?"

Albus raised his eyebrows. "No, Severus."

He pursed his lips. "I thought so," he growled and left the office.

It nettled Severus that he still didn't know that damned potion. He was the Potions Master in this castle! Why did Albus know a potion neither he nor his colleagues had ever heard of? And above all: Where did he know it from?

Severus went through the facts again as if he would suddenly remember a potion he hadn't thought of before. He knew Dark potions that even saved one's life when it technically already was too late. But none of those needed blood. He knew potions that used blood magic to save one's life. But none of those needed the blood of a loving one. Albus wasn't a Potions Master, it was impossible he'd thought it up by himself. But who did it then? And why did the potion tie this preposterous connection?

Severus came out of his thoughts only when he found himself in front of Hermione's door. He looked around slightly confused and watched a few Gryffindors leaving their tower. Unfortunately, they did nothing he could deduct House points for. They didn't even notice him and laughed and joked around as if this was a good day. Severus wrinkled his nose.

Maybe it actually would have been a good day if Hermione's bloody anger wouldn't constantly slosh against his mind like the North Sea on a stormy autumn day – cold and ruthlessly. Severus blocked out her feelings for a moment and yes, his mind calmed down. But it didn't make anything better.

He closed his eyes and sighed softly. Obviously, he was in a bad mood not only because Hermione was in a bad mood but because it bothered him she was in a bad mood due to him.

Damn it!