Most of the guests had left, leaving just Harry and those that he had actually cared to invite. Lucius had padded the guest list immensely, not unexpectedly. Harry's birthday was just an excuse for Lucius to throw a party.

As far as Harry's chosen guest list, other than Viktor Krum and his guest they were all or had been Hogwarts students.

At the moment they were all outside engaging in some quidditch. Severus was more than a little surprised to see Hermione follow the others out to the area of the pitch. He didn't get the impression she particularly liked quidditch. He wasn't sure where that idea came from. It certainly wasn't something they'd ever talked about their few times together. He'd anticipated, hoped, she'd find her way to the Malfoy library while the others were outside and he could join her there. He knew she'd like it. It would seem the cards were not in his favour on that, so he'd have to go to her.

"Join me for a drink, Severus," Lucius said.

His friend was clearly glad to have a somewhat peaceful home again. Severus would feel sorry for the wizard except the party and offering his home to Harry's friends for an entire weekend was his idea.

"Actually, I was thinking of going outside myself for a while," he replied. This was a bit unusual behaviour for Severus, but not completely out of character.

"I suppose you didn't get to watch Harry play often when school points weren't at stake."

"Often is an understatement," he said with a nod of his head.

He hadn't been able to watch his ward at all really. Other than his games, which he saw every one of. He certainly couldn't watch his practices.

That being the case and as much as he did look forward to being able to watch Harry play quidditch if he chose to play professionally for a while. Harry wasn't at all his focus today.

His witch was.

He hadn't seen her at breakfast. That didn't mean she hadn't been there, but she was clearly making herself scarce. Was that the reason for her accompanying the others outdoors? Was she avoiding him? He wasn't the greatest dancer, but as head of house he had to teach any student how to dance who didn't already know.

He was capable in that department even if he hadn't put it into actual use until now. So he didn't think that was the issue.

Had he … offended her somehow?

Obviously he must have, but he couldn't come up with how he had done so. Maybe he should have taken Minerva up on some of her blind date offers over the years just so he wasn't so completely incompetent and inept at this. The idea of doing so, however, had made his stomach curdle.

"All right then, you certainly have earned it, my friend. We can have a drink later I imagine. Enjoy your time outdoors."

"Thank you," he said, taking his leave and heading in the direction he had traveled many times over the years.

Draco and Harry had used the pitch when they were younger to practice flying. Once they got to Hogwarts, they both made their respective house teams, and as a result gained friends who played quidditch. Well, the wizards could spend hours out here. Severus usually avoided watching them play because he didn't ever want to be accused of bad sportsmanship. Either by passing along what he observed of Harry's play and tendencies to the Slytherins or vice versa. He knew Harry understood, but it was refreshing to come out here for a change and not have to worry about such things.

Things that never occurred to him when he first pled his case to be his guardian years ago. He hadn't thought of the future, of the fact he would not get sorted into Slytherin and would therefore be in a competitor's house. It didn't matter, of course.

As if he would cheat so either Slytherin or Gryffindor would win a match. Some might stoop so low, but Severus preferred winning the right way. He liked good sportsmanship.

He spotted Hermione sitting in the set of stands Lucius had set up. There were times he hosted private quidditch matches here. The stands weren't as massive as one would find at an actual quidditch stadium, but there were enough to host a good sized group.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to a spot next to her, realizing too late he'd disturbed her reading.

He supposed that answered his question as to why she came out here. She clearly wasn't even watching the game. She just wanted to be away from others. He understood that thought process well. It begged the question, though, why she wouldn't visit the Malfoy library. It wasn't a world-renowned library or anything, but among magical people in Britain it was well known that the Malfoys spared no expense in getting whatever texts they wanted. And they had a lot of difficult to find (as well as some illegal) tomes in their collections. The illegal ones were in a private room no one had access to without a Malfoy present.

It also begged the question, why was she even here if she wasn't swooning over Viktor Krum as he played an impromptu quidditch match? He liked to think she knew him, remembered him, something. She hadn't particularly acted as if she did and while it had been seventeen years ago he vividly recalled snogging and touching this witch.

"Of course, Professor Snape," she said rather succinctly.

He didn't like that tone there at all. He wanted the witch who seemed pleasantly flattered he'd sought her out for a dance. She had to have noticed he hadn't asked anyone else prior to her either. (Nor had he afterward, but she wasn't in the ballroom to see that.)

She stood then and he realized she was going to move to a different spot of the stands. If she did that, well, that would defeat the purpose of him coming out here. He wanted to talk to this witch without anyone listening in, most especially Lucius. He had no true desire to watch quidditch today.

"No, please. I was hoping to speak with you, but if my presence is unwelcome I can sit elsewhere."

She nibbled on her lower lip. Her eyes were busy assessing and reflected the fact that she was thinking. Was that a bad sign that she had to think this hard on whether to let him sit near her?

"Very well," she said with a nod.

Eventually, she reclaimed the spot she'd just vacated, adjusting her robes around her. He watched as she did so, obviously nervous. They were new, or at least very recently purchased.

"Are you a quidditch fan, Sir?"

"I do enjoy watching from time to time. I'm head of Slytherin house at Hogwarts so attending matches is a requisite of the job. Though today is certainly much more … pleasing from a weather standpoint than what I usually have to sit through."

"And today? As school is not in session, Professor."

"I am not your professor."

"It is a show of respect, which I believe you have earned."

Was that a clue she knew him? He wasn't sure many educated at Ilvermorny would be familiar with anything he'd done.

"You may call me Severus," he said after a moment's pause.

The smile she graced him with made his heart thud in his chest so loudly that he was sure she heard it. All from telling her she could address him by his first name! He'd do it again if it would get another smile like that from her. He assumed without a war in play she'd be more … carefree.

Evidently not.

"Hermione then, please. So, today? Are you staking out the competition for next school year's games?"

He scoffed. He had no interest in the game or its players whatsoever. He was only here because of her. He probably shouldn't say that, though. At least not yet.

"No. I don't get to watch Harry play without prejudice often," he said, gesturing to the players high above them.

"Oh," she said, glancing at him and then to the game, finding Harry on his broom. She watched him for a while, as did Severus.

"I'm not sure how much of Harry's history you are aware of," he said.

"Enough," she said.

It was an acceptable yet evasive answer. She wasn't giving him much to work with. Did she not remember? Did she remember and found him lacking after seeking him out?

"Then as you presumably know his parents were killed when he was just fifteen months old."

"Yes," she said.

"There were no … acceptable options as far as placing him so to avoid him going somewhere that would cause him distress I stepped in as his guardian."

She was silent for a while, intently staring at him. Initially, she must have thought he was joking as her lips lifted into the hint of a smile the type someone gives when they're on the receiving end of a joke. That was quickly replaced, though, with realization that he was not putting her on.

"You did that?" she asked.

He saw pride in her eyes now.

And amazement.

"I did," he said, clearing his throat. Uncomfortable suddenly at her being so focused on him. "I was given information from someone that the relatives he most assuredly would have been placed with were not kind people."

"I'm glad he had you to look out for his well being then."

"Yes, well, I wish I could take the credit but without that information I'm afraid I wouldn't have been aware. So the credit truly goes to her."

"He's lucky to have had someone care so much for him."

"He is, indeed," Severus acknowledged with a nod. "Everyone should be so lucky to have that."

Silence as they both watched a bit of the game. She gave a soft scoff.

"Something to say, Hermione?" he asked.

"I hope Mr. Malfoy, Harry, and the others realize Viktor is not playing to his fullest capabilities."

"Are you suggesting he's taking it easy on them?"

"Perhaps," she said with a coy smile, tucking some hair behind her ear as she did.

Her hair. Last night they had been indoors so it had been … tamed. Today, outdoors, the wind while not out of control was blowing it in various directions.

He wondered if it felt the same. Did it behave the same? It had been a long time but he recalled thinking it was sentient as he believed Hogwarts to be. It did seem to be moving right now more than the amount of wind called for.

More silence.

He was more than curious about her relationship with the quidditch player, though they did not appear to be romantically involved or even interested. Well, Hermione did not appear to be interested in the other wizard romantically at any rate. Severus had heard him call her Hermyown more than once and presumed it was the wizard's attempt at a pet name for the witch. She didn't correct him so Severus could only assume she didn't mind.

He needed to address last night. He needed to know what he'd done that caused her to leave him so suddenly. She'd claimed she was monopolizing his time. He wanted her to!

"May I ask a question, Hermione?"

She laughed softly at that.

"Something amusing?"

"A private joke," she said. She didn't seem to be laughing at him or at his expense. "Go ahead with your question, please. I'm sorry."

"If I upset you somehow last evening. I looked for you after our dance, hoping to claim another one."

"I walked the gardens for a while and then retired to my room. I didn't realize anyone but Viktor missed me."

"You were missed," he admitted, closing his eyes hoping he hadn't given away too much. He knew this witch, too, saw things in his eyes no one else ever did.

"Because you want to talk to me about being published when I was thirteen?"

Ah. Was that what she was upset about? He supposed, looking back at it, he could see how it might have sounded that way. What was he supposed to say though without knowing what she knew?

"Well, of course, that is one thing I'd enjoy getting to know about you, Hermione. I would have been hard-pressed to get an article published when I was a second year. I did not say it was the only thing, however."

She was silent after that, looking at him. She brushed some hair away from her face and some strands wrapped around her wrist almost in a caress.

That answered his question about her hair at any rate. She sighed and turned toward him a bit. She nodded then as if deciding something.

"I'm fortunate that I had parents who encouraged my curiosity. They didn't believe that just because I was a child I was wrong or incapable of making such discoveries."

"Well, clearly they did very well."

"I will be sure to tell them when I see them at Christmas."

"Not until then? Not while you're in England this week?"

"No," she said simply. "I haven't seen much of them honestly since I got to Ilvermorny. Mum was pretty supportive of magic, and my going to Ilvermorny instead of Hogwarts. She didn't understand it, but she seemed to understand if I felt there was a reason then there was. Dad. Well, he wasn't quite as accepting. He's a logical man. Magic isn't logical. At least not usually. My being a witch when they are not magical is not logical. I saw them for Christmas and Easter break my first year and it was just so … different. I didn't feel as if I belonged there anymore. For the first time in my life they had no idea what to ask me about my classes. After first year, I would spend Christmas at my aunt and uncle's in the Boston area, but usually I stayed at school. Professor Brown has grown rather lenient with me as the years progressed so I have a great deal of freedom even staying for the summer. If I wanted a weekend away, like this one, he never questioned it before I graduated even though he probably should have." She shrugged. "And now. It would be weird to go home to stay for any length of time. In some ways I feel like a stranger there. Both their house and the neighborhood, honestly. I'm also not sure I'd be able to abide by their rules. I'm not sure they would understand that I came here this weekend, for example. I'll tell them eventually, I'm sure, because they do like to hear about magical parties. I just didn't tell them ahead of time."

"Oh, well, yes, that is understandable," he said.

He hoped her parents were truly as understanding about finding out later she'd been here as she was implying. Some would react poorly. His wouldn't, but his parents were exceptions he'd found over the years. Not that he hadn't encountered students with absent or distant parents. Of course he had, but hers didn't seem to be that.

"I'm probably lucky that they don't subscribe to the Daily Prophet anymore. They did for a while after I got my letter, but realized nothing they read really applied to me at Ilvermorny. They pick one up whenever they go to Gringotts and during their occasional visit to Diagon Alley to keep up appearances that they're squibs. I guess they'd find out I was here this weekend if they subscribed. I'm fairly sure I had at least one picture taken with Viktor, but no one here knows who I am so I think I'm fairly safe from anyone telling my parents that I made an unauthorized portkey and didn't use it to see them."

"You haven't before now? Used one I mean?"

"Unauthorized? No. Like a few things I knew how to create one but didn't want to get caught. And not turning eighteen until this last year, I wasn't sure how closely things were monitored for someone who wasn't schooling in Britain." There was that shrug again. "I didn't want to risk getting in trouble I guess. I felt more comfortable doing it for this since I'm over eighteen. I'm not sure my parents wouldn't have tried to ground me for using an unauthorized one either. They are rather … keen on rule following. That was probably more of an explanation than you were looking for."

"No, it makes sense. I guess I can't answer you on whether you would have been caught using one prior to your eighteenth birthday."

He knew her name had been in Albus' book of magical births, but she had chosen not to get her education at Hogwarts. Would she still be bound by the British Ministry's rules? It was an interesting question. One he'd never thought of before so didn't have an answer. Her situation was truly one of a kind. As she just pointed out she was over eighteen now so it was irrelevant.

"So Harry's lived with you for the past seventeen years?"

"As of October it will have been, yes."

The sun was setting when the quidditch players decided to call it a day. Well, they were at least going to pause the game in order to eat as every one of the wizards was famished. They'd been playing for hours already.

"Your dad's talking to that witch again," Blaise said to Harry.

"I have eyes, Blaise," Harry said.

Harry no longer bothered correcting people who referred to Severus as his father. Some people did it to be cruel. Harry wasn't going to change their minds and reacting to them would only make them think they bothered him. It used to, for sure, but not so much anymore. Blaise meant nothing hurtful by it. The other wizard also knew that Severus wasn't really his father.

Severus had raised him and when it got down to it he was essentially his father. He never called him that. He'd tried when he was very small but Severus had corrected him. Severus had been difficult for a two and three year old to say, so for a few years he'd been known to Harry as Rus. (Something Severus hated but tolerated when he realized Harry wasn't calling him that to be mean.)

Years ago, when Harry was probably about ten, a year or two before he became a student at Hogwarts, he'd been bothered by the fact Severus hadn't let him call him Father. Didn't he want to be his father?

Why had he taken him in then?

He'd taken full responsibility for him and really he'd never as far as Harry knew asked for assistance from anyone. Yes, he had a relationship with his godfather and his father's other friend, having the occasional overnight stay at their respective houses over the years. Harry was godfather to Remus' son Teddy. So, he was close with them despite knowing Severus didn't care for them. Not despite, really, but Severus had never tried to stop Harry from caring from the two wizards who'd known his dad.

He saw his aunt Petunia and cousin once in a while, enough to know who they were. Severus had done everything for Harry on his own, though. Other than the occasional business trip that he could not bring Harry along for, Severus had never really left his side until he became a Hogwarts student. Then, of course, Harry lived in the dorms.

Eventually. Once Harry got to where he was a student at Hogwarts actually. He realized as he started meeting people who would talk to him about "my father knew your mum" or "my father was in the Order with your parents" or various other stories that Severus wasn't doing it to be disrespectful or because he didn't want to be Harry's father.

In Severus' eyes, despite his dislike for James Potter (and Harry knew Severus hated his father though his guardian had never directly said so) and in light of the rumours regarding his feelings for Harry's mum. Severus did not want anyone to think he was trying to circumvent or take Harry's birthright away from him. He did not want the parents of the students Harry went to school with thinking badly of either of them.

Harry had asked Severus about third year what he would do if he started calling him Father. Severus told him as flattered as he would be that Harry thought he'd earned that moniker, that as far as the older wizard was concerned Harry only had one father and he didn't need the title to have the affection for him a father had for his son.

And so they'd continued to be Severus and Harry, guardian and ward. It worked for them, and Harry had to admit it kept people from talking about them to some degree. Harry realized he'd probably always be talked about, and tried to go out of his way to give people little to nothing to talk about. To this point he'd been successful in that.

Blaise, Draco, and Harry glanced at Viktor to see what the other wizard's reaction would be to seeing his guest talking rather animatedly and intently to another wizard. The others who'd been playing were likely already back in the house. None of them cared who Severus was talking to. Certainly if he asked Hermione to accompany him he must have some interest in her. Obviously, his two friends were thinking the same thing.

"I adore Hermyown, from the moment I realize she could care less who I was I knew she was formidable witch. I have seen few witches or wizards of age have as much control over their wandless magic as she did in her second year when I met her. Her knowledge of, well, everything exceeds most anyone else I know, even my professors truthfully. What she doesn't know she wants to know."

"You met her when she was twelve?!" Draco said.

"Thirteen, actually, her birthday is in the fall," he said. "But yes. We have been friends, just friends, since. It is nice to have someone I can be..."

He paused as if trying to think of the word. Harry remembered Viktor did this from his time at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. 

"Honest with. She doesn't care about quidditch, though she'll listen to me talk about it if I need to and understands it though she'd rather not I think. She does not judge me for my father's past. I can talk to her about other things without fear of reproach or it appearing in papers like your Daily Prophet. I like that."

He shrugged, glancing at the witch in question who was clearly engrossed in whatever discussion she was having with Harry's guardian. Severus was just as engaged in the conversation. Neither even seemed aware the game had stopped.

Harry could see the sign of two people who were not just enjoying a conversation but attracted to one another. A slight leaning in toward the other person. A tilt of their heads as they conversed. The eye contact it was obvious they were both maintaining. The appropriate amount of space that propriety dictated be between them was pushed to the limit. They weren't touching, but it wouldn't take much as close as they were sitting to change that.

And then Hermione touched his arm.

His left arm.

And he didn't flinch, pull away, or seemingly react at all to the contact.

That surprised Harry almost more than him letting her touch him to begin with.

People just didn't touch Severus Snape. Harry was even somewhat cautious about doing it to this day. It was well known that his guardian did not let anyone get near his Dark Mark. Harry wasn't sure anyone but him had even seen it in seventeen years.

Was it just Harry who saw these signs? Was it just Harry who had never seen anyone touch his guardian and get away with it in his life? (Other than Harry himself, of course.) Nevermind it was his left arm she touched.

"Oh," Draco said.

"I am not the wizard she wants or needs," he said.

Harry could tell from looking into his friend's eyes that there was more to it than that. He blushed a little, remembering the things they'd done together. Had he done similar things with Hermione?

He'd have to be interested in her to some degree to ask her to come here with him.

Then. Maybe not. Maybe he truly just liked spending time with someone who didn't judge or gossip about him.

Still, though, to see that she chose to spend her time talking with someone else would have to bother him. Viktor was used to attention. Lots of it. He got tons of it at Hogwarts. Harry bet it was even worse now that he played professionally. Add to that the other wizard was someone like Severus. So he guessed he wasn't the only one who saw the signs of interest by both witch and wizard sitting together, seemingly oblivious to the game having halted or the fact they were being watched and discussed.

Harry loved Severus, thought he was the bravest person (wizard or muggle) he knew. However, he had ears and knew that there weren't many witches around with flattering things to say about him. He could be impersonable-seeming on his best day. Harry didn't find him unattractive, but imagined he saw him differently than others did. Severus presented a very guarded front to people. Very few got close enough to see past those walls he put up. He'd claimed years ago it was for Harry's protection, but the young wizard thought he was just a convenient excuse for Severus to be guarded and unapproachable.

He also wasn't looking at him as a potential mate and father to his children. Externally, from appearance only without knowing the wizard, Harry could admit his guardian did not sport looks that most people swooned over or sought.

Even the way he dressed was designed to keep people at bay, remain aloof and off putting. Robes that were black and buttoned to keep himself closed off. Harry and Draco, likely Lucius, were the only ones Harry could think of who had ever seen Severus dressed even remotely casually. Harry thought that he could pretty confidently go out on a limb and say he was the only one who had ever seen his guardian dressed for bed.

"But Snape's old enough to be…" Blaise started to say.

"Shut it," Harry said quickly.

Harry had never seen Severus talk to a witch. Not like this. He'd talked to female professors and students' moms over the years. This, though, was totally different. This was a witch he'd danced with the night before.

He looked engaged, excited, and riveted. From here, he also looked … relaxed. Comfortable. Those were things Harry never thought he'd see pertaining to his guardian, certainly not while talking to someone.

Harry wanted Severus to have those things. He knew, without having to be told, that the man had sacrificed a lot to raise him. He also knew as well as they got along that it hadn't always been easy to be Harry Potter's guardian.

"Let's go eat," he said, leading the other three wizards back to the house in a way that would leave Severus and Hermione be.

"Ah, there is the noticeably absent potions master," Lucius said when Severus came into the study quite a while later than he'd anticipated returning to the house. He never dreamed when going out to see her that they'd talk for hours as they did. "You've missed dinner, my friend, but I asked the elves to save you a plate."

"That is kind of you but unnecessary."

"Are you not hungry, Severus? You were outside all day."

"Actually, I came to tell you that I will be absent this evening."

"Oh?" Lucius said, eyebrows arching up in question.

The twinkle in his eye told Severus he already suspected the reason. What had Draco told his father, Severus wondered. Draco could give his father a run for his money when it came to gossip.

"Yes, Mr. Krum's friend is potentially an aspiring potions mistress and has asked to see my lab when I mentioned the upgrades I've made to my storage containers and stirring rods this past year. Being a teacher myself of the subject that interests her most I could not say no to such a request."

Lucius chuckled softly, those gray eyes assessing his old friend. "If that's what you need to tell yourself, my friend."

Lucius knew that part of the reason Severus enjoyed residing at Hogwarts full-time was to deter things exactly like this from happening. He had made a name for himself over the years as both a potioner and a professor. Hogwarts tended to turn out students that not only scored consistently higher compared to the other schools (except for Hermione Granger) on their OWLs and NEWTs.

He was also known for having very few incidents in his classroom resulting in injuries. Not that there were no incidents, just not ones that resulted in trips to see Poppy. He took great pride in that fact even if he still considered most of his students dunderheads.

Many wanted to see how Severus Snape, guardian to The Boy Who Lived, operated. None got the privilege to see it, though, and he always used Hogwarts being unplottable as an excuse. It wasn't his place to show it to others who didn't belong there.

"Where is Mr. Krum's guest?" Lucius asked.

"Informing him of our errand."

"Mm, well, I hope you have an enjoyable evening then, Severus."

"I'm sure that it will be tolerable, Lucius, thank you," he said.

He hoped it was going to be far more than tolerable, but he could not say that to Lucius. Once they'd started talking, actually talking, well he was able to listen first hand once again to the way her mind worked as compared to looking over the notes she'd given him years ago as he'd done for years.

"She gave Harry quite a gift," Lucius said. That made Severus pause. Actually it was Lucius' tone that made him stop. "Krum's friend."

"I'm sorry?" Severus said.

It was a birthday party. Was it so odd she'd get him something? He didn't think so, especially since she was not with Krum romantically. There were several people at the formal party last night who Harry had never met who Severus was sure had given him very extravagant things. He doubted Hermione's was anything on par with that.

"An excellent pair of quidditch gloves and a container of Bertie Bott's."

Okay, so perhaps the quidditch gloves were an unusual gift for a witch to give someone she hadn't met but what was wrong with the beans? The gloves were not entirely unusual either now that he thought about it. Lucius' use of the word excellent made him realize they must have been impressive, though. She was here as Krum's guest and the wizard played quidditch. Krum and Harry were friends and the wizard would likely have told her Harry did, too.

"So?"

"It seems it only contains flavours Harry is actually most fond of."

Severus smiled somewhat at that.

Did she remember?

Harry wouldn't remember her, of course, but whether Severus had raised Harry or not he would certainly know what type of flavour beans the young wizard detested. Would he know the ones he was most fond of, though? Hmm, he wasn't sure about that. He'd like to think with his observation skills as they were that he would.

Was she trying to subtly let him know that she knew? Remembered?

"Are you implying the witch has some nefarious plan in place by being invited to his party by Mr. Krum, who Harry has been friends with and exchanged letters with for years now."

"It just seems odd. Mr. Krum hadn't responded in the affirmative until about three weeks ago, and indicating he was bringing an American guest, no less."

Was it only a month ago that Krum had responded?

Not entirely rude for a busy professional quidditch player. However, counting in time for an owl to get to Krum from America and then assuming Viktor wouldn't have sent his acceptance of the invitation the second he read Hermione's letter. Well, three or four weeks ago could have put Hermione's initial response somewhere around the time he'd thought, maybe, the Room would bring Hermione to him.

"The invitation did include a guest, Lucius. If you didn't want a famous Bulgarian who travels rather extensively for his profession to bring an American then perhaps you should have made such a stipulation in the invitation. As to her gift I'm sure she asked Krum for ideas on what to get Harry. While they are friends I wouldn't say they're close to the point of knowing what one another has an interest in. Harry's done with his schooling and very obviously has a mutual interest in quidditch. Krum would be hard-pressed to think of much else I expect. As far as the Bertie Bott's, Harry's disliked flavors are pretty common for people to not want to get."

Lucius nodded but seemed unconvinced. There was something else, Severus realized. He said nothing, calling his friend's bluff. He would not be the one to say ‘is there anything else'.

"The elf assigned to her room says that she had very heavy charms cast on her room last night but even with them in place the elf could hear that she had very vocal nightmares and that there is evidence of her having gotten sick more than once."

She had?

That bothered him. Was something wrong with her? Was she ill? He scoffed, though, unable to let his concern be displayed to his friend. That would not do. Lucius could be a bit of a pompous git, but he was an observant pompous git.

"Just what are you implying, Lucius?"

"I'm not implying anything, my old friend. I just don't want to see you ensnared in another's problems. You took on Harry, rightfully so I realize now even if I didn't at the time and thought you most foolish. I can't imagine his upbringing if he'd been raised by those …  relatives of his mother's. You don't need another cause."

"She's an accomplished and intelligent witch, Lucius, looking for a tour of my lab. She's not a cause," Severus snarled.

Silence as gray eyes assessed black. Neither was going to back down. Severus would not reveal anything to Lucius Malfoy. He'd come too far, they were too far into this for his secret to be revealed.

Severus was not entirely convinced that if Lucius found out what had happened, and how, that he wouldn't attempt to get the Room to undo it. His friend did not have the information he had that Hermione had shared with him as to what had happened after 1981. It didn't sound as if Lucius was in a very good position with the Dark Lord at the time of what Hermione assumed was the final battle.

He had to agree with her conclusion. The Death Eaters, while they supported Voldemort's beliefs, were generally not smart enough, or capable enough, of continuing to fight without him. Honestly, he wondered if any of them knew by 1998 what they were even fighting for any longer.

"Enjoy your evening then, Severus."

"I shall make an attempt to do so, thank you," he said.

Being at Malfoy Manor with a couple dozen wizards was not exactly his idea of a great Friday night. He wasn't sure what it said that showing Hermione his lab and the upgrades he'd made to it over the years was, in fact, something he would very much enjoy doing on a Friday night.

Obviously she was of the same mind as it had been her idea to see it. What was the saying? Great minds think alike. The others would be here, playing cards and drinking most of the night, or other such nonsense. He didn't get the impression she wanted to partake in it anymore than he did.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com