March turned to April, inviting the students back outside to do homework and socialize in the warmer weather.
Hermione had begun spending her weekend nights in Severus's chambers again, always Flooing back to her room in the morning. She had told him explicitly that if he had to leave for any reason, she would not stay in his room. She could tell it hurt him a little, but she knew he understood why.
"Severus?" she asked one night as they lay in bed, her head on his stomach, his fingers absently playing with bits of her hair.
"Hmm?"
"What's going to happen to us after graduation?"
Severus remained silent, his hands never ceasing their movement.
"I don't know," he finally murmured.
Hermione turned her head toward him, reaching back to lightly touch his hand.
"I don't want to lose you."
Severus brought her hand to his lips, kissing first the back and then her palm.
"You won't lose me. We'll figure it out."
Hermione smiled. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Hermione moved to lay beside Severus and he turned on his side towards her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close and kissing her forehead.
As the first week of the month progressed, the first signs of serious studying could be seen among the more serious fifth and seventh years.
The first Saturday in April Hermione and Ginny were outside, sitting on the grass by the lake. Ginny was watching Hermione transfigure various things into other various things.
"What's he like?" Ginny asked.
"Who?" Hermione replied absently, double-checking something in her textbook.
"Professor Snape."
Hermione looked up. "What do you mean?"
"Just... what's he like? When no one can see him but you."
Hermione smiled, placing the textbook on her lap, her wand in the center.
"He's quiet. Reserved. We don't talk much when we're together. He mostly grades papers and I study, but when we do talk, it's about anything. Everything. And he's very gentle."
Ginny smiled in a bemused sort of way. "So different from what the rest of us see."
Hermione nodded. "I know. And he's quite vile to me in class sometimes."
"Doesn't it upset you?"
"Not really. I know he doesn't mean it." Hermione picked up her wand, carefully aiming at a toad hopping along the edge of the lake and turning it into a bell and back again.
"He's really not so bad, once you get to know him."
Ginny smiled again, nodding. "I don't doubt it."
The stress of the pending N.E.W.T.s began to get to Hermione and she started forcing Ron and Harry to study with her in the library.
Harry, at least, came without a fuss, but Ron put up his usual argument.
"Hermione, come on," Ron said, laying his hands open in a pleading manner. Harry was already shaking his head as he rifled through Hermione's Potions notes.
"We have all of May to study, even some of June. We're already swamped with homework, isn't that enough?"
"Not when you don't do it until the night before it's due. You just create unnecessary stress for yourself that way," Hermione replied, glancing up from her Charms notes. "At least Harry's got a fair amount of notes. Really, Ron, you should've paid more attention in class. You might be able to get away with copying my notes now, but I won't always be there."
"But you're here now." Ron grinned.
"Yeah, and that's the only thing saving your sorry butt. Now work."
Ron grabbed a section of Hermione's Transfiguration notes, finally giving in.
As Hermione turned back to her own studying, her left arm twinged. It was like a dull cramp and she frowned, reaching with her right hand to massage it.
"Something wrong?" Harry asked.
"My arm's just sore. I banged it on the tub this morning."
Harry nodded towards her arm. "I'm sure Madam Pomfrey could do something about it."
"It's fine. I'll live."
Harry shrugged and went back to his copying.
As soon as he looked away, Hermione frowned again, rubbing her arm slightly.
She headed to Severus's office before dinner to ask him about the Mark.
"You're here about your Mark," Severus said as she walked in.
"Well, yes," Hermione answered, slightly put off.
Severus looked up, gathering up the essays he'd been grading and moving them to the side of his desk.
"Mine's been bothering me too," he said, standing and walking around the desk to where Hermione stood. Taking her arm in his hands, he pushed her sleeve up and nodded, lightly running his finger over the Mark.
"See how it's black around the edges here? He's preparing for something."
Hermione looked apprehensive as she glanced up at Severus.
"Do you think he'll... summon... us?"
"He might."
Noticing the increasingly anxious look on Hermione's face, Severus pulled her to him.
"You'll be alright. You made it through the first time," he murmured, resting his chin on top of her head and stroking her hair.
"But you were with me."
"You'll be safer if you're alone. Whenever it happens, you'll be vulnerable, and in case someone... comes to see me, I don't want you there."
Hermione nodded her understanding and Severus kissed the top of her head. As he did, footsteps were heard in the classroom and he and Hermione separated, Hermione hastily pulling her sleeve down and Severus moving back behind his desk.
Harry entered the office as Severus handed Hermione a piece of parchment with some writing on it, under the pretext of returning an assignment.
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione murmured.
"Good day, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter?"
"Dumbledore sent me to get you," Harry said as Hermione left the room. She heard Severus mutter something and then Harry stepped out of the office, soon followed by Severus, who stepped past them both and exited the classroom.
"What were you in there for?" Harry asked as he and Hermione made their way up the center aisle.
"I was asking him about an assignment," Hermione replied, waving the parchment in her hand. Harry nodded and he and Hermione continued to the Great Hall in silence for dinner.
Hermione was jittery for the rest of the night, expecting her Mark to burn at any moment. But the night came and went and nothing happened.
She had trouble concentrating in her classes, unable to keep her mind off her arm.
By the time she got to Potions, her head was starting to hurt and she sighed as she began to brew her potion.
The searing pain hit her so suddenly that she cried out, dropping the jar she was holding. The class all turned to look at her and she fought the urge to grab her arm.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione looked up, tears fillin gher eyes. Severus was walking down the aisle toward her, trying to show no more concern than would be expected.
"It's... a cramp," Hermione said, gasping as pain shot up her arm again.
"Go see Madam Pomfrey."
Hermione nodded, back up and turning to step around Harry and Ron's table. They watched, worried, as she hurried from the room.
Once the door was closed, Hermione let out a gasping cry, wrenching up her sleeve and staring at the ugly black Mark. Another pain flared up her arm and she gasped again, hurrying up to her room.
Hermione missed dinner, curled on her bed, her arm held tight against her chest.
When the pain finally faded around midnight, Hermione faded as well, drifting off to sleep.
Her dreams were infiltrated by black robed men wearing white masks. One of the masks drifted towards her and then flew off, revealing a blank face with empty eye sockets, mouth open in an eternal scream.
Hermione awoke with a start, breathing heavily. She nearly screamed when she saw a figure standing near her bed; a candle flickered to life, revealing Severus's worried face.
Hermione flopped back against her pillows, covering her face with her hand.
"I'm sorry if I scared you," Severus said softly, sitting down on the bed.
"It wasn't just you, there was the dream..."
"What dream?" Severus asked, taking Hermione's hand in his own. Hermione frowned.
"I don't really remember now," she murmured. "What're you doing up here anyway?"
"I was worried. I wasn't expecting him to summon you during class." Severus looked almost guiltily at Hermione and she stared back.
"Summon me? You weren't-"
Severus shook his head and Hermione closed her eyes, again covering her face with her free hand.
"Hermione-"
"I can't take this much longer, Severus," she said, sniffing hard, her eyes overbright with tears. "It's driving me batty."
"There's nothing we can do. We just have to handle it."
"Until when, Severus?" Hermione sighed and gently touched Severus's cheek. "I love you, but this situation isn't getting any better."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Severus asked, somewhat irritably. Hermione bit her lip.
"That's just it, I don't know either. I'm really not comfortable with telling Dumbledore about the Mark. What if he finds out about our relationship?" Hermione shook her head. "I may be Harry's best friend, but so is Ron, and if anything, they're closer. If Voldemort could choose which of us to hurt to get to Harry, the most logical choice would be Ron, not me. And on top of that, even if Voldemort chose me, how would he have gotten to me unless I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be? You can't Floo into this room from outside of Hogwarts. It all just wouldn't add up."
Severus opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. Hermione smiled a little sadly.
"We'll talk about it later."
Severus nodded and leaned forward to kiss Hermione, then turned and slipped silently from the room.
Hermione stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about the situation, before finally going back to sleep.
The next morning at breakfast, Ron and Harry swooped down on Hermione.
"What happened yesterday?" Ron asked.
"And why'd you miss dinner?" Harry added.
Hermione stared at them both, a little taken aback.
"I was having bad cramps," she lied. Ron suddenly looked mildly uncomfortable but Harry wasn't satisfied.
"You were favoring your left arm," he pressed.
"No, I wasn't." Hermione's heart was racing.
"Yes, you were, you had it pressed against your side. I saw it."
Ron was looking from Harry to Hermione like he was watching Chasers passing a Quaffle.
"Harry, what's with the interrogation?" he asked but Harry silenced him with a glare.
"It... it was just a reaction. To the cramps," Hermione said, a little fearfully. Harry opened his mouth to speak again but Hermione cut him off.
"What business is it of yours anyway?" she snapped, suddenly angry with him. "I don't see any need for you to know why my body does what it does."
This silenced Harry and his frown disappeared, although he still didn't quite seem appeased.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I was just worried."
Hermione nodded, smiling slightly, and turned back to her breakfast.
That night, after dinner, as Hermione was working on her Potions essay, the portrait called to her and she went to answer the door, absently scratching her Mark.
Harry stood in the hall and smiled somewhat sheepishly at her.
"Mind if I come in?"
"Not at all." Hermione stepped back to allow Harry to enter the room. He followed her, shutting the portrait behind him.
"I just wanted to apologize for this morning. I was just worried and I feel like we've sort of... drifted apart this year."
Hermione shrugged, smiling at Harry. "No harm done."
"Still friends?"
"Of course."
Harry grinned, gazing around the room.
"This is pretty nice," he murmured. His eyes came to rest on Hermione again and he frowned.
"Why do you keep scratching your arm?" he asked. Hermione immediately stopped.
"No reason."
Harry grinned. "What is it, a rash?"
"No, it's nothing."
"Let me look. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey can get rid of it," Harry said, stepping toward Hermione.
"Harry, no, it's nothing," Hermione protested, growing increasingly agitated. Harry didn't seem to notice though and continued towards her.
"It can't be that bad, just let me see." Harry grabbed her wrist. Hermione tried to pull back but Harry held tight.
"Harry, will you just stop?"
"Hermione, it's just a rash," Harry replied and pushed her sleeve up. Hermione's heart lurched painfully as Harry stared at the Mark, his smile fading. Hermione began to cry as Harry looked up at her.
"Harry," she whispered. His lips moved, but no sound came out.
"Harry, I'm so sorry."
"How?" he finally managed, still holding her wrist.
"It's... complicated. But, Harry, this was done to me."
"By who?" Harry asked incredulously, angrily.
"Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange," Hermione murmured.
"But how did they get to you? How could they..."
Hermione didn't answer, just covered her mouth with her hand, feeling as though her heart might burst through her chest. And Harry began to figure it out.
"That day Snape had his heart attack," Harry murmured. "You snapping at him that day in class... the way he was looking at you yesterday..."
Harry shook his head, letting go of Hermione's wrist and backing away from her.
"You and... and Snape?" he said disbelievingly.
"Harry, please," Hermione said, reaching out to him. He stepped back again, holding his hand up.
"Don't." Harry stared at the floor, refusing to meet Hermione's eyes. "How long?"
"Since November," Hermione whispered.
Harry laughed humorlessly. "I don't believe it... how could you, Hermione?"
Harry finally looked up at Hermione, his eyes shining brightly with tears.
"Harry, I didn't... I wasn't trying to hurt you, and I'm not trying to hurt you now. You don't understand. I'm still your friend-"
"You're a Death Eater!" Harry cried.
"I'm not! I told you, Lucius and Bellatrix-"
"It wouldn't have happened if you were sleeping with Professor Snape!" Harry yelled. Hermione flinched.
"I didn't intend for any of this to happen," Hermione said softly. Harry suddenly strode forward and grabbed Hermione's wrist, pulling her arm up so the Mark was visible to them to both.
"Do you see what your intentions got you?" Harry said loudly. Hermione winced as he let go of her wrist, flinging her arm away from him like it was something filthy.
"I'm going to Dumbledore," he said, turning towards the door. Hermione's eyes widened and she hurried after him, grabbing his arm.
"Harry, no. You can't."
"Let go of me," Harry said in a low voice.
"I can't let you go," Hermione said, pulling out her wand.
"And how-"
"Obliviate!" Hermione cried. Harry's eyes immediately glazed over and Hermione hastily put her wand away and pulled her sleeve down. Harry blinked and focused on Hermione.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"I was reading a sad story," Hermione lied, smiling sadly.
In the days following the incident in her room, Hermione could tell Harry still had his suspicions, even after the Obliviation of the memory of Hermione's Mark.
It worried Hermione a little and she told Severus all about the incident in her room.
"He doesn't remember the Mark," Hermione said, "but I can tell he's still curious."
Severus nodded, looking concerned as well.
"No more public acknowledgement of each other, then," he said. "No more glances, no more smiles, not anything. If Potter's noticing, other may be too."
Hermione nodded, feeling slightly depressed. Severus kissed her.
"We can still see each other, we just have to be more careful."
Hermione nodded again.
The two weeks that followed were like they had been before Hermione and Severus began their affair; they didn't look at each other anymore than was normal, and certainly show any abnormal regard for the other. But they continued to see each other.
On the last Saturday night in April, Hermione was sprawled on Severus's bed, the sheets wrapped around her naked body as she worked on her Charms essay.
Close to midnight Severus finished grading his papers and came over to lay down beside Hermione.
"Aren't you done yet?" he asked, pushing her hair aside and kissing her shoulder.
"Not yet. Almost."
"I think you should take a break," Severus murmured, moving his kisses to her neck. She grinned.
"I'm almost done."
"It'll still be there in the morning."
Hermione turned her head, meeting Severus's dark eyes. A small smirk was playing on his lips and Hermione's grin widened. She blew on her essay to dry it and placed it and her quill and ink bottle on the floor at the foot of the bed. As soon as she had taken her hands off the objects, Severus grabbed her and turned her onto her back, digging his fingers into her sides as he did.
She shrieked with laughter and surprise and tried to squirm away. He stopped tickling her and grinned, leaning down to kiss her.
"I love you," he murmured.
"I love you, too," Hermione replied, kissing him again.