Hermione's knife minced herbs at breakneck speed, a silver blur against the chopping block. Harry watched her work with a mixture of pride and nervousness, perched up on the table.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Harry laughed... then winced, rubbing his forehead.

"Daily Voldemort status report?"

"Not a useful one," Harry said darkly. "He's happy about something... I just hope it's not the fit of glee I'm waiting for... I don't think it is."

"What... what are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for him to find out about you."

Hermione's knife halted. "Harry Potter's sidekick..."

"... Bound to one of his Death Eaters," Harry finished.

"He's going to try to use me against you, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Harry picked up a vial of bubbly golden solution, turning it in his fingertips. "You might want to practice your Dorcas impression, Hermione."

"What?"

"If Voldemort finds out that Snape compromised your Binding, he's gonna be furious. Not only was it totally non-Death-Eater of Snape... it weakens you as a weapon."

"But nobody knows I'm Bound to him yet..."

"Tonight's the last night, Hermione. People are expecting a Weasley/Granger wedding at midnight. When that doesn't happen, the talk will start, and your Binding to Snape is on record at the Ministry."

"Oh my God, Harry..."

The ramifications settled on Hermione, seeming to press her into the floor. Why hadn't she thought about any of this?

I'm Hermione! I'm the one who thinks of stuff!

"It's not so bad, Hermione. This could only raise Snape's status as a Death Eater... which gets him closer to Voldemort, which means he hears more..."

"Which means he's in more danger," Hermione snapped.

Harry shrugged. "We're all in danger."

"At least Ron..."

"Ron's in more danger than ever," Harry said coldly. "He's linked to me, he's got celebrity status, and he's away from Hogwarts, away from Dumbledore, out in public. He's perfect bait. They might as well have painted 'Kidnap Me Please, I'm Sirius II' on his forehead."

The cold fury in Harry's eyes sent a chill down Hermione's spine.

"Everyone's a target, Hermione. I've put you and Ron in danger, I've put the entire Weasley family in danger, I've put the entire student body of Hogwarts in danger."

Harry set the vial down grimly. "I can't undo the damage I did. The only way to keep you all safe is for Voldemort to die before anyone else does. If Snape can rise in the ranks, help that to happen... then that's what needs to happen."

Hermione put down her knife, put her palms on the table, sighed heavily. "Harry... is this why you said all those things, about how you thought I'd be happier with Snape?"

"Hermione..." Harry's eyes had softened again. "Don't hate me. I really do think you'll be happier with Snape than Ron. I kind of... I kind of got the feeling you had a little crush on him you weren't admitting, too. Are you mad?"

"I did... I do... have a little crush on Snape, I guess. A weird one. But the main reason I picked him was so that I could stay here with you, Harry. So I guess I can't be mad."

"Hermione... do you remember what you said to me, back at the Burrow? You said you'd rather be fighting Voldemort than laying on your back growing babies."

"I meant it. I still do."

"I think you'll be doing both at once. I think... I think maybe you're even more incredibly important than you were before. As much as this law sucks, as much as I hate that this happened to you... you're going to be in a position to do such amazing work for the Order, work that no one else is able to do. You'll be like... Hermione Bond."

"Now you're being silly." But a pleased smile was growing across Hermione's face.

"Hermione, I'm not. You're not the helpless victim of the Ministry. You're using the Ministry's own law against them. You think this ever would have passed if Fudge wasn't in the Purebloods' pocket? Take down the Death Eaters, you take down the Purebloods, you take down this Law. It's... it's poetic justice."

Hermione took a deep breath. "You're evil, but I like you, Harry."

"And Hermione..." a wicked little grin crossed Harry's face. "Just think about how much your Dorcas impression's gonna piss off Snape."

---

"The Tempero Silentium Potion and the Diludoleo Potion differ by only two ingredients." Snape's voice echoed around the dungeon, off the walls, and reverberated in Hermione's spine. "And they are two of a select handful of potions that the Ministry allows to be used on Muggles. Can anyone tell me why this is?"

Hermione's hand shot into the air; Snape pointedly ignored it.

"Anyone? Miss Patil?"

Parvati stammered out a long-winded and totally wrong explanation, and Hermione sighed quietly, watching Snape's face as he winced in time to each word from Parvati's mouth.

Why hasn't he cut her off yet? What's wrong with him?

Hermione smiled a catlike, private smile, remembering how flustered he'd been this morning.

Maybe I know what's wrong with him.

Snape's long, elegant fingers played lightly over the pages of his book before reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind his ear. Hermione's eyes followed their movement, tracing the lines of Snape's body as he paced, trying to pick out the angles of muscle and sinew beneath his robe, imagining what it would be like to watch him undo all those buttons... one by one by one...

Huh. Doing my Dorcas impression may be easier than I thought.

"Professor Snape?" Hermione cooed.

He sighed in irritation, lifting his eyes to her. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"The Tempero Silentium Potion and the Diludoleo Potion both have effects similar to those of ordinary Muggle medicines. Muggles would not consider them magical... even if they were brewed by such a talented, attractive Master as yourself."

The class turned and gaped, and Snape blinked in confusion. "Thank you, Miss Granger."

"Thank you, Professor. It is a joy and an honor to have you share your wisdom with us."

"Right." Snape stalked back to the board, visibly rattled. "You'll find the ingredients..."

"He is such a good kisser," Hermione whispered to Parvati, adopting the same histrionic moan that she'd heard Parvati use herself.

"What?" Parvati hissed. "You kissed Snape?"

"Did I ever," Hermione sighed, her mouth twitching. If Parvati knew she was being parodied, it didn't register.

"But Ron..."

"I didn't pick Ron," Hermione let a laviscious smile spread over her lips. "I picked Severus. Why have a boy when you can have a man, right? And what a man he is..."

All the color went out of Parvati's face. "You haven't..."

"Not yet. I think tonight. I can't wait..." Hermione leaned over to whisper in Parvati's ear. "If he's half as good at that as he is at..."

"Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione stared him in the eyes, licking her lips.

"You... the..." Snape stilled himself, breathing deeply. "Would you care to share your comments to Miss Patil with the rest of the class? I'm sure your insightful commentary would be appreciated by all."

"I was merely telling Miss Patil how much I was looking forward to our... extra lesson this evening," Hermione drawled, running the tip of her quill along her collarbone. "I've always thought it would be exciting to work under you."

Snape's eyes flared in fury. "Detention. My office. After class."

"Oh, no," Hermione breathed, shooting Parvati a meaningful look. "Am I... going to be punished?"

Parvati tittered loudly, and the rest of the class looked at them in confusion.

"Yes, Miss Granger, you are."

Snape stalked back to the blackboard, and Hermione turned to Parvati for the killing blow.

"Ohmigod! Did you hear that! Detention!" Hermione squealed under her breath. "Does my hair look okay?"

Parvati started fussing with her curls, and Hermione didn't bother keeping the smirk off her face.

Harry was right. This is fun.

---

SLAM!

"What the hell was that, Miss Granger?"

"Hermione."

"What the hell was that, Hermione?"

Hermione dropped into a chair, lounging across it. "That was me saving your ass. Do you have any more of those biscuits?"

Oh, I am so punk rock right now. Ron would die if he saw this!

"Saving my..." Snape's eyes crackled with lightning. "Explain yourself."

"If Voldemort finds out you loosened the Binding on Harry Potter's little sidekick..."

Snape crossed his arms. "You were acting."

Hermione grinned. "Yes."

"Like a revolting little nymphet, you were acting. Disrupting my entire class, undermining my authority, playing around at knowing the mind of Voldemort, you were acting."

"Yes."

Snape stared at her for a moment, then rummaged in his desk. "Well, Miss Granger, I am of course sorry to lose you as a student. Under the circumstances, however, I understand your decision to drop my class."

Hermione shot forward in her chair, panic flaring in her eyes. "What? I don't want to drop your class!"

"Just sign this form, and..." Snape's smile grew wider, predatorial. "Well actually, as your husband, I can just sign this for you."

"I'm not dropping your class!"

"Mrs.... Severus... Snape..." Snape purred out the words as he signed her name to the drop form. "Well, there you go, my dear. Enjoy your new free period."

"I'm not dropping your class!"

"I'm afraid you just did."

"I'm your best student."

"You were my best student. Detention is over, get out of my office."

"You rip that up right now!" Hermione was horrified to hear her voice crack.

Get back in control... get back in control...

"What's that you say?" Snape said silkily. "Thinking of dropping Transfiguration, too? Oh, that's too bad, Professor McGonagall will be so disappointed... fortunately, I have a whole drawer full of drop forms..."

"You wouldn't."

"Miss Granger, I can arrange as much free time for you as you require. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to get out of my office?"

"This isn't over."

"No, of course it isn't. After all, tonight's the night you've demanded that I make sweet love to you, is it not?"

"You're not touching me."

"Your rejection has broken my heart, Miss Granger. Now kindly get out of my sight so that I may pine for you properly."

Hermione stood, chest heaving, staring at him.

Snape stared right back, taking another drop form from his desk. "10... 9... 8... 7..."

Hermione fled from his office, tears springing to her eyes.