—S—

April 4, 1977

"Fecking hell!" Severus roared, shoving the cauldron off the portable burner. It crashed to the floor, though it had no way of causing much more damage than a dent: the potion inside it was a congealed mess, almost as if he had left it sitting around for days instead of having just finished brewing. He'd at least been able to pull out the stirring rod Hermione had given him before the experiment went south.

A couple angry flicks of his wand and the cauldron was righted and cleaned, but his temper didn't calm.

He had days—barely any time at all—before he had to meet with the Death Eaters again. He'd received another letter from the Dark Lord, telling him that an escort would meet him at Hogwarts to take him to a gathering during the Easter hols. There would undoubtedly be another test, and while he probably wouldn't have the opportunity to heal whomever he was forced to maim or torture, he wanted to know he could.

But he hadn't had any luck.

He'd tried spells, some obscure, some common. The rats he'd purchased to test on hadn't survived. He'd tried potions, including basic essence of dittany, and still nothing. Though the essence had given him an idea. It helped the rats live longer, but it took too long work against the curse. So, the essence became the base for a healing potion that he was sure would work, but there was something wrong with the mandrake and he kept screwing up.

He was out of dittany. He needed more.

It couldn't wait.

He summoned a sheet of parchment and a quill from his backpack and scribbled a hasty note for Hermione. She was supposed to meet him here not long after dinner, but he'd heard Black beg for her help with his homework, since Lupin wasn't around. She wasn't late, really, but he wasn't sure if he'd meet her on the way to tell her that he was going to look for ingredients.

Which, of course, begged the question of how the hell he was supposed to get them. He could, he supposed, ask Slughorn or Sprout for what he needed. But the former would probably keep him in the classroom and ask him all kinds of questions that Severus had no intention of answering. The latter would just ask too many questions. He wasn't sure Sprout was part of this Order nonsense he'd gotten sucked into, and Dumbledore seemed to believe that the less people knew, the better.

He grit his teeth, realizing he was going to have to make a trip to Diagon Alley. He could take the tunnel by the humped witch and pop into Hogsmeade. But he was still a student, and even transfiguring or changing his uniform would not change the fact that they had only seen him the weekend before, and they'd report him to Dumbledore. He doubted his cooperation with the Order would keep him out of detention.

He left his tie and sweater on the table behind him; Severus picked up his robes and transfigured them into a set of casual business robes. He made sure he had his small sack of Galleons before heading out.

It was odd that he passed next to no one until he was near the courtyard closest to the Whomping Willow.

It was there, near the alcoves, that he heard soft giggles and whispers.

"Sirius!" a high-pitched voice giggled. "We're going to get caught!"

"We won't," Black replied, his voice a bit off. Maybe from lust. Now there was a disgusting thought.

"Black," Severus said casually enough, hoping the witch he was with wasn't a Slytherin. "Black!" Severus snapped again when his initial call went ignored.

Black's head popped out of the alcove, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

Severus, frankly, didn't care. "I'm going on an excursion via the Shrieking Shack."

"Really," Black said, sounding a bit too pleased by that.

"Yes," Severus said. "If you see Hermione, tell her I won't be long."

"Yeah, okay. I'll tell Granger you've gone," he smirked, and there was something off about it. It looked...wrong on his face.

Not really wanting to think why Black's face looked wrong, Severus continued his trek to the Willow. Yet his mind was barely on the task at hand, still trying to figure out what was off about Black.

If nothing else, though, he could appreciate the coolness of the night air. The moon was high and bright and gave him all the light he needed to see to make his way to the tunnel. He levitated a twig to poke the special knot on the tree, then proceeded down into the tunnel, pausing to straighten his robes.

A sudden thought struck him as he was in the tunnel: the apothecaries may be closed for the evening; it was a full moon and the best time to gather ingredients. He knew Slug and Jiggers did most of their harvesting and preparation themselves, which was why they were usually the best quality.

There was a sound down the tunnel and Severus drew his wand. He heard a sniff, like an animal scenting the air, and then a growl that was too predatory for comfort. As yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, a multitude of epiphanies crashed into Severus at once.

First, Black never called Hermione "Granger." Potter and Pettigrew did, but never Black. It was always Kitten.

Second, Lupin's "confinement" in the infirmary was a bit too regular, though Severus had never thought too much about it. He also hadn't considered that it was always the one time of the month he and Hermione didn't have to worry about Black interrupting them.

Third, that Black's warning about visiting the Shack at certain times of the month was completely valid and related entirely to Lupin's absence. The conclusion became abundantly clear when those fearsome yellow eyes started coming right for him.

—H—

"Sirius, I need to go meet Severus," Hermione said, trying not to smile as Sirius trailed after her on her way to Severus' lab.

"But I'm bored and stupid," Sirius whined. "I promised Padfoot I wouldn't go see Moony without him, and he's too busy trying to convince Evans to ditch her Hufflepuff and, well, huffle the puff if you know what I mean."

Hermione paused, rolling her eyes at Sirius' proud, goofy grin. "That was awful."

"Oh, you loved it, Kitten. Now, please. Please stay with me. I'm willing to study for once, just for something to do!"

"Where's Peter?" she chuckled as she resumed walking. She was also being kind by not pointing out that she'd already helped him enough for the night, thank you very much.

"He had a date with a Ravenclaw, or so he said. Truth be told, I don't see much of him anymore."

"There's probably a reason why," Hermione said under her breath, remembering the rat-like older Peter begging mercy and forgiveness from his old friends.

She shook her head, clearing the image from her mind, and entered the lab. Severus wasn't there, though it looked like he was in the middle of starting a brew. There was a piece of paper on the table and Hermione went to see if it was part of his notes or something for her.

H,

I need dittany. Heading to Diagon Alley, Apparating out of the Shrieking Shack. Be back soon.

S.

"No," she gasped, and sensed Sirius come up behind her to read the note.

"Fucking hell! I thought he knew!" he exclaimed, turning and dashing out of the room before Hermione could spring into action. A beat later, she dropped the note and went running after Sirius.

"I knew, not Severus!" she called.

"But I told him it was bad certain times of the month."

"It's not like you specified the time of the month!"

They ran through the corridors, ignoring the perturbed ghosts and cranky portraits, hoping to find Severus before Remus did. At the bottom of the stairs, not far from the nearest door to the Whomping Willow, Sirius skidded to a stop. "James!"

Hermione nearly barreled into Sirius, her chest heaving as she turned and saw that Lily was with James. "Half-blood Prince is heading to the Shack, tell Dumbledore."

"What?" James asked, baffled.

Sirius growled. "Snivellus!" he said, using the hated name for the sake of clarity. "He's heading to the Shack but doesn't know about Moony!"

Realization lit James' eyes, and Hermione even saw fear before he bolted to the headmaster's office.

A nudge from Sirius had her running again, ignoring Lily's calls for an explanation.

They ran across the ground straight for the Willow. Sirius shot a well-aimed Stunner, and Hermione ran beneath the frozen branches. She didn't go into the tunnel, she merely crouched and yelled, "Accio Severus!"

There was a rush of air, and she was uncertain for a second before Severus came flying out of the tunnel and landed against her.

"We have to move, quickly!" Sirius urged.

They managed to drag a shocked Severus out of the Willow's way just as the Stunner wore off. The branches came dangerously close to them as the tree tried to hit them, but Hermione didn't have much thought to care.

Panting, her heart hammering in her chest, she laid on her back beside Severus for a moment before rolling over, limbs heavy with fatigue, and patted him with far less gentleness than she intended.

"Are you hurt? Severus talk to me, please!" she said, giving him a light shake.

But Severus didn't focus on her as he came to his senses; he focused on Sirius.

"Why didn't you say there was a bloody werewolf in there?" he accused softly, and Hermione tensed. She knew that voice. That voice precluded the loss of house points or a scathing, character-stripping insult. It spoke of toads being poisoned and detentions spent prepping awful ingredients.

"Hermione knew, I thought you did, too." Sirius put his hands out in front of him as if in surrender.

Severus' eyes flashed to Hermione, and then he pushed up on his elbows and got in Sirius' face. "I told you where I was going before I left. I told you to tell Hermione where I was heading, and you. Said. Nothing."

Sirius frowned at the same time Hermione did.

"I didn't see you mate," he said, shaking his head slowly. "I was with Kitten the whole time. Even followed her to your lab."

A commotion from the castle cut off the conversation just as an angry Severus was about to ask something else.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and James were coming towards them, slowing now that they could see all three of them on the grass, just out of the Willow's reach.

"Are any of you hurt?" was the first thing McGonagall said as she stopped in front of them. She crouched down, looking first at her adoptive niece, then at Severus.

"No," Sirius said, running his hand through his hair. "Mate, I swear to you, I would have never, ever let you go anywhere near the Shack if you'd asked me. On my life. We may have our differences, but you mean everything to Kitten, and I would never upset her."

"Why were you heading to the Shrieking Shack, Mr. Snape? And what's more, how did any of you even know of the path to it?" Dumbledore asked, piercing Hermione with a stare. She started to feel the tickle of his intrusion and used it to her advantage.

She'd been training with Severus to improve her ability to only expose certain thoughts. She let the mundane of the evening filter through her mind, proving Sirius was with her. She then transitioned to the memory of him and James telling her the way to the Shrieking Shack. He could assume that Severus had gotten the information from her.

"I see this is a conversation we should have in my office. Come, we will head back inside. I trust you can walk, Mr. Snape?"

Gritting his teeth, Severus nodded and let Hermione help him straighten out.

Severus continued to glare at Sirius, and just before entering the school, asked quietly through his teeth, "Was he really with you the whole time?"

"Yes," Hermione assured.

"And where were you?" he asked, turning toward her with sharp, cold eyes.

She glared at the obvious accusation in his eyes. "The library. I was helping him with his homework."

"Are you sure? Because when I saw Black, he was with someone in an alcove. I never did see who she was."

Hermione could feel her hair crackle, and she stopped him before they stepped inside. Gripping the door frame with both hands, her knuckles turning white, Hermione snapped, "This shade of green looks terrible on you, Severus."

"You aren't denying it."

"The fact that you think I have to is insulting in and of itself," she retorted sharply. "I was in the library, helping Sirius, and then we both went looking for you. We found your note in the lab. He was the one that sprang into action, because I was so scared of what could happen to you!"

"Miss Granger, Mr. Snape, hurry along," Dumbledore called from inside.

Fuming, and loathing the blank, disinterested look on Severus' face, she shoved herself off the frame and went to catch up with the others. She didn't look back to see if Severus was following, she could feel him.

They were quiet as they made their way up to the headmaster's office, only pausing for the gargoyle to step aside to let them in.

Once inside his office, Dumbledore waved his hand to conjure some extra chairs for them to sit in. They were all settled: the four students in front of his desk, McGonagall standing beside them, and the headmaster behind his desk.

He was quiet, smiling, hands folded and tucked beneath his chin. A few beats passed, and then he sighed.

"Mr. Snape, I want to make it extremely clear that what you've learned this evening must not leave this room or I'm afraid you will have to explain to the Master you've chosen why he can no longer accept you. He will want your N.E.W.T. results, and an expulsion from Hogwarts would mean you'd have to take them at the Ministry. That takes time."

"Albus!" McGonagall snapped.

"No, Minerva. We must keep Mr. Lupin's secret," the headmaster replied evenly.

"And my ... secret?" Severus asked, looking at Dumbledore expectantly. "How would I relay information to you if I am not at school?"

"Is that why you were leaving the school, Mr. Snape?"

"No. I was leaving to get something to prevent unneeded casualties."

"Ah." Dumbledore nodded.

There was another tense moment of silence.

"Headmaster ... if you expel Snape, you'd have to do the same to us," Sirius said cautiously, surprising everyone in the room. He shifted slightly, then straightened and looked the headmaster in the eye. "We've known for quite some time. And Snape ... he's a friend too. Remus' friend as much as ours."

James looked at Sirius as if he really shouldn't have included him in such an open statement. McGonagall looked proud.

"Admirable as that is, Mr. Black. You were not the one sneaking around this evening."

"If you expel Severus, then you'll do the same for me, sir," Hermione said, part of her brain screaming at her that she was a bloody sentimental idiot. She firmly ignored the swot in her head and met the headmaster's eyes. "That or I'll just leave."

"Miss Granger—"

"I am of age," she cut off the headmaster. "I can rightfully leave Hogwarts right this moment, Apparate to London, go to the Ministry, take my N.E.W.T.s and be done with it. Actually, at this point, so can Severus. But this is all, of course, on the assumption that he or any of us would advertise that there's a werewolf with nothing but a malicious tree and a narrow tunnel to prevent casualties."

She was almost panting again by the time she was done. Her heart was pounding, and her stomach twisted and churned as she realized she'd just threatened an authority figure.

Dumbledore, however, said nothing. He smiled, though it wasn't an honest smile, and he lowered his head for a moment.

"I've assumed incorrectly, haven't I, Miss Granger? Although, given the history between Gryffindors and Mr. Snape, you can see why I would assume he would be quick to reveal Mr. Lupin's secret. But my main concern now is Mr. Snape's attempted excursion. What were you after?"

Severus looked the headmaster in the eye. "Dittany."

"And why did you need it?"

"I am trying to find a cure for a spell I created. One that is completely unaffected by regular healing spells or potions. Essence of Dittany is the most effective, though not a perfect cure."

"And you thought it would be better to Apparate to an apothecary by sneaking out past school grounds, as opposed to, say, borrowing from Professor Slughorn's personal stores?"

"Horace has personal stores?" McGonagall asked, sounding surprised.

Dumbledore shot her a look that Hermione couldn't decipher, then looked expectantly at Severus.

"I wouldn't steal, if that's what you were implying. And as a matter of fact, I would have asked Professor Slughorn, but I was told he doesn't keep anything in stock beyond what is required for classes."

"I see." Dumbledore nodded. He took another breath. "You'll have two weeks' worth of detention."

"With me," McGonagall interjected. When Dumbledore started to argue, she stood. "He was given rights to leave the school."

"Yes, for a specific reason."

"And considering what he was trying to do, I think he had every right. We know he has an assignment pending, I think it admirable the boy has tried to prepare for it. It is not his fault that the way he chose to leave the castle was wrought with a danger he never suspected."

"Fair enough, Minerva," Dumbledore conceded, though it was clearly not gracious. "As for Mr. Black, Miss Granger, and Mr. Potter, the three of you showed bravery and courage, coming to the aid of Mr. Snape. And for that, I award you thirty points each."

Hermione inhaled sharply, fighting desperately to keep the anger off her face, though she felt her hair begin to crackle again. James looked pleased, but Sirius seemed unsure.

"You may go," Dumbledore dismissed them..

Hermione was up before any of them, marching to the door and throwing it open. She marched down the stairs, part of her trying to reign herself in, to see the reasoning behind the headmaster's actions. The other part of her was pretty certain he was being an arse and really shouldn't have so much bloody power if he couldn't see reason. Forget his bias against Slytherins, his love for his own house was too obvious.

"Hermione," Severus' voice was loud and even, and she paused on the stairs.

"Are you going to insult me and imply I've gone behind your back again? Who was I with this time?"

Severus paused, holding his hands up in surrender before moving toward her. "You have to understand," he said evenly, with just a slight bit of bite, "just before I left for the Shack, I found Black in an alcove with a girl. I thought nothing of it until I was in the tunnel."

"Look into my mind and see I'm telling the truth. You shouldn't have to, but if that's what—"

"I won't," he said, shaking his head. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you by believing you."

"Really? You're putting a lot of trust in me for telling the truth? So, what, the last three years have meant nothing? I love you, and you want to make it sound like you're giving me the benefit of the doubt?"

"Kitten, is there something—"

"Legilimens!"

The second Sirius turned the corner, Severus sent the spell at him

Sirius, surprisingly, remained still and unblinking long enough for Severus to lower his wand and turn back to Hermione in utter shame.