'Mione, do you have a minute?"

"Sure." Hermione backtracked to Ron's office and took the only seat not currently covered in papers. "What's up?"

"Just checking in." Ron bit his lip, a sure sign he didn't actually want to talk but was psyching himself up for it. "About, ah, you and Professor Snape."

Hermione blinked. "What about us?"

"How's it working out?"

"Fine?" Hermione tried to think whether there was something in particular Ron could be alluding to, but she couldn't come up with anything. "I've not had to put as much extra time as I thought to keep up with the St. Mungos order, now that he's helping sometimes, and he's got what sounds like a promising start on a blood-thickening potion. It should help for cases where replenishing doesn't do any good, like when the patient is losing too much blood and the St. Mungos staff can't keep up. It's only been a week and a half, but I think Severus and I are getting on tolerably well. Why, is something wrong?"

Ron scowled. "It's so weird for you to call him Severus."

"It's his name."

"Pretty sure his first name is 'Professor.'"

Hermione gave him a look.

"All I'm saying is, every time I walk past the stairway to your lab, I hear you arguing."

"That's just how he is."

"But that's not how you are, 'Mione. Not with anyone else, anyway."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I seem to recall a rather prolonged row with you not two days ago about us moving in together."

"God, that's - that's not the same and you know it!" Ron snapped back. "And that look you're giving me - that's one of his. You're giving me a - a Snapeface. I don't want to see Snapeface from you, 'Mione."

"And you say we never argue."

Ron blew out a breath and raked his fingers through his already-messy hair.

"What's really the matter?" Hermione asked. "This isn't like you."

"I . . ." Ron looked away. "I talked to my mother again this morning. She said she expects us to get married before 'shacking up,' as she put it."

"Lucky for her I have no intention of getting married or of 'shacking up' with you yet, then. We've been over this."

"Yes, but -"

"But what? We need to get married because your mother says so? I like your family, Ron, but I'm not dating them. I'm dating you. And I don't like how you give your mother so much input into our lives."

"She's my mother!" Ron growled. "What am I supposed to say, 'shut up?'"

"How about 'You're being a nosy busybody and my girlfriend and I will figure out our own love life, thankyouverymuch?'"

Ron was squeezing his pencil so hard it snapped in half. "I don't want to talk about this," he finally said. "Go on back up to your lab and your new boyfriend."

Ah. Suddenly the petulant act made sense - Ron was jealous that Hermione was spending time with Professor Snape. Completely, irrationally jealous.

"You do realize he's twice our age, right? And - as you pointed out - we do argue a lot. Although he doesn't go into a snit and sulk when he doesn't get his way."

Ron crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

"Fine, I'm going." And she left.

"Snapeface?"

Hermione felt her cheeks flush. "You heard that?"

Severus arched an eyebrow at her - and crap, it was the same expression she had found herself adopting recently. "I heard you arguing from the hallway," he said. "Weasley argues a lot for someone who is upset about you arguing all the time."

That drew a reluctant laugh from her. "Stubbornness is a family trait, I'm afraid. I have no idea how his father survives in that house."

"Living with any Weasley would be a difficult proposition."

Hermione sighed. "You heard that part too, then?"

"Indeed. You weren't being particularly secretive."

"You shouldn't listen at doors, Severus."

"I spent more than half my life as a spy - it's rather a habit now, I'm afraid." He gave an eloquent one-shouldered shrug, very clearly expressing how much he didn't care. "He's going to expect you to stop working once you get pregnant, you know."

"How the hell is that any of your business?" And how could he know? Hermione realized she had rather expected that might be the case - it was one of the main reasons she was resisting the tug of "more" in their relationship - but it was another thing completely for her ex-potions professor to be commenting on it.

He merely regarded her with those piercing eyes. "It's my business if it means I'll be out of a job here."

"I have no intention of getting married or of having children, so don't you worry about it." Hermione crossed her arms, hoping her and this is final so don't you dare push me was coming across clearly.

"So you're going to break up with him."

She felt her mouth drop open. "I -"

Severus held up a hand to stop her. "Not yet, I know, but it's coming. And it's none of my business, and I promised I wouldn't ask you about it, so I won't. But I won't pretend I don't notice - I'm not blind." The corner of his mouth quirked upwards into a smirk. "So on that note - any potions you need me to help you with today, or can I work on the one you hired me to create?"