"A Change is going to come ~ Sam Cooke"

Hermione cast her ring onto the floor. It was a careless act.

The band was too large anyways. Hermione had noticed that when she was not taking care, it would threaten to fall off her finger. She promised herself, until she found a way to alter the band, she would be cautious and check to make sure it was still there. Remus used his pitiful savings to purchase the ring. Therefore, Hermione lost many seconds out of the day, twisting the ring around her finger, making sure that it was still there. Still on her finger.

Kissing Snape made her forget. The ring fell to the floor when Hermione grasped Snape's head to deepen the kiss.

It made a small clinking sound when it hit the wooden floor. Neither of them heard it. They were too enraptured in each other.

At last Hermione found what she had been missing since she married Remus. She found heat and satisfaction. It did not matter that Snape was almost cruel in his affection towards her. Her muscles were burning with the effort to hold up her body to his. His hands, his long fingers, dug deep into the tender skin of her upper arms. Hermione was sure that he was bruising her, but it did not matter.

It was Snape that broke the kiss first.

His eyes looked around the sitting room. It was a room full of books and dusty furniture. Furniture that was worn through to the springs. Everything tattered and grey.

"I apologize for the state of my home. It pleased the Dark Lord that I did not live like Lucius Malfoy." Snape said this bitterly. This surprised Hermione. She never thought that galleons mattered to him.

"It doesn't matter" she mumbled. She tugged on his hair gently, bringing his attention back to her. "We could be in a hovel and I wouldn't care."

"The Shrieking Shack?" Snape said dryly. His face formed a harsh grin. In the shallow light of the room, Hermione saw that his skin was a sallow yellow. His hair was dark and lank from being unwashed. His prominent nose stood out in sharp relief from the rest of his face. Hermione knew that Severus Snape was not a handsome man, but in that moment, her ached from the sight of him.

"Anywhere" she breathed. Snape nodded slowly.

"Anywhere" he agreed. His dark eyes held an emotion that Hermione had never seen before. It bordered on affection and something deeper than concern. Hermione's heart whispered that it was love. Unspoken, but strong.

She did not voice this thought aloud. It was too precious for words. Hermione knew that if it was important, he would say it. But for now, it was enough that she knew he felt it.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked. She lowered her heels to the ground and brushed back hanks of her hair that had come forward into her face.

"With what?" Snape asked softly.

"This. You, me. The Dark Lord"

Hermione did not dare voice his name aloud.

"You were always the apt pupil Granger." The moment was broken by all sorts of unspoken realities. Snape resigned himself to the business at hand.

Snape gently pushed Hermione into a chair. He seated himself again and summoned the Fire Whiskey again. He offered some to Hermione but she shook her head.

"I've had enough."

"I haven't." He drank deeply from his glass. Hermione waited impatiently for what he had to say with ill grace.

"Where do we go from here?" Hermione asked. Snape looked at her with sardonic eyes.

"How do you feel about Lupin?"

"What?" she sputtered.

"How do you feel about that dog that that you live with? That animal that you share a bed with?"

"I don't see how this matters!" she protested hotly, tossing her head. Snape took another drink.

"How do you feel about him? Leaving him to his own fate?"

"You mean letting him die?" Hermione's voice was shrill.

"It wouldn't be your fault" Snape told her evenly. He set down his glass and came forward, getting down to kneel in front of Hermione's chair.

"Come away with me. My cover is gone. I am no use to either side now that I can longer spy on the Dark Lord. Come away with me. Leave the dog to his own fate. He choose Nymphadora." Snape's voice was pleading.

"And leave Harry? The Order?" Hermione breathed. "I couldn't live with myself!"

"I've seen what's really going on, Hermione. The Light doesn't stand a chance now. The Dark Lord is stronger than ever. More than likely, he will win. All will be lost."

"Severus, we must stay. Don't you see…?" Hermione's hair fell into her face once more. Impatiently she shrugged it back.

"I've never held your muggle upbringing against you until now. It is you who doesn't see. Whatever protection you managed to get by staying married to that beast is gone. Your marriage is a sham. Everyone in Diagon is whispering about Lupin's love child. There is no need for you to be with him anymore."

"The Ministry expects me to stay."

"Lupin knew what he was doing when he dragged your name through the mud by being with that Harlot." Spittle was flying from Snape's mouth.

He grabbed the armrest of the chair that Hermione was sitting in and gave it a hard shove. Hermione's teeth clacked together.

"Even though you have lived in our world, you don't understand it, Granger. You are not Narcissa Malfoy. Indiscretions like these mean something when you don't have the gold that Lucius has."

"I can't just leave him there" Hermione protested again. Like a true Lioness, she stood her ground and gave Snape a level gaze. "I'm not a coward."

Snape made a sound of disgust and got up from his kneeling stance.

"You're more of an idiot than I thought you were."

"I know I am," was her quiet response. "I was a fool to marry Remus. But I did it to save him" She folded her hands in her lap and inspected her fingers. "My ring is gone" she said absently.

Severus threw up his hands

"I think you know what it means to do something for someone…so that they can live."

"I cannot, I won't talk about that with you!" Snape's voice shook with anger and sorrow. Hermione shook her head.

"I don't think I would want to hear it. I don't think I ever want to know."

"Then don't ask."

"I don't intend to" Hermione assured him. "I won't leave him, Severus."

"Then you aren't afraid to die" Snape spat. He took the farthest chair from hers and sat in it. His eyes glared at her like she was some foul potions ingredient.

"I'm afraid to live like a coward. But, we can be…whatever it is you want us to be." Her brown eyes pleaded with him from her chair. She longed to go to him. To kiss him again. To make love to him in this decrepit house. "You know that I am only Remus's wife in name."

"I won't carry on in this manner Granger. You must choose. To live with me, or die with that mongrel. I have no room for sheer stupidity in my life."