Severus was obviously in a very foul mood even before he opened the door to his chambers to see who had disturbed him this time. Upon seeing who it was that knocked his mood darkened considerably and his facial expression turned ice-cold. 

"Miss Granger, I don't remember having given you any tasks that would need you to disturb me this afternoon. I'd appreciate it very much if you were kind enough to make yourself scarce so that I can actually do something productive." His tone was dark and even, no emotion whatsoever in his voice and he made to close the door. Just before it closed she put her foot into the doorway making it impossible for him to close it.

"I'm not here as Miss Granger, I came to talk to you as Hermione. Furthermore, I didn't come to see Professor Snape but Severus. So, can I please come in?" Her brown eyes practically begged him and so without a word he opened the door and let her in. She walked into his living area coming to a halt in front of the couch looking quite lost.

"Sit down. Now, what is it you wanted?" He took his seat in his big black leather armchair crossing his leg over the other knee. 

"Firstly I came here to apologize for disappearing and not attending classes this morning." Her voice was small, and she fiddled with her hands in her lap waiting for him to answer. 

He however just ever so slightly nodded his head for her to continue.

 
"I just needed to clear my head. I wasn't able to sleep, and so I went to the astronomy tower where I fell asleep in the early morning hours. I didn't expect you to bother about my whereabouts." She looked down at her hands and then up at him to find him staring at her with his dark, seemingly black eyes. 

"And why wouldn't I bother for your wellbeing? As I already told you, I consider you a friend and trust me when I say that I don't have many. There are little more than a handful of people who I'd call friends and some of those few are already dead." 

"And I feel honoured to be considered one. Is there anything I can assist you with this afternoon?"

He looked around in his living rooms before answering: "No, I don't seem to have anything to do for you." As he finished that sentence he saw that his floo was activated and Minerva's voice sounded throughout the room. 

"Severus, once you finally sorted out your personal affairs with Hermione and the children and wherever they are staying it might interest you that Madam Pince just woke up." Instantly they knew that the headmistress heard more than the last sentence. The dark-haired man cleared his throat before standing up. 

"Well, as it seems I could use someone watching over those two while I'm in the infirmary." 

"Don't worry, I'll watch them until you're back." Just as she finished saying that he nodded curtly at her and strode out of his rooms and walked up to the infirmary.

++++++

"Minerva, you said that she woke up?" Barked Severus even before he really entered the hospital wing. The elder witch nodded her head yes and walked him to a cot at the far end of the infirmary. 

"Poppy, how is she?" 

"She just woke up and is rather weak. I'd prefer it if Minerva and I were to talk to her alone first." 

The potions professor nodded and took a seat in the medi-witch's office.

Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall both took a seat on each side of Madam Pince's cot. "Irma, how are you feeling?" Asked the medi-witch softly. 

"I'll be fine I guess," came the hoarse reply. 

"Here, drink some water, and then we want answers," said the headmistress handing the librarian a glass of water.

Once she drank it all she said: "Fine, what is it you want to know?" 

"Well, when we found you, you were saying some things in your delusional state that had us thinking. You begged someone to spare 'Severus' and we only know one Severus so who have you been talking about?"
The librarian's eyes flitted from one woman to the other and after some seconds of uncomfortable silence, she finally answered. 

"Well, I do think there's more to tell you before coming to that part of the story. Do you remember when I started working here?" 

The medi-witch and the headmistress looked at each other before hesitantly guessing: "Wasn't that back in 1976?"

"Yes. I do recall that one of you asked me what house I belonged to because you couldn't place me back then as we're around the same age. I never really answered you, did I? That's because Irma Pince never belonged to any of these houses, she never even attended Hogwarts at all. In fact, Irma Pince didn't exist until late 1975. The woman she was before that was a Slytherin who had two wonderful friends in Gryffindor and in Hufflepuff house back in her school days. She loved them both but left them behind for her muggle husband and never in her life did she regret a decision more than that one. 

I should have run away as soon as my dear Severus was born. It would have spared him so much pain and sorrow. He would have never had to endure a childhood as abusive as the one he had. I wish I wouldn't have had to fake my own death just to get away from Tobias. I wish I would never have had to see my son's heartbreak when he thought he found my dead body when he was just merely a boy. I drove him to the darkness, I am the reason for all his anguish and all the pain he endured in his life, and I'm so sorry for that. Eileen Prince may have died then, but with that Irma Pince was born. 

I started working here to watch over my Severus and be near my two best friends. I tried to gain their friendship anew without having to tell them the truth, but that didn't happen. Could you two please forgive me? I should've told you the whole truth from the beginning." 

By now, tears were streaming down the witch's cheeks as the other two women looked at her in disbelief. 

"Eileen? It's been you all these years? Why didn't you ever say a word?"

Before she was able to answer that a familiar baritone drawl echoed throughout the room. 

"Indeed, why didn't you ever say anything?" Severus stood in the hallway obviously having heard at least part of the conversation. 

"Severus?"