The next day Gwen was scarce again. Harry hadn't seen her and feared that she had run off and gotten herself killed. Graves paced about, not aware that his dearest friend was sitting in a dungeon classroom, vacated for the lack of students. Even Draco seemed concerned that she was nowhere to be found, but if they had simply wandered down into the bowels of Hogwarts they would have found her, sitting disconsolate across from Severus.
She couldn't face Minerva, not just now. Her mood was something she couldn't handle and she didn't want to put pressure on the older woman's shoulders, not now when she needed her concentration to get the school back up and running.
Graves knew, she felt certain, but she couldn't talk to him about that yet. Harry couldn't possibly understand. Dumbledore pissed her off too much. Snape seemed the only logical choice.
He looked at her gently. "I think you should tell him."
"I don't�" She huffed. "I don't even know how to begin the conversation."
"Just start where you did today, with me."
She laughed and shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. "It sounds so damn simple."
"Guenivere, I am truly honored that you came to me. But there are two people who need to hear this, two people far more important than me."
Gwen's chest rose unevenly as she struggled against her emotions to breathe. She nodded slowly and sat for some time in silence with the teacher she had hated the most.