Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 1
As Harry walked away from the gravesite, he couldn't help but wonder how they had gotten to this place. He had just lost one of his best friends due to the stupidity of love. He thought back to the day that they had left Hogwart's.
"Are you sure that you won't need any help moving to University, Hermione?" Harry asked with some concern evident in his voice.
"Oh Harry, don't be silly! You know that's what spells and charms are for. I can reduce all my luggage into a convenient carrying size." Hermione laughed.
Ron came running up to them. "C'mon Harry, we have to get going. We're going to miss our train!"
Harry and Ron had passed their N.E.W.T's successfully and because of their work in bringing down Voldemort, had their pick of jobs. They decided to go with their original plans of becoming Aurors. Hermione had decided to continue her education. She hoped someday to return to Hogwart's to teach.
The three friends said their good byes, with promises to write and meet for lunch.
Hermione settled back into her chair and began to rub her forehead. Fridays always made their presence known to her. She loved the work she was doing here at Hogwarts, but she now understood how her professors could have become impatient with her. Those first years truly could be aggravating when they thought they knew everything.
She heard a knock at her door and groaned. What else could possibly go wrong today? "Come in!"
The door opened and there stood Professor-oops gotta stop thinking like that, Severus. She looked at him with a grimace. "Yes Severus?"
"I brought you a potion to help with that Friday headache."
Hermione almost fell off the chair. Severus Snape was being nice? Wait until Ron and Harry heard about this one! "To what do I owe the occasion?" she asked, still shocked.
Severus just shrugged his shoulders. "I've noticed you rubbing your forehead through dinner every Friday for the last several weeks. Honestly, it is just rather distracting and since I am the Potions master, I thought you could use some relief as well as I."
She looked at him funny. It figured, he couldn't ever do something just to be nice. He always had to have an ulterior motive concerning himself.
"Since it is close to dinnertime Miss Granger, might I escort you to the Great Hall since we are headed in the same direction anyway?"
Hermione sighed. "Very well Severus. Let's go."
She still couldn't get used to the idea of calling her professors by their first name. Severus, Minerva, even Albus. It was strange that even five years after being out of Hogwarts, she still thought of them as her professors.
As they walked through the halls, she noticed the students scrambling to get out of their way. Funny, she had been here almost a full term and had never noticed that happen before. Surely they didn't think that she would allow Snape to discipline them for no reason as long as she was there to prevent him. Then she laughed, remembering her days of trying to get out of Snape's way. It never seemed to work that way though. She couldn't say how many House points that they had lost over the years due to Ron and Harry's escapades.
"Something funny, Miss Granger?" Snape almost growled as he observed the students, hoping to find some minor infraction to take away points.
Hermione sighed and looked at him, "Surely, you could call me Hermione after all this time Severus, after all, as much as you probably hate it, we are now equals"
Severus looked at her and mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'How could I forget?'
She stiffled a giggle.
They arrived at the Great Hall with no further comments and to Snape's disappointment, no infractions. As they approached the head table, Dumbledore and Minerva exchanged raised eyebrows. This was certainly interesting, to see Snape with Hermione.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Hermione spent most of the meal speaking to Hagrid and Professor Flitwick. Snape just buried his nose in his food and wondered how he was going to be able to spend further time with her this evening. She didn't suspect the true reason that he had appeared with the potion in her classroom earlier, but neither did he expect her to. The look between Minerva and that idiot Dumbledore did not go unnoticed by him when he had walked into the Hall with her.
As the meal wrapped up, Snape leaned over to Hermione and said "Miss, er Hermione, I understand you and Mr. Weasley used to play chess in the Griffyndor common room. Would you care for a round of Wizard's Chess with me in the Staff Lounge?"
Hermione once again was surprised by the action, but never being one to pass up a challenge, she replied "Why certainly Severus. Are you sure you want to risk being beaten by a former student?"
Severus just rolled his eyes, got up, and stalked out. Hermione exchanged shrugs with Hagrid and got up to follow.
Chapter 1
As Harry walked away from the gravesite, he couldn't help but wonder how they had gotten to this place. He had just lost one of his best friends due to the stupidity of love. He thought back to the day that they had left Hogwart's.
"Are you sure that you won't need any help moving to University, Hermione?" Harry asked with some concern evident in his voice.
"Oh Harry, don't be silly! You know that's what spells and charms are for. I can reduce all my luggage into a convenient carrying size." Hermione laughed.
Ron came running up to them. "C'mon Harry, we have to get going. We're going to miss our train!"
Harry and Ron had passed their N.E.W.T's successfully and because of their work in bringing down Voldemort, had their pick of jobs. They decided to go with their original plans of becoming Aurors. Hermione had decided to continue her education. She hoped someday to return to Hogwart's to teach.
The three friends said their good byes, with promises to write and meet for lunch.
Hermione settled back into her chair and began to rub her forehead. Fridays always made their presence known to her. She loved the work she was doing here at Hogwarts, but she now understood how her professors could have become impatient with her. Those first years truly could be aggravating when they thought they knew everything.
She heard a knock at her door and groaned. What else could possibly go wrong today? "Come in!"
The door opened and there stood Professor-oops gotta stop thinking like that, Severus. She looked at him with a grimace. "Yes Severus?"
"I brought you a potion to help with that Friday headache."
Hermione almost fell off the chair. Severus Snape was being nice? Wait until Ron and Harry heard about this one! "To what do I owe the occasion?" she asked, still shocked.
Severus just shrugged his shoulders. "I've noticed you rubbing your forehead through dinner every Friday for the last several weeks. Honestly, it is just rather distracting and since I am the Potions master, I thought you could use some relief as well as I."
She looked at him funny. It figured, he couldn't ever do something just to be nice. He always had to have an ulterior motive concerning himself.
"Since it is close to dinnertime Miss Granger, might I escort you to the Great Hall since we are headed in the same direction anyway?"
Hermione sighed. "Very well Severus. Let's go."
She still couldn't get used to the idea of calling her professors by their first name. Severus, Minerva, even Albus. It was strange that even five years after being out of Hogwarts, she still thought of them as her professors.
As they walked through the halls, she noticed the students scrambling to get out of their way. Funny, she had been here almost a full term and had never noticed that happen before. Surely they didn't think that she would allow Snape to discipline them for no reason as long as she was there to prevent him. Then she laughed, remembering her days of trying to get out of Snape's way. It never seemed to work that way though. She couldn't say how many House points that they had lost over the years due to Ron and Harry's escapades.
"Something funny, Miss Granger?" Snape almost growled as he observed the students, hoping to find some minor infraction to take away points.
Hermione sighed and looked at him, "Surely, you could call me Hermione after all this time Severus, after all, as much as you probably hate it, we are now equals"
Severus looked at her and mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like 'How could I forget?'
She stiffled a giggle.
They arrived at the Great Hall with no further comments and to Snape's disappointment, no infractions. As they approached the head table, Dumbledore and Minerva exchanged raised eyebrows. This was certainly interesting, to see Snape with Hermione.
Dinner was a quiet affair. Hermione spent most of the meal speaking to Hagrid and Professor Flitwick. Snape just buried his nose in his food and wondered how he was going to be able to spend further time with her this evening. She didn't suspect the true reason that he had appeared with the potion in her classroom earlier, but neither did he expect her to. The look between Minerva and that idiot Dumbledore did not go unnoticed by him when he had walked into the Hall with her.
As the meal wrapped up, Snape leaned over to Hermione and said "Miss, er Hermione, I understand you and Mr. Weasley used to play chess in the Griffyndor common room. Would you care for a round of Wizard's Chess with me in the Staff Lounge?"
Hermione once again was surprised by the action, but never being one to pass up a challenge, she replied "Why certainly Severus. Are you sure you want to risk being beaten by a former student?"
Severus just rolled his eyes, got up, and stalked out. Hermione exchanged shrugs with Hagrid and got up to follow.