A/N: This all belongs to the beautiful J.K. Rowling. I'll return the characters. (Or maybe I'll keep Snape ;)).
I made minor corrections changing buck to quid and a few grammatical things.
Thanks so much for reviews. This might turn into a full fledged story, but I'll see.
"No, Ron, I don't have any extra money!"
"But Hermione, it's just a couple quid!"
"Don't you have your own money? Merlin!"
"No! I don't! And you know that!"
Ron slammed the door on his way out.
"Ron! I'm sorry!"
Hermione ran to the door, but he was already gone by the time she got there. She turned around and shut the door calmly, not wanting to make more of a scene that was already caused. She hit the door weakly, taking out her frustration on anything and everything that she could. Ron could get a job. Or save up money. But instead she ended up paying for everything, and then-some, loaning him money when he couldn't afford to pay for his whims. But here they were, and she was sick and tired of it. And she was still the bad guy.
Hermione grabbed her cloak and bag and headed to the library for some much needed distraction and little-needed studying. At least she knew that it was the last place Ron would be.
Upon entering the library, she looked around surreptitiously for anyone she might know, for she had worked herself into a tizzy on her way to the library, and was near tears. The last thing she needed right now was human contact or she'd risk crumbling into their arms.
On her way to the restricted section and a lone armchair that was located therein, she bumped into a table and knocked over piles of books that surrounded what she assumed to be a struggling first year. Any other day she would have offered to help them, or at least picked up the books, but today she couldn't be bothered.
When she finally settled in her chair with a book, pretending to read, she closed her eyes and let her head fill with thoughts of Ron. They had been rocky lately, and his lack of finances and the resulting irresponsibility for his actions (or vice-versa) had just been another thing to add to the list. Maybe they weren't what she had hoped they would be. The idea that she would've been wrong hurt her more than the idea that their relationship was coming to an end. As tears formed in her eyes, she heard a noise behind her.
"Ah-hem"
"Please, just go away."
"Miss Granger, I believe it's past curfew. Will I be deducting ten points from Gryffindor tonight?"
She turned around and found herself face to face with the beloved Professor Snape. How lucky.
"Actually, as you should know, I'm a prefect, and thus the curfew hours don't apply to me. Nice try though." Hermione retorted with a sardonic smile.
"Well, luckily your sass has warranted the deduction of ten points anyway" Snape replied, almost gleefully.
With fresh, unwarranted tears welling in her eyes Hermione stood up to leave.
Snape was…uncomfortable to say the least, and struggled to find something to say.
"Miss Granger. You needn't cry over 10 points."
"That's not why I'm crying, you moron."
Snape was taken aback by her insult, something that a normal Hermione would have never dreamed of saying. But here she was, calling him a moron. While he was ruminating over this, he didn't realize that she had burst into tears.
Hermione started sobbing uncontrollably after insulting Snape; a detention was the last thing she needed and she was just so overwhelmed. Suddenly she was pulled into an awkward hug, and her hair was being petted comforting albeit hesitant and awkwardly.
As he held her in his arms, he wondered why Ron was such an ass. Of course Snape knew what Ron had did, legilimency did come in handy occasionally. But regardless of what it was, he hated seeing amazing young women full of promise being broken down like this, all over a stupid boy. As her tears subsided, he kissed her lightly on the forehead, feeling an affection and caring towards her that he had tried to avoid feeling towards…well…anyone. He is after all Severus Snape, and he does not feel affection. Period.
Did Snape just kiss the top of her head? She felt a rumble of butterflies in her stomach, and her heart jump up into her throat. Why? He was a teacher. He was Snape! She sniffled and looked up at him, he was looking off in the distance, seemingly deep in thought.
He felt her look up, but she didn't look away the way he expected her to. When he looked down their faces were millimeters apart. After staying like that for what seemed like hours, he reached up and brushed a stray tear off of her cheek.
"I suggest that you go to bed, Hermione." It was barely a whisper. He'd used her name, for the first time.
"Of course, Professor." She replied. She knew something should or shouldn't happen, but it had to. So she reached up and kissed him on the cheek, turned on her heel, and left the library.
She kissed him. On the cheek, of course. But still. It was a kiss. And it had made him feel more alive than anything else in recent memory. He sunk down into the chair that she had vacated, and realized that she had left her book.
"Well," he thought as he turned it over in his hands, "at least I have a reason to keep her after class tomorrow."