Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. He and all related characters are in the ownership of JK Rowling.
A/N: Huge thanks to my Screaming Fangirls. You know who you are. Kudos for help with the title and for inspiring me to this silliness. Reviews and Constructive Criticism appreciated. Thanks for reading!
The moment he'd crashed through the classroom door and slammed it in his wake, his robes billowing majestically behind, she knew she wanted him. Her insides ached to be in his arms, kissing his perfect lips, her hands stroking his silky black locks.
His deep voice broke her reverie. "Need I remind you there is no foolish wand-waving in this classroom? Or drooling, Miss Granger."
Hermione hadn't realized she had been drooling. Her hand shot up.
"What, you insufferable know it all?"
"I was just wondering if we could review what was going to be on the test. I realize it's the first day of class, but we really need to be prepared for our NEWTs, especially in view of the war only just recently having finished, Sir."
His dark eyes pierced hers, turning her insides to mush.
"Miss Granger," Snape said, leaning on the table so that they were nose to nose. Hermione barely contained the squeal that rose from her throat. The earlier fantasy returned and she gulped it down focusing on the one imperfect feature, his Roman influenced beak of a nose. The calming effect was minimal.
"Professor Snape?" She was a Gryffindor, dammit! She wasn't about to back down.
"You and me. Detention. Eight pm. Don't be late." He clipped his words even in a whisper.
"No, Sir," she said quietly.
She tried her best to avoid thoughts of him as the day wore on, but the proximity from class never really went away. She kept seeing those eyes – obsidian colored, haunted – everywhere she turned.
"Hermione? Hey, Earth to Hermione," Ron said at dinner. Except he was eating so it came out more like "Hmmoni, morth tch Manger."
"Sorry, Ron. I need to go." She gathered her books and hoofed it down to the dungeon. She knew she was early and Snape was still at dinner, but being closer to his office and classroom might help her concentrate. "Yeah, right," she said to no one in particular and banged her head into her open book.
"Detention tomorrow evening for destruction of property."
Hermione shot up in her chair, stumbling over it as it crashed to the ground. She was well prepared to end up on the cold dungeon floor except for a pair of black clad and very muscled arms catching her. "Thank you," she said as he returned her to her feet.
"I would appreciate if, in the future, you would leave your clumsiness outside the door. Having Longbottom in class is trouble enough without you adding to it."
"I'm sorry if me and my former buck teeth caused you trouble," she said, spitting the words into his face."
"Twenty points from Gryffindor," Snape snarled, grabbing her shoulders and pulling her close so he was staring down on her.
Hermione struggled to get out of his grasp, but he only held her tighter. "You are a git. Let me go."
"Detention," Snape said, "for the remainder of the year."
She stopped struggling and looked up at him in defiance. "You horrible man. Do you think I care about some stupid house points or detentions?"
"And do you think I care about know it all troublemakers?"
Hermione bit back the response by worrying her lower lip. Underneath, she was seething with rage for the man in front of her. If only his acerbic nature wasn't so… acerbic. "Finally, she's speechless. Go clean the first year cauldrons without magic."
Snape finally released her. He brushed past her on the way to his desk as if she were little more than a bug beneath his shoes. Hermione sensed the triumphant smirk even though she did not see it.
She righted the fallen chair then began cleaning the cauldrons with only simple hand scrubbing power.
Hermione scrubbed furiously at first, but as her anger abated, her pace slowed. The ache spread from her clenched fingers up her arm into her shoulder and then down her back. She stood for a moment and stretched, unaware her womanly form was being closely watched.
Snape had stolen a few glances her direction while she was in process of cleaning the cauldrons, but it wasn't until she stretched that he stared. Her robes had opened to reveal a uniform shirt that was just a smidgeon too tight for her ample bosom.
Snape reminded himself to breathe and returned to correcting papers, his quill scratching loudly against the parchment. No way would he allow Hermione Granger of all people to become aware of his arousal. He was a Slytherin, she a Gryffindor. Never the twain shall meet and that sort of thing. In a word, taboo.
His train of thought turned his mood sour. "Miss Granger, get out!" he barked.
She, for her part, wasted no time gathering her things and doing as told. Hermione, drained from cleaning cauldrons by hand, had little fight left in her. She hoofed it to Gryffindor Tower, thankful to away from that man and his dreadful temper.
"He is so unfair," she said to her friends.
"Hey, Mione," Harry said. "How was detention?"
Hermione gave him a sarcastic smile. "How do you think?"
"What'd Snape do? I'll jinx him for you. Say the word," Ron said.
"You'd be lucky to get close," Harry said. "I'll jinx him. I am a hero after all." He puffed his chest out.
Even the boys' jesting did little to Hermione's foul mood. "I have detention for the rest of the year."
"Not fair. How are you going to do my homework for me?"
"Is that all you think about, Ronald?"
"Well, that and snogging," Ron said trying to pull her in closer.
"I'm going to bed." She rose to her feet and walked to the girls' dorm.
"Apologize, 'Ronald,'" Harry said giving his friend a shove.
Ron hunched over glumly. "That'll hurt my chances of making a move after dinner."
"There are other girls out there, mate. Cheer up."
"Yeah, but there's only one Hermoine and Snape's got her locked up in his slimy dungeon for the rest of the year."
Her dreams gave her no rest that night. His dark eyes boring into hers gave Hermione nightmares. She kept hearing him say "Detention for the remainder of the year." She'd avoided it for the last seven years by being a goody two shoes other than the year she skipped to help Harry with the fight against Voldemort, the devil take his dirty, rotten, black soul. More than anything, Hermione realized she was more disgusted with herself than with Snape even though his punishment was harsh by anyone's standards.
In the morning she didn't protest Snape's punishment. He'd had enough trouble over the yeas and she was more than happy to let him settle back into the Potions post. He'd specifically not asked for the DADA position because. Well, she didn't actually know why he hadn't asked for the DADA position, but if he was happy with Potions, good for him. He deserved a little happiness.
TBC . . .