I don't know why but no matter how many insults he throws at me, I can't help but fall for him more and more. When ever we're in a room together, I can feel his eyes on me, watching.
It started as soon as I walked into the Great Hall that first cold September night. That night it was just contempt. The same contempt he showed for every student, even the Slytherins. He just tends to show them less.
His complete hatred for me changed around my third year. I don't know how or why but it slowly turned to just disgust, then, even more slowly, a slight respect. I haven't a clue how I know, I just do. It's just instinct, I guess. However I knew; I knew also when the respect turned to something else in fourth year and something stronger in my sixth. By that year if we happened to be in the same room together, I could feel his eyes on me all the time, watching me subtly under their heavy lids. By the end of sixth year it hit me hard. The insults had stung for six years, but they had only been truly meant for a little less than two, maybe three. I realized this when one day my eyes made contact with his across an empty hallway. He wouldn't have let his defenses down if anyone else had been in sight. I don't think he meant to then. What I saw in his eyes wasn't the hatred or contempt I saw that first night, or even the respect I saw later. It was something else completely. Something I had never seen aimed at me before. I didn't know what it was until I got back to my common room later that night and saw Ginny staring at Harry that same way. Just the way she looked at him made my heart melt. I didn't realize anyone could love that deeply.
That was the first night I had trouble sleeping; not because of studying, or worrying about Ron and Harry, but because someone, someoneI had thought was incapable of loving, had almost certainty fallen in love with me. I finally fell asleep around dawn, only to wake up an hour later. Because of my epiphany, I had to do something I hated having to do.
"Of course we have coffee, Miss!" cried the little house-elf, as others scurried around gathering things together and bringing them to me.
"Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do for you?" I may have to ask for coffee, but there's no way I was going to leave there without offering something! I'll admit it; the house elf did look a little affronted that I would even ask.
"You do know, Miss Granger, that they do enjoy doing things for people and that you really insult them by offering to do anything for them." I nearly choked on my coffee when I heard his voice behind me.
"Professor! I thought you were up at breakfast!" I set my mug down before I made a big mess.
"Oh? What would make you think that?" He asked as he sat down next to me.
"Isn't that where most of the school's at?"
"True, but I prefer not to attend. It ruins the Vampire stories going around about me. We can't have that now, can we?" A small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. It was odd.
"No! Of course not! That would be a tragedy!" What happened next would shock most people. It shocked me. Snape laughed! Not one of those sinister laughs that scares everybody, but a real, honest to goodness, hardy laugh! And it was a nice one at that.
"Well, Miss Granger, this has been a pleasure, but I think I'll take my breakfast and my coffee and go finish preparing for my classes. Good morning and I'll see you in class later this afternoon." With that he gathered his things and left.
I sat there for a few more minutes, finished my coffee, and went over in my head what just happened. He had been decent. He'd been more than decent. His company had been enjoyable, something I didn't think possible. Maybe there really is more to him than what meets the eye.