Disclaimer: All characters belong to JK Rowling and sadly, I am not she. If I was, Severus would be alive, Lily would not have been the love of his life and Hermione would have been (as she is in almost all of my fics)! Enjoy!

Plot belongs to me.

Note: writing in italics below are internal thoughts of the characters.

Please review: it is appreciated.

The castle looked exactly as she remembered it; expansive, rustic, magical and war-scarred. It had been 6 years since she'd last been near the building, in fact she had never returned to sit her last year studies after the final battle. She opted to complete them by owl post instead as the memory of the blood and carnage of the battle was just too fresh in her mind to stomach returning to the scene where it all happened. Despite her decision not to return as the others did, she did extremely well in her exams and received the second highest ever scores within the school's history. She had been slightly miffed when she discovered that she had not broken the school record but accepted it gracefully once she found out that it had been Severus Snape who still held the title, albeit only beating her by 0.9% overall. She hoped that Snape would not hold that against her.

She snorted rather unladylike, " Ah Snape. How I look forward to working under that little ray of sunshine!" She muttered sarcastically.

She took in a large, dramatic breath before she entered the gates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, mentally preparing herself.

Come on girl, get yourself together. This is the first day of the rest of your life. No more living in the past, time to take my dream job and show everyone what I am made of. She thought to herself, boosting her confidence ever so slightly.

As she walked calmly towards the large wooden entrance doors, she was unaware of a pair of black, obsidian eyes following her every movement with intensity and a sneer, ready to pounce.

Severus Snape, Headmaster of Hogwarts was feeling rather uncharacteristically nervous today. The Know-it-All would be returning to teach Transfiguration while Minerva concentrated on her Depute duties and in all honesty, he was less than pleased. He already felt that the school was overrun with Gryffindors without adding that menacing chit amongst them. Hermione Granger, now there was a name that made him feel exasperated.

She was brilliant, he could admit that only to himself but she was the most annoying little thing he'd ever met in his teaching career. She was so eager to please, to impress him. She even had the audacity to almost beat his exam results, it was too close for his liking.

Little suck up. Merlin knows how I put up with her all those years! If there is one thing I cannot stand…it's brown nosers. And her nose was so brown you'd think she'd been sniffing my arse! The Gryffindor Princess...ugh the thought makes me shudder. What next, Potter teaching Defence? He thought to himself incredulously with a chuckle.

Had it not been for Minerva's moaning about getting a replacement asap, he would have found a more suitable candidate for the job but no. Minerva went and hired the chit without his approval. There was only so much authority he could rein over the matriarch. The woman had basically raised him since he was eleven and found it difficult to exert his power over the moody Scot.

Plus, he knew deep down that Hermione was really the best person to replace her. Her degree was flawless and she graduated an entire year early. No doubt about it, she was brilliant but she was just…so annoying.

And she had no backbone either. Never stood up for herself, bloody Gryffindor.

He stared out his window onto the school grounds with a glass of whisky in hand when he spotted a small jean-clad, rather curvaceous figure entering the school gates. The wards had warned him of who it was.

Granger.

He sighed loudly and spoke to himself, "Right, best get this over and done with. You are headmaster…be courteous and polite. Try not to be a bastard."

As he strolled down the hallways to greet Granger at the main doors, he repeated those words to himself.

Try not to be a bastard. Try not to be a bastard. Try not to be a bastard.

He swung the door open abruptly and sneered as soon as he saw her bushy hair.

"Well if it isn't the school's prodigal daughter returned all grown up and ready to play teacher." He sneered in his coldest tones.

So much for not being a bastard, she'll probably cry now! He thought with an inward grimace.

The look of distaste and anger on Hermione's face was rather a surprise to Severus. He'd been expecting her brown eyes to fill with tears, followed by a wobbly bottom lip but no, she looked furious.

Perhaps she has grown a back bone after all. He mused.

"Headmaster." She nodded in forced respect, face like thunder. She stepped closer to him, he voice laced with sarcasm and condescension; "If you would be so kind as to leave off the cruel greetings and show me to my chambers I would be grateful. I believe Minerva has filled me in with all the relevant details I require for playing teacher. I am so glad to see that the war has cured your rather childish behaviour towards myself. I must say I was rather worried that we'd start off on the wrong foot. I am so glad that my expectations of you acting like a mere child have been doused. There was me thinking you would be some sort of Peter Pan character…you know, a boy who never grew up…shall we venture inside?" She sneered.

She didn't wait for an answer but she swept passed him, ignoring the shocked expression on his face.

She had torn him down to size, she had put him in his place…and he had to admit he was quite turned on. He had noticed as soon as his cruel words had left his mouth how beautiful she had become since he last saw her and that was perhaps part of why he regretted saying them to her so much.

She has grown into a rather attractive creature, nice curves, plump little arse...large pert breasts, pretty face, a cutting tongue and a brain to match my own... I didn't mean to be a shit to her right away…there's just something about her…she always riles me up! Plus, how dare she be so pretty...it's a distraction!

Snapping back into Headmaster role, he turned and followed his Transfiguration Mistress into the school, trying to stop looking at her pert buttocks as she walked ahead of him, still in a rage.

He mentally scolded himself; he knew he'd have to get his dislike of Hermione out of his system along with his sudden attraction to her if he wanted a quiet year.

Easier said than done. He thought with a frown. Deep in thought, he resolutely decided that he'd try his utmost to be polite and charming to his newest staff member.

Stop living in the past. She was on the same side as me…so there should be no need for hatred between me and her now…she had never done anything to deserve my dislike really...she was just so desperate to let everyone know she knew the answers. Bloody know it all Gryffind…no…I must make friends…I must become friends with Hermione Granger…but of course, without compromising my Slytherin ways.

He soon sniggered to himself as he thought of what he'd done to her quarters.

Oh she is going to be maaaaaad. He thought with childish glee.

She stomped into the castle in a huff, Hermione was angry.

I hadn't even set foot in this bloody place and he's baiting me already! Stupid bastard! I hate him with a passion! At least I shut him up. If he thinks I'm still the prissy, goody two shoes Gryffindor he used to slag about in class anymore…he's got another thing coming! Gods he is insufferable! And to think when I first saw him there, I thought him handsome! She thought with a scowl.

As Snape overtook her strides towards her chambers, she couldn't help but see the small smirk playing on his lips.

"Here are your quarters Professor Granger. The password is currently 'Belladonna'. If you need anything at all, please let myself or Minerva know. I shall see you in the Great Hall at six for dinner. I would also like to apologise for my comments when you arrived, they were uncalled for. I trust you will get yourself settled in. Good day."

With a nod and bow, he strode off down the hallway, his famous robes billowing behind him.

She spoke out loud to herself, "Now, why couldn't he have been polite like that outside?"

Her mind answered, Because being a bastard comes naturally to him. But don't you think he's an attractive bastard nonetheless?

She shook her head at her inappropriate thoughts and entered the quarters she'd been assigned. Noticing the rooms clad in Slytherin green and silver, she couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought of the Headmaster decorating her rooms in his house colours on purpose. If it was a battle of wits he wanted, it would be a battle of wits he would receive. She felt a faint flutter in her stomach at the thought.

Hermione could not deny that this coming year was shaping up to be very interesting already.

a/n: please review!