Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this story; I only own the plot!
For All The Love In The World
Hermione settled into her favourite chair in the Gryffindor common room. Closing her eyes, she let the heat from the fire wash over her in waves, relaxing all her limbs, forgetting about the upcoming NEWTs and that certain someone who insisted on torturing her.
'Finally!' she sighed. 'Some peace and quiet.' She had just spent an exhausting night in the library, and had only just managed to escape being caught by Snape on her way back. Or so she had thought.
"And just where do you think you've been?" an indignant, silky voice whispered in her ear, making her jump.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing in the Gryffindor common room?"
"Following students who think they are above the rules." He smirked. "So, can't you three fit under the Potter's cloak together anymore? Do you think being Head Girl means you will get a lesser punishment for being out after curfew? I assure you, it does not."
"No, Sir, I know that, but…"
"Where are they? Are Potter and Weasley too cowardly to stand up and defend the resident know-it-all, leaving you to take the punishment for three students, alone?"
"I was alone, Sir, really… I was studying for the NEWTs and lost track of time."
"An almost believable cover story… if I hadn't seen you muttering on your way back here," Snape sneered. "If not Potter or Weasley, then who was with you?"
Hermione blushed. "No one, Sir, I swear; I was on my own."
"Do you think me stupid, girl?" Snape hissed at her.
"No, Sir, but I wasn't with anyone. I, it's just…" Hermione stared into the fire.
"Out with it, girl. Despite the rumours, I do require sleep."
"I like to recite everything I have revised while I'm walking back after studying, to make sure that I remember everything… Sir."
"That will be a detention, Miss Granger; for your utter disrespect and blatant lying to a Professor." Snape walked towards the portrait.
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief at not losing any points. Being tied for the house cup with Slytherin was making everyone tense as it was - they couldn't afford to fall behind.
"Oh, and, Miss Granger…"
She looked at him, crossing her fingers and praying to any deity listening that he not take any points.
"…50 points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew - and getting caught."
Obviously no deity deigned her worthy to grant that one wish, and she cringed as she thought of her housemates faces the following morning. She watched in disbelief as Snape smiled… actually smiled. It was an evil smile, yet still a smile.
'Thank you so much! The boys are going to kill me in the morning!'
Snape raised an eyebrow at her shocked and angry expression. "Something wrong, Miss Granger?"
"No, nothing is wrong, Sir."
"I suggest you get to bed then… you will need your energy for my detention tomorrow. Be outside my office after breakfast."
"But Sir, tomorrow is a Hogsmeade visit."
"You should have thought of that before breaking school rules." With a flash of black swirling material he was gone.
Hermione stamped her foot in frustration, and then started to laugh hysterically at the childish act.
"Damn him!"
The next morning at breakfast the Hermione sat with her two best friends, with a book propped up against the fruit bowl.
Ron, as usual, was complaining.
"Argh, I hate Potions!" Ron exclaimed, looking at his timetable.
"So... did you do the homework?" Harry asked innocently.
"There was homework?" He panicked and started searching through his bag. Suddenly he stopped, Harry was laughing. "When are you going to stop doing that to me?"
"When it stops being funny. And that isn't going to be for a long time, after seeing your reaction right now."
"Will you two quit it, I'm trying to read. Besides, it's the weekend, Ron – even you could do your homework with plenty of time to spare." Hermione sighed, as she slammed her book shut.
"How about eating, instead of reading, at breakfast?" Ron muttered, sliding his timetable back into his bag.
"I'm not hungry."
"You always say that, but you never seem to eat any more. I mean, you've lost loads of weight." Ron stood to reach for some more bacon, selecting two large pieces he sat back down again.
"Don't I get any privacy in my life?" Hermione snapped.
"Nope, you're the only girl in this trio, and we can't help it if we take notice of what you look like."
"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione stood up swinging her bag over her shoulder. The Hall went silent, and the other students turned just in time to see Hermione slap him - hard.
"I, I, I didn't mean it like that," Ron stuttered, looking at her in shock.
"I don't have time for this." She gestured between the two. "Now - leave - me - alone!" She stormed out of the Hall with all eyes following her.
As the doors swung shut with a bang, the other students' eyes turned to the very red faced Ronald Weasley.
Snape had watched the entire exchange with a scowl on his face. The 'Golden Trio' always seemed to ruin his day somehow. He decided to get at least some pleasure from the disturbance, and got up to go and 'sort out' what happened, already thinking about the number of points he could deduct from Gryffindor for the display.
"Severus," McGonagall laid a hand on his arm. "I believe I will go and deal with it. After all, Gryffindor is my house."
"Well, maybe you should keep control of your cubs, Minerva. They play dangerously close to the snake pit."
"Now Severus, just because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, doesn't mean you have to take it out on your colleagues." Dumbledore eyes twinkled.
"You were in Gryffindor too, old man," Snape muttered under his breath.
"Severus!" McGonagall scolded.
"I thought you were going to deal with your cubs."
McGonagall huffed as Dumbledore chuckled. Standing, she leapt into her Animagus form and ran to where the two boys sat; listening to what they were saying to see if she could figure out what had happened.
Harry sighed in resignation. "Ron, you know you have to be careful with what you say to her now."
"I still don't understand why."
"We'll find out soon." Harry ran a hand through his hair; it was hard work playing mediator between his two best friends.
"What? After I'm dead because she bit my head off!"
"Ron, you know she has been acting strangely; she is hardly sleeping and all she seems to do is study..."
"That, Harry, is normal," Ron stated, with his mouth full of bacon.
"You really are as thick as Hermione says you are."
"I don't understand."
"It's..." Harry suddenly noticed a tabby cat listening attentively to their conversation. "Good morning, Professor." He laughed at Ron's confused face.
"Harry, you have officially gone mad. If you're going to call anyone Professor, it should be Herms. I mean, at least she's clever enough."
McGonagall cleared her throat, having transformed back into human form. "As observant as ever, Mr Potter." Ron jumped at her voice, and paled, though, through some miracle, he managed not to choke on his food.
"Constant vigilance!" McGonagall tried hard not to smile at Harry's attempt to impersonate Moody.
"You, on the other hand, Mr Weasley..."
"I apologise, Professor, but we are worried about... Ow! What was that for?" Ron rubbed his shin where Harry had just kicked him.
"Worried about what, Mr Weasley?"
"… NEWTs..." Harry nodded enthusiastically to back his story, and smiled sweetly up at her.
McGonagall smiled warmly at Harry. "You are too much like your father for that to work, Mr Potter."
"I don't know what you mean, Professor." Harry grinned.
"Yes, well. Mr Weasley - what caused Miss Granger to slap you and storm out?"
"A misunderstanding, on account of my choice of words, Professor."
"About what?"
"Perhaps a few points being taken might persuade them to elaborate."
McGonagall scowled as Snape sidled up beside her.
"Severus, I told you I would deal with this."
"Oh, but Minerva, I saw the distress on your face and came to your rescue."
"Scram or I'll hex you." Harry and Ron grinned uneasily as they watched the exchange. Snape smirked, but strode off to swoop down on a second year Hufflepuff. "Now, Mr Weasley, Mr Potter, tell me, what is going on here?"
"It was nothing, Professor, just Hermione getting a bit stressed." Harry glared at Ron in an attempt to try and get him to keep his mouth shut.
"You mentioned her not sleeping."
"Or eating..." Ron bit his lip as Harry kicked him again; unfortunately McGonagall saw it this time.
"Mr Potter, please refrain from kicking. This is important."
"Sorry," Harry mumbled, but he glared at Ron.
"So, Miss Granger is not eating or sleeping?"
"We don't know that, we just know that she doesn't eat at meals with us, or, if she does, it isn't much. But she could go to the kitchens. The house elves have lost their fear of her, but it took a while, after that whole SPEW thing. And we don't know she hasn't been sleeping, but she has been looking tired lately."
Ron looked as if he was going to say something else, but the nudge of Harry's foot reminded him to keep his mouth shut.
"Are you sure?" McGonagall asked with concern on her face.
"Yes, Professor."
"Have you spoken to her about it?"
They both stayed quiet and Ron looked away in the hopes that he wouldn't accidentally answer.
"Is that what happened earlier? Was that the reason that she slapped you, Mr Weasley?" Still silence. "Harry... Ron, please. You must tell me."
The use of their given names shocked them into looking at her. They both slowly nodded and hung their heads. "Thank you. Do you happen to know where she will have gone?"
"The library is a strong possibility. Although sometimes she disappears and we can't find her, no matter where we look, or for how long."
McGonagall paled as this and nodded her thanks, hurrying up to the Head Table to speak briefly to Dumbledore before she left the Hall, doing a pretty good impression of Snape with her robes flying out behind her.