Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter universe, just lots of expensive replicas.
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Chapter 1 – Asking
Hermione hesitated in front of the closed door, her hand half raised to knock. She took a deep breath, summoning her courage and quieting the voice that told her that this was silly. She exhaled slowly, blinked twice, took a deep breath and knocked precisely three times.
"Enter," Severus Snape called and the door swung open magically.
Hermione exhaled and walked determinately towards her professor's desk where he sat marking papers, his quill moving like a surgeon's scalpel, meticulously cutting apart a poor student's essay and leaving a trail of blood like ink.
She waited patiently, trying her best to look respectful and calm, though her hands were clasped rather tightly behind her back. Finally, after one last stroke, Professor Snape looked up to study her, his face hard.
"If you are here to argue the two points I deducted from your last essay, I thought I made myself clear to you in your first year that marks in my class are non-negotiable. Have you forgotten after five years?"
She cleared her throat nervously, "N-no sir," she hated herself for the quiver in her voice.
She swallowed, straightened up and held her hands in fists by her side.
"Actually, I have a favour to ask of you professor."
"I have no time to pander to a Gryffindor, go ask your own head of house," Snape scowled.
She swallowed again, "Professor McGonagall doesn't have the skills and experience that I need. I- Harry's told me a little about his lessons in occlumency and how those lessons have ended."
Professor Snape's scowl deepened and she hurried on.
"Please, I'd like to learn occlumency from you and perhaps legimency if you think I have the skill for it. I've read every book in the library on the subject and I've come to the limit of book learning."
She swallowed hard. Why did her mouth create so much saliva?
"I have no time to indulge your idle curiosities."
"Please sir. It's not an idle curiosity. V-Voldemort-" his noise flared, "is back and I need to prepare in any way I can so that I can protect Harry," she paused, "and myself."
"The only reason Potter was to learn occlumency was to keep the dark lord from his dreams. I don't see a scar on your forehead so you are already safe," He sneered.
"Perhaps for now, but when I leave Hogwarts? War is coming and who knows what horrors it will bring. As a muggleborn and Harry's friend, I know I will be in the thick of things. Occlumency and Legimency are incredibly useful skills that will give me an advantage over the opponents that I will have to face in the future. Skills, among others, that I plan to keep secret to further my advantage."
Professor Snape considered the girl in front of him as she spoke. Her fists were clenched tightly to her sides, her voice was solemn but determined and, surprisingly, her eyes gleamed dark as she stared hard at a spot on his desk.
Silence filled the room and Hermione blinked twice, swallowed again, and slowly, warily lifted her eyes to meet the thoughtful black eyes of her professor. He stared at her though it felt as though he was staring into her.
She swallowed again.
"Please sir." Pause. "Teach me."
She sounded much more her age with these last words than she had a moment ago and a small amount of desperation had crept ever so slightly into her voice. It had been months since his last lesson with the Potter brat so he believed her when she said that she had read every book in the library on the topic, including those in the restricted section, he had no doubt. He could tell that she had thought long and hard about asking him, and probably Dumbledore as well, though Dumbledore wasn't at the school presently, so that gave her only one option. She had chosen her words carefully, and he was surprised that she had not rambled on as she usually did in her essays.
Finally, he said without inflection in his voice, "I will think on it."
Her face brightened and she looked giddy for a second before she regained her composure and respectfully said, "Thank you."
He waved her out of the room and she gave him a small respectful nod before turning to leave.
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Professor Severus Snape sat in his favorite arm chair with a glass of firewhiskey in his hand and contemplated on one Miss Hermione Granger. He could tell that she had given her proposal thought and that she took her request seriously. She would listen, practice and apply herself, unlike Potter. He agreed that it would be useful to her and Potter in the future and was surprised at her forward thinking. It would have been more useful to Potter of course, but he had known that it had been a useless venture. Of course it wouldn't do to have others know of these lessons though. With the dark lord returned, it would not do to be seen favouring a muggleborn with extra lessons. If the Dark Lord questioned him about teaching the Potter brat, he would explain that Dumbledore had forced him, that he couldn't refuse without revealing his true allegiances and he even had the memories to back him up. It wouldn't be believable to tell the same story about the girl though. He thought for a moment, deciding that detentions would probably be the best solution, before realizing that he had already decided to teach the girl.
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A/N: This is just a random plot bunny that popped into my head. I have no idea where it's going or how long it will be. I just felt like writing randomly and I don't know how often I'll be able to update, but I hope you like it.