Chapter one: Potions Masters Apprentice

It was Monday morning. The first school day of Hermione Grangers seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had made enough OWLs to make her top of her class in every subject. She was making her way to her second class of the day, Potions. She was extremely anxious for this class in particular for two reasons; first it was the only class she ever struggled in, second the Potions master, Professor Snape, was the strictest teacher in the school and Hermione had always secretly fancied him. She would never admit it to anyone. Especially not her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. They hated Snape more than anyone in the world. Snape was brooding, judgmental, and harsh. But Hermione had always found him extremely handsome and mysterious. Nothing was more exciting to her than a mystery.
"Welcome to advanced potions. I must say I'm surprised to see some of your faces again. I thought for sure we had seen the last of each other last year Potter, but it seems you scraped by enough to pull through." Snape sneered. Harry's face flushed with anger. Hermione grabbed his arm under the table and slightly shook her head. Trying to tell him to let it go without getting caught.
"Of course some of you I did expect to see and am very proud of you for making it in."
Hermione's heart skipped a beat 'Was he looking at me when he said that?' She thought. She shook the thought from her mind as quickly as it came. There was no way Professor Snape would never say anything nice to her. He probably meant Malfoy. Hermione sighed at the loss of the moment that wasn't even hers.
Harry threw her a questioning look, but she just shook her head. Hermione kept her head down and tried to stay focused on the potion they would be brewing tomorrow. She told herself not to even look at Snape. She failed miserably and every time she cheated and looked her heart started pounding and she blushed brightly.
'How am I supposed to make it through a whole another year when I can't even look at him without overreacting?' She asked herself. The bell rang and Snape dismissed the class. Hermione gathered her things and headed for the door.
"Miss Granger I would like to speak to you." Professor Snape called.
Hermione stop short. Professor Snape wanted to talk to her? He never had said more than two words to her unless he was insulting her. Her heart was sent into overdrive. She turned and walked back towards his desk. Harry lingered in the door way looking puzzled and worried.
"Potter you may leave. I asked for Miss Granger not her body guard."
Harry frowned, but Hermione gave him a reassuring smile. She was curious to see what Snape wanted with her.
"Miss Granger you have been awarded an apprenticeship. If you wish to accept you will be taking extra classes with me all and after you graduate you will become the new potions master." He paused giving Hermione a chance to think. Potions master? Her? Extra time with Snape? She barely thought it through and knew it was exactly what she wanted.
"Oh, professor! I would love to take extra classes with you." She blurted out. Snape raised a questioning eyebrow. Hermione's face grew hot and she stumbled over her words. "Ah.. I mean I.. Er... Accept the apprenticeship.."
"Very well Miss Granger. Your extra lessons will be every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It will only be an hour class, and you will be the only student, but I still expect you to treat it as any other class. Your work load will be very heavy, but if I thought you couldn't handle it I wouldn't have recommended you."
Hermione stared at him stunned.
"You recommended me, Professor?"
"I was asked to pick a responsible student who I thought would excel with the program. Naturally you being the least stupid of your year I picked you." He stated as if he didn't mean to compliment her by his choice. Hermione's sprits soared. Maybe this year would be a lot better than she thought.
"I'll see you at six Miss Granger." He was clearly dismissing her.
"Okay. Thank you Professor."

Hermione was beyond nervous as she headed back to the dungeon at six. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to be all alone with Snape. She wondered if he'd treat her different or the same as he did in a full class. Hermione knew there was no chance he would ever feel the same way about her as she did about him, but she always held on to a small hope. She entered his class room slowly.
"Come in Miss Granger. I don't have all night."
Hermione picked up her step and hurried in. She stopped when she got to his desk and noticed it had been cleared all except for a cauldron and a few ingredients.
"Sir, what potion are we brewing."
She said we as she normally would in the class, but realized they we the only two in the room and she had just referred to them as a unit. A ripple of pleasure ran through her as she thought of them linked together. She desperately hoped he wouldn't notice her blush. If he did he simply ignored it.
"Tonight Miss Granger you are brewing the Dreamless Sleep potion. Madam Pomfrey is running low and since you will take over as potions master it will be your job to keep her well stocked on all the potions she needs."
Hermione nodded. She had already read up on this potion and it didn't sound particularly hard. Maybe he was giving her an easy task to ease her in to her heavy work load.
"May I begin professor?"
"Yes you may. Once you have completed I'll check behind you. If it is acceptable you may leave with no extra homework, but if not you'll write me an essay and we'll try it again on Wednesday."
After he finished speaking Snape conjured himself a chair and began looking over students work for that day. Hermione tried to focus all her energy on brewing the potion, but it was difficult with Snape sitting just a few inches away from her. His body seemed to radiate heat. She found herself ignoring the potion and staring at him quite a few times. She was admiring the way his mouth twisted slightly into a smirk when he was concentrating when his eyes suddenly met hers. She blushed fiercely and dropped her gaze. She feared he would noticed how obsessed she was with him and cancel their lessons, but when she looked up again he was watching, not with the hateful glare she expected, but with an innocently curious expression. Hermione's heart melted right then, and she knew she'd never make it through the school year.

Severus POV:

Professor Dumbledore had summoned Severus to his office the week before school started and asked him who he thought the potion master should be next year when he transferred to Dark Arts teacher. Without even giving it much thought he had said "Miss Granger."
Now sitting in the dungeon alone with her he began to seriously question his decision. Yes she was definitely the most skilled student in the school, but she was also a bossy know it all who got under his skin. He normally tried not to paid much attention to any particular student, but lately she'd been on his mind a lot. She had wit beyond her years, she had a kind heart, and an insane amount of courage.
He was trying to read the papers from his earlier classes when he felt her eyes on him again. He looked up and she blushed and jerked her head down. He kept staring at her puzzled. He had noticed how she was blushing when she came in. The way she had yelled she would love to take extra classes with him and then got awkward and shy. He had overlooked those things thinking there was no way she could find anything about him appealing, she must have thought he was going to yell or insult her again. Now she had been staring at him through the entire class and he wasn't sure that was the reason now. Severus didn't pay attention to woman anymore. Not after Lily.. 'Ah Lily' he sighed. He quickly stopped thinking of her. He took her imagine and locked it away tight in his mind. All his focus went back to the papers. There was no way he would never be romantically involved with anyone especially a student. So he locked away the thoughts of Granger as well.
"Professor." She said interrupting his thoughts.
"Yes Miss Granger."
"I've finished the potion."
Snape got up and examined the potion. It was perfect. Even his critical eyes couldn't find anything wrong with it.
"Very well Miss Granger. Wednesday we will go over lesson planning and grading. You will help me grade the papers from the first and second years. Before this year is up you will be teaching the first years by yourself. You will plan the lessons, teach them, and grade the homework. I will supervise you and grade you on it."
"I'll be teaching them on my own?" She asked with an excited expression.
"Yes we need to see how you'll handle teaching the class by yourself. So after Christmas holiday you'll be in charge of the first years."
Hermione could barely contain the giant smile that was flashing on her lips. "Thank you sir!"
"You're welcome Miss Granger. I'll see you tomorrow."
Hermione practically skipped out of the classroom. Severus smirked after her. This was going to be a long year.