Chapter 1

Eyes drooping shut again as sleep began to take over her body. She had been up so late every night this week for him and getting up just as her head hit the pillow; it was time to go to lessons. But she herself couldn't really understand why she was doing this for him. Was it for her résumé? Was it for later in life so she could call in a favour? Or was it because he simply had asked her and not Draco 'bloody' Malfoy for once. Knowing that deep down inside her that he trusted her had maybe swayed her a little. But all this and her responsibilities as head girl, al her studies with NEWTs. Life these days excluding Voldemort just seemed so hard. Added with Voldemort was almost unbearable but she knew that she could be no good to anyone in a coma like state; she just had to push it all down and get on with things. But with her past work with the Potions' Professor in the only detention she had gotten from a teacher without the other member of the Golden Trio being in someway the cause or even connected to it.

Her eyes shot open again as a hand laid itself gently onto her shoulder. It somehow felt oddly familiar to her but she could place it. That was until she placed the face to the hand. Madame Prince. She would be furious with her. Quickly, she began to gather her things when the soothing voice of the librarian spoke up.

"Hermione, I am not going to punish you in any way shape or form. I'm just slightly worried about you." She sighed, gazing down in disbelief at the young soul that had been, ever since she began her life at Hogwarts, the last person to leave the library in the evenings. Lately though she had been staying even longer than curfew, but with her being Head girl and all, she didn't shoe her out like she would have anyone else. But it had gotten out of control and she could begin to see time taking its toll on the girl and at this moment in time she didn't need it in her life.

She smiled timidly up to the old lady. Thanking her silently for her forgiveness in such a situation. Even if she did have the right to go where she wanted, when she wanted, being Head Girl.

"I am fine Madame. I think I just got so caught up in my studying that I forgot the time. I really should be doing my rounds now." She said and placed the last of her books into her bag as she got up from the table, still smiling at the old lady. She really needed to see Professor Snape and give him the notes she had finally managed to finish.

"Okay Hermione, but if you decided that you need help with you… studying I am always around to help." She spoke as she left the girl to her own devices, biding her goodnight as she left for her own bed.

"Yeah, studying." She muttered under her breath as she flicked the last light in the library out with her wand.

Time was slowly dragging on in her mind and she sure that she had visited yet another part of the castle that she had yet to become familiar with. This was far more annoying than she would like to admit. But she remembered what he had said to her when she had accepted the task.

'I want them as soon as you've finished them Hermione, no later.'

This still echoed in her head. Now the use of her first name wasn't rarely used by the Potions Master now, especially with all the work on potions they had been doing for the past year or more. But if anybody else knew of it then they would go mental with gossip. And in her years at Hogwarts it was not a good idea to start them off. Even is she had given half the student population gossip by going off to Professor Snape's private labs every night and all day Saturday but having Sundays off. But she had agreed to help him and a Gryffindor never gives up, well, at least this Know-It-All Gryffindor doesn't. Not easily anyway. She had thought many a time on what she could have been doing with her time if she hadn't agreed to this job for the Potions Professor but nothing had come to her mind. She honestly couldn't think of anything better that would fill her time. Yes, she had missed the time not being around the boys so much but the time she had spent with Snape had cleared many thoughts of hers up. He had helped her in ways no one else could have, but alas, she hadn't been able to penetrate his walls that were so obviously put up. There were emotional barriers in other words that had been there far too long and needed to be smashed to pieces. But as usual he would never let anyone do that. Just because of his stupid pride.

She sighed as she thought this and found that her feet had carried her all the way to the dungeons, to Snape's private labs no less. She straightened the last of her robes over her shoulder and placed her bag firmly by her side, hanging from her shoulders. She knew she had to do it but what would she find?

He continuously kept falling asleep at his Cauldron. Even though he of all people knew the rules and dangers of doing it, but she kept her mouth firmly shut throughout all of the time she had gotten to know him. She wouldn't cross the line she knew she shouldn't, even if they had become friends of a sort.

She twisted the knob with her hand and slid the door open, slipping through as she did so. The sight that came upon her wasn't strange but, she felt she cared for the person in front of her but knew she shouldn't anymore than she already did.

Timidly she walked over to the workbench and nudged the Professor awake.

"Sir…" she spoke softly, "Sir, you fell asleep at your Cauldron again. And I know you know that you shouldn't have done that for the tenth time this week. Even you can't forget the seventh rule of Potions making." She smiled at this thought. The famous Severus Snape, Potions Master for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, disobeying a basic rule of the art of Potion making. Hum, this could be a very good bargaining tool.

"One point from Gryffindor for disturbing my dream." came a muffled reply from the heap of black robes piled upon each other on the workbench.

"Well, at least that's a start. Only one point sir, I think you're losing your touch." She smirked as she saw him adjust his robes to look at least even half presentable.

"Well, I wouldn't have to be so harsh as to take points away if someone would just leave me alone to enjoy terrorising little first year Gryffindors." She said groggily.

"But sir, I can't allow that. You are a respected member of the staff, which would only bring your status to an all time low." She grinned at this prospect but already knew he knew that everyone thought him as a moody old bat.

He gave her a sarcastic smile and looked down at his watch. The half energetic smile soon turned into a fully fledge evil grin as he realised that it was three in the morning. What a good time to ask her what the hell she thought she was doing down here at that time in the morning.

"Tut, tut, tut, Miss Granger, it appears that you are out after curfew. May I enquire into how this came about?" he said, each word dripping with sarcasm.

"Well," she began, "I have something for you but if you want to send me back to Gryffindor Tower with a week's worth of detention then sure, I'll go along with that. But if that happens then I wont give you your notes." She said the last part in a bit of a sing song voice.

"My notes? You mean…you have them?" he spoke, his eyes lighting up with surprise.

"Yes and I know you said," she coughed to get into her mimicking voice, "I want them as soon as you've finished them Hermione, no later."

"Yes, well, I may have been misguided in my judgement of that. Seeing as I lost valuable sleep." He grunted as he ran his hands through his hair in an effort to wake himself up.

"Well, I am so sorry Professor that I woke you up." She said with a slight grin on her face. Mischief managed.

"Don't get smart with me Granger. It doesn't suit you. It only suits me." He said with a wicked grin to match hers on his face. Intimidating? I don't think so.

"Sadist." She muttered, smiling.

"The one and only." He shook his head as he remembered what she had come to him with.

"The notes?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.

"Oh yes, here." She said and passed them to him. As she was met by sudden silence she made to go.

"Hermione wait, I think you deserve some gratitude. One point to Gryffindor." He said as he pulled one sheet of paper from the pile that she had handed to him and went back to the potion, adding a bit here and there. Concentration apparent on his face.

"Is that all you wanted? The last page? I spent two weeks on that book and lost valuable sleep over that pile of junk and all I get is one point?" she growled, anger present in her eyes.

"Miss Granger, I suggest that you leave me alone and go back to your dormitory before you get detention." He said as he went into his private stores to grab some ingredients.

She stormed out of the room in a huff, muttering angrily to herself.

"'One point to Gryffindor.'" She mimicked in a high pitched voice as she made her way to her room to catch the last few minutes of sleep before first class in the morning.