Disclaimer: All recognizable people and places belong to JK Rowling.
A/n: This contains really strange and adult themes, not for the faint of heart.
Setting: This takes place in the 1820's, but has all the characters from the books.
Precious PetChapter One
Setting the scene
16 year-old Hermione Granger was all for the taking the newly offered potions class. Harry and Ron on the other hand…
"Don't you think it's odd that straight laced Professor Snape would suddenly descend from his high horse long enough to acknowledge that women contain the brains required for his precious potions class." Harry Potter asked as he stroked his budding mustache. He was dressed in the top fashion of the time. His neckpiece intricate in it's folds, his purple vest and pants a delicate contrast to his gold striped shirt and velvety overcoat.
"I find it a bit fishy," Ron stroked his impressive beard. "He doesn't seem the type to allow the ladies into his classroom." Ron's overcoat rippled, it's pink and blue stripes playing nicely off his lime green suit and violet neckpiece.
"That's true." Hermione mumbled, thumbing through last months issue of Gentleman's Digest, the magazine all the young ladies turn to find the most eligible bachelors. "It doesn't seem to fit his personality at all."
"I wouldn't be surprised if he was up to something, the greasy bastard." Ron picked up the mahogany box containing his chess set.
Yes, it was true that Professor Snape was scary and disturbing to her, like most everyone else, Hermione turned the page to Snape's article, but she wasn't going to let her feelings toward the professor get in the way of obtaining her dream. She needed to take Potions.
Hermione had to admit that it raised the small hairs on the back of her neck that the formerly ant-female Professor Severus Snape, owner of 25% of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardly, would ever admit females of any age into his laboratory. He had said on many occasions that it was a waste of his money to pay for the flighty feckle females to attend his class as well. He went on and on about the how women are giggling masses, their heads filled with not except the occasionally wisp of silk or puff of perfume.
Anyway, Gentleman's Digest had reported of his political and social opinions as well as his entire biography. Hermione glanced down at it. She had highlighted a great deal of it. She wanted to make sure she did nothing to offend him…unlike Fred Weasley.
Hermione studied the most interesting bits she had diligently highlighted. It went on and on about his prestigious wealth and the book he wrote; Advanced and Deadly poisons, a complete history and how he won all his awards and medals. How he helped save Hogwarts from disaster, and now owns the whole beautiful east tower where he resides. How he has found many a cure and antidote, in his lab located at Hogwarts, between educating his students. His political voice is prominent and powerful and he either heads or is a chairman on all the powerful organizations that run the wizarding world. How prestigious his family was, how wealthy they are…
Hermione grimaced, Gentleman's Digest goes on for about two pages on Professor Snape's wealth alone.
She found the most distressing part of the article, the foundation behind the horrible incident with Fred Weasley. "Gentleman's Digest gives kudos to Professor Snape for his charitable act of paying for the potions ingredients used by the boys at Hogwarts. It was a well-known fact that if he hadn't, over half of the student population wouldn't be able to afford his class".
In reality, this wasn't a charitable act, Hermione flipped to the next page, but was an act of arrogance on Snape's part. He wanted everyone to have to attend his class; no one would be able to escape his clutches.
Hermione glanced at Ron as he and Harry sat down at the Gryffindor common room table to play a game of Wizard's chess. She remembered how angry Ron had been when he learned what Snape had done to Fred.
Everyone knows that all the potions ingredients belong to Professor Snape and that he guards over them like they were his babies, as precious as jewels. He pays top dollar for them, Hermione turned the next page and stared unseeingly at it, and he has no patience with tomfoolery….
It had been the 3rd week of Hermione's 1st year at Hogwarts and she had a raging case of puppy love for the Weasley twins, Fred in particular.
Right before the horrible incident in Professor Snape's class, Hermione had finally worked up the nerve to tell Fred that she loved him.
So she stalked her prey, wanting to get him alone and present him the knowledge of her unbound love for him.
Suddenly he stopped, laughing and waved the rest of his friends on.
Hermione remembered panicking, Does he already know? She had paused, clutching her Transfiguration book to her youthful chest.
No, she had sighed in relief as she viewed his marvelous backside, he merely had to tie his shoes.
The Great Hall suddenly seemed big and deserted to Hermione.
Now's my chance, Hermione had frantically thought over the violent beating of her heart.
Approaching Fred from behind, Hermione had crept up timidly beside him.
His handsome face cleverly twisting as he whistled a tune, having not noticed Hermione, he tied his shoes with quick jerks.
Hermione tiptoed even closer.
Fred caught a glimpse of her small curly headed form.
Grinning up at her:
"Hey Hermione, why aren't you in-"
Flinging her arms around his neck, Hermione knocked them both to the floor. She crushed her mouth against his surprised face with all the youthful abandon she could muster.
"What the Hell!!!" a sharp and cutting voice had boomed. "Mr. Weasley! Get you arse off the floor this instance. And release Miss Granger!"
Hermione remembered screaming and running from the scene of the crime, more afraid of Professor Snape then she could ever remember being.
She had made it all the way to Transfiguration before realizing that she had dropped her book behind. It was about ten minutes into the class when Professor Snape came storming in.
Standing in the back of the class, he had coldly demanded a word with her out in the hall. Hermione remembers trembling under his intense and disturbing stare out in the hall for what seemed like forever. Afraid to talk, she stared in fearful silence as Professor Snape stood there. Finally:
"You dropped this." His voice was hoarse and low.
Hermione looked at the hand that was thrust out to her, it held her Transfiguration book.
"Thank you." With trembling hands she accepted the book and held it against her chest and backed away from him.
And then he was gone. She returned to class only to find out later what had happened in the Potions classroom.
Fred had been reprimanded harshly by the Potions Master and was informed he had to clean up after everyone else. As Fred was cleaning up, it seems his hands were shaky and the unthinkable happened.
He dropped an entire jar of essence of dragon.
Worth over two hundred gallons.
Hermione shuddered. Professor Snape went insane with rage. They contacted Mr. And Mrs. Weasley but there was no way they could pay for the expense of that ingredient.
Fred ended up in the infirmary for a week.
It was said that you could hear Fred's scream as Professor Snape beat him all the way in the greenhouses.
Hermione stuck out her chin. She wasn't going to let anything stand in her way. She was taking the offered Potions class. She wasn't about to allow Professor Snape to stand in the way of her goals.
She looked down at the magazine in her lap. It showed the spread of photos taken from inside Professor Snape's home. All of his rooms were predictable in décor, except for one.
It was disturbing to look at. Hermione read the article that went with it. "…lush pink wall to wall carpeting…decorative molding… cherub lined fireplace…dainty little bed carved in the shape of a swan." The perfect room for a teenage girl, but Professor Snape wasn't married nor did he have a daughter. All in all, it wasn't the room that disturbed Hermione so much as where it was located.
The only way to get to this beautiful room was to go first through Professor Snape's Master Bedroom, then through his Dressing Room onto his Private Bathroom and then through arch, no door, just an arched opening off from his bathroom. Something about that whole set up gave Hermione the willies.
She can't shake the feeling that she was somehow connected to that room.
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A/n: Well what did you think? Review and let me know. The next bit will be a little bit weird and spicy.