Author's Notes: Written using the prompt "The first time Snape met Hermione Granger--when she was 7 years old" from the lovely MiaMadwyn, who also was gracious enough to beta the story.

He first noticed her at the market, tailing her mother through the vegetables. Her frizzy hair was doing its best to escape the plait it was confined to and, with her overlarge front teeth and bright eyes, she reminded him of a chipmunk. The fact that she chattered to her mother almost nonstop only intensified that similarity. What caught his ear was the subject she chattered on about: reading about medicinal plants in school.

God, she couldn't have been older than eight, and she could give his fifth years a run for their money. Bloodroot, aloe vera, danewort, feverfew… She was listing properties that were even lacking in the Hogwarts textbooks. He couldn't resist following the duo, picking up the odd fruit or vegetable to examine, keeping his eye on the girl the whole time. What he would give for a student this eager!

Her little voice suddenly began to grow higher in pitch. "Mum! You're not listening to me!"

"I am, Hermione, you just said something about chrysanthemums… Did your father say he wanted chicken or steak for dinner?"

Ah, Hermione. A fiery goddess, one who is restored to life… An interesting name for such an interesting little girl.

Her voice rose again in agitation. She clutched her hands in fists and stomped her foot as she protested, "Mum! No, that's not what I was saying! Listen to me!"

He stopped and stared, sensing something in the air.

"Darling, Mummy is very busy right now, give me a mom –"

The woman was interrupted by a pyramidal display of tinned kidney beans collapsing. The person standing closest to it was Hermione, and he could clearly see that she had not touched it.

Merlin's beard…

He knelt down to pick up tins that had rolled to his feet, but continued to stare, half in fascination, half out of curiosity to see how this would be handled. Two clerks were suddenly on the scene, attracted by the noise, and the woman was at a loss of what to do with her daughter.

"Hermione Jean Granger, did you touch that?" Mrs. Granger's voice was stern, her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment and her daughter's eyes were welling with tears.

"No, Mum, no, I didn't! I didn't!" she cried, turning to the clerks to try to plea her case, "I didn't do it, I promise! It just happened!"

She turned and locked eyes with Severus Snape, current Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and tried arguing once more, "I didn't do it, I promise…" in a dejected tone.

He helped gather up the contents of the display and watched Mrs. Granger and Miss Granger walk away. When the clerks began making sarcastic remarks about the situation, he fingered his sleeved wand.

"Obliviate," he muttered, smiling in amusement at their sudden looks of bewilderment.

What an interesting market day. He was looking forward to meeting Miss Granger again.

A few years later, he watched as Hermione Jean Granger stood next to Harry bloody Potter to be Sorted. He couldn't help but wish, hope, pray and plead to any deity that would listen as she made her way to the Sorting Hat.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Damn it all. Such a waste.