Hermione sat staring into the fire pensively. What to do? She should forget it, it was none of her business, but now, well now, she'd never forget.
She thought back to that fateful day.
"No Neville!" "Not yet, you need to stir counter clockwise 3 times then add the leaves" whispered Hermione, whilst looking anxiously over her shoulder towards the front of the classroom. If she was caught again helping Neville, she shuddered to think of the punishment Professor Snape would conjure up for her.
But as she glanced over her shoulder she saw, well not was she was expecting to be quite honest. She expected to be pinned under the infamous scowl surely patented by Professor Snape, followed very shortly with the words Mr Filch, Wandless, Scraping and detention, but probably not in that order. But no she saw hurt, vulnerability, tiredness, human all in a split second. She spun around and continued to finish her potion, whilst her brain spun and spun, and thought and thought.
"Time's up", thundered Professor Snape. "Clear your workstations and leave your completed potion in the tray, what in seven hades of hell is that?" sneered the professor, glaring down at Neville.
"Pepper up potion, sir" murmured Neville pinned under the scowl of Professor Snape.
"Its patently not Mr Longbottom, seems your making your own version of potions again, detention with Mr. Filch, and another zero for today, now leave and quickly" thundered the enraged professor.
Swinging around to scowl in Hermione's direction, "And what are you staring at Miss. Granger?"
"Nothing Sir", squeaked Hermione whilst beating a hasty retreat.
Shutting the curtains swiftly around her bed before Lavender could badger her; Hermione got her homework out, but didn't start writing ferociously as she would normally. "What could that look have meant"? She thought to herself. Obviously Professor Snape wasn't the cold man everyone thought he was; anyone with half a brain would know that, the man wasn't a machine. He had a lot on his plate, teaching, Head of Slytherin and a spy for the order, it was as sure as the sun setting in the sky that he would be stressed and tired. But the vulnerability and pain she had seen was a totally different thing.
She thought back to the last order meeting, it had come as a bit of a shock when Dumbledore had arrived as dinner was being served to state he needed a word with Harry, Ron and she.
After shutting the door to the library Dumbledore had quietly asked if they had thought of becoming members of the order. Well obviously they had, but though that you had to wait until your 17th birthday. Which Hermione had already celebrated the week before?
"I thought you had to be 17 professor" Hermione asked puzzled but not a little excited.
"Under normal circumstances you do, Hermione", professor Dumbledore replied. "But I'm sensing that Harry and Ron here" smiled Dumbledore in the boys direction "Wouldn't take to kindly to you being inducted and not them, and I dare say you would have been inclined to keep them informed of all order business anyway, hmm?" Twinkled Dumbledore at Hermione.
Hermione did have the presence of mind not to answer the implied question, just blushed and looked at the boys.
After the meeting had concluded with Dumbledore things had moved very fast, he informed all gathered for dinner, to which surprisingly there was little resistance, even from Molly, who looked upset but seemed to understand the time had come. Dumbledore joined them dinner and the conversation turned to the meeting happening shortly.
"Is Tonks coming to the meeting" inquired Remus, not seeing the wry smile Molly gave Minerva. "Yes I believe so Remus" replied Dumbledore. "Everyone is, as far as I know".
"Great that means Snivellus is too" chimed in Sirius looking glum.
"Now Padfoot" Remus smiled, "play nice, remember last time".
"Humph" replied Sirius "I wasn't paying attention, he got lucky"
"If you say so" smiled Remus.
"What happened?" asked Harry.
"Let's just say Sirius lost" laughed Moody as he stomped in to the room.
"Hey, I did not, Severus just can't take a joke, that's all" protested Sirius, "Anyway I would like to forget that particular hour thanks" he frowned.
"Professor Snape did not take too kindly to Sirius putting a cheer up potion into his tea" Dumbledore replied to all who were sitting looking puzzled at the table.
"He didn't stop beaming for over an hour" laughed Sirius "It was brilliant"
"How did he find out it was you?" Harry asked his godfather.
"Well", Sirius replied rubbing the back of his neck as the other order members tried to stop laughing, "I forgot the bottle was in my pocket and when I took off my dressing gown to have a shower it must of fell out, and of course Severus had to be the one to go in the shower after me" he complained.
"What happened, what did he do to you" asked Ron eagerly.
"Well I may or may not have had Green sparkly hair for an hour" frowned Sirius at the memory.
"That ….that" gasped Minerva "sang who let the dogs out over and over again" before bursting into more giggles, quickly followed by everyone at the table.
As Tonks shut the door to the meeting it became apparent some of the order members were not aware of Hermione, Harry and Ron being inducted that night, and caused quite a stir, most surprisingly from Professor Snape himself.
"Why on earth are these children being inducted?" spat professor Snape.
"With all due respect Professor I'm of age now and we haven't really been children since the 3rd year, we have a right to be included in the order" reasoned Hermione, Harry, Ron, Molly, Dumbledore and others staring slightly surprised that it was Hermione that replied.
"With all due respect Granger, you may be of age in years but emotionally are you really saying you can handle being in the order, it's not all sitting around reading reference books" sneered the irate professor glaring at Hermione.
"Of course it's not" replied Hermione hotly, glaring back at the professor.