Don't Jump

Hermione is given detention with Snape for forgetting her homework. But she didn't forget her homework.

A/N: For the Unrelated Title Competition on HPFC.

"Miss Granger, I expected more from you. I never thought the know-it-all would forget her essay. Seems like you aren't as smart as everyone believes you to be." Snape whispered threateningly.

"I'm sorry, Professor! I didn't mean to! It won't happen again." Hermione said as her cheeks turned red.

"You're right, it won't happen again. Detention, tomorrow at 7. Don't be late, Miss Granger." Snape said before returning to his desk.

"That isn't fair, Hermione." Harry whispered to her over their cauldron.

"He's right; I deserve to be punished. Don't Harry." Hermione said as Harry started to argue.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

"It's 7:01 Miss Granger, surely you heard me when I said to be on time." Snape said as Hermione ran into the classroom.

"But, sir, I ran into Peeves."

"Excuses will not be tolerated. Come here." Snape ordered.

"Don't make me regret giving you tonight, Hermione." Snape whispered in her ear as he started to kiss a trail down her neck. "That was an excellent essay on Amortentia; I gave you full marks. Although, I was sure Potter was going to attack me when I called you stupid."

"Harry is just overprotective and he doesn't like what's going on between us. He thought you were serious today and asked me to end it." Hermione said as she started undoing the Potion Master's buttons.

"I told you not to tell him." Severus said between kisses.

"Well, maybe if you had remembered to lock the door, I wouldn't have had to tell him. And can't you spare me the pain of trying to unbutton this coat?" Hermione asked as she fumbled with the small buttons.

"Never, I love seeing you try to undo them." Severus responded as he slipped her blouse off her shoulders.

"But I always end up naked before you. It just doesn't seem right." Hermione argued as she finally finished with the coat.

"I love you, Hermione." Severus said as he lowered his mouth to hers.

Hermione kissed him back and parted her lips in a moan as Severus started massaging her breast. He slipped his tongue in her mouth and they fought for dominance before Hermione gave in, like always.

She tore his shirt off and started to undo his pants when he stopped.

"Shh." He said, before moving towards his office.

Hermione threw on her blouse and cloak before taking out her wand. Severus opened his door all the way before yelling, "Get out of my office! Now! Fifty points from Slytherin."

"But, sir, I just wanted to..." Draco started to explain before he realized Snape had no shirt on.

"Out! Detention on Wednesday, 7 o'clock!" Severus said furiously.

"Will my detention be like hers?" Draco asked hopefully.

"No. And if I have to tell you to get out one more time." Severus left the threat open-ended.

"Good night, sir." Draco said before finally leaving.

"Sorry about that Hermione." Severus said as he approached her.

"It's okay, but I think I should go now, I don't really think I'll be able to forget that." Hermione said as she turned to leave.

"Please, don't leave." Severus asked in need.

"I don't think I can handle the competition, sir." Hermione said with a slight smile before exiting the room.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

"You're back early." Harry commented as Hermione sat down next to him.

"That's because Draco walked in on us. Stop being so childish about this Harry." Hermione whispered furiously.

"Draco? Since when did he stop being Malfoy? You sleeping with him too?" Harry asked angrily.

"Why are you being like this? Come on, I want to finish this conversation in private." Hermione said as she dragged Harry to the closest empty classroom.

"I'm being like this because it's Snape! Because you are a student! Because I can't stand to see you get hurt! Because... because I'm jealous that you would be with him, but not me." Harry trailed off.

"Harry... why didn't you say anything sooner?" Hermione asked softly.

"I thought I had time to figure out how to tell you. I even asked Ron if it was okay, but that night I found you with him. I can't just be friends with you anymore and I can't watch you slip away to be with him. I didn't want to do this, but you have to choose, me or him?" Harry said dejectedly.

"You can't make me choose between you... I don't want to." Hermione said as tears came to her eyes.

"That means him. You can't have the both of us. But, before I go... Can you close your eyes?" Harry asked.

Hermione obliged him and he walked over to her and pressed his lips against hers gently before leaving the room. Hermione didn't open her eyes for a while after and she felt tears start to fall as she lost her best friend.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

"Hermione, are you okay?" Severus asked as they lay in his bed.

"No..." Hermione said as she disentagled herself from the sheets and went to the bathroom.

"You can't just say no and walk away. Tell me what it is that has you so bothered." Severus said as he followed her.

"Harry said that as long as we were together he wouldn't have anything to do with me. He also told me he loved me." Hermione finally said after a long pause.

"What are you going to do?" Severus asked as he covered himself up.

"I don't know... I love you, but I can't lose Harry, not after everything we've been through together." Hermione sighed.

"I can't lose another woman I love to a Potter. I don't know if I can do that again." Severus started to beg.

"'Another woman you love to a Potter?' Are you talking about Harry's mother?" Hermione asked in shock.

"Yes, I loved Lily for most of my life before I met you. You had the same fire and brilliance." Severus said as he got lost in memory.

"Am I just a replacement? Just someone you can pretend is her? Go to hell, Severus Snape." Hermione yelled as she tried to find her clothes.

"Hermione, it isn't like that." Severus protested.

"It isn't? I find that hard to believe. Just leave me alone." Hermione demanded as she walked out.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

"Hi, Hermione. That was a long detention." Ron commented as Hermione stormed into the common room.

"Harry, it's over." Hermione said before grabbing Harry's chin and kissing him in front of everyone.

"I don't want to be your rebound, Hermione. I can tell you're only doing this because you're furious with him. Leave me alone." Harry stated.

"I thought this was what you wanted?" she said in a small voice.

"Not like this." Harry said before going to the boys' dormitory.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

Hermione spent the next few torturous days alone with only her thoughts and homework to occupy her mind. She did love Severus, but she didn't want to be his replacement for a dead love. And she wanted to be able to give her and Harry a try, but he knew he was just the rebound.

She decided to apologize to both of them and went to find Severus. He wasn't in his classroom or his office, so she decided to try his rooms. She entered and found the front rooms empty, so she decided to see if he was in his bedroom.

He was, but he wasn't alone. Severus was kissing Draco as Harry watched.

"You wankers! It was only last week that you were telling me how much you hated Severus, Harry! Severus, you said you loved me and now you're fucking Draco? And Draco, hi." Hermione yelled.

"Hi, Hermione." Draco said back.

"It's not what it looks like..." Severus tried to say.

"It really isn't." Harry started saying.

"It isn't? So you're not... What's that noise?" Hermione asked as she started to hear loud beeping.

"What noise?" Harry asked.

"The loud beeping one." Hermione said before everything faded and she woke up in her bed in her parent's house. She shut off her alarm clock before vowing to never eat sweets before bed again.