Prologue
~*~*~
Hermione Granger sat at her workbench, quill tapping rhythmically against the black marble work top.
"Miss Granger! Will you please be so kind as to discontinue that infernal racket you insist on making! Some of us are trying to do something productive!"
Hermione stopped but said nothing. She was thinking about the many possibilities that…
THWACK!
Hermione, and everyone else in the class it seemed, jumped at the sudden sound.
"Merlin, Professor!" she exclaimed once she had regained her composure and saw the tall man looming over her, fist planted firmly on the desk. "What was that for?"
"Miss Granger, I will disregard you current tone of voice for now. But, in lieu of that, twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tonight for daydreaming in class. Now finish your potion!"
Just as Professor Severus Snape turned his back upon her, she snorted. Instantly, he turned on his heel and snarled.
"You stupid girl! What is it you want, a week's worth of detentions for impertinence?"
"Professor, if I may point out: 1) I already have detention with you tonight, 2) I've already finished and handed in my sample of the Paranoia Potion, and 3) you told me to think about my next project I'd like to work on." She sat up straight and smiled sweetly as her superior snarled once more, baring his teeth.
"Then leave!" he barked, pointing a finger at the heavy dungeon door. It whirled open and banged against its opening wall, frightening everyone once more. "Another fifty points from Gryffindor and three weeks of detention!"
Hermione took her time gathering her things and slowly walking out of the dungeon-classroom, still thinking avidly about her next 'project', which had nothing to do with her Advanced Potions class.
~*~*~
Severus watched her slowly stride out of the class as if in a trance. His temper rose even further. How dare she treat a teacher like that? And how dare she interest him instead of infuriate? Arouse instead of anger? He looked at the clock against the wall, angry and disgusted with himself.
"Ten minutes to finish your potions you little mongering dunderheads!" he boomed, taking out his hateful feelings upon his class. There was a sharp intake of breath to get it done right so they, too, could leave this man's wrath early, just like their classmate.
Severus sat at his desk to see if he could sort his feelings. His eyes surveyed the room and landed on a small, thin, circular device left behind on Miss Granger's desk. There was music emitting from it, but it was faint. He scowled, stood and walked over to it. There was a wire attached to it and that wire split into two near its finish with a large silver circled disc at each.
What in blazes is this? he thought as the music lightly beat upon the desk. He picked it up and realized why Albus had made all the teachers take the Muggle Studies course before each year. The infernal thing was a muggle CD player!
He picked it up and looked for the off button, like Professor Steinbeck had showed them on their prototype. After turning it over in his hands a few times, he walked over to his chair and sat, laying the contraption on the desk in front of him. After a few moments of recollecting the instructions and failing at trying to turn the damned thing off, he just pointed his wand at it, muttering a silencing charm.
The bell rang then and there was a general ripple of quiet noise around the class.
"Ladle your potions into a vial and leave the sample on my desk. After that, you may leave." It was a set of simple instructions everyone was used to.
As the people came up and left their trial potion for him to appraise, they all saw the CD player lying there, still on. Some giggled, others pointed and shot the teacher weird looks. But when Potter and Weasley got there they were shocked.
"Hey! That's Hermione's CD player!"
"Yes, Mister Weasley, I'm quite aware of that."
"Sir, if you want, we could bring it to her. She usually never forgets it anywhere," Potter piped up quietly.
"No, Mister Potter. What you can do for me is tell her to pick it up before dinner and before her detention. Good day."
They turned and Snape swore he heard "Overgrown git" muttered between the two of them.
~*~*~
Hermione rushed down to the dungeons at top speed.
"Good lord, what possessed me to leave my discman down there?" she asked her self breathlessly as she skidded to a halt in front of the dungeons.
She composed herself and knocked on the door, waiting for the booming voice to pop into existence at any minute. Instead, all that came was a quiet "Enter". She pushed the door open and stepped inside by two paces.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked, turning his head towards her. In his hand he held a long quill which was currently dripping red ink on the blotting paper beside him. Must be grading my paper, she thought darkly.
"Yes. Er, Harry told me your message, Professor. Thank you for holding on to my discman." She held out her had and stepped closer, fully expecting him to hand it over without and qualms. She was, obviously, wrong.
"Before you get your CD player back," she looked confused. When would Snape know about muggle things? "I must ask you: what were you caught up about earlier this afternoon?"
She blushed. She really didn't feel like telling anyone about her plans, let alone him.
"Miss Granger, I suggest that you just tell me and get it over with before I take much, much harsher measures," he warned, onyx eyes glittering maliciously.
Hermione swallowed and decided how far she could get with lying.
~*~*~