Winters in Scotland were always cold and harsh. It would snow most of the time and when it didn't few people dared venture out into the cold. But today was one of those days where it was standable. Most of the students at Hogwarts apt to stay in their common rooms with the warm fire and cocoa; yet a certian trio decided it would be a wonderful day to pay a visit to Hagrid.
"Really Harry," Ron moaned, "Couldn't we go see Hagrid in the spring when it's warm out and we don't have to walk in a good two feet of snow?"
"Oh come on Ron, I sure Hagrid would love the company and don't you think if you lived this far from the main castle you would want to know someone cared for you?" Harry said, giving Ron a light push.
"I don't know about you two but I'm taking advantage of the cold and going skating while the ice is still thick enough to legitimately skate on." Hermione said cheerfully walking along side the boys.
"Blimey Mione, have you gone nutters? It's freezing out here!" Ron protested, but to no avail.
Hermione waved goodbye to her friends and headed twards the lake. It was quite interesting during the winter because if you look close enough though the ice you can see all the fishes swimming about lazily in the chill waters.
Silently she slipped her skates on and went about her way.
She had skated for a few hours and the sun was starting to set.
She cast a warming charm and watched with content as the blueness of the sky faded into shades of orange and pink that complimented the snow blanketed forest so well.
"Beautiful." She murmered, barely audible.
"Indeed so." A low baritone agreed. She jumped at the sudden sound and whirled around only to find her snarky potions professor standing several feet away.
"What?... How?" She stuttered, shocked with the fact that she didn't feel his presence earlier. She sighed and turned her attention back twards the setting sun.
He said nothing more. He didn't move or speak and she could only bearly hear him breathing.
"Professor," She asked quietly, "Why are you here?"
"Contrare to popular belief, Miss Granger, I am human and I do enjoy the simple beauty of every day things. One being as such would be the setting sun. I find it soothing knowing that this one thing will unfailably happen every day with clockwork precision. Not only that but I do find it astounding how bright and vibrant the sky becomes before the setting sun. It is a wonder of nature that has never failed to amaze me." His words were soft and precise. His normally intimidating demeanor seemed to have melted away.
She looked up at him. The orange light reflected off his raven hair that framed his face. His normally rigid expression softened. His eyes sparkled with the rays of the setting sun.
He turned his head to look down at her, " You'd best be getting back to the castle. I've no desire to brew for a thoughtless case of pnemonia simply because someone wanted to stand around gaping." His cold demeanor had returned and he whirled around to stalk back off to the castle.
She sighed in defeat before a mischevious grin overcame her face. Almost immediately she'd hurled a tight ball of snow, hitting the dark wizard squarely in the back of the head.
He stopped. His posture went moreso rigid. He slowly turned on his heel to see and innocent-looking Hermione putting her skates away and collecting her bag.
"Miss Granger..." He growled. His tone would've made one of the first years into tears on the spot.
"Yes prpfessor?" She asked, putting on her very best innocent look.
"Miss Granger," He began slowly and dangerously, "Do explain to me why you find it nessicary to assult my person in such a childish and immature way. I though you were above such idocies."
"Whatever do you mean professor?" She smiled sweetly, tilting her head to the side.
"Miss Granger, you don't play me to be such a fool as to think a dollop of snow leapt from the ground and twards my head on its own accord do you?"
"I never said that professor." She retorted before walking smartly away. Only to feel the cold impact of snow on the back of her own head.
"Prefessor!" She yelped, abruptly turning to look at the dark man standing lazily, picking something out from under one of his fingernails.
Fine, if that's how he wants to play. She thought, cackling like a mad man. Immediately she scooped up a good handful of snow and lunged it at her professor which he sheilded without even looking.
"Apparently you're not above such childish games." He mused, his customary smirk taking over his face. "And she clearly has never had a proper wizarding snow fight either."
Before her confusion could fully come to play Snape had conjured up a dragon made of snow and it was immediately barreling twards her.
She squealed and dove out of the dragon's path. She watched as it ran face first into a tree and crumpled to the ground in a snowy heap.
Before she could even turn around another snow creature was barreling twards her. This time she had conjured up a hippogriff to take on her rival's creation, dodging the clumps of snow flying off both parties.
Whilest Snape was busy keeping his dragon together Hermione conjured up a cenatuar which effectively took her professor to the ground, throughly burying him in a mountian of snow.
"Professor!" She yelped running over to where he was.
He pushed his head through the snow and glared. I'm so dead. She thought, then the most unexplainable thing happened, he started to laugh.
It was a slow chuckle at first, but quickly became a full blown cackle of glee.
Oh my god, she thought, I broke the professor.
He pulled himself out of the snow and brushed himself off. "Very Slytherin strategy of you Miss Granger, to thee I grant kudos." He said, happiness still in his voice.
She just stood in stunned silence. She'd never imagined his laugh. She didn't even think he had the ability to laugh. This entire scnario is very out of charcter for him.
"Wha- what?" She asked shakily. He laughed, and then he complimented her...
Immediately she snapped back to reality, and had her wand at his neck, "Who are you and what have you done with Snape?"
Then, he started laughing again.
"Answer me!"
"I assure you Miss Granger, I am the the professor you've always had. Do you really think I'd be daft enough to let someone pull a stunt that would put me in a situation comparable to the one Allastor Moody was in a few short years ago? I think not." His demeanor immediately serious again.
"But... you..." She gaped lowering her wand and staring at him.
"That expression is very unbecoming of you." He said as he reached forward and pressed her jaw closed, caressing the soft flesh a little.
Her face immediately flushed, but he seemed to ignore it. "Come now Miss Granger, we mustn't have you catch a cold now."
She nodded and turned back twards the castle, her professor walking along side her. The cold night air and her drenched clothing chilled her to the bone.
Noticing her shivers he slowly and tentavely wrapped his arm around the young girl, pulling her close to him and effectively wrapping her in his cloak.
She looked up at him, her eyes asking a thousand questions and displaying quite a spectrum of emotion. He just smiled at her and kept walking.
She figured by the time they reached the castle he would release her and they'd be headed their seperate ways but no, Instead he kept his arm firmly around her as they walked down to the kitchens.
"Pr- professor?" She asked, sounding very timid indeed.
He just pressed a finger to her lips and nodded as a house elf brought them some hot cocoa.
The entire situation was absurd. She just had a snow fight with her snarky and dark potions professor, he held her as they walked to the castle and now they were having cocoa together.
Mabie she should've gone to see Hagrid with Harry and Ron...
But a part of her told her that she was much happier with the outcome of her day thus far.
They sat in silence as they drank their cocoa. Once they were done a house elf took their cups and they stood to leave.
They walked down the dark dungeon halls, she had to pass his room to get to Gryffindor tower anyway.
When they passed his rooms she continued walking only to be stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned around and he pulled her into a silent embrace.
His toned chest was warm and welcoming as she melted into his arms. She looked up at him to hind him gazing at her with such smoldering intensity.
Then for the second time that night, something unbelievable happened. He bent down and pressed his lips up against hers. A gentle moan escape her lips as they moved together. Never had she experienced such a perfect moment of loving intensity.
But then just as soon as it started it was gone. He abruptly turned and entered his room slamming the door behind him.
Confused and bewildered she stood there a moment, unsure of what to do.
Then she noticed something very curious. Resting upon her shoulders was his cloak.
Unsure of what to do she returned to her dormitory. And resting upon her bed went over the days events. It all was so surreal. So... magical.
She eventually decided that today's event's wern't unwelcome and that she'd love to experience them again.
And with that she fell asleep felling very content wrapped up in the dungeon bat's cloak.