He is staring at me.
Again.
It was the last week of her final term at Hogwarts. Exams were being ministered to the seventh year students, friends were spending every moment they could together before the semester ended, and teachers were writing recommendations for their departing students. It was a time filled with joy that their education was over, and yet sadness. Though everyone promised to stay in touch, each knew that the likelihood of that was slim to none.
Hermione had finished her potions exam in record time and was now staring at the blackboard in front of her so her wandering eyes would instill the idea that she was cheating in the Potion Master's mind. He had always been strict with her. Never letting anything escape his attention. Every slight variant on the rules was enforced. His eyes had always been wicked and hateful.
But something was different today. His eyes were still dark as coal, and she could still feel the heat in his gaze that would have otherwise made her lower her eyes in shame to her desk. But today it was a different sort of passion she saw in his eyes. Something she couldn't quite place.
Class was dismissed, but Hermione remained in her seat, packing her things slowly, making sure each item was placed precisely in her bag where it should be while the other students hurried out the door as if their lives were in jeopardy if they remained any longer than was absolutely necessary.
Not that Snape hasn't instilled that into our heads every day for seven years.
As the last of the students left the classroom, Snape dropped his eyes to his desk and took a deep breath. His lips moved quickly as he read over the exams he had just administered.
"Professor?" Hermione said softly, a question evident in her voice as it wavered slightly. Snape, along with a small list of others, had never been one of her favorite people to talk to.
Startled, Snape looked up, his dark eyes shining. He cleared his throat. "Miss Granger, I believe you have another class that is in need of an insufferable know-it-all." His words lacked the venom and conviction normally inflected in them.
"Are you ok, Professor?" Hermione said after a long silence where he looked into her eyes. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Now that was a stupid thing to ask. Watch him tell you where to stick your assitance.
"You're a young fool, Miss Granger." He rose from his seat and turned his back to her while he looked through a bookcase.
"The surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools," she said, not sure why she said it. She placed a hand on his shoulder briefly before letting it fall and vacating the room. His entire body had tensed at the touch.
As the echoes of her footsteps faded, he released a long sigh. "A fleeting glimpse of an angel as skilled in Potions as my Lily had been." There was a pause, and then a snort. "Angels and Mudbloods seem to go hand in hand these days." His breath caught in his throat as he realized that he would miss Hermione Granger.
A/N: Was going through a random quote generator I found from and I found one that sparked this idea.
"The surprising thing about young fools is how many survive to become old fools."
Doug Larson
Nothing to special but I had to write it down once I thought of it and share it ^_^ Hope you enjoy.