Chapter 2

Saturday evening after dinner in the great hall, Hermione gathered her things and headed to the dungeons at a leisurly pace. She had no intention of being late, but was not overly enthusiastic about her detention with Snape. He had been acting extreamly odd since she had bumped into him two nights ago. When she reached his classroom door she heasitantly knocked

" Enter" A cold voice bellowed from behind the door. She did so, slowly. " Ahh , you will be grading the first years term papers, here is a copy of the answer sheet". He placed the papers on the desk and glided back to his potions table to continue working on something.

Hermione sat down and began going over the first year's assignments, occasionally looking up at the proffessor. It came to her attention that he was struggling with the potion, muttering to himself. She had finished grading and stood up to put them on his desk. She took a few steps to the left to get a better look at his potion and determine what he may be working on. She recognised it right away, it was Felix Felicis.

"Sir, it was my understanding that Liquid Luck took six months to brew?" She asked.

Snape looked taken back, obviosly unware that she had been watching him. He looked almost vicious, and very irritated. " Thank you for stating this obvious, I have been brewing for the appropraite lenngth of time." He continued to fiddle with ingredients.

" Then why hasnt it formed the gold color sir?" She was skating on thin ice she knew, but her natural curiosity got the better of her, it was a simple enough question she thought...

" Do not question me , I was under the assumption I was the Professor and you were the student. " He huffed, and began to pace back and fourth. " Although I am a highly skilled potions master, this is one I have not yet attempted, the ingredients are all correct im sure, just a slip of the mind, possibly to much of one thing. " This was the most polite he had ever spoken to her, and she was extreamly surprised. She had opend her mouth to say something when he began to speak again.

" However I do not owe you an explenation you half-wit. If you have finished grading you may go. " He slumped into his desk and began to rube his temples.

Ahh. There he is, she though, the arragont man she new.

"Very well Sir, I was merly going to offer my help. " She grabed her book bag and headed for the door, but she turned around quickly.

" Maybe you have forgotten Severus, but I am not a child, Ive been told I am intelligent, and I thought that was proven to you last year, when we both fought for the same team. It has never been my intention to annoy you with my questions, only to learn from you, beacuse you may not know, for you are to busy comming down on me to see, I have a high respect for you, and I know you are the best at what you do. I give you the benefit of the doubt every time I raise my hand, even though I know the outcome. I find it insulting that you cannont do the same for me... I understand you have a wall up agaisnt the world but please do not forget, that you are not the only one who came out of the war with barely their life"

At this she flashed the old scar that spelled MUDBLOOD across her right arm. He stared at her hard for a moment, a flash of ... compasion? in his eyes. She did not wait for a reply but stormed out of the room quickly. Severus was completly shocked.

Hermione flung he book bag down on the floor harshly.

" Everything alright Hermione?" Her roomate Lavender asked

" Just peachy". Hermione replied, underssing and putting on a long gray shirt and a pair of blue pajama pants.

She lay in bed unable to sleep until past 4 in the morning , and when she did sleep it was full of unwanted dreams.

When she awoke, she realized she was late for breakfast and quickly dressed and ran down to the great hall, walking through the doors, she noticed Snape look up and look back down quickly. This sent knots in her stomach. She could not beleive she had said all those things to him, what happend to keeping her emotions in check ? She sat down and helped herself to a bowl of oatmeal, not feeling very hungry suddenly.

" So how did detention go last night? Was it awful?" Ask Ron, who had just finished his 4th peice of bacon.

" It was fine, I graded papers for the first years" She replied quickly.

" What a git" He said looking at her

" Ron! how can you say that after all we have been through? Harry wouldnt be alive without him!" She was on edge this morning.

" Where does he get off giving YOU a detention? I mean does he even know what you did for him Hermione? He musn't" Ron looked flabergasted.

" No Ron I dont beleive he knows, and lets keep it that way. I dont need unwanted attention. I just wanted this year to go smoothly." She said, finsishing up her breakfast and taking a quick drink of pumpkin juice.

The conversation between the two Gryffindors made Severus ears perk up. What had she done for him? Surely nothing, she has been a nuciance. This is absurd, what was that dunderhead Weasley on about now. Of course he was unable to hear the rest, as the female Weasley had entered the group and the coversation ceased.

He slowly rose from the teachers table and left the Great Hall. He would speak with her this evening about all this.

Hermione sat on her bed writing out her homework for Charms class, when a large owl perched itself on her open window sill. She stood up and walked over to examine it. She had never seen this owl before, who did he belong to? She took the letter from its beak and patted him lightly on the head, "Thank you very much" . She opened the letter and was very surprised...

Dear Ms Granger ,

You and I have important matters to disscus. Be in my classroom at seven o'clock tonight.

I expect to see you there.

Severus Snape

This MUST be about what she had said last night... " Drat!" she thought. She quickly scribled a reply

Alright, seven o'clock then.

Hermione Granger

She folded it up and handed it to the dark owl. " Take this to Severus Please". He flew away gracefully, and suddenly the knots in her stomach began to grow.