Disclaimer: Once again I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. Anything you recognize is not mine. Oh lordy though how I wish I was the second wealthiest woman next to Oprah.

Authors note: Please do not leave me negative reviews. I don't take them as constructive criticism I just get angry and I get discouraged. Thanks!!! Oh and one more thing….I don't really like HBP so in my story…it never happened.

Chapter 2: The Classroom

"Miss Granger, put your hand down you silly girl" Snape snapped as he glided around the classroom.

He had asked the class, which was now 7th year Slytherins and Gryffindors, a completely unconditionally easy question. When the supposed NEWT's level class was unable to answer the question; he shouldn't have been surprised. But yet again this year he looked around his classroom at the dunderheads and felt nothing but utter disappointment.

Oh no, let me rephrase. There was one bushy haired buck teeth know-it-all whom did have her pestering hand up. One little annoying Gryffindor who knew the answer. Miss Hermione Granger, Harry the-boy-who-just-wouldn't-go-away's, best pal. Out of the entire class Miss Granger was the only student who could recall what the formal name of Monkswood was. How these idiots had ever made it to their NEWTS Severus Snape would never know. Snape paced around the classroom glaring at each and every student as he passed willing them to disappear and make his life easier.

"This is standard potions knowledge," he barked, "I believe I taught more than one lesson on this in your first year."

He continued pacing the room when once more the know-it-all shot her hand up. Snape rounded on her angrily. She looked up at him defiantly from her seat.

"Miss Granger…" Snape started but was cut off.

"Professor Snape, please. I know the answer. Monkswood is formally known by Aconite. It is also known as Wolfbane. It is most commonly known as Monkswood because it closely resembles a monk's cowl."

Several students were looking sheepishly at their parchment in front of them. Snape stared at Hermione and dared her to utter another word.

"Miss Granger," Snape started his voice dangerously low and full of anger. "Firstly, Miss Granger, you may be able to spout off entire encyclopedia's in Professor McGonagall's class but disruptive behavior will not be tolerated in mine. I told you once to put your hand down and you deliberately disobeyed me. Gryffindors please note that 35 points will be taken from your House and Miss Granger." Snape paused for dramatic effect. How he loved the smell of fear. "Stay after class."

The room sat in silence. Severus walked towards the front of his classroom to the ledger sitting on his desk. He picked up his quill of silver and green and wrote down his daily deduction of house points. Looking down at the worn ledger he quickly added the total number of house points he'd taken today. "I've taken nearly 500 points today." He smirked to himself.

"As for the rest of you," he said without turning from his book quill still in hand. "I am going to take 5 points from each student in this classroom. It's only the beginning of the year. In your next class, we're going to have a quiz to test your potions level. If it is not adequate you will be expelled from this class. This is a NEWTS level course and should be treated as such." He recorded the points in his ledger and turned back to the class.

He pulled his dark mahogany wand from his inner sleeve and pointed it at the students. In fear, the students sunk low in their chairs. Severus gave a flick of his wrist and their potions books flew open to the last chapter. After the initial shock, the students gazed at their textbooks in wonder.

"In order, to prepare for your quiz and on my desk by Friday morning, four pieces of parchment outlining two potions of your choice. You may choose any two from the last chapter of your textbooks. Begin Now!" he barked at them.

Immediately the students began scribbling on their parchments. Severus went around to his desk and seated himself in the chair behind his desk. He began sorting through the various student essays that cluttered up his desk. Finding the first years and with a quick look up at his punished students he started grading.

Hermione was well aware of the momentary hatred from her fellow classmates as she searched for her quill. She couldn't believe that she had spoken out to Professor Snape. She hadn't meant to but something inside of her had just snapped. Why should she be punished just because her classmates didn't know the answer?

She wished, however, that she had kept her mouth shut. She didn't often feel the wrath of Professor Snape and she didn't like it one bit. She stole a glance at the professor sitting behind his desk. He appeared completely engulfed in grading but she knew better. She knew he was only pretending. His black hair hung in front of his face in clumps. His hook nose was the only part of his half hidden face she could see.

She looked to her left where Harry Potter was sitting. Harry was her very best friend. She loved Harry just as she would love her own brother if she had any. He was scribbling away on his parchment. She saw he was writing about Draught of Living Death. Feeling her eyes on him Harry stole a quick glance at Hermione and gave her a half smile. She smiled back. "No doubt he'll be asking me for help later." She thought to herself grimly.

She stole a glance back up at Professor Snape again. He was still diligently grading his papers. She turned her eyes back to her own work and began writing her essay on Everlasting Elixirs.

Half hour later Snape had dismissed the class rather hotly and now Hermione found herself standing in front of Professor Snape's desk. This was the first time Hermione had been alone in the Potions classroom. She didn't have Ron or Harry to protect her from Professor Snape's seething temper.

Professor Snape had gone into his office. Hermione glanced around his desk not really looking at his paper just trying to keep her mind occupied until Snape returned. She found the stack of papers he had been grading. They were first year essays on the boil cure potions ingredients and it's effects. She smiled to herself thinking of her days in her first year. She had been so terrified of Professor Snape, she still was. However, unlike her first year she had now come to respect the man for all his help in the Order.

She carefully looked at the top essay. It was the essay of a girl named Mary Carey. Obviously, Professor Snape had not been pleased with her essay. All over the first paragraph Hermione could see Professor Snape's spiking cursive handwriting leaving comments. No doubt they weren't nice comments. Hermione was so engrossed with the girls paper she didn't realize Professor Snape had reentered the potion's classroom.

"Miss Granger," Severus began. He watched the girl with a blank face. She turned to face him quickly. Her emotions played over her face like a well read story. She opened her mouth to speak but Severus cut her off.

"Miss Granger, your outburst today in my class was inexcusable. I will not tolerate such behavior in my class. Do you understand?"

Hermione's eyes fell to her feet. She simply nodded her head and looked up once again to meet Severus' eyes. His eyes held no comfort simply black pools.

"You shall receive a month's detention for your insolence. Now go."

Hermione just stared at him wide eyed. Accepting defeat she turned to go and quickly left the potions classroom. Severus watched her back as she quickly fled the classroom slamming the door behind her. He sighed. All students left his classroom that way. He had worked hard to distance himself from all. He sighed again.

"Well Severus," he said to the empty room, " You now have to deal with the know-it-all Gryffindor for a month." Sighing for the final time he retreated to the comfort of his rooms. His robes billowing behind him.

His rooms were quaint. Not too big and not too small. He had a living room which was done in all brown. The carpet was a deep rich chocolate brown and shag. His walls were beige and cluttered with pictures of various alchemists and the occasional of his family. There was a large gold marbled fireplace which was connected to Dumbledore's office. On the mantel was an assortment of liquors mostly brandy and fire whisky. A large chocolate leather couch was in front of the fireplace with two oversized leather lounge chairs on either side. There were two end tables on either side of the couch. Each were a deep mahogany and stacked with numerous volumes of potion books.

There was also a small kitchen which Severus hardly used. It was full of all sorts of pots and pans and dishes. They had all collected dust over the past 20 years he had been teaching. The only appliance he used in his kitchen was the tea kettle. There was a small two seat breakfast table in the corner of the kitchen. It was littered with alchemy magazines.

His bedroom was the largest room in his living quarters. It had a large four post canopy bed. The carpet was black and the walls were white. The bed had a black spread on it. The spread was unique however and had twinkling stars and the occasional comet shooting across. The canopy was black lace tied back on all four posts. He had a large walk in closet on one side and a large black chest on the other. The only light in the bedroom was two sets of floating candles beside the door.

Through a door on the right side of his bedroom held the bathroom. It had the standard toilet, sink and bathtub. It was done in black and white marble. He had bewitched the mirror so his reflection did not talk back to him.

As he entered his rooms he immediately shrugged out of his teaching robes like he was molting a second skin. He glared down at them as they fell to the floor. How he hated wearing his teaching robes. The only thing they were useful for was giving credit to his crude nickname "the overgrown bat".

After shedding his robes he was left in his a pair of black pants and a white button down long sleeve shirt. Even in the privacy of his own rooms Severus couldn't bring himself to wear anything but sleeves. He didn't want to look on the dark mark and think of all the terrible things he had been forced to do in his past and would be forced to do again.

Sighing for the fifth time in ten minutes he went into his small kitchen. He grabbed his tea kettle out of the cruddy sink. He gave it a quick rinse. He knew it hadn't come completely clean but whatever germs were left in there would be boiled out. He turned on the water in his sink placing the nozzle above the kettle. The water was brown with rust but after a quick tap with Severus' fist the water turned clear.

He walked over to his stove and lit the burner placing the kettle on top. He walked over to his table and sat down picking up the top copy of one of his magazines and began to read about the latest news in alchemy.

The article was about his old Potion's teacher Horace Slughorn. Slughorn had been given an order of Merlin second class for his discovery on an antidote on something or other. Severus really wasn't reading it.

"Old fool," Severus said to no one, "I knew more about potions than he did in my sixth year."

The tea pot began to whistle and Severus through the magazine down disgusted and went to the cupboard to retrieve his favorite mug. Giving it a quick rinse in the sink he placed a tea bag into the cup and went to retrieve his hot water from the stove.

As he was setting the kettle back on the stove he heard the sound of the floo from the fireplace in the next room. "Albus," he thought to himself. He walked into his living room before Albus had a chance to call him.

"Ah, Severus, my dear boy. I was just about to call for you," Dumbledore said looking up at Severus and eyeing the cup in his hand. "And I see you've just made tea."

"Would you like some, Albus?" Severus asked coldly. He already knew the answer and had turned to get some.

"Yes that would be lovely, Severus, thank you," Albus said settling himself into an armchair.

When Severus walked back into the room he noticed Albus had a manilla folder in his hands. Assuming it was the reason for Albus's visit and most likely for him he reached for it when he gave Albus the tea. Settling himself down on the couch he began to look through the envelope.

It was this years requests of independent projects. Each year the 7th year students did an independent project in the subject of their choice. Usually Severus did not get a lot of requests for potions. Not many students wanted to spend extra time with the dreaded Potion's Master which was perfectly fine by him.

In fact, this year there were only two requests by seventh year students. Flipping through them he moaned at the thought of spending extra time with the dunderheads. One of the two applicants was Draco Malfoy, Snape shook his head with disgust, of course Mr. Malfoy would want to do an independent project in his class. The other was Hermione Granger. Severus shook his head again. He looked up at Dumbledore.

"Albus, surely you do not expect to work with Hermione Granger outside of class. That know-it-all…"

"Will do exceptional." Albus finished for his younger colleague.

Snape bowed his head in defeat. Albus put a reaffirming hand on Snape's shoulder. "She's an extremely talented witch, Severus. Her marks almost outrank yours. Her project is interesting if you can bare yourself to look at it. Miss Granger wishes to become a Medi-witch and has given a request to both you and Pomona."

Snape looked up at Dumbledore and nodded his head and glanced down at Miss Granger's request. She had indeed asks for both teachers. "Stupid Gryffindor," he though to himself "Always looking to rise above and beyond."

"Are you going to accept her project, Severus?" Albus asked. When Severus looked up he noticed Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

"Yes."

Smiling, Albus put his finished cup of tea on the stack of books and bid Severus good night and informed him that he would be telling Miss Granger the good news tomorrow before breakfast.

Ok, so I've completely changed this story. I started writing it two years ago and I've got a lot of other S/H stories that I thought about just incorperating into this one. My style of writing has completely changed in the past two years. If you read the old story you'll have noticed. If you don't like it I'm sorry. 