Title: The Apprentice.
Chapter: 2 – Colleagues.
Author: LizzyUnexpected
Rating: R/MA; HG/SS
Warnings: Language at the moment
AN: Alright kiddlywinks, here's another one. I will try and update at least once every two days, I have a full time job and it gets pretty hectic :/

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, they belong to J.K Rowling. And if I did own it, Snape would have nevereverever died.

Dinner in the common room with Severus Snape was one of the most awkward things that Hermione had ever experienced. Their cutlery clinked and clattered against their plates as they twirled the long pasta around their forks. There were no words spoken by either parties, but there were stolen glances and throat clearings from the both of them, almost asking for attention from each other. After dinner, Severus got more comfortable, and his leg accidentally brushed against Hermione's, and she took in a breath of surprise before looking up at him from beneath her lashes. He was looking down at the table and was tracing a pattern absent-mindedly. Absent-mindedly? Severus Snape does not do things with any sort of absence in that clearly complicated mind of his! Surely you're mistaken! She internally slapped herself at her thoughts and as she noticed that he wasn't looking, she let her eyes wander over his body.

There was no doubt at all that he looked better than he did from back in his days at Hogwarts, he was less sallow and he had filled out. He wasn't overly attractive, but there was something alluring about the way he set himself, his flowing and languid movements. His hands were calloused, but they were the tools of his trade, his magical members, if you will. His hands seemed calm and controlled, but she knew that they were the source of much grief in the past, whether it be his own or others. His shoulders were still rigid and strong, but they seemed more relaxed; or as relaxed as one Severus Snape could be. She smirked a little to herself as she noted that his nose, still the same, large... well enormous looking honker he had before, now looked like it belonged on his face, as his cheeks were not so hollow. His eyes... Wait... His eyes? Hermione blushed when she found Severus' onyx eyes staring into her own as she was caught looking over his body and she cleared her throat, standing up with a tight, yet polite smile;

"Well... I think I might retire to bed... I'll see you tomorrow in the lab, Professor," Hermione sighed and began to walk out of the room, but not before Snape caught her by the wrist and pulled her around. His expression was serious and confused, but she wasn't about to ask him what was wrong. He was her ex-professor, and practically her new boss, she didn't need to have problems with making friends with him, but something was urging her to ignore her logic, she wanted desperately to ask him questions to feed her thirst for knowledge, but she found that her Gryffindor courage had run out the window, along with her ability to breathe;

"Call me Severus, please. We are colleagues now... I don't want to use such formalities with you when we live in such confines. I will call you Hermione, just... I don't want you to think of me as your professor." Severus almost huffed, but he settled for a soft sigh as he released her wrist, after a slow and deliberate stroke up her arm, and she nodded slightly as she realised their faces were barely inches away from another, and she looked up into his ebony eyes, and he stared right back into her whiskey orbs. Hermione felt her breath quicken and she couldn't tare her eyes from his. She finally gathered her thoughts and nodded again;

"Alright... Goodnight," She barely breathed the words as she turned on her heel and practically jogged to her room, her legs going at top speed to get away from something that she had no idea what to think of. She got into her room and closed the door, resting her forehead against it, breathing heavily from the shock of what had just occurred. He had touched her. Tenderly. What the fuck? They had been close, and if she leant in a couple of inches, their lips would have touched, and she would have tasted his soft li- Hermione! What are you thinking about your old teacher like thatfor? She huffed and stripped down into her underwear, not even bothering to change into her pyjamas before collapsing down onto the bed and succumbing to the sleep she had been denied of through the day.

Severus, however, was lying in his bed for a long while, thinking of what was going on. She was his ex student, yet when she came into the room, he felt self conscious, and yes, Severus Snape does get self conscious, except he never let everyone know it. Hermione, his apprentice, was having some strange sort of affect on him. He felt as if she was drawing him closer, and he was terrified by the fact he was so content with touching her. His hands were meant for potions and potions only. But sometimes he felt his mind wander to think about where else he could put his hands, how they could run down her sid- Severus! Ex. Student. There. He coughed uncomfortably and turned to his side, falling asleep with his thoughts.

_

Severus was brewing quietly the next morning as Hermione walked in with a yawn, "Morning Pro-Severus." she cleared her throat and started on her list of potions that she had to brew before she made a fool of herself. She didn't pay attention to anything but the potion, there was no way he was taking her off guard again like the night before, when she had embarrassed herself by looking over his body like a love-sick student. She had no feelings toward him, she was just making comments towards his heath... wasn't she? She risked a glance to look at Severus and watched him chop up his ingredients, his movements were quick and precise, while hers, she felt were sloppy in comparison. She was getting angry at herself and tried to chop more quickly before she got her finger with the sharp knife;

"Ah fuck!" she held her finger and groaned as blood poured out. She didn't notice the drops that fell into the potion but merely held her finger. Severus' head snapped up as he heard her curse and was by her side in an instant. He knew all about cuts from the potion's knives, he got them daily. But some of the ingredients might've already had an effect on her cut, so he took her hand, and held it, taking out a healing salve from his pocket and softly spreading it over the healing cut. He chuckled softly and looked up at Granger from his lashes, she was looking at him with a slight frown;

"No foolish wand-waving, remember. So I will not heal you with my wand." He smirked as her expression relaxed, and she became limp before she fell forward. He clutched her form confusedly and then looked at her potion, which seemed to be smoking when he knew it shouldn't be, and he knew automatically what had happened, the fumes were toxic, from an unauthorised ingredient. Her blood. He picked her up bridal style and revelled in the way her body fit perfectly in his arms. He could have used a levitating spell, but he, once again, felt the urge to touch her, and this gave him the perfect excuse. He quickly waved his wand and emptied the cauldrons, they would start new later, but he needed to get Hermione to the hospital wing before she developed the second stage of potion poisoning, which would be made worse by the still healing cut on her finger. He felt himself be genuinely worried for her and he didn't want to know why.