Thanks so much to those that sent reviews.! They give me the desire to keep going!
Once again, the only part of this story that belongs to me is the plot. JK Rowling owns the rest. Review!
The following day Hermione trudged toward the dungeons. Professor Snape had looked simply murderous in the Great Hall during breakfast this morning. And lunch this afternoon. In fact, she'd heard whispers of his foul mood throughout school today. Students who had already been in potions warned others to be on their guard. Apparently, Professor Snape had been deducting points and assigning detentions left and right. Hermione couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. The reports of the others regarding the potion masters temper today had caused nervous tremors in her stomach.
She arrived at the classroom with most of the others. They silently entered the room and settled themselves at their desks. Suddenly the door to Professor Snape's private office burst open, and he stormed into the room. His black robes swirled around him as he flicked his wand at the chalkboard. He certainly looked furious. Words began to appear on the board. The students stilled and waited. Snape glared at them. "Begin! You will have only enough time to prepare and bottle this potion if you start now! I will deduct points from any student who has not completed the potion in the allotted time." Students began to scramble to prepare for the potion. Hermione cast a quick glance in his direction and fell into line to gather her ingredients.
At the end of class, only two students had been able to complete the assigned potion. Hermione and Draco had placed their bottled potions on Professor Snape's desk only minutes before class ended. With a sneer, Snape had set the students a two-foot parchment on the potion to be handed in at the next class on Monday. Everyone had groaned, except for Hermione. She had calmly packed her belongings and started for the door.
Hermione planned to go to the library tonight to write the essay. No sense waiting until Sunday, and then rushing and doing a less than stellar job. Not Hermione Granger! She'd rather miss out on the Friday evening shenanigans her classmates would indulge in and be prepared for Monday. Not that she had anyone to play with anyway. Harry and Ginny would disappear. Ron, of course, would be snogging Lavendar somewhere. Most of her classmates would be snogging someone somewhere. Draco would probably have a girl in his room. The library was the only place Hermione would find peace. She sighed and headed down the hall.
Snape headed for the library. There were very few potions books he did not own. However, the one he needed at the moment was one of those very few. Luckily for him, the immense Hogwarts library had a copy. And, he thought to himself, since it is Friday, it is unlikely that any students will be wandering the stacks. Unless they are up to something…in which case he would have no problem deducting house points. It seemed to Snape like he was always finding a hormonal pair of teenagers frolicking in the library. Once Madame Pince was gone for the night, they seemed to think the library was a good substitute for a hotel room.
He pushed the large wooden doors open and headed into the library. The smell of old parchment and ancient books was soothing. He wandered past the massive shelves of books toward the Restricted Section. As Severus approached, he noticed a light on near the wooden tables in the center of the library. Instead of the hushed whispers and giggles he expected, Snape heard the simple scratching of a quill on parchment. Curious, he thought as he headed toward the sound to investigate.
Hermione was almost done. She'd been working on her essay for the last couple of hours. Her back was getting stiff from bending over the table and writing for so long. The essay had not been difficult to write, simply time-consuming. Professor Snape certainly knew how to set an essay. Two feet of parchment was long. Of course, Hermione was actually struggling to keep her essay at that length. She wanted so much to add in the information she'd discovered about the interactions between some of the ingredients. However, Hermione knew that Snape would be irritated if she went over. Once she finished her last sentence, Hermione put the quill in the inkpot and stretched her arms above her head. Hermione leaned to stretch her back, thrusting her chest forward. She let out a quiet groan. What time is it? I wonder if the others have gone to bed yet. Hermione checked the time and sighed. Not even 11 o'clock yet. Everyone would still be up. Placing her head on her folded arms, Hermione closed her eyes. She'd just relax here for a while, then return to her dorm later. Luckily, her status as Head Girl kept her from worrying about curfew.
Severus watched as Hermione finished working. Hermione grimaced as she stretched her arms above her head. Apparently she'd been working there for some time. The movement caused the buttons of her blouse to strain. He found himself wishing just one of those buttons would not be able to stand the pressure. Snape shook his head. Inappropriate! She is your student, not your lover. He cursed under his breath. Wonderful thought to implant in his own brain. He studied her as she checked the time and sighed sadly to herself. Hermione folded her arms and laid her head down. Her eyes slid shut, and she apparently fell asleep.
After watching long enough to determine that Hermione wasn't stirring, Snape left his hiding place and walked quietly toward the sleeping girl. He looked down at her. Hermione's caramel colored hair shimmered in the light and her pale skin glowed. Severus slowly reached toward her. He gently brushed a stray curl back from her face. "Beautiful," he whispered. Hermione shifted slightly, and Severus slid back into the shadows of the shelves.
"Ohhhhh...One should never sleep in the library," Hermione groaned. She'd been awakened when a soft movement had brushed her cheeks. She could have sworn that someone had whispered, "Beautiful," but as she looked around, there was no one near. In fact, there was no one in the library with her. How long have I been here? I need to get to my room! Hermione quickly gathered her belongings and dashed out of the library.
Snape watched her leave. He scowled. Feeling anything toward this girl was most unwise. Even if she returned his feelings, nothing could ever come of it. She was his student, and only half his age. It would be best if he simply put her out of his mind. With determined steps, Snape found the book he was searching for and returned to the dungeon. He'd closed his heart off once, he could do it again.