To my wonderful reviewers! Next time I'll locate these below the fic. Scroll down to the storyif you must, but you might miss something you would want tohear, like which pairing it'll be.
Damia: Thank you very much. I dislike Buffy with a passion and someone told me I shouldn't write btvs if I don't like buffy. I guess she didn't think about the fact that I could like other characters.
KaR-Lin: You probably won't come back to read this, but you're an idiot. You don't have to like Buffy to like the series. I hate Buffy because she turned into a bitch in the last four season and with Angel being my favorite character and she being horrible to him when she visits in the Angel series, I can't shake that image of her off. Read my bio if you want to know more about my dislikes for her. We all have our own problems. As far as I can tell she has food in her mouth and some pretty damn nice clothes and that's more than I have. She and you can get over yourselves.
MGoddess: Thank you so much. I've gotten two negative reviews in this chapter and I love all of you that are so positive. You are the ones that keep me going! THANK YOU!
Charmed-angel4: I'm so sorry, but it won't be a buffy/snape, but there may be a little willow/snape. I'll cool her down after chapter 7 I promise, but I really think she's a stubborn person and doesn't like when she's wrong. I'm not making her mean just out of hate for her, but she feels something evil about them so she's not going to be very inclined to like them. I really wish I could write the story with that pairing for you but I've also got a large number of sshg requests. Sorry!
Shelby: It's great to have a fan of my story. I was going to cut Snape hair, but that's kind of like part of his image, so I didn't want to completely change him, but I washed it! (hehe) I've already wrote the meeting of Xander, Willow and Hermione, but it's not too exciting. Hermione will get close to Cordy though, so I hope you like her. I'll go change those mistakes, thanks! Also, I will have all the third season characters in it (including Snyder… grins evilly). I won't have to rush, I've already written the story, up to chapter 6, so I don't really feel any pressure. Thanks for your review.
Tina: thanks!!!
GeekGoddess: You're name is one letter short of my Ashwinder screenname! I'm GreekGoddess there! That's awesome. You have good taste in names! Ya, with all the requests for sshg, I went back and changed some of the story to hint some sshg, but pairings will come before then I warn you.
Dogbertcarroll: I think my chapter works. It wasn't so much Buffy insulting them for being British, but for being 'demons' from Britain. I thought she had made fun of Spike's accent once in the second season so I added that in there. She didn't attack them because they have magic. She had no idea they were wizard until they cast a spell on her, well except the Lumos spell… but she thinks they're evil. She didn't think the willow/jenny/giles/amy were evil so she wouldn't have attacked them, you're right about that.
Tigerfanfry: That's an awesome name. Thanks and check again one more for sshg. I love this. My favorite pairing kicking ass in the votes, but willow/snape is close behind.
Azulkan: I'll give you some willow/snape, I promise, whether or not willow/snape wins. I know either willow/snape or Hermione/snape are going to win.
Hehe, I made you think I was actually going to tell you which had won. VOTE VOTE VOTE!
Hermione was so tired; she didn't even feel like taking in the image of the lovely little house as she followed Snape in his inspection. The living room was to the right as they entered the house and the dining room to the left.
He led the way into the dining room then to the kitchen. It was a huge kitchen and had a large island in the middle of it. The cabinets were smooth mahogany with black knob-like handles and the counter was a dark green, with all the necessary items of a kitchen and more about the room. There was a couch against the back wall of the kitchen that somehow managed to fit in and a bench by the door to the dining room. It was the kitchen of a Slytherin chef if one ever existed
The back door was black and the green curtains were closed tightly. Hermione turned on the lights as they went and was surprised when Snape wasn't surprised at the light, being a wizard and living without electricity for the most part.
They took a quick look into the large living room, decorated in Gryffindor reds and gold, which caused Snape to scowl. He continued their trail up the wooden staircase at the back of the living room. They were welcomed up the stairs by the sight of an amazing library. It was packed with books, shelves covering two of the walls up to the ceiling fifteen feet above, where beautiful gothic light fixtures hung. It was a comfortable room, decorated in a mixture of the Gryffindor red and Slytherin green. Hermione smiled, knowing now for sure that the headmaster had decorated the house completely for their use.
Snape continued scowling as he reached the big oak door against one of the walls. This wall was completely green and beside the door was the tapestry of a green snake. He opened the door and inside it was amazingly Gryffindor. "That is your room," he said, stiffly. Hermione nodded, having caught a glimpse of the room. She held back a smile. The wall with a lion tapestry had another door that opened into a completely dark and very green room, perfect for the potions master.
Without so much as a word to Hermione, he went in and slammed the door behind him.
Hermione sighed and went into her own room. She dropped into the bed, without bothering to change, and fell asleep quickly. It didn't matter that she had woken up only a few hours ago, she was tired.
Hermione awoke the next morning to an angry grumbling in the next room. She got up looking down at her watch. She saw that it was 6:00. "Time for school," she thought, pushing herself up. She muttered a quick cleaning spell on herself and charmed a new outfit onto her. She was wearing a white, button-down shirt, untucked, but not long, only falling an inch below the top of her hip-hugger jeans. The sleeves of the shirt went just barely past her elbows. She frowned looking at herself in the mirror, then waved her hand again and a black belt with a silver buckle appeared around her waist. It helped the outfit look all right with the black gloves that she knew she wouldn't take off that day.
There was a thump from the other room. "Professor!" she called frowning.
"Mind your own business," he snapped back.
"Yes sir," Hermione muttered. She smiled at the thought of him struggling to get dressed in the muggle clothes as that was probably his problem.
She sighed and suddenly thought about food. She hoped the kitchen was stocked. She hurried out of her room, and through the library, down the stairs, through the living room, small entrance room, and dining room until she reached the kitchen finally.
She went directly to the refrigerator, and opened it. She thanked Albus for always foreseeing all the parts of something. The refrigerator was completely stocked and looked beautifully neat. She took out what she would need to make pancakes and eggs from the fully-stocked cupboard and refrigerator. She heard Snape stalking to the doorway, then stopping in his tracks.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Cooking, I find it relaxing to do it the muggle way," Hermione replied, lightly, as she stirred the pancake mix, looking in a few cupboards before finding a pan. She then started to cook the pancakes, retrieving a spatula to flip them.
"How do you like you eggs sir?" Hermione asked.
"However," he muttered, going to the sink and waving his wand at the dishes that she had already used. They began to clean themselves. He watched them closely, as if they would start fighting with each other. Hermione just shrugged at his odd behavior.
"Good, I'm excellent at making scrambled," Hermione said, trying to be friendly with the grumpy and tired potions master, who shrugged.
"Sir, are you all right?" Hermione asked, quietly after a long silence, and she had about four pancakes stacked up and the eggs on the pan, cooking.
"I am tolerable, Miss Granger, considering… Did he hurt you?" Snape asked, after a moment. "I saw him grab you by the arms." Snape avoided her gaze.
"It's just a few small bruises, sir, nothing serious. They're not painful," Hermione said, quietly, looking back to the cooking.
Snape nodded, saying nothing more. Hermione separated the eggs onto two plates as well as the pancakes.
She carried them into the dining room, and Snape remained finishing the washing. She came back to finish the pot of tea she had begun.
"Go on in, sir, it's ready. We should hurry," Hermione said.
"I'm aware of that Miss Granger," Snape said bitingly, but he did as he was asked.
Hermione and Snape ate in a companionable silence, with only a comment on the inadequate tea, which Hermione shrugged off.
By the time they had finished it was 6:45. Hermione waved on a black coat, as they approached the door. It wasn't very cool outside, but Hermione didn't want to leave without at least the light jacket.
"Sir?" Hermione asked, glancing back to see if he was ready. He nodded, opening the door. They walked out of the shabby-looking building and began the quiet walk to the school, interrupted only by quickly-walking over-achievers on their way to study before school and a few students in green uniforms, standing straight and walking in a controlled, quick step. (JROTC baby! Yeaya! Charlie Company Hu-Ah!)
They entered the school in silence and they walked to the office in silence, Snape following Hermione, as he didn't know how to navigate in a muggle school. Hermione led them directly to the office, where people were sitting at phones for the most part, but a secretary stood and walked over to them.
"Hello, you must be Mr. Smith… the new teacher and his assistant Miss Griffith?" the woman asked, welcomingly a broad smile on her face.
Snape nodded, while Hermione responded with a soft, "Yes ma'am."
"British are you dear? Did you grow up in England?"
"Yes, she grew up in England, can we please get this over with?" Snape snapped.
"Well, I'll just get a TA to show you to your room. He's trying to get extra credit. The only zero-hour office aid," the woman said, conversationally, but was cut off with a dark glare from Snape. Hermione sighed. He was slipping into his usual teaching demeanor and it wouldn't do here.
"Well then, Justin!" the woman called. A young man jumped up, hurrying over. He frowned at Snape.
"Justin will you show these two to their classroom?" the woman asked.
"Sure… I'd - love to," he said, his eyes sweeping over Hermione appreciatively, who edged away from him.
"I do believe she asked you to show us to our room, not take your teen hormones out on someone not interested, now move," Snape barked. Justin glared at him, but Hermione smiled at it. As much as she knew he couldn't do that, it comforted her to know that he hadn't changed from the person he had always been.
They followed Justin through the hallways quickly and when he stopped in front of a room, they did as well.
"If there's nothing else?" he growled, before stalking off. Hermione opened the door, and led the way in. Snape closed the door behind them.
"Insolent child," he muttered.
"Sir, you can't act like that here. I told you. You have to mellow a bit," Hermione said.
"I do not 'mellow' when people waste my time. I will not bester them if they do not act like children, which they are not," he muttered.
"I guess that's all I can ask of you," she sighed. "If Remus were here…" she whispered, under her breath, knowing he would catch it. He did but didn't say anything.
On the teachers desk lay an envelope with the name Rowena Griffith on it and a note beside it, which Snape picked up and read. "Computer?" he asked, frowning at the word.
"You're kidding right?" Hermione asked.
"What is it?" Snape demanded.
"All right, don't ask how this works, please, just pretend it is by magic. This is a mouse…" it took Hermione almost forty-five minutes to explain the way the computer worked with minimal confusion.
"I think sir, no offense, but I should take care of the computer grades and you take care of the books. Will that work?" Hermione asked.
Snape, who was slightly frazzled and confused by the computer, nodded quickly.
"Great," Hermione said, taking up the envelope, pulling the paper out from inside it, and unfolding it. She read it quickly. "I have first period as a Teachers Aid in the Library?" Hermione frowned. "I thought the headmaster said-"
"If the headmaster gave you the class, then take the class. Don't argue Miss Granger," he said irritated.
"I have a whole morning of idiot's classes, sir. Why not just help you all day?" Hermione asked.
"Maybe the headmaster wants you to learn something about and you have choir and drama… those are not an idiot's class," Snape said, trying to hide his amusement.
"He thinks I'll stick out like a sore thumb if I am in a class I can follow, doesn't he?" Hermione said, irritated.
"It seems like it doesn't it?" Snape smirked.
"Bloody Dumbledore," Hermione muttered. "I was hoping to learn something this year."
"You will Miss Granger. You will be working on potions with me after school every day. We will secure one of the school laboratories," Snape stated.
"What happened to the last teacher here? It is into the year," Hermione frowned.
"Dead, sucked dry by a pack of vampires," Snape stated. Hermione paled, but nodded.
"Do not take those gloves off, Miss Granger," He warned, as she opened the door to leave.
"I won't," Hermione replied, running into someone as she left. The girl's books all fell to the floor. Hermione immediately reached for her wand, but stopped, scolding herself. She stooped down and helped the scrambling girl with her things. The girl had red hair and was wearing blue overalls with a red shirt. "I'm sorry," Hermione apologized quickly, handing the girl her notebooks.
"Oh, no, it's my fault. I'm clumsy. It happens all the time. I just have some problems with coordination sometimes and all that," the girl rambled.
"Where were you headed?" Hermione asked.
"The library… you?" the girl asked.
"Same place, I am the librarian's aid," Hermione explained.
"Are you British?" the girl asked.
"Yes, I am," Hermione nodded.
"I thought so. That sounds like fun being an aid in the library! I didn't know Giles had a teacher's aid position!" the girl said.
"Giles?" Hermione frowned, deeply, knowing that was the name of the watcher she was looking for. "Rupert Giles?"
"Yes do you know him from England?" the red-head asked her, excitedly.
"In a way, I guess, yes," Hermione nodded. "I'm… Rowena Griffith," Hermione said the name that she remembered on the envelope.
"Well, I'm Willow Rosenburg. It's great to meet you," Willow said.
"You two. Do you think you could show me to the library?" Hermione asked, slowly.
"Oh! Ya, of course I can!" Willow said, abashed. She began leading the way. Hermione, seeing how much Willow was struggling with her many books. Feeling some empathy as she remembered her third year, she took off the top half of the books. Willow gave her a grateful look. "So, why'd you move to America?" Willow asked.
"I'm running," Hermione said, simply.
"Running? From what?" Willow frowned.
"It's kind of a long story," Hermione said.
"I have time," Willow said.
"Maybe sometime I'll tell you," Hermione replied.
"Oh, okay," Willow looked crestfallen.
Hermione began to hear angry voices from the library ahead. "I didn't ask for a bloody assistant because I don't bloody need an assistant!" a distinctly annoyed British voice reached her ears. She glanced at Willow who gave her an apologetic look.
"He's probably tired," Willow said.
"I'll bet," Hermione muttered.
"Hey B, catch!" another voice said.
"Faith, don't throw knives," a distinctly familiar voice said.
"Buffy, what in your knowledge of Faith makes you think that will work?" a laughing male voice said.
"Well, it took me hours to get the blood off my clothes last night. Do you know how many good clothes I lose for this job," the second girl's voice said.
Hermione's temper flared as she pushed open the door, harder than necessary.
"You are the watcher, then?" Hermione asked. Willow gave her a horrified look. Hermione set Willow's books on the counter. "You!" Hermione rounded on the blonde girl she knew now for sure to be the slayer Buffy Summers, with her wand raised in a gloved hand. "You stabbed him and you are worried about your bloody clothes?" Hermione shouted at Buffy. "Ya, sure, he's feeling fine this morning, even though you STABBED him!"
"Hey, yo, just back up and cool down. What's going on?" the brunette girl said. Hermione turned her wand on that girl.
"She stabbed my… my… mentor," Hermione said, not finding the words without using professor.
"Buffy? You didn't tell us the person you stabbed last night was human," Giles said, deadly serious.
"He wasn't," Buffy stated, sure of herself.
"He was as human as me! Being a witch does not make you inhuman!" Hermione snapped, angrily.
"That… you're one of Albus Dumbledore's students?" the British man, Giles asked in shock.
"Call me Hermione Granger, call me Rowena Griffith, I don't care, but the next time she speaks I'm going to hit her with a powerful Cruciatus. You know the headmaster, perhaps you can explain that particular curse to your bloody slayer and keep her on a tight leash," Hermione said, still holding her wand in the direction of Faith and Buffy.
"Miss Granger, you are already making friends I see," Snape's cool voice came from the door.
Hermione turned away from Buffy, trying to control her anger. The girl foolishly lunged for Hermione's wand and knocked it away too, but Hermione dove for it, using a shoulder roll to roll up into a kneeling position her wand directly between Buffy's eyes.
"I may not be strong and I may not have slayer reflexes, Buffy, but I was trained as an auror this summer. I know curses to peel off your skin layer by layer until there's nothing left but muscle and bone," Hermione growled, dangerously.
"Miss Granger get up and stop fighting with that foolish spoiled brat," Snape said.
"She stabbed you!" Hermione snapped, her eyes not leaving Buffy's.
"Yes and you healed me, now get off the ground and put your wand away," Snape ordered.
Hermione stood up and backed away slowly, her wand still in Buffy's face. Once she was at Snape's side she lowered her wand, not putting it away.
"Severus Snape?" Giles' stunned voice said, suddenly realizing who the man was.
"What?" Xander frowned. "I am so beyond lost."
"The best Potions Master in Europe!" Giles exclaimed. "He completely changed the way people make wolfsbane and how the art of potions is taught."
"Europe's quite a stretch and the only reason I changed that potion was to keep Lupin out of my hair," Snape scoffed.
"Professor this is Mr. Rupert Giles… the watcher," Hermione said, glowering.
"I'm not stupid, Miss Granger," Snape growled.
"Fine, I'll just get out of your hair then," Hermione snapped, turning and stalking out of the room, shoving her wand in her pocket. She angrily slammed the door closed behind her, ignoring Snape's order for her to come back. She moved swiftly through the quickly filling halls, deftly avoiding running into anyone. She stopped when she got to the cafeteria. She smiled at woman slaving over her large pot. The woman acknowledged her with a surprised and somewhat pleased expression. Hermione took a bagel and paid for it with some muggle money. Hermione was far from poor with all the life insurance and already acquired money her parents had left her when they had been murdered. In Britain she had some of her muggle money turned into American dollars. She understood the system of payment in America well enough. Another woman with a hair net handed her the change and she sat down at a table in the cafeteria.
Hermione ate her breakfast in silence, not noticing anyone and thankfully not being noticed by anyone… much.
Review please, but be nice double-please. The pairing vote's still open. Now I close it off to be Willow/Snape or Hermione/Snape, because no one else really has a chance so far. Sorry to the other fans. You can vote for different couples too, but Cordy/Xander will stand no matter the votes.