The Prison Keeper

The following morning Hermione made sure to keep her eyes on her plate. She jabbed each egg hatefully and shoved it into her mouth. She had to release her anger somehow. Snape had not said a word to her all morning. This was not really surprising. He had, like yesterday, brought a book to the table and had not looked up from it once.

Hermione finished her food quickly and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Snape finished around the same time and slammed his book shut. With a wave of his wand the dishes disappeared.

"I am going out today." Snape said getting up from the table. He stood at the open door and allowed Hermione to leave before him.

Hermione stood out in the hall feeling angry. "So, I am to just wait in my room then?"

"Of course not," Snape said sounding surprised. "I am not your prison keeper Miss Granger. Through the door behind me is my library. Feel free to use it. Just don't touch the books on the right side of the room."

"Yesterday you said the only room that I could be in was my room. Are you contradicting yourself?"

Snape raised one eyebrow, "Unless you prefer to be limited to two rooms in my house then keep speaking Miss Granger."

Hermione shut her mouth and clenched her teeth.

Snape nodded satisfied and swept up stairs. She was always amazed at how he could leave a room so gracefully and with so much power at the same time. As soon as she heard his door shut she turned to look at the library door. She smiled, salvation at last.

She walked into the room and felt her jaw drop and her heart leap. The sight that welcomed her was beautiful. Not the room specifically. It was a narrow room and on each wall were shelves and shelves of books. But it wasn't the fact that the walls were covered with books, it was the fact that the books extended upwards.

She had to crane her neck all the way back to see the books. She couldn't see the ceiling and had an uneasy feeling that the mountain of books would come tumbling down to crush her.

A fireplace was on the far end of the room accompanied by a large sofa and an armchair. It was cozy and intimidating at the same time. She just had to look up and feel like she would be flattened Yet, comforting at the same time. She liked the small space of the room.

Hermione immediately walked over to the right side of the room and started gazing at the forbidden books. There were so many books she didn't even know where to look. A large collection of Dark Arts books caught her eye. Dark Arts through the Ages, The Healing Art of the Dark Arts, Is There Really a Defense Against the Dark Arts and Dark Arts: A History. She really needed to talk to the publishers about coming up with better titles.

She was intrigued. She wanted to reach out and grab the history book and the one about the dark arts being able to heal, something about that title was very questionable.

She withdrew her hand before it came in contact with the books and stepped back. She gave the books one last wistful stare and went to the other side of the room. She couldn't find any books on the Dark Arts on the left side. There were very few potion books as well. One thing that was surprising was the amount of books that were muggle. Not only by muggle authors but about muggles.

Hermione grabbed What makes a Muggle tick and sat down on the black leather armchair. She became immediately engrossed in the book. She found herself laughing out loud occasionally. The things that the wizarding community thought about muggles were really absurd.

A few hours later Hermione uncurled from her position on the armchair and stretched. She wondered when Snape had left and when he would be back. Not like she missed his company by any means but being alone was unsettling.

Hermione sat back down in the armchair and stared into the fire wondering if the fire was enchanted. She had not lit the fire when she first came into the room and yet it was still burning like someone has just barely started it. Watching the flames flicker caused Hermione's eyes to get heavy. She felt herself drop into a light slumber.

She woke with a start and let out a soft little yelp when she saw a tall dark clad man standing next to the fire. She quickly realized it was Professor Snape and blushed in embarrassment.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings Miss Granger," he lectured "I could have killed you without your knowledge."

"Your house is guarded so well I didn't think I had to remain vigilant."

"That is your first error," Hermione met his fierce gaze before he turned his attention to the book in her lap. "Interesting choice of reading material."

"It is interesting." Hermione said excited forgetting that she was angry at him. "Some things that people think about muggles are rather amusing."

"Glad you can derive some entertainment from it then," Snape said dryly.

"You have an impressive collection of books Professor." Hermione gave another swept of the room with her eyes before looking up. "It is kind of intimidating. How do you get your bookshelf to extend so far?"

"Really, Miss Granger I thought that would have been obvious." Hermione shot him annoyed look which Snape ignored. "It is done by magic or have you forgotten I am a wizard."

"I know it is magic," said Hermione exasperated, "I was merely inquiring as to what spell or charm is causing the bookcase to extend so high."

Hermione watched Snape's face as he stared into the fire. He did not answer her previous question but continued in his pensive mood. Hermione rolled her eyes and tried at conversation again. "So, tell me Professor, are these all of your books."

Snape spared a brief glance in Hermione's direction. "No, I am afraid I keep five or six in a box, in the basement. Just for fun."

If Hermione wasn't so frustrated with her failed attempts for civil conversation she would have laughed at Snape's sarcasm.

"I have brought your cat," Snape continued in his bored voice pointing towards the sofa. Hermione looked over and saw her cat sprawled unceremoniously across the couch. Crookshanks' head had fallen to one side and his legs were sprawled out beneath him. Hermione's eyes widen in terror and shock as she looked at her cat.

"What did you do!" she shrieked jumping from the armchair to the sofa. She gathered Crookshanks in her arms and cradled him. She then turned and glared at Snape ready to hex him into oblivion.

"I put a sleeping charm on him Miss Granger. No harm done."

"No harm done! Was it really necessary to knock him out?"

"Really Miss Granger you are over reacting" Snape continued calmly. "I didn't knock him out. He is just sleeping. And, yes, it was really necessary."

"Wake him up," Hermione demanded "Wake him up now!"

"The charm should wear off in an hour or two. In the meantime you can set up whatever you need in your room." Snape strode to the door. "Remember Miss Granger, he is not to leave your room." He warned before closing the door.

Hermione hugged her cat and followed Snape out of the room. She was at the base of the stairs when she heard his door shut. She climbed the stairs and stared at Snape's closed door for a moment. She was tempted to knock on it and argue some more but knew that he would win the argument.

Besides, she reasoned, Snape was being somewhat kind. He had gotten her cat and let her use his library. Just yesterday she didn't think that would have been possible. And their conversation earlier wasn't as bad as yesterday. This time she just wanted to throw a few curses at him, which really that was a major improvement.

-o-

Later on the in afternoon Hermione was still fuming. Crookshanks was angry at her which really didn't help her mood. He had taken to hiding underneath her bed. Hermione couldn't really blame him. She had sent the worst person to get him. She would be mad at herself too if the tables were turned.

Eventually Snape knocked on Hermione's door with food. He didn't enter the room or say very much except for lunch. Hermione waited until she knew he had left the food by the door before opening it. She wondered why he brought the food to her door instead of calling her to the kitchen.

Hermione sat on her bed, reading from her texts and munching on her sandwich. She quickly got bored and restless. Deciding to give up her anger she made her way downstairs and to the library.

Professor Snape was already there sitting on his armchair. He had been staring into the fire when Hermione entered the room. He gave her a blank look and returned his attention to the book in his lap. Hermione choose another book from the shelf and sat down on the sofa.

They continued that way for a few hours. Hermione began to relax and could almost imagine herself back at Hogwarts, studying in the library.

"Dinner will be ready in a half an hour," said Snape suddenly. His deep voice startled Hermione but luckily she didn't scream like before.

"Oh, ok." She said softly. Snape nodded and headed for the door. Hermione wanted to call him back for no reason than to start an argument but she didn't open her mouth soon enough.

A half an hour later Hermione sat herself down across from her old potions professor and started eating her food. He did not have a book with him and Hermione thought this was a perfect opportunity to chat.

"So, Professor, is this what you do every summer when you don't have dunderheads to teach?" Hermione's voice was light and harmless. Snape glared at her.

"You mean entertaining bothersome know-it-alls while I am trying to eat a peaceful and quite meal?"

"No," she continued ignoring his insult. By now that name hardly affected her. "Reading. Do you always read?"

"Are you always this nosy into affairs that are not your own?"

Hermione sighed, exasperated. "I am not being nosy Professor I am being polite. I am trying to hold a small innocent conversation with you and you are making it near impossible."

"What about my manner gave you any implications that I wanted to have conversation with you Miss Granger," he said snarkly. The way he said her name always made it sound like an insult.

"None, but since we are going to be living under the same roof for quite some time now I thought perhaps we could…" Hermione searched for the right word. She didn't want to say friend.

"Perhaps you thought we could make doilies together." He said icily, "Perhaps bake a cake or two and share little jokes that we can laugh about for hours. And then later we could skip and hold hands."

Hermione clenched her teeth and was about to make some snide comment but then had a better idea. "Well, I am not really much of a doily maker but my mother says I make a mean carrot cake."

"Next time I am in Diagon Ally I will have to pick you up a kit on doily making. However, I will not be joining you." Snape stood up from the table and vanished the food.

Once again Hermione would survive on a partially full stomach.

"Now out!" he snapped. Hermione felt her anger flare.

"No," She stood up and met his fierce gaze. "I was not finished with my meal."

"That is not my concern."

"So you are just going to let me go hungry?"

"It would appear so." He said evenly folding his arms across his chest.

He gave her menacing look that dared her to contradict him. Hermione couldn't help but feel a little afraid. Perhaps she had gone just a little too far with irritating him. Without another word she whirled around and went upstairs. She shut her door quietly and sat down on her bed. Crookshanks leaped out from underneath and rested his head on her lap, purring loudly.

"Finally decided to forgive me eh?" Hermiones said stroking him gently. "Tomorrow is another day." She mused. "Perhaps I will see if he is up for more delightful conversation at breakfast." Hermione laughed at that idea but found herself looking forward to tomorrow. Despite the fact that Snape aggravated her to no end it was still slightly amusing to annoy him back. Of course she really didn't have to try that hard because it seemed that just her being here was irritation enough.

Hope you are enjoying the story. I can't help but make Snape say the most sarcastic things even though he might not actually say those things. Perhaps it is a little of my personality coming out. Oh well hope you are enjoying the story and if you are I would very much enjoy a review!.