Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Authors note: I'm so glad everyone like this story. I think this is the first known version of this pairing B&B and SSHG. This is what happens when you have no lights for 4 days.

Chapter 4

"Have you had your fill, Miss Granger?" Snape said sarcastically.

Hermione blushed and stepped further into the room noting her surroundings. Snape's quarters were spaciously small. The living room which she now stood in was in shambles. There were dusty books lying on almost every inch of the floor.

His couch was torn in long strips with the stuffing falling out. Hermione deduced they were claw marks. Glass littered the floor. She realized they were broken coffee cups. The kitchen was attached to the living room. All of the cupboard doors were off the hinges each with deep scratches in the wood.

The door on the left side was tightly shut. Probably the bedroom.

"Where will I be sleeping, Professor?"

"Hogsmeade," Snape seethed.

Hermione turn to face him matching his ever present scowl.

"Professor, I can hardly…"

"In through there you insolent girl," Severus said pointing toward the door.

Hermione nodded her thanks and headed for the door but paused as a thought crossed her mind.

"Sir, is there only one room down here?"

Severus scoffed returning to his dark throne. Insolent girl. He thought coyly.

"Why, Miss Granger, I thought you were intelligent. There are two rooms. They connect but I assure you that I will lock you in your room when I go to bed. I will not have a smug little Gryffindor gawking at me."

"Sir, I will not be locked in my room like I'm a student. As you well know I graduated from Hogwarts and with honors nonetheless..." Hermione bragged before Severus interrupted her.

"Save it, you silly girl. I do not give a damn if you graduated or not let alone with the atrocious grades you dare to say were honors. Now get out of my sight." He said deadly.

"I assure you, Professor, they were indeed…"

"GET OUT!" Severus bellowed causing the walls to shake.

Hermione fled. She raced through his room into her own and slammed the door shut leaning up against it trying to get herself to quit shaking. Tears slipped down her cheeks. She was beginning to think she was foolish for agreeing to this.

She nonchalantly noticed that her things had been brought and were sitting in the corner waiting to be unpacked. Hoping she could get her mind off of the beast formerly known as Severus Snape in the other room.

After her things were put away she set about the boring task of writing letters to her parents and her friends to tell them she had arrived safely. She paused for a moment wondering if she should write to Ron. She'd even put a header of 'Dear Ron' on a piece of parchment before crinkling it and tossing it behind her.

It was almost two hours later when she felt nerve enough to go into the living room again. When she opened her bedroom door she was surprised to step right into the living room. Snape must have magically moved her door. She thought irritably.

She was surprised to see that Snape had left. If Hermione had to live in this depressing wasteland she wasn't about to do it in filth. She stood in the center of the room taking in the scene. Grudgingly she knew she wasn't going to be able to clean it up herself. She called for a house-elf through the floo.

A small grayish brown house-elf appeared. It had a dirty green rag tied to its little body and it's overly large blue eyes were shining.

"What may I do for you, Miss?" It asked in a squeaky voice.

"What is your name?" Hermione asked.

"Acorn, m'am"

Hermione inwardly giggled at the name.

"Well, Acorn, I'm going to clean up this room which as you can see is a natural disaster. I need help and was wondering if you would help me?" Hermione stopped then remembered, "I will pay you,"

"No Miss, No, You need not pay Acorn, I will work for you because that is my job to do so." The little elf started to pick up broken glass immediately.

Hermione felt like she was living in an episode of 'How Clean is Your House?' with her as the overbuncious Kim and the tiny house elf the down to business Aggie.

It took the unlikely duo almost four hours to complete the hellish task. The walls which Hermione had originally thought were blank were actually a dark plum. The whole room had a rustic feeling towards it. She had asked the tiny Acorn to gather some fresh Lilies to brighten up the room.

All the while, Professor Snape had never surfaced.

Hermione thanked the elf and Acorn took her leave. Thoroughly pleased with herself Hermione went to her room and grabbed a book on medicinal potions she had picked up in London before she'd left. She curled up on the plum colored suede couch pushing aside the mustard colored pillows and settled into the literature.

Quite some time later; she was roused from her reading by Snape's bedroom door opening. He stood in the door way in the same rags she had first seen him in. He was looking angrily around the room.

"What have you done?" he asked angrily.

"I cleaned. You can hardly expect me to live in filth." Hermione answered setting her book on the couch beside her.

"I don't expect you to live here at all. You are a claw in my side." His eyes fell onto the Lilies setting in a crystal vase on the end table beside the couch.

Snape's body went rigid and it seemed the whole room turned dark. He stared at the flowers with the look of battered rage. Hermione watched his face cautiously. Her brain was telling her she was in danger but her heart made her stay put.

Snape's eyes snapped up to hers so violently it made Hermione jump. He snarled and ran to pick up the vase in one hand. He crushed the vase leaving only the flowers in his hand. Blood ran down his hand but he paid no attention to it.

Hermione didn't move.

"Do you mean to mock me girl?" He snarled his eyes bloodshot.

"Those are my favorite flowers; I didn't mean to offend you in anyway." She said getting to her feet and putting distant between her and the beast.

"I DON"T WANT YOUR HELP!! GET OUT OF MY CHAMBERS!! GET OUT!!" He roared.

Hermione was out of the room and running down the hall towards the great hall before he had quit his bellow. Tears ran down her face. Before she reached the end of the hall way her legs gave out and she sunk down in the hallway. She'd never been so scared in her life.

Back in the room Snape sunk into his chair in the corner and held the flowers to his face wishing silently he had his Lilly instead of these wilted flowers.

Authors note: Ok this is it for this chapter. Of course, you probably knew that otherwise I wouldn't be writing this little note. 5 more reviews people then you'll get the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. UPDATE: 10/29/08 I've had a little medical emergency. I had a very infected impacted wisdom tooth. It's out now but I'm still recovering from the infection and will update as soon as I'm able.