Chapter 4:
"How are you doing today?" Severus asked her as she entered his chambers and sank into his couch with a sigh. They discussed how she was handling being ostracized by her house as well as how she was handling being an honorary Slytherin.
"Oh Severus, it's just so hard to see most of the people you once thought of as friends turn on you." She told him miserably. "And Ron is the worst. He was my best friend, I would have done anything for him and he turned his back on me quicker than everyone else. Hell, I once even though myself to fancy him!"
Severus just raised his eyebrow at her language, "Perhaps that is why he has reacted so strongly then?" He suggested, "He feels you betrayed him somehow. If he had romantic feelings towards you and now you are a representation of everything he thinks is wrong, maybe that is why he acted the way he did. Not that it excuses anything he has done, but it may be a reason."
"I think you may be right, I know he had a crush on me since 4th year but I figured he was over me after he dumped me last year." She told him shaking her head. "Ugh, and now the headmaster is making me attend this infernal dance since I am head girl. He says I cannot just hide away in the dungeons."
Severus laughed at that, it was such a strange sight that Hermione was stunned speechless. He looked 10 years younger when he laughed like that, and she was shocked to see him smile afterwards. "Sorry, but those are the exact words he uses on me every time I try to back out of one of his crazy schemes."
Hermione thoroughly enjoyed her shopping trip with Severus and the Malfoys. They knew every high end and designer boutique to shop at in Europe and they visited most of them. Narcissa Malfoy was much different than Hermione expected; she was loving and kind and fawned all over her son. She seemed to be as excited to get Hermione a new wardrobe as she was. Narcissa even dragged her into the lingerie shops in Paris and spent more money on undergarments than she had ever spent on all of her old clothes combined.
When they were almost done shopping Draco handed her a package to open and try on. "This is for you to wear to the dance, let the Gryffindors' eat their words." When she emerged from the changing room she was smirking. The dress was blood red and clung to her body like a second skin. It showed off her cleavage and perfect body that she normally hid under her Hogwarts robes. There was a golden silk wrap to go with the dress rather than the usual robes. She looked like a Gryffindor Goddess, well minus her hair!
"Next stop is my hair salon!" Narcissa exclaimed noticing how beautiful the dark lord's daughter was. "It seems you have inherited your mother's hair." She told her with a smile. There was a reason McGonagall always wore her hair in a strict bun, it was to reign in her messy curls.
When they finally returned to Hogwarts, just in time for the Halloween feast, Hermione was looking drop dead sexy. Severus was having problems keeping his eyes to himself. He had known that Hermione was pretty but had not realized how beautiful she really was until she got her new wardrobe that no longer hid her body.
The great hall went quiet when Hermione arrived on the arm of Draco. Her hair was relaxed into waves down her back and her completely Gryffindor outfit was to die for. She could see the jealousy coming off of Lavender and Pavarti and had to hide her smirk. She had only gathered a few of the bills for her clothes to send the girls because she had no desire to bankrupt their families but she had made sure the bill for her dress was right on top, it was an original by the wizarding world's most famous fashion designer. She had to listen to them prattle on about him for years as their roommate and how they wished they could ever own just one of his original pieces. She very much enjoyed getting one over on them for what they did.
The best reaction to her new look was Ron, he could not keep his eyes off her and it looked like he was drooling. Ginny gave her a beautiful smile and Harry sent a wink her way, they both thought Ron had been a prat and enjoyed seeing him squirm.
"Severus Snape, you get your eyes off my daughter," Minerva scolded her colleague playfully. "She is just a young girl you should not be having thoughts of that nature about her."
"Better me than the Weasel," Severus sneered playfully and pointed out Ron. "At least I have manners and would not drool on her. Besides, I fear your wand too much to pursue your lovely daughter."
Minerva watched him carefully for a moment, "Hermione could do much worse than you Severus. She needs someone who can challenge her intellectually, someone who would not shy away from who her parents are and someone who can put up with her temper." She told him with a fond smile. "Yes, I think you would be good for my daughter."
Severus had to use his entire spy training to keep his mouth from gaping open like a fish. Some of his shock must have shown on his face for Albus was chuckling merrily. "You can't be serious," Severus said in a whisper to keep the shock out of his voice. "I am a death eater and her feared potions professor; she would be repulsed at the mere thought."
"Believe what you wish dear boy," Albus said joining the conversation. "But she is an intelligent young woman and I know she can see you for who you really are, not who you pretend to be on a daily basis. I suggest a test, you ask her to dance tonight and if she refuses then I will let you out of chaperoning the next 2 events. But, if she accepts then you have to accept what we have said."
"Deal," Severus said, already thinking about how great it would be to not have to chaperone the Christmas festivities.
Meanwhile at the Gryffindor table Ron was on another rampage, "I can't believe she entered with Malfoy! Everyone knows he is a death eater, this just proves that she is evil and has no place in Gryffindor!"
"Oh shut up Ron," Ginny told him. "She had to go shopping today for new clothes and Draco and Mrs. Malfoy took her, which is why she entered with Draco. Besides, she looks like a perfect Gryffindor to me, no one else would be able to pull off that dress so well."
"What would you know Ginny, you're just another brainwashed Slytherin lover," he sneered at his sister.
"That's it!" Harry yelled. "I am sick of your stupid prejudices Ronald Weasley. Your sister is not brainwashed, Hermione is not evil and not all Gryffindors are perfect little fighters for the light, or did you forget the rat that slept in your bed for 3 years? You are worse than the Slytherins. They have prejudices yes but they are able to see past them and judge people on an individual basis. You just hear that someone is Slytherin and assume they are evil. Not all Slytherins are evil Ron and if any of us gave them a chance maybe not so many would join Voldemort to begin with. When the light side treats them like you do no wonder they join the dark, at least there they are treated with kindness. Grow up Ron and once you do we can start being friends again!" He then walked over to the Slytherin table and sat down next to Hermione. "I am sorry for not doing that sooner Mione; I just didn't want to have to choose between my best friends. Now I realize I just made it worse for you. I am so sorry, please forgive me."
Hermione just beamed at him and gave him a quick hug. "You better get back over there before Ginny hurts him. He may be a prat but I don't want Gin in trouble." She smiled as he went back to his table to eat. She knew everyone in the great hall was watching her but she ignored it. "Draco can you pass the strawberry tart please," she asked and then everyone returned to their food.
After a scowling Ron, Lavender and Pavarti were escorted out of the hall with the younger years the dance began. It was interesting to see everyone in their fancier clothes. Dress robes were not required so many of the boys were just in normal non-school robes and the girls were mostly in dresses without the over robes. After an hour or so Hermione was thirsty and headed to the punch bowl, which was being watched carefully by no less than 2 teachers at a time.
"I don't know if I mentioned it earlier, but you look stunning tonight," Severus purred into her ear as she was pouring her punch. She hadn't even noticed him approach and shivered as his voiced washed over her.
"Thank you," she managed to get out while blushing like the school girl she was.
"I was wondering if you would perhaps like to dance?" He asked her; of course now that he asked he actually hoped she said yes even though 10 min before it was all about her saying no so he could get out of chaperoning.
"I would like that," she said, somehow managing to keep her voice even and her face clear of the emotions running through her head. She couldn't believe that he had asked her to dance. She had never seen him dance and knew he usually stalked the corners of the room for snogging couples and never joined the fun. She wondered if her father had put him up to it but didn't want to offend him by asking.
Severus hid his shock at her acceptance well as he led her to the dance floor. Students in all houses hurrying out of his way and wondering what the most beautiful girl in the room was doing dancing with the greasy potions professor. He held her at a respectable distance but his hands still burned where he touched her. She was using every technique he had taught her to appear calm when her heart was trying to beat out of her chest, her thoughts were spinning and she wasn't sure she was actually breathing at all. Severus was in no better condition but to watch them dance you would think they were two of the calmest people in the room. When the song ended he bowed gracefully to her and blended back into the shadows. She spent the rest of the night dancing with one boy after another but the whole time she kept wondering where Severus had disappeared to.
"She surly looked disgusted to be dancing with her hated professor," Minerva teased him. "She looked awfully comfortable to me."
"That is because I have been teaching her well over these last few months. For your information I was afraid she would not make it through the dance, her pulse skyrocketed and she kept forgetting to breathe." He told her, "It is fairly obvious she was just too afraid to turn me down."
"Nonsense that is just the way a young woman acts when she is nervous." Minerva told him, "If anything it just proves that there is more to her feelings for you than you believe. She may even harbor some romantic attachment to you." Severus just sneered and escaped back to his dungeons to brood and think of a beautiful brown haired beauty that would soon be asleep but a hallway away.
Hermione's training with Severus continued going well and by the beginning of December she was as proficient at Occlumency as he was. They had been becoming closer to each other as well from spending so much time together. Hermione had begun to enjoy living in the dungeons and being an honorary Slytherin but she still remained distant from them as she was not really on their side of the war. She knew her spying days were going to be starting very soon as her father insisted that they meet over the Christmas holidays. The ruse for her leaving the castle was to attend the annual Malfoy Holiday Gala. As all of Draco's Slytherin classmates attend every year it would not look abnormal for her to have been extended an invitation.
"Do you think I am ready for this?" Hermione asked Severus a few weeks before Christmas. "I know I have been training hard, but what if it's not good enough?"
"You will do fine Hermione," He told her. "I have been doing this for a long time without him being suspicious and you are now at the same level I am. You just need to stay calm and remember everything we talked about. I will be there if you need me for anything."
"You're coming? I thought Professor Dumbledore made you stay every holiday!" She said excited she would not be alone in enemy territory.
"It has been decided that since you are going to Malfoy manor that I should attend to make sure you don't run into trouble. In fact it was quite amusing to hear your mother yell at Albus about allowing you to leave the castle. I of course took advantage of the situation and was able to convince them that I was the perfect chaperone." He told her with a smirk.
"Yes, very Slytherin of you," she smirked back and they continued their training.