So that was part of the reason. He looked more closely at her. She really did seem more at ease than he had seen her in classes or at meals, as if just being here with him was pleasant and calming. Pleasant and calming? Merlin, he needed to get his head together.
"I think that potion is just about done." His voice was softer but still snarky.
Hermione looked up at him and waited until he stood to do so and then followed him over to the cauldron to finish it and then send it on its way to Madam Pomfrey.
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Chapter 7-Big Oops
The days went by slowly and the nights went by all too fast. Her time with Snape was short lived each night and each time she felt as if they were becoming closer. She would let things slip that would make his voice soften slightly the next sentence he spoke and cause him to avoid her as much as possible while in his lab. The first night he didn't ignore her felt like some kind of victory. Weeks later his voice didn't harden again until several sentences later and she felt it was another little victory.
It was after nearly a month and a half that Snape unconsciously let his more humoured side slip and though it was dry, dark humour he found himself looking for the small smile the would be present on Hermione's lips after each snarky, smart ass comment. He wasn't aware that she loved his snarkiness and his smart ass humour only added to that affection.
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"Come in, Severus."
Snape walked into Dumbledore's office and stood behind the comfy chair offered to him instead of sitting. "You asked to see me?"
"Yes, Harry has told me that Hermione hasn't been present at dinner lately and comes into the common room right before lights out." Dumbledore tilted his head to look at Snape over his half-moon spectacles, his eyes twinkling. "I am aware she has been with you."
Snape was actually scared of that twinkle, if nothing else. For him it always meant something unpleasant, perhaps a devious plan Dumbledore had set aside for him. "Yes, she has been assisting me with potions for Madam Pomfrey." Snape's lip curled. "She is the only capable student."
"Well that is all well though I do hope you are feeding her. Good night Severus."
"Sir." Snape inclined his head and left Dumbledore's office. On his way to the dungeons the old man's last statement finally reached his head. In fact, he had not been supplying Hermione with meals and wondered vaguely if she ate at another time or if she had just made it through all that time without eating dinner. He shrugged. He could fix that he supposed.
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Hermione stumbled into Snape's labs without knocking and dropped her bag unceremoniously on the floor. She grabbed the directions from where he always left them if he were late and made her way to the storage to get the ingredients. She began preparing them as the directions told her in Snape's lovely, curving handwriting.
From a corner Snape watched her. He hadn't meant to hide but she had surprised him barging in like that. He watched her curiously, something had to be wrong. Her movements were slow and cautious as if she were trying very hard not to slaughter the ingredients. As if she was upset.
Snape's writing became blurry and Hermione went to rub her eyes shocked to find there were tears flowing out of them. Well she supposed these tears belonged there after today. She turned to find another knife, simultaneously wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
Snape watch her and was stunned when he realized she was crying. Her tears made him slightly uncomfortable and he decided to "walk in" when she turned away. He opened the door and moved himself in front of it as if she just came in. "Ah, Miss Granger good to see you have started." Even he heard the slight emotion in his voice.
"Yes sir. This is a little more difficult then the last ones and I can't figure out what it is by the ingredients. You didn't put a title on it either."
Snape actually smiled sadly, just like he had as a student, she resorted to knowledge to fix things, to hide in. "I'll make a little deal with you."
Hermione let the shock pass over her face before turning around. "What's that?"
"You fix this potion correctly on your own and I'll tell you what it is, you don't and I won't tell you."
Hermione huffed and put one hand on her hip. "Fine."
She started up again right away and this time her motions were more natural. Snape watched her for a short while before turning to his desk to grade some papers. It might take her a while.
Half an hour later Hermione plopped down in front of him in her usual chair and he glanced up at her. She looked slightly disheveled as if she had run her hands through her hair multiple times. He looked at her for a second, luscious eyebrows raised quizzically.
"It's done." She said realizing what he was waiting for.
Snape stood and walked over to the potion, he looked at it for a minute then sniffed it. "Come here Miss Granger."
Swallowing Hermione walked over to him and as she did so he took a small taste of it. Once she was next to him he took another small ladle full and turned to her.
"You'll notice with this potion it has a distinct taste. Try it if you will."
Hermione looked at him skeptically.
"Oh go on, it won't affect you."
Carefully Hermione leaned her head towards the ladle and Snape brought it to her lips. Almost immediately he was caught in how sensual the situation was. When Hermione straitened again she had a slight blush on her face and he imagined she noticed it too.
"It tastes rather like a plum and… and…" She bit her lower lip and looked down at the potion as if tasting it again. "And coppery."
Snape nodded. "Well done. Miss Granger, you have successfully brewed this potion."
Hermione smiled. "So what is it?"
"It's a potion I created myself." Snape wiped off the ladle and set it aside and led Hermione back to his office. "It is a substitute blood for vampires, has all of the qualities of human blood without the flavour nor the actual blood."
Hermione's surprise was on his desk but she was looking only at him, he eyes shining at the new knowledge. "How did it go over?"
"It was huge actually, among the vampires not on the dark side of course. But even some on the dark side took it for sustenance when real blood wasn't available."
"Wow." Hermione paused, looking thoughtfully at Snape. "It's got to be boring eating nothing but blood all the time."
"I would assume so. And speaking of, dinner Miss Granger?" Snape waved his hand at the food piled on his desk.
Snape watched as her lips formed a little 'O' and her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink. He found himself drawn by her red lips and colored skin. He blinked the thought away and watched as Hermione turned to smile at him.
"This is very thoughtful of you."
He shrugged and they sat down and began to eat. He watched her eat, the way her hands moved and the way she sat, but mostly he watched those lips. He bit the inside of his cheek and ate his own food.
"I became aware that I was taking up your eating time and knew you weren't eating in here so I thought maybe you'd like to once you finished brewing."
"Well thank you. I usually have a house elf send some up as soon as I get back but I haven't been sleeping well eating that late."
"Is that why you were so upset?"
"Excuse me?"
"I just noticed that you seemed a little upset while you were brewing, like something was bothering you."
She was touched that he noticed. "No, it was something else today." She stopped not thinking he'd want to hear all the foolishness but was caught off guard as he kept looking at her intently as if waiting for her to go on. "In my third class I accidently blew something up and for the rest of the day all the boys and some of the Slytherins in that class tried to catch my robes on fire by way of teasing me. And then Ron got pissed at me in the middle of all this because I wouldn't let him copy my History essay and when he kept bugging me about it I told him to go do his own damned homework and then he got all offended when I helped Harry with something else simply because he wanted learn instead of copy! And now I've got half the school trying to catch me on fire and Ron trying to hex me every chance he can!"
Hermione finished by slamming back in her chair and crossing her arms. Instead of his normal reaction, which would have been telling her to get over it and grow up, he responded almost sympathetically.
"Boys will be boys, immature until the day they have a "growing up" experience. And Slytherins, well I suppose you need no explanation."
Hermione laughed. "Nope, I've got that one covered."
"As you always do."
Hermione looked up at him, they were now sitting on the same side of the table after a house elf brought in desert and nearly buried Hermione. Was that a compliment, was he acknowledging her knowledge?
"I don't-"
"You are smart Miss. Granger, no one can deny that. I hope you stand up for yourself when people tease you for it, because that means you have a gift they do not." Snape was remembering his old days as a student when people teased him because he was smart.
Hermione gaped at him. "Thank you Sir. I- I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Snape looked down at her. And suddenly words just slipped out of his mouth, he wasn't aware of what they were until he stopped saying them and he wasn't aware that he was leaning closer to Hermione and she to him until it was too late.
"You are welcome. And if you ever need any help standing up to those immature dunderheads…"
He lets his sentence trail off but the suggestion was enough. And then came the "too late" part. He felt it long before he registered it. He felt Hermione's soft lips meet his, he felt her hesitation before she slowly parted her lips, he felt his heart thud as he slipped his tongue between her lips and he tasted her as he explored her mouth. And when there lips started moving together is when they both realized what was happening.
They both jerked back and Hermione stared at him with doe-eyes. "Oh god…" She scrambled over to her bag and picked it up and ran out the door, Snape watching her unable to speak.
"Hermione." He called, but she was already gone.
