When Severus Snape darkened the doorstep of Grimmauld Place over the holidays, everyone seemed exceptionally tense. The Potions Professor was here? Now? Hermione, who had been with Harry when he'd been summoned to meet with the dark haired teacher, felt anxious. Everyone was on edge after Arthur Weasley had been attacked at the Ministry of Magic. Snape's presence was so rare at Grimmauld Place, at least to the knowledge of most people who stayed there with any frequency. It could only mean that Dumbledore had another trick up his sleeve.

Hermione stayed within relative earshot of Harry and could hear Snape and Sirius arguing. Their voices would intermittently rise and fall in volume as the tensions would rise and fall throughout the conversation. She couldn't really hear details, but neither Sirius nor Severus sounded keen on whatever plan Dumbledore had concocted.

When the door separating the dining room and the kitchen burst open suddenly, she jumped, and saw Snape and Sirius with their wands at each other's throats. Harry was trying desperately to separate the two sinewy muscled men. She instantly went to help Harry, who was definitely being pushed around by both of the wizards. Snape looked furious, and Sirius' face was redder than she'd ever seen it.

"Stop it!" She shouted. At the sound of Granger's voice, Snape and Sirius stopped moving, and the other door to the kitchen opened as Arthur and Molly appeared.

The couple eyed the four people curiously, sensed the tension, and changed the subject. Molly said, "He's back! All healed! Thanks to you, Severus."

Hermione's headed whirled around to Snape. He had made the antivenin? Severus said nothing. He merely looked from Molly to Arthur to Hermione. Hermione could see the wheels turning in his head, and his black eyes moved quickly to Sirius and he scowled as he put his wand back into his sleeve and moved past the group. His long legs had him down the hall in only a couple of steps.

Hermione followed him as Harry tried to calm Sirius and keep his godfather from pursuing Snape. "Professor Snape? Is everything all right?"

"I've no patience for conversation, Miss Granger," Severus said. His voice was cool, but she could feel the underlying rage.

"What did you need Harry for, sir? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You can learn to mind your own business," Snape warned lowly.

She glared at him as he adjusted his traveling cloak. He didn't so much as look at her as he grabbed the door handle. "I'm sorry, Professor," She said quietly. "Sirius can be a right prick..."

Severus blinked once after his eyes snapped to hers. He processed her words, her meaning, and then said, "Go back to your friends." He sounded so bitter. She tried to read the odd expression on his face as he left, but she would find herself at a loss once more.

The man was an enigma, but Hermione couldn't help, but feel really sorry for him. Whatever Dumbledore had assigned him to do clearly upset him, upset Sirius, and surely upset Harry. No one deserved that kind of stress, and for Snape, stress seemed constant. In the time they'd worked together, Severus had been quiet, reserved, but extremely helpful, cordial, and even, at times, pleasant enough... by Snape standards. Though Hermione held no illusions about the moodiness and temperamental nature of the Slytherin House Head, she'd realized in her lessons just how much of his public persona had probably been a near constant act. He was human. Mostly. He was good at teaching. When he wanted to be.

After Harry explained what Snape had discussed, the lessons in Occlumency, Hermione's stomach felt very heavy. Ron gasped at the idea of having extra lessons with Snape, but Hermione could not ignore its importance.

"Professor Dumbledore knows you two don't get on, so if he asked Professor Snape to do it, then Professor Snape must be the best teacher he has available," Hermione said.

"Yeah, can't imagine old Snape would want to spend a second longer than he has to with you Harry," Ron snorted.

"Professor Snape," Hermione said sharply.

Harry rolled his emerald eyes, and sighed. "I just don't like the idea of Snape messing about inside my head, y'know?"

"Professor Snape," Hermione sighed heavily.

"Probably already has been," Ron said and ignored Hermione as he took another bite of his cupcake. "Expect that's how he always knows what we're up to..."

Hermione said, "You've got to take this seriously, Harry. It's important. My lessons with Professor Snape haven't been so bad most days. Honest."

"It's you, Hermione. It's not the same," Ron said and Harry nodded eagerly. "You're top of the class, and Snape hates Harry."

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected again irritatedly.

"Whatever," Harry and Ron said at the same time.

"Just promise me you'll give this all of your effort?" Hermione looked at Harry intensely.

"Yeah, I'll give it a go," Harry said. His answer did not, apparently, sit well with Hermione as she stood and disappeared down the hall to her own bedroom.

The next time she saw Snape was the following Thursday afternoon in their own lesson. He'd merely told her what to practice brewing - an Antidote for Uncommon Poisons - and started marking essays. Snape was exceptionally quiet, and there was a tension in the room that hadn't been present since the very beginning of their lessons. Since then, they had established a routine. Now, things felt awkward. She wanted to ask how the lessons with Harry were going in Snape's eyes, if there was something she could do on her end as his friend to help, but she knew he'd never answer. Harry had been far less than forthcoming than she'd hoped, and had merely said it'd been tense and quite difficult.

When she'd finished, he had told her that she would brew a Blood Replenishing potion the next week, and that she would also be working on healing herbs and essences. She paused at his desk and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "The answer to the question you are debating as to whether or not you should ask is that it is unequivocally none of your business, Miss Granger," He growled.

Hermione frowned and stared at him. "Did you just use Legilimency on me?

He looked at her and she saw that he looked legitimately offended. His dark eyes searched her face as the accusation hung in the air between them. "No," He said bitterly. "I do not know what you think of me, but I have never used Legilimency on anyone unless I thought it a matter of safety, or life or death."

She shook her head furiously. "No, sir, I wasn't angry..."

"The mind is not a book to be opened and examined at will," He snapped.

"Then how did you know what I was thinking about asking, sir?"

"Do you think me obtuse?" He drawled. His black eyes were glittering dangerously.

"No, sir. Of course not. I just didn't know if I would be aware if you had or not."

He glared at her angrily. He still looked quite offended. "You're dismissed, Miss Granger," Snape said curtly.

Hermione opened her mouth, but the coldness in his eyes as he stared at her stopped her from arguing with him. "I apologize, Professor Snape. Have a good afternoon, sir."

When the door closed, he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. The girl was too smart for her own good, and far too curious. He ground his teeth together. His lessons with Potter had already toyed with his sanity and strength. The war was coming, soon, and this additional stress was not something he needed.

"Fear of a bully, fear of a volcano; the power within you does not distinguish. It does not recognize degree." ~ The Fifth Season