Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! But I'm finally back!

chapter 9

Everything in Hogwarts seemed normal, or as normal as Hogwarts could be, until a very angry Snape walked into the Great Hall

''good morning Severus'' Albus offered with a big smile and shiny eyes

That man has the body of a mummy and the energy of a two year-old, Severus thought before claiming his own seat next to Minerva, ignoring Albus and everyone in the table

''Hermione, I have to ask you something..'' Harry was walking behind her without her realizing it,

''Harry! Good morning to you too, you startled me!'' his cheeks reddened a little

''oh, sorry 'Mione, I just wanted to ask you if we are fine''

''what do you mean Harry? Did something happened?''

''no, no of course not, I just..I mean after our talk, I just wanted to make sure that we are okay''

Hermione stopped walking and patted him on the pack as Ms Weasley did sometimes

''of course we are fine you big dunderhead, I am honored to have you as my friend, and I'm glad that you told me your secret, that means a lot to me Harry''

he seemed relaxed at her respond

''thank you Hermione, it's just that my anxiety gets the best of me sometimes''

''well, I am your friend, Ron is and always will be your friend, no matter what, you have to understand that Harry''

''I suppose''

Harry outstretched his arm and she took it, they walked together into the Great Hall and sat with Ron and Neville, the latter was practicing his transfiguration project by turning his frog into a mug

At last Hogsmead weekend arrived and Albus called Snape in his office

''Hello Severus, candy?''

''what do you want Albus? if you think i 'll agree into accompany those dunderheads to Hogsmead you're wrong''

''relax Severus, that's not the reason I requested you to come here today''

Severus could see that the old man had something in his mind, he had spend many years in his side and knew when he had a plan on his mind

''I suppose you have something going on in that wicked mind of yours''

''of course not my boy, I just wanted to check your progress with miss Granger, that's all''

''you can't expect me to buy that! you just want to know if I give her a hard time, your precious know-it-all Gryffindro, I'm sure Minerva has to do something with this''

Albus lowered his half-moon spectacles

''now now Severus, I only want to know about your first apprentice in years, it's not every day that you request a student to be your apprentice with your own free will, especially a Gryffindor know it all as you put it''

that old bastard, Severus greeted his teeth and calmed his nerves

''You are not the Headmaster any more Albus, so stop acting like one, I will treat miss Granger as any apprentice should be treated, sternly and merciless, it's the only way they learn''

''don't you think that you're a little cruel Severus?''

''it's my apprentice we're talking about, don't mess with my way of teaching Albus''

he didn't give him the chance to answer, he left his office with his rode trailing behind him

Hermione woke startled, it was Hogsmead weekend, she already had give boys an excuse that she will be reading in the library for her homework that was due to Monday, although she had finished it the moment professor Dumbledor gave it to her. She checked the clock and froze.

It was 10:30 and she had to be at her lesson with Snape at 9:00, she got ready in five minutes with her heart fluttering. On her way to the dungeons she thought her heart will explode, she was about to suffer in the hands of her professor.

She knocked on the huge door and waited, ''come in'' a voice echoed

''professor I'm so sorry, last night was difficult and no one waked me up today and I...''

he raised in the air to stop her

''breathe miss Granger, I have no use for you if you suffocate''

she tried to say something but she closed her mouth and waited for a long lecture

''I'm aware that you were late, but the fact that you slept last night is a miracle of it's own, this time I won't punish you, but next time it won't go unnoticed''

''thank you professor, it won't happen again'' her mind was running wild, professor Snape just forgave her for being an hour and a half late for class, either something was bothering him more than her being late, or something was terribly wrong

When class was over Hermione made her way to the exit, before she had the chance to walk out of the room a hand on her shoulder stopped her

''Hermione I need you to stay a couple of minutes to talk''

how was professor Snape already behind her? she just left him at his desk, and his tone was pure and kind, she had to be asleep , those things happen only in dreams

''of course professor'', she made awkwardly her way back to her seat

''Hermione how are your sleep problems? are the nightmares still hunting you?'' he could see the doubt in her eyes, this was the first time he had such a talk with her, but after the nightmare he had he could not shake the feeling that she was in some kind of danger, although he didn't know if it was about her health or something completely different

''If something is wrong you can talk to someone in the school, Albus and Minerva care for you, so do I, for all of my students''

''no professor, everything is fine, but thank you for your concern''

''you should be on your way miss Granger, your classmates will be back soon, thank you for listening me concerns, and have in mind that my door is always open for you''.

When she was out of the classroom Snape looked at the chair she was sitting, he had said too much, he showed too much, but his feelings for that girl whatever they were had gotten stronger, and that made him careless