A/N: My reviewers are the best! You guys are all so encouraging and put a smile on my face. Thank you so much to: SakuraLeeChan, Kayleigh-FanfictionAddict-21, Jen Lennon, tattedtinkfreak, neverest, vaila, HarryPGinnyW4eva, NewtypeJuliet, ilive2read, Mossyrock, bournespeed, Edwina B. Karch, and Animaltalker.
The following morning as Severus rolled out of bed, allowing his legs to hang off the mattress while his feet hit the cool floor, he ran his hands through his hair, guiding his black locks away from his face while he took in a deep breath in an attempt to push the sleep from his mind. He casually looked around his bedroom until his eyes fell on the clock. 6AM. He had over 12 hours until his trip to Diagon Alley with Hermione, and he found himself wishing it was dinner time already. If nothing else though, he could see her at breakfast. And with that thought, he pushed himself out of bed and started getting ready for the day.
###
As Hermione walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, she saw Severus sitting in his seat and caught his eyes wandering down her form as she approached.
"Since you've already taken in my outfit," she said as she sat down, "Do you think Marcus will better be able to focus during class today?" Seeing Severus's annoyance at her bringing up the boy so early in the day, she added, "Good morning, by the way."
Rolling his eyes at her slightly, he said, "Good morning. And only time will tell."
"What does that mean?" Hermione asked as she furrowed her brow in thought.
"It means any man, or in this case – boy, with a pulse would notice you regardless of what you're wearing," Severus explained before taking a long drink of his coffee.
Surprised by his statement, she said with sincerity, "Thank you."
It was his turn to furrow his brow as he looked at her, confused by her surprise and wondering if she was unaware of how attractive she was. Unsure of how to respond to her statement, he simply nodded in acknowledgement of her thanks as they settled into a quiet meal.
###
"Hi Harry!" Hermione happily said as she poked her head in his office door.
"'Mione! Come in. I can't believe it's time for lunch already," he said while shuffling some papers around to make room for them to eat on his desk.
"I'm glad you didn't forget, though it seems if we were meeting anywhere other than your office you may have." She approached his desk, setting down the bag of food she'd brought with her.
"It is good we met here. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing, I definitely would've been late. What did you bring?" he asked as he rifled through the bag.
"Sandwiches, fruit, pumpkin juice, and a couple pieces of pie," she said with a proud smile, knowing Harry would be excited about the pie.
"Perfect!" he said in approval.
"How's Ginny feeling?" she asked as she sat down and arranged her food in front of her, watching with amusement as Harry all but attacked his sandwich, eating nearly half of it one bite.
"She's feeling much better. That potion was amazing! She was back on her feet and feeling much better in just a few hours. Please thank Professor Snape for me," he said around his mouthful of food.
Laughing at him, she responded, "I will."
"How are things with him, by the way? Did you express your undying love yet?" he teased.
Glaring at him for a moment, Hermione said, "Not exactly…"
Harry stopped chewing and stared at her before saying, "What exactly does that mean?"
Knowing there was no way she could tell him about the encounter she'd had with Snape in his classroom, she said, "It means we are going to Flourish and Blott's together tonight, and we'll see what happens from there."
Hurriedly swallowing down his food, Harry asked, "He's willingly spending time with you? Outside of what's required of him? Outside of Hogwarts? Like on a date? Something's happened that you're not telling me about."
"Well," she said, stumbling over her words, "It seems that…that it might be…Well it appears that the feelings might be mutual."
Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "I thought we had already established that with the potion bottle he gave to you."
"Something else happened, but I'm not telling you. It's…personal," she said rather awkwardly.
"Merlin, Hermione! Did you sleep with him?" Harry asked rather loudly.
"No!" Hermione protested, in a hushed tone even though no one else was in the room. Not exactly… "I just really don't want to talk about it, ok? I did not sleep with him though."
"Alright. Just as long as everything is ok. Everything is ok, isn't it?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.
"Yes, Harry. Everything is ok," she assured him.
"Good. But he knows how you feel about him?" he pried.
Sighing, Hermione decided to amuse him. "He knows I'm interested in him." Or at least knows I want to sleep with him.
"And you kissed him, then?" he asked as if he could sneak the question by her.
Tilting her head at him she said, "He kissed me, yes. And that's all I'm saying about it, Harry Potter!"
Harry nearly choked on his food when Hermione said Snape had made the first move. "Wow… Ok. Well, Ginny is already talking about having you over for dinner now that she's feeling better, so do you think you'll be bringing him as your date?" he joked.
"For Merlin's sake," she mumbled to herself. "We are not to that point, and even if we were I doubt he would think positively about being a dinner guest with a bunch of people in their mid-twenties."
"I haven't said anything to Ginny, but you know she's going to start asking if you're dating anyone. I'll tell her I don't know, but she's going to know something is up if we keep having lunch like this. She knows we talk about everything."
"If she pries too much, just tell her she should talk to me about it," Hermione said quietly.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Hermione. I already told you that," he assured her.
"I know, and I don't really care what people will think. I've seen a different side of him, Harry. I can't really explain it, not yet anyway. But it's different." She paused for a moment, swirling her glass of pumpkin juice before adding, "I'm just not sure how to explain to people what's happening. I'm not really seeing him, but I don't want to see anyone else either."
Seeing her glace up at him apprehensively, Harry said, "Your relationship, if you want to call it that, is just beginning. I doubt he's labeled it as anything. He's an incredibly private man anyway, Hermione. Even if you both do decide to take this somewhere, I doubt he's going to be shouting it in the middle of the Great Hall."
Hermione burst out laughing at the thought of Snape clanging his fork against his goblet as he stood to proclaim his love for the insufferable-know-it-all.
Getting herself under control, Hermione managed to say, "I do suppose you're right, Harry. I don't think I need to worry about that at all."
"Can you imagine though?" Harry asked.
They caught each other's eyes and both started laughing hysterically again as they fell into more neutral topics of conversation for the duration of their lunch. Just before leaving, Hermione reminded Harry to have Ginny send an owl to let her know as soon as she was feeling up to having dinner. They said good bye to one another and Hermione set off to floo back to Hogwarts for her next set of classes.
###
"Marcus Rike! You get back here this instant!"
The words echoed loudly down the hall, reaching Severus's ears as he rounded a corner. He saw the obviously-accused-of-something headed his way, and he stood to the side, attempting to blend in with the wall. He then saw Hermione round the corner while storming after Marcus. As the boy sprinted in his direction, Severus grabbed him by the collar, yanking him to a blinding halt as he hissed in his ear, "You should know better than to run from a teacher, Mr. Rike." He grabbed Marcus's shoulder firmly, turning him around to face the irate Hermione that was quickly approaching them.
She huffed as she drew closer, irritated that she was being faced with a student that was so disrespectful that she needed someone's help in disciplining him. Or, at least, in getting him to stop so she could discipline him. It didn't go unnoticed by her that it was Severus who had caught the irritating little boy, but she was wound much too tight at that point to acknowledge him.
"What in the world were you thinking?" she yelled at him.
"I–" he started.
"Be quiet!" she yelled again, causing Severus to smirk. He'd never seen her so angry, and he was glad to see it was directed at one of his most obnoxious students. Feeling certain Marcus wasn't stupid enough to attempt to run again, he let go of the boy's shoulder and simply stood behind him, ready to grab him again at the slightest movement.
"I will not allow such casual behavior in my classroom. I am your teacher and you will address me as such. Do you understand?" she rapidly asked in a dangerously low voice.
Marcus just stared at her, unsure whether he was actually allowed to talk or not.
Sighing her frustration, Hermione said, "Answer me."
"Yes, ma'am," he mumbled under his breath.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you," she demanded, causing Marcus to snap his wide, scared eyes to hers.
Severus quirked an eyebrow at Hermione's statements and behavior. This was sounding quite like the lectures he'd given all too often.
"You will address me only as Miss Granger – never, ever as Hermione. Am I clear?"
Marcus nodded, trying desperately to keep his eyes on her angry face.
"And if you ever touch me again," she said, causing Severus's veins to run cold with ice as he clenched his jaw and his fists, trying with every last ounce of resolve within him not to throw the boy into the wall, "I will personally see to it that you never set foot in Hogwarts ever again. I am not your friend, I am not your equal. I am your teacher and your superior, and you will treat me as such. Is there any part of what I've told you that you do not understand?"
Marcus shook his head, "No, Miss Granger."
"Good," she said, finally looking up to Severus who, she noted, looked as though he'd like to kill something, probably Marcus. She gave him an amused look, signaling there was nothing to worry about.
"Now, what shall we do about your punishment?" she wondered allowed as her gaze dropped a whole head lower to Marcus once again. "You know, I don't really have anything I could have him do. Do you, Professor Snape? Perhaps you have a supply closet that needs to be cleaned…by hand," she added while looking Marcus dead in the eye, knowing that sticking him with the bat of the dungeons would be far worse than any punishment she could dish out. His Gryffindor pride could hardly handle being punished by the Slytherin.
"Oh, come on!" the young Gryffindor complained.
"Or, perhaps, you could simply have your last class make a really dirty, sticky potion and have them leave their cauldrons for Mr. Rike to clean. Again, by hand," she threatened at his protest, still never taking her eyes off him.
Marcus hung his head low, knowing any more protests were only going to make his fate worse.
Severus was beaming inside with pride as he grabbed the edges of this cloak and folded his arms in front of himself, and only the smallest twitch of his mouth as he refused to smile gave away his amusement at Hermione's interaction with the student.
"What do you think?" she asked, looking to Severus now. "Do you have something that could occupy his time during detention?"
He looked back at her, his heart sinking a little. "Tonight?" he flatly asked.
"Of course not," she said in a light tone. "I assume you have plans for this evening. Tomorrow night would be just fine."
He cocked his head slightly, happy she hadn't forgotten about their rescheduled trip to Flourish and Blott's.
"I'm sure I can find something to consume Mr. Rike's time." He then said over Marcus's shoulder, "You will report to me directly after dinner tomorrow evening. Do not…be late."
"Yes, sir. Ma'am," he said in acknowledgement of them both.
"Now get out of here. I assume you have somewhere to be," Hermione told him, and they both watched him skitter away down the hall.
Amused at the entire interaction, Severus said with fake shock, "Really? Giving out detention on the second day of class?"
Hermione gave him a look, understanding he was making fun of her for doing the same thing one day later that she'd ridiculed him for.
"Yes, I know; but he deserved it every bit as much as your lavatory peeper did!" she defended herself.
"And what exactly did he do?" Severus asked, feeling his veins run cold again at the thought of the hormone factory's hands on his witch. My witch, he thought. Seems a bit early to be so possessive. Still, I did warn her…
"It wasn't really a big deal," Hermione said, pulling him from him thoughts. "He just wrapped his arm around my shoulders, like he was trying to… I don't know. It seemed like he was trying to get close enough to look down my shirt or something. It was very inappropriate."
"Any member of the male species with a pulse…" he said in defense of his statement from breakfast, his hatred of someone else touching Hermione evident.
Hermione brought her eyes to his face to see rage rolling in his eyes.
"Severus," she said, a smile dancing at the corners of her mouth. "Nothing happened. I pushed him away from me as soon as I felt him that close." When more silence was all that followed her last statement, she added, "Did I make a mistake having him take detention with you? Are you going to hex him three ways from Sunday?"
"No," Severus said, his eyes turning to examine the wall next to them, "Only two ways."
He only appeared to be partly joking, so Hermione responded by saying, "Hmm. Well maybe I'll also have to attend this detention to make sure you don't kill him then. It only seems fair that I'm there since it was me that gave him detention in the first place. If you can stand to spend two evenings in a row with me, that is."
Feigning annoyance, he said with a sigh, "I suppose I can manage."
"Well if it's that much trouble for you," she began as she started to walk away.
"I could just let you borrow my classroom," Severus finished, coming to walk along side her.
Stopping in the hall once again, she said, "Well that completely defeats the purpose of giving him detention with you – he can't stand you, Severus. Don't you think him having to spend time cleaning your room is the best, or worst depending on how you want to look at it, punishment I could give him?"
Nodding, and starting to walk again, he replied, "Yes, I do think so." Seeing that she had come up along side him again, he added, "Why, then, would you soften the blow of the detention by adding your presence, which he clearly craves?"
A wide smile spread across Hermione's face at the tone of disgust in Severus's voice. "Because he can't stand the thought of you and I being together," she explained. "Even if I sit in a student desk and grade papers while you do the same, he won't be able to stand it."
She had a mischievous look in her eyes when he looked over at her, but she changed the subject saying, "Well anyway, that's tomorrow, and I'd like to focus on tonight. Meet me outside the gates a half hour after dinner? I'll wait out there for you so it doesn't seem like we left together."
"Excellent idea," Severus said, nodding toward a small group of teachers whispering and looking in their direction.
"Mm," Hermione hummed. "I think I'll just head my own way now. See you at dinner."
Hermione ducked down the first hallway she came to, leaving Severus alone to approach their fellow teachers who were, undoubtedly, reading into the pair walking down the hallway. Never mind the fact that their musings were probably correct.
Severus mumbled something to himself concerning the chatty women as he approached them, sighing with irritation as they called out his name.
"Severus!" Marilyn Fleeway called out to him.
"Yes, Miss Fleeway?" he asked, clearly annoyed with her as he stood several feet from the group, noting that Poppy and Sybill were amongst the witches looking back at him.
"How is Hermione today?" Marilyn, who was one of the newest teachers, asked him.
Narrowing his eyes at her, he said, "She seems fine. If you'd like an in depth answer, I suggest you ask her, because I do not have one." He turned on his heel, hoping to make a quick getaway when he heard Sybill's prying voice.
"So there's nothing going on between you two then?"
He turned around once again, seeing Sybill's coke-bottle glasses-covered eyes looking back at him. He coldly replied, "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Good day, ladies."
Turning around for what Severus hoped to be the last time, he was faced with Minerva looking at him knowingly.
He simply pursed his lips at her and asked, "And do you have anything to say?"
She smiled at him and quietly said, "Just that I wish you every happiness, Severus." She began to walk past him when she had another thought. Backing up so she was standing shoulder to shoulder with him, she whispered, "Oh – and your, shall we say…shocking secret?...is safe with me."
Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the edge of his cloak and quickly walked away. He had no idea of his destination, just that it was somewhere far away from the annoying women that seemed to be everywhere in the castle.
Why are they all suddenly interested in who I'm talking to? Most of them have never given me a second look… Chatty. That's what they all are. Chatty, prying, unbearable women. Thank Merlin there's now one that's tolerable. How amusing that someone in her twenties would be more endurable than supposedly fully-mature women.
Severus smiled at his thoughts as he found he was entering his classroom. No surprise there. He decided to have a look around to see what he could torture Marcus Rike with the following evening. He supposed if he couldn't find something worthy of his loathsome behavior, he would just use Hermione's suggestion and have his last class of the day make the most difficult potion he could think of, thus guaranteeing cauldrons full of sticky, smelly, horrid potions. He smiled to himself once again, sitting down at his desk as he decided that would definitely do for Mr. Rike's punishment.
I felt like this was kind of a transition chapter, but the next one will have some substance to it. Promise!
