Chapter 10

Hermione was nervous because two things were weighing so heavy on her mind, both of course were related to Severus Snape. Her perfect record of no detentions was now broken thanks to her clumsiness and that alone was upsetting to her. How could she be so careless? She wasn't even sure what she had been thinking about. Harry had been right to help her try and contact Lucius Malfoy through his son. HE was a proven Death Eater even if Snape was not. She was going to go through with that dangerous situation over a man she realized she hardly knew. And that was the other thing that scared her; maybe she didn't know him as well as she liked to have thought. Almost in the instant she had arrived at his door she came to the conclusion she was being impossible and the memory of his kiss was fading fast. She raised her hand and hesitated before knocking at the potion's lab door. The door swung itself open a crack and she helped it all of the way and then entered. She could see Snape sitting behind his desk in the room adjacent.

"Come in, Miss Granger. I'm glad at least one Gryffindor can be punctual," he said dryly without glancing up from the papers he was writing.

The girl walked up the aisle past her own seat and then the blackboard and went into the side door to Snape's office. Her hands clammed up and her face was flushed as she took the seat across from him.

"Good evening, Professor. Sorry I'm so nervous I have never had to do this before."

Snape picked up his head and looked at the girl, her soft skin and cascading curls. So much had changed since she first came here, as it happens with all students. One day he looks at them as snot nosed brats and the next they soon would be snot nosed adults. With the exception of a bright few the man could stomach after graduation. He kept deep correspondence with former students of Slytherin who had exceeded his expectations and he wondered what would the future would hold for Hermione Granger. Would McGonagall get weekly letters from a future Ministry official or would she want to get knocked up and stay home with her inevitably Weasley children? Or would she choose to go back to the Muggle world after all? The world of Wizardry was often a dark and scary place. With the Dark Lord's constant growing in power daily, people with Hermione's bloodline could maybe soon be extinct; if someone didn't stop that madman first.

"I didn't bring you hear to punish you if there is nothing to be punished. This is a bit more of a discussion as to why all of a sudden you felt it necessary to disrupt my class."

"Well I," Hermione began but her throat quickly closed. Her eyes filled with huge tears and she held them as much as she could and only a few escaped down her cheek.

Gosh, no Slytherin child would cry after getting reprimanded, the man thought. I suppose that's why they get these stern chats while the other Houses scrub cauldrons. I may have to try this another way.

"Miss Granger. I'm not an emotional man but I am trying to ask you what is wrong. Please don't just sit there and cry."

Hermione's bottom lip shook as she wiped the wetness form her face. "I'm sorry. I've just been through of a bit of emotional stuff. Just with my friends really. A quarrel with Harry and Ron, that's all," she lied.

"Was that the note you were trying to pass in my class? An I'm sorry. Or maybe an I hate you?"

"No, I was trying to pass it to Malfoy." This made Snape raise his eyebrow in question of what kind of idiotic plot she had devised to get back at her friends. It seemed almost too Slytherin of her.

"It's quite unrelated I assure you. Nothing sordid at all. It was, um," Hermione said knowing she had to think fast. She was too ethical to really lie so she thought maybe she would just tell him the truth in a way she wouldn't get in trouble. "In the old yearbooks I was looking at last night with Harry. It mentioned this thing, the Slytherin Society. I was curious as usual so I was going to try and find someone who knew more about it since there is no mention of it in Hogwarts: A History."

Severus hadn't heard that name in years but ever since he had he had been running from it. He pictured all of the boys in his year that had joined and then he pictured them all again in their Death Eater robes. This girl did always want to know everything but this was one subkect she should never be enlightened about. This was something he had to avoid very quickly.

"Oh I doubt Draco would know anything about that because it hasn't been around since my time at Hogwarts. There isn't anything you really need to worry about it since it has been disbanded. Was there anything else you may need to know about as to not make problems in my classroom again?"

Snape was a bit perturbed and Hermione could tell it. He was awfully uncomfortable around the subject for something she didn't have to worry about. "I, um, wanted to know about it anyway sir. I think I may have a, friend, who has ties to it."

Of course you do, you silly child; your friend Potter wears a mark due to the Society. Not that I cant even tel you that.

"I believe, this meeting, Miss Granger is over unless you would like to spend the rest of the evening doing some cleaning out in the lab." She had pushed the line pressing him for more. How dare she, he thought. A moment ago he wondered what she wold have gone on to do but now he thought her curiosity may kill her.

"I'm sorry Professor. I really didn't mean to press so much. It really isn't my place to ask you what could be such personal question."

Severus mulled over that statement in his head a moment before he spoke again. "Could be?" he asked with a wry smile. There was an over accurate statement if he ever heard one.

Hermione didn't know how to put the words. She couldn't just tell him she knew he had been in it. Thinking fast was something she had been forced to do so many times in the last few days she had become almost an expert. "Well you were a Slytherin and you could have had friends in it. Or have been in it yourself. Since it has been disbanded there must have been a reason and you wouldn't really wanted to talk about these reasons I suppose. Now I'm just babbling I believe. Is this really all Professor?"

With a yes escaping from his lips, Hermione got up from the chair to leave. As she about cleared the doorway to the office he cleared his throat and she stopped. As she turned around, he did something he thought would be against his best judgment later. "Miss Granger, if you need someone to talk to I have always been available to my house. I can be available to you as well if you require"

"Thank you, I think, Sir. I did quite enjoy chatting with you even if you were not keen on what I asked. Hopefully next time it won't be under these circumstances. I promise to never get detention again."

"Don't worry. You didn't get detention."

And Hermione left the room smiling.