CHAPTER 10

Hermione blinked.

Snape was standing behind the three men, smiling casually. His cloak was still tucked under his arm, and his long, lean frame was in a relaxed posture. He looked like he was about to enter into a pleasant conversation with a distant friend. She couldn't help noticing, though, that he gripped his wand rather tightly at his waist, and felt a little comforted by it.

All three men had turned to gape at the newcomer, and Hermione thought their surprise was not unwarranted. Snape, after all, was not Knockturn Alley material. He did not have warts, extra body appendages (that she knew of) or green fingernails. He was looking positively dapper compared to the other three, and Hermione, in a brief moment of craziness, thought he looked rather vaguely like a knight in shining armor.

A feeling which disappeared entirely when he cast her a cold look that indicated he thought her the worst fool possible.

Feeling there was no more need for it, she slipped her wand back into her pocket. The movement alerted Bob, who wheeled around and removed the gaping expression on his face.

'Now look 'ere,' he said, roughly, 'Who's this?'

Mart and Willy nodded as thought to re-emphasize the question. Snape completely ignored them. Eyes on her, he addressed Hermione directly.

'What a pleasant coincedence that I should run into you, over here,' he said, with a perfectly arced eyebrow. 'Positively ghoulish, I call it.'

'You!' snarled Bob, lifting his wand. 'You- fucker- who are you?'

Snape looked politely surprised to be addressed in such a manner.

'I'm her teacher,' he said, coldly. 'Who are you?'

Bob frowned. 'Her teacher? She's in school, then?'

'No,' said Snape, in a tone that suggested he was conferring with an idiot, 'She's my apprentice. Could you step back, please? I think you're rather invading Miss Granger's personal space.'

His knuckles tightened almost imperceptably over the length of his wand, but the cold smile remained on his face.

'Apprentice, is she?' echoed Bob, mockingly. The other two seemed to have lost their voices, and their gazes flicked nervously over Hermione. She wasn't worried anymore, though. A strange sense of security had flooded her, and she stood calmly, waiting for Snape to hex the balls off this man.

'Yes, that's what I said,' said Snape. 'Step back and let her through? I would like to accompany Miss Granger back to her home.'

'I don't think I can h'allow that.' said Billy, his lip stretching upwards. He seemed to have pegged Snape down for a bit of a wimp. Hermione shook her head. Poor, poor thing.

'I think you can,' said Snape, his voice a little colder this time.

But Billy had called upon his last reserves of courage, and took an authoritative stepped forward. 'I'm saying no, mister,' he said, coolly. 'It's rude, is what I call it, when a man- I won't say gent- such as yourself interrupts a conversation between me and a pretty lady, such as this one. Especially when the pretty lady has her bra all over the place, like a wanton little-'

Snape raised his wand, and though he didn't open his mouth, jet of hot white light soared from its tip and blasted Billy in the chest. The man didn't even have time to reorganize his face to register surprise. Still with his mouth angrily open, he toppled to the ground.

Mart and Willy turned and fled.

Hermione eye's roved from the prone figure on the ground to her potions master, who was calmly re-pocketing his wand.

'Body Binding Spell,' she said, finally. 'That's a difficult one to do non-verbally. Well done.'

The minute the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. It sounded as though she were complimenting him in a petty fashion, she thought, as though she were the teacher, and she was sure Snape would not like that. Sure enough, Snape's mouth pressed together very slightly, but then it relaxed and broadened into the quirky smile she was quickly familiarizing herself with.

'Thank you,' he said, with a courteous bow. 'Come. We have to go.'

Hermione blinked. 'What?'

'Your little admirer dropped the Cloak- there. Put it in your bag and then come. I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of you milling about Knockturn Alley after dark.'

Hermione frowned. She was irritated that he expected her to leave with him and surprised that he was taking her under his wing so readily. Snape had never really struck her as a caring person. But nothing irked her more than the last line.

'I am perfectly capable of roaming here after dark,' she said, coldly.

'Apparent.' Snape's gaze travelled to Billy's prone form. Hermione felt a flash of irritation.

'I was just about to hex him when you came!'

'I'm sure you were, but it's still better that you had company.'

Hermione continued to look mutinous, and he said, in a gentler tone, 'Company isn't such a bad thing, Miss Granger.'

Something about the expression on his face jabbed at her. His eyes had become momentarily softer- although that quickly disappeared- and a line had formed near the corner of his mouth, something that made him seem- was it lonely?

No, she decided. It was just condescension.

Nevertheless, she decided to go without a fuss. Truth be told she did feel a bit more comfortable with him. She remembered the warm security that had enveloped her when he had turned up and swallowed nervously.

'What about him?' she asked, gesturing towards Billy.

Snape looked pained, as though attending to people he had jinxed did not appeal to him. He swished his wand, and a something silvery shot from the end of it. Hermione cursed; wordless magic again. If she had heard him conjuring the Patronus she would have peered to see what form it took. As it was all she caught was a flash of light, and then it was gone.

'Ministry officials will be here soon,' said Snape, matter-of-factly. 'They'll take care of him.'

Hermione nodded. She wanted, quite desperately, suddenly, to ask him what form his patronus took. It was a quickly born curiosity that raged within her. She knew, though, that that was something she would never ask him. It was just too personal.

She flashed back to reality, and found Snape watching her with quiet amusement.

'I'll drop you to your apartment,' he said.

'I suppose you want to know what I was doing in Knockturn Alley?' asked Hermione, defiantly.

They had apparated to the telephone booth below her flat, and were lingering in the lobby. Snape had remained silent the entire journey back, striding forward to the Diagon portal with Hermione hurrying to keep up. When they reached, he merely lifted his hand and looked at her with a bored and expectant expression. Hermione had blinked.

'Well?' said Snape, raising an eyebrow.

She wasn't normally the type, but since she was a little annoyed and was sweating through the after-effects of a shock, she said, rather stupidly, 'Well what?'

Snape looked faintly annoyed.

'Since I don't know where your apartment is, perhaps you could do me the honor of Apparating us both there.'

Hermione swallowed. She made a last-ditch attempt.

'I can go home on my own, you know.'

Snape said, wearily, 'Haven't we already discussed this, Miss Granger?'

She sighed inaudibly, and then reached up she touched his palm very lightly. His skin was smooth and cool, something she had associated naturally with its paleness. He closed his eyes and stood expectantly, and Hermione fumbled to concentrate, apparating them very precisely to the booth. She staggered as they landed, and fumbled against the smooth panes of glass, but Snape stood perfectly on his feet and watched a little disdainfully as she scrambled to her feet.

Some sort of knight in shining armor, she thought, indignantly. He didn't even offer to help me!

A faintly amused smile crossed Snape's face, and he pushed open the booth door. The air outside was icy and Hermione winced. Her shirt was still a little damp and she wasn't wearing a jacket. There was a slight swish beside her, and the next thing she knew Snape was holding out his cloak.

'Here,' he said, briefly.

Hermione blinked. 'What?'

Snape looked impatient. 'Put this on. It will be too big for you, given your somewhat- minute- stature, but it's the best I can do. I wonder, Miss Granger, how I expect you to solve mysteries and further my research as my apprentice, when the simple act of wearing a jacket seems to perplex you.'

Once more, Hermione felt a rush of gratefulness coupled with a flood of anger. She really was cold, though, so she took the cloak, and wrapped it haphazardly around her, before saying, 'It wasn't cold when I left in the afternoon.'

'No doubt,' said Snape, with a sort of neck-incline that might signify a semi-bow. She looked rather comical, with the cloak dragging on the floor over her. The glint of amusement shone in his eyes (oh, how she hated him), and then he turned and began to walk off.

He seemed to know which block of flats she lived in, and when they reached the lobby he pressed the elevator button with the air of a wizard who was familiar with such contraptions. There was a long creak somewhere above them that signalled that the elevator was on its way, and Snape leaned against the wall, lapsing into a sort of quiet brooding. It was then that Hermione asked, 'I suppose you want to know what I was doing in Knockturn Alley?'

Snape glanced briefly at her, and then at the large marble pillar that adorned he lobby.

'Interesting,' he murmured, thoughtfully, 'I believe this is in the traditional gothic style. I wouldn't expect to find so good a copy in a Muggle building.'

'Come on,' said Hermione, disbelievingly. 'You can't tell me you aren't curious at all as to what I was doing there.'

Snape sighed. The elevator had arrived, and he stepped into it and looked questioningly at her.

'Fourth floor,' said Hermione, impatiently. 'Well?'

He pressed the button, and said, 'No, Miss Granger, I am not curious about what you were doing in such a disreputable place today.'

Disreputable? It was on the tip of her tongue to point out that he himself had been in the aforementioned disreputable place, but she felt it would be wiser not to. Instead, she said, 'I suppose you're going to reason your way through it, then?'

It was a pointless jab. She was feeling cold, hungry, tired, and not a little petty, and his superious tone was annoying her. But the mock fell on deaf ears. Snape simply looked a little amused.

'I don't believe I have to,' he said, his eyes glimmering faintly. 'I know why you were at the alley.'

The elevator had stopped at her floor. Hermione raised her eyes to his own smooth face, and said, challengingly, 'Why, then?'

'Because, Miss Granger,' said Snape mildly, as he stepped out of the elevator and she followed him, 'You were following me the entire evening.'

Hermione's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. Her knuckles, which were clutching the cloak around her body tightened a little. Snape had turned his back to her again, and was surveying the three doors on her floor contemplatively.

'401, 402, 403,' he murmured. 'Which one is yours?'

'You knew I was following you?'

'I'm not an idiot, Miss Granger. Please disabuse yourself of that notion. Which- Ah, 403 it is,' he said, as she pushed her way forward and unlocked the door. She paused as it swung open. She had had no intention of letting Snape into her apartment, but she was ragingly embarassed and curious now, so she forced her voice into a modicum of civility, and said, 'Would you like to come in for some tea?'

Again, Snape's eyes glimmered with amusement. He inclined his head. 'Curious as ever, Miss Granger.' he said. 'But I'm afraid I must be leaving.'

'Leaving?'

'That's right,' he said, a trifle mockingly. 'People tend to do that at the termination of a visit.'

Fuck you and your terminations of visits. She made a last ditch attempt, 'How did you know I was following you?' she asked.

He smiled, not quirkily, but with a strange upward tilt of only one side of his mouth.

'I followed your thoughts,' he said, simply, and before she could make any comment, or for that matter even register what he had said, he had turned and left.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry, this chapter was kind of short. I wanted to tack on a bit about what Harry and Ron are doing, but it doesn't really fit here. On the brighter side, though, SNAPE APPEARANCE.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! =D

Oh, and I hope Snape didn't come off too wishy-washy. For Snape, that is? I didn't want to make him AS cold as he normally is, because Hermione just had a bit of a shock, and stuff. Oh, and by the way, I have no clue what British hoodlums talk like, so all the lines spoken by Bob and Willy and Mart are based on what I'd imagine they would.

I think.

Please review!