D/C: Not Mine

A/N:

Chapter 10: Detention

Hermione woke up in her bed the next morning to find Ginny snuggling comfortably up to her. The red head was a bit disheveled, and had apparently skipped her nightly grooming rituals, as her lipstick was smeared and eye liner had spread downward almost to her cheek. Hermione felt a slight pounding in her head, and her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults.

I suppose that potion he gave me last night couldn't have prevented a hangover. As horrible as it tasted, it should have.

Hermione slid quietly out of bed and crept to the bathroom where she showered, groomed, and dressed for the day. As she was about to leave, she noticed the vial on the counter.

"That's right. He told me to drink it in the morning." Hermione pulled the cap off, smelled the potion, then drank it slowly. It didn't taste as bad as last night's, but it wasn't very pleasant, either. But she almost immediately felt the positive effects.

"Wow, it's a pepper up potion mixed with-"

"Hermione? What on earth are you doing up so early?"

"It's almost ten, Gin."

"Yes, but on a Saturday after you've drank the night before. It's early."

"Sorry, Gin. Go back to bed. I'm just going down to the common room."

"Yeah, okay." Ginny nodded weakly and crawled back into Hermione's bed.

Hermione grabbed a book and was about to plop down on the couch when she saw Harry laying there.

"Harry? Harry, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Hermione. I just got in late and didn't want to wake anyone up."

"Oh? And just what kept you out late?"

"I took Luna for a ride on my broom over the forbidden forest."

"Run into any nargles?"

"Very funny. Actually, no. We had a great time."

"That's great, Harry."

"`Mione, can I talk to you about something?"

"What is it, Harry?"

"Well, I know you've been rather worried about me lately, and I just wanted to tell you not to be. You are a great friend, but I can take care of myself."

"Harry, I just-"

"I know that he killed my parents, and I know that I'm probably going to see it. But I can handle it, you don't need to follow me around as if you'll need to catch me."

"I do not follow you around."

"You did your homework on the quidditch practice field Friday. The last time you did that was for Ron's try-outs last year."

"Being supportive is not-"

"Hermione, I'm just asking you not to. I love you, but I need my space."

Hermione nodded solemnly and stood up to leave. She hadn't meant to be smothering, she was just looking out for her best friend the only way she could, but he didn't want her there. Harry didn't protest as Hermione stepped through the portrait into the castle.

In the library, Hermione was reading her book and thinking how well that potion that Snape had given her worked when she heard a familiar voice approach. Draco Malfoy in the library?

"Hey, Granger!"

Addressing me? More surprisingly, not as mudblood?

"Granger! Do you mind to take that mug of yours out of a bloody book for a moment while I'm talking to you?"

Hermione almost turned to glare at him, but that would be giving him what he wanted.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

"I'm waiting."

"To hit puberty?"

Crabbe and Goyle started laughing, but silenced immediately when Draco glared at them. He walked up close behind her putting his mouth to her ear and saying just loud enough for his friends to hear,

"For you to address a pureblood the way a mu-"

"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, if you are not going to read quietly, I suggest that you leave the library."

"Of course, I was just leaving," Hermione said as she stood and walked briskly out of the library. Draco grinned and sat down where she had been. He loved that seat.

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Hermione sighed, frustrated. Today, it seemed, she had been chased out of every place that she tried to go. Even her usually quiet spot by the lake was busy. A magical Frisbee had nearly smacked into her and the student who had thrown it had yelled at her for getting in the way. Now, she was on her way to the potions lab to deal with whatever Severus was about to throw at her. Not only did she have detention, she had to finish her potion, and hopefully start testing it. More than likely his kindness would only match Draco's.

"Miss Granger."

"Professor."

"I trust you slept well."

Hermione halted. That sounded playful. And not in a mean way.

"Yes, I did. Thank you for that hangover potion."

"Hm."

"Miss Granger, did you leave this on my desk Thursday evening?"

Hermione looked up to see the potions weekly magazine she had left for him two days ago.

"Yes, I thought you'd like the article on oregano in potions."

"I did not."

"Oh? And why not? I thought it was an interesting article," she said, waving her wand to revive her preserved potion.

"Because oregano is a cooking herb. It is good for little else. The examples they offered show only limited results. One might as well put in the Harling herb originally in the potion for the full effect."

"But, even with limited results, it's good in a pinch."

"True. But what good potions master wouldn't have Harling in his storeroom?"

"You."

"I'm sorry?"

"You don't have any Harling in your stores. I looked for it on Thursday. After reading that article I thought it might have a positive effect on my potion, so I went to get it. But you don't have any, so I put it on my list for the next time I go to Hogsmeade."

Hermione looked up from her potion after her sentence to see Snape searching his storeroom. "Aha! Oh…that's not it…Bloody hell."

He came out a moment later, obviously irritated that he had passed over the missing ingredient.

"Preserve your potion, we're leaving."

"I'm sorry? But it's after six, the shops won't be open."

"Do you want the Harling or not?"

"Yes. Okay."

"What else is on your list?"

Hermione took the parchment from her notes and handed it to him.

"I can get all but the snail skin. But it's easier to get that already prepared anyway."

"Um…"

"Oh, stop that. Do you have a coat? It will get cold."

"No. but I'm sure I can-"

Severus disappeared into his private quarters and returned a moment later with a smooth looking black coat that looked like it could be a dress on Hermione. He took a brown satchel from his desk drawer and headed for the door. Hermione hurried behind him, confused but not willing to risk his reaction if she hesitated.

He led her outside the gate guarding the castle, stopped and proffered his arm.

"Give me your arm."

Hermione reached up slowly and blushed brilliantly as she wrapped her arm around his.

Why am I blushing at touching Severus Snape? Oh, gods, did he notice?

If he did, he ignored it. Hermione felt a tug at her belly button and seconds later she was standing in a meadow that seemed to go on for miles.

"Wow, it's beautiful," Hermione said as Snape shook her arm off him, "Where are we?'

"America."

"What? Wow, that's far."

"Indeed. Come this way," Severus said leading her to the middle of the meadow.

Hermione followed him, enjoying the sight around her.

"Granger! Pay attention, you see this?"

"Yes."

"Collect one hundred leaves of this, and put them in this bag," he said handing her a small paper bag from his satchel.

Hermione did what she was told, easily finding the leaves he asked for. She was confused as to why he had wanted her to have a coat when it was so warm here. It had to be seventy degrees and it was only three days to November.

"Are you finished then?"

"Huh? Oh, yes."

He closed the distance between them in two steps and held his arm out to her. She accepted, willing herself not to blush as she had done earlier.

He does look rather attractive with the sunset glowing on him like that… Stop it!

Hermione closed her eyes as she felt the tug on her belly button again. When she opened them, she was in a dense, damp forest that looked like it came out of a horror movie. Still, it was slightly warmer than where they were before.

Severus walked to a nearby tree, pulled a small trowel out of his satchel. He dug at a plant near the tree until he had unearthed its roots, and then showed it to Hermione.

"Collect six of these. They dry out quickly so collecting more is a waste of time."

"Okay."

They dug together in silence for a few minutes, until Hermione made a low squeal and retracted her hand.

"What happened?" Severus set down his tool made his way to her side, not twelve feet from where they started.

"Oh, nothing, I just cut myself on the trowel."

"Stupid girl, cutting yourself on a digging tool. You might just have put Longbottom to shame."

"Funny."

"Give me your hand."

"Why? You want to su-" Hermione stopped herself from finishing the sentence that might make her professor leave her here in this somewhat scary forest.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, here."

Hermione pushed her hand out towards him and Severus took it lightly in his. After looking it over and making sure it was just a light cut he waved his wand over it, sealing it up and then released it.

"Don't worry, the bat of the dungeons isn't after your blood," he said as he returned to his plant.

Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or apologize. She did both.

Giggling, she said, "I'm sorry, but that was funny. And just so you know, I wasn't thinking of the dungeon bat part."

"I'm sure."

Hermione smiled to herself. It was rare that Snape was kind, or pleasant even. But for him to be just plain nice and even make a joke, forget that he didn't laugh or even smile at it, was unheard of.

After collecting all of the roots they needed, Severus reached his arm out to Hermione again and she smiled as she took it. Seconds later, Hermione was standing in a small clearing in the woods. The trees and ground surrounding them were draped in a thick white blanket of snow. Hermione swore the temperature here had to twenty below. Severus took the coat he'd been carrying off his arm and handed it to Hermione. She nodded her thanks as she took it.

It didn't take long for Hermione to see what they had come for. The trees were oozing a thick green sap, an ingredient she had written on her list. Snape handed her a jar to put the collected sap in and they got to work. As she lifted her arms to scrape the sap, the sleeve of the coat slid up her arm.

What a lovely scent. It's like sandalwood and… Is this his scent? Am I smelling Severus Snape? Oh gods, he's looking at me. Did he see me smell the coat? Oh gods, I'm blushing. Look away!

"Are you quite all right?"

"Me? Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You look rather… flustered."

"No. I was thinking how fun this has been. You know a lot of places to collect ingredients."

"As any decent potions master should. There are few ingredients one should actually have to buy from a shop."

Hermione smiled and continued her work. Even though she willed herself not to, she found herself sneaking whiffs of the coat every now and then.

They went to three other places before returning to the gates of Hogwarts, and Hermione was impressed at his stamina. Many witches or wizards would have grown tired after that many apparations even without having a second person, but he seemed just as he had when they left.

Hermione was excited. This was the first time she had collected ingredients other than harvesting from herbology class. She happily walked up to the castle beside the generally fearsome potions master. It was after nine, and Hermione doubted that Snape would allow her to start working on her potion now. When they made it to the lab, Hermione labeled each of the ingredients and put them in the storeroom in their appropriate categories. As she began cleaning up her station, however, Snape stopped her.

"It's best to use the Harling when it's fresh."

"Oh, well yes, but it's after nine, I thought-"

"Since your detention ran into your potion time, I'll allow you to work on your potion now."

Huh? Detention time? I had forgotten about that… Did he count collecting ingredients as detention? Hermione smiled.

"Thank you."

Snape nodded went to his table to begin his own potion.