A/N: Please ignore any mistakes you find in this chapter. For some reason, I have been drained lately and my mind isn't as awake as it needs to be.
Two weeks – two whole miserable, brain numbing weeks it had been since Dumbledore enacted the whole buddy system thing and Hermione was going crazy. She wanted out of the dungeons and in contact with someone... anyone for more then five minutes.
Sure, Harry had been coming by like he was supposed to, but he hardly ever hung around for more then a few minutes. He had classes to get to, Quidditch practice and even had to sleep at some point... she missed her life.
She had Severus.. if you could call it that. The man was cold, quiet, and was perfectly happy not talking to her and ignoring her at every turn. He spent most of his time reading, writing or sleeping and hardly ever said a word to her even though they had to share a room and not let each other out of their sight. She thought they were actually getting somewhere after the whole Malfoy thing but she guessed she was wrong.
She was at her wits end.
For the last week, she had been giving him the cold shoulder right back. She would only answer any questions in the form of a yes or no, she hadn't tried to start a conversation with him in a week, and didn't make eye contact with him either... two could play at this game.
"Ms. Granger, can you snap out of your day dream? I need to take a shower."
"Fine" she replied and walked over to the port key. She pulled it and disappeared to the bathroom without another word.
Severus rolled his eyes and followed. When he arrived, Hermione was already standing in the corner with her back towards him, allowing him his privacy.
"What is your problem?" he finally asked
"Nothing"
"Don't give me that Ms. Granger, I can tell when a woman is irritated." he said in a bored voice.
"Just take your shower." she replied in an equally bored voice
"Quit being a chit and answer the damned question." He finally yelled, losing his patience with her.
She could feel the anger building, she tried to control it, she really did but enough was enough.
"You want to know what my problem is?" she yelled back, "My problem is I am stuck here with you. I have hardly any contact with the outside world, I miss my friends, I miss having conversations even if I have to dumb it down a bit, I miss everything." she stopped to suck in another breath, "And what do I get out of this? I get stuck with a grouchy old man who is so used to being alone that he doesn't care if he has contact with another human being."
Severus stood back and watched the girls tantrum. He had been avoiding her for a reason but he couldn't tell her why. He instead decided to just ignore her and hope his inappropriate thoughts would just go away.
Everything had started that first and only night they had to sleep in the same bed. The feeling of having a womans body pressed against his was something he hadn't had the pleasure of in a long time. It wasn't that he couldn't have one, he just didn't trust the women he brought back to his quarters enough to allow them the stay there, nor did he want them to.
After he had woken up that morning, he couldn't help but relive the feeling of her pressed against him, the smell of her skin, the smile on her face – it was disturbing. For days he thought about it and for days he had to either go to sleep or take a shower to get rid of the – problems that came along with it – ignoring her was just easier.
He knew the rules of the school. There was none that said a professor and student couldn't get together but it was specified that the student had to be of age and consenting to do so. She was of age and he knew it but the biggest problem was the age difference. He was not a young professor just starting out. He was older then her by far, he was mean, grumpy and had a hard life, he was hardly a good choice for a girl such as herself to be interested in – not to mention he hated rejection, so yes, ignoring her was just the easier way to go.
"Are you even listening to me?" she yelled, snapping him away from his thoughts.
"Every word." he replied sarcastically
"Your such a git." she finally said and turned around again, "Just take your damned shower."
Severus sighed and stripped out of clothes... maybe he would talk to her a little just to get her out of her mood.
He started the water and stepped behind the curtain, "I'm in" he called out so she didn't have to face the corner the entire time.
Hermione let out an angered growl and walked towards the sink. She needed a cold wash rag to cool her face down before she actually jumped into the shower and killed him. The washrag felt good against her skin. It was slowly bringing the heat out of her face but it wasn't helping one bit on the heat that was still fueling her anger.
"Can I ask you a question?" she finally bit out.
"If you must." he replied with a sigh, here we go again.
"Is something wrong with you? I mean, why the hell do you act the way you do?"
"Has anyone ever told you it is unbecoming of a lady to use the language you have been using?"
Hermione ignored him, he was enough to bring out the sailor in anyone.
"Answer my question first."
"There is nothing wrong with me Ms. Granger. I simply enjoy being by myself... anything else?"
"No, nothing else." she answered going back to running the cool rag over her face.
She had a few ideas on why he was so grumpy. She had been living with him for weeks and she had yet to see him with a woman. It was impossible for him now, but when he was normal sized there was still nothing...maybe he was asexual. That thought had merit.
She rinsed the rag again and continued her private conversation, "Okay, so he's probably asexual, definitely asocial – what else could possibly fit him." she continued to think, she would figure it out if it was the last thing she did.
She finally got her skin cooled down and her temper was once again in check, "Are you almost finished? I'd like to shower while we are here."
"I'm finished, just go to the corner so I can get out."
What difference did it make to him... if he was asexual... he didn't have anything worth seeing. She sighed and walked over to the corner, once again with her back facing him.
Severus climbed out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He made sure everything was well tucked and hidden before walking to the corner so she could get in.
"All yours" he said when he reached her.
Hermione turned and once again noticed his chest. She didn't linger long, after all, she had seen it everyday for the last two weeks. She gave him a nod and walked to the other side of the bathroom still deep in thoughts.
He had a nice body, even she would admit that. He wasn't Greek god but he was far from old man. His body was strong and lean, well defined and very fit. His back was crisscrossed with silvery scars and his chest, while not as bad, had scars to match. His legs looked strong and muscular – to bad he was asexual.
She stripped down and entered the shower, totally unaware that he had been focused on her thoughts. It wasn't like legemency, he didn't need eye contact to hear what she was saying, it was a little trick he learned while serving Voldemort.
"Asexual?... she thinks I'm asexual?" he was furious, how dare the little witch assume something so...so wrong.
He walked over to the shower, keeping his towel on and pulled the curtain back. He stepped into the shower and quickly pressed her into the wall. She didn't have time to yell at him or even scream for that matter, he placed his lips on hers and pressed his body into hers, letting her feel what he was.
After a few minutes, he pulled away and placed his forehead on hers, "Hows that for asexual?" he asked before stepping away and out of the shower, leaving her panting against the wall and hot for an entirely different reason then before.