A Sense of Obsession

Disclaimer: All these fabulous characters belong to J.K Rowling. I do not own them in any way nor am I making any money from them.

Summary: Is In the previous chapters.

A/N:

*PLEASE READ*

It has been brought to my attention that while some people seem to be enjoying my story as a whole so far, others have developed a distaste about the way I am developing it, i.e. the story's romance pace, and pace in general, may be too slow. Hopefully, this chapter will erase some of those problems.

Re –reading my story myself, I can see their point of view. We are yet to see action, of any kind. I have been building the story so far about the developing friendship of Sev and Hermione and Voldemort's want/need for the Imperitaserum, and that his patience is now wearing thin. Now that Sev and Hermione's friendship has solidified...I can assure you that romance is well on its way.

Please, if you have any comments, PM me and let me know. Constructive criticism is welcomed as long as it is polite and helpful ^_^ I know my writing skills may need improving; after all... I am only a fanfiction writer, not a published one. I do not have the skills they have.

Also, a friend of mine pointed out a consistent spelling mistake in chapter 9. I said foul, instead of foal, lol. Whoops.

Thank you for reading, and please...enjoy chapter 10 =)

Chapter 10

The Imperitaserum has been completed and is at full maturity, yet, I still ask her to assist me.

I have introduced her to Leaena...and Salem, who are both taken with her.

When she arrives at the classroom, my heart swells.

Why? Why is it that I crave her presence so?

Snape sat in his office, musing about the state of the situation he had found himself in. A week had passed since the birth of Salem and Sylva's foal and in that time, he and Hermione were close to inseparable. She was either always at his classroom, his quarters, or at the library researching with him.

It had gotten to the point where even students had noticed that their surly Slytherin Potions Master was spending a lot of time with the compassionate Gryffindor princess.

It unnerved him, to say the least.

Even the staff had been sending him odd looks and gazes. Some seemed angry, others had an odd twinkle in their eye and it was those that made him even more uncomfortable.

It was true; he and Hermione Granger were friends and their relationship seemed to be strengthening. Any spare moment that they were both free from class, they were together, chatting, researching, reading... and he was enjoying it.

Craving it.

Craving her.

This is preposterous! I am nineteen years older than her, her Professor and mentor; I should not be having these...feelings... about her.

What feelings might they be? asked the Inner voice. Go on, say them again. Admit them to yourself, Sev.

The need to feel her presence... the way that when she walks into the class, my heart jumps. The indescribable emotion I feel when I notice her hair shine in the candlelight, sunlight...moonlight, her eyes sparkle when she has brewed a potion of exquisite quality, they way they sparkle when they...

...look at you. Yes, Sev... you have noticed that. She is enjoying your company just as much as you are enjoying hers.

I am just a passing fancy! She's young; she'll grow out of it. What will I do then?

You won't have to "do" anything. Whether you want to admit it or not, you have been observing her with other males and she has never looked at them the way she does you.

He groaned and decided to distract himself by grading some of the Potions essays that were lying on his desk. Classes had finished for the Christmas holidays, but there was still end of term homework to be marked. He brought out a pot of blood red ink, picked up his quill and started reading. It was Harry Potter's latest homework assignment. He grinned. His trusty red ink pot should fulfil its purpose, and he was sure he would need to purchase more by the end of the day.

Half an hour later, he felt his hand cramping by the sheer amount of comments and corrections he had had to write on the seventh year's essays. He shook his head and threw the rest of the pile back down onto the table. He could not take any more of the drivel his students had been writing.

His soft sigh worried the girl who was standing at the front of the room by the door. She cleared her throat and almost giggled when she saw his head snap up in fright.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked with wide eyes.

She strolled further into the class, clasping the strap of her book bag tightly. "Long enough to hear you mumble and I quote 'the biggest bunch of dunderheads I have ever had the displeasure of knowing'." She chuckled. "Which class' essays were you marking?"

His lips curled into a smirk. "Yours."

"Ahh." She glanced back at the door before turning her head towards him again. "Well, then...yes...I agree with your deduction."

"Really?" he drawled, humour gracing his voice. "Interesting to know."

She smiled mischievously, and he noted that it was almost...Slytherin-like.

It excited him.

Her tone was teasing, "Yes, I am spending far too much time with you." She propped herself on the side of his desk. "However, I am enjoying it. I find that I can be myself more around you than I can with even Harry and Ron."

He replaced his ink pot and quill back into a desk drawer. "Oh? Is there trouble in paradise so much as to want to spend time with your friend's mortal enemy?"

She laughed heartily, "No! And I wouldn't go as far to say you are their 'mortal' enemy. An enemy...yes, you certainly dislike each other enough to call it that, but not a 'mortal' enemy."

He found her eyes. "I'm sure they would disagree."

"Well, then, let them," she stated, crossing her arms as she spoke. "I don't care."

"How very Slytherin-like of you, Miss Granger. It would have been interesting to see what it would have been like if you had been placed into my House."

"I bet you would have loved that," she sarcastically remarked. "I bet all of Slytherin would have loved a Muggleborn witch in their beloved house."

"I have nothing against Muggleborns, Hermione. I have told you that." He stood. "I would have loved for you to be in my House. A stunningly wonderful intellect like yours needs to be moulded, not melted." His robes billowed as he walked to a hidden cupboard and took something from it.

It was a relatively large, yet thin, rectangular box, wrapped in green and silver, foil-like paper.

He reached for her hands and turned them palm side up. He gently placed the box into them. "This is for you." He looked down deep into her eyes. "A combination of a thank you gift and a Christmas present, in case I will not be here to hand it to you Christmas morning."

She was surprised...utterly astounded. In a million years, she never would have thought Severus Snape would ever give her any sort of gift. Yet, here one was, sitting in the palms of her hands. "Would you like me to open it now? Or wait until Christmas day? And why won't you be able to give it to me on Christmas morning?"

"That is your choice," he replied. "Personally, I would like to see you open it now, that way I can see your reaction, whether good or bad... and to answer your final question..." He moved over to his stock cupboard, though Hermione stood still. He called to her, "I wouldn't possibly be able to hand you a gift if I am called to the Dark Lord, which is what usually happens now, seeing as he is not partial to joyous celebrations or holidays."

She nodded and looked at the box. She waited until he returned to her before running a finger under the paper and opening it like she would an envelope. She pulled a white box from the wrapping. It was plain; there were no indication that gave her a hint as to what it contained.

She glanced at her friend, who stared at her like a giddy school boy. She smiled and pulled the lid off of the box. She gasped at what she saw.

It was a jewellery set. Not so elaborate as to rouse suspicion from people, but the pieces were beautiful.

There was a necklace and a bracelet. The necklace was pure gold, with a lioness pendant that had a small ruby for an eye. The bracelet meanwhile, was sterling silver. It was the most intricate piece. It was in the shape of a snake which was incredibly detailed, with emerald gems for eyes.

"This must have cost you a fortune," she whispered. She placed the box on a table and picked up the bracelet, sliding it over her hand and onto her wrist.

"Maybe..." He picked up the necklace and with one hand, he turned her so her back was to him. His shifted her hair to the side and placed the chain around her neck, fastening it as he said, "Though, I do know the store owner."

She turned to face him. "You did not have to do this...waste your money on me I mean."

"Waste? No." She noticed the sheer amount of emotion in his eyes. It was something she had never seen before. "I did not waste my money on you. You deserve this, for all you have done for me...and for all you will do. Not to mention all you have managed to put up with. You are right; I did not have to buy you anything. But I wanted to."

She rose up onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek with a softness he had never had the opportunity to see nor feel before. "Thank you...so much. They are beautiful, I love them."

Their eyes locked again...if someone had been watching the scene, they would have said they could see sparks flutter between them. The emotion in the room was that intense, that raw...

He cleared his throat, effectively breaking the moment. "What is it you wished to see me for anyway, Hermione?"

"I um..." She stepped backwards slightly. "We had agreed to dine together tonight, to discuss my Occlumency lessons and devise a plan to combat the potion, should we need to drink it."

Damn, he had forgotten about that. "Ah, yes...we did indeed. Unfortunately, it had slipped my mind." He spun around sharply. "No matter, follow me. We will adjourn to my chambers and I shall call upon the House elves to bring us something to eat."

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

He couldn't believe that she was with Snape yet again. What was so important? Surely her "extra credit" classes did not have to take place every single day?

Harry sat in the Gryffindor Common Room; pondering over the homework his Potions teacher had given him, not to mention Ron, for completion over the holiday period. He was furious that Snape gave only them homework. Hermione had even gotten away with getting no homework. But, if what she said was true...she was too busy with extra credit potion brewing to be able to write a three foot long essay on the types of Dark potions out there, their effects and how to counteract them.

Still...why were only he and Ron given the assignment? It was not fair.

This essay was much better suited to Hermione. She had the brain and the patience to research it.

He shook the thoughts from his mind. He had to concentrate. If he didn't finish this essay, there would be hell to pay. Also, chances were that Hermione was not going to be able to proof read his essay if Snape kept her away from them every evening.

No, I have to focus. I just have to accept that he has given her an apprenticeship.

He grabbed the several books Hermione had slammed down onto the table in front of him before she left. He picked up the first one, turned to the pages she had marked out for him, and began reading.

Ron and Ginny soon entered the room to find Harry taking notes. Ron just raised an eyebrow while Ginny smiled.

"Turning into Hermione are we, Harry?" said Ginny.

The boy looked up. "No, but I'm actually finding this pretty interesting."

Ron looked bewildered. "What? An essay set by Snape, is interesting?" The red headed boy plopped himself down onto the sofa next to his friend.

"If you read these books, the chapters Hermione has told us to look at, you will see what I mean."

Ginny pulled the book Harry held in his hands towards her. Her eyes skimmed the pages. "He has a point, Ron." She tossed the book towards her brother.

He lazily drew his gaze over the words, until something caught his attention. "Is this possible?"

"Apparently so, though they are incredibly difficult to make," Harry answered.

Ginny glanced at her boyfriend, "But 'hybrid' potions? I have never heard of them. Snape hasn't even mentioned them in class."

Harry pointed to another book, quickly turned to a page and gave it to her. "They are rare, because they are so complicated. Not to mention, they are almost always Dark potions. Maybe Dumbledore told Snape that he wasn't allowed to teach us about them?"

"Well, you would think he would allow Moody to teach us about them then, you know in Defence against the Dark Arts if they are so Dark and dangerous?" Ron stated.

Ginny slapped her brother's arm and gave him the book she had been reading. "Harry just said they are rare. Maybe Dumbledore felt it was not necessary for us to know about them."

Ron picked up Harry's notes, which had the information about the essay he had to write on it, and threw them at her. "Then why is Snape making us write an essay on this?"

She read Snape's familiar scrawl that was above the notes Harry had made.

Research Dark potions. Write a 3 foot long essay describing:

The types of potions

The effects

Ways to neutralize them

You will have until term resumes.

"How should I know?" Ginny handed the parchment back to Harry, who accepted it and began to note down more information. "But, you better do it. Snape has actually given you more time to complete it than he usually does. I wouldn't try his patience by handing it in late."

"Why do you think I've started?" said Harry. "I'm already standing on thin ice after that detention last week. I apparently upset Snape's Thestral."

"Snape has a Thestral?" Ron stuttered.

"Yeah, it's the head of the herd," replied Harry.

"What did you do?" asked Ginny as she moved to sit beside him.

Harry gazed at her and pushed his parchment aside. "I don't know. It just didn't like me. Then I almost bumped into its baby, so I understand why it tried to attack me then. But, I didn't really do anything else. I tried to tell it I wasn't a threat, but it wouldn't listen."

Ron couldn't believe his ears. "Snape's Thestral has a baby? It's the Alpha male?" Harry swore his friend looked on the verge of fainting. Ginny chuckled upon seeing her brother's expression.

"Anyway...Hermione was there when Snape came down to try and calm...what was its name...oh yeah, Salem. Do any of you find it strange about how much time she is spending with Snape lately?"

Ginny frowned. "Harry, she is his apprentice."

"So?"

"Well, she needs to go to the extra lessons," Ginny responded.

Ron looked back and forth between his friend and his sister. He was nervous to express his own thoughts about the situation, fearing his sister's wrath if he disagreed with her, yet fearing his friend's if he disagreed with him.

But, his own ideas agreed with Harry's. "Harry has a point, Gin," he told her. "Hermione is spending too much time down there for it to be extra lessons." He lowered the pitch and tone of his voice. "Do you think he is making her brew something she shouldn't be? Like one of these Dark potions he is making us research?"

Ginny's expression darkened and she looked positively horrified. "Don't be ridiculous, Ron."

"Yeah, Ron...if Snape wanted Hermione to produce an 'evil' potion, why make us research antidotes and learn about recognizing the effects?" Harry added. "He would want to hide what they been making, not drawing attention to it." He stretched his tired muscles. "And, anyway," he said after a few minutes, "I meant that Hermione is spending time with Snape...in a personal sense. She seems to know things about him that we don't. And, I've seen her talk to him about his pets...that is not Potions related."

The three Gryffindors fell silent. Ginny decided to help the boys with their research; she was becoming bored with watching them scratch their quills against parchment. She grabbed a book and flipped through it until she reached the correct chapter and began reading.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

He couldn't fathom how she made him shift from one thought to another so quickly. He had been convinced that if she did indeed feel for him greater than that of mere camaraderie and friendship, it was only a school-girl crush. One that wouldn't last.

Now, however, he was beginning to think differently.

He watched her as she absentmindedly fiddled with the pendant around her neck, holding the pendant with her thumb and forefinger before running the index finger and her third finger up over the chain. Occasionally, he would spot her staring at the bracelet; like she physically couldn't stop herself.

He found it heart-warming. She truly liked his gift.

He couldn't quite grasp the reason as to why he had felt the desire to purchase her a Christmas gift. All he knew was that he wanted to consummate their friendship, ensure that he held her forgiveness for their disagreement and thank her for all of the help. He knew there were going to be hard times ahead. He wanted her to know he appreciated her.

He had even gone as far as to pay attention to what food she ate at breakfast, lunch and dinner so he could tell the House elves to prepare her favourite meal.

She had been speaking, asking about her Occlumency lessons, and he noticed that he hadn't answered her question. He had just been sitting there, in his own little world.

He cleared his throat. "Sorry, Hermione, could you say that again?"

She smirked. "I knew you were not listening to me. Tired of my incessant questions again?" She was teasing him.

The little wench.

"I was thinking...my lack of attention was nothing to do with you."

Her expression turned playful, yet portrayed a hint of seriousness when she asked, "Oh, were those thoughts anything to do with me?"

More than you will ever know. "No, not really." He stood from where he sat and walked over to a bookshelf at the other end of the room. "I was trying to figure out a way to combat the effects of the Imperius Curse in the Imperitaserum."

Liar. "Oh okay." She fidgeted a little, trying to get more comfortable. She had been sitting in an awkward position with her right leg tucked under her left thigh and she was beginning to feel the familiar unpleasant tingling of her leg falling asleep. "Did you come up with anything?"

He sighed; she picked up a note of defeat. "No. I did not."

"Well," She walked over to where he stood. She raised her hand and followed the path his was taking across the spines of the many books on the shelf. "How about we both try to figure something out? You have to remember, I am here to help you. You don't have to do everything yourself anymore."

He was certain he felt a spark of electricity sting his fingers when Hermione's hand brushed against them. He quickly shoved the thought as far down as he could manage. He couldn't and wouldn't do this.

He was not developing feelings for her. He wasn't. He couldn't. Not in these times.

It was far too dangerous.

If the Dark Lord ever found out about her...

He shuddered.

It went unnoticed by his companion; she was too focused on her own body's reaction... for she had felt the same spark.

She was now convinced. She did indeed have a crush on her Professor.

A/N 2: There we go...the sexual tension has finally begun to show itself =D

Just a quick note to remind readers that this story does not have a beta. I try my best to spot any mistakes before I post, but I know I have missed some in previous chapters.

I hope you have enjoyed Chapter 10. Please review? ^_^ Let's try for 140 reviews? =) But, if not, no worries. I thank everyone who does review. I am grateful for all of your wonderful comments and thoughts.