Chapter 10

She stood in front of the mirror and lifted her arms out for a better look. The gown Zephrine had sent her the day before was beautiful. It made her look really mature, the dress hugging all the right places. She had seen the other dresses that Zephrine had sent her but none of them had felt right to her. Once she had let Zephrine know, she had left home and gone to France. She knew she had asked her mother on what type of dress would best suit her.

The dress was black with long sleeves that parted once to let her arms out at the elbows but the rest of the sleeve hung low almost to the floor. Two large slits parted on either side of her legs. When she walked it showed off a sleek leg. The front of the dress was all covered but it was the back that was the real surprise. It was made of transparent black material. It showed half of her back before slowly forming a v at the small of her back. It would have once made her cringe, imagining herself wearing such a gown. But she had tried it on and loved it. The time-turner lay wrapped low on her hips and out of sight for the time being.

She quickly made a simple bun with a few loose curls that she had controlled with a product that Zephrine had sent her and added red lipstick just like she had seen Zephrine do. She pulled on the strappy heels and walked out of the dorm room. She probably would have never dressed this way if she had really been fourteen, the dress a bit too mature. The dress made her feel her age and incredibly beautiful. Which surprised her, to say the least.

The Common Room was dark with only the fireplace lit. Several couples stood around laughing and talking. But the instant she stepped down from the staircase the room went silent. She didn't see any of the Weasley's or Harry either. They must have already gone down.

Hermione ignored the whispers and headed out of the Common Room. She hurried to the main Entrance Hall and stopped when she saw Harry standing next to Parvati. Harry saw her first and she watched as his mouth opened wide in shock. She tried not to blush as she walked towards him. Many other couples turned once to look at her and doing double takes. She ignored them as she came to a stop in front of Harry.

"Hello, Harry. Where's Ron?"

Harry stuttered a bit before nodding his head towards the Great Hall. "He's inside with Padma. Wow, Hermione, you look beautiful."

Hermione smiled brightly at him.

"So do you."

She was about to comment on his robes when McGonagall hurried the last of the couples into the Great hall and called for the Champions. She saw Fleur Delacour with Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain.

Behind them, she saw Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang. Hermione noticed Harry's side glance towards the couple and inwardly cringed. She had known what girl he had been watching and was surprised that he hadn't asked her to the dance. But then again he wasn't good with the opposite gender unless it was with her.

"Hermione, dear you must go in as well," McGonagall said as she motioned towards the closed doors of the Great Hall. Hermione colored and was about to head in when Viktor's voice filled the hallway.

"She's ve me, Professor."

She watched as Harry's face once again became filled with shock; while Parvati gaped openly at them. Hermione turned towards Viktor and noticed right away how handsome he looked in his formal clothes. The red robes made his eyes stand out and looked very good on him. She smiled at him as he slipped an arm around her waist. He gave her a smile in return and pulled her right behind Fleur and Roger. Harry and Parvati got in behind them and were followed by Cedric and Cho.

Hermione could sense the stares of the two couples behind her. She really didn't want to walk in front of so many people. Viktor must have felt her stress since he leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"Donna vorry. Ve look more beautiful than all the others together." She smiled gratefully at him.

Professor McGonagall opened the doors and they made their way in. The instant people saw them, they became quiet with muted excitement. Hermione smile faded a bit as her eyes connected with Snape's. He didn't have his robes on but a long coat that ended at his knees. She had never seen him like that before. He gave her an empty look as he continued staring at her. She would have smiled but instead, she turned into Viktor's arms for the start of the dance.

After a couple of dances, she parted from Viktor, who went to fetch them drinks while she headed towards Harry and Ron. Both of their dates nowhere in sight. Ron glowered at her before turning his body away from her.

She scowled. "What is the matter with you?"

Ron snubbed her so she turned to Harry. He shrugged but the look in his eyes said that there was more to it. She pushed her hair back and pulled Harry up.

"Dance with me."

Not giving him a choice, she drew him onto the dance floor. Harry stiffened when they passed Cho and she smiled faintly. Poor Harry, he really went green with jealousy when he saw that couple. She turned into his arms just as a slow dance began.

He huffed but pulled her closer. "I might have already said it before but you look really lovely, Mione."

Hermione felt herself redden. She beamed at him, "Thank you. I think you look rather dashing yourself."

Her smile waned as other thoughts invaded her mind. He noticed her change in mood and frowned.

"What is it? Am I doing something wrong?" He would have pulled away from her but she stopped him with her arm. "I was just thinking about something unpleasant. Don't mind me."

He nodded but his eyes told her he didn't believe her.

Soon, she would tell him some stuff but she had to be sure he didn't spill anything to Dumbledore first. She had to talk to Sirius to get his opinion on the matter.

They finished two more dances before Viktor finally cut in. She spent the rest of the night dancing, deceiving herself into believing she was just another teenager out on a date with a handsome man. But the whole time she danced, she felt those dark eyes following her.

After she said goodbye to Viktor by the Entrance Hall, she headed outside for a bit of fresh air. She had lost sight of Harry and Ron so she had figured that they had headed to bed. She walked further out into the courtyard. There was nobody around and it was starting to get colder as well. She shivered and would have turned around but instead ran into a tall and dark figure. She jumped back, would have fallen if not for the arm that wrapped around her waist.

Hermione gasped and looked up into cold brown eyes.

Igor Karkaroff stared hard at her before his eyes narrowed. He leaned closer, "You smell familiar."

Hermione's eyes went wide in alarm. He couldn't have had smelled her before. They had only bumped once in the forest and not for long... She pushed back and stumbled away.

"Wait! Come here!"

Hermione turned tail and ran further away from the courtyard and to the Viaduct. It was dark and her dress was black so she was hoping it helped her get away from him. She could hear his footsteps a little too close, making her want to scream in frustration.

She glanced back and saw him take his wand out. Shite, hers was strapped on her arm sheath. She was almost near the front of the doors when something stung her back. She felt her blood make her dress wet.

It hurt so bloody much.

She was near the hall, leading to the dungeons when a large figure seized her and thrust her into an unoccupied classroom. The familiar smell of herbs and potions hit her nose. Giving her sense of comfort even though the man was much more dangerous than the one chasing her.

She looked up at the man holding her. He had raised his hand to close the door with a flick of his wrist and murmured several spells. He was blocking the entrance to Karkaroff. She winced when his hand brushed against her back. Snape let her go and would have spoken when he glanced down at his hand...that was bloody. She began to wonder where he could have gotten hurt when she realized that it was from her.

The blood loss was affecting her, messing with her brain.

"Why was he pursuing you?" Snape asked in a frosty tone.

Hermione pondered whether she should tell him the truth when he sneered.

"Don't LIE to me."

Hermione gave a sigh as she reached back to feel around the wound. "He recognized the smell of my perfume from the night I rammed my body against his."

Snape raised an eyebrow in question. "Turn around so I can see."

She turned around, very aware of him at her back. He stayed silent for so long that she almost turned back around.

"Don't," said Snale, voice somewhat thick, "He cut the back of the dress so it seems to be a clean slicing hex. I'll dress it in a bit. Don't move."

Hermione did as he said. She heard him move toward the cupboard behind his desk. She glanced back to see him summon something from his bedroom. She looked away when he turned her way. She should have been scared, thinking about Karkaroff but all she could think about was the fact that Snape was going to tend to her wound. She didn't know what she was feeling exactly. She flinched when he smeared what seemed to be a paste on the wound. His hand stilled for a second before he continued his task.

"When did you run into him? Let me guess it was the night I caught you." Snape said as he applied the paste to her wound, his hand brushing the top of the chain around her waist.

She forced herself not to shiver.

"Hmm, yeah it was. He had gone to see the dragons. Harry almost got discovered by him so I had to distract him. I jumped him and fell against his side. He must have smelled some of the perfume then."

Snape ceased and moved back. She turned to see him holding a large black robe. He held it out for her. She would have thanked him but something in his gaze made her accept it without saying anything.

"He wouldn't recognize you if he were to see you in your school uniform. He probably thinks it's one of my Slytherins. Do not let him find out about you." Snape said as he lifted his wand and sent everything back carefully.

She slid the robe on, it draped over her body completely. It was still warm too. She didn't think too much about it. He was acting really out of character. She glanced at his desk to notice a glass cup with yellow liquid. He must have been drinking.

Snape ignored her sidelong glance and gestured towards the door.

"I'll make sure you get back without him seeing."

He opened the doors and walked out without saying anything else. She followed him out a second later. She froze when she didn't see him. But she felt him. Looking at her. She made her way back to the Gryffindor Tower. She passed few couples here and there, all too aware of him following her.

Hermione stopped at the entrance to the common room and stilled when all of a sudden HIS presence disappeared. She headed upstairs and noticed that her room was empty. She took her shoes off and the arm sheath. Not wanting to take anything else off, she laid down on the bed.

Only when she was nodding off did she realize that his robe smelled of him.

Herbs and Potions.

It had been a couple of stressful days. Skeeter kept bugging Harry and now her. She really needed to do something about her. She had made Hermione seem like a foolish girl who looked desperate for attention. She had almost punched her lights out when she had run into her in Hogsmeade with Harry and Ron.

She hadn't seen Snape since the night of the ball, not even at dinner time. Not that she cared. Or that's what she told herself.

She had heard from the boys that they had spoken with Dumbledore and Hagrid. The Skeeter woman had shamed Hagrid for being a half-giant. Hermione had known that little fact since her second year. It hadn't been news to her. She had hexed Draco for some of his comments.

She had also cast the same spell she had done on the stuff she had taken from Dumbledore to the map that Harry carried around. She had done a couple of extra things to it so she wouldn't appear on the map anymore. She was keeping track of him that way and at the moment he was heading back from Myrtle's bathroom and back to the common room.

About to put it away she saw him stop and turn around the opposite way and towards some stairs leading down to Snape's office. She sighed once before seeing what had caught his attention.

It said 'Bartemius Crouch' on the paper.

Why would Mr. Crouch be in there at this time of the night? Harry had told her he was sick or something.

She walked out of the common room under the disillusionment charm and ran down the corridor. She glanced down at the map once more to see Filch and not seconds later she saw Snap's name heading straight for them. She hoped that Harry had his Invisibility Cloak with him.

She neared the stairs that they were on and glanced around the corner to see Snape standing there with just a nightshirt and black cotton pants. She continued to stare and was startled when she heard Moody's familiar steps. The steel shoe of his making a loud clunk sound. She leaned away from the opening and hid behind one of the pillars. She heard Moody and Snape going on and on about Harry and what not. After a while, Snape and Filch left, leaving Moody and Harry. They began talking about Crouch which she herself was wondering about. He probably had come for Snape. She froze when she heard Moody ask to borrow the map. Why? Why would he need it? She didn't like that at all.

Once they left she went down the stairs to Snape's office. She raised her hand to knock but stopped herself the last second. She didn't know why she came in the first place.

She went back to her dorm, not liking what she had almost done.

Hermione shivered as she washed her hair. It still smelled like moss and dirt. Being submerged underwater for almost an hour did that to a girls hair. She had been picked up by George and Fred the night before and had been told that she would be the one to be saved by Viktor. Harry had wanted to save her too but it hadn't been allowed. She dried herself and slipped out of the bath. She had gone to the girl's bathroom near the Transfiguration Class. It was rarely used since most people used the ones near the common rooms.

She tried to dress quickly before she chilled even more. She cursed when she noticed that Parvati had forgotten to get her a bra. She looked over at the one she had been wearing but cringed when she saw a bit of moss on the cups.

Cleaning charms could only do so much. She shrugged it off and noticed that instead of getting her a jumper Parvati had grabbed the robe that she had neatly folded on her nightstand. Hermione would have a word with her later. The girl was nothing like her sister.

After putting on her jeans and robe she braided her hair in two french braids ignoring the wisp of wet curls that had slipped. She shrunk the wet clothes and put them in her pocket and walked out. She was on the bridge leading to the Great Hall when she saw Snape walking towards her. She slowed down as he came nearer with every step. Snape's face was devoid of emotion but something flickered in eyes for a second.

"Granger, I don't think you should go near Karkaroff anytime soon. He has asked me about a certain WOMAN who was dressed in all black, he really wants to speak with such a person urgently." said Snape as he looked over her shoulder. The wind began blowing harder as she moved closer to him. She was about to reply when the top of the robe slipped down and...

For a moment neither one of them reacted.

Snape stiffened within seconds and flicked his wand at her. The robe covered her up and wrapped around her shoulders tightly. Hermione could feel her face turn bright red with embarrassment.

Shite, shite, shite.

Snape locked eyes with her for a minute before stepping away from her and walking away quickly. She stood there for several minutes, not believing what had just happened. She had...

Not just any man.

No.

Severus Snape.

She ducked her head, skipped dinner and hid in the dorm for the rest of the night. What terrified her the most was that she hadn't minded one bit.

It had been ridiculously enticing.

o0o0o

Hermione stared at the Daily Prophet with disgust. Harry was right, Skeeter made her out to be a Scarlet Woman. Skeeter had also commented on the fact that she looked too mature to be a fourth-year student. It was the reason she was able to entice two champions according to Skeeter. She was about to put it away when Harry took it back. She sat down and pulled out her Potions book, Snape could barge in any second.

Snape who still hadn't given her any "Detentions" and who had avoided looking at her at all.

A second later Adrian's voice filled her mind.

"Scarlet Woman, uh? Since when have you been able to flirt around? Marcus told me earlier that he had seen you with Viktor this morning. What is going on? Should I speak with Father?"

Hermione ignored him, she had been doing so since before the second task. He had been bloody mad when she had been chosen as one of the four students to drown according to his tale. Dimitry had been simmering with anger since then too. Marcus had even sought her out earlier in the week to ask her to stay away from all the Champions.

Snape snapped her out of her thoughts as he began to harass Harry about the newspaper. The bloody man wouldn't leave him alone. He still thought Harry was the one stealing from his supplies. She rolled her eyes and turned away from them.

Halfway through the lesson, she saw Karkaroff slip in and whisper into Snape's ear furiously. She had avoided him since he was still looking for her. Or at least the woman in the black dress.

He had even asked Viktor but even he hadn't known. She wondered if Karkaroff was just messing with her or if he honestly didn't know. She had stopped using her perfume but she wondered how long she would have to do it for.

For most of the class period Karkaroff shifted around uneasily and would rub his arm with a grimace.

Near the end of class, she accidentally helped Neville with his potion and saw Snape zero in on that fact.

"Granger, ten points from Gryffindor and Detention tonight."

Hermione noticed the slight hesitation on his face as he said that. She outwardly glared at her desk but inside she felt completely different. She was slightly nervous about it.

At the end of class, she hung back and waved off the guys as she slowly cleaned. Karkaroff moved swiftly towards Snape and both moved towards the open door that led to Snape's private storeroom. She pushed her bag under Snape's table and cast the Disillusionment Charm on herself before leaning back against the bookcase. The harsh whispering stopped and Karkaroff stormed out of the classroom. Snape walked back into the room and slowed his pace as he glanced around the room. She noticed that he looked several times in her direction but couldn't pinpoint her exact location. Casually flicking her wand, she dropped the charm. The moment she appeared he lifted his wand at her.

A moment later he seemed to really see her and something in his gaze made her want to shiver so she looked away. Snape closed the door with his wand, locking it with a spell she had never heard before.

He walked over to her and leaned back against the high table.

"The dark mark is beginning to burn every rising. I have asked Dimitry about it and his has been burning as well. Karkaroff is afraid, a spooked traitor makes mistakes. I also checked his memories and found out that he did not put Potter's name into the Goblet."

Hermione picked up her bag and set it on his desk as she went over what he said.

If he didn't do it then who? Ludo Bagman? Mr. Crouch? Who? Hermione sighed and took out a book she had gotten from Dimitry, "Give this back to Dimitry and tell him that most of what is in here is pretty much the same thing that was in the last book he had sent. I think we need to bring somebody else into helping us."

Snape didn't look happy about that little last bit. She pushed the book onto his desk and slung her bag over her shoulder as she made her way to the door. She could feel his gaze on her so she turned around and caught his eyes.

"Why are you really helping, Snape? You have nothing to gain. If you are discovered by one of your master's…"

Snape cocked an eyebrow at her. He made his way towards her, only stopping when he was a foot away from her.

"I have everything to lose and everything to gain. I have severed a master for more than half of my life. You have no idea the things I have endured to get to where I am. I haven't seen the Dark Lord in almost fourteen years. I am expected to return to him when he gets back, " he said in a low tone, "Yet you, a mere young woman has gained the loyalty of a Death Eater and his family. By claiming of that family, you have also taken two of the Slytherins expected to take the mark once his back. You want to save Potter but don't want Dumbledore involved."

Snape inched closer as he lowered his face near her shoulder. "If you lose, you put Potter in danger and by default the rest of the world. I don't care for his safety but Dumbledore does and I know Dumbledore is keeping something else to himself. Something that puts fear in his eyes. I am helping you but I'm also watching you in case you fail."

His words brought on an onslaught of rage and betrayal. She pulled back and glared at him.

"Fumos Obscuro." whispered Hermione with tightly held rage in her voice, wand pointed at the floor. Seconds later the room was cast in darkness. So black it could have rivaled Snape's own eyes.

The rage and humiliation inside of her fed her need for violence. It made her stupid mad; which wasn't always a good idea. But his harsh words were a slap in the face and she couldn't handle the humiliation it caused her to feel.

He cursed and went down when she shoved him, making sure she used her leg to trip him. She jumped on top of him and sent several stinging spells towards his face. Her goal was to hurt him not kill him.

He fought her back but never said a word or even grunted when she landed a blow. He finally was able to turn her around as he repelled the spells she had cast and she watched as his face slowly came into view.

Hermione halted when she realized how close his face was once again. His face was a bit red and he had a bruise already forming on his cheek. His eyes stole the show as they glared down at her.

"Don't ever attack me again little girl. I'm not somebody you wish to attack. There was a very good reason why I was the second in command at the age of eighteen to the Dark Lord. Don't forget that."

He pulled away and stood up gracefully without another look in her direction. Hermione got up slowly and walked towards the door. She looked back once to see his back facing her.

"But you see, Snape, you don't scare me. A fool would be stupid not to realize that you are a dangerous animal on a barely contained leash but you see, " She waited for him to turn around and meet her gaze, "I also plan to become something just as equally dangerous. Haven't you heard? War ages people. I won't let it ravish Harry. He has suffered enough. But I won't Molly cuddle him. Soon he will learn what is going on but only after I am sure he can keep his mind to himself."

Hermione opened the door with a casually touch. "I won't let anybody stand in the way. Not even you, Snape. So watch me all you want. Just don't betray me. See you tonight."

He could watch her and think she was just a child taking on more than she can handle. But she would prove him wrong.

Soon.

0o0o0o0o0

Thank you for reading!

vanee