Hermione knocked on the heavy door, then pressed it open when she did not hear an answer just enough to look inside. Professor Snape hovered behind his desk. He looked exhausted, weak even, and his fingers were working hard to grasp a feather that sat on the desk before him. He looked determined though as he clenched and released his fingers. They passed straight through the feather, and Hermione jumped, biting her lip when he gave a growl, throwing his hand through the feather as if to wave it off the desk. The feather remaining where it was. She pushed the door open wider, stepped through it, and closed it behind her back, clearing her throat to call attention to her presence. Severus' eyes lifted to her and turned dark.

"Miss Granger." He said, raising the hand he had passed through the feather and motioned to the front table. "You'll be preparing these ingredients."

Hermione stepped to the table, seeing it covered with common ingredients. At first she was appalled, wondering why he was making her do this instead of his usual polishing ritual, but as she glanced at the feather, she bit her tongue and refused any further remarks. She sat down silently, grabbed a knife, and began slicing.

...

Severus had read over the papers on his desk so much that he had memorized almost every word. The need to cringe at every wrong answer had long since passed and had found himself watching as Hermione sat there silently, precisely chopping the lizard hearts, carefully slicing the Boomslang skin, finely grating the lemongrass until it was a dusty powder. It only took him a second more to realize that he was growing jealous of her ability to grasp, to lift and touch the utensils he took for granted while he was alive.

"Have you given any thought to your potion?" He asked when the feeling of envy became too strong and needed to break the silence. Hermione didn't stop in her work, she only looked over to him for a second, then remained concentrated on her task.

"Felix Felicis." She answered matter-of-factly. Severus couldn't resist raising an impressed eyebrow. It was a difficult potion to brew, but he wouldn't put it past the know-it-all to choose anything less difficult. His silence seemed to stir an uncomfortable feeling inside of her as she looked at him again.

"Is it that shocking or are you unimpressed with my choice?" She asked, pausing for just a moment until he pressed his lips together, forcing his focus off of her hands to her.

"Neither. I wouldn't expect any less from you, however" He paused a moment for effect, waiting until she glanced at him. "Mr. Malfoy has already claimed that potion as his assignment."

"That's a problem?" She asked, letting the tip of her knife linger into the piece of Boomslang skin she had begun to cut.

"My instructions were for one potion per student, no repeats."

Hermione's nose wrinkled as she thought back over the class.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I do not remember that being stated in the instructions."

"You...don't...remember?" Severus smirked. Had the Gryffindor in front of him actually not read the instructions clearly enough? He crossed his arms.

"I'm quite certain."

"Are you saying that I have failed in precisely explaining the assignment, or are you blaming me for your inability to thoroughly read what was on the board?"

Hermione bit her lip, dating not to say a word. Severus watched her, amused, certain if it was in a classroom setting, she'd have pulled her notes from her bag and would have shown him her usual word-for-word copy. She had not her bag, only her memory that he took a sick pride in and mentally stored her sudden paleness in his memory banks to look back on should he ever need a reason to smile.

The doors opened and Draco walked in, his arms ladened with folders. He didn't see Hermione until he neared her table after which, he gave a slight wink.

"Not interrupting anything, am I Professor?" He asked, sauntering past. Hermione glared at him before returning to her work. Severus shook his head, receding behind the desk and watched as Draco laid out the papers in his arms.

"These are graded, I still have a few to go through which I'll do in the morning. You'll forgive me for needing sleep, of course."

"Much appreciated, Draco." Severus said, and floated into the chair. Draco beamed from the praise, turned, and left as quickly as he came. Hermione allowed herself to watch as he left, before looking back at Severus who had busied himself with the papers.

"What are those?" She asked. She had seen him carrying a load very much alike in the past and curiosity was setting in. Severus looked up under his brow, regarded her for a while, then back down.

"Mr. Malfoy has been helping me with grading."

"You trust him enough for that?"

He looked up again, an eyebrow raised. She looked sincerely surprised.

"I do." He answered. "Have I a reason not to?"

"Well, no." She chopped a few more pieces, gathered them up with her knife and placed them in the container. "I just know he still has a bad reputation with some people in the class. Any bad marks given may cause some to think it was done on purpose."

"Anyone willing to challenge it is welcomed to do so. They will find that no assignment is returned without my approval therefore any disagreements with grading would be an insult to my intelligence."

Hermione gathered up the table, completed with everything that had been sat before her and given a wave of her wand to scour the surface clean. She stood before the desk Severus sat in.

"I'm finished." She announced, her attention drawn to the papers he was looking at that had been marked in the same untidy scrawl she had seen on the board and it unsettled her, though she couldn't know why.

"You may leave." He droned, sounding halfway bored. Hermione turned and left. Severus watched her until the door closed.