Chapter 11 – in which Hermione mourns

That day there were Potions lessons until break, and then Hermione would have apprentice lessons. During Potions class, Hermione took notes. Or rather, she pretended to. Since the incident with the Amortentia, it was as if an alarm had gone off in her head. She would never, never find anyone to spend her life with. Well, she could find someone, but not someone she loved and who would love her too. Since she was the only girl of a marriageable age who was not taken (Luna had hooked up with Neville during the War, and Tonks was married to Lupin) who had helped in the War, indeed one of the trio, she had guys lining up to 'make her acquaintance'. But to be frank, they were all exceptionally dim. It seemed she was destined to die alone and unfulfilled, clever and witty, yet lonely and empty, rather like Snape. But not like Snape. This Snape, it seemed, did not feel any emotions whatsoever. Though she received supportive smiles and congratulations from the pupils, her mind drifted from the class, and she was shocked, nay, horrified, to find herself doodling a smiling man with thick brows, long dark hair, and a hooked nose by the time that the bell rang.

As the class left, she hurriedly put her pad in her bag, and zipped it up as the class left. He was gone. Gone. Dead, really. And there was no bringing him back. She needed to remember that.

Snape spoke, startling her.

"Today you will be brewing Felix Felicis."

"Thankyou sir . . . I mean, thankyou, Severus."

The name had seemed to annoy him before, and she was hoping for the same reaction this time. After all, he took away the person that she had fallen in love with. Who wouldn't be slightly angry, even if they knew it was irrational to blame him, perhaps especially if they knew it was not a logical emotion to have? However, she was disappointed.

Severus' mouth quirked. She was continuing with this foolishness, was she? Very well, so would he.

"In my proper laboratories, Little Miss Know It All,"

Hermione led the way. She remembered every inch of his quarters. The entire day seemed fixed in her memory. She almost wished it had never happened. Almost. He shut the doors to hi other rooms as they entered, and shut his desk. The curtains were now drawn, a crack of light entering the room. When she entered the labs, she saw that the Wolfsbane potion that they had started just two short days ago had been stored to wait until it was ready for the second stage.

"Will we be continuing with that later, si – Severus?"

"Perhaps."

Hermione set to work, fetching ingredients and brewing. She was losing herself in the therapeutic stirring, measuring, and chopping of the ingredients. Snape summoned a book and began to read, keeping half an eye on Hermione in case he needed to correct her at any point.

"I expect you to have reached the halfway stage by the end of next week."

Hermione thought quickly. It was Thursday already, and with the amount of time that she spent at lessons, that just wouldn't be possible. Surely he knew that?

"Can I come back and do it after school? I won't be able to finish it otherwise, Severus."

He hadn't seen this one coming; he had expected her trying in vain to brew it quickly and taking a catastrophic shortcut, or not completing it altogether. She was too . . . rational. He improvised.

"You are expected to do so. It would be substandard effort of you not to work after lessons on your potions. However, please work in the classrooms. I will move the potion there at the end of every school day, and any further assignments will be put there or the weekends as well . . . Little Miss Know It All."

She was glad to be able to work on her potion, and any future potions, but annoyed that her name-calling hadn't had much effect. She went on the offensive.

"Thanks, Sev"

He coughed

"Sev?"

"Don't you remember? You did ask me to call you it . . ."

He was silent for a fraction of a second, then said, "Its time to add the hellebore, Little Miss Know It All."

She smiled. Hermione one, Snape nil. She began to pack her things. It was almost lunchtime.

"Oh, and Little Miss Know It All?"

"Yes?"

He hit her where he hoped it would hurt.

"I'll need my book back. Bring it with you to Potions class after lunch."

Low blow, she thought. But she was prepared. She knew he would come after the books.

"There's no need. I've already finished it. In fact, I have it with me."

She took the book out of her bag.

"Thankyou, Severus. It was really interesting."

"It was not me who lent you that book."

"I know," acknowledged Hermione regretfully.

Snape found himself wanting to know if the only person who had read the manuscript aside from the author and himself agreed with her theories upon the Draught of Living Death in Defence Against The Dark Arts, but he restrained himself. Conversation with Granger? Never.

As she handed him the book, walking over to his stool, she stopped, staring at the white hands that had brushed tears off her face just two days ago, and sighed.

"It's time for lunch, Little Miss Know It All"

"I know that, Severus."

She hastily let go of the book – he had to lunge forward to catch it – and then turned and walked quickly up the corridor, outpacing even the large stride of Severus Snape, her bushy hair flying behind her as she cried for the death of the man she loved.

Snape didn't see Hermione at lunch.

Review? Please? Any guesses what'll happen next? Any concrit? Any. . . looks up hopefully praise?

xx