Chapter 12

"And you are sure he didn't mark your record with detention? Snape didn't delight in giving detention or taking points? What is the world coming to?"

Ron was grilling Hermione over breakfast while Harry sat silently.

"No he said not to worry. He said it was just a talk," she assured him.

"That doesn't make any sense. He's given me a thousand detentions and Harry at least a thousand and one. Its got to be because you are a girl."

Harry shook his head and directed his comment to Hermione. "All of these years Dumbledore has been asking us to trust Snape, right? Maybe there is a side to him we don't see. I've spent plenty of time alone with him and he has never showed mercy to me in the least. But he did for Hermione. So maybe we should be trusting him."

Ron looked at Harry like he was mad. And then he asked him if he was. "Are you mad? That's what you came up with? That we should trust Snape? Very loud, hateful, spiteful Snape should just be our best friend now. You've lost it."

"Dumbledore trusts him. That means a lot to me."

"Snape probably has a spell on him just so he can stay here to torture us."

"Ron just stop," Hermione cried. He had been listening to the boys go back and forth and the way Ron spoke of the man hurt her heart.

"Oh you are going to defend him just cuz you think you are in love with him. Well he is a jerk and will never love you Hermione. Just get over it already."

"Ronald!" she said with tears in her eyes. "You think you have him pegged, do you? Well I know him a lot better than I know you . Obviously." She picked up her books and left in a huff. Once almost out of the room she turned back and shouted, " Don't even think of sitting next to me in class. I would rather work with Draco Malfoy!"

As she walked to class the girl tried to clear her head. When had she and Ron ever fought this badly? She supposed they had always bickered some but they always straightened things out. Before this week she thought she was really falling for him but now that seemed all fuzzy. Actually her feelings for Snape kind of felt that way too, a little fuzzy. It was nice of him not to give her detention but there was something missing now. Was it all his years as a Death Eater that wore something out of him? Or just life in general? It could have been almost anything, she thought. Was she ready to take all of that on, seriously? Could she be there for someone like that? These were all questions she kept asking herself over and over while trying to decide if she even should continue. She knew she could do whatever she put her mind to, for sure. But was it something she really wanted?

She reached the classroom and went inside. She went over to where she and her friends normally brewed but took the end seat so Ron would either have to sit on the far side by Harry or somewhere else completely. As she began unpacking her things she heard voices in Snape's office. She debated on whether she should even say hello so she tried to listen to the conversation. She couldn't really hear and of the words but the tones sounded friendly enough so she called, "Good Morning, Professor." He didn't reply but she was sure he heard her because the conversation going on in the other room became a low mumble. When she had finished she sat down in time to see Lucius Malfoy emerge from behind the doorway and glare at her on his way out. Snape soon followed. He walked to his blackboard and grabbed a piece of chalk. He said an incantation for it write by itself and it set to work writing out direction for their classwork today as he himself sat in his chair next to the lecturn.

"Good Morning, is it? I always thought it was a silly salutation myself. Has anyone really been awake long enough to know if it will be good or not?"

Hermione smiled. A conversation that wouldn't include yelling; she could get used to that.

"I think it is more like wishing someone to have a good morning, not commenting on it. I have already had a horrible one and hope it would stop right here."

Her witty retort had done something for the man because he turned up half of his lip in a questioning smile and replied, "Well then, Good Morning."

At this Hermione laughed and put her head down as to hide her blushing and wonderment over his new found sense of humor. She pulled her hair back as she thought about what else to say. Snape had opened up something to read and was obviously just waiting for class to start but Hermione wasn't going to let it go that easily.

"Professor, what are you reading?"

Snape looked up over the magazine with an odd expression. "Just a journal. Don't really have need to discuss it." He looked down again and said, "I'm reading."

"Sorry. I was just finishing our conversation I suppose. I apologize."

"It is alright. I just lost most of my alone time this morning due to a visitor. I do enjoy my alone time."

"Mr. Malfoy. I saw him leave."

"Yes. Some people just drop in when not invited; he on the other hand has an open invitation. We go back a long ways."

"How do you get visitors, I'm curious? Since you can't floo inside Hogwarts, I mean."

Snape closed his magazine. He was a bit upset she couldn't take the hint to leave him alone but he was enjoying the conversation so he decided to carry on.

"Well he comes in the simplest way; through the door. Not everything has to be done by magic."

"Don't think I am pert for saying so, but this is from a man who uses a quick quote for his chalk board."

"Honestly I never thought of it any other way. All of the other faculty uses it too. My hands are too old to do all of that writing."

Hermione went to say he wasn't at all old but she was interrupted by a cavalcade of students filing into class. I must be earlier tomorrow, she thought as Harry slid in next to her, if I want him all to myself.

A/n: I swear there is a point to all of this LM/SS drama. And all of this crazy Ron/Hermione screaming. Its just part of the plot.