Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I just take them out of the closet and play with them.
I set off grimly for the dungeons the night of my detention. I was in a bad mood. It seemed as if I was in detention a lot this year. Add that to the fact that I wasn't sure if any of my ideas were feasible or that I didn't know how difficult it would be to be in close proximity to Snape after my realization that I was infatuated with him and I was downright surly. Worse than Harry when he was brooding.
Thinking about Harry almost set me off again as it had around 5 o'clock when hunger and a particularly difficult Ancient Runes passage had also been involved. Ron looked up from his Herbology essay to give me a sympathetic smile. I hadn't been able to tell Ron about my crush. It made me wish I had more female friends than just Ginny. She has been tense and short-tempered with everyone since Harry had left. I would have to talk to her about that soon-she knew he loved her and she was being ridiculous.
I stomped along the hallways. A few first years shrank back into the wall. The dungeons were cold and drafty; it suited my mood. I rapped on the solid oak door.
"Enter." His cool voice and the familiarity of the word helped me relax the set of my shoulders.
"Good evening, Hermione."
"If you insist, Severus."
"And the say that I am the surly one." He was in a good mood tonight and had in fact been less mordant than usual since his brush with the Death Eaters.
"Yes they do, and most of the time they'd be right." Being in his presence was surprisingly easy, and I sensed we could, perhaps, fall into a routine.
"May I offer you a cup of tea? Rumour has is it you nearly sent a first year into hysterics at dinner."
"Rumours exaggerate, but it has been a long day. A cup of tea would be welcome."
"Would you care to discuss it?" I could tell he was uncomfortable asking the question, but it was a discomfort that stemmed from an unfamiliarity of inquiring after the well-being of another person rather than any sort of disinterest.
"Oh, it was just a day where it's one little thing after another."
"I suppose you must find your peers as insufferable as I do." The statement took me off-guard. It was fairly insightful, and it was a direct compliment, or at least not as thinly veiled as the others. I decided it best of be overly cautious.
"In some ways, yes, but I think they find me more insufferable than I them."
"Ah, of course." He seemed to sense my hesitation, and pulled back accordingly.
"How have you been feeling?" Inquiring after his well-being was the only thing I could of doing. It seemed appropriate and filled the silence that wasn't quite yet comfortable.
"Fairly well. Healing has taken longer than I wished."
"If you had your way Professor than you'd have been back to work the day after you woke up."
"Hermione, please, while it's just us, use my given name. It makes it easier for me to remember we are equals here, and," Here he seemed to hesitate, "it makes it easier to think of you as a friend rather than a student." The last vestiges of my tension slipped at these words and the exquisite tea he had just poured. He, however, looked genuinely uncomfortable now.
"Thank you, Severus. I appreciate the gesture." He sat down with own cup of tea and some biscuits.
"So it appears we have been set an impossible task. Are you certain there is no other way to go about this?"
"There are actually several other ways."
"Basilisk venom is impossible to get to at the moment, and even if we could it has probably long since evaporated. Fiendfire is impossible to control." I also want to spend time with you, I added in my head hoping very much he was still unable to read minds.
"Fair point. What gave you the idea to dissolve the Horcrux?"
"It must be destroyed beyond magical repair."
"I am not an idiot Miss Gran- Hermione. Get to your point."
"Then don't interrupt. A smashed bowl can be repaired but the liquid that was in it cannot be returned to the bowl. If the Horcrux is liquefied and then spilt it cannot be magically repaired."
"Are you certain that will work with a soul?"
"Not entirely, but it's the best idea- the only idea- I have."
"Very well. Let's get to work. He rose and began to walk to an oak door at the classroom's end which I had noticed before, but had certainly never considering entering. I wondered why that was. I understood that it must lead to his private library and chambers, and must have wards up that discouraged student from entering.
"Are you coming or not Hermione? I assure there is nothing beyond this door that will bite, save myself of course." I laughed.
"I'll be sure not to mention anything I see."
"I would prefer if students did not know what was in my chambers." It surprised me how well I could read him already. He opened the door.
I was surprised by the large dog that stood up and loped over to Severus wagging his tail happily.
"Hermione, this is Charlie. Charlie meet Hermione." The dog came over to me, plopped down on his haunches, and offered his paw. I took it.
"Nice to meet you Charlie. You didn't strike me as a dog person Severus."
"Ah well, I expect you'll find out more about me in the coming weeks then I'm strictly comfortable with. Irish wolfhounds are very intelligent companions."
"I figured as much. Where shall we begin?"
"I generally find my library an excellent place to conduct relati- research." I pretended not to notice his Freudian slip. I was beginning to see his remarks as humorous rather than biting. Charlie followed us into the library and lay down in front of the fireplace, which was the only bit of wall in the room not covered in books. I took a seat in front of the fireplace. The leather of the chair matched the dark brown of the shelves within a shade or two.
"I think this shall be a commendable work space."
"I am very glad you think so. Shall we begin work?" I pulled out my notes and began outlining my ideas. He didn't seem to like Bundimun, but wholeheartedly encouraged the use of Peruvian Vipertooth venom.
"That sort of power is exactly what we need. Of course the potion would have to stew to increase the potency of the venom, but that it is a grand idea."
"Don't want it to stew for too long though. I want this thing destroyed when Harry confronts Voldemort, and we have no way of knowing when that might be."
"No more than a week." There was an unspoken question hanging in the air. I wasn't sure what it was- to me it just seemed to be an underlying current. Of course there were many questions I wanted to ask, but none of them were appropriate.
"Hermione, why do you have this irrational need to protect Potter?"
"Why did you have such an irrational need to protect Lily that you changed sides?" He looked taken aback by my bluntness.
"Point taken." He suggested a few more ingredients we might try before I realised it was nearly midnight.
"Severus, I should be getting back. I've been here nearly three hours. Ron will think you ate me."
"Yes. Shall we meet over the weekend to figure out how our base will be made?"
"Yes. I'll just tell Ron I don't want to go to Hogsmeade."
"You don't do you?"
"Oh, I'm sure the Three Broomsticks will still be there next month."
"Good night, Hermione."
"Good night Severus." I left the room feeling a sense of accomplishment. Saturday however would be very interesting indeed.
A/N: Once again, sorry for the delay. RL keeps happening. Things will be heating up soon, and hopefully I'll have a new chapter up within a week. R/R please.