A/N: Sorry for the short update. I felt bad for being away so long and giving you something so tiny. Here's a longer piece for you! Again, if you want to see anything in specific let me know!
Disclaimer: Again, I have to keep stating the obvious in which I own nothing of Harry Potter.
Draco knew he couldn't avoid her anymore, but he wasn't looking forward to the confrontation. He wrote back a response and slid the parchment back towards Hermione. Her brow wrinkled slightly but she nodded, agreeing to what he wrote back. He sighed in relief. Now he had some extra time.
Hermione wasn't thrilled with having to wait, but she mentally shrugged it off. At least he had agreed to talk, even if it wasn't for a few days because of his Quidditch schedule. Harry looked at her, concerned but she waved him off. She had to focus on their prank list since the Slytherins were back to cranking theirs out just as fast as before.
She slipped the list over to Harry, pantomiming cleaning herself to indicate their next prank. His brow crinkled but then smoothed out as he understood and grinned, giving her a thumbs up behind Lupin's back. He pulled Ron off to the side after class and explained their next task, both smirking at just the thought of what they were going to do.
Severus Snape wasn't known as the greasy bat of the dungeons for no reason. His teeth were crooked and yellow and he was pale, so pale his skin had a slight green tint to it, making him look extremely unhealthy. Not to mention his hair. His dark hair was shoulder length and very flat, weighed down by the grease that standing over cauldrons gave it. To be short, it looked like Snape didn't know how to brush his teeth, much less take a bath. Even Lucius Malfoy had taken to trying to send him different soaps and shampoos to improve his personal hygiene.
Hermione felt slightly evil, but the snarky bastard deserved some payback after he had been bullying students for years. Poor Neville still avoided him like the plague because of how terrifying the Potions Master could be.
Ron came up to her, pulling a mop behind him with a scrub brush in his other hand. Harry joined them, holding a brand new bar of soap. Hermione smirked, waving her wand and casting a few spells on the cleaning supplies. They disappeared. A bellow was suddenly heard across the castle grounds.
Seamus grinned. "Wicked prank! I knew Fred and George must've rubbed off on you!"
Hermione rolled her eyes but handed him the list. "I just need you to tap your wand against the parchment as proof you're a witness." She eyed him closely. Seamus was a little too fond of fire, especially after Professor McGonagall's encouragement during the battle. Luckily, the parchment didn't even start to smoke. She smirked, happy that the adjustment she did to their list worked. "Ready to go see the results?" They broke off, each going a different way to "accidentally" run into the aggrieved professor.
Draco's stomach was all in knots, just thinking about the upcoming conversation he dreaded. Maybe I shouldn't have put it off. He grimaced. Lost in his thoughts, he jumped when a shout echoed throughout the dungeons. He popped his head out of the portrait guarding the Slytherin Common Room to see his godfather stomping through the corridor, a look of thunder on his face. Or what Draco could see on his face. Eyes wide, he watched the potions professor try to fend off the scrub brush and soap that bobbed next to him.
"Potter, I'll get you for thi-" A gargling sound was heard as the scrub brush found its opportunity in Snape's open mouth. He waved his arms in the air, trying to knock back the brush, but it didn't budge. Snape whipped his wand out and tried nonverbally banishing the brush, but it only made a mop appear and start trying to mop up his greasy hair. He tried to vanish the mop, but it only made a wash rag appear, that started to clean his crevices.
The professor only gave up trying to affect the cleaning by magic after a pair of tweezers had started attacking his nosehairs and a feather duster had started cleaning out his ears. By then, students had started gathering to watch as the news spread through the castle. Some of them dove to the floor as a beater's bat zoomed through the hall, flying into the professor's hands.
It was precisely at this moment that Hermione, following the flying bat, had come upon the sight of their snarky professor trying to beat off cleaning supplies with a beater's bat. The objects were surprisingly agile, moving at just the right moments to be missed by the bat but perfect to start attacking the professor's extremities. The professor's normally greenish complexion was now looking quite red, but whether from the vigorous scrubbing or the embarassment from the laughter of the students, she couldn't tell. She couldn't help but laugh, even as she felt guilty about the prank.
Draco couldn't stop himself from snaking through the crowd to hover by her side as they watched the spectacle. "Nice handiwork, Granger." He murmured, just loud enough for her to hear but too quiet for anyone else to.
She jumped and then whipped around. "Must all Slytherins be so sneaky? I feel like I need to put a bell on you so you can't sneak up on me." She turned back to the professor, now getting his belly button cleaned out by a toothbrush. "And who said it was me?" She asked lightly.
He chuckled darkly. "You mean to tell me Weasley did this? I think not."
She frowned and opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could say anything. "Ah, Severus. If you wanted a bath, the corridors is not the place to do it." Dumbledore's voice rang out over the laughter of the students, quieting them down.
Hermione had to hide her grin at the scowl aimed towards the headmaster. If looks could kill... she mused to herself.
Snape tried to respond but all that could be heard was gargling and hacking until Dumbledore waved his wand and the cleaning supplies dropped to the floor, no longer full of vigor. Snape was breathing hard, leaning against the wall, hand to his chest. His eyes snapped to the figure beside Dumbledore and they narrowed.
"Potter!" He spat. He strode forward, fingers twitching like they were wrapped around someone's throat. "You little-"
"Now, Severus," Dumbledore interrupted. "Harry has been with me the whole time. We were having a lovely discussion about lemon squares when the Bloody Baron floated into my office and moaned about something scandelous in the dungeons. Minerva has been beating me at our weekly teas for gossip, so I had to come see for myself. While I commend your idea in washing while multitasking, it seems to be quite the distraction. Might I recommend keeping to your quarters next time?" Hermione couldn't see how the man's eyes constantly twinkled, especially in the face of the death glare he was receiving from the professor.
"Oh shit..." She heard Draco mutter softly. She turned back to him, slightly frowning until she turned back to see the professor's face had turned nearly purple in his rage.
"Headmaster, I-I..." Snape spluttered in his anger, unable to even speak clearly. "I know that Potter had something to do with this. His father pulled the same prank on me and Potter had to follow in his footsteps. I'M TELLING YOU THAT POTTER DID THIS!"
Dumbledore smiled gently at the fuming Potions Master. "Unless Harry can be in two places at once, unlikely since I myself haven't figured that out yet but not for lack of trying. Did you know that dear Nicholas and I worked together for a time before the catastrophe with the Sorceror's Stone and we couldn't quite get it. Nearly splinched into multiple versions of ourselves with 3 ar-" McGonagall cleared her throat from behind him as she strode up and he abruptly cut off. "Oh, yes, Harry here could not have possibly done it, my dear boy."
Snape refused to believe it. "That could be someone else using polyjuice potion! It could be one of his little friends, Granger or Weasley, covering for him."
Hermione gathered her Gryffindor courage. "Professor? I'm right here."
Snape turned and sneered at her, whipping his head when he heard Ron's voice easily call out from the edge of the group, "Oi! What's going on here? I'm a prefect and I demand you get out of my-" He suddenly stopped when he saw the shaking form of the potions professor. He slightly edged away from the furious man.
Dumbledore twinkled. "Now, Severus, it's probably just a charm someone was practicing that went awry. No harm done."
Snape couldn't handle it anymore. He exploded. "No harm done? NO HARM DONE?! WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS ASSAULT ON MY PERSON THEN?!"
Dumbledore gently guided the professor back to his office. "Now, now, let's just relax with a nice cup of tea."
Snape balked. "I don't want a cup of tea, I WANT POTTER PUNISHED. HE SHOULD BE EXPELLED." Dumbledore's soothing voice couldn't be heard by the crowd of students as the two adults retreated down the hall.
Draco whistled low. "Better be on your lookout, Potter. Snape's going to be out for blood now." He glanced down at Hermione. "You too, Granger," he said cooly as he distanced himself from her, turning away.
She frowned at his retreating back as he stalked away from her. It had almost seemed like they were back to normal but then...she shook her head to clear it. Turning back to her boys, she smiled. "Lunch?"