Chapter Twenty Five: Professionalism
She listened intently as the sound of her quill scratched furiously across the parchment on the desk before her, and more so than that of any other occupant in the room. Her wrist was aching painfully as she scrawled down the final sentence of her essay and it had been since she had begun writing some fifty minutes ago.
As she proof read her two page parchment on the intricacies of the Wolfsbane Potion, Hermione could see Ron from the left hand side of her, still chewing on the tip of his quill nervously as he searched his mind for an answer, and to her right, she make out the outline of Harry as he too stared incredulously down at the predominantly blank parchment before him and scratched his head in his confusedness. She smiled briefly as she recognised the fact that they looked like a pair of orang-utans in the wild as they come across something that is unfamiliar to them and stared vacantly upon it.
Her observations of her two friends were disturbed as a pungent smell of wild cherries and Murtlap essence hit her nostrils and she felt the presence of her Potion's Professor over her, his eyes affixed on her work. It was a strange feeling for Hermione to feel Severus behind her and regard him as the Professional man he now was instead of the partner he was to her when they were alone, and it pained her to feel him so rigid and cold so close to her and not be able to reach out and merely touch his hand.
He tutted in a derisive way that only he could, as he averted his eyes away from her paper and moved on to his next seventh year victim. As he left her desk and his smell faded from her senses, Hermione let out a hearty sigh of disappointment; she missed him already.
It had been two months since they had experienced yet another confrontation after her mention of his relationship with Lily, and in that extended time he hadn't once bothered to acknowledge her with a mere nod as they passed in the corridor or even in his lessons when nobody else was paying attention. She was hurt, that much was certain, and the fact that he had been with Lily pained her to the degree that she didn't know whether things would ever be the same, but too, at the same time, she understood that he was hurting also.
Hermione was most definitely not a fool by definition, but when it came to her relationship with Severus, she recognised that she had not looked at the situation from his point of view and therefore was acting somewhat idiotically.
"Earth to Hermione," Ron said for the umpteenth time, breaking her thoughts and waiving his hands dramatically in front of her face to lure her from her deep, inward contemplations.
"What?" she asked suddenly, shaking her head to clear her thoughts and looking around the room to see that everybody else packing away and heading off to lunch with their respected groups of friends.
"Snape's just dismissed us," Ron informed incredulously. "Hermione where on earth has your head been at lately?"
"Yeah," concurred Harry accusatorially, "you've been really odd since we've arrived back from The Burrow."
"And you've been a bit quiet," Ron added.
"And you've not been sleeping very well according to Ginny."
"And," Ron said finally, "you've put a bit of weight on." No sooner had the last word escaped his lips, Harry swatted him firmly on the arm to physically reprimand him for his more than bold statement.
Consciously Hermione look nervously down to what she thought was her well hidden little bump and quickly pulled her robes tightly around her to cover it.
"Thank you for that observation Ronald," she snapped. "So what if I've put on a little weight it's normal for a developing young woman. But is so customary for boys your age to still be getting zits?"
Ron brought his hand subconsciously to his face and blushed furiously.
"Need I remind you that my classroom is not place for mother's meetings," Snape drawled as he stepped between the trio, his arms cross across his chest and his eyes dangerously moving between Ron and Harry whilst completely ignoring Hermione.
"Actually Professor," Hermione responded calmly as she addressed him so that he had to avert his attentions to her so as not to look too suspicious, "I was rather hoping to have a word with you about my last assignment."
He blinked several times in his annoyance at her audacity when taking into account their current 'situation' before opening his mouth to release some form of scathing reply.
"It was adequately copied from a textbook as usual Miss Granger," he drawled, "nothing special."
Hermione huffed. "Excuse me!" she snapped, causing Harry and Ron to look nervously towards her upon hearing her strangely insubordinate tone. "My essay was not copied from a textbook, and I'll have you know that I put a lot of extra research into that particular essay, sir."
"Have you not got anything better to do with your time Miss Granger than pour your life into books," he asked sardonically. "Perhaps you should take up a hobby?"
She snarled him for his unnecessary sarcasm.
"Actually sir," she said with a wicked smirk, "I'm certainly going to have a little hobby in a short while to keep me busy, so I won't be pouring my life into books as you so eloquently stated." She gestured almost unnoticeably to her diminutive bump and his eyes widened in alarm before turning them to his other two students to see if they had noticed her bold gesticulation. As was customary for the two boys, they were oblivious.
Silence descended upon the room and it was Harry who intervened first.
"Come on 'Mione," he said diplomatically as he grabbed her hand gently to break the dangerous eye contact between her furious self and the fractious Snape. "I'm sure Professor Snape's got work to be getting on with, so let's go and pick up some lunch. We can eat it by the lake perhaps? Enjoy the most of the winter's sun."
Hermione was having none of her friend's attempt to divert her attentions, and was instead still engaging in stern eye contact with the dark wizard.
"Yes Granger," Snape hissed, "run along with Potter. I've got things to be getting on with."
Hermione's nostrils flared warning him of her temperament and deteriorating patience.
"Professor," she said again flatly, "I would like to speak with you about my essay; it is important."
"And I said that I do not have the time to entertain your silly discrepancies and futile discussions."
"Boys," she said turning impatiently to her friends who were observing the conflict from the safety of a few feet's distance, "could you go and pick me something to eat up from the Great Hall please whilst I stay and discuss my work with the Professor."
"Erm 'Mione," Ron said glancing up at Snape whose eyes were wide with fury and fists clenched angrily at his sides, "I don't think that Professor Snape wants to speak to you right now. I'm sure he will later on when he has more time on his hands."
"Is that so?" Hermione asked insubordinately, turning to Snape. "Will you agree to speak another time, Professor?
"Indeed," he said reluctantly, feeling no choice but to reply due to the presence of the two other Gryffindors. "It would be unprofessional of me if I did not comply with your every unnecessary whim."
She scowled him for his words.
"I shall owl you when I have decided when would be best to discuss your essay then Miss Granger."
"But you do understand that I need feedback as soon as possible, Professor," she persisted earning her a fierce snarl.
"As usual Miss Granger your eagerness disturbs me."
"See," Harry said, pulling her away from Snape and towards the door. "I told you he'd speak to you. He's not too unreasonable!"
"Congratulations on your guess work Potter," Snape hissed. "Now get out of my classroom before I strip your wretched little house of the few points that it still possesses!"
"Grumpy git," Ron mumbled as he took Hermione's other disinclined hand and led her out of the dark, dingy room.
… … …
"Geesh 'Mione," Ron said at dinner time, his mouth full of partially chewed food as he spoke, "what happened with you and Snape before? I've never seen you be so rebellious, it was bloody brilliant."
"Nothing happened between 'me and Snape'," she replied flatly, her eyes remaining set upon the mug of steaming hot chocolate between her palms. "I just wanted him to read my essay."
"But you were so angry," Harry stated. "You looked as though you wanted to hex his balls off and use them for Christmas decorations next year!"
Ginny giggled from beside her boyfriend but at the same time casting Hermione an apologetic glance for both he and her brother's questioning.
"He just frustrates me so much," Hermione went on doggedly, feeling somehow as if Snape had gotten the better of her, although she couldn't say exactly why. "Why does he have to be so sarcastic and derisive all the time?"
"-Because," interrupted a stern voice from behind her shoulder, "he has to deal with dudderheads all day long who blow up cauldrons, and know-it-alls who ply him incessantly with inane questions."
"Professor," Harry said nervously, turning to face the man stood beside him, "erm, Hermione wasn't talking about you, she was talking about-"
"-Harry's dad!" Ron interjected quickly as he saw his friend struggling to think of a plausible lie.
"You are a terrible liar Mr Weasley," Snape drawled impatiently. "I hardly think that James Potter is in any way derisive to his son's favourite friend. Where is that arrogant little worm anyway?"
"You mean my dad?" Harry asked.
"Yes Potter. Who else would I be talking about?"
Harry smiled up at Snape for his unfaltering stern expression.
"He's up in the Pennines at the moment," Harry informed. "He's taken one of his 'lady friends' to a cottage in the hills I think for a weekend of hiking, holidaying and hump-"
"-I think that's quite enough Potter," interjected Snape before the younger man could finish. "Anyway Miss Granger," he said, turning his attentions back to Hermione who was still seething and staring into her steaming mug, "I came to tell you that if you wish to speak about your essay I shall be available at eight this evening."
"Fine," she said petulantly, earning her a snarl from Ron who was fearing even more of a depletion in Gryffindor's already low house points.
"Eight o'clock," Snape repeated emphatically before he turned to stalk up to the head table for his own dinner. "My office, do not be late."
As he strode away Hermione huffed in annoyance. "Ginny," she snapped. "Have you got a spare piece of parchment and a quill that I could use?"
"Yeah," the red headed witch responded as she searched through her bustling pockets for the required items. "What do you want them for?"
Hermione did not answer and instead took the articles of her with a brief nod of appreciation, before dipping the quill into an ink pot and scrawling a few short words on the parchment…"No. My room. 7'clock. Don't you be late."
She folded the paper up neatly and passed it to a second year Hufflepuff who was passing by their table on his way up to his own house and friends.
"Miles," she said, capturing the boy's attention. "Pass that up to Professor Snape and tell him that I expect him to comply."
The boy nodded and trotted up to the Head Table.
"You sent him a note!" Ginny whispered into Hermione's ear. "Don't you think that's a bit obvious?"
"Something needs to be done Ginny," Hermione replied, her eyes never meeting the green of Ginny's and otherwise focussed upon Snape as he tore open the letter. "He's not relenting and it's up to me to up my game plan a little if I want to make this work."
Her tones were hushed and the others surrounding them were completely oblivious to the clandestine conversation.
Hermione wafted away any of Ginny's attempts to reply as she looked up at Severus who was glaring at her. She sent him an expression that read; "well?"
He nodded in reply to her mute question.
"Oh my god," Ginny exclaimed. "What's happening?"
"You need to be out of our rooms tonight," Hermione stated. "He's coming around to talk."
"Can't I stay?" Ginny teased. "I've always wondered what Snape would look like in his full naked glory. I reckon he's a dark horse and got some great body."
"Actually he has," smirked Hermione, "but no you can't stay and even if you did you wouldn't see that because we're only talking."
"Sure you are," Ginny said with a cheeky wink. "Sure."