Chapter 37- A Busy Monday

It had been one of those days for the Professor and he had given 7 students detentions today, 4 for fighting and 3 for not paying attention to the work at hand. One of these days he was sure that he was going to be blasted off the face of this earth by students negligence and an unstable potion.

The fighting students were busy cleaning up a few bathrooms for Filch in muggle fashion; Severus figured a few hours of working for Filch would curb the fighting for a while. The other three students were set to cleaning out a dozen or so rather malodorous cauldrons.

He remembered Jordan Allan's detention was also to be dealt with. Jordan was to be working on his list and there was that report the boy did for Professor McGonagall. She had shown it to him to look over and he found it to be remarkably accurate and obviously carefully written.

Jordan was already waiting patiently at his desk as the Professor came in and they went over the list then Jordan got a lesson on homonyms and Homophones.

Jordan thought he had the idea so the Professor gave him a small list of words that sounded similar but with different meanings.

Jordan looked over the words that the professor had given him and he wrote the meanings beside them.

Know- to be aware... no- the opposite of yes

Fir- is an evergreen tree ...fur- covers an animal

find -is to locate ...fined -when one is to pay a fine

Flee- is to runaway ...Flea -is a insect

do -is to perform ...dew- is condensation on grass

died- to have passed away... Dyed -coloured hair or fabric

fairy- a small flying and annoying creature... ferry- a boat muggles use to cross water

floo- to travel by a network of fireplaces... flew - past tense of fly

knew- past tense of know ...new- not old

grade- mark given to homework... greyed- to turn grey

meat -flesh ...meet- to connect

Lesson - something to learn ...Lessen- to reduce

Quiet- silence ...Quite – entirely or wholly together

soar – to fly ...sore- painful

pale lack of colour... pail- a bucket

blew –past tense of word blow ...blue- colour of sky

sent -past tense of send ...scent – a smell

Jordan hoped that he had wrote them out correctly as he handed the sheet in for correction. The Professor took his time and looked over the list as Jordan stood there hoping he had done what was expected of him.

The Professor gave him the list back and told him he did extremely well and it was obvious that he had been putting the dictionary to good use when he had done the report for Professor McGonagall. The Professor then told him he was free to go and Jordan felt happy as he left the classroom and went off to find his friends.

Meanwhile at Saint-Mungos it had been a long and very busy day as people came in and out with various complaints and those with appointments were waiting, among them were Harry and Ginny Potter. They had arrived at Saint Mungos for the baby's one-month check up and Harry was fuming about Hermione going to help Professor Snape.

"Hermione shouldn't have gone to Hogwarts to check on Snape, It isn't right."

"What isn't right?' Ginny asked a warning tone in her voice.

"You heard me. She is asking for trouble."

"Harry stay out of it, Hermione is a big girl and knows what she wants to do."

Harry snarled "But he's no damn good, He's a murderer and a greasy..."

"HARRY, that is enough."

"What made her decide to go help HIM, besides he is twice our age and an ugl---"

"HARRY KEEP YOUR BLASTED NOSE OUT OF THEIR BUSINESS" Ginny screamed as she was changing the clothes of their month old son who started to cry himself as he felt the tension building up in the room.

In another room down the long hall Hermione had heard them fighting as she was setting out the finished medi-potions for their destinations. She sighed as she had figured someone had talked about her visit to Hogwarts and naturally Harry had to hear of it. 'I was right not to marry him, we wouldn't have lasted.' Hermione thought wryly to herself . 'It's weird for when Severus and I argue it seems different somehow.'

Ginny was pretty good at keeping him in line though. Hermione grinned as she thought 'Ginny definitely inherited her mothers temper.' Hermione continued on with her work as the mediwitch in charge of baby checkups went dashing into the room where the screaming was.

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After the students were done their Detentions and had left, Professor Snape gathered the potions he had been brewing for Madame Pomfrey.

Madame Pomfrey was going about her business making sure the youngsters who were presently in the hospital wing were comfortable when Professor Snape dropped off her new supply of potions. She studied his counterence hoping to see something that would reveal an interest in Hermione but she couldn't see any indication that he was thinking of anything other than his normal daily routine. Severus's face was a totally expressionless mask. Madame Pomfrey thanked him for the potions and shook her head sadly as he swept out of the ward she thought, "When will he ever start taking notice of Hermione as a woman."

Severus grinned to himself as he knew what Madame Pomfrey was thinking. His mind went over the arguments he and Hermione had that Saturday night when they were walking the grounds where they were reasonably sure that nobody would be listening in, alive that is, as he remembered Albus near his tomb. He had argued with her about the fact he had been a death-eater and he shouldn't be allowing her to be associating with him in case she got harmed. He had been spying for both sides during that time and had many enemies who he suspected would still, even now try to attack him through harming anyone he had gotten attached to. She had insisted all that was in the past and most wizards and witches were more interested in rebuilding their lives and looking towards the future than dwelling on what had been. They fought for hours and he still didn't think it a good idea but Hermione was one stubborn and determined witch who,-- come to think of it had a temperament much like his own when she got angry.

He thought he was right though that someone would try to harm her if they knew of her association with him, he thought of Potters total hatred of him even now. The only reason Potter hadn't murdered him at the end of the war when he found out that Severus was alive and at Hogwarts was because of Albus's ghostly intervention.

Severus told himself to smarten up and quit thinking of the past, Hermione had wrung the promise from him that he would try to live in the here and now and leave the past behind. "D—n what has she done to me." he said quietly to himself as he strode down the corridor and met up with Professor McGonagall who had been watching him as he came down the corridor.

"Severus you look like you've been giving some very hard thought to a problem, any way I can help?"

Severus started "Er, no Minerva its all right, I have it under control. Thanks anyway."

"Have you seen the evening copy of the Daily Prophet?"

Severus replied back "Noooo—I have not read it nor do I feel inclined to."

"Hmmm you may want to read tonight's paper."

Severus's head started to hurt as he asked "Why?"

Minrva handed him the paper, which he read.

Today at Saint Mulngo's Hospital there was a loud disturbance caused by Harry Potter and his wife Ginny when he had complained to her about an old friends visit to Hogwarts. After investigating this report we have found out that the friend in question was Hermione Granger who had indeed visited a former Professor at Hogwarts over the weekend. What this reporter is curious about is why would said visit upset Harry Potter.

Minerva looked very upset herself . Severus placed his hand on her shoulder and told her "It's just gossip Minerva, you know how Rita Skeeter likes to create trouble."

"She certainly has Severus, now Harry and Ginny are fighting and Hermione is caught in the middle."

Severus stood there feeling a little puzzled "Why would she be caught in the middle of the Potters fight?--Oh great I got it, Ginny thinks Harry still has some feelings for Hermione."

"So it seems Severus."

"But then they are not reciprocated so he better smarten up his act and apologize to Ginny before he loses her."

"You know this for sure Severus?" Asked Minerva..

"Yes Minerva I know for sure, she told me so when we were walking around the grounds on Saturday night."

Minerva's face brightened "You two were walking the grounds together.?"

Severus sighed, "Yes Minerva, we had a lot to talk over."

Minervas' eyes glowed "Really? How marvellous."

"We argued for the most part, don't get your hopes up."

Minerva grinned and patted his cheek gently with her hand "It's all right Severus, arguing huh? Wonderful, there is hope for you after all."

"Hey, what do you mean by that." roared Severus as Minerva moved quickly down the corridor.