Hermione sat by the common room fire, her copy of A Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi splayed across her lap. Her eyes kept darting to the clock, it was currently 7:30. She found herself feeling almost a bit giddy, though she didn't have a logical reason for feeling this way. She would soon leave to make her way down to the dungeons, to join Snape in the potion's classroom.
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.
What was wrong with her?
Perhaps she had spent far too long sitting here by the roaring fire.
The young witch rose from her seat before stuffing her book back in her bag.
*~.~*
The atmosphere seemed to grow ever colder as Hermione descended into the dungeons of the castle, before finally arriving at the potion's classroom.
"Good evening Miss Granger." Snape offered the young witch a rare smile as he stood behind his desk. In front of him lay an assortment of potion jars, each with strange looking ingredients within them.
"Good evening Professor." Hermione nodded curtly as she placed her bag on a nearby seat before stepping towards the wizard.
"The potion we are going to brew tonight is on page 297 of this book." Snape pointed to a closed book that resided on top of his desk.
"Okay." Hermione nodded once more before prying open the book and subsequently searching its pages for 297.
"The first ingredient we use is simply water." Snape stated as he summoned the fluid from his wand until it covered the base of the cauldron by a few inches.
Hermione nodded again as she finally located the relevant page. She wasted no time as she read through the list of ingredients out loud.
"Do you really have all these here?" Hermione attempted to keep the surprise out of her voice but was failing miserably.
"Of course." Snape's voice seemed to resonate with a warmth that was absent during his general classes.
"Now we wait for the water to boil."
Hermione nodded as she returned her eyes to the first ingredient on the list, cicada shells.
She quickly searched the myriad of potion jars before spotting one full of cicada shells.
"The recipe calls for seven." Hermione stated as she wrapped her fingers around the jar lid and attempted to unscrewed it. She put as much pressure into the action as she could muster, yet it was to no avail.
"Allow me." Snape whispered as he slid his fingers over hers and with a small twist, the lid popped off.
"T-thank you." Hermione suddenly felt that her breathing was becoming somewhat laboured.
She went to retrieve several cicada shells from the jar before realising Snape's fingers were still resting on top of hers. He suddenly seemed to realise this also as he carefully slid them off.
Hermione's heart began to race in her chest as she tipped several cicadas into the palm of her hand.
What was wrong with her?
Why was she reacting this way?
Snape scooped the husks from within the palm of the witch's hand, yet his movements were slow. It was as though he were deliberately loitering, savouring the action before tightening his grip around the cicadas and dropping them into the now boiling water.
"Um," Hermione hesitated as she returned her attention to the potions book.
"Let's see, we now need dandelion root." Hermione stated aloud before searching the assortment of jars once more.
This routine carried on the same until all the ingredients had been added and the potion had now turned a glistening gold.
"We now wait for precisely seven minutes." Snape told Hermione as he withdrew a pocket watch from within his robes. He glanced at it before sliding it onto the table. He then shuffled behind her before gracefully closing the potions book. Hermione realised only then that the book was unfamiliar to her.
How had she not noticed that before?
Was she perhaps a little too flustered to realise much of anything?
Snape then pulled open his desk drawer before withdrawing several empty potions bottles and placed them upon the desk.
"Where did you get these bottles from? I've never seen any as beautifully unique." Hermione stated without thinking as she collected one in her fingers before examined it closely.
"A shop on the outskirts of Cokeworth."
"So not Diagon Alley then?" Hermione seemed surprised that there were magic shops worth visiting outside of the famous street, except for Hogsmeade of course.
"No." Snape shook his head ever so slightly as he extinguished the flame beneath the cauldron with his wand.
"It's time." He stated before reaching for one of the empty bottles.
"I get them from a shop near my house in Spinner's End." The professor clarified as he poured the golden orange liquid into the ornate bottle.
"Spinners End?" Hermione tilted her head to the side as though trying to picture in her mind where exactly that was.
"Perhaps if you are interested, I can show it to you some time." Snape's silky drawl felt as though it were mere inches from Hermione's ear, yet the man hadn't moved from his spot. Perhaps she were simply imagining it.
Wishful thinking?
What was she thinking?
Snape was a Hogwarts Professor.
Yet, Hermione couldn't deny to herself that there was something strangely alluring about the man's deep, dark eyes, his graceful mannerisms and elegant movements.
Hermione felt her heart pound harder in her chest as the heat seemed to rise in her cheeks once more.
She turned away.
There was no way she would ever admit to feeling these emotions to either one of her best friends. She shuddered to think what Ron would say. Harry would be so shocked that he probably wouldn't say anything at all.
They didn't need to know as she shook the thought from her head.
Here she was, fantasizing about a romance that existed solely in her head.
"Yes, I would like that." Hermione squeaked as she attempted to deny the embarrassment that had so blatantly taken control of her body.
"Did you also get your pocket watch from there?" Hermione added as her eyes danced over its gleaming surface. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely well cared for.
"Indeed."
"So does this mean you grew up in Cokeworth?" Hermione asked, trying to keep her voice as casual as she possibly could.
"Yes." Snape nodded as he poured more of the potion into the next available bottle.
"Why do you choose to live there now? When you're not at Hogwarts I mean."
Snape seemed to take a while to answer, it was as though he wished to deliver the witch the most sincere answer he could muster.
"Spinner's End is a less than desirable place to live but, when you have spent a portion of your life somewhere, it can't help but hold special meaning to you."
Hermione nodded, she could understand what the professor was trying to say as she watched him collect the pocket watch before glancing at its hands.
"I fear I have kept you here a bit too long, it is now past curfew." Snape sighed, yet he didn't seem particularly worried as he placed the pocket watch back down on the bench.
"I'll help you clean up." Hermione offered as she carried the now empty cauldron toward the sink.
"That won't be necessary." Snape offered the witch another one of his rare smiles.
Twice in one night.
Hermione watched as the professor whisked his wand and all the ingredients flew back into the cupboards and arranged themselves in a tidy fashion. The remnants of the potion stuck to the sides of the cauldron she was carrying suddenly vanished as though it were never there in the first place. The cauldron then took flight before aligning itself with the others on an overhead shelf.
"Wow." Hermione need not have been so surprised as she gave up her task and returned to Snape's desk.
"Here, take this." Snape offered as he held out a bottle of the orange liquid.
"T-thank you." Hermione smiled as she reached out to receive it, her hand sliding over Snape's. The warmth radiating from his fingers seemed to fuse with her own. A part of her wanted to stay in this moment forever.
"I see that this weekend there is a visit to Hogsmeade scheduled." Snape stated as though he were thinking aloud.
Hermione tilted her head slightly, was Snape about to invite her out? Of course she wanted to say yes, but what would Ron and Harry say if they saw her having tea at Madam Puddifoots Tea Shop with their most despised professor? The gossip would spread around the school like Fiendfyre.
"I wondered if instead of going to Hogsmeade, if you would care to join me in a visit to Cokeworth?"
Hermione nodded her head furiously, as though she were some overly obedient dog. She soon realised her over eagerness and ceased her actions at once.
"Of course, I would love that."