~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Walking back to her dormitories Hermione was surprised, annoyed and angry. Surprised at how her professor had kept his composure so completely. There wasn't even a touch of shock in his eyes. Not a sliver. How could that be? Had he somehow seen it coming? Could he read her mind? Nonsense. So annoying. Not the slightest dent in his armour. It was like he wasn't even human. Perhaps he had sold his soul to join the Death Eaters. Was he nothing but an empty shell? No. Empty shells break easily. He was filled with something and she was determined to find out what. Despite her determination she was also angry. Angry at his lack of response to her. Not to her action but to her. Wasn't she pretty enough? Sexy? Bright? Charming? Alluring? Bloody enticing? She sneered to herself. Were her eyes not deep and mysterious enough? Her hair not the right kind of soft and silky? Was there something wrong with her body? Her lips? Her voice? How the fuck dare he not react?! She was interrupted by a pompously pronounced "Password?" Looking up she found the Pink Lady staring down at her. "Fortitudo." She said it in an annoyed voice. The new password was Latin, meaning physical strength, courage and moral bravery. Wouldn't it be shocking if someone guessed that one, ey? She stepped through the archway and spotted Harry and Ron at a table playing chess. She stood there for a second, just watching them. The bright eyed and innocent boys of yesterday were gone. In their place sat two cynical and rather jaded young men, changed by time, just as it had changed her. All their encounters with Voldermort had made them lose their innocence. Although perhaps Harry had lost his first as he watched the boyfriend of his then crush die because he had been so damned Gryffindorish. Nothing is simple and one sided. She had that summer after 4th year understood why Snape despised Gryffindor. Not for it's people, but for what the name made them do. She smiled at her friends and sat down. "How was detention? You've been away a while." "It wasn't so bad, just felt long." There was no heated comment from Ron about Snape. Ron hand lost his temperament. He had learned the hard way what hate does to people and didn't want part in it. Snape and Malfoy didn't make him tick anymore and Draco had stopped trying a long time ago. They both made him sigh though. Hermione missed the young and innocent Ron and Harry. The boys who had gone to save the world with fire in their eyes. She missed herself too. Looking around she saw the children of her house and felt so old. Perhaps that was why she had this obsession with Snape. Perhaps she needed someone more jaded and cynical to feel young and alive. Perhaps. Or perhaps she was just to bloody curious. Either way, she needed to figure out a way to get to her professor and there is nothing like a good night's sleep to reflect on things. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you for reading and please review!