A/N: I'm leaving tomorrow on holiday again, this time for two weeks. So
don't expect the next chapter until at least the 25th. Sorry!
***
Ashie brought Hermione's trunk into her room and greeted her with her clever face wreathed in smiles. Hermione was not surprised to find that Snape had handed the trunk over to a house-elf- he would not wish to see more of her than was necessary. She quickly hung up her clothes and put fresh robes on the bed, ready to change and then attend to her afternoon classes.
She was surprised, therefore, to hear a sharp knock on the door and find Snape outside as she opened it.
"You have everything that you need?" He stood looking down at her with eyes that were oddly intent, and for a second she simply looked back, not answering. "It is strange to find you once again in the school," he added quietly. "It is something that we will both have to get used to."
"I'll only be here for a little while," she said tightly, turning away and walking into her room. "I'm quite sure that with Carmen out of the way you with more time to look for a permanent replacement, my job here will soon be over. In any case," she added, "I can't take indefinite leave. My leave is open-ended only because I." She suddenly pulled up short. Her relationship with Harry had nothing to do with Severus Snape.
"Only because you are on very close terms with our dear Mr. Potter," he finished for her, leaning against the door and apparently settling in for a good while.
"How do you know anything about me?" she asked sharply, her face coloring at the smile of amusement on his pale face.
"You have corresponded with Minerva quite often during the years you've been away," he reminded her. "Certainly she was always bragging about how well you were doing. I didn't particularly like Minerva, but I did hold conversations with her in the normal course of a day. She was very proud of your success and never failed to talk of your work at great length."
"I'm sorry," she rejoined tartly. "You must have been unspeakably bored."
"Not at all," he countered easily. "It is only natural that I should be interested in the welfare of my ex-assistant, surely? Haven't I always been interested in your welfare?"
"Only in a very vague way," she said, shooting him a bitter glance. "Only when you had the chance to criticize me and take me to task," she added unfairly.
"You were somewhat of a trial," he murmured, his eyes moving over her with a curious intensity. "I feel that perhaps you will still be a trial." He turned to leave and then glanced at her over his shoulder. "You left the door open when you went to explore your.closet. I have closed it. Does that come under the heading of criticism?"
Hermione stared at the blank face of her bedroom door as he closed it. He had given her a timely reminder of the way he had cared for her, and she felt suddenly distraught. She showered and dressed angrily, fighting down the feelings of guilt. He had protected her in his aloof and half-amused way. So what? She had been a child and his domination over her had been partly to prove to Dumbledore that he was capable of handling things. He had never been kind to her. Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. Yes, he had. Honesty made her admit it. In his own way, he had been more than kind- there had been a sort of love between the clever, sarcastic, quick- thinking man and the lonely child she had been. But what did she owe him? Nothing! He had finally wiped out the intervening years with his callous rejection of her, and had it not been for her relationship with Minerva, she would have completely lost touch with her magical childhood.
When Hermione had first decided to turn her back on the wizarding world and move to Muggle America with Harry, Minerva had been furious. Even now, Hermione was not sure what had finally changed her stubborn old teacher's mind. Out of the blue, three years after Hermione's desertion, Minerva had written to her, via Muggle Post, no less, as if nothing had ever passed between them. Perhaps Minerva was feeling the lack of intelligent people to converse with, seeing as how Dumbledore had died in the war and Snape was a recluse, and all the other teachers were definitely not on the same plane of thinking as Minerva McGonagall.
Hermione had not really cared. It was not in her to hold a grudge. Her job was satisfying, her life exciting, and she had welcomed her correspondence with Minerva with a great deal of happiness, glad that Minerva had been able to see things from Hermione's point of view at last. Her love and respect for Minerva had never faded, and she had been able to show her how much she cared, her happiness rubbing off on her mentor until they were back to the way they had always been.
Now, she had nothing but the memories, but at least they were HAPPY ones, going some way to ease the burden of her stay here and the bad memories that were rooted in these dungeons. Clearly, Snape had never wanted to see her again, and although he had called her back so imperiously, she was not deceived. He wanted help, temporary help, until he could find himself a permanent replacement.
Hermione dressed and headed off to her first afternoon class, determined that in the short time she was here, the students would actually LEARN something about Potions-making. She was secretly determined as well that now that she was back under Snape's influence, she would not let herself feel for him what she had felt years before.
***
A/N: I know, I know! This chapter is very, very short. It's all I had time for, what with getting ready to leave and everything. But I promise when I come back, I'll have a nice long chapter ready!
***
Ashie brought Hermione's trunk into her room and greeted her with her clever face wreathed in smiles. Hermione was not surprised to find that Snape had handed the trunk over to a house-elf- he would not wish to see more of her than was necessary. She quickly hung up her clothes and put fresh robes on the bed, ready to change and then attend to her afternoon classes.
She was surprised, therefore, to hear a sharp knock on the door and find Snape outside as she opened it.
"You have everything that you need?" He stood looking down at her with eyes that were oddly intent, and for a second she simply looked back, not answering. "It is strange to find you once again in the school," he added quietly. "It is something that we will both have to get used to."
"I'll only be here for a little while," she said tightly, turning away and walking into her room. "I'm quite sure that with Carmen out of the way you with more time to look for a permanent replacement, my job here will soon be over. In any case," she added, "I can't take indefinite leave. My leave is open-ended only because I." She suddenly pulled up short. Her relationship with Harry had nothing to do with Severus Snape.
"Only because you are on very close terms with our dear Mr. Potter," he finished for her, leaning against the door and apparently settling in for a good while.
"How do you know anything about me?" she asked sharply, her face coloring at the smile of amusement on his pale face.
"You have corresponded with Minerva quite often during the years you've been away," he reminded her. "Certainly she was always bragging about how well you were doing. I didn't particularly like Minerva, but I did hold conversations with her in the normal course of a day. She was very proud of your success and never failed to talk of your work at great length."
"I'm sorry," she rejoined tartly. "You must have been unspeakably bored."
"Not at all," he countered easily. "It is only natural that I should be interested in the welfare of my ex-assistant, surely? Haven't I always been interested in your welfare?"
"Only in a very vague way," she said, shooting him a bitter glance. "Only when you had the chance to criticize me and take me to task," she added unfairly.
"You were somewhat of a trial," he murmured, his eyes moving over her with a curious intensity. "I feel that perhaps you will still be a trial." He turned to leave and then glanced at her over his shoulder. "You left the door open when you went to explore your.closet. I have closed it. Does that come under the heading of criticism?"
Hermione stared at the blank face of her bedroom door as he closed it. He had given her a timely reminder of the way he had cared for her, and she felt suddenly distraught. She showered and dressed angrily, fighting down the feelings of guilt. He had protected her in his aloof and half-amused way. So what? She had been a child and his domination over her had been partly to prove to Dumbledore that he was capable of handling things. He had never been kind to her. Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. Yes, he had. Honesty made her admit it. In his own way, he had been more than kind- there had been a sort of love between the clever, sarcastic, quick- thinking man and the lonely child she had been. But what did she owe him? Nothing! He had finally wiped out the intervening years with his callous rejection of her, and had it not been for her relationship with Minerva, she would have completely lost touch with her magical childhood.
When Hermione had first decided to turn her back on the wizarding world and move to Muggle America with Harry, Minerva had been furious. Even now, Hermione was not sure what had finally changed her stubborn old teacher's mind. Out of the blue, three years after Hermione's desertion, Minerva had written to her, via Muggle Post, no less, as if nothing had ever passed between them. Perhaps Minerva was feeling the lack of intelligent people to converse with, seeing as how Dumbledore had died in the war and Snape was a recluse, and all the other teachers were definitely not on the same plane of thinking as Minerva McGonagall.
Hermione had not really cared. It was not in her to hold a grudge. Her job was satisfying, her life exciting, and she had welcomed her correspondence with Minerva with a great deal of happiness, glad that Minerva had been able to see things from Hermione's point of view at last. Her love and respect for Minerva had never faded, and she had been able to show her how much she cared, her happiness rubbing off on her mentor until they were back to the way they had always been.
Now, she had nothing but the memories, but at least they were HAPPY ones, going some way to ease the burden of her stay here and the bad memories that were rooted in these dungeons. Clearly, Snape had never wanted to see her again, and although he had called her back so imperiously, she was not deceived. He wanted help, temporary help, until he could find himself a permanent replacement.
Hermione dressed and headed off to her first afternoon class, determined that in the short time she was here, the students would actually LEARN something about Potions-making. She was secretly determined as well that now that she was back under Snape's influence, she would not let herself feel for him what she had felt years before.
***
A/N: I know, I know! This chapter is very, very short. It's all I had time for, what with getting ready to leave and everything. But I promise when I come back, I'll have a nice long chapter ready!