Confessions
By Autumnmist
"So while we're coming clean with each other, what exactly were you thinking when you made fun of my teeth?"
He smiled fondly at the memory, then frowned in thought. "Well, if I remember correctly, I think I found the sight so amusing that I couldn't help laughing…really, I mean you looked like a beaver with all your hair frizzing out around your neck… a cross between a beaver and a lion! I would never have showed my amusement in front of all those students, but something had to give, so I snapped at you. Let's not forget I had a reputation to preserve, my dear."
He chuckled, avoiding her eyes, "I was rather pleased when I saw how you managed to get rid of those horrid braces of yours. It took a fair amount of nerves and brains to do that on your own; I never would have expected it, but oh, Hermione, you have to forgive me…the expression on your face…you looked fit to kill the gods."
She grinned mischievously, "Hmm…ah but, Severus dear, what if I told you that I managed to break into your potion stores when I was only a second-year?"
He raised one perfect eyebrow. "Oh really? I suppose you are referring to the time when you staged that explosion in my classroom?"
She sputtered and coughed into her tea, nearly shattering the cup on the table. "You knew about that?!"
He laughed smugly, "I know all, particularly when all involves you."
"And here I thought I had pulled it off perfectly!"
He smirked proudly. "You forget who you are talking to. I am Severus Snape, tyrant of the dungeon classroom, and ruler," his arm hooked around her waist and drew her in close, "and ruler," he emphasized, "of all I survey."
"In any case, years of experience will teach one that when something goes suspiciously awry and there are Gryffindors in the classroom, one must merely watch them to see what, or who, they in turn are watching. I had only to keep an eye on Potter and Weasley to notice that they kept sneaking glances at the storeroom, specifically, you entering and leaving my storeroom."
She faced him and he wrapped both arms around her waist, whispering softly into her ear, "And, Severus Snape knows everything that goes in his storerooms."
"So if you knew, then why didn't you punish me?" She gave him a cheeky grin that took his breath away.
His mouth twitched at the corners in amusement. "I don't know, but I think your misbegotten potion led to punishment enough, don't you? Or did you actually like being…fuzzy…furry…for a day?"
He ran his hands through her hair and she leaned in closer until their lips were almost touching. She murmured, "Apparently, you knew me better than I thought. But I'll bet I still managed to do things you've never dreamed of."
"Such as…what…torture?"
She glanced up in surprise. "Torture? Well no, I never tortured anyone…I suppose I probably drove you nuts in class, but…"
He snorted. "Then what do you call what you're doing to me right now? If this isn't torture, I don't know what is!"
She tilted her head slightly and lightly brushed against his lips. He muttered darkly under his breath. "Torture…definitely. You're driving me insane."
"Oh I know! Remember my first year at Hogwarts, when Quirrel was trying to spell Harry off his broom?"
"Yes, and you, my dear, accused me of doing the deed when I was merely preventing your Potter friend from being killed," he said dryly, "And then my robes caught fire somehow; thank Merlin that Quirrel lost eye contact with Harry during the confusion."
She grimaced guiltily and he glared at her suspiciously, his voice low, "Hermione…"
"But! Well I didn-- I'm not saying anything !"
He glowered at her sarcastically, "Oh please do continue. This sounds…interesting."
She gulped, laying her cheek against his chest. "I didn't mean to! Really, I didn't! I didn't know you were on our side! We saw you muttering and assumed you were muttering the spell words! I didn't mean to!"
"You didn't mean to…what? Set fire to me?"
She nodded earnestly, "Well at the time, I did, but afterwards, I didn't."
"Are you sure about that?"
She nodded again, moving deeper into his embrace. "Believe me, Severus, I only set fire to you that once because I didn't know any better."
"Set fire to me once," he snorted dismissively. "Hah!"
He made a wry grin at her guilty expression, "Ah, Hermione, Hermione, when will you learn? You set fire to me every time you are near!"
--------------------------------------------- Author's Notes ------------------------------------------------
Prompted by Minerva McTabby's post on WIKTT (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whenikissedtheteacher/) – "Idle musing for the day: Think Snape ever finds out that Hermione once set fire to him? Has anyone written this revelation?"
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