In The Shadows
Chapter Nine
~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: see chapter one.
~~~~~~~~~~
SCULLY: I don't care. Mulder, this is a needle in a haystack. These poor souls have been dead for 50 years. Let them rest in peace. Let sleeping dogs lie.
MULDER: No, I won't sit idly by as you hurl cliches at me. Preparation is the father of inspiration.
SCULLY: Necessity is the mother of invention.
MULDER: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
SCULLY: (taking another bite) Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.
MULDER: I scream, you scream, we all scream for nonfat tofutti rice dreamsicles.
(MULDER sets the book down and lunges for SCULLY. He grabs her arm and takes a bite of the dreamsicle. The cone breaks and pieces of the dessert splatter down on the book.)
~~~~~~~~~~
I never thought that my little stories would get such praise. You make me feel loved!!!
I'm going on a retreat this weekend and I will not be back until Sunday. So I won't be able to post. Sorry!
~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, Hermione was in Severus's sitting room; she was doing her homework. Severus on the other hand was in his potions lab doing Merlin knows what.
"Miss Granger?" Snape called from the lab.
"Sir?"
"There is a book on my desk in my bedroom. Would you mind getting it for me?"
Hermione sighed. She stood up and walked into his bedroom and towards his desk. His bedroom was decorated in the same colors as hers but with a bit more personal touch. She picked up the thick leather bound book and headed back towards the door.
Something on his dresser caught her eye. There was a picture of Severus and another man. They were smiling and laughing. Severus smiled and waved and the other man winked at her. She picked up the picture frame.
Hermione gave Snape the book and sat down on a counter. She studied the picture.
"Who's this?" She asked, holding it up for him to see.
"I believe that is myself, Miss Granger." Snape said eyeing the picture.
"Well, obviously! But who is this man with you?"
"That is Sam." Severus said. "Samuel Copernicus Taylor."
"Copernicus?" Hermione asked.
Severus shrugged, "His parents were big astronomy fans." He said. "I was actually talking with him this morning."
"Oh?"
"He's coming for a visit."
~~~~~~~~~~
The next evening, after supper, Harry walked Hermione to Snape's quarters. She thanked him and walked inside. In the sitting room was a handsome man sitting with Severus. They were drinking wine and talking.
"Miss Granger," Snape said. "This is my old friend, Sam Taylor."
Hermione stuck out her hand. "Hello, Mr. Taylor."
He shook it. "Call me Sam, Hermione." He smiled. "Any friend of Sev's can call me 'Sam'."
"But I'm not--"
"Call me Sam." He smiled his warm smile. "Call me Sam."
"Miss Granger, you do remember that you are to be teaching my first year Hufflepuffs tomorrow after your potions class." Snape said.
"Yes sir, I do."
"Good, give me the lesson plans you have made out, so that I may look over them."
Hermione dug through her bag and found what she was looking for. She handed them to her Professor. He in turn handed her a stack of parchment. She looked puzzled.
"Third-year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw papers on swelling potions." He smiled an evil smile. "You get to grade them."
Hermione took them and walked to a table. She took out her quill and began to read the papers.
~~~~~~~~~~
That night Hermione lay in bed trying to sleep. The silence was deafening. It was black as pitch in the dungeons at night and Hermione didn't like it. No moonlight shining in the windows.
She rolled over, closed her eyes, and tried to think happy thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~
Apparently, Hermione had managed to fall asleep because she had just dozed off when she was awaken by a creak. She sat bolt upright and looked around wildly. Someone had opened her door. The light in the sitting room was still on. *It's probably just the Professor, checking up on me.* She thought.
She heard footsteps coming closer. A hand reached out and brushed her hair away from her face.
She opened her eyes. "Professor?"
"No," whispered a voice.
It was Sam.
She looked up.
He smiled at her. "I'm just making sure you're all right." He turned and walked out of the room. She heard him exiting Snape's quarters.
It had been a nice gesture, but for some reason, Hermione was unnerved.
Chapter Nine
~~~~~~~~~~
Disclaimer: see chapter one.
~~~~~~~~~~
SCULLY: I don't care. Mulder, this is a needle in a haystack. These poor souls have been dead for 50 years. Let them rest in peace. Let sleeping dogs lie.
MULDER: No, I won't sit idly by as you hurl cliches at me. Preparation is the father of inspiration.
SCULLY: Necessity is the mother of invention.
MULDER: The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
SCULLY: (taking another bite) Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die.
MULDER: I scream, you scream, we all scream for nonfat tofutti rice dreamsicles.
(MULDER sets the book down and lunges for SCULLY. He grabs her arm and takes a bite of the dreamsicle. The cone breaks and pieces of the dessert splatter down on the book.)
~~~~~~~~~~
I never thought that my little stories would get such praise. You make me feel loved!!!
I'm going on a retreat this weekend and I will not be back until Sunday. So I won't be able to post. Sorry!
~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, Hermione was in Severus's sitting room; she was doing her homework. Severus on the other hand was in his potions lab doing Merlin knows what.
"Miss Granger?" Snape called from the lab.
"Sir?"
"There is a book on my desk in my bedroom. Would you mind getting it for me?"
Hermione sighed. She stood up and walked into his bedroom and towards his desk. His bedroom was decorated in the same colors as hers but with a bit more personal touch. She picked up the thick leather bound book and headed back towards the door.
Something on his dresser caught her eye. There was a picture of Severus and another man. They were smiling and laughing. Severus smiled and waved and the other man winked at her. She picked up the picture frame.
Hermione gave Snape the book and sat down on a counter. She studied the picture.
"Who's this?" She asked, holding it up for him to see.
"I believe that is myself, Miss Granger." Snape said eyeing the picture.
"Well, obviously! But who is this man with you?"
"That is Sam." Severus said. "Samuel Copernicus Taylor."
"Copernicus?" Hermione asked.
Severus shrugged, "His parents were big astronomy fans." He said. "I was actually talking with him this morning."
"Oh?"
"He's coming for a visit."
~~~~~~~~~~
The next evening, after supper, Harry walked Hermione to Snape's quarters. She thanked him and walked inside. In the sitting room was a handsome man sitting with Severus. They were drinking wine and talking.
"Miss Granger," Snape said. "This is my old friend, Sam Taylor."
Hermione stuck out her hand. "Hello, Mr. Taylor."
He shook it. "Call me Sam, Hermione." He smiled. "Any friend of Sev's can call me 'Sam'."
"But I'm not--"
"Call me Sam." He smiled his warm smile. "Call me Sam."
"Miss Granger, you do remember that you are to be teaching my first year Hufflepuffs tomorrow after your potions class." Snape said.
"Yes sir, I do."
"Good, give me the lesson plans you have made out, so that I may look over them."
Hermione dug through her bag and found what she was looking for. She handed them to her Professor. He in turn handed her a stack of parchment. She looked puzzled.
"Third-year Gryffindor and Ravenclaw papers on swelling potions." He smiled an evil smile. "You get to grade them."
Hermione took them and walked to a table. She took out her quill and began to read the papers.
~~~~~~~~~~
That night Hermione lay in bed trying to sleep. The silence was deafening. It was black as pitch in the dungeons at night and Hermione didn't like it. No moonlight shining in the windows.
She rolled over, closed her eyes, and tried to think happy thoughts.
~~~~~~~~~~
Apparently, Hermione had managed to fall asleep because she had just dozed off when she was awaken by a creak. She sat bolt upright and looked around wildly. Someone had opened her door. The light in the sitting room was still on. *It's probably just the Professor, checking up on me.* She thought.
She heard footsteps coming closer. A hand reached out and brushed her hair away from her face.
She opened her eyes. "Professor?"
"No," whispered a voice.
It was Sam.
She looked up.
He smiled at her. "I'm just making sure you're all right." He turned and walked out of the room. She heard him exiting Snape's quarters.
It had been a nice gesture, but for some reason, Hermione was unnerved.