**A/N** Sorry about the rush, but I really am trying to finish this before
tomorrow. There won't be too many more chapters. I hope I'm not butchering
this or anything... ugh, my family wants to drag me around running errands
all day, too, so I'm having many obstacles shoved in my way. I'll see what
I can do, though. Please keep giving me feedback! It gives me the
motivation I need to crank the chapters out this way! Once again, sorry if
this sucks! I'm not really thinking about things before I write them.
~~
Professor Snape was, as usual, sulking in his dungeons. He'd gotten an owl from his publisher congratulating him on his record-breaking sales, which didn't surprise him because the most unexpected people were reading his work lately.
On his way through the Slytherin common room, Snape had caught Draco Malfoy carrying a copy of "The Alchemist" under his arm, rushing up to his room. Through careful interrogation of the boy, Snape managed to get some answers. Draco finally blushed and admitted he'd convinced his father to get the book for him by saying he was acquiring it for Pansy. He actually had wanted to read it himself. Unsure how to react, Snape raised an eyebrow and left the Head Boy to his reading. He would have laughed had he known of Potter or Neville and their soppy romance obsessions, but catching Draco in the act was just horrifying.
This new infatuation (probably bad word choice there) with Snape's cheesy novels was confusing to him, and it worried him even more than usual because Valentine's Day was just around the corner. Although he passionately despised the holiday, he always had to endure the throngs of students dosed with love potions, or those who had suffered from non- magical emotional trauma. Besides, it wasn't like he ever got Valentines.
He kept getting those strange notes, however, much like the one he had recieved on Christmas. They were always very clipped, saying things like "Have you confessed yet?" and "When are you two going to get it on?" These notes were entirely confusing, but Snape simply couldn't figure them out. He had started to suspect they were coming from Albus, but he wasn't sure. They were always signed, "A Friend."
Suddenly someone rapped on the door to his classroom. Who could it be? It was a Saturday. Surely not a student?
"Enter." Snape's eyes widened ever so slightly when Hermione Granger walked into the classroom, a copy of "The Alchemist" in her hand. She sat across from him and met his eyes fearlessly.
"Professor Snape, I think we need to have a little talk." Panic came unbidden into Snape's maelstrom of emotions. Did she know about him? No, she couldn't possibly! He'd been writing about the Hogwarts staff in his novels for years and no one had noticed! They hadn't even caught it when he put a Hagrid-type character with his own version of Madam Hooch (that relationship was probably the only secret Hagrid had ever been able to keep, but of course, Snape had figured it out).
"And what, Miss Granger, do you dare to presume we need to talk about?" he snapped, keeping his shields up. Hermione held up the book. "This book bears some... interesting resemblances to people we know. I was wondering if you knew anything about it?"
"Of course not!" he said incredulously. "Do you really think I'd have anything to do with that ridiculous fluff?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Do you want an honest answer to that question?"
"Well, is there anything else, Miss Granger, or are you just here to waste my valuable time?" Hermione sighed, frowned slightly, and then grinned at him.
"There was one other thing," she said, standing up and heading for the door. "But I don't think you'll be too interested in the fact that I'm hopelessly in love with you." With a grin, she met his eyes for a second and then closed the door behind her.
Snape was too busy trying to think and breathe at the same time to say anything in response. Had he just imagined that? He tried to believe that, but the lingering smell of peaches on the air prevented him from convincing himself.
But how was it possible? Everyone knew, now, about the horrible things he had done in the service of Lord Voldemort. The reason he hadn't gotten Order of Merlin for his espionage was because they felt that their reluctance to send him to Azkaban was reward enough. Surely Hermione loathed him for his past actions?
~~
"Severus?" Albus Dumbledore made his way into the classroom. "What exactly did Miss Granger say to you to produce that sort of expression on your face? I haven't seen you look this way... ever!" His eyes twinkled, revealing that he probably already knew but wanted to torture Snape anyway.
"Oh, bugger off Albus," he snapped, rubbing his temples and pressing his palm to his forehead.
"You know, for a while now a friend has been trying to give you advice," grinned the Headmaster. "At first he worried you had a thing for Professor Sprout, but he was much relieved to discover your real choice." Snape's head shot up. Dumbledore had been sending him those notes, then? Of course, he would have thought the man was off his rocker if he'd just said those things to his face.
"Now, Severus, before I have to get angry with you, I want you to confront your feelings and confess them to our dear Miss Granger." Snape opened his mouth to protest, but Albus was already ten steps ahead of him. "Don't try to argue with me, Severus! She is twenty thanks to the time turner, eighteen legally, a seventh year, an extremely mature young woman, and one who knows plenty about your past and has a heart big enough to love you anyway. You are not too old for her, you are not unworthy of her, and by Merlin you will allow yourself to be happy for once!" His eyes twinkled once more, and Dumbledore turned on his heel and left, his robes billowing in a mockingly Snape-like manner.
~~
Professor Snape was, as usual, sulking in his dungeons. He'd gotten an owl from his publisher congratulating him on his record-breaking sales, which didn't surprise him because the most unexpected people were reading his work lately.
On his way through the Slytherin common room, Snape had caught Draco Malfoy carrying a copy of "The Alchemist" under his arm, rushing up to his room. Through careful interrogation of the boy, Snape managed to get some answers. Draco finally blushed and admitted he'd convinced his father to get the book for him by saying he was acquiring it for Pansy. He actually had wanted to read it himself. Unsure how to react, Snape raised an eyebrow and left the Head Boy to his reading. He would have laughed had he known of Potter or Neville and their soppy romance obsessions, but catching Draco in the act was just horrifying.
This new infatuation (probably bad word choice there) with Snape's cheesy novels was confusing to him, and it worried him even more than usual because Valentine's Day was just around the corner. Although he passionately despised the holiday, he always had to endure the throngs of students dosed with love potions, or those who had suffered from non- magical emotional trauma. Besides, it wasn't like he ever got Valentines.
He kept getting those strange notes, however, much like the one he had recieved on Christmas. They were always very clipped, saying things like "Have you confessed yet?" and "When are you two going to get it on?" These notes were entirely confusing, but Snape simply couldn't figure them out. He had started to suspect they were coming from Albus, but he wasn't sure. They were always signed, "A Friend."
Suddenly someone rapped on the door to his classroom. Who could it be? It was a Saturday. Surely not a student?
"Enter." Snape's eyes widened ever so slightly when Hermione Granger walked into the classroom, a copy of "The Alchemist" in her hand. She sat across from him and met his eyes fearlessly.
"Professor Snape, I think we need to have a little talk." Panic came unbidden into Snape's maelstrom of emotions. Did she know about him? No, she couldn't possibly! He'd been writing about the Hogwarts staff in his novels for years and no one had noticed! They hadn't even caught it when he put a Hagrid-type character with his own version of Madam Hooch (that relationship was probably the only secret Hagrid had ever been able to keep, but of course, Snape had figured it out).
"And what, Miss Granger, do you dare to presume we need to talk about?" he snapped, keeping his shields up. Hermione held up the book. "This book bears some... interesting resemblances to people we know. I was wondering if you knew anything about it?"
"Of course not!" he said incredulously. "Do you really think I'd have anything to do with that ridiculous fluff?" Hermione raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Do you want an honest answer to that question?"
"Well, is there anything else, Miss Granger, or are you just here to waste my valuable time?" Hermione sighed, frowned slightly, and then grinned at him.
"There was one other thing," she said, standing up and heading for the door. "But I don't think you'll be too interested in the fact that I'm hopelessly in love with you." With a grin, she met his eyes for a second and then closed the door behind her.
Snape was too busy trying to think and breathe at the same time to say anything in response. Had he just imagined that? He tried to believe that, but the lingering smell of peaches on the air prevented him from convincing himself.
But how was it possible? Everyone knew, now, about the horrible things he had done in the service of Lord Voldemort. The reason he hadn't gotten Order of Merlin for his espionage was because they felt that their reluctance to send him to Azkaban was reward enough. Surely Hermione loathed him for his past actions?
~~
"Severus?" Albus Dumbledore made his way into the classroom. "What exactly did Miss Granger say to you to produce that sort of expression on your face? I haven't seen you look this way... ever!" His eyes twinkled, revealing that he probably already knew but wanted to torture Snape anyway.
"Oh, bugger off Albus," he snapped, rubbing his temples and pressing his palm to his forehead.
"You know, for a while now a friend has been trying to give you advice," grinned the Headmaster. "At first he worried you had a thing for Professor Sprout, but he was much relieved to discover your real choice." Snape's head shot up. Dumbledore had been sending him those notes, then? Of course, he would have thought the man was off his rocker if he'd just said those things to his face.
"Now, Severus, before I have to get angry with you, I want you to confront your feelings and confess them to our dear Miss Granger." Snape opened his mouth to protest, but Albus was already ten steps ahead of him. "Don't try to argue with me, Severus! She is twenty thanks to the time turner, eighteen legally, a seventh year, an extremely mature young woman, and one who knows plenty about your past and has a heart big enough to love you anyway. You are not too old for her, you are not unworthy of her, and by Merlin you will allow yourself to be happy for once!" His eyes twinkled once more, and Dumbledore turned on his heel and left, his robes billowing in a mockingly Snape-like manner.