A/N: I lied to you, tee hee. Promised one long chapter, but I'll give you two shorter ones as I don't want to change the POV in the middle

of a chapter… (and the second one will be out soon)

The bad thing is, I still haven't done my schoolwork, which I was supposed to do instead of planning Hermione's love life…

I also re-uploaded the previous chapters with slight changes in the text arrangement.

And thank you for the reviews! I'm almost embarrassed because of your comments… * blushes and smiles *

Chapter IV – Of Growing Pains

Monday, 8.00 pm. Snape was sitting in his office, trying to grade the wretched essays.

||So you think it was Grim-Gerald Quicksilbum who invented the famous Joyous Life Potion in 1635. Well, I'll give you a D- for not paying attention in Potions nor History of Magic.||

He scribbled a huge "D-" on the parchment with red ink, then put away his quill and stretched his arms, yawning. He rubbed his neck and glanced at the clock. Time to make his rounds. He got up, straightened his robes and left the room, pacing towards the Slytherin common room.

Standing in a dark corridor, he faced a small crack in the wall. He tapped the crack with his wand and muttered "Viperea Argentea." The crack grew big enough for him to step inside.

He stepped into the Serpent's Nest (a nickname for the Slytherin common room) and immediately the students rose and greeted him.

"Good evening, professor!" said Blaise Zabini, a 7th year prefect.

"Good evening, Miss Zabini. Is everything allright with the students? I can see Madame Pomfrey was able to create a cure… of sort."

He let his eyes wander around the students. Many of them still looked like they'd had their hair coloured like those Muggle punk rockers, but the extra bodily hairs were gone.

"Good. And where might I be able to find Mr Malfoy? I thought he would be here."

"He's probably in his rooms… We haven't seen him in the Nest lately. He likes to spend his time alone. Guess being the Head Boy is tough job and he needs to relax…" Blaise said a little cautiously.

||Or, guess he's too proud to spend time with the mere mortals these days.|| Snape thought.

"I'll leave you, then. Good night." he said and exited the Nest.

He climbed the stairs leading from the dungeons and, when reaching the second floor, opened a small door on the right side of the corridor. Behind the door was another, smaller corridor. There were some odd paintings on the walls and it was dimly lit. He paced towards the door that had the "HEAD BOY" –sign on it. He knocked three times and waited for an answer. When none came, he knocked again. He pressed his ear to the door and could clearly hear voices inside. After waiting a while his patience grew out and, tapping the door with his wand he snapped "Alohomora!" Nothing could have prepared him for the sight he was about to see.

"Mr Malfoy, now what would be so important, that you couldn't be bothered to open the door…"

His mouth hung open.

||Dear Merlin.||

Draco Malfoy was in the middle of an intimate moment with a girl… who looked just like Hermione. Snape knew it was Hermione and not just some girl, and felt the ugly beast of jealousy take over his mind.

||How dare he? That little piece of Malfoy filth… how dare he touch my girl? How many points should I deduct? 50? Or perhaps 150? And detention to him. He'll arrange my potion ingredients alphabetically and then he'll scrub every single cauldron in the classroom and he'll…But Severus! She's not your lady and never will be! Remember that before acting. Now, calm down. If I'll ever, ever get to that bastard Voldemort… oh, yes. He will suffer.||

Then he noticed the terrified-looking Hermione staring at him. She had wrapped the blanket around her and was too stunned to do anything. Malfoy was standing in front of him wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist and explaining the situation madly, but Snape couldn't hear him. All he could think about was Hermione.

||Of course. I should have known. Minerva once said something about "our cute Head Couple". Perhaps I should be paying more attention myself sometimes.||

"I'm truly sorry, sir! I know it's inappropriate of us to behave like this…"

"Dear me."

Snape finally managed to pull himself together.

"Inappropriate, indeed. Mr Malfoy, I expected to find you in the Nest, helping your fellow Slytherins, who still suffer the consequences of Gryffindor recklessness in potion making."

Draco looked down embarrassed.

"As for you, Miss Granger" Snape glared at Hermione "I really don't know what to say."

||Except, that he's not worthy! You deserve better! …Severus, don't you dare to think you would be any better… Oh bloody fuck. I must stop arguing with myself. I'm starting to feel schizophrenic. Now, concentrate on the Dark Lord. Imagine yourself slowly ripping his guts out… The Unforgiveables just aren't entertaining or satisfying enough.||

"I think I should be going, Draco."

Hermione's voice woke Snape from his daydream.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I hope you understand us. You too have been a teenager."

Hermione gave Snape a tiny, shy smile. Snape stared at her, trying to memorize every moment.

||That must be the first ever smile she gave to me. Unfortunately, it's very likely the last as well. And, please, don't remind me of my teen years…||

"But, Miss Granger, as a teenager I still took care of my duties as a prefect, unlike you two. I believe I must report your actions to the Headmaster. I hope he's not too disappointed with his… Head Couple."

He smiled maliciously.

||Keep the façade, Severus!||

"Ten points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. I trust Miss Granger will find her way back to her own rooms. Very merry night to both of you."

He turned on his heels and trotted out of Malfoy's room his robes billowing, slamming the door behind him.