Chapter VI – Who would flirt with the Potions Master?

"Hermione, we're going to have a meeting at the prefects' room today. It's about the Halloween Ball. You're going to be there, right? We really need your ideas. The last Ball was totally wicked and I want to have even better one this time!"

Ginny was beaming at Hermione and almost jumping of excitement.

"Of course, Ginny! I wouldn't miss the planning for a thousand galleons!"

Hermione poured herself some orange juice and drank in big gulps.

"One o'clock, was it?"

"Yeah. I'll need to remind the others as well…"

"Good."

She put the glass on the table.

"I'll see you then. Now I must hurry. Damn, I forgot my books. I'm going to be so late from class."

She ran out of the Hall to get her bag before running to the Arithmancy classroom.

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Professor Vector was already in the room when Hermione arrived. She was an old woman with black hair and icy blue eyes, dressed in a deep purple robe.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor."

Vector looked at her "Hmh"-ing.

"Firstly we discuss the number 2 and it's symbolic meaning. Yes, I know, we have studied it before, but I think a little revise won't harm anyone. It's also very appropriate number to look at now, as the Halloween Ball is getting closer. As you all know, number 2 represents love and romance as well."

She gave the class a very meaningful and sly smile.

||Elaine Vector must be the most perverted lady in her 60's.||

Hermione snickered to herself at the thought of Miss Vector pinching a younger man's butt.

||The male teachers are probably sexually harassed many times a day. Perhaps not everyone, though. She wouldn't touch Dumbledore, or Hagrid, or Professor Flitwick. Who do we have left? Snape?||

She bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out. The thought of Vector flirting with Snape in the staff room was too hilarious. Actually, the thought of anyone flirting with Snape was funny.

||And I certainly wasn't flirting with him, no matter what Draco thinks.||

Professor Vector had moved on to numbers 1 and 0, and was now explaining about the phallic and vaginal symbolism with her eyes gleaming. Hermione wasn't really concentrating, she just doodled spirals on her notes. One of them caught her eye.

||Funny. That one looks like a snake.||

"Miss Granger, are you feeling quite allright? You're not following the lesson."

"Oh? I'm sorry, Professor. I'm a little tired. We have the Ball to plan and everything… wears a girl out quite a bit!" she smiled.

"Are you sure? You might want to go to Madame Pomfrey. You don't usually wear out easily."

"Well, okay. I'll go see her after lunch."

"Good."

||As if I'm going to the infirmary. I'm going to find Draco and clear things out before the meeting.||

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Lunchtime came and Hermione went to the Great Hall to find her friends. She also wanted to find Draco, but he wasn't sitting at the Slytherin table. Hermione felt really empty inside. Luckily, her favourite food was served, so for once she actually had an appetite. She took a grilled chicken breast and some boiled broccoli and carrots on her plate. For dessert she had some apple pie with vanilla sauce.

"Everything ok, Mione?" Ron asked, munching his blueberry muffin.

"You've been staring quietly at your plate all the time!" Harry said after swallowing his food first. He had more manners than Ron.

"You know, we were just talking about the new Firebolt 20.2, that Harry got from McGonagall. It's way cool!" Ron's eyes were shining and he was smiling widely.

"You should come and see us practise. Harry's flying so fast, Malfoy won't notice what hit him. The Gryffindor versus Slytherin match is next Saturday. We're so gonna win it!"

"And you'll take care of that MacDougal guy. He's one hell of a chaser, after all. Better than Colin actually, but you didn't hear me say that, ok?"

"No Quaffle will pass me! But yeah, Colin might be in trouble with Grabbe and Goyle as beaters… they do have more muscles than brains, though."

"Let's not forget, that Parvati and Lavender have really proven themselves. And they're way faster than Morag MacDougal."

Ron snorted. He didn't really appreciate the fact, that Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil were the Gryffindor chasers. But like Harry said, the girls had proven themselves. They could actually play without worrying about their mascara running. Perhaps Ron was just jealous.

"And with Seamus and Dennis as our beaters…"

"Excuse me, but would you mind having a little pause?" Hermione had been staring at the boys blankly.

"Don't you have anything else to discuss than Quidditch?"

"What do you mean? Quidditch, c'est trés importante, as they say in Beauxbatons. There is no life without Quidditch!"

"Oh, please, Ron."

"She's right, we can talk about this later. Anyway, we gotta get our practise robes and head for the pitch! McGonagall said we don't need to go to afternoon classes, if we do extra homework. She really wants us to beat Slytherin and win the House Cup. Three defeats in a row is not a good thing, no."

"I'm leaving now. I've got to get to the prefects' room; we have a meeting about the Ball decorations and stuff. See you later, guys!"

"Hey! Why can't we talk about Quidditch, if you're not here listening, anyway?"

Hermione gave Ron a look.

"Bye, now!"

"Bye, Mione!"

"Bye! Will you come to pitch later? We'll wait for… Oh, guess she didn't hear me."

To be continued… (If I left this part out, would you think I wasn't going to make another chapter? Haha…)

A/N: Thanks again for the reviews, I'm so glad you like the story! * smiles *

And don't worry about Hermione and Severus, I've got it all planned up in my twisted little head. Just wait and you'll see…

(And to Zaria: I'm not English. I hail from Finland, so we're sort of neighbours * smiles again *)