__________
Returning Home
By OcelotKitten
__________
**/ /=emphasis**
The clapping rose to deafening levels and then finally died away. The last of the first years timidly made his way to his seat, and Professor McGonagall called for order. Dumbledore stood, and cleared his throat, "I would like to welcome you all to another year here at Hogwarts. I have several announcements to make. First of all, I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Hermione Granger."
Hermione stood and bowed amidst congratulatory clapping, but it was sparse, and somewhat desultory. Dumbledore ran through the usual list of announcements: Dark forest off limits, no students out after curfew, and Hermione listened to him with only half an ear.
The past few weeks had flown by, and Hermione had readapted to life at the castle much more easily than she had expected to. 'It's as though I had never left,' she thought with a smile, 'Except for that whole teacher thing.' Only one thing was still not resolved to her satisfaction. Hermione glanced surreptitiously sideways, and watched Snape out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting two spaces down from her, and looked singularly bored.
In the weeks since she had arrived at the school, it seemed as if Snape had not made a single attempt to even be cordial. Indeed, he had remained tacit, never volunteering a conversation, and only grudgingly participating in one if pressed. Hermione wondered if anyone had ever managed to make Snape be cordial. A small smile tugged at her mouth, she rather doubted it. Abruptly, she made her decision. She would tame the formidable Potions Master. Never one to back down from a challenge (especially her own) Hermione began making plans.
__________
After the feast, Hermione left the Great Hall, hurrying to catch up with Snape. He was almost to the dungeons, and took no notice of Hermione until she laid a hand on his shoulder. With a sigh that spoke volumes about fervent wishing to be elsewhere, he turned to her, "What is it, Miss Granger?"
"Could you call me Hermione, Professor? Colleagues should after all be on a first name basis," she said slyly. He regarded her with quickly muted surprise, then an expression of scorn, "I ask again, /Miss/ Granger, what do you want?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if I could have the pleasure of your company for a cup of tea?"
He looked amusingly flabbergasted for a brief moment, but then the scornful mask fell back into place. Snape said coldly, "I have work to do, Miss Granger. Perhaps some other time." His tone assured her that there would be another time only after a snowball had a chance in Hell. With that, he turned with an elegant swish of his robes, and disappeared into the dungeons.
Hermione snickered to herself. She had known that the thing about the first names would get to him. It was common knowledge that Snape was a very private man, and Hermione had guessed that to have a student, even a former one, call him by his first name would rankle. She had also known that he would react the way he did to the offer of a cup of tea. It was simply part of the larger plan. Feeling well pleased, she went to her chambers
__________
The bell rang and the students left the room in a chattering horde. Hermione flopped down in her desk chair, and rubbed her temples with a sigh. The headache had set in just after the start of first period, and was still going strong now, at lunchtime. She jumped as there was a chuckle from the doorway, she glanced up and saw Dumbledore watching her. "Sorry, my dear," he said, coming into the room, "I came by to see how you were doing."
"Terrible," Hermione said miserably, "I was so nervous I could hardly teach." She buried her head in her hands. Dumbledore smiled and came in. He laid a hand gently on her shoulder, and Hermione glanced up. "Hermione, do you really think everyone does everything right on the first day?" he said with a twinkle in his eye, "Besides, I happen to have heard from a very reliable source that your students loved your classes, and can't wait for the next one."
Hermione grinned, "Really? Do you mean it?" Dumbledore just smiled. He said, "How are you settling in?"
"It's like I never left, Prof . . . sorry, Albus," Hermione said sheepishly, "I can't get used to that yet."
"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Dumbledore said with another smile, "It took Severus ages to get used to calling me by my first name. He still doesn't like it. Which reminds me," the Headmaster said with a twinkle in his eye, "How are you and he getting along?"
Hermione's eyes narrowed, "Honestly, Albus. If nothing else, the way he's been treating me would make me feel that I had never left." Hermione said nothing about her plan to wear down Snape's defenses. She didn't feel entirely comfortable with telling Dumbledore.
"I think that you just need to give him time, child. Severus is a very complicated individual," Dumbledore said with a smile. He held out his arm to her, "I believe that it is lunchtime. Would you like an escort?" Hermione giggled, "Why, sir! I'd be delighted!" She took his arm and they proceeded to the Great Hall.
Returning Home
By OcelotKitten
__________
**/ /=emphasis**
The clapping rose to deafening levels and then finally died away. The last of the first years timidly made his way to his seat, and Professor McGonagall called for order. Dumbledore stood, and cleared his throat, "I would like to welcome you all to another year here at Hogwarts. I have several announcements to make. First of all, I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Hermione Granger."
Hermione stood and bowed amidst congratulatory clapping, but it was sparse, and somewhat desultory. Dumbledore ran through the usual list of announcements: Dark forest off limits, no students out after curfew, and Hermione listened to him with only half an ear.
The past few weeks had flown by, and Hermione had readapted to life at the castle much more easily than she had expected to. 'It's as though I had never left,' she thought with a smile, 'Except for that whole teacher thing.' Only one thing was still not resolved to her satisfaction. Hermione glanced surreptitiously sideways, and watched Snape out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting two spaces down from her, and looked singularly bored.
In the weeks since she had arrived at the school, it seemed as if Snape had not made a single attempt to even be cordial. Indeed, he had remained tacit, never volunteering a conversation, and only grudgingly participating in one if pressed. Hermione wondered if anyone had ever managed to make Snape be cordial. A small smile tugged at her mouth, she rather doubted it. Abruptly, she made her decision. She would tame the formidable Potions Master. Never one to back down from a challenge (especially her own) Hermione began making plans.
__________
After the feast, Hermione left the Great Hall, hurrying to catch up with Snape. He was almost to the dungeons, and took no notice of Hermione until she laid a hand on his shoulder. With a sigh that spoke volumes about fervent wishing to be elsewhere, he turned to her, "What is it, Miss Granger?"
"Could you call me Hermione, Professor? Colleagues should after all be on a first name basis," she said slyly. He regarded her with quickly muted surprise, then an expression of scorn, "I ask again, /Miss/ Granger, what do you want?"
"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if I could have the pleasure of your company for a cup of tea?"
He looked amusingly flabbergasted for a brief moment, but then the scornful mask fell back into place. Snape said coldly, "I have work to do, Miss Granger. Perhaps some other time." His tone assured her that there would be another time only after a snowball had a chance in Hell. With that, he turned with an elegant swish of his robes, and disappeared into the dungeons.
Hermione snickered to herself. She had known that the thing about the first names would get to him. It was common knowledge that Snape was a very private man, and Hermione had guessed that to have a student, even a former one, call him by his first name would rankle. She had also known that he would react the way he did to the offer of a cup of tea. It was simply part of the larger plan. Feeling well pleased, she went to her chambers
__________
The bell rang and the students left the room in a chattering horde. Hermione flopped down in her desk chair, and rubbed her temples with a sigh. The headache had set in just after the start of first period, and was still going strong now, at lunchtime. She jumped as there was a chuckle from the doorway, she glanced up and saw Dumbledore watching her. "Sorry, my dear," he said, coming into the room, "I came by to see how you were doing."
"Terrible," Hermione said miserably, "I was so nervous I could hardly teach." She buried her head in her hands. Dumbledore smiled and came in. He laid a hand gently on her shoulder, and Hermione glanced up. "Hermione, do you really think everyone does everything right on the first day?" he said with a twinkle in his eye, "Besides, I happen to have heard from a very reliable source that your students loved your classes, and can't wait for the next one."
Hermione grinned, "Really? Do you mean it?" Dumbledore just smiled. He said, "How are you settling in?"
"It's like I never left, Prof . . . sorry, Albus," Hermione said sheepishly, "I can't get used to that yet."
"Don't worry about it, Hermione," Dumbledore said with another smile, "It took Severus ages to get used to calling me by my first name. He still doesn't like it. Which reminds me," the Headmaster said with a twinkle in his eye, "How are you and he getting along?"
Hermione's eyes narrowed, "Honestly, Albus. If nothing else, the way he's been treating me would make me feel that I had never left." Hermione said nothing about her plan to wear down Snape's defenses. She didn't feel entirely comfortable with telling Dumbledore.
"I think that you just need to give him time, child. Severus is a very complicated individual," Dumbledore said with a smile. He held out his arm to her, "I believe that it is lunchtime. Would you like an escort?" Hermione giggled, "Why, sir! I'd be delighted!" She took his arm and they proceeded to the Great Hall.