The after feast gathering did not end for several hours. Minerva wiped her suspiciously damp looking beady eyes with the table cloth when no one was looking, and Hagrid (who was roaring drunk, by now) attempted to stand atop a chair and sing an abominably dirty lyric. Instead, he got halfway through the lyric, whose lines he had tangled and effectively ruined, and the chair collapsed.
Granger and Lupin immediately rushed over, such overly sincere concern writ upon their faces, that I supressed an urge to vomit into the Sorting Hat. Alright, alright, Hagrid, I heard Lupin say, cautiously avoiding Hagrid's bear hugs, I think you've had enough Firewhiskey. I think that..er..Professor Granger shall help escort you back to your house....no, no, don't worry, we're not taking you back because we hate you...oh, Hagrid, please don't start crying. Luping was looking quite desperate now, and both my amusement and patience were waning.
For bloody Merlin's sake, I snapped, dumping a pitcher of ice cold water into Hagrid's face, pull yourself together. You are not supposed to get intoxicated the night before you commence teaching. Especially when your class concerns the care of particularily vile creatures. Hagrid immediately stopped snivelling, and rose unsteadily. Well, I s'pose you're right, professor...I think I'll be goin' back to me hut now, he said, his eyes lolling about his head. He proceeded to promptly walk directly into the stone wall.
Er...Hagrid...I think maybe we should go back now, Granger said, rushing to prevent him from running straight into the huge hearth. I sniggered, but not as quietly as I thought. She turned to me, her eyes blazing and her fists clenched. Actually, Hagrid, I think Professor Snape has just suffered a bout of volunteerism and wishes to do it himself, she said in a very cool voice. I blanched, Don't be silly, Granger. I'll do no such thing.
That would be professor to you, she snapped, and turned on her heel, leaving me to drill holes in her back with my glare.
Hagrid, whose beard and clothes were still sopping wet from the water, looked at me with damp eyes, 'Yer too kind professor, too kind. An' Dumbledore is bein' a great man an' all, I told him.... I actually managed to silence him for a moment, until I realised that everyone else was staring at us. Hooch, with her unnevingly feline eyes and pug nose, Pomfrey hiding a chuckle or two behind her apron, Lupin, wearing a very entertained expression of his own, and Albus, whose eyes were so mirthful, I was surprised that tears of quieted weren't streaming from them.
The giant rose again, and swayed. We ambled to the exit, Hagrid singing more horrendous songs, interspersed with bouts of crying. As we made our way down the path to his hut, Hagrid suddenly sobered, or so I thought. Professor Granger got mighty pretty, I reckon, he said thoughtfully, his eyes glinting in the same obnoxious way that Albus' did. She looks very much the same to me, I snapped, freezing beneath my robes. I saw yer tonight, the way you was lookin' at her, he said, before doubling over in laughter, an' I never woulda believed nobody if they told me our own Sevvie was goin' ta be smittten with Hermione. I scowled fiercely, before realising that he couldn't see me in the blackness. Did you call me Sevvie?, I asked darkly, hoping I sounded as offended as I felt. I saw his giant head nod in an oddly distorted profile. Or perhaps it was the absolutely hideous baclava he was wearing.
Once Hagrid was safely contained, the door locking firmly behind him before his blasted dog could tackle me, I sighed. What was this, this sudden, ridiculous notion that I harbored anything but animosity for Hermione Granger? Granted that she had grown to be an attractive woman, that she had an intimidatingly fierce intellect, and also that her conversation skills had somewhat improved, and that she didn't run off and sulk in a corner whenever an insult was hurled at her.
I am not in interested in her, I said harhsly, watching my misty breath form tendrils in the chilly air, damned what they all think. I stomped quite hard on the ground, in an effort to retrieve some of the feeling back into my feet. I should hope not, said a strangely muffled voice. I jumped two wandswidths in the air, the hair on my neck rising rapdily.
A thickly scarved, jacketed, hatted and gloved Hermione Granger huffed after me. I was just coming to see that you've found your way, she said, impatiently tugging a scarf tassle out of her mouth. Her cheeks were blazing, and I had an odd feeling that it was nothing to do with the cold. I'm fine. I have been here longer than you, you know, I said in a tone more cool than the night air. She blinked very hard, and stared at the ground. I suddenly felt unreasonable, standing here, insulting her. After all, she had just waddled from the castle, to Hagrid's hut, to here in almost no time.
Just seeing you were alright, she shrugged. Thank you, I said, my voice warming a bit. However, my physical temperature was not,I hope you are not so easily offended if I suddenly take flight. I fear for my health if I stand in the bloody cold another second. Or should I escort you back to the castle, seeing the delicate flower you are. Have I not paid my compliments, Professor Granger, to the quite stylish duvet you seem to be wearing?. She took a deep breath, and from the looks of it, was trying very hard to control her anger. I'm not a child anymore, Professor Snape. Your bullying comments don't affect me as they once did. Say what you must in order to make yourself feel any better, greater, smarter, but don't say it to me. There are things which I've been wanting to tell you ever since the first day of school, but I've refrained. I took this job as a means to make myself happy, not as a way for you to find a new, unwitting victim, she said, her voice and color rapidly rising.
Professor Granger , I drawled, furiously wishing I could pull back the hat that was obstructing her eyes. No, don't. It would be better if we just didn't speak to each other. I had hopes that our relationship had progressed from that of when I was a child, but some things can't change, she said. I was taken quite aback, never had I ever expected such a concise and coherent statement from her. It gave me great insight into exactly how much she had changed.
Good night Professor Snape, she said flatly, with nothing that hinted at either anger or resentment. I nodded curtly, but only out of tiredness and lack of imagination did I not have anything to say back to her.
I watched her amble slowly up the hill, struggling with the meters and meters of things she was wearing. When I saw that Remus Lupin was waiting for her, glancing curiously in my direction, only then did all sorts of nasty comments rise to the tip of my tongue.











A/N: Hehehehe. Hoped you like that one. I am having enormous fun writing this, so please don't burst my bubble of happiness so soon. Anyway, if our dear sardonic Severus is going soft, immediately let me know.