I felt the blood drain from my presumptive façade. A mask was applied evenly over my features, and I smiled at her in a very calculated, manufactured way.

Her expression of complete fury also vanished, and she placed her hands upon her hips, threw her head back, and started laughing. It sounded like genuine laughter, burbling and throaty; very few things have the ability to do this, but her laugh, in all its sincerity, frightened me.

I tried to form my features into a disapproving glance, but it seems I had lost control over my face. Instead, I felt my eyes widen and my mouth open slightly. I glanced over Lupin very quickly, and found he was doing the same.

Granger kept laughing like that for minutes, but to me it felt like millennia. It was painful and grating to hear her cackle, her vocal chords rubbed raw from her previously feral cry.

Professor Granger, I snapped suddenly, and her head was thrown forward, a lank puppet; unfortunately, I knew not who was pulling the strings. She gave me an indifferent stare, and Lupin a warm smile. My face betrayed nothing, but I felt my heart give two angrily successive beats. Beneath my robes, my fists were balled.

Professor Lupin, Snape, she said amiably, stepping forward, how are you both?. Lupin gave her a reckoning look, his eyes raking for something amiss. If I had walked in one minute later, one minute after her dreadful scream, perhaps I would not have known something was terribly wrong either.

Granger, what in the bloody hell is wrong? You were laughing like a drunken Hagrid but a few minutes ago, I began, but Lupin, who ignored all personal boundaries, put his hand upon my arm. He stepped forward, and threw a thin, unmuscled arm upon her shoulders.

Hermione, what's wrong?, he asked, overly affectionate. She quickly ducked from beneath him, and I felt inappropriate gloat pushing furiously against my tongue to escape.


What's wrong, Remus, is that I got a bit ahead of myself, she answered calmly, patting her hair and smoothing her robes, I found, once again, that my heart has a tendency to run rampant with anyone who shows the least bit of affection towards me. Oh, don't look so horrified, it's happened before, and I have recovered, and I suppose this was another lapse in judgment in my part. After all, my mum always said to never trust a man who wears black in bed. The corners of her mouth turned up in an expression of nostalgia. I frowned in distaste.


Granger, why not just get it all over with and start trying to injure me now. Go on, little girl, kick me where you might think it hurts most. Scratch my eyes out, claw my face. Break my bloody nose, do what you must. It's unbearable to hear your voice trying to bite back screams, I spurred coldly, sounding indifferent. I gave her a humiliatingly pleading look, but she glanced away, focusing on something in the back of me.


Snape, any extraneous physical contact with you nauseates me, she replied; the ice upon the surface slowly melted by her heat. I felt a blow, and nearly staggered, but my knees remained forcibly upright.

Perhaps you should have told me before I had wasted time and energy, I said. There was a slight break in her eyes, something that told me I had scorched a nerve.

, she said quietly, turning to face him, her temptingly curly hair fanning out in my direction, would you be so kind just to leave us for a few minutes. This shouldn't take long, I promise. He nodded agreeably, and swept out the door as best he could in those secondhand robes.

Once the door was closed, she crossed her arms, and turned to me without saying anything. The silence was stifling, but I had always been able to sculpt it into my own weapon. However, when there were two infuriatingly headstrong people present, I found the silence had another master.

Professor Granger, if you please, I have a good deal of work to complete, make this quick and painless as possible, I said nonchalantly. She smiled, showing her teeth. Actually, it was more like she was baring them.

And tell me, Snape, why I would choose to do such a thing, she questioned, after all, was it not your painfully honest comment that I stumbled into. It didn't seem like you were particularly trying to paint me in a more flattering light.

Just tell me what you want, Granger, say anything, I said, holding my hand up to silence her, however, you must answer my question.

Which is, she purred, coming closer. I could smell her hair and soap from my position. I stepped backwards; she was aromatically irresistible.

Why are you leaving, stupid woman? You've everything you want, are able to teach your favorite course, and address me by last name and openly insult me without detention nor house points, I explicated. She smiled sharkily as I made mention of the last point.

Because, professor, and I feel that you have experienced this firsthand, that it is very difficult to work in an openly hostile environment where few are fond, student and teacher alike, she said offhandedly, glancing at her nails. I almost cringed when she said this, my own popularity reduced to a scattering of humans and Gally.

Plenty of people are enamored by you, Granger, don't go deluding yourself to prove points, I replied. She raised her own eyebrow, hands upon hips again.

Is this true, Snape or are you merely trying to rid yourself of me?, she said in a moment of shock.

I don't know, woman, but I can assure you that you are far more well liked than myself, if you need egotistically enhancing truths, I baited. She never took.

Professor, please. I'm tiring of this stupid banter. The fact remains the term ends in one week. I hope that we may only survive each other that long, she finished grimly, giving me a look far too senior for her girlish face.

Granger,please. I had survived you for seven years before this, a week should be one drop in an ocean, I said dismissively.

Yes, but we weren't embroiled in a bloody mess, were we?, she asked, and I must admit she had made a point. I had avoided her cautiously for her student years, largely in part because I had yet to configure my own feelings, and also because I absolutely detested, with an ardent spite, the two hang ups she had insisted wasting her time upon.

Fine, Granger. You are correct. This week would go by much more quickly if you cease to bother me, I snapped, panicking because she was obviously not falling prey to well practiced defenses. She smiled and held out her hand.

Agreed, Snape. I won't interfere with you, and I assume you would not bother tormenting me, she said this too quickly, for my finely tuned ears had detected several notes of distress. I kissed her hand gently, knowing it was the chivalrous thing to do, and my loins gave an entirely inappropriate tug as she shivered underneath my touch.

She started up the steps, long, dismal robes sashaying after her, and my blood began to quicken and rush about my ears, drowning out every other distracting noise besides her breaths, footsteps and voice.

Wait, Granger, I called, and clapped my hand to my throat. My words had a way of forcefully edging themselves out. She turned and smiled faintly; she was as eager to leave as I.

You can't leave, I said stupidly, feeling humiliated for lack of creativity.

And why not?, she asked mildly, sounding annoyingly amused.

, I finished lamely, and scowled at her. Damned the woman who could wind my well controlled tongue into knots.

Because? Snape, is that honestly the best you can do?, she was beginning to sound profusely angry.

If obeisance is what you seek, woman, you'll not find it here, I said crossly, wanting to swoop over her, but found that I was rooted to the spot.

I'll give you seven days to convince me otherwise, was all she replied, before making a dramatic exit worthy of my own trademark stride.







A/N: Ah! Finally, an update. So sorry to all those who reviewed. Have been insanely busy! Anyway, will be a while till the next, so I made this one long!