BethAnn & Tegan - I'm glad you liked the 'kiss' scene - I had hoped it was all right (writing mush tends to make me blush g )

harrypotter-chik, JoeBob1379 & Mykerinos - I dunno, these people who want More Soon grin

littlemandyralph & Rose - I'm glad you like the story.

Gul Occett - Thanks for your kind comment - there will be an answer to your question in this part!

Strega Brava & Tigre - I'm glad you liked the snowball fight - something I wouldn't mind doing with Sevvy I can tell you.



Part 6

It was a composed Hermione who went down to dinner that night, determined not to betray by voice or expression that anything was amiss with her.

She had a list of things that she definitely wasn't going to do:

1. Stare at Professor Snape continuously through dinner. 2. Wonder if he would kiss her again. 3. Wonder what it would be like if he did kiss her again.

She was feeling awkward and confused about the professor, her blood seeming to sing in her veins when she remembered his kiss - no, their kiss. This was something that annoyed a part of Hermione greatly. She was used to having control over her emotion, not letting them run away with her. But here, now, she felt as if she was heading into waters as dark as Professor Snape's robes, with no guide to show her the way.

What would happen when she helped him with his experiment tomorrow? she couldn't help but wonder with shivery anticipation.

No, she knew what would happen, she told herself sternly. No doubt Professor Snape would say in irritation that what had happened was a mistake, nothing more. She would nod in agreement, and that would be the end of it. It would be.

As she was Head Girl she was allowed more freedom with her clothes, and she had decided to wear an elegant dress of dark green velvet to dinner, her hair piled in a coronet upon her head and fastened with jade pins.

Since she was spending the whole Christmas season at Hogwarts, Hermione found herself more appreciative of the effort that had been made to give Hogwarts its annual 'enchanted castle at Christmas' looks as she made her way to the Great Hall.

The Fat Lady was tipsy these days from 'Christmas cheer' and the castle ghosts softly sang Christmas carols as they drifted along corridors - although Filch and the Slytherin ghost could be heard most nights bellowing crude renditions of carols near the forest.

Classrooms were filled with decorations that had been hand-made by the younger students, though not surprisingly Professor Snape had refused such 'sentimental Christmas rubbish' in his dungeons.

The moving staircases had been draped with holly and mistletoe, with the scent of pine filling the air from the numerous Christmas trees throughout the castle, especially in the Great Hall with its twelve Christmas trees.

At the moment there was only one table set in the middle of the room for the few people in the castle; the faculty and four other students. They consisted of two shy Hufflepuff first years, a Ravenclaw 7th year who nodded at Hermione as she arrived at the table and a third year Slytherin who was giving the Christmas decorations an evil look.

She felt Professor Snape's eyes watching her, but she refused to look at him again after a brief, searing glance from him. To be honest, she was flattered by his attraction to her but she felt with her wizard senses as though other, darker things were going on inside his head at the moment. Not just his memories of his deceitful fiancée of course, but as if he was playing some sort of game. And that she was a pawn.

The conversation was varied throughout the dinner, McGonagall was discussing Christmas punch recipes with Sprout, while Hermione discussed levitation spells with Lavinia, the Ravenclaw student. The Slytherin student made faces at the Hufflepuffs when the teachers weren't looking.

To Hermione's surprise, Professor Black caught her eye at one point and gave her a brief, thoughtful look that had some concern in it. She wondered what was on his mind. The darkly handsome Sirius was one of the most popular teachers in Hogwarts, having been reinstated after having his name cleared. Hermione remembered how furious Professor Snape had been when that had happened, how doubly furious he had become when Sirius was given the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts, which Snape had coveted for many years. No student had dared to put a step out of line in Potions for months after.

At one point Dumbledore rose to his feet and tapped his glass, the sound of the clear chime drawing all eyes towards him. He smiled kindly at them all, putting his hand to his mouth at one point to conceal a small belch.

"I'm afraid that some urgent business has come up that requires the presence of myself and McGongall for the next couple of days. In light of this I have appointed Professor Snape to be Headmaster on a temporary basis in our absence."

Professor Snape smiled coolly and inclined his head smoothly in acceptance. "Thank you, I shall endeavour to keep things under control," he said.

The Slytherin student preened, while the Hufflepuff students wore expressions of worry. Lavinia muttered "Great!" beside Hermione.

Severus had to admit to himself that this Christmas was turning out to be more enjoyable than most. He was pleased that Dumbledore had appointed him the (temporary) title of Headmaster. Certainly you could count on one hand the number of Slytherins who had ever been Headmaster as usually the role went to glory-seeking Gryffindors or sharp-minded Ravenclaws.

It was a shame that the rest of the school wasn't present to witness this ascendance, but the glower that Sirius had given him helped to balance matters in a satisfactory way. And then there was Hermione..he was pleased, he told himself, that she had been responsive to his kisses before, ignoring the fluttering lurch his heart gave as he glanced across at her. Her lovely face, as it had been for most of the dinner, was averted from him.

In the cold light of day he knew he wasn't much to look at. Clara had said as much to him in the end, he thought, a familiar bleak fury rising in his mind. He diverted his mind back to Hermione, considering her. Perhaps he wouldn't be so quick to discard her once he had her, after all.

Hermione wondered what kind of emergency would call the senior staff away, though clearly the other teachers were too polite to ask. Or perhaps they knew already and were unconcerned? She couldn't help thinking though that the departure of Dumbledore from Hogwarts always seemed to mean trouble was on the horizon for the castle and the people in it.

[That's your paranoia talking!] she scolded herself. Surely that was taking her role of Head Girl too seriously - looking for danger in dark corners that only held cobwebs and dust. Voldemort was dead, with his Death Eaters either imprisoned or fled into exile. A new era of peace had begun, the Ministry of Magic had trumpeted, and there was no reason to fear fellow wizards any more. Was there?

Feeling uneasy for some reason Hermione quietly excused herself after dinner and left the hall for Gryffindor Tower. Dumbledore was deep in conversation with Professor Snape in regards to the duties that the Professor would be obliged to do in his absence (only a few at this time of the year). However, the dark eyes of the Slytherin observed the departure of Hermione and he smiled to himself.

Hermione was half way to the Gryffindor Tower when a quiet yet urgent voice called her name from behind. Pausing and turning she saw Sirius looking at her.

"Yes?" Hermione asked in polite curiosity.

Sirius folded his arms across his chest and frowned at her. "I thought you had more sense, but maybe I was wrong."

Hermione was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is why a Gryffindor like yourself getting involved with Snape - I saw you both before having fun in the snow. All kinds of fun, apparently!" he said tersely.

Hermione flushed, embarrassed. Sirius had seen them? "Nothing's going on, and nothing will be going on" she said with weary decisiveness, though there was a brief ache inside her at the remembrance of the kiss before. It was for the best, she told herself.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "It had better not be, for your sake." Then his voice softened. "I don't want to see you hurt, and hurt is what you will be if you think that son of a bitch has any scrap of affection in that shrivelled heart of his for you."

Hermione stared back at him, not knowing what to say. "I just wanted him to have uh, a happy Christmas for a change," she said softly.

Sirius sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "What's happy for him is far from the definition of happiness for the likes of you and I, Hermione. I know with my history I'm a fine one to talk, but Snape is trouble, plain and simple. Remember that."

He nodded at her and then abruptly turned and left, leaving Hermione to think over what he had said as she went back to her room.

A/N: I hope I kept Sirius in character as that was the first time I've included him in my stories.