The term restarted on January 6. Students were still very much in holiday mode at breakfast, happily relaying their stories to friends. Many seventh years were giving a compliment or two - unexpectedly - to Professor Snape. Apparently his pre-holiday lesson was finally put to practical use. Although, there were a few who still did not get it right. Those would spend the next month with a strange mixture of colours in their hair. Those were the ones who maintained their loathing of the greasy bat.

Hermione was getting back into her routine and making appearances at breakfast. Her mood lifted slightly when she had discovered the potion at her bedside on New Year's Eve. She was still mad at Snape, however. But not mad enough to forego manners. She'd sent him a brief and very formal thank you, refusing to acknowledge him any more. They had played some game that she was, quite frankly, sick of. They would become what would seem like friends, something would happen, and he'd push her away. Well, no more of that. She was content with remaining friends. It wasn't her problem. It was his. She would just have to avoid doing anything to draw attention to herself around him.

"'Mione." She heard off to her left. Looking up, she saw that Seamus seemed to be trying to get her attention. "Finally got your attention. Welcome back from LA LA land." He said, smiling. She returned the smile. "So what did you do for your holidays?"

"You know me, Seamus. Research as always." Hermione said.

"Right. Stupid question." Seamus replied. "Find anything interesting?"

"You mean like how to cure the effects of a botched hangover reliever?" She asked, pointing at his green hair.

Seamus looked slightly guilty. "I was just hoping." He said.

Shaking her head. "Lather, rinse, repeat. The only advice I can really give to hair." Hermione smirked. He laughed, and turned back to Neville to continue their conversation. She decided to head back to her dorm to get her notes for class. Taking one last sip of juice, she got up from the table and made her way to the Gryffindor tower.

Was it just her? Or did her juice taste funny this morning? -

While she focused on her friends and her breakfast, she missed Snape, looking passive and icy as ever, giving her eyes that were full of regret and longing.

Albus' words still stung. 'I don't think I've ever seen anybody work so hard at being miserable.' So what was he anxious of? Like the headmaster had pointed out; she was legal, had no need to try and curry favour to improve her marks. He literally had the blessing to walk over to her, fling her over his shoulder, and disappear for a few hours. . .days. . .months. The student argument was becoming weaker.

But how many times has he pushed her away now?

Tearing his eyes away from her, he growled, picked up his coffee, and made his leave.

Was it just him? Or did his coffee taste funny this morning? -

~@~

Hermione made her way to the dungeons with Ron. Ron had kept an annoyingly close eye on her since New Years, and acted the overbearing big brother part well. Hermione did not feel like being watched over so carefully, and had given subtle hints that he probably had something better to do.

Well, like the red hair, the Weasley boy did not do subtle.

They found their seats beside their lab partners - Ron with Harry and Hermione back with Neville - and prepared for the class.

Professor Snape walked in, only following in a few moments after the last student.

"Obviously, some of those who have been warned about the unacceptable hangover relievers ignored my warning." He started, looking at Crabbe and Goyle - who each had purple and blue Afros.

"I remind you that a redo of the assignment will not be allowed." He continued, smirking at a green haired Seamus.

"Today will be a review of the courage inducer. In this pouch," He said, holding up a black velvet pouch, "is a list of tasks that you will complete at the end of class. You will now pick your task from this pouch and perform it at the end of class. . .if you have the courage to do so." He continued with a smirk, going to each student to pick his or her fate.

He did not miss the fact that Hermione had not looked at him as he came to her to pick her task. She simply picked up the piece of parchment and opened it. Not wanting to rouse suspicion, he continued before anyone noticed his moment of pause. After the class had all picked what they were to do, he went back to the podium at the front of the class, and began his lecture on the proper method of brewing. After the instructions were given, and the pairs began their own brews, he went to his desk to continue his marking.

Neville nudged Hermione while Snape wasn't looking. "Hermione?" He asked, nervously.

"What is it, Neville? Don't add those yet!" She said, slapping his hand away from the fish scales.

"This is one potion I really won't mind botching." Neville muttered. Hermione looked up at him, slightly surprised.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione asked. Neville didn't say anything, but he handed her the slip of paper that he had withdrawn from the pouch. 'Sing a dirty song.' It said.

Hermione looked at him. "Who wrote these?" She asked him.

"Well, I don't know, and I don't know many songs. Never mind dirty." Neville responded.

"Don't worry about it." Hermione replied. "It's not like he can take points off for the song. You were assigned to do it."

Neville nodded, and put his concentration back on the potion. Hermione had a feeling that he wasn't telling her something. She shrugged her shoulders and continued on with her work. She liked her task, but normally wouldn't have the brass to go through with it. 'Tell off Severus Snape.'

'With pleasure.' She thought. But what would she say? She knew it would have to keep out the details of their on again off again relationship. That just wouldn't be right.

It took about an hour and a half to complete the potions. Once they were finished, Snape got up from his desk, starting at one side of the room and working to the other. The whole class drank their potions, waiting their turns since the potion lasted for a few hours. Harry's task was to transfigure a classmate's clothing into that of an animal costume. After taking the potion, it took him a few minutes of looking around the room, taking out his wand (a no no in Snape's class), and eventually pointing it at the potion's master himself. A few choice words, and Snape was standing in a pink bunny suit, complete with rabbit ears. The whole class gasped at Harry, completely silent. Harry, for his part, was grinning like an idiot. He thought this was extremely funny. Ron took out a camera that he had gotten into the habit of carrying around for some odd reason. He snapped a picture of him, joining in Harry's smirk of satisfaction at their work.

Snape looked ready to explode. He turned to the two boys. "Grade A work Potter, Weasley." The two boy's smirked even more. "And a detention with Filch." Their faces fell. "I believe your task specified 'classmate'." He smirked himself, transfiguring his clothes back to their original state.

While Snape was distracted, Hermione had allowed her mind to wander in thinking of what she would yell at him about. She could feel her courage increase by the moment. In her wanderings, her subconscious figured out what that odd taste at breakfast was. It was familiar, and she finally put her finger on it. An evil idea struck her. 'OH YES!' She screamed in her mind. But would it work? She began to cough to try and get his attention.

'Professor! Professor!' Snape could hear amidst the coughing. He turned to Hermione, seeing that Neville was patting her on the back. "What is it you want, Miss Granger?" He asked.

Hermione looked up at him with feigned confusion. Other classmates were also doing so. "Nothing to say?"

"What are you talking about, sir?" She asked. 'I didn't say anything. I just coughed.'

Snape looked down at her in surprise. Now he'd caught on. That funny taste in his coffee? Why didn't he see it before? 'Don't worry. I didn't either until now.' He heard her think.

"Nevermind." He said, turning around. 'And why not? Surely the two best minds in the school would have, considering the number of times we've both encountered it.'

'You used it more than I have.' She pointed out. 'You should have recognized it immediately.' He turned his attention back to the class, who were beginning to wonder what exactly Snape was going to do. It was unusual for him to space out like that. He caught himself before anyone questioned him due to his or her enhanced courage.

'This is not the time, Hermione.' He thought.

'Oh! It's 'Hermione' now is it?' She thought angrily. 'Would you do me a favour and choose what you will call me? It's really becoming confusing.'

'We will talk after classes.' Snape finally said. He continued with the class, acting as if there wasn't a battle going on in his head. Now that he was riled up, even though he didn't look it, Hermione put her plan into action.

'Don't even think about it, Hermione. You don't have the guts.' Snape said, forgetting himself.

'Under normal circumstances, no.' She replied. 'But now that I'm under the potion, I feel compelled to see if I can get away with it. After all, what can you do?' With that, Snape could feel the tingles that were present during their previous encounters. It started on his arm, as if she were pulling his wrist towards her. He held his arm tighter to his body, but there was still that pulling. His arm, after all, wasn't actually moving. It just felt like it was. He continued the class, knowing that even if he sent her away, he would still be feeling whatever she planned to do with him, and he wouldn't be able to dissuade her soon enough. He could feel the tingles move up his arm, to his shoulder and along his jaw line.

'Hermione, please. Not right now.' Snape thought. The tingles kept moving, only now, they were moving downward, flicking at his nipples, and continuing towards his abdomen.

'Not now? Is the big potions master begging?' Hermione asked, continuing her assault. She could feel the textures of the sparse hairs on his stomach, and the muscle tightened. Both 'hands' moved down lightly to his hips, along his outer thighs, and slowly began to move to the center.

'Why are you doing this to me?' He thought, thanking Merlin that the robes he wore were heavy enough to hide anything.

'Think of it as revenge, Severus.' She thought, her eyes gleaming with mischief. 'I just thought it would be fair for me to pay back Christmas Eve after all. Do you have any idea what I went through after that? You pushing me away, again!' She emphasized.

He groaned out loud. The class looked up at him in surprise, wondering what happened. Somehow, he was able to control his blush and snap at the students. "Get on with it!" 'You know my reasons, Hermione.' Snape continued, trying to ignore the tingles of one hand as it traveled back towards his shoulder, and along his jaw. The other hand kept up its activities down below, just teasing, not actually going where he wanted it now. 'It wouldn't be appropriate, and I'm not comfortable with the situation.'

'Bull shit!' Hermione thought, the tingling stopping as her anger increased. 'And for a minute there I thought you were talking to me specifically. If you weren't so comfortable with it, than why did you kiss me? Why did you make the plans to continue after I graduated? If this is your idea of teasing, Severus Snape, I am most pissed!'

"Why can't you get it?" Snape said aloud, looking over where Hermione and Neville were sitting, not even realizing it until Hermione's shocked eyes met his. The class was silent once again. Neville looked at the potions master with some fear, hoping that the potion would hold on for him before he wet himself.

"Mr Longbottom. Did you hear the question?" Snape snapped, trying to think of the best way to make it look natural in his class. After all, he berated the boy for seven years. Why not today? Neville nodded his head. "Well, your task."

Neville got up, ready to sing the first dirty song that came to mind. His fear was slowly dwindling as the potion took hold of it, and crushed it down. He took a breath, and began.

"Isn't it awfully nice to have a penis

Isn't it frightfully good to have a dong

It's swell to own a stiffy, it's divine to own a dick

From the tiniest little tager, to the world's biggest prick

So three cheers to your willy or John Thomas

Hooray for your one-eyed talzer snake

Your piece of pork, your wife's best friend, your percy or your cock

You can wrap it up in ribbon; you can slip it in your sock

But don't take it out in public or they will stick you in the dock

And you won't come back" (MONTY PYTHON RULES!!)

He sat down, many in the class gaping. Snape caught himself. "Miss Granger, stay after class. Mr Longbottom, 10 points from Gryffindor. You were supposed to sing! Dismissed!!" Snape said. Dumbly, most of them got up from their seats and made their way to the door. Once they were down the hall a bit of ways, their shocked gasps turned into peels of laughter. "NEVILLE RULES!" Was heard yelled from the top of the stairs before Snape closed the door.

~@~

"Why did you take points off? What Neville did was a song." Hermione said after the door was closed.

"I wouldn't have considered it a song." Snape said. "I am the teacher after all."

"You seem to like to remind me." Hermione spat. "I'm well aware that you are a teacher. A teacher with his head up his ass, but a teacher nonetheless."

"How dare you-"

"How dare I what? Keep in mind that one, I am under the influence of not one, but two potions. And two, I was assigned the task to tell you off."

"We are no longer in the class, therefore, you will not go through with the task. It was already proven that your potion worked."

"I bloody well will go through with the task as it appears that it is needed. You don't think I get it? I can see perfectly well, Severus Snape. You decide here and now. Will I walk out the door in search of a tutor and never look at you again? Or will you at least be the friend to me that you were before the holidays?" Hermione said.

The silence in the room was deafening. The adrenaline that was rushing during their first argument in class, which caused him to start it out loud, had died down somewhat. But the prospect of her walking away and not coming back was very unappealing. He could still hear her thoughts. Her fears that he would ask her to leave. Her wish to continue with their research and their friendship. Her frustration with his constant inner battle about her, how it affected her, and what she should be to him and what she shouldn't be.

She could hear his thoughts running; constantly the same argument going through his head. Student! Over and over again, all she heard was Student! But she could sense that he was struggling with what he would do. Than one thought struck her. 'I should tell her to leave.' She heard. Loud and clear, 'I should tell her to leave.' It began to sound like a mantra. One that he obviously seemed to be following. Like she had before New Year's, she nodded her head, lowering her eyes to the floor, not wanting him to see how much it pained her to do so even though he could hear it. "Goodbye, Professor." She said quietly. Turning around, she reached for the door handle.

A hand stopped her.

"Please stay, Hermione." Severus finally said. She looked up at him, his eyes displaying the confusing emotions going through his mind. The potion that had a hold of them was wearing off slowly. "I am a bastard. And there was no call for it. If we can, I'd like to at least be a friend to you. Although, I fear we may never get past the awkwardness."

She continued to look in his eyes, gauging the sincerity of his words. Finally, she took her hand off the doorknob, and put her arms around his neck. She felt his arms go around her waist as he returned the embrace. A few more minutes of silence past before he spoke again. "We should really go to lunch."

"You broke the silence to talk about food? You really are a bastard." Hermione laughed as she let him go. He smirked at her.

"You know me." He said.

~@~

Hermione and Severus decided that they would continue the research, but only two days a week. They both admitted they were spending a little too much time together. But when they did, boy did they flirt. But only in the friendly way that she and Draco did. It helped to ease the tension between them.

It was now a Friday night in February, right before Valentine's Day, and one of those nights that she did have off from the research to catch up on her homework from the nights she would be assisting him. Walking back to the Gryffindor tower after dinner, she turned when she heard someone call her name. Turning around, she saw Neville and Dannie walking over to her.

"Hermione, you coming tonight?" Neville asked.

"Where?"

"The game room. Another round of truth or dare." Dannie said excitedly.

"No thank you guys. I'm going to catch up on my reading and than head off to bed." Hermione replied.

"Come on, Hermione." Dannie whined. "You gots to come. I mean, you have all weekend to study and sleep."

"Right, and I want to get it done now."

Both Neville and Dannie looked at each other and nodded. Looking at her, they both simultaneously gave her the puppy eyes.

"No. Guys. Really. Go on without me." Hermione said, trying to look away from them.

"P-p-p-please?" They said pathetically in unison, allowing the watery eyes to come out.

"All right!" Hermione finally said. "You guys suck by the way."

"And how!" Neville said, looking at Dannie, who blushed.

"Too much info." Hermione muttered, following them to the game room.

~@~

"Dare." Hermione said, much to the surprise of the group. "What? I'm in an adventurous mood. Especially after Draco scratched Mrs Norris behind the ear."

The dude in question was in the corner of the room with Jessica, getting a few scratches of his own repaired. He did admit to liking the confusion across Filch's face though. It was worth the damage.

"Well, I've been saving this one up since the day we began this." Harry responded. "I dare you to try and convince Professor Snape that Professor McGonagall has a thing for him. Use anything she does or says as proof somehow."

"What? That's ridiculous!" Hermione said.

"You know the two of them best. Which, by the way, is extremely scary." Harry replied. "He'd probably take some of what you say as truth."

"Or he'd more than likely have me thrown in the loony bin at St Mungos." Hermione said.

"Well, we could do consequence." Draco piped up.

"No thanks. After the consequence that Ron did?" Hermione said. "How long do I have to do this?"

"Just tomorrow." Ron said.

"All right." She thought for a moment. "I accept your challenge."

~@~

The next day, Hermione went up to Professor McGonagall's office. Knocking on the door, she turned the handle and opened it when she heard an invitation to do so.

"Hermione! What a pleasant surprise." McGonagall said. "Would you like some tea?"

"Thank you, Professor." Hermione replied. "How have you been?"

McGonagall set about the task of making tea. "I've been doing well. Just finishing up my marking for the past week. Yourself?"

"Just working on my homework, trying to keep Harry and Ron out of trouble, research. Same old." Hermione replied.

"And how is working with the surly potions master treating you?"

"It's been all right. What do you think of him?" Hermione asked.

"He's very intelligent, knows his subject. Although, I think that he's rather stricter with his students than is necessary. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Hermione said, accepting the offered tea.

"He hasn't made a pass at you, has he?" McGonagall said, chuckling.

"No more than usual." Hermione said with a smile. The professor choked a bit on her tea.

"Excuse me?"

"Professor. I'm joking." Hermione said. McGonagall wasn't convinced that she was being completely honest.

"I see." The conversation continued a bit longer, with the professor mentally making plans on visiting the potions master soon.

~@~

"Enter." Severus said. Hermione entered the room, looking to see a bit of anger in his eyes. He watched as she closed the door and sat at the chair across from him.

"I had a visitor today." He began. "A certain transfiguration professor who couldn't help but accuse me of indecent activity towards a certain star pupil. Can you ever imagine why this professor needed to speak with me?"

"Well, she asked if you made a pass at me. Usually we just joke about this. I didn't know I'd made her jealous." Hermione replied.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, like I said, we usually just joke about it. She seemed to be upset by it this time. I think she has her eye on you." Hermione said.

"What do you mean 'her eye on' me?" Severus asked, not really wanting the answer.

"Well, you don't notice it so much since she's not in your line of sight so much at meals. But I think she's been giving you the look."

"The look?"

"Yeah, you know the look." Hermione said, slowly bringing her eyelids down until her eyes were half closed, moving her head up and down as if she were checking him out. "Think about how she might feel if someone 60 years her junior stole you away from her."

"Hermione. Don't do that again." Severus said, squirming uncomfortably in his seat.

"She gets to and I don't? Should I be worried?" Hermione asked.

"She doesn't give me 'the look' as you so put it. If she did, she would be getting one right back."

"Really?"

"Yes. Except not the one you just gave me."

"Which one than?" Hermione asked, curious as to what the reaction would be if it really happened.

Severus put on his best scowl, followed by a look of utter distaste. Than he stuck his tongue out at her. Hermione giggled. "Who put you up to this, Hermione?"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked, completely innocent looking (yeah. We know what that means!)

" I guess I should mention that I happened upon your games again last night, and I heard the dare. So I won't waste any more time with it." Severus replied, spoiling all the fun. (I said it before, I'll say it again. . .Bastard!!)

"I must say, Hermione." Severus said, a bit of amusement replacing the anger.

"Yes?"

"That was just WRONG!"

A/N:

Thank you to all those who had suggestions on the ex-wife's name. And I thought I was bad!

You can hear the Penis Song that Neville sings at . You will need an MP3 player though.

Plastic: Sorry. I had someone who was rather persistent that poor Neville get some action.

Vicsend: Have Dumbledore lock'em in? A bit of S and M added to the story.

Spike-Lover: I guess I would have to say that the reason Snape is usually the one to regret it is because of that whole 'I did so much shit in my life. . .blah blah blah'. I did it hear because I wanted them to fight. Well, I didn't want them to fight. But I wanted a bit more than the cat and mouse thing that seemed to be happening.

Revel_in_me: I don't think my mind knows the way out. Hee hee hee. . .whipped!

Orenda: But calling him Snappy at first would probably really piss him off. I wonder what would happen if the students started doing that. . .PLOT BUNNY!!!

Nymph Demon: Patience my dear.

ChishionoTenshi: He should just get laid.

One Innocent Angel: I think he should get some action from Dobby. After all, the house elves seem to be at the right height.

Jan McNeville: Alliteration allows the author to annoy!!! Hee hee hee! I don't know what the reaction of his grandmother would be. Maybe she'd join in. You never know.

Takemeaway: Yeah. College did that to me too. And my teachers think I pay attention in class!