A/N. This is my first fan fic, but I write in my spare time, and have had several things published. Unfortunately, my talents with poetry don't often work for fiction, so bare with me, please! Mykerinos, Fleable, thank you for liking it even in the short, raw state the story is in!
Recognize anything? It isn't mine, it's J.K.R's. *sigh*
Two.
Severus Snape hated few things as much as the first few weeks of the fall term at Hogwarts. It was in moments like the one he had woken up to on the second day of classes, when two of the Slytheryn girls had been reunited a short distance from his rooms. Their shrieking was what drew the gaunt Potions Master from his bath, as he rushed out to make them shut up.
"Five points from Slytheryn for being loud in the morning!" He had roared at them as they scampered toward breakfast. With a groan at Dumbledore's pleased face on the rare occasions Snape went to breakfast, he stalked off toward the Great Hall. Even he could feel the sneer on his face today, and pieces of the dreams that accompanied his sleep the night before flitted through his mind. 'Miss Granger' he thought ruefully, 'should not stare at me like that very often.' Her eyes had held a look of what… Arousal? And he found himself not entirely immune to her charms, at least in sleep. Stalking into the Hall he went quickly to the High Table, ignoring the few greetings that came his way. Settling down at his usual seat at the end of the table, a cup of black coffee appeared before him, and Snape sipped it slowly, enjoying the heat as it seared down his throat.
The students had, for the most part, left to prepare for classes, and Severus Snape was forced to catch his breath when he noticed Miss. Granger staring at the Table, at him, with a wistful if melancholy look on her expressive, smooth face. He sneered at her, and as it registered, she blushed furiously and rushed from the hall, curls streaming out behind her. Snape took a brief moment to register the hues of her hair in the sunlight streaming from the ceiling, while at the other end of the table, the Head of Gryffindor murmured to the Head Master in concern, but Dumbledore simply shook his head and told her "Hermione will be fine, Minerva, she has the heart for it." With no more explanation, the Head Master rose from the table and went to his rooms, and Snape rushed off to the dungeons to prepare for the first year classes he so dreaded.
***
Even the Potions Master knew he was being too harsh on the first years sitting in his classroom, but he would never admit it. As the sixth girl in an hour burst into tears at a sarcastic remark coming from him, Snape dismissed the class and slumped down into a leather chair, burying his head in his long, cold hands. A knock on the door disturbed his rest, and he growled "what" without looking up. Light footsteps crept into the room, and a soft, if not sultry voice reached his ears.
"Professor, I'm sorry to interrupt you, but one of the first year Ravenclaws came to me a moment ago asking if you usually assigned detention without telling where or when. She'll be here at 8:00 p.m. tonight, I do hope that will be satisfactory. ". Glancing up, Snape swore under his breath. Hermione Granger stood before him, brown curls dusted with gold frizzing into a halo around a dainty face. It was her eyes that alarmed him the most, a mixture of desire, anger, and innocence that made the cruel Potions Master want to take her into his arms. Finding the voice to speak, he replied in an almost silky voice.
"Very well Miss. Granger. I can see you are completing your duties as Head Girl as well as a Gryffindor could be expected to. Now leave, before I give you a detention." He could tell his voice had the effect on her he wanted, as she gave him a quick nod and slipped from the room, walking none too steady, but with her head held high.
Snape didn't go to lunch, and was relieved when his last class fled from the dungeons. He went into his rooms, and collapsed on the bed, body aching from the stress of teaching when his mind was not engaged. It was then that he remembered the detention, and sent an owl to the Head Master quickly.
***
Albus Dumbledore was by far the best person in all of Hogwarts to have a minor detention with, and the entire school knew it. Why Severus had decided to send a frightened Ravenclaw first year to him, the Head Master was uncertain. He had the girl take care of the phoenix that perched in the office, and Albus knew that the two had a good time, because when he let himself into his office after two hours, the girl had been asleep, and the bird had been perched on the back of the chair, singing softly. Lifting the youngster he carried her to the Ravenclaw dorms, and as always was surprised by just how young the first years were. Murmuring a 'goodnight mommy' the little girl fell into a peaceful slumber in her bed. Smiling sadly, Dumbledore returned to his own rooms and slept, not knowing that his colleague and one of his students were none so lucky.
***
Hermione Granger, Head Girl of Hogwarts, top student in the school, was crumpled on the floor of her room in her nightclothes, tears streaking down her face ferociously, gray eyes focused on the window opposite her. She simply couldn't believe how much of a fool she was making of herself, in her last year to boot! She hated Professor Snape, and always had. He was the one staff member who seemed bent on her expulsion from Hogwarts, and her two best friends as well. She admired his intellect, but she hated the man, didn't she? Her delicate skin flared again as she remembered the way he had glared at her at breakfast, and earlier that evening, another glare, but his voice had been almost… silky... almost…sensual. With a firm negative shake of her head, she settled finished her homework and fell asleep over an old book of Arithmacy. The shadow of rain clouds passing in front of the bright moon caressed the girl's sleeping form, as the Potion Master in the dungeon glared up at it and slowly massaged the mark on his arm.