Chapter three
Thanks for the reviews! Thanks again to my beta Atalaya.
During the lesson Snape kept eyeing Hermione suspiciously. Hermione hoped he didn't know about her crush. He couldn't, she thought. Everyone else had only just found out.
On the way up to dinner, Ginny caught up with Hermione.
"Have you made any progress on Harry?" She asked eagerly.
"Um…no…sorry. I'll try." Hermione said absent-mindly.
"Okay. So have you forgotten Snape?" Ginny asked.
"Keep your voice down." Hermione said in a frantic whisper. " Half the year already knows because of that scumbag Malfoy."
"Great. Well all you can do is lie low and ignore any comments." Ginny advised.
"Right and in the mean time try and forget about Snape when I have four Potions lessons a week and on PSD lesson on top of that." Hermione said irritably.
"I'm sure your manage." Ginny said consolingly.
Hermione pretty much doubted that. She was getting these dreams every night and thought about him most of the day. Settling down to dinner she pondered her situation. It would be a hard on to crack. Hermione looked up at the teacher's table. Snape was still watching her. He must know.
Throughout the next few days up to the Slytherin versus Griffindor Quidditch match, Snape hardly glanced at Hermione, so her suspicions were quelled. The morning of the match, found Hermione, Ginny and Ron sitting in the stands waiting for the match to start. It was a surprisingly sunny day, but still with a cold biting wind that made Hermione shiver and sink lower into her cloak.
"There's Snape." Ginny pointed to the Slytherin stands where Severus Snape sat with a green Slytherin scarf around his neck.
"Yes I know." Hermione said annoyed.
She didn't need reminding of Snape's presence wherever she went. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of the Gryffindor team coming out onto the pitch, red and gold robes gleaming in the winter sunlight. Harry looked decidedly flustered and had his broom held clumsily over his shoulder. Hermione frowned and then her attention turned to the Slytherin team who had also walked out onto the pitch looking smug. Malfoy was trying to look prestigious as always and the roars from either side of the stands were tumultuous.
Wood and Flint shook hands, albeit somewhat harshly and each team mounted their brooms. They were off, soaring through the air, Angelina taking possession of the Quaffle. Hermione switched off to the chain of events, as she had never been that interested in Quidditch, even though she really wanted Gyffindor to win. She focused her gaze on Harry who was scanning the pitch for a sign of the Golden Snitch. Griffindor scored. 10-0. Hermione looked over to Snape who was watching the Slytherin seeker intently. A roar from the crowd turned her attention back to the game. Malfoy had suddenly dived through the air in pursuit of the Snitch. Harry was zooming after him at break-neck speed. Hermione frowned again. Usually Harry spotted the snitch first.
The next series of events happened in quick succession. Malfoy's hand closed around the Snitch, a bludger came flying through the air, curtesey of George and landed smack in Malfoy's shoulder. The Slytherin's booed and hissed, as Malfoy swayed on his broom, suddenly falling off it and plummeting to the ground below. He hit the ground with a sickening thud and Hermione saw Harry race towards the ground, falling besides Malfoy's side.
"What's he bothering with that git for!?" Ron bellowed. "Slytherin have already won for God's sake! Let's hope the slimy idiot is dead!"
"Ron!" Hermione chastised him.
"Slytherin win!" Shouted Lee Jordon the commentator. " The slimy-"
"Jordon!" McGonagalls voice rang out.
Hermione watched Malfoy being taken away on a stretcher. She saw Harry watch it float up the grounds to the great oak doors and then turn away picking up his broom. Hermione walked back up to the castle with Ron and Ginny. Snape swished past them and Hermione gasped as his cloak lightly touched her arm.
Ron frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Hermione said in tone that told anyone that something must be wrong.
"Right." Ron said, not picking up on it.
They went into the great hall for an early lunch and Harry didn't join them until they were firmly ensconced in the common room, reading or doing homework.
"Where did you get to?" Hermione asked him as he joined her at the table she was doing homework on.
"Oh…I went to the Library to get a book." Harry said, not looking up.
"Where is the book?" Hermione asked visually searching him for an invisible book.
"Oh…I…" Harry blushed. "They didn't have it." Then he hastily got up and escaped to the boy's dormitories.
Hermione shook her head, telling herself she had other things to worry about.
* * *
On the night before the Yule Ball, Hermione spoke to Ginny.
"So what are you wearing?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"I haven't really thought." Hermione said truthfully.
"What! You have to wear something really nice to get Snape's attention." Ginny whispered.
"Ginny! I can't try and get a teachers attention!" Hermione practically shouted catching herself before anyone heard.
"Why not?" She asked confused.
"Well, it's unethical and I'm only fifteen." Hermione explained.
"Okay, okay, maybe not in sexual way. Wear something that will wow him." I have just the thing. Come with me." Ginny led her up to her dormitory. She pulled a long red dress out of her trunk. "Go ahead and try it on." She thrust the dress in her hands. Ginny turned away while Hermione changed into it.
"I can't wear this!" Hermione looked in the mirror.
"Why not? You look really nice?" Ginny said.
"Well, for a start it's got a split right up the thigh and it plunges right down the neck line." Hermione looked at herself critically.
"So?" Ginny asked. " Perfect!"
"But do I really want Snape to think of me like that?" Hermione wrinkled up her nose.
"Yes you do! Well, he might not even notice you yet." Ginny said.
"Right." Hermione did think it was a nice dress, if a little revealing. "What are you wearing?"
"I have something. Don't worry. I'm asking Harry to go when we get back in the common room." Ginny said proudly.
"Really? Good luck. Trying to get him to talk nowadays is like trying to get blood out of a stone."
As they arrived back in the Gryffindor common room, Ginny went up to Harry who was playing chess with Ron.
"Harry," Ginny started. Harry looked up. "Would…um…you go to the ball with me?" She finished blushing. Harry blushed too but cleared his throat.
"Um…yeah okay."
Ginny smiled.
"Great!" Then she bounded off leaving a bewildered Harry in her wake. Hermione gave her the thumbs up and she suddenly found herself face to face with Ron.
"Would you go with me Hermione?"
"What?" Hermione turned to face him.
"To the ball." He blushed.
"Yes of course I will." Hermione smiled, making him blush even more.
"Right. Cool." Then he hastily went back to Harry and Wizard's Chess.
* * *
The following evening Hermione was panicking. She really felt quite self-conscious in the dress and didn't have any matching shoes. She went into Ginny's dormitory.
"I haven't got any shoes and this dress-" Hermione tugged at it. Ginny interrupted.
"Stop panicking! I have some shoes and the dress is fine." Ginny eyed Hermione's hair. "Let me sort your hair out."
"What's wrong with it?" Hemione asked gripping a lock.
"Nothing! It just needs a little something."
Just in time for the ball, Ginny had calmed Hermione's hair with 'Sleekeazy's Hair Potion' and given her nails a manicure. Hermione stepped into a pair of sandals and tried to balance.
"Perfect!" Ginny said grabbing her arm and pulling her out the door. Harry and Ron were waiting for them in the common room. Most people had already left for the Great Hall.
"Hi." Hermione greeted Ron. "Do I look okay?"
Judging by Ron's face Hermione looked more than just okay.
"Um……Yeah……You look fantastic." He stumbled, blushing furiously.
Hermione smiled and they all went down to the entrance hall, where most people were waiting to be let in.
Soon, they were all chatting happily after Dumbledore's Christmas speech. Hermione scanned the hall. Her eyes rested on Snape. He was wearing black as usual and looked deeply disgusted. Obviously he wasn't in the party spirit. She caught eye contact with him for a few seconds and turned away blushing.
Later that night Dumbledore proposed a dance where all the girls stood in one circle and the boys in a circle within the girls. Then they had to rotate partners, dancing with everybody for a minute. Hermione's heart thudded when she realised her next partner was Snape. Snape put one hand on her bare shoulder, but refrained from putting his other hand around her waist. Hermione took it and put it firmly on her waist. Then they started to waltz to the music. Hermione tried to avoid eye contact, but felt herself melt under his intense gaze. She had never felt so thrilled in her life. His eyes were locked on hers and she felt hot and tingly all over. Snape's hand slipped down to her hip and he blushed taking it away.
The rest of the night went in a blur and Hermione went to bed exhausted. That dance with Snape had confirmed one thing. She definitely had one hell of a crush on him.
How was she going to handle it?
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think. Also what could be improved!
