Step Two: Break and Enter
^_^
"Ohmygoshohmygosh, I can't believe I'm doing this," Hermione muttered under her breath. It had been two days since her talk with Minerva, and now she was breaking and entering into Snape's classrooms. Minerva had told her that Snape was going away to replenish his stocks and would be gone all day. This gave Hermione the perfect chance to explore his world.
Since the students were not there, she was wearing a simple pair of muggle jeans and a nice violet tank top under a black flared sweater. Her Hair had been pulled back into a messy bun which left bits and pieces of her curls dangling out of it. When she reached the dungeons, she headed toward the largest one, where she knew Snape's office was off of. "Hmmm, the door's not locked. Lucky for me then." She pushed the heavy old door open and looked inside. Everything was in order and look just like it had been for the past several years. "Neat freak, though I guess I can't blame him."
"Professor Granger, may I ask why you are talking to yourself in my classroom?" Snape stood in the doorframe to his office with his hand on his lean hips.
// Oh great as if this wasn't bad enough. Now I'm caught red handed. // She noted that Snape was still in his usual form of dress. "Jeez, don't you ever get sick and tired of wearing that?" She unconsciously spoke aloud. When she noticed that she said that to him she turned a slight crimson pick.
"My patience are growing thin with you Granger, cut to the chase and tell me why you are down here?" He looked furious and Hermione really did not want to make it worse.
"Well you see, Professor Snape, I was looking for you," // play it cool, nice save. // " I need some potions ingredients for uh…. a potion I'm preparing, yes that's right a potion."
He looked at her suspiciously and brushed his hair out of his face. " Very well, although last time I checked I was the potions master here, not you." His voice was cold enough it could probably freeze someone.
"Well you don't have to be mean about it. I need to make a potion for someone." she walked towards him, not showing how nervous she really was.
"And who would this someone be? I very much doubt that you could give them a good potion, without turning them into a feline." Snape moved from his spot to across the room and toward his desk. Arms crossed and a scowl plastered on his face.
" I did that to myself in second year, and I haven't faltered since! And besides, the potion is for Crookshanks, who last time I checked, was a feline. He needs a dreamless sleep potion, poor thing is so upset because we moved again." Hermione glowed at her own brilliance, // Nice save. // " Also I wouldn't trust you to brew him a potion, you'd probably poison him."
Snape's scowl turned into a sneer. "You're wasting my time over your precious fur ball," he said looking her over. She gave him one of her own mean looks. " Fine then, follow me." He led her out of his classroom and to the storerooms. After muttering the passwords and taking down half a dozen wards they were finally inside. "Take what you need Ms. Granger, the costs will be taken out of your pay." He added coldly, then turned on his heel and left the tiny room.
"Mean, cold hearted, cruel old bat," she swore under her breath.
Snape re-entered the doorframe. "Oh and Ms. Granger, I would suggest not talking to yourself when the students arrive. Hogwarts has already had to send a defense against the dark arts teacher to the loony bin two years ago." He growled, then he was finally gone.
Hermione shoved some ingredients into her pockets. // That went over well, NOT. Just how am I supposed to flirt with Batman? Bag a potions master indeed, more like tick him off to the point to insanity, hey wait. That's not a bad idea. Let's go re-cap with Minerva. // Hermione forgot her task on hand and left Snape's store rooms. Rushing up piles of stairs she reached the transfigurations rooms.
* * *
"Hermione, your all out of breath," Professor McGonagall stated when she saw the young DADA teacher walk through her door all rosy cheek and huffing.
"Minerva, Snape was down in his office when I got there." Hermione huffed out as she tried to catch her breath. " Sorry, I had to jump a stair case to get her, they started to change on me."
"Oh dear, how did that go over? Come sit down here we are," McGonagall transfigured two desks into two overly stuffed chairs. " Now tell me how it went."
Hermione sat down, " Well at first it was ok, then he got mean and I made up an excuse for me being down there. He looked like he was about to explode with anger. Besides that fine, but I made a complete fool of myself."
"Angry because he's randy for you, or angry because he's in 'Snape mood'?" Minerva pried.
"Uh, pretty sure the 'Snape mood'. I don't think that man can get randy." By this time Hermione had caught her breath and was fanning herself. "Is it always this hot?"
Minerva smiled, "Unfortunately dear, yes. But did you get to sneak a peek at anything?"
"Well, no. But he is quite a neat freak, worse than I am even. And he's wearing the usual. I swear shouldn't he get sick of black?" She paused for a moment to change the topic. " I was thinking, is it true what they say, you know opposites attract? What if I tick him off to the point where he's head of heals for me?"
"That could work, and with Severus you never know. I think it's sort of kinky. Now what do you plan to do?"
Hermione sighed and stood up form her chair letting the blood rush from her head. " Well, practical jokes, really simple stuff that hopefully won't effect students. I do not wish to set a bad example for them."
"Throw the rule book out the window Ms. Granger, who bloody gives a damn." Hermione gasp as McGonagall suggested the idea. Minerva just laughed. " Not everyone is perfect, and besides you have the deputy head mistress on your side so you can not get in trouble." Minerva said as she winked at Hermione.
"Alright, so I was thinking about breaking into his rooms again. Only this time I do not wish to get caught red-handed. I was thinking about putting a spell on all his robes, a one that he cannot reverse. So then he's forced to ditch the frock and black." Hermione started pacing in front of McGonagall.
"Well, I can help you with that one. How about the 'flippo changero' charm. That way you can change his whole wardrobe to your liking and it lasts for a week."
"How am I supposed to get in his rooms without him knowing? Remember what just happened? I sound like a cracker going on about Crookshanks and a potion. Honestly I don't know how he ever believed me, even to me it sounds insane."
"Calm down child. Tomorrow at noon, I will summon Severus up here to brew me a potion; I'll keep him up here for a good forty-five minutes and then let him go. Now, all you have to do is, continue down the corridor where his classrooms are. Then at the end, there will be a huge portrait of bats, whisper "Lemon drops are raining" and it'll let you in." Minerva stood and walked over to the nervously tense DADA teacher.
"What sort of a password is that? I would have never imagined Snape having that sort of password." A puzzled looked came across Hermione's face.
"It is the master password my dear, it would allow you into any part of the castle. Albus thinks them up, just in case we need to get into each other's rooms in case of an emergency. This is defiantly one."
"Alright, I'm going to finish up some lesson plans then. Wish me luck for tomorrow."
Minerva McGonagall wrapped her arms around the younger witch. "Best of luck."
* * *
Severus Snape sat alone by the fire in his private den. He brought a crystal glass full of St-Rémy Napoleon Brandy to his lips and sipped at it. ~ How curious, ~ he pondered. ~ Miss Granger thinks she can fool me. That idiot cat she has loves Hogwarts. I've never heard such a propitious lie, well maybe from….. but that's not the point. ~
Severus stood up quickly and walked towards the mantel, letting his robes bellow behind him. Polishing off the shot he through the glass into the fire smashing it into hundreds of little pieces. Then he placed his hands on the mantle so he could lean and look into the fire. "She's up to something, and when I find out what, there's going to be hell to pay."
Severus stared into the fire until his thoughts were clouded by the unmistakable call of sleep.
TBC…
*~*~* Sarsa *~*~
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I'd like to thank all of you that have reviewed my story, for it has been the most reviews I've ever had.
And one special note to KAOS about the yorky: it all depends how you make your pudding, my Mum makes it from the recipe that my Gert Nannie used with the dripping of fat off of the roast. The family down the street from us makes it a totally different way but in cupcake tins and it's really soupy. But thanks for telling me what yours comes out like. It is nice to know how other people make it that are not using my family's traditional recipe.
Don't ask about the brandy, I took the name off of a bottle in the pantry that looks like it's been there for quite some time.
^-~