Hermione had slept straight through the weekly large Saturday morning
breakfast and woke up at eleven. She felt rested and relaxed and eager to
go see the Malfoys for some strange reason. She slipped on her favorite
jeans and top and shrugged into her black Hogwarts robe, the one with the
school crest, not the one with the Gryffindor crest.
What could she do today? Ron was probably off in Hogsmeade with some friends. Harry would be sulking in his bedroom. Ginny would be --- well dead. Hermione chuckled to herself.
It would be great if she could go spend some money she received last night at Diagon Alley. But she had no way to get there.
"If only I could apparate." she said glumly. They she remembered Snape had promised to show her. With out a second thought she started in a jog to the dungeons.
"Have you seen Ginny?" Neville called after her as she darted out of the common room.
She didn't answer of course.
Hermione skidded to a halt in front of Snape's office door. She subconciously smoothed down her hair and straightened her robes.
(Knock)(Knock)
Snape flung the door open and glared at her.
"Yes?"
Hermione looked nervously at a crowd of Slytherins coming down the hall. "Professor may I come in?"
Snape stood aside and allowed her in and shut the door behind her.
"What is it?" he crossed his arms.
"Show me how to apparate." She said bluntly, but smiling.
"Miss Granger. I.."
"Please! You told him you would show me. I'm the only one who cant do it yet." She started to whine.
"Very well. You know I can't show you here. We could use the Dark Forest?"
"Yes that would be fine."
The two left the Potions office and headed upstairs, not daring to speak of last night because everyone knew the portraits were listening. Just a bit further, they were almost to the main hall.
"Hermione! Where on earth have you been!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed from behind them. Hermione sighed and turned around.
"What do you mean, Professor?"
"I mean I've noticed you've been gone a few nights in a row now. Where were you?"
"Helping me." Snape spoke up, his loathing for McGonagall reflecting in his icy voice. "With a Potion in Hogsmeade."
"Why would you need to brew a potion there?" McGonagall raised a thin eyebrow.
"Its extremely powerful. The wards in Hogwarts prevent me from doing it here. I chose Miss Granger because as you know, Minerva, she is the brightest student we've seen in years."
"Well I suppose so." McGonagall seemed satisfied with the answer. "But why did you bring Ginny Weasley with you last night? No one has seen her since.
Hermione remained cool and she simply smiled at the elderly teacher. "Ginny asked me if she could walk with me because there is a new waiter at Three Broomsticks she's been seeing. She wanted to see him last night. I told her it would be a bad idea, yet she insisted and followed me anyway."
"And where is Miss Weasley now?"
"I haven't seen her since last night. I left her at Three Broomsticks and promptly went to see Professor Snape about the potion."
"Are you quite satisfied, Minerva? We really must be going." Snape said coldly as he and Hermione walked away, not letting her say another word.
Once they were outside on the grounds, Hermione couldn't help but smile. "That was brilliant." She complimented him.
"Tell me, Miss Granger, when did you start lying to your teachers?" Snape smirked, but kept looking ahead at the trees looming across the grounds.
"Me? Lie? Never. I'm a model student, Professor Snape."
He turned to look at her. "Odd, Granger, I didn't think model students committed crimes at night with wanted convicts."
"Why Professor I don't know what you mean. I was helping my charming potions master last night make a complex potion."
"Charming, eh? When did I go from 'jerk', to 'charming'?"
It was true, Hermione was in such a foul mood for so much of this past year, she had actually called Snape a jerk in class one day, earning her three nights of detention.
"Yea sorry about that." She blushed.
"Actually I wasn't insulted." Snape admitted. "It made me respect you more, showed me you had a backbone, unlike the other spineless jellyfish I teach."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Well its good to know I'm respected I suppose."
They had reached the forest.
"You have your wand?" Snape asked, pulling his own out.
"Yes. She took it from her pocket."
"Good. Lets go."
They hiked into the wooded area, carefully stepped over knarled roots from trees, out of fear they may reach up and grab a foot. After nearly ten minutes of walking and ducking and pushing spider webs from their path, Snape lead them to a small clearing. The sun shone through to one patch of grass where dozens of flowers grew.
Hermione was positive this was the only place that the sun shone in the forest. It was a beautiful spot, the grass was lush green, the flowers in every color sprinkled about. She squinted at the trees ahead of her, positive she saw movement.
Slowly the creature came into focus. It was a unicorn. It stepped into the dazzling sunlight, and made Hermione look away because of its brilliant white glow.
"Professor how did you find such a place?" Hermione looked up at him.
"Oh, I have my secrets Miss Granger as I'm sure you have yours." He watched the unicorn retreat into the woods. "Shall we get started?"
"Yes. I am ready to learn to apparate." She smirked.
"Very well. To do it you don't need any silly incantation.." He started.
Hermione giggled and remembered her first year when he had used that very phrase.
"You simply focus on a place you want to be. See that rock over there?" he pointed to a grey stone partially hidden by a vine of flowers. "I focus on being near that rock..and think to myself I want to be there NOW."
Snape appeared near the large stone. "See how it easy it is. Now apparate to me."
Hermione focused on Snape, on being by his side. She looked at him and closed her eyes. She wanted to be there now. A small pop rang through the air. She looked around. She hadn't moved.
"What happened?" she called to Severus.
"You weren't focusing hard enough. Come on Granger, use that brilliant mind of yours. Focus on being here next to me."
Hermione focused again. She focused on standing next to her Professor in his long black cloaks and robes, feeling the subtle heat from his body.
She looked around and saw she was standing next to Snape, the vine covered rock at her feet.
"I did it!" she beamed.
"Yes. Nicely done."
"How is it I was unable to do this before? It seems easy enough." She asked.
"Well the Ministry of Magic has everyone's names in a book. When you become of age it places a checkmark next to your name. When you complete your sixth year, they put a star next to your name. Until you have a star, you would of course be unable to apparate."
"So how can I do it now?"
"Really, Granger, use your head. You met Ministry officials last night, don't you think someone would have starred your name for you?"
"Well I suppose so." Yes that made sense.
"Ill be joining the Malfoys and Lestranges for dinner this evening at La Maison en Magique, it's a restaurant on Diagon Alley. You are welcome to come." He said blandly.
Dinner with the Malfoys and Lestranges. It sounded great. If only Ron knew. He'd be furious with her.
"That sounds wonderful, Professor."
"Excellent. Now, Miss Granger, if you'll resume your apparating lessons, I don't plan on traipsing about in the woods all day." Snape said in his normal tone.
__________ ___________
Alright how do you like it? Please please Review, I need to know I'm on the right track I don't want to lose my audience if you think its stupid or boring. I know nothing significant happened in this chapter but I wanted to bring Snape and Hermione closer together.
What could she do today? Ron was probably off in Hogsmeade with some friends. Harry would be sulking in his bedroom. Ginny would be --- well dead. Hermione chuckled to herself.
It would be great if she could go spend some money she received last night at Diagon Alley. But she had no way to get there.
"If only I could apparate." she said glumly. They she remembered Snape had promised to show her. With out a second thought she started in a jog to the dungeons.
"Have you seen Ginny?" Neville called after her as she darted out of the common room.
She didn't answer of course.
Hermione skidded to a halt in front of Snape's office door. She subconciously smoothed down her hair and straightened her robes.
(Knock)(Knock)
Snape flung the door open and glared at her.
"Yes?"
Hermione looked nervously at a crowd of Slytherins coming down the hall. "Professor may I come in?"
Snape stood aside and allowed her in and shut the door behind her.
"What is it?" he crossed his arms.
"Show me how to apparate." She said bluntly, but smiling.
"Miss Granger. I.."
"Please! You told him you would show me. I'm the only one who cant do it yet." She started to whine.
"Very well. You know I can't show you here. We could use the Dark Forest?"
"Yes that would be fine."
The two left the Potions office and headed upstairs, not daring to speak of last night because everyone knew the portraits were listening. Just a bit further, they were almost to the main hall.
"Hermione! Where on earth have you been!" Professor McGonagall's voice echoed from behind them. Hermione sighed and turned around.
"What do you mean, Professor?"
"I mean I've noticed you've been gone a few nights in a row now. Where were you?"
"Helping me." Snape spoke up, his loathing for McGonagall reflecting in his icy voice. "With a Potion in Hogsmeade."
"Why would you need to brew a potion there?" McGonagall raised a thin eyebrow.
"Its extremely powerful. The wards in Hogwarts prevent me from doing it here. I chose Miss Granger because as you know, Minerva, she is the brightest student we've seen in years."
"Well I suppose so." McGonagall seemed satisfied with the answer. "But why did you bring Ginny Weasley with you last night? No one has seen her since.
Hermione remained cool and she simply smiled at the elderly teacher. "Ginny asked me if she could walk with me because there is a new waiter at Three Broomsticks she's been seeing. She wanted to see him last night. I told her it would be a bad idea, yet she insisted and followed me anyway."
"And where is Miss Weasley now?"
"I haven't seen her since last night. I left her at Three Broomsticks and promptly went to see Professor Snape about the potion."
"Are you quite satisfied, Minerva? We really must be going." Snape said coldly as he and Hermione walked away, not letting her say another word.
Once they were outside on the grounds, Hermione couldn't help but smile. "That was brilliant." She complimented him.
"Tell me, Miss Granger, when did you start lying to your teachers?" Snape smirked, but kept looking ahead at the trees looming across the grounds.
"Me? Lie? Never. I'm a model student, Professor Snape."
He turned to look at her. "Odd, Granger, I didn't think model students committed crimes at night with wanted convicts."
"Why Professor I don't know what you mean. I was helping my charming potions master last night make a complex potion."
"Charming, eh? When did I go from 'jerk', to 'charming'?"
It was true, Hermione was in such a foul mood for so much of this past year, she had actually called Snape a jerk in class one day, earning her three nights of detention.
"Yea sorry about that." She blushed.
"Actually I wasn't insulted." Snape admitted. "It made me respect you more, showed me you had a backbone, unlike the other spineless jellyfish I teach."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Well its good to know I'm respected I suppose."
They had reached the forest.
"You have your wand?" Snape asked, pulling his own out.
"Yes. She took it from her pocket."
"Good. Lets go."
They hiked into the wooded area, carefully stepped over knarled roots from trees, out of fear they may reach up and grab a foot. After nearly ten minutes of walking and ducking and pushing spider webs from their path, Snape lead them to a small clearing. The sun shone through to one patch of grass where dozens of flowers grew.
Hermione was positive this was the only place that the sun shone in the forest. It was a beautiful spot, the grass was lush green, the flowers in every color sprinkled about. She squinted at the trees ahead of her, positive she saw movement.
Slowly the creature came into focus. It was a unicorn. It stepped into the dazzling sunlight, and made Hermione look away because of its brilliant white glow.
"Professor how did you find such a place?" Hermione looked up at him.
"Oh, I have my secrets Miss Granger as I'm sure you have yours." He watched the unicorn retreat into the woods. "Shall we get started?"
"Yes. I am ready to learn to apparate." She smirked.
"Very well. To do it you don't need any silly incantation.." He started.
Hermione giggled and remembered her first year when he had used that very phrase.
"You simply focus on a place you want to be. See that rock over there?" he pointed to a grey stone partially hidden by a vine of flowers. "I focus on being near that rock..and think to myself I want to be there NOW."
Snape appeared near the large stone. "See how it easy it is. Now apparate to me."
Hermione focused on Snape, on being by his side. She looked at him and closed her eyes. She wanted to be there now. A small pop rang through the air. She looked around. She hadn't moved.
"What happened?" she called to Severus.
"You weren't focusing hard enough. Come on Granger, use that brilliant mind of yours. Focus on being here next to me."
Hermione focused again. She focused on standing next to her Professor in his long black cloaks and robes, feeling the subtle heat from his body.
She looked around and saw she was standing next to Snape, the vine covered rock at her feet.
"I did it!" she beamed.
"Yes. Nicely done."
"How is it I was unable to do this before? It seems easy enough." She asked.
"Well the Ministry of Magic has everyone's names in a book. When you become of age it places a checkmark next to your name. When you complete your sixth year, they put a star next to your name. Until you have a star, you would of course be unable to apparate."
"So how can I do it now?"
"Really, Granger, use your head. You met Ministry officials last night, don't you think someone would have starred your name for you?"
"Well I suppose so." Yes that made sense.
"Ill be joining the Malfoys and Lestranges for dinner this evening at La Maison en Magique, it's a restaurant on Diagon Alley. You are welcome to come." He said blandly.
Dinner with the Malfoys and Lestranges. It sounded great. If only Ron knew. He'd be furious with her.
"That sounds wonderful, Professor."
"Excellent. Now, Miss Granger, if you'll resume your apparating lessons, I don't plan on traipsing about in the woods all day." Snape said in his normal tone.
__________ ___________
Alright how do you like it? Please please Review, I need to know I'm on the right track I don't want to lose my audience if you think its stupid or boring. I know nothing significant happened in this chapter but I wanted to bring Snape and Hermione closer together.