*A/N: took a bit of time to update, but about 20 days left of school and
then I can really get writing without having to worry about grades and
annoying stuff like that. Thanks for all the reviews, maybe I'll pass the
50 mark after this chapter. it feels kind of like an 'I'm in between two
chapters so they make sense chapter' because I know you love it all to make
sense, happy Memorial Day everyone!*
8
Hermione was sitting in the library writing down the steps for the shrinking charm which she thought might be the exam... step 6. What was that step? There was a step between circling the object with her wand and then flicking. Wow, she would have to go study that.
Hermione had left Severus's study that morning with a odd feeling. She wasn't quite sure if it was right. But she thought she had just became friends with professor Snape. Severus, she corrected herself, flipping open her charms book to the index. She hadn't known what to do after leaving so she just headed up to the library, exams were coming and it was the last quarter of her Hogwarts education.
Hermione racing through these thoughts suddenly fell onto the fact of how normal they all were. The normal Hermione thoughts that she knew she would be having right about now, about exams and such. It was a bit odd how completely normal things were. She had just admitted to killing Mr. Snape to Professor Snape, and she was worrying about exams. How could she even do this? 'Honestly, Hermione stop thinking and start studying.' She told herself, and drowned herself in the best drug she knew, her work. Somehow it just made it all go away.
Ginny walked into the library right about then, seeing Hermione she made a blatant rush over and sat down. Evidently pleased with herself for being the first one to find the girl. How could have Lavender not seen her this morning? Hermione was ALWAYS in the library. Ginny let out a soft sigh to see the three books opened in front of the girl her quill moving along adding to random notes that Hermione was always taking.
"Hermione, its a holiday!" Ginny moaned out as she caught how the girl was paying little if any attention to her. Hermione the studying machine, Ginny couldn't help thinking. At least her brief encounter with the deathly Snape hadn't knocked her too far off her rocker. If she was still studding everything was still right in the Hermione section of the world.
"A day to catch up." Was Hermione's quick and blunt answer. Ginny shook her head. If madam Pince weren't right there she would get up and strangle the girl. She settled for kicking her.
"Ow!" Hermione yelped in her library whisper"What the frick was that for Ginny?"She was just getting to write down the affects of the charm if step six was not done, the all-important swish. Hermione quickly scribbled the rule down on the right side of the parchment... Flick before Swish except after D.I.S.H. or ... or what? She had that incandescent muggle rule memorized but the one she was after she couldn't remember. Hermione flipped open a forth book to look for it.
"You need to take a break Hermione!" Ginny nagged under her breath. She was pretty sure Hermione was in her coma study state but she still had to drag her out of it. Neville was starting to fret that Snape had taken her down and sacrificed her to the potions gods that Neville swore Snape idolized. When Neville got to fretting he got a bit mental, and things start to fall apart when mental, and then when he fell apart, things broke, lots of things...
"Breaks are for wimps."Hermione replied. Ah yes here it was, Flick before Swish except after D.I.S.H. or on and endless day in the month of May. Yes how could she not remember that? Wait what did D.I.S.H. stand for? Hermione quickly flipped her Charms dictionary.
"Your trying to forget that greasy git by studying aren't you?" Ginny said trying to reveal Hermione's inner-workings for this sudden out burst. Okay, so it wasn't so sudden considering Hermione did it four times a week, but it was a bit of an unexpected outburst. I mean normally she could see it in her eyes five minutes before the study session happened.
"Come on Ginny you know he's not Greasy anymore." Hermione stopped her mind for a few seconds... did she just involuntarily defend Severus? She was supposed to be subtle about all this. Dang it, iokay, just redeem yourself Hermione now/i "I mean that's what was so weird about him, you know, in the middle of last year, he dumped that horrid oil hair junk..." That and he became 20 years old, Hermione now saw how the whole thing made sense, the school all knew he looked somewhat different but blamed it all on the change of hair style, that and his evident new found dental plan... D-one I-n S-pherical H-overing
"Speaking of hair junk, Hermione, Lavender found this wonderful new charm in a magazine that will supposedly make you hair look to have glitter in it. We tested it on Neville first so not to ruin ourselves and... Well we need you help." Hermione sharply looked up to see Ginny was biting half her lip. Followed by Hermione quickly closing all her books and jamming them into her bad
"Oh for god's sake Ginny, the poor boy, what happened?" Hermione said taking the one remaining book up to madam Pince to checkout.
"His hair turned to like all shiny... what did they call them in Muggle Studies... an aluminum foil Christmas pine?" Ginny said hurriedly following Hermione's frantic rush.
"Oh my god, you turned Neville hair into a horrible aluminum Christmas tree?" Hermione looked seriously don at the girl, as she nodded.
"Actually it was Lavender."
...
Severus was left in his rooms to his own workings after Hermione said she should leave so Madam Pince wouldn't be worrying. And he was fine with that. But here he was, all alone in his study, It just didn't seem right after the weekend he had. Oh yeah, and his dad was murdered by a dumb thoughtless, superstar, head-in-the-clouds, piece of crap, lying, boy named Harry potter. Now he was sure he could come up with more insults then that.
Severus walked absent mindedly through his study till he walked into the classroom. He grabbed a piece of calk and tried to think of something to write. He felt like hearing the angry squeal of the chalk against the board.
Bunna: The De-Ageing Potion
Presented by Professor Severus Snape
He looked up at it. His scrolling writing looked ten times as strange writing 'Bunna' the Hermione's rushed scribbles. Bunna, he named a possible ground breaking potion that would be made illegally by many of vain people 'Bunna'. Wasn't there a pornographic muggle thing that used bunnies for their logo? He choose not to think about it.
What might his father say if he knew that his son had made a groundbreaking potion? Probably something along the lines of that he did something worth his while for once. No, Severus lectured himself, Your getting yourself depressed. Just be quite and write the way you found the Potion in the first place. Severus twirled the calk in thought.
His Father and him were not always the best of a pair. Everything had been okay when Severus's mom was alive. She would spoil both the boys in her life as well as keep them from each other. Quite frankly when she died the whole household collapsed. Thank gods there was Hogwarts during the school year, but the summers were still open to him and his dad's bickering.
Severus's mom used to say they were so alike that they were liable to kill each other. Both hot-tempered and unable to back down. And when she left not only did they have to figure out how to deal with the house elves, but they had to figure out how to live with only one another...
"Dad?" A slightly younger Severus called out. He was about 15 and was anxiously getting ready for the Hogwarts trip latter that day. No more dinners with dad, he would be with his classmates. His dad could go ask to eat with his bachelor friends at the bar. It mad Severus feel a bit angry. His dad wasn't a bachelor, he was widower, he shouldn't be hitting on anything, let alone the sluts he had brought home when the elves had just served dinner. But that was last night, not now. Right now he was going to Hogwarts.
"What?" Was the harsh reply three doors over, Severus charged in. This was where he learned his power stride that made all the students quiver nowadays. It was his defense to show his dad up. He didn't need the harshness out of him on a daily basis for doing nothing. The fact that he was constantly harsh in return was beside the point.
"I need some money for new texts." Severus said it like his father didn't have a choose,
"Use your own money." The elder Snape snarled. Severus felt his fist clench, he earned that money by making a potion for the old lady down the street! And, he had been drawn into a long boring conversation with her when he delivered it, resulting in having to deal with the annoying little dogs and her old stories for 3 hours. He earned that money, why should he have to spend it on a book that the other kids had easily given to them with new pet owls and candy money to spare?!
"Why?"
"Because I already bought you new robes." Oh Severus saw how it was, Since for once Severus's robes fit probably he didn't need books for a school.
"Honestly, I'll just fail Muggle Studies then!" Severus saw his dad cringe at the word muggle. His dad hated muggles and saw no point learning about them. This was half the reason he took the class. Just to piss him off.
"You don't need to take that imprudent class anyhow!" Oh, imprudent, what a large word dad! Severus sniped back in his mind. I bet you feel so damned smart now, You didn't need no Muggle Studies to know large words like imprudent so you could yell at your son for trying to pass a class.
"Honestly dad, just because you hate muggles..." Ah, another nerve struck as he saw the fierce look on his dad face become accompanied by the vain popping out of his neck. Severus was full out smirking now, which of course only made his dad angrier.
"I don't hate muggles they just annoy me."
iI bet/i
"Anyhow I need another credit and I can't stand Divination." Ah, a valid non-angry response was drawled out of Severus's mouth. He knew he was winning this fight. It was a beautiful thing.
"Fine" Severus's dad threw a couple sickles at him. Severus quickly scampered away going to the flew powder so he quickly run to Dragon Ally before leaving...
"Thinking Severus?" Severus looked up startled to see Dumbledore had let himself into the room. He quickly turned and pretended to be busy at work. The old man would be nosey if he didn't think it had to do with work. One thing about Snape's 'boss' was that he didn't care what you did at work but at what was happening outside of it. It was a surprise the man got anything done.
"Sort of."He left the word as if to say, don't ask or I'll attack, fiercely. He heard the old man chuckle behind him "What?" Severus asked angrily turning towards the man
"Oh, Bunna what an interesting potion name." Dumbledore pointed up to the words pointed at the board.
"Herm- Ms. Granger came up with it." Severus replied rolling the calk in his palm looking up at the headmaster, a sort of dare to say if Dumbledore wanted more info he would have to do better then that.
"Honestly Severus, when you tortured the girl that much your allowed to call her by her first name, speaking of which, isn't this presentation going to be by the both of you?" Dumbledore said referring to the other thing written at the top of the board.
"I beg your pardon?" Severus said the words quietly giving the headmaster a sort of baffled look
"Well, considering she knows how to make the potion we shouldn't burden the ministry of advisors with an longer in\increment of time filled with you drowning on, when we can give them an enjoyable spirited young lady to listen to." Severus saw the playful glint in the professor's eyes. He in return scoffed.
"I very much doubt that Ms. Granger would want to miss classes after Easter Break considering the N.E.W.T.s are getting closer. She won't want to take a weekend off to give a speech to the twits at the ministry." It was the truth though, Severus thought. She was hyperventilating about the N.E.W.T.s since right after the O.W.L.s not that he noticed.
"Oh Severus I think if you just might ask *nicely* then she just might consider it. I myself am pretty sure the girl can already be the best of her class with out even trying." Severus sighed; it might be slightly better then approaching the ministry alone.
"Oh and I suppose Ill just slip a note into the girls Easter basket next week..."Severus said the comment rather sarcastically but from glancing at Dumbledore it could be told the old man was rather taken to the idea.
"I couldn't have thought of a better way Severus." Severus wanted to go purge at the sight of the sickenly large smile "Speaking of which, we should discuss Easter matters Severus.
...
Hermione sat happily on Neville bed looking very smug when the boy had retuned from the lavatory beaming at his hair. When she had entered the room it was a terrible mess, but she was rather taken to how correctly Ginny had described the mess, it really did look like a pink aluminum Christmas tree.
"Oh wow, Hermione! I've never been so happy to see this stupid hair." Neville called out to her. Lavender laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry Neville, who knew that magic hair jell gunk in your hair would counter react." Lavender stated, Hermione shook her head
"Honestly its in a the little yellow warning box in bold letters, Lavender!" Hermione said holding up the magazine
"You're actually supposed to read those things?" Ginny said laughing at the look of pure astonishment on Hermione's face. Hermione couldn't believe them all.
"Well Hermione reads everything" Said Neville said trying to usher them all out of the room. Hermione glared at the boy. How could he! She just fixed him from the embarrassment of having to explain to Madam Pomfrey why he was using a hair glittering spell out of a girls 'Miss Wizard' magazine in the first place. Which of course would be followed by Lavender and Ginny saying the color of the glitter in you hair resembled the type of person, Neville being a pink, mean 'carefree and fun'. Now that would probably end up leading the conversation someplace else/
"Id watch it if I were you boy." Hermione threatened as she saw Neville squirm. He wouldn't squirm because of her playful teasing normally. Oh wait someone was coming... shit she was in the boy's 7th year dormitory and it was most defiantly Harry Potter's voice coming up the stairs. Ick, She had to disappear. Hermione glanced around the room, looking desperately for someplace to hide.
"Hermione, Lavender get under the bed!" Came Ginny's urgent whisper as the girls instinctively responded to her quick thinking as they hear her pull Neville away from the door, fall onto the bed and start making out with him. Hermione smiled over to Lavender who mouthed 'she just wanted him to herself.'
Hermione thought how comical this all was, last year she would have never considered herself to ever be in this position, sharing secret jokes with Lavender while hiding form Harry, with Ginny and Neville Doing something completely different on the bed above her. Well the Ginny and Neville thing wasn't all that weird considering she knew of all of Ginny's crushes since she knew the girl. But their all friendships had never been that strong since this 7th year.
Ginny and Hermione were always friends. It was just how the only girl in the Weasley house attracted to the only girl in the close circle of friends Ron had. But once the 'Event' happened on the Weasleys' vacation last year, Hermione avoided Ron and Harry, even though they were still all on the vacation together...
"Hermione what's wrong?" Ginny had fled to Hermione's side after Hermione had entered their shared room at the cottage they were all staring at. Hermione looked a mess, her face tear stricken, her hair ruffled every which way, And her clothes looked to be scrubbed to get rid up blood? Hermione gave a quick sob and Ginny came and sat next to Hermione on her bed. Hermione could only let out one pathetic sob.
"Harry." Hermione remembered how she had finally escaped from the boy after Harry was done getting off on her and shortly after she managed to get dressed and they went to see Ron, She had kept he mouth shut because Harry was always there, and she knew if she said anything it wouldn't be nice. So she just played along at the totally mercy of the now criminally insane Harry potter.
"What did he do?" Hermione snapped out of her head up to Ginny who was still sitting there looking concerned
"He," What did he do? He raped her, he threatened her, he made her want to go crawl into a nice dark corner and die... "He," used me, abused me, took her virginity and dismissed as a favor to her... "He, was a basterd horny guy that needs to go crawl in a hole and die." She said weakly, oh great, that came out perfect, a combination of everything she had already thought of.
"What? You mean he did something sexual to you." Ginny's eyebrows were screwed as she saw the faint nod of Hermione. Hermione pulled her head down into the pillow managing to gasp out "don't tell" as she just figured out she did tell Ginny and she was fucked now. Harry was bound to find out.
"Oh, wow." Ginny's voice was soft and unsure, Hermione felt her hand placed on her shoulder. "Even though you and Ron?" Hermione nodded "and you not going to tell?" Hermione nodded more frantically this time. "Wow."...
...And after that her and Ginny just hung out more, well considering she was not really tied up with Harry anymore. And then there was Ron. Right about at that time Ron spaced off and said he was going to visit Charlie. That he needed to get away from the stuff he had witnessed. And after that he disappeared off the face of the wizarding world.
Hermione came out of her thought train as she heard Harry and Lee leave the room making sounds of disgust at Ginny and Neville making out on the bed. She heard Ginny mutter something about wishing those boys would leave and the indistinct voice of Lee saying something along the lines of how he and Harry would just get their quiditch stuff and be out. Hermione glanced over to Lavender who rolled her eyes at the boy.
Parvati was going out with Lee. If he could ever find her that is. Lavender and Parvati used to be inseparately until they had a fight the first week of school. She remembered how Lavender had emotionally ran into the room swearing about some "fuck bitch ass, teachers pet."
"What!" Hermione yelled indignantly at Lavender
"Oh." Was lavenders reply "not you."
Oh wow, she wasn't the teachers pet for once. It was kind of a reassuring feeling. Over the next few days she had got the story out of Lavender, who said Parvati was moving up to one of Professor Trelawney's room so she can become a true divination master. Lavender was offended not only of her move but of the way Parvati said she was evidently better at the subject because Trelawney had invited her not Lavender. Of course that pissed Lavender off.
And so as she heard Harry and Lee walk down the stairs. Hermione and Lavender rolled out of hiding, pulled Neville and Ginny apart and headed to the girls dormitories where it was safe away from ex-best friends boyfriends, and ex-best friends. And everything was okay in the Hermione world. And Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that was to end rather soon.
8
Hermione was sitting in the library writing down the steps for the shrinking charm which she thought might be the exam... step 6. What was that step? There was a step between circling the object with her wand and then flicking. Wow, she would have to go study that.
Hermione had left Severus's study that morning with a odd feeling. She wasn't quite sure if it was right. But she thought she had just became friends with professor Snape. Severus, she corrected herself, flipping open her charms book to the index. She hadn't known what to do after leaving so she just headed up to the library, exams were coming and it was the last quarter of her Hogwarts education.
Hermione racing through these thoughts suddenly fell onto the fact of how normal they all were. The normal Hermione thoughts that she knew she would be having right about now, about exams and such. It was a bit odd how completely normal things were. She had just admitted to killing Mr. Snape to Professor Snape, and she was worrying about exams. How could she even do this? 'Honestly, Hermione stop thinking and start studying.' She told herself, and drowned herself in the best drug she knew, her work. Somehow it just made it all go away.
Ginny walked into the library right about then, seeing Hermione she made a blatant rush over and sat down. Evidently pleased with herself for being the first one to find the girl. How could have Lavender not seen her this morning? Hermione was ALWAYS in the library. Ginny let out a soft sigh to see the three books opened in front of the girl her quill moving along adding to random notes that Hermione was always taking.
"Hermione, its a holiday!" Ginny moaned out as she caught how the girl was paying little if any attention to her. Hermione the studying machine, Ginny couldn't help thinking. At least her brief encounter with the deathly Snape hadn't knocked her too far off her rocker. If she was still studding everything was still right in the Hermione section of the world.
"A day to catch up." Was Hermione's quick and blunt answer. Ginny shook her head. If madam Pince weren't right there she would get up and strangle the girl. She settled for kicking her.
"Ow!" Hermione yelped in her library whisper"What the frick was that for Ginny?"She was just getting to write down the affects of the charm if step six was not done, the all-important swish. Hermione quickly scribbled the rule down on the right side of the parchment... Flick before Swish except after D.I.S.H. or ... or what? She had that incandescent muggle rule memorized but the one she was after she couldn't remember. Hermione flipped open a forth book to look for it.
"You need to take a break Hermione!" Ginny nagged under her breath. She was pretty sure Hermione was in her coma study state but she still had to drag her out of it. Neville was starting to fret that Snape had taken her down and sacrificed her to the potions gods that Neville swore Snape idolized. When Neville got to fretting he got a bit mental, and things start to fall apart when mental, and then when he fell apart, things broke, lots of things...
"Breaks are for wimps."Hermione replied. Ah yes here it was, Flick before Swish except after D.I.S.H. or on and endless day in the month of May. Yes how could she not remember that? Wait what did D.I.S.H. stand for? Hermione quickly flipped her Charms dictionary.
"Your trying to forget that greasy git by studying aren't you?" Ginny said trying to reveal Hermione's inner-workings for this sudden out burst. Okay, so it wasn't so sudden considering Hermione did it four times a week, but it was a bit of an unexpected outburst. I mean normally she could see it in her eyes five minutes before the study session happened.
"Come on Ginny you know he's not Greasy anymore." Hermione stopped her mind for a few seconds... did she just involuntarily defend Severus? She was supposed to be subtle about all this. Dang it, iokay, just redeem yourself Hermione now/i "I mean that's what was so weird about him, you know, in the middle of last year, he dumped that horrid oil hair junk..." That and he became 20 years old, Hermione now saw how the whole thing made sense, the school all knew he looked somewhat different but blamed it all on the change of hair style, that and his evident new found dental plan... D-one I-n S-pherical H-overing
"Speaking of hair junk, Hermione, Lavender found this wonderful new charm in a magazine that will supposedly make you hair look to have glitter in it. We tested it on Neville first so not to ruin ourselves and... Well we need you help." Hermione sharply looked up to see Ginny was biting half her lip. Followed by Hermione quickly closing all her books and jamming them into her bad
"Oh for god's sake Ginny, the poor boy, what happened?" Hermione said taking the one remaining book up to madam Pince to checkout.
"His hair turned to like all shiny... what did they call them in Muggle Studies... an aluminum foil Christmas pine?" Ginny said hurriedly following Hermione's frantic rush.
"Oh my god, you turned Neville hair into a horrible aluminum Christmas tree?" Hermione looked seriously don at the girl, as she nodded.
"Actually it was Lavender."
...
Severus was left in his rooms to his own workings after Hermione said she should leave so Madam Pince wouldn't be worrying. And he was fine with that. But here he was, all alone in his study, It just didn't seem right after the weekend he had. Oh yeah, and his dad was murdered by a dumb thoughtless, superstar, head-in-the-clouds, piece of crap, lying, boy named Harry potter. Now he was sure he could come up with more insults then that.
Severus walked absent mindedly through his study till he walked into the classroom. He grabbed a piece of calk and tried to think of something to write. He felt like hearing the angry squeal of the chalk against the board.
Bunna: The De-Ageing Potion
Presented by Professor Severus Snape
He looked up at it. His scrolling writing looked ten times as strange writing 'Bunna' the Hermione's rushed scribbles. Bunna, he named a possible ground breaking potion that would be made illegally by many of vain people 'Bunna'. Wasn't there a pornographic muggle thing that used bunnies for their logo? He choose not to think about it.
What might his father say if he knew that his son had made a groundbreaking potion? Probably something along the lines of that he did something worth his while for once. No, Severus lectured himself, Your getting yourself depressed. Just be quite and write the way you found the Potion in the first place. Severus twirled the calk in thought.
His Father and him were not always the best of a pair. Everything had been okay when Severus's mom was alive. She would spoil both the boys in her life as well as keep them from each other. Quite frankly when she died the whole household collapsed. Thank gods there was Hogwarts during the school year, but the summers were still open to him and his dad's bickering.
Severus's mom used to say they were so alike that they were liable to kill each other. Both hot-tempered and unable to back down. And when she left not only did they have to figure out how to deal with the house elves, but they had to figure out how to live with only one another...
"Dad?" A slightly younger Severus called out. He was about 15 and was anxiously getting ready for the Hogwarts trip latter that day. No more dinners with dad, he would be with his classmates. His dad could go ask to eat with his bachelor friends at the bar. It mad Severus feel a bit angry. His dad wasn't a bachelor, he was widower, he shouldn't be hitting on anything, let alone the sluts he had brought home when the elves had just served dinner. But that was last night, not now. Right now he was going to Hogwarts.
"What?" Was the harsh reply three doors over, Severus charged in. This was where he learned his power stride that made all the students quiver nowadays. It was his defense to show his dad up. He didn't need the harshness out of him on a daily basis for doing nothing. The fact that he was constantly harsh in return was beside the point.
"I need some money for new texts." Severus said it like his father didn't have a choose,
"Use your own money." The elder Snape snarled. Severus felt his fist clench, he earned that money by making a potion for the old lady down the street! And, he had been drawn into a long boring conversation with her when he delivered it, resulting in having to deal with the annoying little dogs and her old stories for 3 hours. He earned that money, why should he have to spend it on a book that the other kids had easily given to them with new pet owls and candy money to spare?!
"Why?"
"Because I already bought you new robes." Oh Severus saw how it was, Since for once Severus's robes fit probably he didn't need books for a school.
"Honestly, I'll just fail Muggle Studies then!" Severus saw his dad cringe at the word muggle. His dad hated muggles and saw no point learning about them. This was half the reason he took the class. Just to piss him off.
"You don't need to take that imprudent class anyhow!" Oh, imprudent, what a large word dad! Severus sniped back in his mind. I bet you feel so damned smart now, You didn't need no Muggle Studies to know large words like imprudent so you could yell at your son for trying to pass a class.
"Honestly dad, just because you hate muggles..." Ah, another nerve struck as he saw the fierce look on his dad face become accompanied by the vain popping out of his neck. Severus was full out smirking now, which of course only made his dad angrier.
"I don't hate muggles they just annoy me."
iI bet/i
"Anyhow I need another credit and I can't stand Divination." Ah, a valid non-angry response was drawled out of Severus's mouth. He knew he was winning this fight. It was a beautiful thing.
"Fine" Severus's dad threw a couple sickles at him. Severus quickly scampered away going to the flew powder so he quickly run to Dragon Ally before leaving...
"Thinking Severus?" Severus looked up startled to see Dumbledore had let himself into the room. He quickly turned and pretended to be busy at work. The old man would be nosey if he didn't think it had to do with work. One thing about Snape's 'boss' was that he didn't care what you did at work but at what was happening outside of it. It was a surprise the man got anything done.
"Sort of."He left the word as if to say, don't ask or I'll attack, fiercely. He heard the old man chuckle behind him "What?" Severus asked angrily turning towards the man
"Oh, Bunna what an interesting potion name." Dumbledore pointed up to the words pointed at the board.
"Herm- Ms. Granger came up with it." Severus replied rolling the calk in his palm looking up at the headmaster, a sort of dare to say if Dumbledore wanted more info he would have to do better then that.
"Honestly Severus, when you tortured the girl that much your allowed to call her by her first name, speaking of which, isn't this presentation going to be by the both of you?" Dumbledore said referring to the other thing written at the top of the board.
"I beg your pardon?" Severus said the words quietly giving the headmaster a sort of baffled look
"Well, considering she knows how to make the potion we shouldn't burden the ministry of advisors with an longer in\increment of time filled with you drowning on, when we can give them an enjoyable spirited young lady to listen to." Severus saw the playful glint in the professor's eyes. He in return scoffed.
"I very much doubt that Ms. Granger would want to miss classes after Easter Break considering the N.E.W.T.s are getting closer. She won't want to take a weekend off to give a speech to the twits at the ministry." It was the truth though, Severus thought. She was hyperventilating about the N.E.W.T.s since right after the O.W.L.s not that he noticed.
"Oh Severus I think if you just might ask *nicely* then she just might consider it. I myself am pretty sure the girl can already be the best of her class with out even trying." Severus sighed; it might be slightly better then approaching the ministry alone.
"Oh and I suppose Ill just slip a note into the girls Easter basket next week..."Severus said the comment rather sarcastically but from glancing at Dumbledore it could be told the old man was rather taken to the idea.
"I couldn't have thought of a better way Severus." Severus wanted to go purge at the sight of the sickenly large smile "Speaking of which, we should discuss Easter matters Severus.
...
Hermione sat happily on Neville bed looking very smug when the boy had retuned from the lavatory beaming at his hair. When she had entered the room it was a terrible mess, but she was rather taken to how correctly Ginny had described the mess, it really did look like a pink aluminum Christmas tree.
"Oh wow, Hermione! I've never been so happy to see this stupid hair." Neville called out to her. Lavender laughed sheepishly.
"Sorry Neville, who knew that magic hair jell gunk in your hair would counter react." Lavender stated, Hermione shook her head
"Honestly its in a the little yellow warning box in bold letters, Lavender!" Hermione said holding up the magazine
"You're actually supposed to read those things?" Ginny said laughing at the look of pure astonishment on Hermione's face. Hermione couldn't believe them all.
"Well Hermione reads everything" Said Neville said trying to usher them all out of the room. Hermione glared at the boy. How could he! She just fixed him from the embarrassment of having to explain to Madam Pomfrey why he was using a hair glittering spell out of a girls 'Miss Wizard' magazine in the first place. Which of course would be followed by Lavender and Ginny saying the color of the glitter in you hair resembled the type of person, Neville being a pink, mean 'carefree and fun'. Now that would probably end up leading the conversation someplace else/
"Id watch it if I were you boy." Hermione threatened as she saw Neville squirm. He wouldn't squirm because of her playful teasing normally. Oh wait someone was coming... shit she was in the boy's 7th year dormitory and it was most defiantly Harry Potter's voice coming up the stairs. Ick, She had to disappear. Hermione glanced around the room, looking desperately for someplace to hide.
"Hermione, Lavender get under the bed!" Came Ginny's urgent whisper as the girls instinctively responded to her quick thinking as they hear her pull Neville away from the door, fall onto the bed and start making out with him. Hermione smiled over to Lavender who mouthed 'she just wanted him to herself.'
Hermione thought how comical this all was, last year she would have never considered herself to ever be in this position, sharing secret jokes with Lavender while hiding form Harry, with Ginny and Neville Doing something completely different on the bed above her. Well the Ginny and Neville thing wasn't all that weird considering she knew of all of Ginny's crushes since she knew the girl. But their all friendships had never been that strong since this 7th year.
Ginny and Hermione were always friends. It was just how the only girl in the Weasley house attracted to the only girl in the close circle of friends Ron had. But once the 'Event' happened on the Weasleys' vacation last year, Hermione avoided Ron and Harry, even though they were still all on the vacation together...
"Hermione what's wrong?" Ginny had fled to Hermione's side after Hermione had entered their shared room at the cottage they were all staring at. Hermione looked a mess, her face tear stricken, her hair ruffled every which way, And her clothes looked to be scrubbed to get rid up blood? Hermione gave a quick sob and Ginny came and sat next to Hermione on her bed. Hermione could only let out one pathetic sob.
"Harry." Hermione remembered how she had finally escaped from the boy after Harry was done getting off on her and shortly after she managed to get dressed and they went to see Ron, She had kept he mouth shut because Harry was always there, and she knew if she said anything it wouldn't be nice. So she just played along at the totally mercy of the now criminally insane Harry potter.
"What did he do?" Hermione snapped out of her head up to Ginny who was still sitting there looking concerned
"He," What did he do? He raped her, he threatened her, he made her want to go crawl into a nice dark corner and die... "He," used me, abused me, took her virginity and dismissed as a favor to her... "He, was a basterd horny guy that needs to go crawl in a hole and die." She said weakly, oh great, that came out perfect, a combination of everything she had already thought of.
"What? You mean he did something sexual to you." Ginny's eyebrows were screwed as she saw the faint nod of Hermione. Hermione pulled her head down into the pillow managing to gasp out "don't tell" as she just figured out she did tell Ginny and she was fucked now. Harry was bound to find out.
"Oh, wow." Ginny's voice was soft and unsure, Hermione felt her hand placed on her shoulder. "Even though you and Ron?" Hermione nodded "and you not going to tell?" Hermione nodded more frantically this time. "Wow."...
...And after that her and Ginny just hung out more, well considering she was not really tied up with Harry anymore. And then there was Ron. Right about at that time Ron spaced off and said he was going to visit Charlie. That he needed to get away from the stuff he had witnessed. And after that he disappeared off the face of the wizarding world.
Hermione came out of her thought train as she heard Harry and Lee leave the room making sounds of disgust at Ginny and Neville making out on the bed. She heard Ginny mutter something about wishing those boys would leave and the indistinct voice of Lee saying something along the lines of how he and Harry would just get their quiditch stuff and be out. Hermione glanced over to Lavender who rolled her eyes at the boy.
Parvati was going out with Lee. If he could ever find her that is. Lavender and Parvati used to be inseparately until they had a fight the first week of school. She remembered how Lavender had emotionally ran into the room swearing about some "fuck bitch ass, teachers pet."
"What!" Hermione yelled indignantly at Lavender
"Oh." Was lavenders reply "not you."
Oh wow, she wasn't the teachers pet for once. It was kind of a reassuring feeling. Over the next few days she had got the story out of Lavender, who said Parvati was moving up to one of Professor Trelawney's room so she can become a true divination master. Lavender was offended not only of her move but of the way Parvati said she was evidently better at the subject because Trelawney had invited her not Lavender. Of course that pissed Lavender off.
And so as she heard Harry and Lee walk down the stairs. Hermione and Lavender rolled out of hiding, pulled Neville and Ginny apart and headed to the girls dormitories where it was safe away from ex-best friends boyfriends, and ex-best friends. And everything was okay in the Hermione world. And Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that was to end rather soon.