Chapter 3
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*
When Hermione went down to Snape's office after dinner, she noticed, for the first time, that the halls were remarkably free of cracks and general erosion for such an old building made of stones. Not only that but she began to realize how well sealed the castle was, as if it was waterproof. 'This must have to do with all of the spells protecting the castle' she thought and carried on her walk through the school. She was taking a very leisurely pace and noticing every detail for the first time. 'It really is quite beautiful. We're really lucky.' She continued to think all the way down, and into, Snape's office.
"Miss Granger, you're late," Snape said not even looking up. The effect was amazing. Hermione just stared. He didn't even check his watch, look at a clock, or even look to see it was her!
"I'm not," She challenged, interested.
"Very well then, I assume you are right," Snape said with a hint of appreciation, though that was so subtle it may have been imagined. The truth was neither one had any idea whether or not she was late. Neither one really care when it came down to it.
"Do you have an assignment for me?" Hermione asked, unsure, after a pause.
"Yes, yes. I'd like to see your work on original potions. Not what we do in class, rather ones that require more thinking. I'd like you to cure me of illness. I have suffered headaches and heightened temperatures. Just cure those symptoms in one potion please. Do not worry of the cause. Set up your cauldron over there. Supplies are in that cupboard," He said, pointing.
Hermione got to work as did Snape. Sitting on opposite ends of the room, they could have imagined they were alone. Of course neither one did. They both had plenty of time to be alone and were enjoying being with someone, no matter how disliked that person may be by them.
Snape looked up and studied her actions. Knowing just what stage she should be at were she doing it correctly. Indeed she was. Then he noticed her hand about to drop in another ingredient. It wasn't time to put anything in? Unless-
"Stop! Miss Granger, do hold your hand unless you are intending to blow yourself up. Even if you were, suicide must be restricted to outside of the classroom," He said, and immediately was by her side, explaining. "The dragon scales must go into the mix 3 minutes after the beetle juice. Though I see your potion looks about right for this stage. Just let it sit.3, 2, 1 now," He finished and Hermione added the scales.
"Sorry Professor, I don't know what I was thinking," Hermione said apologetically.
"Well I do. Perhaps Potter, or is it Weasley this year?" Snape sneered.
Hermione said nothing, though she ducked slightly to hide the fact she was blinking rapidly to keep her tears back. 'Oh stop it,' She thought to herself. 'There's no reason for that to hurt you. He's just a slimy old bastard. You don't need Harry, or Ron, or anyone!'
She finished up her work, perfectly from then on, despite her impaired, watery vision. After cleaning up she returned to the common room hoping for a little sympathy. Though when she entered the room, everybody stopped talking. That seems like an exaggerations, but it's not. The worst of it was, Harry was sitting in the middle of the room. They all watched her while she passed, but as soon as her back was to people they each in turn began to snicker. By the time she was on the stairs it was full-blown laughter.
As soon as she had left them behind she began to run up the stairs, tears ready to spill over her lashes for the second time that evening. Finally reaching her room, she slammed the door and fell with her back against it finally letting the tears come. Huge drops streaming down her cheeks.
*
That night she ran a bath for herself, lying in the hot water. She thought of all the ways she could kill herself just then. She realized that if she were to lie under the water and just take a breath of it, it would be over, in a creative way. Yet she couldn't do that. She knew she had so much ahead of her. She knew it. This was just one year, one year of this seclusion. She just needed to learn to enjoy it, all of the time. If only there was one person. That's all she needed one person to understand her. Just one. Just one more year.
*
A.N. I have reviewers to thank! Thanks for your encouragement, and I apologize for the short chapters, but I will update extremely often, usually more than once a day. This won't be the longest story by the time it's over. I figure, barely longer than 12,000. So not to long, not to short, in my opinion.
*
When Hermione went down to Snape's office after dinner, she noticed, for the first time, that the halls were remarkably free of cracks and general erosion for such an old building made of stones. Not only that but she began to realize how well sealed the castle was, as if it was waterproof. 'This must have to do with all of the spells protecting the castle' she thought and carried on her walk through the school. She was taking a very leisurely pace and noticing every detail for the first time. 'It really is quite beautiful. We're really lucky.' She continued to think all the way down, and into, Snape's office.
"Miss Granger, you're late," Snape said not even looking up. The effect was amazing. Hermione just stared. He didn't even check his watch, look at a clock, or even look to see it was her!
"I'm not," She challenged, interested.
"Very well then, I assume you are right," Snape said with a hint of appreciation, though that was so subtle it may have been imagined. The truth was neither one had any idea whether or not she was late. Neither one really care when it came down to it.
"Do you have an assignment for me?" Hermione asked, unsure, after a pause.
"Yes, yes. I'd like to see your work on original potions. Not what we do in class, rather ones that require more thinking. I'd like you to cure me of illness. I have suffered headaches and heightened temperatures. Just cure those symptoms in one potion please. Do not worry of the cause. Set up your cauldron over there. Supplies are in that cupboard," He said, pointing.
Hermione got to work as did Snape. Sitting on opposite ends of the room, they could have imagined they were alone. Of course neither one did. They both had plenty of time to be alone and were enjoying being with someone, no matter how disliked that person may be by them.
Snape looked up and studied her actions. Knowing just what stage she should be at were she doing it correctly. Indeed she was. Then he noticed her hand about to drop in another ingredient. It wasn't time to put anything in? Unless-
"Stop! Miss Granger, do hold your hand unless you are intending to blow yourself up. Even if you were, suicide must be restricted to outside of the classroom," He said, and immediately was by her side, explaining. "The dragon scales must go into the mix 3 minutes after the beetle juice. Though I see your potion looks about right for this stage. Just let it sit.3, 2, 1 now," He finished and Hermione added the scales.
"Sorry Professor, I don't know what I was thinking," Hermione said apologetically.
"Well I do. Perhaps Potter, or is it Weasley this year?" Snape sneered.
Hermione said nothing, though she ducked slightly to hide the fact she was blinking rapidly to keep her tears back. 'Oh stop it,' She thought to herself. 'There's no reason for that to hurt you. He's just a slimy old bastard. You don't need Harry, or Ron, or anyone!'
She finished up her work, perfectly from then on, despite her impaired, watery vision. After cleaning up she returned to the common room hoping for a little sympathy. Though when she entered the room, everybody stopped talking. That seems like an exaggerations, but it's not. The worst of it was, Harry was sitting in the middle of the room. They all watched her while she passed, but as soon as her back was to people they each in turn began to snicker. By the time she was on the stairs it was full-blown laughter.
As soon as she had left them behind she began to run up the stairs, tears ready to spill over her lashes for the second time that evening. Finally reaching her room, she slammed the door and fell with her back against it finally letting the tears come. Huge drops streaming down her cheeks.
*
That night she ran a bath for herself, lying in the hot water. She thought of all the ways she could kill herself just then. She realized that if she were to lie under the water and just take a breath of it, it would be over, in a creative way. Yet she couldn't do that. She knew she had so much ahead of her. She knew it. This was just one year, one year of this seclusion. She just needed to learn to enjoy it, all of the time. If only there was one person. That's all she needed one person to understand her. Just one. Just one more year.
*
A.N. I have reviewers to thank! Thanks for your encouragement, and I apologize for the short chapters, but I will update extremely often, usually more than once a day. This won't be the longest story by the time it's over. I figure, barely longer than 12,000. So not to long, not to short, in my opinion.