Hermione didn't come to the dinner that evening, probably ashamed of her
confession to him, he thought. Hardly surprising actually. The Head of the
Slytherin House wasn't the perfect man for the brave Gryffindors to confide
to.
She dreamed of him that night. He hold her in his arms, she could feel his strong, muscular body against her and she was happy, she felt safe. Than she heard footsteps coming closer, heard that creak of a wooden floor, and that old, cold fear crept to her again. He held her tight, she suddenly got scared that they cooperate but then everything got flooded with bright light and she woke up, not knowing what to think about it.
She was pale and confused when she went to the breakfast. She even wanted to tell Snape she wasn't going to come to classes but reminded herself she had promised some hair care potion to the fourth years girls. She couldn't let them down, the Yule Ball was drawing closer.
To the ball she wore a long maroon dress, slightly darker than her hair. She wanted to look decently and modestly. Keeping in mind the reason she was there she wanted Dumbledore to know she remembered. She was very grateful for his help - without him she would have been in Azkaban since a very long time and with no chance to stand to the trial.
She looked very charmingly. Snape was watching her in awe and it took him quite a long time to sum up all his courage to ask her to dance. He could think of thousands of reason why she could not want to dance with him and Misters Potter and Weasley were actually not the most important ones. He was already moving in her direction when Dumbledore asked her. He must have told her something funny, maybe he was even paying her compliments because she was laughing with all her face and her eyes. She rarely laughed and rarely smiled - sometimes while sitting with Snape in her office. Sometimes she watched him with those amber eyes of hers, making him shiver. but he forget about it, watching her with the headmaster, suddenly overcome with jealousy. It was as if this annoying, Gryffindor know-it all meant something to him?
The Weird Sisters started to play some slow, romantic tune when he reached her. He didn't even notice the pleasure with which she watch him coming. She noticed that he was looking surprisingly handsome, quite contrary to what she remembered from her school days. Contrary? a small voice in her head asked. Well. she thought. Maybe she saw him through Harry's and Ron's eyes, not brave enough to tell them she could see some positive aspects of his character. As if the whole Hogwarts concentrated in this very man - he was as courageous as a Gryffindor, as clever as a Ravenclaw, as loyal as a Hufflepuff and as secret as a Slytherin. Or it were only her stupid, childish thoughts, side-effect of her teenager crush, something that once more proved how unprepared for the life she was.
He didn't even have to ask whether she would like to dance. She just stood up when he reached out his hand. He laid his hand on her hip and held her closer than it was sensible to do. She didn't protest, just rested in his arms like a little, exhausted bird. He didn't want to frighten her away with too passionate a look or gesture but than she looked him in the eyes and he could see how happy she was to be close and to dance with him. The music ceased and he felt that Hermione was moving away as reluctantly as he was letting her go. He cast a look around and saw Dumbledore watching them with his brow furrowed, but he was rather upset than angry.
- Come in! - she cried, hearing someone knocking on the door. She run out of her bedroom to her office, not wanting to receive anybody there. not Snape. - You were expecting somebody else, didn't you? - said Dumbledore quietly, seeing her freeze. She blushed and run to get her dressing gown. - I've got no right to pry into your affairs, Hermione - he said, after having sat. - I strongly believe that what had happened. that your husband's death was a kind of accident. But until everybody is convinced of that. or at least until the Wizengamot don't decide something please do not make your life, Severus's life and mine more complicated than it already is. She nodded, biting her lip and visibly struggling with some feeling. - I just. - she said uncertainly. She knelt down beside the armchair where Dumbledore was sitting and looked pleadingly into old wizard's eyes. - Just everything went wrong, it shouldn't have been like this! He could hear despair in her voice. - I just don't know what's going on with me. I know, I have no right to that, but I'm just feeling safe with Se. with professor Snape - she finished quietly. It pained him to hear her talking like this but he knew it would be wrong to encourage her on anything. - I never loved Sigfrid. I respected him, it seemed to be love when he, one of the greatest wizards of our times turned his attention to me - she said sadly, her eyes riveted on his face. - And then he. - I know, child. I do believe you - he said reassuringly.
Someone knocked at the door. Hermione didn't answer but the door opened anyway and Snape entered. He was still in his dress robes and carried a long red rose. He did his best to conceal his astonishment, seeing Hermione kneeling at Dumbledore's feet. - I think it's time you listened to something - Dumbledore said when Snape was about to retreat. - Take a seat, Severus. He obeyed, trying to make the rose invisible. He couldn't remembered the last time he had made a fool of himself more blatantly. Hermione rose to her feet and moved to the mantelpiece.
She dreamed of him that night. He hold her in his arms, she could feel his strong, muscular body against her and she was happy, she felt safe. Than she heard footsteps coming closer, heard that creak of a wooden floor, and that old, cold fear crept to her again. He held her tight, she suddenly got scared that they cooperate but then everything got flooded with bright light and she woke up, not knowing what to think about it.
She was pale and confused when she went to the breakfast. She even wanted to tell Snape she wasn't going to come to classes but reminded herself she had promised some hair care potion to the fourth years girls. She couldn't let them down, the Yule Ball was drawing closer.
To the ball she wore a long maroon dress, slightly darker than her hair. She wanted to look decently and modestly. Keeping in mind the reason she was there she wanted Dumbledore to know she remembered. She was very grateful for his help - without him she would have been in Azkaban since a very long time and with no chance to stand to the trial.
She looked very charmingly. Snape was watching her in awe and it took him quite a long time to sum up all his courage to ask her to dance. He could think of thousands of reason why she could not want to dance with him and Misters Potter and Weasley were actually not the most important ones. He was already moving in her direction when Dumbledore asked her. He must have told her something funny, maybe he was even paying her compliments because she was laughing with all her face and her eyes. She rarely laughed and rarely smiled - sometimes while sitting with Snape in her office. Sometimes she watched him with those amber eyes of hers, making him shiver. but he forget about it, watching her with the headmaster, suddenly overcome with jealousy. It was as if this annoying, Gryffindor know-it all meant something to him?
The Weird Sisters started to play some slow, romantic tune when he reached her. He didn't even notice the pleasure with which she watch him coming. She noticed that he was looking surprisingly handsome, quite contrary to what she remembered from her school days. Contrary? a small voice in her head asked. Well. she thought. Maybe she saw him through Harry's and Ron's eyes, not brave enough to tell them she could see some positive aspects of his character. As if the whole Hogwarts concentrated in this very man - he was as courageous as a Gryffindor, as clever as a Ravenclaw, as loyal as a Hufflepuff and as secret as a Slytherin. Or it were only her stupid, childish thoughts, side-effect of her teenager crush, something that once more proved how unprepared for the life she was.
He didn't even have to ask whether she would like to dance. She just stood up when he reached out his hand. He laid his hand on her hip and held her closer than it was sensible to do. She didn't protest, just rested in his arms like a little, exhausted bird. He didn't want to frighten her away with too passionate a look or gesture but than she looked him in the eyes and he could see how happy she was to be close and to dance with him. The music ceased and he felt that Hermione was moving away as reluctantly as he was letting her go. He cast a look around and saw Dumbledore watching them with his brow furrowed, but he was rather upset than angry.
- Come in! - she cried, hearing someone knocking on the door. She run out of her bedroom to her office, not wanting to receive anybody there. not Snape. - You were expecting somebody else, didn't you? - said Dumbledore quietly, seeing her freeze. She blushed and run to get her dressing gown. - I've got no right to pry into your affairs, Hermione - he said, after having sat. - I strongly believe that what had happened. that your husband's death was a kind of accident. But until everybody is convinced of that. or at least until the Wizengamot don't decide something please do not make your life, Severus's life and mine more complicated than it already is. She nodded, biting her lip and visibly struggling with some feeling. - I just. - she said uncertainly. She knelt down beside the armchair where Dumbledore was sitting and looked pleadingly into old wizard's eyes. - Just everything went wrong, it shouldn't have been like this! He could hear despair in her voice. - I just don't know what's going on with me. I know, I have no right to that, but I'm just feeling safe with Se. with professor Snape - she finished quietly. It pained him to hear her talking like this but he knew it would be wrong to encourage her on anything. - I never loved Sigfrid. I respected him, it seemed to be love when he, one of the greatest wizards of our times turned his attention to me - she said sadly, her eyes riveted on his face. - And then he. - I know, child. I do believe you - he said reassuringly.
Someone knocked at the door. Hermione didn't answer but the door opened anyway and Snape entered. He was still in his dress robes and carried a long red rose. He did his best to conceal his astonishment, seeing Hermione kneeling at Dumbledore's feet. - I think it's time you listened to something - Dumbledore said when Snape was about to retreat. - Take a seat, Severus. He obeyed, trying to make the rose invisible. He couldn't remembered the last time he had made a fool of himself more blatantly. Hermione rose to her feet and moved to the mantelpiece.