Disclaimer: I forgot this on the first chapter. Oops. Well this goes for that chapter and all that follow. None of these characters are mine except those that I may make up myself.
Chapter 2: Confusion
"Yes Miss Granger, you may do an alternative potion if you wish," Snape told Hermione as she turned to leave.
"Oh," said the very confused Hermione. She didn't remember asking him about anything. "Thank you."
As the door close behind the girl, Severus let out a sigh. "What had possessed me that would cause such an irrational response?" He paced his classroom. He had finally gotten to live out a fantasy he had had for years only to erase it from her memory. Now it was like it never happened. Again, just a fantasy of his mind. "I only torment myself with these delusional visions. She is much to young to want anything to do with me, besides I am more than twice her age. After the reaction that came from this afternoon, it is obvious that even if she was older then it would be the same. I will never be more to her than a greasy git of a teacher."
Knowing that after the events of that day he would be tormented in his dream, Snape took a sleeping potion and retired to his personal chambers. 'All I need is a dreamless sleep and all will be forgotten by morning.' He went to bed without grading any of the homework that the students had turned in that day or going to the dining hall for supper. Just the sight of that beautiful Gryffindor would be enough to make him go mad.
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Hermione made her way up to the common room with the intention of dropping her things off before heading to the library.
"Hey 'Mione, what took so long?" Harry asked.
"I had a question," She replied.
"Hermione with a question that takes twenty minutes to answer," Ron begins laughing. "I never thought that I would see the day!"
"I wanted to know if I could do a potion that wasn't on the list."
"Oh come on 'Mione. You can tell us."
"I'm serious guys."
"Whatever Hermione. If you don't want to tell us about your secret rendezvous after class, I guess that it's none of our business." Ron shrugged. "But if you don't tell us what happened then I guess that I'll just have to use my imagination to tell the story."
"Grow up you two! I swear that you boys aren't sixteen, you have the maturity level of a six year old." Hermione said not meaning to be mean.
Ron dramatically threw his hands up to his heart and said, "That hurts Hermione, Right here."
The tall girl only rolled her eyes. "Come on. We have research to do."
So they made their way to the library with the two boys discussing the quidditch match later on that night. All along the way Hermione thought about that afternoon. Why had it taken her so long? What had happened and more importantly, why couldn't she remember it? She tried to concentrate on the events after the class had been dismissed, but she drew a blank. 'Perhaps my brain is fried from all the mid-term studying that I have been doing,' she thought. But those thoughts didn't make her feel any better.
Hermione pushed those thoughts from her mind. School came before everything else. She had chosen to do her potions report on an elixir that when consumed would turn the victim inside out. Not a pretty mental picture but it would be interesting.
Though Hermione tried to concentrate on the book that she had found, her thoughts wandered back to the potions classroom. The thought of being in there gave her chills that ran down her spine. 'I have to find out one way or another'
"What? Only one book, 'Mione?" Harry asked as he walked up to his friend. He had half a dozen books in his arms. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Umm… yeah . Why?"
"Because we have been here for almost an hour," The dark haired boy replied, "And you only have one book."
"Really?" She glanced up at the clock.
After she had spent another few minutes searching, Hermione had found a few books. 'That will have to do for now.'
Back in the Gryffindor Dormitory, Ron and Harry began their research for potions. Hermione had tried to concentrate, but her thoughts were elsewhere once again. "I'm going to bed." she announced as she gathered her stuff together.
"Are you sure you're ok, 'Mione?" Ron asked. He was genuinely worried.
"I'm fine! Ok!"
Hermione lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. 'Why did I snap at Ron? He only wanted to make sure that I was ok. And I'm not even sure that I am. It is so unlike me to do this.' Hermione's thoughts were jumbled and confusing. 'I just need a good nights rest. That's all.'
Her sleep was not as peaceful as she would have wanted it to be. Her dreams were as puzzling as her experience in the library had been. Her dream started in the dungeon, talking to Professor Snape. Then he kissed her. It wasn't an innocent kiss, but a passionate one. She tried to push him away. Protesting did little good as she was much too tiny to do any good. Abruptly he broke away.
Startled Hermione sat up covered in sweat. Her breathing was strained. 'Did I just dream of kissing Snape? Eww!' and yet there was something inside of her that… She couldn't even think about it. She had to tell someone, but Harry and Ron were out of the question. They wouldn't take her seriously. There was something wrong.
Authors note: Sorry this took so long but the teachers are piling on the work. It's awful. But this chapter was kinda short and I'm sorry. I'll work on that. Thanks for reading and I hope the slow update hasn't deterred you. Glad you like it so far though.