Chpt5: Sarcasm is The Lowest Form of Wit.
"Unless I have somehow acquired a ghost, or we both seem to be imagining things, then yes, you did say that out loud." He snarled into her face. "Oh. oops. I mean, erm, I."
"Don't make me have to shut you up again, Miss Gates, women such as yourself should remain silent. unless." He smirked, his beetle black eyes glinting in the firelight.
"Now then, to business; You. Me. Hogsmeade. Explain." Hermione tried to think of an answer. Why had she kept going to Hogsmeade? She had, at first, intended of finding herself a part-time job, working in the village every Thursday and Saturday, earning a few galleons that she could call her own. That, had been her intention, but then something had happened. she had seen Snape; alone and divided, in The Three Broomsticks, and something had happened. She had felt something, something that she had never felt in concern to him - pity. // How can a man live like that? Isolated from everyone, rejected by the rest, disliked by the few that could possibly care. except for Dumbledore, of course, but him alone. // The two of them, apparently, worked to similar schedules, he, visiting the village every week to collect potions supplies and recipes, and she, sneaking out of the school grounds, thinking that walking out of the Divinations classroom, was quite possibly the best thing she had ever done.
After that, she had simply sat at her small corner table, drinking from a flagon a Butterbeer, and watched the people around her; intrigued with the way that their daily routines seemed to revolve around their afternoon breaks, and the quick-stop for a drink at the homely pub. "Thinking up a convincing excuse?" Snape brought her back to reality. "I wouldn't bother, you are an appalling liar." "I am not a liar, Mr Snape, I simply have other things on my mind." Fierce lips crashed onto her own, as he savaged her mouth. Hermione's eyes flew wide in horror, until it slowed, and she was allowed to relax slightly.
"Is that enough to convince you to remain on the cause at hand. or must I take more. desperate measures?"
"Erm." Her entire face felt numb. "No, no, that's fine, it'll do." The body bind was realised, and she slumped into the chair. "Answer the question." "I - I've been in Hogsmeade because. because I am doing a study.yes. A study comparing wizard and Muggle behavioural patterns. I have to observe people. I do it in Muggle pubs too. It's for a study, you know." She wanted to add 'please don't hurt me!' onto the end, but managed to clamp her mouth shut in time to prevent herself from doing anything stupid. He eyed her suspiciously. "A study?" His voice was cynical. Hermione nodded her head - a little too quickly, perhaps, but he did not comment. "Like a survey, but without any questions. I just sit and watch. It's fun, you should try it." // Oh, bravo, Hermione, you sound convincing as hell! // "And tell me, then, Miss Gates, what do you see when you are observing?" "I see you." // And the foot goes straight in there. // Hermione stiffened, waiting for Snape's next approach, but instead, he rolled back on his heels and looked at her for a moment. "Hmm. Tell me." "I see a man with many secrets, too many secrets." She began, careful of how she chose her words, amazed that she was being given this chance. "They burden you, and you are tired, worn down by them." A nod, indicating her to continue. or had she imagined it? "I see someone who is alone, who is surrounded by many people, and who builds a wall around himself. To protect these. secrets, perhaps, I do not know. I see someone who is strong, passionate, bitter, respected, but I do not know where he has come from, or all the troubles that he has faced.." Snape was glancing at the floor to his left, his eyes pensive, as his long robe swept the floor. Should she delve further? "Was it." could she say the name? "Was it Voldemort?" His head snapped up, his eyes glaring straight into hers.
"What did you say?" A spine-chilling whisper; She had pushed him too far. "Nothing. Nothing, I'm sorry." "Is that what this is about? You want to know about The Dark Lord? I will tell you about Him. I will tell you things that will make your blood curl, and you will wake up screaming every night at the very horror of their thought." He was leaning towards her again, and she pressed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the anger that had flared up in his eyes. He stood up, and began to pace the room. "Do you want to know about the people he killed? Let me think, you already know about Bertha Jorkins, and the latest, Cedric Diggory. Did you know about when he killed the Henderso-" "Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted, also rising to her feet. "I won't listen to this, this isn't. Please, just stop." The school had never been the same after Cedic's death. Harry still woke up sometimes, sometimes crying out in terror, sometimes sobbing. no one dared say anything. Snape stopped pacing, tears were streaming down her eyes. "It isn't just the Dark Lord, but he's a part of me now. Him, and everything he did, everything . I did. I've learnt to live with it. I don't think you could."
She looked up at him, noticing that he seemed to have crossed the room without her noticing, and was now standing in front of her. Close, so close. too close.
"Unless I have somehow acquired a ghost, or we both seem to be imagining things, then yes, you did say that out loud." He snarled into her face. "Oh. oops. I mean, erm, I."
"Don't make me have to shut you up again, Miss Gates, women such as yourself should remain silent. unless." He smirked, his beetle black eyes glinting in the firelight.
"Now then, to business; You. Me. Hogsmeade. Explain." Hermione tried to think of an answer. Why had she kept going to Hogsmeade? She had, at first, intended of finding herself a part-time job, working in the village every Thursday and Saturday, earning a few galleons that she could call her own. That, had been her intention, but then something had happened. she had seen Snape; alone and divided, in The Three Broomsticks, and something had happened. She had felt something, something that she had never felt in concern to him - pity. // How can a man live like that? Isolated from everyone, rejected by the rest, disliked by the few that could possibly care. except for Dumbledore, of course, but him alone. // The two of them, apparently, worked to similar schedules, he, visiting the village every week to collect potions supplies and recipes, and she, sneaking out of the school grounds, thinking that walking out of the Divinations classroom, was quite possibly the best thing she had ever done.
After that, she had simply sat at her small corner table, drinking from a flagon a Butterbeer, and watched the people around her; intrigued with the way that their daily routines seemed to revolve around their afternoon breaks, and the quick-stop for a drink at the homely pub. "Thinking up a convincing excuse?" Snape brought her back to reality. "I wouldn't bother, you are an appalling liar." "I am not a liar, Mr Snape, I simply have other things on my mind." Fierce lips crashed onto her own, as he savaged her mouth. Hermione's eyes flew wide in horror, until it slowed, and she was allowed to relax slightly.
"Is that enough to convince you to remain on the cause at hand. or must I take more. desperate measures?"
"Erm." Her entire face felt numb. "No, no, that's fine, it'll do." The body bind was realised, and she slumped into the chair. "Answer the question." "I - I've been in Hogsmeade because. because I am doing a study.yes. A study comparing wizard and Muggle behavioural patterns. I have to observe people. I do it in Muggle pubs too. It's for a study, you know." She wanted to add 'please don't hurt me!' onto the end, but managed to clamp her mouth shut in time to prevent herself from doing anything stupid. He eyed her suspiciously. "A study?" His voice was cynical. Hermione nodded her head - a little too quickly, perhaps, but he did not comment. "Like a survey, but without any questions. I just sit and watch. It's fun, you should try it." // Oh, bravo, Hermione, you sound convincing as hell! // "And tell me, then, Miss Gates, what do you see when you are observing?" "I see you." // And the foot goes straight in there. // Hermione stiffened, waiting for Snape's next approach, but instead, he rolled back on his heels and looked at her for a moment. "Hmm. Tell me." "I see a man with many secrets, too many secrets." She began, careful of how she chose her words, amazed that she was being given this chance. "They burden you, and you are tired, worn down by them." A nod, indicating her to continue. or had she imagined it? "I see someone who is alone, who is surrounded by many people, and who builds a wall around himself. To protect these. secrets, perhaps, I do not know. I see someone who is strong, passionate, bitter, respected, but I do not know where he has come from, or all the troubles that he has faced.." Snape was glancing at the floor to his left, his eyes pensive, as his long robe swept the floor. Should she delve further? "Was it." could she say the name? "Was it Voldemort?" His head snapped up, his eyes glaring straight into hers.
"What did you say?" A spine-chilling whisper; She had pushed him too far. "Nothing. Nothing, I'm sorry." "Is that what this is about? You want to know about The Dark Lord? I will tell you about Him. I will tell you things that will make your blood curl, and you will wake up screaming every night at the very horror of their thought." He was leaning towards her again, and she pressed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the anger that had flared up in his eyes. He stood up, and began to pace the room. "Do you want to know about the people he killed? Let me think, you already know about Bertha Jorkins, and the latest, Cedric Diggory. Did you know about when he killed the Henderso-" "Stop it! Stop it!" she shouted, also rising to her feet. "I won't listen to this, this isn't. Please, just stop." The school had never been the same after Cedic's death. Harry still woke up sometimes, sometimes crying out in terror, sometimes sobbing. no one dared say anything. Snape stopped pacing, tears were streaming down her eyes. "It isn't just the Dark Lord, but he's a part of me now. Him, and everything he did, everything . I did. I've learnt to live with it. I don't think you could."
She looked up at him, noticing that he seemed to have crossed the room without her noticing, and was now standing in front of her. Close, so close. too close.