Chpt9: Innuendo.
At the library doors, Hermione stopped running. She seemed to be making a habit of running out of Snape's presence like a lunatic, and broadcasting this to whomever happened to be inside would not be an ideal place to start. Taking two deep breaths, she pushed the doors open, and stepped through. The familiar smell of old books was the first thing that she noticed, and as she made her way towards her usual table at the back, and their scent lulled her into that familiar, secure embrace.
She didn't want to think about it. It. It wasn't the act itself that bothered her. Okay, It was the act, to some extent. but the fact that Snape was involved in the equation is what made her want to hide her head in the ground. She looked around her. The library was almost empty, except for herself, a few Hufflepuffs and Madam Pince. She pulled a book out of her bag for appearance's sake, and began her frantic search for logic. Firstly, Snape obviously didn't know it was her. for which she was greatly relieved.
She would have to ensure that he never find out. Never. As for her weekly visits to Hogsmeade. she really didn't want to give them up, and, she mused, she would simply have to try to avoid Snape. Yes. She would avoid him.
Feeling determined, she pulled out her timetable, and felt her heart sink. Her first lesson tomorrow morning would be double Potions. She had no illusions of trying to skip class, but being brought back down to earth so abruptly was not a nice experience.
Groaning, she shoved the timetable back into her bag, and massaged her temples. Dealing with her issues at school would not be so easy, and she dreaded to think how she would act tomorrow morning, having to listen to him talk about the different variations of sight enhancing potions while all she could think about was how good his hands felt on her. Trying not to relive the memory, she packed her books away, nervously threading her hands through her hair as she promised herself that she would be strong. Life, however, seemed to have other plans in store for Hermione, and on Monday morning, her feet felt as though they were made from lead, as she made her way down to the dungeons.
Sitting in her usual seat next to Neville, which was uncomfortably close to the front, Hermione pulled out her various books, quills, and enough sheets of parchment to write a short book with, and proceeded to arrange and rearrange them on her desk until Snape entered the room.
As soon as the cloud of dark clothing appeared in the doorway, she froze. "I hope that you have all completed the research essay that was required for today's lesson." He began, striding into the room. "Has anyone failed to do so?" Silence.
"Good. When I call your name, you will come up, and hand me the completed assignment." The look of horror on Neville's face was reflected on her own, as she imagined herself tripping, slipping or simply falling as she walked towards his desk, concentrating on not blushing. Snape called her name, and held his hand out expectantly, his long, long fingers bending slightly as he reached for the scroll that she held out to him. The room seemed to spin and go dark, and she felt soft silk under her skin, warm lips, slithering down her neck, seeking out her racing pulse-point.
"Oh, God." she muttered, feeling faint. "Miss Granger, are you feeling quite capable of achieving the demands of this class today?" Her vision snapped back into focus, and she found herself standing in the middle of the classroom, still holding the edge of the scroll. "Huh.? I mean. Yes sir." Snape eyed her strangely, before saying, "Would you be so kind, then, as to let go of your assignment, and return to your seat.. now." She stepped away, failing horribly at preventing the burning sensation that was creeping up the sides of her face, and trying to ignore the look that Snape was aiming in her direction; a look that seemed to say something along the lines of "I think the Hatter's lost his Hat". She cringed. It was not going to be an easy lesson. As soon as the order had been given for the class to begin their practical, Hermione felt someone insistently poking her back.
//Ron// she knew, // probably wanting to know if I was okay, and to tell me to ignore "that greasy git".// She turned around quickly, and mouthed "I'm fine", before returning to her work, not even waiting for him to react. The last thing that she wanted this lesson was to get in trouble for talking. Dealing with Neville, however, was a different matter, but she found the strength of will to leave him, mostly, to his own devices, and only helping him frequently enough that his cauldron didn't explode. or melt. or vanish. . At the end of the lesson, Snape approached her desk, and said to the class,
"Normally, I would ask for Mr Longbottom here to test his potion for us." He paused dramatically. "Today, however, I think that Miss Granger will be allowed that privilege." He sneered.
"Mr Malfoy," Draco looked up eagerly, "Would you please remind the class what the desired effect of this potion is."
Standing up proudly, Draco smoothed his hair back, and began to speak. "Today's potion is a familiar of the sight-enhancing group. When it is consumed, it acts as a visual Veritaserum, allowing the viewers to see the person's true face from their own points of view. No two people will see the same thing, as each person's own experiences and feelings will alter the truth that is shown to them."
"Very good, Mr Malfoy."
Hermione had never felt worse. The "Visual Veritaserum", as it were, would most certainly reveal to Snape her hidden identity as Heather Gates, and there would be no question as to whether what he saw was true or not. // Exhale. // she thought, trying to urge her body to coherent thought.
// Exhale, Goddammit! // ~*~*~*~ She awoke to the scent of various bitter herbs, and opened her eyes to see Madam Pomfrey smiling over her. "Professor Snape must have given you quite a scare, Miss Granger, he wasn't trying to poison you, was he?" Her eyes were dancing, as she laughed softly. Hermione coughed. "The potion- ?"
"I'm afraid that whatever he was trying to force into you didn't quite make it. What was it?" "A sight enhancer. the veracious type." "Oh dear!" she laughed, "I guess you kept your secret then!"
Hermione stopped. "What secret?" The Mediwitch smiled. "The one that you were trying to hide when you hyperventilated. You must have been really worried that someone would find out, dear, you were out for ten minutes before they brought you up here!" "Thank God." Hermione let out a relieved sigh, and Madam Pomfrey smiled again. "Don't worry, I won't ask." She winked.
At the library doors, Hermione stopped running. She seemed to be making a habit of running out of Snape's presence like a lunatic, and broadcasting this to whomever happened to be inside would not be an ideal place to start. Taking two deep breaths, she pushed the doors open, and stepped through. The familiar smell of old books was the first thing that she noticed, and as she made her way towards her usual table at the back, and their scent lulled her into that familiar, secure embrace.
She didn't want to think about it. It. It wasn't the act itself that bothered her. Okay, It was the act, to some extent. but the fact that Snape was involved in the equation is what made her want to hide her head in the ground. She looked around her. The library was almost empty, except for herself, a few Hufflepuffs and Madam Pince. She pulled a book out of her bag for appearance's sake, and began her frantic search for logic. Firstly, Snape obviously didn't know it was her. for which she was greatly relieved.
She would have to ensure that he never find out. Never. As for her weekly visits to Hogsmeade. she really didn't want to give them up, and, she mused, she would simply have to try to avoid Snape. Yes. She would avoid him.
Feeling determined, she pulled out her timetable, and felt her heart sink. Her first lesson tomorrow morning would be double Potions. She had no illusions of trying to skip class, but being brought back down to earth so abruptly was not a nice experience.
Groaning, she shoved the timetable back into her bag, and massaged her temples. Dealing with her issues at school would not be so easy, and she dreaded to think how she would act tomorrow morning, having to listen to him talk about the different variations of sight enhancing potions while all she could think about was how good his hands felt on her. Trying not to relive the memory, she packed her books away, nervously threading her hands through her hair as she promised herself that she would be strong. Life, however, seemed to have other plans in store for Hermione, and on Monday morning, her feet felt as though they were made from lead, as she made her way down to the dungeons.
Sitting in her usual seat next to Neville, which was uncomfortably close to the front, Hermione pulled out her various books, quills, and enough sheets of parchment to write a short book with, and proceeded to arrange and rearrange them on her desk until Snape entered the room.
As soon as the cloud of dark clothing appeared in the doorway, she froze. "I hope that you have all completed the research essay that was required for today's lesson." He began, striding into the room. "Has anyone failed to do so?" Silence.
"Good. When I call your name, you will come up, and hand me the completed assignment." The look of horror on Neville's face was reflected on her own, as she imagined herself tripping, slipping or simply falling as she walked towards his desk, concentrating on not blushing. Snape called her name, and held his hand out expectantly, his long, long fingers bending slightly as he reached for the scroll that she held out to him. The room seemed to spin and go dark, and she felt soft silk under her skin, warm lips, slithering down her neck, seeking out her racing pulse-point.
"Oh, God." she muttered, feeling faint. "Miss Granger, are you feeling quite capable of achieving the demands of this class today?" Her vision snapped back into focus, and she found herself standing in the middle of the classroom, still holding the edge of the scroll. "Huh.? I mean. Yes sir." Snape eyed her strangely, before saying, "Would you be so kind, then, as to let go of your assignment, and return to your seat.. now." She stepped away, failing horribly at preventing the burning sensation that was creeping up the sides of her face, and trying to ignore the look that Snape was aiming in her direction; a look that seemed to say something along the lines of "I think the Hatter's lost his Hat". She cringed. It was not going to be an easy lesson. As soon as the order had been given for the class to begin their practical, Hermione felt someone insistently poking her back.
//Ron// she knew, // probably wanting to know if I was okay, and to tell me to ignore "that greasy git".// She turned around quickly, and mouthed "I'm fine", before returning to her work, not even waiting for him to react. The last thing that she wanted this lesson was to get in trouble for talking. Dealing with Neville, however, was a different matter, but she found the strength of will to leave him, mostly, to his own devices, and only helping him frequently enough that his cauldron didn't explode. or melt. or vanish. . At the end of the lesson, Snape approached her desk, and said to the class,
"Normally, I would ask for Mr Longbottom here to test his potion for us." He paused dramatically. "Today, however, I think that Miss Granger will be allowed that privilege." He sneered.
"Mr Malfoy," Draco looked up eagerly, "Would you please remind the class what the desired effect of this potion is."
Standing up proudly, Draco smoothed his hair back, and began to speak. "Today's potion is a familiar of the sight-enhancing group. When it is consumed, it acts as a visual Veritaserum, allowing the viewers to see the person's true face from their own points of view. No two people will see the same thing, as each person's own experiences and feelings will alter the truth that is shown to them."
"Very good, Mr Malfoy."
Hermione had never felt worse. The "Visual Veritaserum", as it were, would most certainly reveal to Snape her hidden identity as Heather Gates, and there would be no question as to whether what he saw was true or not. // Exhale. // she thought, trying to urge her body to coherent thought.
// Exhale, Goddammit! // ~*~*~*~ She awoke to the scent of various bitter herbs, and opened her eyes to see Madam Pomfrey smiling over her. "Professor Snape must have given you quite a scare, Miss Granger, he wasn't trying to poison you, was he?" Her eyes were dancing, as she laughed softly. Hermione coughed. "The potion- ?"
"I'm afraid that whatever he was trying to force into you didn't quite make it. What was it?" "A sight enhancer. the veracious type." "Oh dear!" she laughed, "I guess you kept your secret then!"
Hermione stopped. "What secret?" The Mediwitch smiled. "The one that you were trying to hide when you hyperventilated. You must have been really worried that someone would find out, dear, you were out for ten minutes before they brought you up here!" "Thank God." Hermione let out a relieved sigh, and Madam Pomfrey smiled again. "Don't worry, I won't ask." She winked.