Chpt10: Miserere Mei.
As Hermione stepped out of Honeydukes into Hogsmeade, she sighed at the sight of the thick blanket of snow that covered the entire town.
// Winter must indeed be the most beautiful of the seasons. // She mused, slipping her hands into a pair of soft black gloves. The town's many inhabitants huddled to and fro, wrapped warmly in their winter cloaks. Hermione even spotted the occasional pair of fluffy earmuffs as she made her way through the throng towards The Three Broomsticks. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the chatter of red-nosed wizards and witches trying to escape the cold, and doing a quick sweep of the tavern, Hermione noted the lack of a certain Potions Master's presence with great relief. She approached the bar.
"Hello dear!" the sparkling form of Madam Rosmerta's cheery face stood out against the dark background, and Hermione smiled, noticing the wreaths of holly and mistletoe that she had begun to hang around the bar in time for the festivities. Asking for a butterbeer "to go", she waited expectantly, before paying, and hurrying towards the door.
// The chances of meeting Snape in here are greater than those of bumping into him on the street. // She thought, worrying about only how to keep as much distance between him and herself. The air outside was bitingly cold after the warmth of The Three Broomsticks, and she sipped eagerly at the flask that she held in her hands. Glancing up the road, she wondered where to go. All the usual options were there. She could go to the bookshop, the Quidditch store, Zonko's.. The same places that she always ended up going to when she came to Hogsmeade. Where would she go now that Harry and Ron weren't here to drag her in to stare at the latest racing broom? Unsure, she began to walk towards the south end of the road.
There, she found a small building, and as she approached it, she easily identified it as being of early Gothic architecture.
"The best period for design, if you ask me." She commented, to no one in particular.
"It is often said that talking to yourself is one of the first signs of madness."
Hermione spun around, succeeding in spilling all of what remained of her butterbeer onto the speaker's robes.
The speaker, naturally, was Snape, who, noting the mess that Hermione had unwittingly deposited on his clothes, pulled out his wand, and magicked it away. Unable to react, Hermione continued to stand before him, gaping and unmoving.
"But then, sanity is most immensely over-rated, wouldn't you think?"
Still, Hermione did not respond, causing Snape to frown, replacing the rather amused look that she had seen in his eyes, even as his face had been devoid of expression.
"For goodness sakes, girl, close your mouth, the effect you're giving at the moment is extremely unappealing."
Instantly, Hermione's mouth snapped shut, and she took a faltering step backwards. He raised an eyebrow, the amused look back in place. "And then there was life." He smirked, quoting some Muggle or another.
Trying to gain some sort of control, Hermione tried her best "can I help you.?" approach, and raising her head determinedly, and trying not to pout, she spoke.
"Hello."
// Okay, that wasn't exactly original or scathingly aloof, // she mused, // but it was a start. // Snape feigned shock. "And you can talk too..! The wonders never cease to astound me."
"Maybe some day I'll actually even get you to smile again, then." Hermione retorted, her hands flying to her mouth as soon as the words had been spoken. // Oh my god, did I just say that?! // Her mind screamed, as she realised what she had just implied. Not only had she just said that she would like the chance to make him smile, but she had also suggested that she had the intention of spending enough time with him to be able to do so. Not the sort of thing that you just go and tell someone that you're meant to be avoiding. "I like to keep those to a bare minimum." He quipped, before adding, "Unfortunately, I have succeeded in finding myself way over the limit, so I'm not due another smile until some time next year, I should think."
This time, it was Hermione's turn to frown. "I think I should pity you."
"You mean, you don't already?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "No. I don't . That doesn't mean that I shouldn't though."
"And what has brought you to this astonishing conclusion, may I ask?"
"You may. if you tell me why you feel the need to govern how many smiles you allow yourself per month. per year. per century, even, I should expect."
Snape tilted his head. "An amusing tactic, Miss Gates. I must admit, you are intriguing."
Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank-you. I think." Of all the people in the world, she had never thought that she would reach an understanding with Snape. She glanced back towards the building, and remembered that she had planned on avoiding him.
"Did you want to ask me something?" she questioned, trying not to think about the many answers that he could give. "I believe we have a few unfinished issues." He looked at her pointedly, and she tried not to blush, knowing what these "issues" happened to be.
"Oh." She said simply.
""Oh" indeed."
"I guess there's no chance of me being able to get rid of you then, is there?" she remarked in a sudden bout of daring.
His eyes seemed appreciative of the comment, and he simply replied, "I'm afraid not." Glancing back towards the old building, she took a deep breath. "Perhaps you would care to suggest a more. appropriate location, then?"
"Perhaps." He paused. "Is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?"
Thinking for a moment, Hermione reviewed all of her knowledge of Hogsmeade and the surrounding lands.
"I really don't know." The obvious thing would be to suggest that they go to a neutral place, but she didn't happen to know of any that wouldn't be crowded with freezing townspeople. Would he be uncomfortable if. would she be uncomfortable.?
Bugger it, you only live once.
"Maybe your place would be easiest." She muttered, barely audibly. "Indeed." Snape turned around, and began to walk, clearly expecting her to follow.
As Hermione stepped out of Honeydukes into Hogsmeade, she sighed at the sight of the thick blanket of snow that covered the entire town.
// Winter must indeed be the most beautiful of the seasons. // She mused, slipping her hands into a pair of soft black gloves. The town's many inhabitants huddled to and fro, wrapped warmly in their winter cloaks. Hermione even spotted the occasional pair of fluffy earmuffs as she made her way through the throng towards The Three Broomsticks. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with the chatter of red-nosed wizards and witches trying to escape the cold, and doing a quick sweep of the tavern, Hermione noted the lack of a certain Potions Master's presence with great relief. She approached the bar.
"Hello dear!" the sparkling form of Madam Rosmerta's cheery face stood out against the dark background, and Hermione smiled, noticing the wreaths of holly and mistletoe that she had begun to hang around the bar in time for the festivities. Asking for a butterbeer "to go", she waited expectantly, before paying, and hurrying towards the door.
// The chances of meeting Snape in here are greater than those of bumping into him on the street. // She thought, worrying about only how to keep as much distance between him and herself. The air outside was bitingly cold after the warmth of The Three Broomsticks, and she sipped eagerly at the flask that she held in her hands. Glancing up the road, she wondered where to go. All the usual options were there. She could go to the bookshop, the Quidditch store, Zonko's.. The same places that she always ended up going to when she came to Hogsmeade. Where would she go now that Harry and Ron weren't here to drag her in to stare at the latest racing broom? Unsure, she began to walk towards the south end of the road.
There, she found a small building, and as she approached it, she easily identified it as being of early Gothic architecture.
"The best period for design, if you ask me." She commented, to no one in particular.
"It is often said that talking to yourself is one of the first signs of madness."
Hermione spun around, succeeding in spilling all of what remained of her butterbeer onto the speaker's robes.
The speaker, naturally, was Snape, who, noting the mess that Hermione had unwittingly deposited on his clothes, pulled out his wand, and magicked it away. Unable to react, Hermione continued to stand before him, gaping and unmoving.
"But then, sanity is most immensely over-rated, wouldn't you think?"
Still, Hermione did not respond, causing Snape to frown, replacing the rather amused look that she had seen in his eyes, even as his face had been devoid of expression.
"For goodness sakes, girl, close your mouth, the effect you're giving at the moment is extremely unappealing."
Instantly, Hermione's mouth snapped shut, and she took a faltering step backwards. He raised an eyebrow, the amused look back in place. "And then there was life." He smirked, quoting some Muggle or another.
Trying to gain some sort of control, Hermione tried her best "can I help you.?" approach, and raising her head determinedly, and trying not to pout, she spoke.
"Hello."
// Okay, that wasn't exactly original or scathingly aloof, // she mused, // but it was a start. // Snape feigned shock. "And you can talk too..! The wonders never cease to astound me."
"Maybe some day I'll actually even get you to smile again, then." Hermione retorted, her hands flying to her mouth as soon as the words had been spoken. // Oh my god, did I just say that?! // Her mind screamed, as she realised what she had just implied. Not only had she just said that she would like the chance to make him smile, but she had also suggested that she had the intention of spending enough time with him to be able to do so. Not the sort of thing that you just go and tell someone that you're meant to be avoiding. "I like to keep those to a bare minimum." He quipped, before adding, "Unfortunately, I have succeeded in finding myself way over the limit, so I'm not due another smile until some time next year, I should think."
This time, it was Hermione's turn to frown. "I think I should pity you."
"You mean, you don't already?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "No. I don't . That doesn't mean that I shouldn't though."
"And what has brought you to this astonishing conclusion, may I ask?"
"You may. if you tell me why you feel the need to govern how many smiles you allow yourself per month. per year. per century, even, I should expect."
Snape tilted his head. "An amusing tactic, Miss Gates. I must admit, you are intriguing."
Hermione smiled slightly. "Thank-you. I think." Of all the people in the world, she had never thought that she would reach an understanding with Snape. She glanced back towards the building, and remembered that she had planned on avoiding him.
"Did you want to ask me something?" she questioned, trying not to think about the many answers that he could give. "I believe we have a few unfinished issues." He looked at her pointedly, and she tried not to blush, knowing what these "issues" happened to be.
"Oh." She said simply.
""Oh" indeed."
"I guess there's no chance of me being able to get rid of you then, is there?" she remarked in a sudden bout of daring.
His eyes seemed appreciative of the comment, and he simply replied, "I'm afraid not." Glancing back towards the old building, she took a deep breath. "Perhaps you would care to suggest a more. appropriate location, then?"
"Perhaps." He paused. "Is there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?"
Thinking for a moment, Hermione reviewed all of her knowledge of Hogsmeade and the surrounding lands.
"I really don't know." The obvious thing would be to suggest that they go to a neutral place, but she didn't happen to know of any that wouldn't be crowded with freezing townspeople. Would he be uncomfortable if. would she be uncomfortable.?
Bugger it, you only live once.
"Maybe your place would be easiest." She muttered, barely audibly. "Indeed." Snape turned around, and began to walk, clearly expecting her to follow.