Disclaimer: Nothing from any of the Harry Potter books is owned by myself.
All writings are fictional and have nothing to do with anything that is
going to happen in the books, movies and or anything else.
Story Title: Growth Ring
Rating: PG
Summary: : Hermione has to face Snape after having her dream. What will she do at seeing her dream man?
Dedication: To Sabrina, the reason this is actually retyped again.
Story Three: Growth Ring ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I hadn't told any one about the dream and for good reason. I wasn't about to admit that Snape was in my dreams where I had said I loved him, let alone kissed him. It sent shivers down my spine every time I thought about it , which seemed to be about every other minute since Harry and Ron woke me up. I've been trying to figure out what caused a dream like that. I've been reading more then I ever have on any subject and that was saying something. I even considered going to Professor Treawney for help, of coarse not saying what the dream was, but I decided she'd probably say it was a death warning. I sighed as I reached the last book on the shelf having anything to do with dreams, one was checked out around new years day before I got to it, and this one only had one sentence.
"Dreams are often believed to be glimpses of what the heart truly desires."
"OH GREAT THAT"S JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO READ!" I yelled then peaked around the corner thanking Merlin that Madam Price was out in the hall. I closed the book and put it back on the shelf, and with that dark rain hanging over my head I left for my dorm. Harry and Ron stopped me in the common room.
" 'Mione what's wrong? You've been locked up in the library more then Madam Price is." Harry asked standing right in front of me. I tried to act as normal as possible as I replied,
"Research..." I tried to go around him but Ron came up at his side,
"On what?" He asked, he hadn't believed me he probably thought I was avoiding them, I felt bad about that but I wasn't telling them.
"Doesn't matter now, I am done any ways." Well that was until I got my hands on the other book. Ron was about to say something else but Harry cut in.
"All right 'Mione we thought you we're mad at us for something, as long as everything's okay." I nodded and was grateful to Harry. Ron looked upset and hurt, why did he have to take things so personality? Oh, it was probably because of summer forth year. I had gone to Victor's but it didn't work out when I was sixteen because he traveled too much. so we parted as friends and we are still writing to each other. But when Ron found out he decided to confess his feelings for me, I had to tell him I only felt him to be like a brother, just like I did Harry. I think his pried and heart was hurt by that because he's been acting differently to me. Quitter and such,my thoughts were interrupted by Harry's voice.
"'Mione want to go visit Hagrid with us?" I nodded,
"Sure that would be nice." I looked to Ron his cheeks were a bit red and his eyes had a look of disdain for me. We went and spent an hour at Hagrid's, he's getting better at cooking but not by much. Ron avoided saying anything to me the whole time, Harry talked to me but the hurt couldn't be hidden from his eyes. Hagrid seemed to notice this silence between the boys and I, but he didn't say anything. When the visit was over we made our way back to the Great Hall for dinner. I turned in early, I couldn't stand Ron's pained glares at me.
The next day classes started again and my luck the first one was double potions with none other then my dream man himself, Professor Snape.
"Merlin help me!" I thought to myself as I walked with Ron and Harry to class. Harry nudged me,
"You feeling okay?" I nodded, but bit my lower lip when he turned away. I had avoided all and anything having to do with him. I didn't seek out with Harry and Ron, I made sure to walk the other way when I saw him in the hallway. I haven't even looked at my potions homework since I finished it, I hope it's okay, I only checked it three times. Also if you haven't noticed I've tried not thinking his name. I felt like I was about to step into the lion den, no snake pit actually. I took a deep breath as we went over the thresh hole. I looked over at Professor Snape sitting at his desk. He looked to be getting less sleep then I had been the past weeks. There was a large cup of coffee on his desk, something I never seen him drink in all my seven years here. I was wondering what was keeping him up when I saw the book I was on the waiting list for sitting propped up against his test tubes the way I did with my books on the milk jug. Was he having troubled dreams as I was? Probably about his past, the man had been through more hell then an eternity could bring and yet there he was teaching us day after day like nothing happened. Trying to redeem himself for the past crimes and at risk to his own life spying on the one that was once his master. Maybe he wasn't such a horrible man as he and everyone else tried to putt off. Wait what was I thinking?
"Ms. Granger did you come to class just to stand there and look at me? Or will you take you do it from your seat next?" Snape asked jerking me out of my thoughts about him. The class laughed at me, well the Slyrtherins did, my house was cursing under their breaths at the man. My cheeks reddened.
"Sorry sir." I started to my seat waiting for another stick from him but instead it came from Draco.
"We all know you're sorry Granger...A sorry excuse for a witch that is." Another round of laughter from those snakes. But Snape didn't even twitch a smirk, that was odd in fact he looked about to tell Draco to knock it off. I sat down next to Harry my face red as our house's Quidditch robes. Snape sneered at the class fallowed by a yawn, not very treating. He smacked his wand hard against the black board.
"Do as it says and you won't have a detention for the rest of the month. Now pass in your reports, I am sure they all were done last night, if not before class at breakfast." Ah, that was his old self. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Burning the midnight oil and taking it out on us...And now we're turning in these four foot scrolls that we had to do over the winter break. Also there is a test tomorrow, that git!" The report actually wasn't that hard,it was only a review of what we had already studied to prepare us for our final exit exams.
"Cruel to be kind..." I said Harry and Ron looked over at me confused and discussed.
"WHAT?!?" They asked in a hushed whisper.
"Admit it he is a good teacher..."
"Hermione have you gone nuts? We've been here for seven years and he's been nothing but a git that delights in tormenting us." Ron said. I ignored him.
"And he risks his life to protect this world..." Harry looked me over,
"Ron look at her schedule, I think there might be little hearts drawn around this lesson..." I glared at Harry.
"What does that mean?" I snapped. Harry stated matter of factly,
"You're talking about him like you did about that loser Lockheart." Ron got it just then,
"You're in love with Snape?" Ron asked, he looked more furious then he had when I was with Victor. But if he looked mad I must have looked as pleasant as a mother dragon.
"HARRY POTTER AND RONALD WESLEY I DON'T LONE ANY ONE AND ESPECIALLY..." Harry and Ron's eyes went wide as I saw a shadow loom over me. I turned around,
"Professor Snape." I squeaked, he glared at me then Ron and Harry. It was so quite in that class you could hear a ghost fall. I swallowed hard looking at the floor,
"You three will separate for the rest of this year and you Ms. Granger will stay after class." I nodded and moved next to Neville, Snape was to tired to notice or to busy preparing a punishment for me. The rest of the class was a numb blur of just wanting to get it over with. Well at the end I replayed the last week in my head and realized something. I did like Snape, not like I had liked Lockheart that was only because he was a dream boat that had claimed to have done great things. This man wasn't even mildly cute, but he was smart and he knew what he was doing. Dear Merlin hex me now! And yet I didn't want the hex. Oh, this was going to be hard. The bell rang and everyone was in a hurry to leave, Ron and Harry glanced back at me, well Ron glared. I awaited my fate, my doom, my death.
"Well Ms. Granger explain yourself. You've been acting a bit funny lately and I am not laughing." He sat behind his desk lacking the usual rigged back, he was slightly leaning on his hands that he had steepled in front of him.
"Harry and Ron were teasing me..." I started but he cut in.
"That is a very pitiful excuse, I know you're smarter than to have an out burst over something like that." He said, to my surprise, leaning back in his chair and taking a long drink from his mug. I stood there unsure what to say.
"Well, maybe not. I seem to remember you were said to have slapped Draco Malfoy in your third year." My mouth dropped, did he really read minds as Harry thought he did? Because I was just thinking that.
"No, I don't read minds." The look on my face must have been funny, for I think Snape nearly smiled. "Mr. Malfoy told me. He didn't have any proof and I didn't think your boys would testify against you." I nodded, he leaned forward again putting his mug down and drummed his hand at his side,
"Now explain." Before I knew what I was saying my mouth went ahead and told he everything. I mean everything, from the fact I had a dream about him to my thought about him reading minds just then. He listened with out a word said until I had finished and red from realizing what I had just told him. I was waiting for him to yell at me or to cut me down to size with harsh words. But he didn't, he looked me over,
"All right, who put you up to this prank?" He asked with another yawn. I thank Merlin he was to tired to yell. I shook my head,
"It's not a prank sir, Harry and Ron don't even know about the dream. But they were teasing me and I have been on edge..." He put up his hand to hush me.
"So you told me...Well this hasn't happened to me in all my years of teaching. All right you can go." I didn't believe my ears,
"Excuse me sir?" He took another drink of his coffee.
"I said, you can go." But I didn't leave, "Look it's merely a school girl crush, every girl get's an infatuation with at lest one older man in there life. Two if you count that dunderhead Lockheart." I looked at my feet. He smirked at that, "It will go away." He was being understanding. I told Harry and Ron a long time a go he was putting on an act.
"I think I might have liked you longer then I admit to myself. But you're probably right...But what if you're not?" I asked feeling completely lost.
"Let's do this." He said standing up and walking over to me. He reached into his collar and retrieved a sliver chain with a ring on it. The ring was two snakes intertwined with one another. He lifted it over his head and handed it to me.
"What is this for?" I asked, the ring was warm from being next to his body. He looked down at me and explained.
"You keep that as long as you have feelings for me." I nodded, "And when they're gone give it back to me. Which they will be gone because it's only..." I finished his sentence,
"School girl crush." He nodded. I looked at the ring then put the chain over my head and hid it in my shirt. I looked up at him, "Thank you for understanding." He nodded again.
"To be honest I know what you're going through."
"You do?" He gave another nod.
"Yes, when I was here as a student I got a crush on one of my teachers." I had to hold back a laugh, the fact of Snape having a crush on anyone was too funny for words. He raised an eye brow at me.
"It's true, but then I realized that I only had great respect for the woman and it was something I was looking for in a girl my own age but couldn't find, still can't find, that was the 'attraction.' " Then I couldn't hold back the laugh. He glared at me and I stopped,
"Sorry." He shook his head, "Who was it?"
"No one knows but me and they never will." I studied him a minute,
"McGonagall." He sneered at me, "Bingo!"
"I was thinking about letting you sit next to Potter and Weasley again..."
"All right no one will know." I looked at the ground. He sat back behind his desk.
"I have work to get done." I nodded and went to the door pausing before I opened it.
"Sir, you won't tell anyone about this, will you?" He looked up from the dream book,
"No, why would I want to tell anyone about a seventeen year old girl having a crush on me, especially you?" I looked at the door knob, he grinned. "And I would be insane to say it since you have black mail on me." I smiled and went out.
Later that night I took the ring out of my shirt and looked it over. Upon further expecting there was three small diamond looking stones woven between the snakes. It was quite pretty. I wondered why Snape was warring it around his neck, I smiled at the thought of him. As I put back the ring I mused to myself,
"I guess I could call this a growth ring." I looked out the window at the dark starry sky, "Because today is the last time I see things the same again."
Author Notes: Thanks for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it. The next story in the series is:
"Tea for Two"
Rating: PG
Summary: Hermione's in a tea shop called The Lucky Kettle? She still has Snape's ring, after three years. Why?
Story Title: Growth Ring
Rating: PG
Summary: : Hermione has to face Snape after having her dream. What will she do at seeing her dream man?
Dedication: To Sabrina, the reason this is actually retyped again.
Story Three: Growth Ring ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I hadn't told any one about the dream and for good reason. I wasn't about to admit that Snape was in my dreams where I had said I loved him, let alone kissed him. It sent shivers down my spine every time I thought about it , which seemed to be about every other minute since Harry and Ron woke me up. I've been trying to figure out what caused a dream like that. I've been reading more then I ever have on any subject and that was saying something. I even considered going to Professor Treawney for help, of coarse not saying what the dream was, but I decided she'd probably say it was a death warning. I sighed as I reached the last book on the shelf having anything to do with dreams, one was checked out around new years day before I got to it, and this one only had one sentence.
"Dreams are often believed to be glimpses of what the heart truly desires."
"OH GREAT THAT"S JUST WHAT I NEEDED TO READ!" I yelled then peaked around the corner thanking Merlin that Madam Price was out in the hall. I closed the book and put it back on the shelf, and with that dark rain hanging over my head I left for my dorm. Harry and Ron stopped me in the common room.
" 'Mione what's wrong? You've been locked up in the library more then Madam Price is." Harry asked standing right in front of me. I tried to act as normal as possible as I replied,
"Research..." I tried to go around him but Ron came up at his side,
"On what?" He asked, he hadn't believed me he probably thought I was avoiding them, I felt bad about that but I wasn't telling them.
"Doesn't matter now, I am done any ways." Well that was until I got my hands on the other book. Ron was about to say something else but Harry cut in.
"All right 'Mione we thought you we're mad at us for something, as long as everything's okay." I nodded and was grateful to Harry. Ron looked upset and hurt, why did he have to take things so personality? Oh, it was probably because of summer forth year. I had gone to Victor's but it didn't work out when I was sixteen because he traveled too much. so we parted as friends and we are still writing to each other. But when Ron found out he decided to confess his feelings for me, I had to tell him I only felt him to be like a brother, just like I did Harry. I think his pried and heart was hurt by that because he's been acting differently to me. Quitter and such,my thoughts were interrupted by Harry's voice.
"'Mione want to go visit Hagrid with us?" I nodded,
"Sure that would be nice." I looked to Ron his cheeks were a bit red and his eyes had a look of disdain for me. We went and spent an hour at Hagrid's, he's getting better at cooking but not by much. Ron avoided saying anything to me the whole time, Harry talked to me but the hurt couldn't be hidden from his eyes. Hagrid seemed to notice this silence between the boys and I, but he didn't say anything. When the visit was over we made our way back to the Great Hall for dinner. I turned in early, I couldn't stand Ron's pained glares at me.
The next day classes started again and my luck the first one was double potions with none other then my dream man himself, Professor Snape.
"Merlin help me!" I thought to myself as I walked with Ron and Harry to class. Harry nudged me,
"You feeling okay?" I nodded, but bit my lower lip when he turned away. I had avoided all and anything having to do with him. I didn't seek out with Harry and Ron, I made sure to walk the other way when I saw him in the hallway. I haven't even looked at my potions homework since I finished it, I hope it's okay, I only checked it three times. Also if you haven't noticed I've tried not thinking his name. I felt like I was about to step into the lion den, no snake pit actually. I took a deep breath as we went over the thresh hole. I looked over at Professor Snape sitting at his desk. He looked to be getting less sleep then I had been the past weeks. There was a large cup of coffee on his desk, something I never seen him drink in all my seven years here. I was wondering what was keeping him up when I saw the book I was on the waiting list for sitting propped up against his test tubes the way I did with my books on the milk jug. Was he having troubled dreams as I was? Probably about his past, the man had been through more hell then an eternity could bring and yet there he was teaching us day after day like nothing happened. Trying to redeem himself for the past crimes and at risk to his own life spying on the one that was once his master. Maybe he wasn't such a horrible man as he and everyone else tried to putt off. Wait what was I thinking?
"Ms. Granger did you come to class just to stand there and look at me? Or will you take you do it from your seat next?" Snape asked jerking me out of my thoughts about him. The class laughed at me, well the Slyrtherins did, my house was cursing under their breaths at the man. My cheeks reddened.
"Sorry sir." I started to my seat waiting for another stick from him but instead it came from Draco.
"We all know you're sorry Granger...A sorry excuse for a witch that is." Another round of laughter from those snakes. But Snape didn't even twitch a smirk, that was odd in fact he looked about to tell Draco to knock it off. I sat down next to Harry my face red as our house's Quidditch robes. Snape sneered at the class fallowed by a yawn, not very treating. He smacked his wand hard against the black board.
"Do as it says and you won't have a detention for the rest of the month. Now pass in your reports, I am sure they all were done last night, if not before class at breakfast." Ah, that was his old self. Harry rolled his eyes.
"Burning the midnight oil and taking it out on us...And now we're turning in these four foot scrolls that we had to do over the winter break. Also there is a test tomorrow, that git!" The report actually wasn't that hard,it was only a review of what we had already studied to prepare us for our final exit exams.
"Cruel to be kind..." I said Harry and Ron looked over at me confused and discussed.
"WHAT?!?" They asked in a hushed whisper.
"Admit it he is a good teacher..."
"Hermione have you gone nuts? We've been here for seven years and he's been nothing but a git that delights in tormenting us." Ron said. I ignored him.
"And he risks his life to protect this world..." Harry looked me over,
"Ron look at her schedule, I think there might be little hearts drawn around this lesson..." I glared at Harry.
"What does that mean?" I snapped. Harry stated matter of factly,
"You're talking about him like you did about that loser Lockheart." Ron got it just then,
"You're in love with Snape?" Ron asked, he looked more furious then he had when I was with Victor. But if he looked mad I must have looked as pleasant as a mother dragon.
"HARRY POTTER AND RONALD WESLEY I DON'T LONE ANY ONE AND ESPECIALLY..." Harry and Ron's eyes went wide as I saw a shadow loom over me. I turned around,
"Professor Snape." I squeaked, he glared at me then Ron and Harry. It was so quite in that class you could hear a ghost fall. I swallowed hard looking at the floor,
"You three will separate for the rest of this year and you Ms. Granger will stay after class." I nodded and moved next to Neville, Snape was to tired to notice or to busy preparing a punishment for me. The rest of the class was a numb blur of just wanting to get it over with. Well at the end I replayed the last week in my head and realized something. I did like Snape, not like I had liked Lockheart that was only because he was a dream boat that had claimed to have done great things. This man wasn't even mildly cute, but he was smart and he knew what he was doing. Dear Merlin hex me now! And yet I didn't want the hex. Oh, this was going to be hard. The bell rang and everyone was in a hurry to leave, Ron and Harry glanced back at me, well Ron glared. I awaited my fate, my doom, my death.
"Well Ms. Granger explain yourself. You've been acting a bit funny lately and I am not laughing." He sat behind his desk lacking the usual rigged back, he was slightly leaning on his hands that he had steepled in front of him.
"Harry and Ron were teasing me..." I started but he cut in.
"That is a very pitiful excuse, I know you're smarter than to have an out burst over something like that." He said, to my surprise, leaning back in his chair and taking a long drink from his mug. I stood there unsure what to say.
"Well, maybe not. I seem to remember you were said to have slapped Draco Malfoy in your third year." My mouth dropped, did he really read minds as Harry thought he did? Because I was just thinking that.
"No, I don't read minds." The look on my face must have been funny, for I think Snape nearly smiled. "Mr. Malfoy told me. He didn't have any proof and I didn't think your boys would testify against you." I nodded, he leaned forward again putting his mug down and drummed his hand at his side,
"Now explain." Before I knew what I was saying my mouth went ahead and told he everything. I mean everything, from the fact I had a dream about him to my thought about him reading minds just then. He listened with out a word said until I had finished and red from realizing what I had just told him. I was waiting for him to yell at me or to cut me down to size with harsh words. But he didn't, he looked me over,
"All right, who put you up to this prank?" He asked with another yawn. I thank Merlin he was to tired to yell. I shook my head,
"It's not a prank sir, Harry and Ron don't even know about the dream. But they were teasing me and I have been on edge..." He put up his hand to hush me.
"So you told me...Well this hasn't happened to me in all my years of teaching. All right you can go." I didn't believe my ears,
"Excuse me sir?" He took another drink of his coffee.
"I said, you can go." But I didn't leave, "Look it's merely a school girl crush, every girl get's an infatuation with at lest one older man in there life. Two if you count that dunderhead Lockheart." I looked at my feet. He smirked at that, "It will go away." He was being understanding. I told Harry and Ron a long time a go he was putting on an act.
"I think I might have liked you longer then I admit to myself. But you're probably right...But what if you're not?" I asked feeling completely lost.
"Let's do this." He said standing up and walking over to me. He reached into his collar and retrieved a sliver chain with a ring on it. The ring was two snakes intertwined with one another. He lifted it over his head and handed it to me.
"What is this for?" I asked, the ring was warm from being next to his body. He looked down at me and explained.
"You keep that as long as you have feelings for me." I nodded, "And when they're gone give it back to me. Which they will be gone because it's only..." I finished his sentence,
"School girl crush." He nodded. I looked at the ring then put the chain over my head and hid it in my shirt. I looked up at him, "Thank you for understanding." He nodded again.
"To be honest I know what you're going through."
"You do?" He gave another nod.
"Yes, when I was here as a student I got a crush on one of my teachers." I had to hold back a laugh, the fact of Snape having a crush on anyone was too funny for words. He raised an eye brow at me.
"It's true, but then I realized that I only had great respect for the woman and it was something I was looking for in a girl my own age but couldn't find, still can't find, that was the 'attraction.' " Then I couldn't hold back the laugh. He glared at me and I stopped,
"Sorry." He shook his head, "Who was it?"
"No one knows but me and they never will." I studied him a minute,
"McGonagall." He sneered at me, "Bingo!"
"I was thinking about letting you sit next to Potter and Weasley again..."
"All right no one will know." I looked at the ground. He sat back behind his desk.
"I have work to get done." I nodded and went to the door pausing before I opened it.
"Sir, you won't tell anyone about this, will you?" He looked up from the dream book,
"No, why would I want to tell anyone about a seventeen year old girl having a crush on me, especially you?" I looked at the door knob, he grinned. "And I would be insane to say it since you have black mail on me." I smiled and went out.
Later that night I took the ring out of my shirt and looked it over. Upon further expecting there was three small diamond looking stones woven between the snakes. It was quite pretty. I wondered why Snape was warring it around his neck, I smiled at the thought of him. As I put back the ring I mused to myself,
"I guess I could call this a growth ring." I looked out the window at the dark starry sky, "Because today is the last time I see things the same again."
Author Notes: Thanks for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it. The next story in the series is:
"Tea for Two"
Rating: PG
Summary: Hermione's in a tea shop called The Lucky Kettle? She still has Snape's ring, after three years. Why?