Title: Examinations
(Subtitle: Loser. Kisses. Winner.)
Author: luckdragon
Rating: oh, PG again I suppose
Summary: Life is full of tests. There's nothing that says they can't be fun.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I have invited them out to play.
Author's Note: I apologize that this update took a little bit longer than usual – real life got in the way. Thank you as always for your wonderful reviews and support! In addition, I apologize for uploading this chapter three times. Blame it on ff.net, which wouldn't let me know if I had uploaded properly or not. Well, we're starting to get into a bit more of a story here, but I am hoping not to get too heavy-handed (and to handle the cliché subjects in a way that is at least a bit fresh). And if you were enjoying the fluff, never fear. I can't seem to get very far into this story without wanting to write something fluffy into it. Here we go:
Hermione wondered if the hallway to the Potions had gotten longer, or if her footsteps were getting slower.
The latter, definitely.
And the hallway just kept growing longer, because her footsteps just kept getting slower.
She thought fleetingly of scenes in films where the foreground rushed at the screen suddenly while the background receded. Those moments always gave her an uncomfortable sense of vertigo.
As it turned out, when it happened in reality, the effect was the same.
The hallway stretched on interminably.
This gave her an increasing amount of time to replay the events of that fateful night in her head.
She didn't think she'd ever seen Severus Snape with such a startled expression on his face. Certainly, his initial reaction was completely unprecedented to her.
"I – " he sputtered. "Never have – in – "
Speechless. Speechless Snape.
Hermione had forgotten how utterly unorthodox the situation would seem to anyone other than the two involved.
And betraying her worst fears, Draco seemed suddenly struck with amusement. She could tell that he had discovered some droll comment and was preparing to deliver it as his hands relaxed further on her side and hip.
Apparently, Snape could figure this out as well.
He snapped, "Get up!" with sudden vehemence.
Hermione pushed Draco off and scrambled to her feet. He rose lazily beside her.
"I am extremely ashamed of your blatant… display," Snape started harshly, spitting out the words as though they were distasteful. Hermione winced and stared at the wall beside the fuming professor, as Draco continued to regard him in a full on, curious manner. "From two top seventh year students, no less. Thirty points each from Gryffindor and Slytherin – not a word, Mister Malfoy!" he interjected as Draco suddenly grew indignant and moved again to speak. "Each of you will retire to your rooms immediately, and if I am privy to any further conduct of this nature, I can assure you that your punishment will be far greater."
All three remained still for another second.
"Go," Snape barked, and Draco and Hermione both flinched. "Now!"
Hermione jumped, retrieved her bag, and scuttled away red-faced.
Now, she stood at the doorway.
There was no avoiding it any longer.
She walked through.
Surprisingly, she wound up standing in the classroom without hearing laughter, without being bruised, without somehow ending up naked, without bouncing off some sort of protective shield, without any sort of fanfare or spectacle at all.
Ron waved at her and pointed to the seat beside his.
The whole thing was rather anti-climactic, really.
Hermione glanced briefly at Draco, who was watching her idly with a bored expression on his face, then occupied the proffered seat quickly. She mumbled a greeting to Ron as Snape swept into the room. At the first sign of his dark robes, Hermione glued her gaze to the tabletop.
It soon became apparent that she would have to raise her head to look at the list of ingredients that Snape had produced on the board.
Readying both quill and parchment, Hermione dared to look up.
Snape, giving directions, happened to be scanning Hermione's side of the classroom and her motion seemed to catch his eye.
"…After adding these leaves, stir – er, stir thirty times," he stuttered briefly, but noticeably, before glancing agitatedly in Draco's direction, "counterclockwise. Yes, counterclockwise."
Hermione risked a glance at Draco. He was staring guilelessly at the professor, and she could see the slight twitch about his lips.
She felt a hint of exasperation mingle with her huge stock of mortification.
She tried to push away the even smaller tinge of mirth.
Ron elbowed her. Glancing at him, she saw that his eyes were wide. "What d'you reckon is wrong with Snape?"
"I don't know what you mean," Hermione hissed back.
"I've never seen him stutter like that!" Ron explained.
"He barely hesitated, Ron," Hermione whispered anxiously. "Honestly. He was just distracted by something. Pay attention."
"Miss Granger," Snape interrupted loudly, "do you have something to share with the class?"
His dark eyes were fixed furiously on her.
Hermione felt her face go red. She certainly did not.
"I – no sir. Ron just hadn't heard which direction to stir."
"Mister Weasley, I repeated the instruction twice. Next time, kindly pay attention the first few times and refrain from interrupting my class," Snape reproved acidly. "The next time, I will not hesitate to deduct points from Gryffindor."
"But – " Ron started, causing Hermione to cringe in sheer disbelief.
"Five points from Gryffindor!" Shape bit out.
Then, with one last acerbic glare at the two classmates, he turned away.
Wonderful.
Hermione tried to send Ron silent, apologetic vibes for causing Snape to come down even harder on their house than he otherwise might.
It didn't seem to work, as Ron continued to sulk.
Snape went on with his lesson. He concluded it a few minutes later with a last reminder and directive.
"This potion will figure heavily in your next exam, which is in approximately two weeks. Today will be your first practice session, so find a partner and get to work."
He then sat decisively behind his desk and set to glaring at whichever students he chose to be most in need of demoralization. These were usually the Gryffindors.
Today, it was especially Hermione. She received a particular fierce look (complete with slitted eyes) usually reserved for those far more inept than herself.
However, at the mention of the pending exam, Hermione found herself turning from Snape and glancing as surreptitiously at Draco as she could.
Without changing the angle of his head, he had barely turned his eyes to her as well.
His expression didn't change.
But he winked.
Hermione snapped her eyes back forward, scolding herself and him in a frantic internal diatribe.
Not in the classroom, not in public! No signs, no signs of it at all. What were they to do if someone were to see such a thing? Was he quite insane?
Well, perhaps it wasn't so bad. Perhaps everyone on this side of the class thought he was blinking and everyone on the other side would think he had been glaring. Yes.
She was startled out of her turbulent internal dialogue by the sudden recognition that there was a figure in front of her. It rushed rapidly into view as she inclined her head back to the front of the classroom.
She almost gasped in shock.
Harry Potter stood before her table giving her a inquisitive look.
No.
Blast Draco Malfoy. Blast Severus Snape. Blast exams. Blast Harry and his dogged determination to make N.E.W.T.-level Potions and become an Auror. Blast –
Harry began to speak.
"Let's get to work, Hermione," he said, still looking odd. He turned to gather supplies, and she tried to keep her worry off her face.
Had he seen it?
Certainly he would have said something if he had seen it.
She moved her cauldron to the center of the table and stared into it uneasily.