As We Know It
Chapter Seven
I don't know if this chapter will be as good as the previous. I mean, there's not a lot to it, but yet, it's here right? That's gotta count for something. I apologize profusely. I'll try too keep on the ball a little bit better this time.
~*~*~
As they walked through the dungeons heading towards Professor Snape's personal laboratory, no words were passed between the two. Soon, they passed by the entrance to the Head Girl's quarters and Hermione Granger put a hand softly on Severus Snape's arm.
"Just a minute, Sev." She said softly. "I'd like to change clothes...these are...too binding for working in the laboratory."
"Make it quick, Hermione." Severus said. "We don't have much time to work anymore."
"Amour et pax," Hermione uttered softly as she rolled her eyes at Severus's comment. Once they were both in the room, Hermione headed straight for her bedroom. She began to speak as Severus sat in the front room.
"Oh, so like it was all my fault? I believe that I'm supposed to be playing the part of Draco's little toy. Am I incorrect in this statement, *Professor*?" Hermione asked pointedly from her bedroom.
"Oh, and one would have the cause to think that you are no longer just playing. Am *I* incorrect in *this* statement, Miss Granger?" Severus replied with a sneer as he poured himself a drink.
Hermione stopped shuffling through her closet. She had decided on a fitted white girlie tee with a square neck and low slung olive green corduroy trousers. She was headed to the bathroom to wash off all her makeup when she stopped in her tracks.
"What?" She asked, alarmed. She stepped into the front room sans accessories, shoes, and tights. Though, she was still wearing her skirt and her un-tucked top. "Severus, what did you say?" She asked again, her voice a deadly whisper.
"Do you have a hearing problem, Hermione?" Severus asked.
Hermione just ran a well-manicured hand through her hair. "What, pray tell, would make you say something like that?"
"Hermione," Severus sighed. "When I walked accidentally in on you this morning...I couldn't help but notice..."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes..." She maintained her cool exterior but was truthfully very nervous.
"I saw those bruises." Severus finished.
"Yeah, I guessed as much." Hermione said. "Listen, Sev, just allow me finish getting changed and then we can sit and talk." She tucked a chocolate strand of hair behind her ear and turned her back to the cold glare she was receiving as she went back to the bedroom.
~*~*~
Hermione charmed her hair into French braided pigtails, a style that was cute, yet ideal for potions, as the wisps of hair stayed pulled back. She eyed her reflection in the mirror above her bureau and put on simple silver jewelry. She shoved her stocking feet into a pair of brown clogs and made her way back to her common room. Severus had set his drink down on the coffee table and was browsing Hermione's books. She looked from him, to the glass tumbler.
"Ready *yet,* Hermione?" Severus asked.
Hermione grabbed the drink and, with a small wince, downed it. "Yes sir."
He turned around for his drink and noticed the glass tumbler in Hermione's hand, the *empty* glass tumbler. "You finished my drink." Severus said as more of a statement than a question.
"Well, I had assumed you were done with it, so I'd get rid of it for you." Hermione explained with a grin.
"So I see." Severus said and swept out the door.
Hermione followed him into his private potions laboratory. "So, what are we working on today?"
Severus conjured up two tall stools. "Before we start working, I'd like to have a little chat with you."
Hermione looked at the floor and began twirling hair between her fingers. "Oh, Severus. I don't know if I really want to talk about it. I mean." Hermione hesitated and looked up. "It's really nothing to worry about. Nothing I can't take care of, you know."
"Miss Granger, do I need to remind you that I saw those bruises with mine own eyes?" Severus said.
"Well, no, of course not. But...listen, if it *does* get bad, I will come to you, I promise I will."
Severus sighed in disappointment. He couldn't very well make the girl tell him. "Fine, Hermione, but I have your word that you will come to me."
She nodded. "Yes, Severus, you do."
"Now, I was thinking that we start testing the variations of the effects of—"
"Severus?" Hermione interrupted. "I, uh, maybe we can do this another time? To be honest, I don't feel up to it today, and I wouldn't like to mess up a potion you know."
Severus Snape closed his eyes for a second. "Fine, Miss Granger, go. But I want you to be researching the uses of finely crushed unicorn bone."
"Finely crushed unicorn bone??? Where the devil are you going to find something like that?" Hermione exclaimed.
"Never you mind, but it's extremely rare and very powerful."
"Oh, well obviously. But where am I going to find information on that sort of thing???"
Severus scribbled a pass for the restricted section. "You might find something there. If not, you may have to go to a bigger wizarding library off campus."
Hermione took the slip of parchment and shoved it into the back pocket of her corduroys. "Thanks."
"Now go. Take the rest of the day off."
~*~*~
Hermione was at the portrait of her dormitory when Ginny came running up.
"Hi, Ginny." Hermione greeted her younger friend. "What's up?"
"What are you doing tonight Hermione?" Ginny asked excitedly, following the Head Girl into her private common room.
"Uh...nothing. Why? What have you got in mind?"
"Well, a few of us are going to sneak down to Hogsmeade to dancing at Magical."
"Magical? Isn't that the new dance club?" Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded while rifling through Hermione's wardrobe.
"Who all is going?"
"Oh, I dunno." She bit her lip in though. "A few of the Group. Me, Harry, Ron, Parvarti and Lavender, Neville, Collin, Dean...uh..you know..."
"Okay. I do need a night off. But now, what to wear."
Ginny laughed. "Yeah, there are so many options!!"
~*~*~
Ginny and Hermione showed up in the Gryffindor common room about half-hour later dressed to impress. Hermione in a denim pleated mini-skirt, red off- the-shoulder top and red kitten heels. Ginny in a pair of tight, low slung stretch black pants and an emerald tank top that accented her hair. They decided they would sneak through the passage that led to Honeydukes in groups of two or three at three-minute intervals.
Harry and Ron were the first to leave. Next came Parvarti and Lavender followed a few minutes later by Neville, Collin and Dean. Ginny and Hermione went last. Unfortunately, as soon as the got to the statue of the one eyed witch, Hermione saw Severus at the end of the corridor.
"Oh, shit!" Ginny muttered under her breath.
"No, Hermione whispered, "It'll be okay."
"What are you Gryffindor's doing at this end of the castle?" Severus asked is a silky voice.
"Actually, Professor sir, we were just going to take the evening off."
"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek." Severus smirked and walked off.
Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "Disendium." She whispered and the two girls ambled into the tunnel.
"How did you do that? How did we get away with only five points taken away?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ginny." Hermione said with a grin. "Just be happy we got away with it at all."
~*~*~
I don't know if this chapter will be as good as the previous. I mean, there's not a lot to it, but yet, it's here right? That's gotta count for something. I apologize profusely. I'll try too keep on the ball a little bit better this time.
~*~*~
As they walked through the dungeons heading towards Professor Snape's personal laboratory, no words were passed between the two. Soon, they passed by the entrance to the Head Girl's quarters and Hermione Granger put a hand softly on Severus Snape's arm.
"Just a minute, Sev." She said softly. "I'd like to change clothes...these are...too binding for working in the laboratory."
"Make it quick, Hermione." Severus said. "We don't have much time to work anymore."
"Amour et pax," Hermione uttered softly as she rolled her eyes at Severus's comment. Once they were both in the room, Hermione headed straight for her bedroom. She began to speak as Severus sat in the front room.
"Oh, so like it was all my fault? I believe that I'm supposed to be playing the part of Draco's little toy. Am I incorrect in this statement, *Professor*?" Hermione asked pointedly from her bedroom.
"Oh, and one would have the cause to think that you are no longer just playing. Am *I* incorrect in *this* statement, Miss Granger?" Severus replied with a sneer as he poured himself a drink.
Hermione stopped shuffling through her closet. She had decided on a fitted white girlie tee with a square neck and low slung olive green corduroy trousers. She was headed to the bathroom to wash off all her makeup when she stopped in her tracks.
"What?" She asked, alarmed. She stepped into the front room sans accessories, shoes, and tights. Though, she was still wearing her skirt and her un-tucked top. "Severus, what did you say?" She asked again, her voice a deadly whisper.
"Do you have a hearing problem, Hermione?" Severus asked.
Hermione just ran a well-manicured hand through her hair. "What, pray tell, would make you say something like that?"
"Hermione," Severus sighed. "When I walked accidentally in on you this morning...I couldn't help but notice..."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes..." She maintained her cool exterior but was truthfully very nervous.
"I saw those bruises." Severus finished.
"Yeah, I guessed as much." Hermione said. "Listen, Sev, just allow me finish getting changed and then we can sit and talk." She tucked a chocolate strand of hair behind her ear and turned her back to the cold glare she was receiving as she went back to the bedroom.
~*~*~
Hermione charmed her hair into French braided pigtails, a style that was cute, yet ideal for potions, as the wisps of hair stayed pulled back. She eyed her reflection in the mirror above her bureau and put on simple silver jewelry. She shoved her stocking feet into a pair of brown clogs and made her way back to her common room. Severus had set his drink down on the coffee table and was browsing Hermione's books. She looked from him, to the glass tumbler.
"Ready *yet,* Hermione?" Severus asked.
Hermione grabbed the drink and, with a small wince, downed it. "Yes sir."
He turned around for his drink and noticed the glass tumbler in Hermione's hand, the *empty* glass tumbler. "You finished my drink." Severus said as more of a statement than a question.
"Well, I had assumed you were done with it, so I'd get rid of it for you." Hermione explained with a grin.
"So I see." Severus said and swept out the door.
Hermione followed him into his private potions laboratory. "So, what are we working on today?"
Severus conjured up two tall stools. "Before we start working, I'd like to have a little chat with you."
Hermione looked at the floor and began twirling hair between her fingers. "Oh, Severus. I don't know if I really want to talk about it. I mean." Hermione hesitated and looked up. "It's really nothing to worry about. Nothing I can't take care of, you know."
"Miss Granger, do I need to remind you that I saw those bruises with mine own eyes?" Severus said.
"Well, no, of course not. But...listen, if it *does* get bad, I will come to you, I promise I will."
Severus sighed in disappointment. He couldn't very well make the girl tell him. "Fine, Hermione, but I have your word that you will come to me."
She nodded. "Yes, Severus, you do."
"Now, I was thinking that we start testing the variations of the effects of—"
"Severus?" Hermione interrupted. "I, uh, maybe we can do this another time? To be honest, I don't feel up to it today, and I wouldn't like to mess up a potion you know."
Severus Snape closed his eyes for a second. "Fine, Miss Granger, go. But I want you to be researching the uses of finely crushed unicorn bone."
"Finely crushed unicorn bone??? Where the devil are you going to find something like that?" Hermione exclaimed.
"Never you mind, but it's extremely rare and very powerful."
"Oh, well obviously. But where am I going to find information on that sort of thing???"
Severus scribbled a pass for the restricted section. "You might find something there. If not, you may have to go to a bigger wizarding library off campus."
Hermione took the slip of parchment and shoved it into the back pocket of her corduroys. "Thanks."
"Now go. Take the rest of the day off."
~*~*~
Hermione was at the portrait of her dormitory when Ginny came running up.
"Hi, Ginny." Hermione greeted her younger friend. "What's up?"
"What are you doing tonight Hermione?" Ginny asked excitedly, following the Head Girl into her private common room.
"Uh...nothing. Why? What have you got in mind?"
"Well, a few of us are going to sneak down to Hogsmeade to dancing at Magical."
"Magical? Isn't that the new dance club?" Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded while rifling through Hermione's wardrobe.
"Who all is going?"
"Oh, I dunno." She bit her lip in though. "A few of the Group. Me, Harry, Ron, Parvarti and Lavender, Neville, Collin, Dean...uh..you know..."
"Okay. I do need a night off. But now, what to wear."
Ginny laughed. "Yeah, there are so many options!!"
~*~*~
Ginny and Hermione showed up in the Gryffindor common room about half-hour later dressed to impress. Hermione in a denim pleated mini-skirt, red off- the-shoulder top and red kitten heels. Ginny in a pair of tight, low slung stretch black pants and an emerald tank top that accented her hair. They decided they would sneak through the passage that led to Honeydukes in groups of two or three at three-minute intervals.
Harry and Ron were the first to leave. Next came Parvarti and Lavender followed a few minutes later by Neville, Collin and Dean. Ginny and Hermione went last. Unfortunately, as soon as the got to the statue of the one eyed witch, Hermione saw Severus at the end of the corridor.
"Oh, shit!" Ginny muttered under her breath.
"No, Hermione whispered, "It'll be okay."
"What are you Gryffindor's doing at this end of the castle?" Severus asked is a silky voice.
"Actually, Professor sir, we were just going to take the evening off."
"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek." Severus smirked and walked off.
Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "Disendium." She whispered and the two girls ambled into the tunnel.
"How did you do that? How did we get away with only five points taken away?" Ginny asked.
"Oh, don't worry about it, Ginny." Hermione said with a grin. "Just be happy we got away with it at all."
~*~*~