Chapter Two


"So what did she want?" ventured Ron.
"Oh she just told me that I was recommended to her by our previous teacher and she would like to see some of my previous work" Hermione lied.
"Oh well… that's nice isn't" said Ron uncertainly.
They soon went back to their normal friendly ways as they ate their lunch and Hermione even forgot about her eating plan.
"Oh I almost forgot, Professor Flitwick asked us to ask you whether you would go and see him because he has to give you extra homework because you missed the lesson." Said Harry
"Oh yes of course I will, I was just…. Well…I mean…what it is…" began Hermione
"Its OK you don't need to tell us if you don't want to," said Harry in a friendly tone. She gave him a grateful look. Just then the bell rang and they all got up and headed towards the dungeon were Snape's lessons were held.

~*~

Severus was pacing round his classroom. He had seconds before his class would start to enter the room. He hated these lessons. He thanked his stars that he could now control his thoughts and reactions. Other wise he would have swept her up in his arms and kissed her until she swooned.

All too soon he heard the chatter of students getting closer to his classroom.

"bugger." He said quietly he had wanted more time to collect himself.

Oh well here goes, maybe time will go quickly and if your lucky she won't turn up.

Just before the students arrived the door opened to reveal Sarah Belle.

"What do you want?" Severus snapped going to sit at his desk.

"I was wondering what Hogwarts favourite potions master is doing tonight." She said seductively.

"I'm busy." He replied shortly.

"Doing what?" he voice was dripping with lust and pulling the clip out of her hair, allowing it all to fall around her face.

Severus looked her straight in the eye.

"Not you." Was all he said in measured tones.

~*~



The students lined up outside the door and waited for the rest of the class, mostly Slytherins, to arrive. When the door opened it wasn't Snape that emerged but a very embarrassed Professor Belle. She was blushing and playing fussily with her hair. Noises of people trying to hide giggles could be heard all around and Hermione was looking at Professor Belle with a look of half shyness and half anger on her face. Professor Belle hurried off towards the main castle as Snape emerged and beckoned them inside. Harry and Ron had to cover their mouths with their hands to stop themselves bursting out in to load and inexplicable laughter. Even with the muffled giggles of Harry and Ron next to her, Hermione managed to get a whole lessons work done in 30 min.

She was just about to raise her hand when, without looking up, Snape said, "Miss Granger I do not wish to know that you have finished before everyone else." He said this with a bored tone of voice and then continued "if you feel that this will make up for your lax efforts in Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson you are very much mistaken. I feel that Professor Belle was foolish to cover up for you but I can assure you I will not let you off for behaviour like that in my lesson!"
At this Hermione once again blushed scarlet again. Snape looked back at the papers on his desk and then, without looking up said, "20 points from Gryffindor Weasly for pulling that obscene face"
At this all of the Slytherins burst in to laughter as Ron gave Snape a murderous look, to which Snape just smirked. For the rest of the lesson Harry and Ron did their work quietly while Hermione did extensive reading on truth potions. It was strange but Hermione, as embarrassed as she was thought that he had been a lot less angry sounding than he usually was.

As they reached the corridor all of the Gryffindors, except Hermione, gave a great sigh of relief and began to moan whole heartedly about Snape. Harry, Ron and Hermione had barely got 10 ft away from the classroom door when Snape yelled "Miss Granger can I please have a word? Now."
Hermione froze and looked as if she was about to be sick. Without a word she doubled back and went back into the classroom. Harry and Ron had the feeling that when Hermione eventually emerged from Snape's wrath; she would not be in the mood or frame of mind to want to talk to them. Taking this fact into account they headed up to Gryffindor tower to put their bags and books in the common room before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner.

~*~



When Severus thought that all the class had left he turned to Hermione and looked at her with a look of deep concentration on his face. He seemed to be trying to say something but never quiet saying what it was.
"I'm sorry I shouted." Was all he seemed to be able to say.
"Oh" said Hermione shocked "OK then. I will be going then"
"Hmm" said Snape not looking at her.
He had turned his back to her as if he was trying to hide something. Hermione took this to mean that the conversation was over and started to head for the door. She stopped when she reached it, and looked back. He was still sitting with his back to her so she left.

Severus turned around only when he heard the door click shut. He relaxed into his chair and ran his hands through his hair.

~*~



Harry and Ron did not see Hermione for the rest of the evening. They had a feeling that she was probably curled up on her bed reading (her way of coping with any type of stress) blotchy faced and puffy eyed from crying. They did not go looking for her as they sensed that she would probably have turned her back on them or shouted at them to go away.

"Do you think she's alright mate?" Ron asked as his bishop smashed Harry's rook.

"Yeah, she probably gave Snape as good as she got. She'll just be a bit shook up at standing up to him." Harry reassured Ron.

Harry moved his pawn to king D4.

"Checkmate mate!" Harry beamed.

~*~

Hermione was in fact in Professor Belle's office having a polite discussion and doing the work that she had not done in the lesson. Since she had seen how embarrassed Belle had been when leaving Snape's office she felt I little more warmly to her. This was owing to the fact that by judging the mood Snape had been in Belle had probably confronted him about Hermione's lack of attention in class.
"Professor what were you doing in Professor Snape's class before we arrived?" hazarded Hermione.
" I was asking him not to come in to any more of my lessons unless it was important." She said. But it was clear from how she avoided Hermione's eyes that this was not the whole story.
"Well then why did you look so embarrassed?" Hermione prompted
"Miss Granger I hardly think that we should be talking about this when you are here to catch up with work that you were not paying attention to in class!" said Professor Belle with the blush coming back to her cheeks. At this Hermione fell silent and continued to write a detailed essay on the ways you can tell an Auror apart from other wizards.
" Hermione" said Belle after a while " have you…you wouldn't know if…no never mind forget it"
"No go on Professor" prompted Hermione "what is it"
"You wouldn't know if Professor Snape has a wife or a girlfriend would you" Belle said finally.
Hermione fell silent, with a strange look on her face.
"No" she said in a cold voice, "I wouldn't know. Now if you don't mind I think I need to sleep. I hardly think this is the time to discuss such things. I have work to catch up on. Goodbye Professor Belle"
Without so much as a backward glance Hermione picked up her books and left.

~*~

Severus was sat in his study going over some of his lessons plans. His heart wasn't in it though. It was 11pm he was tired and these were plans for lessons 4 months away. Eventually after half an hour of mulling it over Severus got to his feet. He made his way to the door and stepped out into the cool night air that swept through the castle. This was his favourite time to roam the castle. Contrary to popular belief it wasn't so he could catch people out of bed, that's was an unpleasant coincidence. He enjoyed these midnight strolls because they silence in the castle was comforting. It wasn't like the silence in his rooms, which was just still. The silence in the castle was like the noise of silence rather than the absence of noise. Hard to explain but an enjoyable sensation.

~*~


Hermione was considering going back to Gryffindor tower, but then made a detour to the library. She didn't know why exactly it wasn't as if the library would be open. It was like a force of habit. When she found the door to the library locked, as she knew it would be, she decided to make a trip to the kitchen. She kidded herself she wanted something none fat and healthy, when really her body was screaming for cream cakes and chocolate. She was mulling this craving over in her mind when she collided headlong into something solid, it was a person. Before she realised what had happened a voice said "I'm sorry" and then she looked up. It was Snape, and she was out and about after hours!
"What are you doing out of your dormitory Granger?" said Severus without his usual sneer or coldness. Quite the contrary actually he seemed almost shy, it didn't really suit him and made him sound very strange, like someone using polyjuice potion but not matching their costume with the right persona.
"Oh, Professor I...what I mean is… that is to say" Hermione hazarded
"Stop muttering Granger." Said Severus half-heartedly. He was trying to sound angry but he just didn't seem to be able to.
"Yes Professor, I was just going to see if I could hand these books…" began Hermione but stopped as Snape had simply wasn't listening. He was looking at differently than he usually did, in an almost longing sort of way. She thought that he was thinking and she had interrupted him. They stood there willing each other to break the silence. Now the silence was the absence of noise, but pregnant with expectation.
"Hermione would you…" began Severus finally, which took both Hermione and himself by surprise. He usually called her Granger or Miss Granger but never, until now called her by her first name. She didn't think that he even knew her first name. Hermione blushed furiously, as she involuntarily thought how sexy he made her name sound, just by saying it. They looked away from each other and stood there in an awkward silence. It was Hermione that broke the silence.
"Are you going to see Professor Belle Sev…erm I mean Professor?" she said blushing now a deep crimson.
"No I was in fact going to see…"

If you'd kiss me.

"If you…"

Thought I wasn't ugly.

"Were in her office as I wanted…"

To rip your clothes off and kiss you all over.

 "A word about your work." Said Severus nervously.

It had seemed that it had taken a lot of will power to speak and think at the same time.
"It's rather hot don't you think?" Severus continued hoping if he carried on talking his last sentence would seem stupid., "Would you mind continuing our talk outside Herm…. Miss Granger?
Hermione nodded and followed Severus down to the entrance hall and out of the front doors. They both stood there for a while in yet more silence like this was the most embarrassing moment of their lives. After a moment Severus seemed to get his usual vocabulary and grammar back and said, "I would firstly like to apologise about showing you up both in my lesson and in your Defence Against the Dark Arts class. I was wrong to do so." Severus paused at this point.
Hermione didn't quite know what to expect next so she just stayed silent. After a moment Severus continued,
"I also wanted to say that…what I mean is…it's just that" Severus seemed to be finding this very hard to say.
During his struggle with words Hermione found herself subconsciously closing the distance between them. He had noticed this and seemed to have lost his train of thought and just looked at her. All too quickly Hermione was so close her lips were millimetres from his and they didn't stop. As if afraid he would pull away Hermione put her arms around Severus, shaking but not from cold. 

Severus was shocked, he felt warm soft lips on his own and small delicate arms round his frame. It felt so alien to him, but I felt so good. Good enough for him not to want to let it go. Their eyes closed and their tongues entwined Severus wrapped his own arms around the small girl….woman.

All too soon reality and reason slapped Severus in he face. She was a student, his student. This was going to be too awkward for words. He pulled away dropped his hands. Hermione looked at him her arms still round his neck. She went to kiss him again but he leant back and reached up to take her arms from his neck.

"No." was all he said.

He turned on his heel and strode back into the castle and left Hermione standing there mouth open and cheeks burning.