Just before seven o'clock, Hermione strolled toward Snape's office and pushed open the door without knocking. When she entered, Snape looked up with a hint of amusement on his face. "Miss Granger, I didn't expect that you'd actually show up. I wasn't serious about the detention."
Hermione sat down in the chair across from Snape and replied, "I am fully aware of that fact, but I also had to get your answer to my previously stated question. So here I am."
"I see that. Now normally, I would have dismissed a question of that nature right away, but I was quite intrigued by the question you asked, so I actually thought of an answer. Would you like to hear it?" Snape inquired, setting his quill on his desk and conjuring a pot of tea.
"You know I want the answer because I wouldn't have asked otherwise." Hermione stated, accepting the cup of tea that was offered to her.
Snape sipped his tea and began, "Well, I came up with three reasons why you should be afraid of me. For one, I am a former Death Eater, known for murdering and raping the innocent. Second, I have more experience than you can ever hope to have, in all matters. And finally, because I think I may have lost my mind."
Hermione snorted into her tea, "Those are very good reasons, but not for me."
"And why is that Miss Granger?"
"Because you can't rape the willing." Hermione blurted out and instantly hid her face in her hands, "Please tell me I didn't just say that out loud."
Snape, still quite amused by her comment, responded, "Well, I could tell you that, but it would be a lie. I will forget all about that if you do something for me."
Hermione peeked at him through her fingers, "What's that?"
"Go back to your dormitory and don't tell anyone how bad my tea is. Do we have a deal?" Snape extended a hand toward her.
She stood and shook it, glad that he wasn't going to mention her comment to anyone, "I suppose I will see you at breakfast, then?
"You will. Good night Miss Granger." Snape kissed Hermione's hand before releasing it and sending her on her way.
"Miss Granger, can you come see me during dinner?" McGonagall inquired, the next day as the met in the hall.
Hermione nodded and continued on her way to Arithmacy. At dinner, Hermione made her way to the Head Table and plopped down in her usual seat, which was reserved for Professor Binns, next to McGonagall and asked what she needed.
"Tomorrow evening. I have the music arranged and since it's a Friday, we won't be keeping them from their homework. What do you think?" McGonagall whispered excitedly.
Hermione nodded, "Sounds good. You are going to need some help with the decorations and such, aren't you? After lunch, all I have is Care of Magical creatures and I help Hagrid design his lesson plans anyway, so I will definitely be able to come and help you. I have to go eat because I am starting a new potion and I have to get to going. I will talk to you at breakfast."
Hermione grabbed a roll on the way out the door and headed for the dungeons. She had just opened her cabinet when Snape stumbled in. Hermione could tell he was forcing himself to keep walking and was about to speak when he collapsed on the floor. Hermione quickly locked her cabinet and rushed to him. She couldn't figure out what was wrong with him and began shaking him and shouting, "Professor, Professor! Wake up! Snap out of it!"
Hermione continued this for another few minutes until he began to stir, or so she thought, "Hello, Miss Granger. I didn't scare you did I?" Snape grinned and climbed, unassisted, to his feet.
"Wha…"
Snape brushed the front of his rope off and chuckled, "Miss Granger, I was testing you. I had to know if there was an accident or something in the lab, if you would stay with me or if you would leave me. Now I at least know thaa…"
Hermione was on her feet and cursed him with a Full Body-Bind spell before he could finish his thought, "How could you do that to me? The one person who willingly gets close to you and doesn't mind! The one person who enjoys coming to your class! And you go and scare me to death! It's not the point that it wasn't a real problem, but I thought there could actually be something wrong with you!" she bellowed at his rigid figure lying on the floor. She stormed toward the door, gathered her things and performed the counter-curse as she exited.
Snape carefully sat up and rubbed his head, 'Obviously I was wrong,' he thought, 'She is not a force to be reckoned with. Maybe I underestimated her.' After a minute or two, he climbed to his feet and moved to his desk. He gathered the Third Year essays that were handed in that day and made his way to his room for a hot cup of tea.
Hermione stormed to her room and slammed the door, shaking the whole common room. Most of the Gryffindors were used to explosions from Fred and George Weasley, but since they had been out of school for a few years, most of them that were sitting in the common room jumped and Harry whispered to Ginny, "What do you think is wrong with 'Mione? Do you want to go find out?"
Without answering, Ginny got up and went to Hermione's door. Feeling the eyes of her classmates on her back, she knocked on the door and inquired, "'Mione, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?"
There was no reply, so Ginny extracted her wand from her robe, muttered a spell inaudible to everyone else, and entered Hermione's once locked door.
Hermione was sitting on her bed, clutching her pillow, and apparently crying.
Ginny walked up to her and put a hand a Hermione's shoulder, causing her to jump, wipe her eyes, and ask, "How did you get in here?"
"You told me how to get in here. Anyway, what's wrong? And don't tell me 'nothing' because I know better." Ginny lectured.
"Gin, did I tell you that Snape offered me an apprenticeship?" As Ginny shook her head, Hermione continued, "Well, he did. Anyway, I guess he wanted to test me. To see how I'd react if he were hurt. He scared me so bad. I was so angry with him for that. I yelled at him and I think I may have cursed him. I guess I got a little carried away. But I seriously thought there was something wrong with him."
Ginny gasped, "You cursed him! He could have you expelled! Besides, you must have scared him pretty bad when you did that, you know?"
"Yeah, well he scared me too. Anyway Gin, thanks for letting me talk to you. I'm going to get a bath and climb into bed. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night." Hermione got up and gathered her nightdress from her dresser and started toward the bathroom.
"Night 'Mione." Ginny said and let herself out.
'It's times like these that I'm glad the Heads get their own bathrooms.' Hermione thought as she lowered herself into a steaming bubble bath. After the water had become only mildly warm and the bubbles had all but disappeared, she climbed out and dried herself with a drying charm. She dressed and did her hair in a messy French Braid. She climbed into bed, glad that tomorrow was the masquerade and she could stop worrying about it.
"Gin, what was wrong with 'Mione?" Harry questioned as Ginny emerged from Hermione's room.
Ginny chuckled and replied, "She's having some difficulties with her potion, that's all. I'm going to bed. Good Night." Ginny gave Harry a quick kiss before going up the stairs to her dormitory.
At lunch the next day, Hermione asked Hagrid if it would be okay for her to miss his class that day so she could help McGonagall with something.
"Well, a' course ya can Hermione. It's going to be a boring day fer ya anyway. Have fun doin' whatever yer doin'." Hagrid replied with a big grin. He was still trying to make her feel better about Ron.
Hermione smiled, "Thanks Hagrid."
After Lunch, McGonagall shooed all the students out of the Great Hall and prevented anyone without the password from entering. "All right Hermione, let's get to work." McGonagall suggested, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. So for the next four hours, Hermione and McGonagall decorated the Great Hall. It wouldn't have taken nearly as long, but McGonagall was so picky about the decorations, that Hermione doubted they would get done on time. But they did and just in time for the students to start filing in for dinner.
"All right. The band is set. The decorations are up. Now all we need are the students." Hermione commented as she and McGonagall almost jogged toward the door. "I was thinking the girls costumes should look like this." Hermione waved her wand and transformed her robes into a beautiful, but simple sparkled periwinkle-colored dress.
"That is gorgeous Hermione. I have just the outfit for the boys too. You worry about the girls and I'll worry about the boys. The masks are here by the door, right?" McGonagall asked excitedly.
Hermione nodded as they positioned themselves outside the doors. As McGonagall undid the spell on the door, a few students entered, only to be stopped by the sneaky pair of witches. After the small group had been transformed, numbered, and masked, a few more students entered. This routine continued for another fifteen minutes or so, until McGonagall figured that all the students were there.
After a quick meal, McGonagall stood and spoke, "Students and teachers. I, along with our Head girl, have organized this masquerade for your enjoyment. Now, you may dance and get comfortable, and then we will have a dance contest. Have fun." She flicked her wand and the tables disappeared and the benches that everyone were sitting on slid across the floor and against the walls. As the music began, a few students here and there got up and began to dance, followed by almost everyone else. Hermione stood by the Head Table, silently tapping her foot and watching the masses dance.
As the awkward tension in the room dwindled, McGonagall announced the contest. "Boys on one side of the room, girls on the other. That's good. Now line up numerically according to the number on your hand. Very nice. Everyone make their way toward the middle and pair up with the person the corresponding number as yours. Excellent. Is their anyone left?"
Hermione, who was all the way at the end of the line, raised her hand and moved off to the side. McGonagall, who didn't want Hermione, who did so much work, to be left out. She turned to the teachers and asked for any volunteers for a dance partner. Nobody stepped forward so she masked and transformed the clothes on the nearest teacher. Reluctantly, they made walked over to Hermione and took her hand. Hermione smiled, although, she didn't know who her partner was.
As the music played and the couples danced, McGonagall and the remaining teachers walked around and narrowed down the couples until there were only two left. Both couples danced with great ease and the teachers had a tough time deciding who was better. When the end of the song came, one couple bowed to each other, the other did a complicated spinning dip. There was no question which couple should win after that. "I name this couple to be the winner. You have won dinner for two in Hogsmeade tomorrow night. Why doesn't everyone take off their masks and see who their partners are?" McGonagall suggested.
Everyone was watching the to final couples take off their masks. The second place couple removed theirs first and everyone was shocked to see Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy. Then everyone's eyes turned toward the winners. Hermione removed her mask first and waited to see who her partner had been. When he removed his mask, Hermione gasped and backed away.
In front of her, stood Professor Snape, "Hello Miss Granger. You dance quite well. I am impressed."