A/N: Well. first of all, thanks for your awesome reviews. I never thought
you would like my first chapter so much. So far, I've written till chapter
7 (chapter 8; work in progress) and please. let me know if you like where
this is going. Anyhow. thanks again. and.
Here it is; chapter 2. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: Detention, Reflection, Conversation.
Running was the easy way out of it. Running away from things, from problems, in most cases is the easy way out. And so, she wildly ran through the castle's most narrow corridors; corridors which lead to magical rooms found only at Hogwarts.
She wasn't reflecting on anything in particular while escaping from Snape. but thinking about it twice, she should have realized that most Hogwarts professors knew every existing shortcut in the castle.
"Miss Granger.," the same deep voice whispered from the end of the candle lit corridor, ".where do you think you are going? You were not excused; our conversation was not over," he said, his arms wrapped across his chest.
A very lame "Sorry, professor," was all Hermione managed to mumble.
"Very well, Miss Granger, now which kind of venom would you be looking for?" he asked mockingly, an evil grin on his face.
"Professor, I.," she started to say, but once again he interrupted her.
"For both our sakes, Miss Granger, do not finish that sentence. If you have made up your mind about killing yourself, I suggest you to talk to the headmaster. It is most probable that he will come up with a solution," he advised, staring at her with his black beady eyes. "Personally, I couldn't care less about your being suicidal, Miss Granger. In fact, I support your every decision and please, feel free to come to me if looking for poisons. I fancy them quite a lot," he said sarcastically, an evil grin plastered on his face.
"Thanks professor," she said under her breath, blushing like a tomato. She was so embarrassed about everything that had happened that night. Why was it always her?
"Your welcome, Miss Granger.," he said, quickly adding, 'and due to your previous runaway, 20 points will be taken from Gryffindor and you will serve a weeks worth of detention."
With that final comment, he turned right, leaving Hermione both ashamed and angry.
---*---*---
"That awful, awful man," she thought to herself later that night. "He thought I was suicidal. how could he?" she reflected on her own memories about the library incident.
Snape knew perfectly well what Miss Granger was feeling, having suffered from similar pains while he was going through puberty. Scholars, or in other words, intellectuals, who always seem to think of no one but themselves, and maybe the dead voices from the past which communicate with them through books, experience loneliness. That's why they spend so much time on activities such as reading books or visiting art galleries. It's alright if you OCASSIONALLY read "A tale of two cities" but reading it 49 times in order to capture Dickens true essence makes you an outcast from society.
No wonder Hermione was so afraid of the future; what would life bring her in a world were books are not as important as living?
Hermione was brilliant and being above average had always been the problem. Her interests had always been different. her worries had reached another level; a higher, most profound level inaccessible for others.
In other words, Harry and Ron, though her best friends, were unable to fulfil her deep side. She loved them and they loved her back, but something about not sharing EVERYTHING had made Hermione's nights hell. She had always thought friends were forever but things were changing.
And she knew it; Harry knew it .even Ron knew it. But it was taking time for them to accept it.
Sadly, Snape knew it as well. Dumbledore, being headmaster at the time, had helped him a great deal when coping with that painful period in his adolescence. Maybe he would be able to help Miss Granger as well.
"I couldn't care less," he said to himself while still wrapped in his black, silk sheets. He turned around, closed his eyes, and yawning loudly he fell asleep.
What he did not know, however, was that several floors above his very own head, a very bushy haired Head Girl had fallen asleep as well.
...thinking about his own words: "In fact, I support your every decision and please, feel free to come to me if looking for poisons. I fancy them quite a lot".
Maybe, just maybe, a talk with Dumbledore would suit her fine.
--*--*--
Severus Snape awoke late that morning. Very late. He had only time for a quick shower and a small breakfast.
"Damned that silly little Gryffindor girl. storming the library in the middle of the night," he thought to himself while soaping his armpit. "I shouldn't have followed her," he said out loud while turning the taps off and wrapping a towel around his slender waist. Reality was that he didn't resist the urge to follow her. He knew she was hiding something and he was going to find out everything about it. And perhaps, deduct some points from Gryffindor.
He was about to finish buttoning his shirt when a well wrinkled, pale head popped into his fireplace. It was Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the greatest wizard in the world.
"Good morning, Severus," he said greeting the Head of Slytherin House, "Miss Granger. a lovely student of yours is in my office under your personal advice, would you care to explain the circumstances, professor?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"Certainly, Headmaster.I," he stated to say, but he was interrupted by the elder wizard.
"No, my boy, not by Floo Powder. Step into my office," he ordered, still with a wide grin on his face.
"Of course," Snape said loyally, mentally cursing himself for attempting to help Miss Granger. He had done a poor job in closing his mouth.
He took a handful of Floo Powder from a small pouch hanging beside the fireplace and shouting: "Dumbledore's office" he was transported into an office he knew as well as his own.
"Very well, Miss Granger, now that we are all here. would you care to continue with your explanation?" he kindly asked. But Hermione was speechless; she had momentarily lost the ability to talk.
"Professor Dumbledore, I don't want to sound rude, but is it really necessary for professor Snape to be here?" she asked, a look of consternation on her face.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I'm afraid it is necessary," he said firmly, "but please. continue with your explanation."
She swallowed hard and without looking Snape's way she carried on with her description.
"I feel empty, professor. I feel life has lost its meaning; I feel so lonely without my friends sharing what I love. and yesterday while talking to Professor Snape in the library I felt the urge to kill myself," she tried to continue, but Dumbledore interrupted her. He had heard enough.
"Very well, Miss Granger, very well. I've head that you earned a week worth of detention with Professor Snape, am I mistaken?" he asked, melancholically looking through the window.
"I have, Headmaster," she said timidly. Snape released a nasty little laugh. All eyes, including the eyes that belonged to the paintings hanging in the room, turned to face Snape.
"Severus.," Dumbledore was the first to speak. "I know you are working on a new potion and I am sure you wouldn't mind having an assistant who is as efficient as Miss Granger, or would you, Severus?" he asked from under his half moon spectacles.
It was Snape's turn to swallow hard.
"No, Headmaster, I wouldn't mind at all," he lied, hate burning in his eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore, I never intended Professor Snape to sacrifice.," Hermione started to say. She did not like the idea of spending extra time with Snape. Not even brewing a complicated potion.
"Miss Granger, I can assure you that you are not a burden for Professor Snape. In fact, I think that this project will suit the both of you nicely," Dumbledore said wisely.
Neither Snape nor Hermione said a word after that. They were both too angry and too irritated to speak. They left the room without even talking to each other because they knew that they would need all the strength they had for that night's detention.
They'll need all the stamina in the world to stand each other.
Here it is; chapter 2. Enjoy.
Chapter 2: Detention, Reflection, Conversation.
Running was the easy way out of it. Running away from things, from problems, in most cases is the easy way out. And so, she wildly ran through the castle's most narrow corridors; corridors which lead to magical rooms found only at Hogwarts.
She wasn't reflecting on anything in particular while escaping from Snape. but thinking about it twice, she should have realized that most Hogwarts professors knew every existing shortcut in the castle.
"Miss Granger.," the same deep voice whispered from the end of the candle lit corridor, ".where do you think you are going? You were not excused; our conversation was not over," he said, his arms wrapped across his chest.
A very lame "Sorry, professor," was all Hermione managed to mumble.
"Very well, Miss Granger, now which kind of venom would you be looking for?" he asked mockingly, an evil grin on his face.
"Professor, I.," she started to say, but once again he interrupted her.
"For both our sakes, Miss Granger, do not finish that sentence. If you have made up your mind about killing yourself, I suggest you to talk to the headmaster. It is most probable that he will come up with a solution," he advised, staring at her with his black beady eyes. "Personally, I couldn't care less about your being suicidal, Miss Granger. In fact, I support your every decision and please, feel free to come to me if looking for poisons. I fancy them quite a lot," he said sarcastically, an evil grin plastered on his face.
"Thanks professor," she said under her breath, blushing like a tomato. She was so embarrassed about everything that had happened that night. Why was it always her?
"Your welcome, Miss Granger.," he said, quickly adding, 'and due to your previous runaway, 20 points will be taken from Gryffindor and you will serve a weeks worth of detention."
With that final comment, he turned right, leaving Hermione both ashamed and angry.
---*---*---
"That awful, awful man," she thought to herself later that night. "He thought I was suicidal. how could he?" she reflected on her own memories about the library incident.
Snape knew perfectly well what Miss Granger was feeling, having suffered from similar pains while he was going through puberty. Scholars, or in other words, intellectuals, who always seem to think of no one but themselves, and maybe the dead voices from the past which communicate with them through books, experience loneliness. That's why they spend so much time on activities such as reading books or visiting art galleries. It's alright if you OCASSIONALLY read "A tale of two cities" but reading it 49 times in order to capture Dickens true essence makes you an outcast from society.
No wonder Hermione was so afraid of the future; what would life bring her in a world were books are not as important as living?
Hermione was brilliant and being above average had always been the problem. Her interests had always been different. her worries had reached another level; a higher, most profound level inaccessible for others.
In other words, Harry and Ron, though her best friends, were unable to fulfil her deep side. She loved them and they loved her back, but something about not sharing EVERYTHING had made Hermione's nights hell. She had always thought friends were forever but things were changing.
And she knew it; Harry knew it .even Ron knew it. But it was taking time for them to accept it.
Sadly, Snape knew it as well. Dumbledore, being headmaster at the time, had helped him a great deal when coping with that painful period in his adolescence. Maybe he would be able to help Miss Granger as well.
"I couldn't care less," he said to himself while still wrapped in his black, silk sheets. He turned around, closed his eyes, and yawning loudly he fell asleep.
What he did not know, however, was that several floors above his very own head, a very bushy haired Head Girl had fallen asleep as well.
...thinking about his own words: "In fact, I support your every decision and please, feel free to come to me if looking for poisons. I fancy them quite a lot".
Maybe, just maybe, a talk with Dumbledore would suit her fine.
--*--*--
Severus Snape awoke late that morning. Very late. He had only time for a quick shower and a small breakfast.
"Damned that silly little Gryffindor girl. storming the library in the middle of the night," he thought to himself while soaping his armpit. "I shouldn't have followed her," he said out loud while turning the taps off and wrapping a towel around his slender waist. Reality was that he didn't resist the urge to follow her. He knew she was hiding something and he was going to find out everything about it. And perhaps, deduct some points from Gryffindor.
He was about to finish buttoning his shirt when a well wrinkled, pale head popped into his fireplace. It was Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the greatest wizard in the world.
"Good morning, Severus," he said greeting the Head of Slytherin House, "Miss Granger. a lovely student of yours is in my office under your personal advice, would you care to explain the circumstances, professor?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"Certainly, Headmaster.I," he stated to say, but he was interrupted by the elder wizard.
"No, my boy, not by Floo Powder. Step into my office," he ordered, still with a wide grin on his face.
"Of course," Snape said loyally, mentally cursing himself for attempting to help Miss Granger. He had done a poor job in closing his mouth.
He took a handful of Floo Powder from a small pouch hanging beside the fireplace and shouting: "Dumbledore's office" he was transported into an office he knew as well as his own.
"Very well, Miss Granger, now that we are all here. would you care to continue with your explanation?" he kindly asked. But Hermione was speechless; she had momentarily lost the ability to talk.
"Professor Dumbledore, I don't want to sound rude, but is it really necessary for professor Snape to be here?" she asked, a look of consternation on her face.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I'm afraid it is necessary," he said firmly, "but please. continue with your explanation."
She swallowed hard and without looking Snape's way she carried on with her description.
"I feel empty, professor. I feel life has lost its meaning; I feel so lonely without my friends sharing what I love. and yesterday while talking to Professor Snape in the library I felt the urge to kill myself," she tried to continue, but Dumbledore interrupted her. He had heard enough.
"Very well, Miss Granger, very well. I've head that you earned a week worth of detention with Professor Snape, am I mistaken?" he asked, melancholically looking through the window.
"I have, Headmaster," she said timidly. Snape released a nasty little laugh. All eyes, including the eyes that belonged to the paintings hanging in the room, turned to face Snape.
"Severus.," Dumbledore was the first to speak. "I know you are working on a new potion and I am sure you wouldn't mind having an assistant who is as efficient as Miss Granger, or would you, Severus?" he asked from under his half moon spectacles.
It was Snape's turn to swallow hard.
"No, Headmaster, I wouldn't mind at all," he lied, hate burning in his eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore, I never intended Professor Snape to sacrifice.," Hermione started to say. She did not like the idea of spending extra time with Snape. Not even brewing a complicated potion.
"Miss Granger, I can assure you that you are not a burden for Professor Snape. In fact, I think that this project will suit the both of you nicely," Dumbledore said wisely.
Neither Snape nor Hermione said a word after that. They were both too angry and too irritated to speak. They left the room without even talking to each other because they knew that they would need all the strength they had for that night's detention.
They'll need all the stamina in the world to stand each other.