A/N: I hate my computer, there's too much junk in the memory, so it's all screwed up… Bah! I will continue on anyway (at the library…so I might not update the very next day, so be patient with me) To answer one reviewer's question, NO, this fic will not become R, but the last chapter probably toed the line, didn't it? Anyways, no, I don't want to get rid of you just so I can make it all ewwie…Yeah, it's going to calm down a bit and have more humor! (Furry black doggie wags tail experimentally as she looks at the stars and howls at the night filled with laughter, defying the world.)
Chapter 7: Only Time Will Tell
The Astronomy Tower was to be in use by Professor Snape for making his potion and giving Hermione Granger a detention, but what on earth was he doing up there in the dark at midnight? The person in question was climbing up the stairway to find out exactly what was going on, and pushed the door open with a screeching cry that made Hermione Granger and Severus Snape jump ten feet away from each other in opposite directions. Hermione fell to the stone floor and rolled away, Snape quickly wrapped his robes around his bare topless torso and whirled around to see who it was.
It was Professor Dumbledore, looking curiously at both of them at a time. First he saw them spring apart as if they were magnets, and Snape frantically trying to cover a bare chest with Hermione retying the laces on her shirt, both of their robes lying on the floor, the wolfsbane potion simmering gently in the cauldron. It was the strangest thing he had seen yet in this school year.
"Dumbledore," coughed Snape.
"Sir," replied Hermione, sitting up.
"What," his eyes twinkling, "may I ask, is going on? I think an explanation is in order to tell me why a student is doing a detention at such a late hour and why you, Severus, were seemingly bare-chested when I entered," Dumbledore asked.
"Well, sir, I mean, uh, it's like this-"
"I was warm from making the potion so I took off my shirt, and Hermione is helping me with this wolfsbane potion that requires a necessary brewing until one in the morning, and it is to my discretion how long she remains at a detention," Snape answered with amazing ease considering the embarrassing situation and with him going slightly pink in his cheeks again for the first time in 16 years.
"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore smiled, "You're sure that there is nothing else you want to tell me?"
"N-no Headm-master," stuttered Hermione, going completely red.
"Very well, oh, and Severus, I believe it is wise for me to say that I excuse Hermione from her second week of detention. It seems you already have the potion finished, therefore will not be needing her assistance unless she further crosses you in class, then your jurisdiction is valid," Dumbledore concluded and shut the Astronomy door and walked back to his office.
Hermione and Severus Snape were motionless and silent for several minutes, the reality dawning on them that they were almost caught. Then Snape broke the silence and walked over to Hermione, pulling her up and embracing her in a gentle hug.
"Severus, "she said softly, "we were almost caught, we were almost caught," she repeated, shivering.
"I know, that's why I say that we should end this, it is too dangerous and we can't risk that again."
"What?" Snape kissed her lips with longing, and then pulled away and swept out of the tower, feeling extremely guilty and sorrowful, and Hermione standing alone with nothing but her remorseful and devastated tears to console her.
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Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, stroking Fawkes, his phoenix, which was sitting on his lap, thinking hard about what he had just witnessed. He knew that there was a change in Severus Snape, he caught him several times smiling or humming when he thought no one was watching. This was not something the ex-Death Eater and Potions Master did, ever, at least not since he graduated from Hogwarts sixteen years ago. Sixteen years. That was a long time, but for Dumbledore, it had passed almost in a blur, until the return of Voldemort had brought everything to an absolute standstill.
Rising from his chair, with Fawkes jumping hurtfully from his lap to sit on his golden perch, Dumbledore apologized for the sudden interruption. Then he suddenly had an idea. He felt that this strange relationship that he knew was growing between the infamous and loathed Potions Master and the intelligent and supposed know-it-all student Hermione would somehow bring more unity among the students and teachers. However, he, Albus, did not know how deep this friendship was, but the usual hostility between them had vanished.
He reached for his quill and parchment and began to write.
"Hermione, wait up!" Harry panted as he and Ron ran to catch up with a disheveled Hermione, who had suddenly become extremely depressed and silent, not even raising her hand for anything in any class. Potions seemed to kill her every time she entered the dungeon, tears prickling her eyes threatening to spill each time Snape looked at her.
"Herm, what the hell is going on?" Ron had become immensely upset about Hermione, he seemed to take it personally and seriously that she was acting this way, and was deeply concerned for her in a way Harry had never seen before.
"Ron, nothing, just leave me alone," Hermione said quietly, averting her eyes.
"Come on, we haven't been knocked about by that many Bludgers, we know something's wrong," Ron replied, still determined to get her to talk.
"Hermione, we care about you more than you know, you're our best friend, we'll always be there for you; can't you at least tell us anything?" Harry asked.
"It's not something I can really talk to guys about," Hermione snapped, hurt. Why did they have to care so much? Couldn't they just leave her alone? And she rushed ahead of them to Arithmancy and they had no choice but to continue on to Divination.
"Attention students, I have an important announcement," said Dumbledore as he rose to address the noisy Great Hall, which quieted immediately.
"Let me guess, Voldemort was sighted near the school," Harry said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He was so sick of it all, every year threatened with a different way of dying, no one else had to deal with that, except him.
"Don't say his name!" Ron said through clenched teeth.
"Be quiet!" Harry and Ron jumped when Hermione suddenly reprimanded them. Before they could reply, Dumbledore began to speak.
"As you all know, that Christmas season is now upon us, and I have relayed an idea to the rest of the teachers that will further bring us together in these dangerous and trivial times. We will hold an all-school Gift Exchange the day before Christmas vacation, and classes will be canceled that day-" He had to stop midsentence because there was an uproar of screams and shouts of joy from the students. "We will draw names and each and every person, including the teachers, will have to give something special to the receiver of the gift. On the gift-exchange day, the gift-givers will meet up with the person who received their name and give their gifts and spend the day with that person. Any who do not take this seriously or do not spend the whole day with the other person will, at my discretion, remain at school for the Christmas break, and a letter will be spent home to parents and guardians. Thank you. Names will be given to you in a few moments and we will form a line with half the school to pick names."
Soon half of the school, basically two of the houses, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, were in a long line to pick names. As each person drew a name, the person they drew would receive a similar piece of paper out of thin air that told them who they were to get gifts for. Harry drew a paper to find, to his utter delight, that he was to be paired with Professor Lupin. Lupin smiled as he received the conjured paper of his own and waved happily at Harry. Ron, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky, and drew none of than Draco Malfoy's name. They exchanged glares of pure hate at each other. Hermione went next, pulling out her own piece of paper, and stared in shock at the name written on it.
Severus Snape, Potions Master
Snape's insides flipped as he saw Hermione look at him in absolute shock as she got out of the line to sit with her friends. Giving her a pleading and apologetic look in return, he quickly bowed his head and avoided her eyes.
What am I going to do? Hermione thought sadly. He rejected me; he does not want anything to do with me, how will this make a difference? Snape was thinking as well. Maybe this way I can make it up to her, he resolved. I feel so bad after just leaving her like that, after that night. Maybe now I can win her back, make her understand why I did what I did. What neither of them could see was a smiling Dumbledore, looking at them both. Not a coincidence they were paired, I have a feeling that they will benefit from this gift-exchange, even though I enchanted it so they would be paired up, only time will tell…
A/N: Really depressing I know, but meaningful to the story. Wow, I can't believe it, 50 REVIEWS! That's 50 DOGGIE TREATS! I will need more so as to have more energy and creativity to write the next chapter! Heehee! Review review review! I love you all!