Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, only this plot. JK Rowling owns all.
Set in seventh year. HG/SS
Chapter 1: What he wants...
Hermione Granger stared at the front of the Potions classroom watching Professor Snape write the ingredients and instructions for a potion on the board. It was a very difficult potion and contained a lot of complicated ingredients, many of which could be very harmful if they were used in the wrong way. She quickly copied down the assignment and listened as he paired them into groups. Since she and Harry were sitting together, Snape automatically seperated them and paired her with Pansy Parkinson. Harry ended up with Blaise Zabini.
Hermione was so focused on her thoughts that she began to voice them aloud. "What's he thinking giving this to us?...I can't stand him.... He's not fit to be a teacher... He hates all of us...Except the Slytherins of course."she muttered under her breath. Unfortunately for her, Snape had chosen that moment to walk up behind them.
"Miss Granger? Would you like to tell the rest of the class your feelings about how I run my class? You don't think I'm fit to be a teacher?...10 points from Griffyndor and detention, here with me, at 5:00 tonight. Be here on time, Miss Granger, or face the consequences. You would not want that, I do not believe." Snape surpressed a grin at the thought of spending a few hours alone with Hermione. He hadn't given her detention because of her attitude. He had wanted to make an example of her to the class, however. Maybe shut some people up. He had heard rumors that he was soft on her. Some people thought that he was too easy on her because he didn't give her detention when she deserved it. 'This will show them.', he thought.
"Detention!" Hermione had been furious ever since Potions early that morning. Harry and Ron didn't know what to tell her. They tried to console her at lunch, but nothing had worked so far. She was just as mad as ever. They had never seen her so angry about something ever. She stormed out of the Great Hall and into her next class, Transfiguration.
She could think of nothing but her impending doom that night through her next two classes. Harry and Ron didn't understand why she was so angry. She hadn't meant those things she had said about Snape. She really didn't want to have to face him tonight, but she finished dinner and left to arrive at his office right on time.
She knocked timidly on the door, but there was no answer. She slowly opened the door and peeked inside. Snape was no where to be found. She stepped inside and made her way to the front of the room and his desk. He wasn't there and she was afraid that if he came back and found her in his classroom that he would be angry.
She walked toward the door at the front of the room behind his desk and knocked again. This time she heard a soft, yet very irritated voice say "Come in!" She opened the door and stuck her head through the crack.
"Hurry along, Miss Granger. What are you waiting for? This is detention and you should already be doing your assignment." He waved his wand at a small table sitting in a corner. A piece of parchment appeared with her instructions written on it along with a quill, ink, and a large stack of blank parchment.
She stepped over to the table and read the paper. 'You will write "I will not discredit my professor. I am only a student who knows nothing." until 8:00. Do not stop until I have told you to do so.' She had never had to write lines. But then she had only gotten detention a few times. Harry and Ron had gotten it lots and they had had to write lines many times.
She sat down and began to write on the extra parchment. 'He hates me. He is such an awful, disgusting man. I have loads of homework that I should be doing right now, but instead I'm here in Snape's office writing lines all because I expressed my opinion... Eight o'clock is NEVER going to come at this rate... Two more hours...'
Snape sat and watched her for a moment. She was so beautiful. And smart. And...fiesty, yes that was the word. She was an amazing student and witch. He knew that she hated him and that they could never have anything more than a student-teacher relationship, but he could always fantasize. 'Maybe one day, after she graduates. That's this year.' He thought. 'Maybe I can gain her respect and... no, it would never work. We are two completely different people... Maybe I should just tell her, make a move, do something to make her realize that she's not just a student to me, that I want her and I love her... I don't know what to do. She only has two more hours here. I don't ever want her to leave...'
Eventually, 8:00 did come. Hermione had written on nearly fifteen sheets of parchment. Her hand was on fire and kept cramping so bad that tears came to her eyes. She didn't allow Snape to see though. She would never allow him that satisfaction of knowing he had hurt her.
"It is eight o'clock. You may go now, Her- Miss Granger. Leave the papers there on the desk. Good-night." He cringed as he caught his mistake. He hadn't meant to say good-night or call her by her first name. He hoped she hadn't heard him. She hurriedly collected her things and nearly ran out the door and back to her common room. As she closed the office door, Snape muttered "Why do I love you?" to her retreating form.
She never heard him. All she could think about was getting to her room to finish her homework. First she would have to talk to Harry and Ron though. She said the password as she rounded the corner and quickly scrambled inside. She was glad to get away from Snape. She hoped she never had detention with him again...
Snape sat in his office for a long time after Hermione left that evening. He thought about how things were, how things were going to end up, and how things could be. He hated to dwell on the future. The future with Hermione as his would never happen. Tears came to his eyes as he thought of his future without her. He hated himself for just thinking about her, just imagining that they could ever be together.
"What am I going to do?"
Please review. My first HG/SS. I hope it is a satisfactory beginning. It won't be a long fic though.