Chapter Two

All day I contemplated the three words that Professor Snape had uttered as an excuse.

'I like you."

What did it mean, exactly? Was it true? Was he kidding? Surely he must have been kidding...

The clock chimed 9 times as I turned the Potions corridor. I arrived at the classroom door and put my hand unto the handle, but the knots in my stomach made me pause before pushing the door open. I shouldn't be feeling so uneasy, but I felt it nonetheless.

It was alright, after this term, I only had one more miserable year with Professor Severus Snape and that was the thought that kept me sane.

I drew in a deep breath and pried open the door, poking my head in.

I exhaled quietly upon seeing him slumped over his desk, snoring ever so slightly. The bloke was sleeping. I walked in, holding the door as I did so. Then I paused and swiftly, slammed the door shut.

He jumped and sat up straight in surprise, looking around. Then he saw me. "Miss Granger..I apologize, I must of dozed off.." He spoke through a yawn.

"I'm sorry for making such a racket, Professor." I said with a fake sheepish-ness.

He nodded. "Right..Right then." He stood and stretched out as he examined the classroom, trying to find a chore for me to complete. "Hm.." He murmered thoughtfully. "Its odd, I've actually kept the room quite tidy in my opinion, and there's no sense in messing something up just so you can clean it.."

Would I get out of this one?

"I suppose I could have you..no..thats been done.." He sighed and took a seat on his desktop. "Maybe...no..Potter and Weasley are on that.." He let out a chuckle. "Well, Miss Granger...I guess there's nothing for you to do this evening..."

Ah relief.

"But, there are a few concoctions Madam Pomphrey has asked for...I could use a bit of help with mixing...And though I wouldn't admit this anywhere else, you do have a superb handle on potion making..." He ran a hand back through his hair. "If you don't mind, that is."

Potion mixing with Professor Snape was like recess for me. The detention I expected was an evening of cleaning out greasy, gunky jars that once held eye balls or fingers, or some other extremities. "I don't." I even managed a smile.

I don't think I'd ever felt such a sense of shock than the moment I saw him smile to me as well.

It took an hour to make the very complex solution for an awakening serum that consisted of nearly 40 different ingredients, mixed and measured a certain way.Professor Snape held my hand steady as I dropped in the last mixture. There was a satisfying pop fizz and the potion in the cauldron turned into a bubbly transparent liquid.

I smiled up to him, but saw he was frowning. "What?"

He slumped into a chair that resided beside him, running his hands down his face in frustration. "Dip your finger in Miss Granger."

I hesitated at first, but reluctantly, I dipped my finger in and took a taste. I snorted. "Vodka."

"Yeah.." He said with an exhasperated laugh. "Bottom's up."

We sat at two of the chairs at the desks for the students as we drank and It didn't take long to get very comfortable with talking to him one on one after a little vodka. I made sure not to drink too much because I knew for a fact, my tolerance for alcohol was very very low.

It was odd, sipping vodka and having an intelligent conversation with a man you told yourself you hated over and again. He was rather intellectual to be honest. He won many of the debates we held that night and maybe I was mistaken, hopefully I was mistaken, for I thought I was warming to him.

"You know.." He said staring down into his empty cup. He brought his attention up to me. "You're alright, Gra-..Hermione."

"Hermione?" I asked dumfounded. Oh right, that was my name...Wait. He called me my proper name? Professor Snape called me Hermione? "Why'd you call me that?"

"Well, as strange as it sounds, it is your name.." He let out a chuckle. "And..I suppose it couldn't hurt to be a bit nicer to you..." He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know.." Then he looked back in his cup.

I set my cup on the desktop and crossed my arms across my chest. "Why'd you say what you said earlier?"

He looked at me over his shoulder and I caught him chewing the inside of his lip. "Well..." He turned to me and laced his hands together. "You see, its complicated...I...Well, I see two paths, the right and the wrong...The wrong would make me happier...but..Well, its complicated.." He sighed. "You're dismissed Hermione, I expect you back at the same time tommorow night.." He stood, closing his hand around the cup. He paused and looked at me. "Good night.." Then he turned and walked off, disappearing into his office.

I just sat there for a moment, staring at the closed door. Then I picked up my cup and tossed it angrily at the door.

Why did he have to be so difficult? Why did I even care?

I stood and left down the corridor, consumed in thought. The wrong choice..? Then it hit me. He was going to go back to the dark side. I put my hand over my mouth and started up the stairs to the Gryffindor common.

I figured I'd talk to him tommorow about it. Maybe I could talk some sense into him.

"Truffledrum." I murmered before the portrait and stood back as it slowly swung open to the side. I, tiredly, walked in and flopped onto the sofa before a dying fire.

Almost instantly, I realized just how tired I was and snuggled into the velvety soft couch pillows. There was no point in dragging myself up any more staircases, I just wasn't up to it now.

I soon fell victim to sleep. A dreamless sleep, but I didn't mind in the morning. I was afraid of what kind of dream would have turned up if I had had one anyway.

I deduced that I'd either woken up very early or very late, for I saw no one around when I woke up.

Early. I realized. The sun was barely risen.

I sat up and tried to smooth out some of the frizzes in my hair, and being awake so early gave me abundant time to wash up, change, and get myself together.

For the rest of the day, I was going over what I'd say to Professor Snape. I didn't dread detention like I should of, I was actually anticipating talking to him about it.

I showed up that night a few minutes early and knocked before entering the classroom.

"Enter..." I heard him say, muffled by the closed door.

I walked in and set my bag down beside the door, tucking my hair behind my ears and sighing. The words were all in my head, but I wasn't sure how to go about saying them aloud. "Professor, I think we need to...talk."

From where he sat writing behind his desk, he nodded and offered me a seat in front of his desk. I took it and looked at him. "I understand you're in a complicated position..."

He leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. "Go on."

"I mean I can see where you're coming from, Old habits die hard and all...But you see, if you chose that path, the wrong path, I can see you winding up in Azkaban.."

"Thats all too true.." He nodded slowly. "I'm so sorry for even making you think-"

"You wouldn't be any thing more than a traitor if you went along with you-know-who...I mean, I know you were involved in that stuff before..but...the good path would have more rewards in the end when the dark side is finally defeated and.."

I heard him begin to laugh. Laughing.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "What's so funny?"

He shook his head. "I would have though even you could catch the flirtation.."

"Flirtation..?" What are you getting at?" I was completley confused. So I'd just lectured him on the wrong subject?

"Hermione," He stated. "I'm in love with you."