A/N- It's been forever since I've last updated! I'm sooooo sorry. I'll try to update more frequently, but school has been so hectic. I'm taking algebra a year early, and all my other classes are Pre-ap. Thank you again to all who reviewed! It means a lot to me to know what you all think. I'm not sure where this fic is going; I'm just kind of going with the flow. Well, enough of my rambling! On with the show!

Disclaimer- I own nothing (weeps uncontrollably into hand).

Chapter Three- Ponderings

Hermione walked toward the Gryffindor common room. I hate to admit this' she thought to herself, 'but that was actually pleasant' She was abruptly cut off from her thoughts though, the minute she entered the common room.

"Where have you been?" asked Ron in a not so quiet voice. "You just ran out of the great hall with a plate of food in your hand!"

"I just went to give Professor Snape some food." Hermione replied.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Ron yelled. "I thought that it was weird when you were worried about Snape not eating, but I just figured it was your motherly instinct kicking in, and now I learn that you took food to the git! I don't know what's gotten into you Hermione. Since when was Snape the kind of person that you care about? Are you trying to get on his good side or something? I bet that's what it is! How could you be such an idiot? I never thought you had it in you." By this point Hermione was livid.

"How dare you say that I would do something like that! I thought you knew me better! I went down there because I was worried. I would have done the same for any of the other teachers. Just because you hate Professor Snape, doesn't mean the rest of the world does! You're the idiot here Ron! Obviously I over estimated you." Hermione turned her back and made her way toward the stairs.

"Mione!" This time the voice that called to her was Harry's, not Ron's.

"Yes Harry?" Hermione asked in a half exasperated tone. She was upset and didn't want to discuss the matter further.

"I don't want to fight Hermione," he said responding to her annoyed tone, "I just want to talk." Hermione walked back toward the common room and sat in a chair next to Harry.

"Now," continued Harry, "I know that you're mad Hermione, and you have every right to be, but you have to see things from Ron's point of view. He was worried about you. How would you feel if he just took off one day and left the great hall? You'd think there was a problem. Now, I'm not saying it was right for him to have said that you were only taking Snape food to get on his good side, because he was very, very wrong" Harry looked her straight in the eye when he said this, "We all know that you wouldn't do something like that, but he had to say something to get the thought of you doing something nice for Snape, his despised potions teacher out of his head. It took me a while to get used to the idea of you helping Snape, too. Ron and I just cope with things differently. He yells, and I think. I learned that during the war last year..." Harry faded off toward the end of his sentence. Hermione could see that talking about the war still hurt him. They had all seen things that no 16 year old should have to witness. She still had nightmares about it.

"I'm sorry Ron," said Hermione turning to look at Ron, "It just hurt to hear you say those things about me. You're right, I shouldn't have run out without saying anything."

"No Hermione," replied Ron, "I shouldn't have said those things to begin with. I was the one that was wrong."

"Well," said Harry, "now that we've got that settled, I think it's time for us to get to bed. See you in the morning!" With that Harry walked off towards the stairs.

"I guess I'll be heading off to bed, too. Night 'Mione!" Ron headed off to bed.

Hermione sat in the common room thinking for a few more minutes. She was confused, to say the least, at the fact that she was looking forward to Monday. Who would've ever thought,' she contemplated 'that I would actually be looking forward to spending time with Professor Snape.' Hermione decided that she'd sleep on it. After all, she was rather tired, and she determined that her thoughts were muddled because of this.

The next day, Hermione awoke and looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw that it read 10:30. She tried to make sense of everything that had happened in the past two days. Had she in fact enjoyed Professor Snape's company? Was that possible? She thought that a good nights sleep might help her clear her brain, when in fact all it had done was make her even more confused. Her dreams were extraordinarily cloudy and strange. She could remember very little from it, but one thing that she did remember was seeing Snape's face. It looked strange and distant. For some reason she had an overwhelming feeling that she had to help him. It made no sense. How would she make a good apprentice if she kept having dreams about her Professor? Nothing made sense anymore. This was not something that she'd be able to shrug off. The thing was, that'd she'd have to handle it on her own. There was no way that she was telling Harry and Ron about it... at least, not after last night. She got up and dressed. She knew the perfect place to go to think. She'd discovered it in her second year, and had kept it a secret for the past five years. It was just right for this type of situation. Hermione put on her cloak and went outside.

Once outside, she headed to the familiar clearing on the far left side of the grounds of Hogwarts. Once there, she looked for her secret spot. It consisted of two overgrown bushes that grew next to a wall and hung over, forming a canopy, if you will, of green. The branches were long enough so that no one would see her, yet not rough, so they would not scratch or tug on her robes. She strolled toward the bush and opened the canopy, but was shocked to find someone already there.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor Snape," she said sheepishly, "I didn't know anyone else came here."

"No need to apologize, Hermione", She was surprised at his use of her first name, "I'm assuming you came here to think?" She nodded in reply. "Then I believe I shall leave you to it. Good day." With that, he turned and left, leaving Hermione gaping at the tail of his billowing black cloak.

She sat down in the same spot that Snape had occupied only moments before. His civil, almost friendly attitude, had completely thrown her off track. She sat down and took a few calming breaths to clear her mind. She had to start with a blank slate if she was ever going to get anything done properly. She decided to start with the evidently obvious. Why had she been chosen to be Snape's apprentice? She knew she was smart, but did that really mean anything? She was not the only gifted one when it came to potions. Draco Malfoy the head boy, for instance, was known to work wonders when it came to potions. That was his strongest subject, and it was not because he was a Slytherin but because he was quite honestly gifted.

Hermione contemplated the problems at hand when she was struck with something utterly new. How was she expected to become a master of potions in but one year, if not less? It had obviously taken years for Snape to reach that state, and she was sure that there was some sort of lessons involved; maybe even university type establishments, such as in the muggle world. One had to admit that not even she, Hermione Granger, was capable of learning all that there is to know of the art of potion making in but one short year. At that moment, she faintly remembered something. In her dream the previous night, there had been something about rescuing Snape. Perhaps that was the link to all of this. Hermione was now beyond confusion. She had entered deep water, and was afraid that if she kept going, she'd end up drowning. 'Where do I go for answers?' she thought to herself. Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. She stood up, and dusted herself off and headed straight to the one man that she knew would have all the answers she needed: Dumbledore. How could she have not thought of this before?

She walked across the grounds, and straight into the castle. When she reached the gargoyle that she recognized as the entrance to Dumbledore's office, she quickly stated the password (sugar quills) and was soon faced with the door to Dumbledore's office. She was quick to knock on the door, and hoped that Dumbledore would be in. She heard a muffled "come in" and opened the door in front of her. She was surprised to find Snape already there.

"Ah, Miss Granger," said Dumbledore with a small smile, "Do come in and sit down. Professor Snape and I were just discussing something that concerns you. I do believe that you must have the most remarkable timing in the world." Hermione smiled at the last said, and wondered what Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore could be speaking of.

"Now then, Albus," said Snape, "As I was saying earlier, is it even feasible for me to train Hermione to even the minimum level required for teaching?" 'So,' thought Hermione, 'I guess he's been along the same lines I have.' She was abruptly cut from her thoughts, however, when Dumbledore responded to the aforementioned.

"Whether it is or not, we'll just have to see," responded Dumbledore, "I believe that there is something troubling you as well Ms. Granger, as you seem to be thinking on something." With that, he turned his attention over to Hermione, who wasn't in the least surprised to find that he knew there was some sort of problem.

"Yes, actually," said Hermione, " I don't know why, but I have this nagging feeling that I don't deserve this position. There are quite a few other candidates that I think would be appropriate, and I don't understand why you chose me."

"That is something that will be unraveled in the very near future. I have made my choice and I plan to stick by it. Now then, if that is all, then you will have to excuse me, as I have a meeting with the minister of magic." At that Hermione and Snape both stood and exited the headmasters office. Hermione felt as though her questions were not really answered, as Dumbledore had been exceptionally vague. She was suddenly thrown out of her thoughts when she realized that Snape was talking to her.

"Well, I believe I will wish you good day, for the second time today. I will see you tomorrow at 6:00 then."

"Yes, good day to you too then." She answered, and with that, she turned and headed to the Gryffindor common room.

A/N- Well, there's another chapter, I hope you all enjoyed it! Remember that reviews are appreciated, and reviewers are loved and given cookies. So, until next time,

JVolans