Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! Let the fun continue... this chapter might be a bit boring, please, it will get better. Hermione simply needed some ground rules here... Enjoy the show!
Hermione wrapped the thin blanket around her shoulders as they descended the flight of stairs to the right of the Great Hall. Her thin shoulders shook, and she shook feelings of fear out of her head. Living with Snape was not the thought she had in mind.
As he pushed open the dungeon doors, a scene she did not expect hit her eyes. The room had a few potions at work, the student worktables laid out with neat ingredients. Numerous torches burned around the room, and a few fires burned, cauldrons hanging on their iron hooks, simmering with various substances. The scene was comforting in a dismal way. It dispelled her fears of living in an ice chamber.
"As I teach you the potions you will need to survive," his voice cut through her thoughts, "You can use this for your workroom until school starts up in a month. This saves me from having to worry about you traipsing through my private stores and my workroom. I am aware that you will need supplies, which is what the cabinet in the back is for. The password for it is hippogriff." She wondered how much Snape knew about her, and the events she had been involved in at Hogwarts.
She followed him into the office. "This door will not open by alahomora. Its password is black secrecy, which as you know, references a certain meeting place. You will merely need to say the words." She followed in his wake, and was surprised when her new settings hit her. The office was as she remembered, but a door to the left led to a living room, where a futon was pulled out, sheets and a blanket neatly made up the bed. A comforter was folded on the end, and stacked on it was an invisibility cloak and a time turner. A space for her trunk was at the end, and a bedside table had a magical glowing ball, which could be extinguished by "nox." Hermione was pleased, especially when she noted the small wooden bookshelf and a bureau. Someone had put effort into her new residence, which brought her some hope for the days to come. She suspected Dobby's work here.
"The house elves did a nice job." She commented, realizing by the look on his face it wasn't what she thought.
"This is lovely. I'm sorry I misjudged. I truly appreciate this." His face seemed to accept that.
"The door to the right from here leads to my quarters, with my storage rooms and lab. I will not invade your privacy, gladly, so do not intrude upon mine. You may use the girl's toilets next to the Great Hall. Showers however... never mind. The bathroom is to the right when you enter. You use the bathrooms for a shower, but I'd rather be here, as I am a very wary man. I am not used to children in my space. I don't trust you, considering past events."
That hurt, though Hermione knew she deserved it. She sighed and nodded. "May I still visit the library, and such?"
"After hours. The teachers know your condition. Stay in the castle. No mail, no contact with other students, stay inside here when you are not in classes. You must arrive early and leave late so students do not notice you. This is crucial, Miss Granger. This is your life." She swallowed, realizing the sacrifices he made for her. She didn't want to think about how much he disliked this. She made a note to stay out of Severus Snape's way.
That night Hermione sat in bed, reading her potions book. The vitality draught and the strengthening solution would certainly help temporarily. Hermione made a note to ask Snape about her remedies in the morning. At that moment, he strode in. Handing her a frothing mug, she sighed and drained it. He took it silently and returned from his workroom a minute later, shutting off the light.
"Goodnight."
If he heard, he offered no response. Hermione was left in the dark, with only her books to comfort her.