Disclaimer: Everything that is, wonderfully, Harry Potter, belongs to J.K.
Rowling and I, as a lowly attempting-to-be-published author, have no claim
on it whatsoever, except for Rayna, who is an original character and
consequently, belongs to me.
Chapter One: Questions and Runny Potions
"What are you doing, Hermione?" snarled the shadow.
"Homework." Hermione replied earnestly.
"And where are Potter and his little sidekick?"
"Hogsmeade," sighed Hermione, a faint note of exasperation creeping into her voice.
"Very well." The shadow left.
Hermione Granger stared through the library door for at least five minutes after Potions Master Severus Snape had swept out. Something was definitely going on. Why was he suddenly always hanging around? And since when was she "Hermione" instead of "Miss Granger"? She toyed with her Head Girl badge, but her musing was interrupted by two armfuls of sweets spilling onto her books.
"You didn't tell us what you wanted, so we brought just about one of everything," said Ron Weasley, digging in his pockets, his nose nearly as red as his hair. "And here's your butterbeer!" He exclaimed, finally pulling out a butterscotch colored bottle.
"And you cannot possibly tell us that you haven't finished that essay yet!" cried Harry Potter with a mix of impatience and admiration.
Before Hermione had a chance to answer, Ron jumped in.
"Since when do you need extra credit, anyways?"
"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm doing this for the practice?!" She sighed again, and in the few seconds of silence, drifted back into thought.
***
Hermione stared blankly into her Aging Potion. Why wouldn't it thicken? Snape was sweeping about like a bat, finally stopping at Ron's cauldron.
"Weasley, what have you done now? This potion should be quite thick- five" he cut off, catching sight of Hermione's runny potion, "but if it's not quite there yet, keep trying." And he stalked off, leaving Ron staring after him, open-mouthed with shock. He turned to Hermione and Harry.
"What's got into him?"
"Dunno." Said Harry, wearing an expression identical to Ron's.
"He has been acting strange lately, hasn't he?" pondered Hermione thoughtfully.
"Strange?!" thundered Ron, "He just stopped in the middle of taking points from Gryffindor! That's a bit more than bloody strange, Hermione! Next thing we know, he'll be taking points from Slytherin!"
Harry laughed. "Right. I'm sure that will happen. And Hermione will get an answer wrong."
Hermione glared at him. "Wouldn't you call this potion" she ladled up a bit and let in slip back into her cauldron, "getting an answer wrong?"
"But Snape said it was alright!" retorted Ron.
"Which brings us back to the original question," said Harry firmly, "Why?"
"Maybe Dumbledore's talked to him," mused Hermione.
"Maybe he's softened up since he came back to the light as a spy."
"Maybe he's realized that there's more to life than just being an ugly git."
And so they speculated, their runny potions forgotten, and with no vindictive comments from the subject of their pondering. The bell rang about ten minutes later.
"Hermione, a word." Called Snape.
"Oh. OK." She looked flustered and turned to Harry and Ron.
"We'll wait." Declared Harry as Ron nodded furiously beside him.
"No-I'll meet you at dinner."
Ron hesitated, "Hermione, we know he's up to something. I think we should wait."
"For heaven's sake, you two! He's not going to kill me! Now would you go?" She smiled and waved them off. How she was on her own, and she had some investigating to do. ***
"I just wanted to know if you need any help on your Truth Potions essay? I- I could point you in the right direction." Snape looked straight at Hermione over his desk.
"No-No," she stammered, "I've nearly finished. Thank you, though."
Snape didn't reply.
"Sir, um." Hermione hesitated for a fraction of a second, before recklessly plunging on, "I was wondering, I mean I noticed, what I mean to say is. is. Is everything all right?"
"Well, I suppose." Snape looked taken aback. "Everything is fine. Yes, everything is fine." He had regained his composure. Why was he so nervous? "Why would you ask?"
"I was only wondering. You seem like something is troubling you."
"Oh, no. no, nothing. You may go." It was not a question. He waved at the door, eyes downcast as the Head Girl gathered her books and walked out.
Severus Snape let out a long breath. He had to stop. He knew that if anyone found out, he was in trouble. And this time, he couldn't even tell Dumbledore.
TBC
Chapter One: Questions and Runny Potions
"What are you doing, Hermione?" snarled the shadow.
"Homework." Hermione replied earnestly.
"And where are Potter and his little sidekick?"
"Hogsmeade," sighed Hermione, a faint note of exasperation creeping into her voice.
"Very well." The shadow left.
Hermione Granger stared through the library door for at least five minutes after Potions Master Severus Snape had swept out. Something was definitely going on. Why was he suddenly always hanging around? And since when was she "Hermione" instead of "Miss Granger"? She toyed with her Head Girl badge, but her musing was interrupted by two armfuls of sweets spilling onto her books.
"You didn't tell us what you wanted, so we brought just about one of everything," said Ron Weasley, digging in his pockets, his nose nearly as red as his hair. "And here's your butterbeer!" He exclaimed, finally pulling out a butterscotch colored bottle.
"And you cannot possibly tell us that you haven't finished that essay yet!" cried Harry Potter with a mix of impatience and admiration.
Before Hermione had a chance to answer, Ron jumped in.
"Since when do you need extra credit, anyways?"
"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm doing this for the practice?!" She sighed again, and in the few seconds of silence, drifted back into thought.
***
Hermione stared blankly into her Aging Potion. Why wouldn't it thicken? Snape was sweeping about like a bat, finally stopping at Ron's cauldron.
"Weasley, what have you done now? This potion should be quite thick- five" he cut off, catching sight of Hermione's runny potion, "but if it's not quite there yet, keep trying." And he stalked off, leaving Ron staring after him, open-mouthed with shock. He turned to Hermione and Harry.
"What's got into him?"
"Dunno." Said Harry, wearing an expression identical to Ron's.
"He has been acting strange lately, hasn't he?" pondered Hermione thoughtfully.
"Strange?!" thundered Ron, "He just stopped in the middle of taking points from Gryffindor! That's a bit more than bloody strange, Hermione! Next thing we know, he'll be taking points from Slytherin!"
Harry laughed. "Right. I'm sure that will happen. And Hermione will get an answer wrong."
Hermione glared at him. "Wouldn't you call this potion" she ladled up a bit and let in slip back into her cauldron, "getting an answer wrong?"
"But Snape said it was alright!" retorted Ron.
"Which brings us back to the original question," said Harry firmly, "Why?"
"Maybe Dumbledore's talked to him," mused Hermione.
"Maybe he's softened up since he came back to the light as a spy."
"Maybe he's realized that there's more to life than just being an ugly git."
And so they speculated, their runny potions forgotten, and with no vindictive comments from the subject of their pondering. The bell rang about ten minutes later.
"Hermione, a word." Called Snape.
"Oh. OK." She looked flustered and turned to Harry and Ron.
"We'll wait." Declared Harry as Ron nodded furiously beside him.
"No-I'll meet you at dinner."
Ron hesitated, "Hermione, we know he's up to something. I think we should wait."
"For heaven's sake, you two! He's not going to kill me! Now would you go?" She smiled and waved them off. How she was on her own, and she had some investigating to do. ***
"I just wanted to know if you need any help on your Truth Potions essay? I- I could point you in the right direction." Snape looked straight at Hermione over his desk.
"No-No," she stammered, "I've nearly finished. Thank you, though."
Snape didn't reply.
"Sir, um." Hermione hesitated for a fraction of a second, before recklessly plunging on, "I was wondering, I mean I noticed, what I mean to say is. is. Is everything all right?"
"Well, I suppose." Snape looked taken aback. "Everything is fine. Yes, everything is fine." He had regained his composure. Why was he so nervous? "Why would you ask?"
"I was only wondering. You seem like something is troubling you."
"Oh, no. no, nothing. You may go." It was not a question. He waved at the door, eyes downcast as the Head Girl gathered her books and walked out.
Severus Snape let out a long breath. He had to stop. He knew that if anyone found out, he was in trouble. And this time, he couldn't even tell Dumbledore.
TBC