Chapter Three: Hermione's Jealousy
"Professor!" gasped Hermione Granger, waking with a start. She sat bolt upright, her eyes flashing wildly around the dormitory. The dream had seemed so real. She continued searching. Was she expecting him to be there? No, realized, she was hoping he would be there. That greasy overgrown-bat-of-a-git Snape!
Looking now at her alarm clock, Hermione started once again. It was nearly time for her patrol duty. She hurriedly pulled on her robes and walked to the Great Hall, where she began her route. It was a fairly uneventful night. After chasing Denis Creevey away from the kitchens, Hermione headed down to the dungeons.
For a while, everything seemed alright. However, when Hermione reached Snape's classroom, she heard hused voices. Her curiosity piqued, she stuck around for a few minutes. Suddenly, the door opened and the same red- headed woman who had been in the Shrieking Shack and then at dinner emerged. Hermione found herself face-to-face with Rayna Dumbledore. A flash of recognition darted over the Auror's striking features.
"You're the one-at dinner-it was you?"
Momentarily shaken, Hermione regained her composure. "What was me?"
"The girl" Rayna was clearly phased. "At dinner-Severus-it doesn't-no- never mind." She turned around and walked in the direction of the entrance hall. As Hermione watched her, the numb shock that had developed in her stomach upon seeing the worst of her suspicions realized flipped over to reveal pure, unadulterated jealousy. After glaring after the gorgeous woman that was, presumably, sharing Snape's bed, she turned around only to find herself centimeters away from her Potions Professor. An instant flush appeared in her cheeks.
"Ex-excuse me, Professor." She mumbled without making eye contact, her eyes lingering on his swollen lips, sweat-beaded forehead and unkempt hair.
"Well, get on with your patrol duty then!" Snape snapped. He knew he couldn't have her around, or seeing him like this. He need to think.
Hermione moved, her stomach feeling full of lead. Her legs seemed to have forgotten how to walk.
Somehow, Hermione managed to find her way back to her dormitory and into bed. She was completely unaware that Snape was still leaning against the door of his dungeon, thinking hard.
***
"I've told you three times!" Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "I got to Snape's dungeon, I heard them talking, then Rayna came out, she left, and Snape told me to leave."
"Did anyone else hear anything?" Harry asked.
"I haven't had a chance to ask yet. But, come to think of it, no-I'm the only one who goes by there on patrol."
"Why are we so worried about that git and his fiancée?" Ron asked, breaking his long silence.
"Ron." Hermione reproached, her eyes shocked and her face scrunched in reaction to the fact she did not want to hear, "I'm sure he's not."
"AT ALL INTERESTED IN A KNOW-IT-ALL WITH A CRUSH!" thundered Ron. Hermione's wide eyes filled with tears as her face flushed crimson.
Harry was numb with shock. "Ron-" he began, but was cut off.
"It's so incredibly obvious, Harry. Didn't you see them at dinner the other night?"
"Merlin, Ron,that doesn't mean anything! You're acting like you're jealous!" He responded, fighting down the urge to laugh, his eyes tearing at the effort.
"Of what? The fact that one of my best friends has a crush on the worst teacher at Hogwarts?"
"More of the my-best-friend-doesn't-have-a-crush-on-me variety." Harry choked, fighting down a laugh.
"When you've finished discussing my love life, I'll be in the library." Cried Hermione, stomping out of the common room.
Ron called after her to wait, but she did not heed him. He turned guiltily back to Harry. "Oops."
"Maybe we should give her some privacy on this?" suggested Harry tentatively.
"OK. But if he hurts her, I swear, Harry, I'll wring his neck!"
"The way it's going, we're liable not to find out if he hurts her."
***
Severus Snape wasn't paying attention to where he was going. As he turned the corner to the Entrance Hall, he hit something quite solid. Something that stumbled back. "DO watch where you're-" he began icily, but then, realizing that he had run smack into Hermione Granger, he swallowed hard, desperately trying to remove the edge from his voice, "going." She looked at him with apprehension, muttered an apology, and kept walking.
***
Hagrid heard the knocking on his door. 'Bout time they came to see me! He thought, going to answer.
His heart nearly stopped out of shock, however, at the sight of his old friend on the stoop. "Severus! C'min." Snape sat down heavily, his face in his hands.
"Yeh know what Dumbledore thinks o' student-teacher relationships." Hagrid began. "An' what wi' Rayna an' all- He wouldn' be happy."
"Merlin! Is it that obvious?"
"I'd say."
Snape looked up. "What do I do?"
Hagrid let out a long breath, and chuckled. "Yer gonna enjoy this. Righ' up yer alley. Firs'."
***
Severus Snape walked out of Dumbledore's office the next day. OK, he thought, one down. Now, he had to seduce Hermione Granger..
TBC
*Thank you to all of my reviewers!
"Professor!" gasped Hermione Granger, waking with a start. She sat bolt upright, her eyes flashing wildly around the dormitory. The dream had seemed so real. She continued searching. Was she expecting him to be there? No, realized, she was hoping he would be there. That greasy overgrown-bat-of-a-git Snape!
Looking now at her alarm clock, Hermione started once again. It was nearly time for her patrol duty. She hurriedly pulled on her robes and walked to the Great Hall, where she began her route. It was a fairly uneventful night. After chasing Denis Creevey away from the kitchens, Hermione headed down to the dungeons.
For a while, everything seemed alright. However, when Hermione reached Snape's classroom, she heard hused voices. Her curiosity piqued, she stuck around for a few minutes. Suddenly, the door opened and the same red- headed woman who had been in the Shrieking Shack and then at dinner emerged. Hermione found herself face-to-face with Rayna Dumbledore. A flash of recognition darted over the Auror's striking features.
"You're the one-at dinner-it was you?"
Momentarily shaken, Hermione regained her composure. "What was me?"
"The girl" Rayna was clearly phased. "At dinner-Severus-it doesn't-no- never mind." She turned around and walked in the direction of the entrance hall. As Hermione watched her, the numb shock that had developed in her stomach upon seeing the worst of her suspicions realized flipped over to reveal pure, unadulterated jealousy. After glaring after the gorgeous woman that was, presumably, sharing Snape's bed, she turned around only to find herself centimeters away from her Potions Professor. An instant flush appeared in her cheeks.
"Ex-excuse me, Professor." She mumbled without making eye contact, her eyes lingering on his swollen lips, sweat-beaded forehead and unkempt hair.
"Well, get on with your patrol duty then!" Snape snapped. He knew he couldn't have her around, or seeing him like this. He need to think.
Hermione moved, her stomach feeling full of lead. Her legs seemed to have forgotten how to walk.
Somehow, Hermione managed to find her way back to her dormitory and into bed. She was completely unaware that Snape was still leaning against the door of his dungeon, thinking hard.
***
"I've told you three times!" Hermione sighed exasperatedly. "I got to Snape's dungeon, I heard them talking, then Rayna came out, she left, and Snape told me to leave."
"Did anyone else hear anything?" Harry asked.
"I haven't had a chance to ask yet. But, come to think of it, no-I'm the only one who goes by there on patrol."
"Why are we so worried about that git and his fiancée?" Ron asked, breaking his long silence.
"Ron." Hermione reproached, her eyes shocked and her face scrunched in reaction to the fact she did not want to hear, "I'm sure he's not."
"AT ALL INTERESTED IN A KNOW-IT-ALL WITH A CRUSH!" thundered Ron. Hermione's wide eyes filled with tears as her face flushed crimson.
Harry was numb with shock. "Ron-" he began, but was cut off.
"It's so incredibly obvious, Harry. Didn't you see them at dinner the other night?"
"Merlin, Ron,that doesn't mean anything! You're acting like you're jealous!" He responded, fighting down the urge to laugh, his eyes tearing at the effort.
"Of what? The fact that one of my best friends has a crush on the worst teacher at Hogwarts?"
"More of the my-best-friend-doesn't-have-a-crush-on-me variety." Harry choked, fighting down a laugh.
"When you've finished discussing my love life, I'll be in the library." Cried Hermione, stomping out of the common room.
Ron called after her to wait, but she did not heed him. He turned guiltily back to Harry. "Oops."
"Maybe we should give her some privacy on this?" suggested Harry tentatively.
"OK. But if he hurts her, I swear, Harry, I'll wring his neck!"
"The way it's going, we're liable not to find out if he hurts her."
***
Severus Snape wasn't paying attention to where he was going. As he turned the corner to the Entrance Hall, he hit something quite solid. Something that stumbled back. "DO watch where you're-" he began icily, but then, realizing that he had run smack into Hermione Granger, he swallowed hard, desperately trying to remove the edge from his voice, "going." She looked at him with apprehension, muttered an apology, and kept walking.
***
Hagrid heard the knocking on his door. 'Bout time they came to see me! He thought, going to answer.
His heart nearly stopped out of shock, however, at the sight of his old friend on the stoop. "Severus! C'min." Snape sat down heavily, his face in his hands.
"Yeh know what Dumbledore thinks o' student-teacher relationships." Hagrid began. "An' what wi' Rayna an' all- He wouldn' be happy."
"Merlin! Is it that obvious?"
"I'd say."
Snape looked up. "What do I do?"
Hagrid let out a long breath, and chuckled. "Yer gonna enjoy this. Righ' up yer alley. Firs'."
***
Severus Snape walked out of Dumbledore's office the next day. OK, he thought, one down. Now, he had to seduce Hermione Granger..
TBC
*Thank you to all of my reviewers!