Disclaimer: Okay, you all know the drill by now: Harry Potter and Co. are not mine, nothing is, except for maybe random names or things you see that don't ring a Harry Potter bell, okay?

A/N: Aren't you proud of me? I was sooooo happily surprised and inspired by the number of reviews you all gave me that I'm updating quicker than usual. I'm glad you're all curious to know what Narcissa has in store for the tea party, I can't wait to write it out, with all the ideas I have in my head. Also, I know that I said last chapter I would have the singing competition in this chapter, but it's going to be held off till next chapter, okay? Don't hate me please, there's some more Hermione/Severus interaction in this chapter! Now onto the story!

Take Time to Smell the Roses

Chapter Sixteen

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WA-"

Hermione reached over and turned off her alarm clock before flopping back on her bed. She was a heavy sleeper, and definitely not a morning person, so Severus had enchanted an old clock to yell at her every morning. Sitting up and walking into the kitchen, she sat down, half asleep, at the table and reached for her coffee.

"Huh?" she said sleepily as her hand grasped only air.

The reason for this being unusual was because of a routine that she and Severus had developed. She would wake up and turn off the alarm clock since Severus rose and left much earlier than she did, and then go into the kitchen. Severus had, a few days after the beginning of term, began leaving The Daily Prophet, and breakfast (toast with butter and apricot jam and a hot cup of coffee) on the kitchen tablefor her every morning. There was also a note saying good morning, and a copy of their schedules for the day so that she would remember what she had to do. Along with the note, he also laid out the briefcase-style bag he had gotten her so that she could keep her lesson plans together and have them all in one place ready to go.

Forcing herself to wake up, she saw there was indeed a note from Severus. He apologised for not having breakfast laid out, but before he had time to go to the kitchens, he had been called to oversee a situation in one of the Slytherin dorms.

"Okay, I guess I'll just go join Harry and Ron," she said aloud to herself as she dragged herself back into the bedroom to dress in a skirt and blouse with a plain black robe over them. Pulling her hair back into a French braid, she made her way to the great hall. Entering, she sent a smile and a wave towards the other professors, and headed to the Gryffindor table.

"Morning Hermione," Ron called out as she sat herself next to him and across from Harry and Ginny.

"Good morning" she yawned as she began helping herself to her usual: toast with butter and apricot jam, and a cup of coffee. She didn't like a lot of heavy food in the morning, hence the light breakfast.

"Where's Snape?" Harry asked, knowing that she usually ate in their room, and he was usually at the high table.

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected automatically. "And he had a situation to handle in the Slytherin dorms."

"Sorry Mione, habit," Harry apologised. "So, who's entered in the competition tonight?"

"I did," Hermione and Ginny both said.

"Really? So did we," Ron motioned to himself and Harry. "What are you guys singing?"

"A cool song," Ginny teased. "Sorry, I'm not telling."

"Same," Hermione said laughing. "It's a surprise."

"Fine, then we won't tell you what we're going to sing," Ron retorted, hoping they would take the bait and tell him.

"Okay!" Hermione and Ginny both chimed before dissolving into laughter.

"Hermione," a low, familiar voice brought silence to the table as Severus came up behind her placing his hands on her shoulders for balance as he bent to speak to her in a whisper. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course Severus," Hermione didn't turn her head. She was surprise by slight chills from his breath tickling and caressing her ear. "I'll see you guys later."

"I'll walk you to class," he whispered again as she stood up, his hand holding her elbow to steady her as she climbed over the bench, and they left the great hall.

"All right. So what's up?"

"The situation this morning was one of the first years has come down with laryngitis," Severus continued to whisper.

"Oh! So that's why you're so quiet."

"Yes. Madam Pomphrey has given me the antidote, so I'm no longer contagious, but I will not be able to sing in the competition tonight."

"Oh, really? Fine, I understand," she looked downtrodden, then brightened. "But when you get better you're going to sing something for me."

"If I must," he replied. "But that isn't everything I needed to talk with you about. With the laryngitis, I shouldn't be speaking loudly, if at all, so I need to ask a favour of you."

"Of course, what is it?"

"This morning, Albus has agreed to take my first class, and my afternoon classes, but after the first class he has a meeting to attend with some ministry officials. Since it's a Friday, and I know you just assigned the seventh years their independent research project first instead of covering current history, would you mind taking my classes for the morning? It's not many, just third year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and Seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins," his eyes pleaded with her. "The third years are currently covering medicinal potions, and will only need to take notes on the basic properties of healing potions, and your class is supposed to take notes on the Wolfsbane potion."

"All right, sure," Hermione said after a moment. "I can do that. You now, need to get back to bed and rest."

"Thank you," he gave her a rare smile and with a quick hug from her, he departed for their rooms.

Gathering her things, she changed her course from her classroom to that of the potion's lab. Even though Albus would be teaching the first class, she decided it would be easier to just stay there and grade her first year's essays instead. The class passed quietly, the students no doubt ecstatic to not have Professor Snape teaching them, even if only for one class. Soon the class ended and Hermione went up front to write the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs assignment on the board. The bell rang a few minutes later just as the last student came hurrying in, an excuse ready on his lips, but he stopped when he saw Hermione instead of Professor Snape.

"Sit down Rick," she said gently when the student in question, Rick Struemle, stared at her in surprise.

"Sorry Mrs. Snape," he mumbled and quickly joined his friends.

"Hello everyone," she greeted them with a smile. "I will be overseeing your class today as my husband had something else to attend to. You are to start medicinal potions soon, and in preparation for that, Professor Snape has left a note-taking assignment on the basic properties of healing potions, three sheets of parchment, and due at the end of class. Therefore, I suggest you get started. If you have any questions, I will be grading papers up here."

The room was soon filled with the scratching of quill tips against the parchment and the flipping of book pages. As the assignment was self-explanatory and not very difficult, no students needed help with anything, and Hermione once again spent the period grading more papers.

"Class dismissed," she called as the bell rang, and the students hurried to gather their things together and leave for their next class. A few minutes later, the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins began filing in.

"Mione!" Harry said in surprise as he and Ron came rushing in just after the bell rang. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry we're late," Ron breathed hard; evidently they had run their.

"Me too, I'm sorry, but I have to take five points for tardiness," Hermione said apologetically, she hated doing that to her own house, but rules were rules. "Go ahead and take your seats."

"Where's your husband?" Draco's drawling voice came from where he was seated near the back of the class.

"Professor Snape has something else to attend to, so I will be covering for him," Hermione just looked at him before launching into the same spiel she had with the class before. "You are to start the Wolfsbane potion, and in preparation for that, Professor Snape has left a note-taking assignment on the potion and its properties. He expects one full sheet of parchment due at the end of class today. If you have any questions, I will be working up here."

"I have a question," Pansy called as she shook her platinum blonde hair back.

"Yes?" Hermione looked over to where the girl was sitting next to her partner Millicent Bulstrode.

"What if we don't want to do the assignment?" Pansy leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her ample chest, one eyebrow raised in defiance.

"Then you'll be assigned a detention and a deduction of points, same as in History of Magic," Hermione replied. Pansy had already tried this stunt in History class and received a detention with McGonagall and a ten point deduction, much to the annoyance of her classmates. As much as they disliked Hermione, when she was teaching, they had to show a façade of respect.

"Really?" She retorted.

"No," Hermione said, causing a look of surprise to cross Pansy's face. "Instead I might hex you six ways from Sunday and stick your head in a vanishing stair."

"You wouldn't dare!" She stood up, looking livid.

"Pansy, give it a rest," Blaise stood up and leaned forward from where he and Draco sat behind her and gripped her shoulder, forcing her to sit back down. "She hasn't done anything except assign us what Snape would have."

"Ow, that hurt!" she pouted, looking around at her housemates for sympathy, of which she got none. "Fine."

Hermione shot Blaise a smile of thanks, which he acknowledged with a nod. Harry and Ron also shot her encouraging smiles before she gave them a pointed look that clearly said, 'get working on the assignment' or else. The rest of the class passed quietly without any further incidents, and everyone turned in their paper when the bell rang at the end of class.

"Do you want to go up to lunch with us?" Harry asked as he and Ron came up to the desk where she was organising the papers into a neat pile.

"Sure, just let me tell Severus I'm going so I can find out whether of not he wants me to lock up the classroom," she replied, and quickly disappeared through a door in the back.

"How'd it go?" he asked, his voice sounding raspier than earlier.

"See, that's why you're not supposed to be talking," she admonished as she sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "It went fine, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were great. Pansy gave me a little trouble at the beginning of the class, but Blaise helped stop her."

"What'd she do?"

"She just asked what would happen if she didn't want to do the assignment," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'm going up to lunch with Harry and Ron now, and I just wanted to see if you'd like me to lock up the classroom or not."

"Just leave it, I'll get it later," he replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, now stay quiet, or I'll use silencio on you," she laughed as she stood up and left, closing the door behind her.

"Ready to go?" Ron asked as he held out her bag to her.

"Yup, let's go!" She smiled and they linked arms before walking up to lunch in the great hall, where everyone was buzzing with excitement over the talent competition that evening.

A/N: Okay people, that's it for this chapter, I hope you like it! I had fun writing some more Severus/Hermione interaction. I think their relationship is coming along nicely, and is slowly heading towards romance. Thanks to everyone who said in a review that they love how I'm progressing their relationship. As much as I love reading stories where they're all romantic with each other right off the bat, I just don't know that I could write it that way when I see them being awkward with each other. From Professor/student, to respect, to blossoming friendship, to becoming close friends, to affection and caring for each other, and eventually, to love and a "true marriage of the minds" not to mention hearts! As always, review if you want, it's all right if you don't!