Chapter 2:
The next week went off without a hitch. Hermione ignored Severus and Severus ignored Hermione. Until...
"What do you mean, I have to talk to that stupid Potter Child? Albus, I will not stoop myself any lower! No! No! I simply won't! No!"
"Severus, we need to talk to him about Hermione. She seems to be more withdrawn. I need to find out what the problem is... and you know that I can't speak with him personally! I'm not well, Severus. Believe me, I'd get Minerva to do it in a heartbeat, but you're the only person I know who can scare the solution out of him!" Severus took this as a compliment. Years of practice trying to be terrifying and it is finally paying off... in a matter of speaking that is.
"Fine. I'll do it. But I'd better get something out of it later on down the line, Albus, or ... or... or...I don't know, Damn it." He realize by looking at Dumbledore's face that he had played right into the old couk's hand. "Why not ask her openly... which brings me to another question...Why do we even care? It's her life, isn't it? Let her take care of it on her own."
"Why are you so selfish, Severus?"
"It's not selfishness, Albus, It's...none of my business, that's what it is!"
"Ah, Severus, so it may seem to you... but you don't know Hermione like I do. When reading books is the only thing she does, there is no reason to worry, but when she stops reading, that's when it becomes unusual, and can lead to nothing but badness, for all of us." Albus finished, and his head disappeared from the fire.
'Maybe Albus is right, but it best not be thought about tonight. The fact that I am thinking about Hermione as... well, it may just be enough to drive me to drink, and I can't get a hangover the day of my meeting with Potter. Knowing him, the little git, He'd probably tell that Creevy boy about what he thought I did. Then it would be as bad, if not worse than if that Skeeter woman got a hold of that sort of information. Best take a cold shower and get to bed. It'll be a long day tomorrow, no doubt.'
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It was two days after Severus had weaseled his way into that Potter boy's mind, and he had nothing to show for it.... The boy seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that women could have problems of their own. Severus sighed heavily as he walked down the hall to his chambers. Severus had little doubt that the boy had no brain at all.
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Hermione left her rooms in her "tough chic" outfit. Complete with black Wife-beater tank-top, Black Wide-leg jeans, Black leather boots, black studded earrings, a black leather band choker necklace with silver spikes protruding and a matching bracelet, her out fit could scare the dead from their own graves. She had been in a bad mood all day and she needed to vent a bit, and she knew just the person she could do it on. Snape. She fingered her pocket lovingly. Then she arrived at the portrait that guarded his rooms, and said, "Hullo, Lady Madalina, May I please see Severus?" The lady in the Green medieval dress looked Hermione up and down then nodded,
"Pathword?" She asked with a lispy, gruff voice. Hermione obliged.
"Arnipathius." she stated simply. The portrait hole opened, and as she made her way in, the portrait said,
" Be careful, and knock before you go barging in, he'th in an ekthremely foul mood today." she said as a word of warning.
"Thank you for the advice." Then without another word, Hermione made her way through the dark passage way that lead to Severus's common room.
Knock, knock, knock. "Enter," was what came through the Sandalwood doors. As she opened the door Severus kept looking straight into the fire. "So, Albus, come down to annoy me more about that stupid situation we were discussing earlier, about the Gra--ahhh," he said as he saw who it was. "Greyhounds?" He finished stupidly.
"No, Severus, I came down to see if you wanted to take out your frustrations in a game of duel monsters?" Hermione said almost too seductively, she decided.
"Uhm, no thank you, I don't like games, besides, I don't know anything about the game." he replied.
"I could teach you. That is if you want me to. But I don't know, you may not be up to it. It requires cunning, strategy, and a prize that we both need to agree on. After all you are getting older, and probably aren't as cunning as you were in my old school days."
'Did she just compliment me and insult me in the same sentence?' thought Severus. 'Hmmm. A challenge. Alright, I'll indulge this foolish game of hers, because I know I can be victorious in any game of strategy.'
"Alright, teach me." he said. Hermione shivered. His voice had just went from annoyed to... erotic. She handed him the deck of cards from her pocket.
They sat down in the armchairs that faced each other and pulled the coffee table between them. "Here, shuffle them gently, then distribute them evenly into two decks. Then choose which deck you want for yourself." she ordered him. He took the cards and shuffled them, and then he distributed them with his --what Hermione thought--long elegant and even beautiful fingers. Then he grabbed the deck on his right. "Alright," said she, "now, draw 5 cards from your deck and don't let me see what you have. The bottom right hand corner of your card tells you the attack and defense of your monster."
'Alright,' he thought, 'I have Bio-Mage--he has 1150 attack points and 1000 defense points. Now I have Silver Fang--it has 1200 attack and 800 defense. Okay next is Spirit of the Harp-- she has 800 attack and 2000 defense. Woo hoo! A good card!!! Gaia the Fierce Knight has 2300 attack and 2100 defense! And last but not least OOH! Another good card! Toon Summoned Skull! 2500Attack and 1200 defense! Oh I have to have the regular Summoned Skull before I can play this. Damn it! Oh well...'
If he could only see Hermione's hand. It consisted of the following:
Card-Attack/Defense
Ancient Elf-1450/1200
Mystical Elf-800/2000
Empress Mantis-2200/1400
Summoned Skull-2500/1200
Thousand Dragon-2400/2000
He would want to kill her.
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3 hours later...
It was a tie until now, they were down to their last card each. Snape laid down his card which was Feral Imp-1300/1400. Hermione laid down hers. Celtic Guardian-1400/1200. Hermione had won. What was her prize? oops they didn't decide on them... I guess they'd have to now. He was being a total and complete asshole to her after she had won... Hmmm...
"Relax, Severus, geez... you can have the prize I don't want it anyway... but we have to discuss wha--" It was as if a light bulb turned on inside Hermione's head. "Meet me at my at my chambers at 7:00pm tommorrow night. I'll see you then." She made a quick exit before he could object.
Hermione got back to her rooms and began executing her plan. She changed her wall and cieling colors from red and gold to all black. Then she changed her Chaise lounge chair into a massage table. That was a black as well. Her fourposter bed was now transformed into a canopy bed adorned with
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The next week went off without a hitch. Hermione ignored Severus and Severus ignored Hermione. Until...
"What do you mean, I have to talk to that stupid Potter Child? Albus, I will not stoop myself any lower! No! No! I simply won't! No!"
"Severus, we need to talk to him about Hermione. She seems to be more withdrawn. I need to find out what the problem is... and you know that I can't speak with him personally! I'm not well, Severus. Believe me, I'd get Minerva to do it in a heartbeat, but you're the only person I know who can scare the solution out of him!" Severus took this as a compliment. Years of practice trying to be terrifying and it is finally paying off... in a matter of speaking that is.
"Fine. I'll do it. But I'd better get something out of it later on down the line, Albus, or ... or... or...I don't know, Damn it." He realize by looking at Dumbledore's face that he had played right into the old couk's hand. "Why not ask her openly... which brings me to another question...Why do we even care? It's her life, isn't it? Let her take care of it on her own."
"Why are you so selfish, Severus?"
"It's not selfishness, Albus, It's...none of my business, that's what it is!"
"Ah, Severus, so it may seem to you... but you don't know Hermione like I do. When reading books is the only thing she does, there is no reason to worry, but when she stops reading, that's when it becomes unusual, and can lead to nothing but badness, for all of us." Albus finished, and his head disappeared from the fire.
'Maybe Albus is right, but it best not be thought about tonight. The fact that I am thinking about Hermione as... well, it may just be enough to drive me to drink, and I can't get a hangover the day of my meeting with Potter. Knowing him, the little git, He'd probably tell that Creevy boy about what he thought I did. Then it would be as bad, if not worse than if that Skeeter woman got a hold of that sort of information. Best take a cold shower and get to bed. It'll be a long day tomorrow, no doubt.'
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It was two days after Severus had weaseled his way into that Potter boy's mind, and he had nothing to show for it.... The boy seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that women could have problems of their own. Severus sighed heavily as he walked down the hall to his chambers. Severus had little doubt that the boy had no brain at all.
***********************************************************************
Hermione left her rooms in her "tough chic" outfit. Complete with black Wife-beater tank-top, Black Wide-leg jeans, Black leather boots, black studded earrings, a black leather band choker necklace with silver spikes protruding and a matching bracelet, her out fit could scare the dead from their own graves. She had been in a bad mood all day and she needed to vent a bit, and she knew just the person she could do it on. Snape. She fingered her pocket lovingly. Then she arrived at the portrait that guarded his rooms, and said, "Hullo, Lady Madalina, May I please see Severus?" The lady in the Green medieval dress looked Hermione up and down then nodded,
"Pathword?" She asked with a lispy, gruff voice. Hermione obliged.
"Arnipathius." she stated simply. The portrait hole opened, and as she made her way in, the portrait said,
" Be careful, and knock before you go barging in, he'th in an ekthremely foul mood today." she said as a word of warning.
"Thank you for the advice." Then without another word, Hermione made her way through the dark passage way that lead to Severus's common room.
Knock, knock, knock. "Enter," was what came through the Sandalwood doors. As she opened the door Severus kept looking straight into the fire. "So, Albus, come down to annoy me more about that stupid situation we were discussing earlier, about the Gra--ahhh," he said as he saw who it was. "Greyhounds?" He finished stupidly.
"No, Severus, I came down to see if you wanted to take out your frustrations in a game of duel monsters?" Hermione said almost too seductively, she decided.
"Uhm, no thank you, I don't like games, besides, I don't know anything about the game." he replied.
"I could teach you. That is if you want me to. But I don't know, you may not be up to it. It requires cunning, strategy, and a prize that we both need to agree on. After all you are getting older, and probably aren't as cunning as you were in my old school days."
'Did she just compliment me and insult me in the same sentence?' thought Severus. 'Hmmm. A challenge. Alright, I'll indulge this foolish game of hers, because I know I can be victorious in any game of strategy.'
"Alright, teach me." he said. Hermione shivered. His voice had just went from annoyed to... erotic. She handed him the deck of cards from her pocket.
They sat down in the armchairs that faced each other and pulled the coffee table between them. "Here, shuffle them gently, then distribute them evenly into two decks. Then choose which deck you want for yourself." she ordered him. He took the cards and shuffled them, and then he distributed them with his --what Hermione thought--long elegant and even beautiful fingers. Then he grabbed the deck on his right. "Alright," said she, "now, draw 5 cards from your deck and don't let me see what you have. The bottom right hand corner of your card tells you the attack and defense of your monster."
'Alright,' he thought, 'I have Bio-Mage--he has 1150 attack points and 1000 defense points. Now I have Silver Fang--it has 1200 attack and 800 defense. Okay next is Spirit of the Harp-- she has 800 attack and 2000 defense. Woo hoo! A good card!!! Gaia the Fierce Knight has 2300 attack and 2100 defense! And last but not least OOH! Another good card! Toon Summoned Skull! 2500Attack and 1200 defense! Oh I have to have the regular Summoned Skull before I can play this. Damn it! Oh well...'
If he could only see Hermione's hand. It consisted of the following:
Card-Attack/Defense
Ancient Elf-1450/1200
Mystical Elf-800/2000
Empress Mantis-2200/1400
Summoned Skull-2500/1200
Thousand Dragon-2400/2000
He would want to kill her.
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3 hours later...
It was a tie until now, they were down to their last card each. Snape laid down his card which was Feral Imp-1300/1400. Hermione laid down hers. Celtic Guardian-1400/1200. Hermione had won. What was her prize? oops they didn't decide on them... I guess they'd have to now. He was being a total and complete asshole to her after she had won... Hmmm...
"Relax, Severus, geez... you can have the prize I don't want it anyway... but we have to discuss wha--" It was as if a light bulb turned on inside Hermione's head. "Meet me at my at my chambers at 7:00pm tommorrow night. I'll see you then." She made a quick exit before he could object.
Hermione got back to her rooms and began executing her plan. She changed her wall and cieling colors from red and gold to all black. Then she changed her Chaise lounge chair into a massage table. That was a black as well. Her fourposter bed was now transformed into a canopy bed adorned with
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