A/N – Tada! Per request, the chapters are now longer. I had the feeling that people didn't like long chapters for some reason. (odd, because I do. Hm.) Anyhow, this is what most of you have been waiting for. In fact, this is what I've been waiting to write. I hope I can characterize Snape well. I've never had too much luck with people like him. Oh.. um, I realize the whole Person X teaching DADA again is commonly used. He has a purpose in this fic other than droning on about.. DADA.
Thank you to F75, fleria, franflutewitch, q21lto, raisinnutbread and Plum Blossoms for being the next group to review me!
I'm also in need of a Beta. If anybody is interested, please e-mail me. catsdemeter@yahoo.com. It would be really helpful. Thanks, and as always, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!

Chapter Six

The headaches, nausea, sore muscles and lethargy were coming back full throttle. It could only mean one thing – beginning of the new term.

Severus Snape wanted to throw things. He didn't care what it was or what it was made out of. He just wanted to hurl something at the walls. Hell, it didn't matter if it was a person. He actually had one in mind at the moment. If he thought about it hard enough, he had a second person he could just as easily do away with. He knew that the both of them were in to make his life as horrid as it could possibly get.

Why Dumbledore thought that giving Lupin the Defense Against the Dark Arts job was a good idea was beyond him. Hadn't Snape made his distaste clear when just a few years ago he'd sabotaged the man's teaching career? It only took a few hours for enraged parents to send howler after howler careening through the halls. Why would anyone want their offspring taught by a vicious werewolf? He was deadly, lethal, fatal, kind, caring and sympathetic. It was a terrible combination.

Never mind the fact that during his brief stay at Hogwarts, Lupin had taken every chance he could to apologize to Severus for what happened when they were teenagers.

"As if that matters," Snape mutters. He ran a hand through his oily hair and decided he should probably wash it one of these days. It was getting a bit clumpy. He stopped and shook his head briefly. "As if that matters either."

No doubt the students didn't take notice of anything like that. They were too busy chattering with each other or making caustic remarks at their house rivals. Of course, there were those that tried to pay attention to what they were doing. Of course.. these few gems more commonly belonged to Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Hardly did he ever see an attentive soul in Slytherin or Gryffindor. Then again, he never paid much attention to the good students in Gryffindor. The negative far outweighed the positive there. For every Percy Weasley, there were always three Neville Longbottoms.

And then there was Potter. Perfect little Harry Potter. Snape didn't doubt for a second that he had gone off and told his friends about his job for the Order. Another year of trying to protect that ungrateful trio only to have them get themselves close to killed near the end of term again. Was there ever going to be a perfectly calm, normal year at Hogwarts?

Of course not. And we have Potter, Black, Pettigrew and the Dark Lord to thank for it all.

The thought of Voldemort brought an involuntary shiver down Snape's back. He could work for and against the Dark Lord and still not be able to face the thought of him or his many aliases.

A soft, pointed knock came from the door to his classroom. He knew that knock. Sighing with deep disappointment and trepidation, Severus stood. When he opened the door, the flimsy patched robes of Remus Lupin stood out more than the slightly vacant expression he had on his face. Severus stared at Lupin with something like annoyance.

"Yes?"

"Good evening, Severus. Are you busy?"

"Yes."

"Great, then. Just a quick question. Would you mind lending me a book?"

Snape growled deep in his throat. First he'd been interrupted.. and then asked a favor? And in such a kind way, too. It was nearly unbearable. "Yes, I would mind. Can't you find your books in the library?"

Lupin laughed heartily. "Oh, you know I can't find the book I'm looking for in the school's library, Severus."

Snape sighed. "Which book?"

"I'm surprised a man with your impeccable memory would forget. I asked for the book just last night."

"Oh, yes.. that one." Snape pivoted on his feet and stalked in to the classroom. He pulled a large book out from a stack that sat on his desk. With the same quick-paced strides he'd always achieved, Snape handed the book to Lupin.

"Really, now. You just keep things like this out in the open? What if one of the-"

"Good day, Professor Lupin." Snape's voice was cold as ice, his quick movement of shutting the door stiff. It was one thing to ask to borrow something of his. It was a whole different breed to criticize the way he kept his belongings. Lupin seemed to know the worst ways to rub him. Snape sighed and slammed his head against the hardwood desk in front of him.

Oh, it was going to be a long year.

***

While her friends started up another game of exploding snap, Hermione pulled out a book on Wizard/Muggle Affairs of the early 1900s. She tried to get her mind off of Draco's sneer and just how much his cold words sounded like Viktor's. By the time they arrived outside of Hogwarts, Hermione was barely twenty pages in to the book. She placed the book back in her handbag and pulled Ron out on to the receiving platform. They directed the first years towards Hagrid and the boats, taking a mental inventory of everyone as they arrived.

With the first years cleared off and the other students piling in to the carriages, Hermione and Ron found their friends again. Ron vented about how rude the second years were turning out to be. Ginny consoled her brother and rolled her eyes. Hermione gazed around her, a feeling of warmth spreading through her body. She smiled brightly as she realized the most wonderful thing. She was safe at Hogwarts. Nothing could happen to her inside the castle or on the grounds. Knowing this made it easier to get her mind off of Draco's angular face and Viktor's seedy scowl.

When the group finally found themselves sitting in the Great Hall, they let out sighs of happiness. The trip had seemed to take forever, and they were glad to finally have a chance to catch up with the rest of their housemates. Hermione found Lavender and Parvati hunched over a book with another Gryffindor girl that Hermione recognized as Natalie McDonald. Harry, Seamus, Ron and Dean Thomas were engrossed in a conversation about Quidditch. Their eyes were lit with incredible joy. Hermione looked around the room, looking for others she was familiar with. Her eyes finally rest on the head table. The faculty was watching the returning students with mixed emotion. That's when Hermione noticed the telltale empty seat.

"Does anybody have any idea who the new Defense teacher is?" Hermione asked with apathy. She didn't expect an answer since no one seemed to be paying much attention to her.

"Parvati and I heard that Dumbledore had to practically beg someone to take the job!" Lavendar said. She, Parvati and Natalie were now seated next to Hermione.

"But do you know who finally took it?"

"No… but we have a feeling it's a he," Parvati said. She smiled knowingly at Lavendar. Hermione noted that they had probably spent much of their holiday crouched over Divination books and journals. She had always underestimated the two. For the first three years she had known them, they gave off the air of being the prissy, girly-girl types. In the past year Hermione took notice as to how serious they could actually be. Hermione found herself liking the two more and more.

At that moment, the doors burst open. Professor McGonagall walked in, leading at least 70 new students. They looked so tiny and frightened. Hermione laughed, thinking how she must have looked the same way right before her sorting. It seemed that her friends were doing the same. She even heard Ron pointing out how much like Seamus one of them looked.

She watched with interest as the first years were sorted. There was an outstanding number of new Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. When the final one was sorted (Wickham, Spalding – Gryffindor), the students clapped politely.

Ron clutched his stomach and whined loudly. "Come on, come on!" he was acting as if he'd never been more hungry in his life.

Dumbledore stood slowly and, as usual, commanded attention. His "new year, Dark Forest = bad, don't go off doing something you'll regret, we're in this together, we're here to help you become the best wizards possible" speech was surprisingly long and drawn out. When everyone thought he was finished he simply continued.

"It seems that finding decent teachers every year has become almost impossible. This is why I am pleased to announce that a former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be reinstated."

Whispers echoed throughout the hall. Ron and Harry exchanged worried looks with each other. Umbridge couldn't possibly have returned, could she? And no... it wouldn't be Moody again, would it? The actual Alastor Moody seemed to be just as mad as the fake had been.

"I am pleased to announce that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be Professor Lupin once again. He will be joining us tomorrow."

Shrieks of joy and outrage sounded. Explosive bouts of clapping and cheers came from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables, less from the Hufflepuff and virtually none from the table of Slytherins. Hermione took a look over at the table. Their faces were twisted in horror and anger, as if they had personally been duped. She notice the appalled look on Malfoy's face.

"Guys, take a look at Snape!" Harry laughed. All of them looked over at Snape with amusement. His face was twisted in pain and anger.

"Reminds you of our third year, doesn't it?" Ron grinned. The rest of them nodded.

"I wonder why he didn't tell us." Harry said. Hermione was now the only one paying attention to what Dumbledore was on about. The rest were just waiting for the food to appear before them. When it did, Ron made a female-like squeal, alerting several people surrounding him.

"Hally huahet hoo sherpaz eh," Ron tried to say after a few minutes. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and looked at Harry.

"I'm thinking that the less anyone knew, the less of a problem they were going to have reinstating him. Snape ruined it the first time when he told the Slytherins about him being a werewolf."

"So why didn't he come back earlier, if all they needed to do was keep the parents at bay?"

"I'm thinking that Lupin was a last resort," Hermione said sadly. She looked up at the head tables and looked at the teacher's faces. All of them seemed peaceful and happy, except of course Snape. He chose that moment to look up from his heaping pile of chicken, meeting Hermione's eyes. She gulped and stared back, trying not to look frightened.

But something was wrong. Snape looked confused. In fact, Hermione thought, he looks almost shocked. She ducked her head down quickly, not wanting to be subjected to Snape's lingering glare. Viktor's words echoed in her head.

Don't think vore one minute that I vont haff eyes on you. I haff people all over that school. They vont hesitate to bring you back to me. Don't go doing something stupid, little girl.

Hermione knew at once that Draco was one of the people Viktor was talking about. It would have come to her as the biggest shock if he wasnt. She struggled to think of any others. Snape's glare told her all she thought she needed to know. After all.. he did have a past as a Death Eater. Hermione shuddered and vowed not to put a toe out of line this year, even though she'd made the same vow every single year. A voice in the back of her head tried to talk her out of suspecting Snape for the millionth time. Dumbledore trusts him, remember? He has to be safe… but at the same time, how much could anyone trust such a cold man?
"Hermione! Try these chick peas, they're delicious…" Ginny shoved a plate in front of her, breaking Hermione's train of thought.

Her stomach turned as she picked at her food. She couldn't stand to eat much, her stomach wouldn't hold it. As she finished picking at the spread that Harry and Ron had shoveled on to her plate, her skin prickled. She had the feeling she was being watched. Snapping her head up, she saw Snape's eyes on her again. She tried to look as small as possible, shrinking under his eyes. Her heart began to race and her skin started to feel cold and clammy.

"Hermione? Her...mi...o...ne?" Seamus' hand was waving in front of her eyes. Hermione started to shake, her eyes wide. She was like a deer in headlights. When she felt Ginny's hand on her arm, she started.

"Oh! Sorry. I was just thinking about this book." Hermione smiled brightly, her teeth showing.

"You haven't even been in school two hours and you're already thinking about some book? It's a wonder you weren't chosen for Ravenclaw!" Seamus' voice was joking, but Hermione felt hurt. Why did her friends never understand? There was more to her life than just talking about Quidditch or the ongoing war outside the school grounds. It wasn't as if everyone in Gryffindor was obsessed with such things, but at times it sure felt that way.

The feast ended, and Hermione ran to help direct the first years to the Gryffindor tower. Ron was less enthusiastic about the whole affair, threatening the kids as they straggled behind. When Hermione walked around to see if anyone was left in the corridors, she walked straight in to Malfoy. He smirked and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Watch it, mudblood. You wouldn't want to piss off your master's-"

Making a sound like a wounded cat, Hermione ran back to the painting of the fat lady, her heart racing. She found herself shaking uncontrollably as she sat down on her bed. All of her things had been brought up to her room, and Crookshanks was now sprawled out on her bed. Hermione placed her index fingers to her temples and massaged them gently, willing herself to calm down.

What in the name of knowledge is wrong with you, Hermione? This is not like you. She shook her head and took deep, calming breaths. You can't let him get to you like this. You can't let anything get to you like this. Nodding to herself, Hermione picked up the book on Wizard/Muggle Affairs. She sat down on her bed, Crookshanks crawling on to her lap.

Tears stung her eyes as she lay down. None of it made sense. None of it. She was Hermione Granger, the most brilliant Gryffindor student in ages, the clever bookworm, the reserved skeptic. She shouldn't be acting this way. In fact, she shouldn't have been able to be swayed so easily by Viktor's sweet words.

Hindsight is always clearer, she thought. Closing her eyes and wiping the tears from them with the side of her hands, Hermione curled up tightly in to a ball. Moments later she fell asleep, her hands covering her head protectively.