Faerluthio: oh, of course, I wouldn't think of not going more into the Seer thing. It's a main part of my story, separating it from the other marriage challenges.

Summer Rayne: Crazy fangirls on rampage are much welcome. Here's another chapter

Tina: Congratulations, you've waited… hehe

Acila: Thank you very much for your complement. You're too kind

GrangerHermoine: I am having fun. smiles

Lone Angel: Ah, yes the dreaded OOC remark. Well he's a bit of both, ooc and not, in this chapter, but I hope you like it all the same.

Strega-in-progress: Nah, you're not too quick, and I'm glad you like my reasoning, but that's not my only reasoning here. Read on my friendly reviewer, read on.

Celi: I'm glad you like the statement, you should go to Laureline's home page if you like Severus Snape. It is funny. wwwDOTpotterpuppetpalsDOTcomSlashsexy

Candace: Good, I love giving people stories that they don't complain about.

Brittany Malfoy: thanks, you should look up WIKTT Marriage Law Challenge in search. There are tons. I'm just one of many.

Nore: I'm glad you liked it.

Nerak: thanks, at least someone doesn't think there's too much ooc

June: … uh…. Hun it's Bill Weasley not Ron, but you get one out of three right otherwise!

Simplyme: Nice name. I hope you continue lovin' it.

Jasperpress: thank you so much!

Intelligent Witch: Do you like Godric. I thought I might have made him a little bit… too old-fashioned as he has been living in his portrait for so long and seen times change, but I don't know… oh well. Thanks

Beatlesluver: Who wouldn't choose the Dangerous love, well perhaps someone really smart, but maybe I'll make it so Hermione thinks he's awkward discontent, because she doesn't seem like a character you can make into a hopeless romantic, eh?

Harry didn't get in trouble for what had transpired the previous day, much to Snape's chagrin. The boy got off with a warning.

Hermione was not in the best of moods. She didn't come out of her room for a week after the vision on Madame Pomphrey's orders. She read most of the time, and did the homework Harry brought her. He had managed to make it into most of her accelerated classes, save Potions. He got that homework from Padma Patil. He and Ron came to see her every day.

On the last day of her "Imprisonment," she was surprised when they brought along Oliver and Bill, the two petitioners that they didn't hate of course. She had her hair swept up in a bun, her face was make-up-less, and she wore a black tank top and white shorts. She hadn't actually been that upset when the two suitors had been brought to her room. She didn't really care that much about her personal appearance, not that she really needed to. She rather wanted one of them to think she was a hideous beast and run away. Then her choice wouldn't be so difficult, but alas, they hadn't been scared away quite yet.

They all sat gathered in the Heads Common room. Hermione was turned around in her desk chair and the other four sat in comfortable chairs.

"So, 'Mione, how have you been?" Bill asked, cheerily.

"Uh, bored mostly. I've read all the transfiguration and potions books in the library, and Charms is not my favorite subject," Hermione said, simply, smiling.

"Read all the restricted section Potions and Transfiguration books, I'll wager," Oliver smiled.

"That's for me to know and Professor Snape and McGonagall to never find out," Hermione smiled.

"What're your plans when you graduate?" Oliver asked, curiously.

"I was going to be an Auror with Harry and Ron, but I don't think wasting my potions and transfigurations skills on something Ronald could do to be the best," Hermione said.

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, punching Bill when he laughed.

"I've sent an application to Belerly and Kamerel," Hermione said.

"Which would you like to go to more?" Harry asked.

"Kamerel, it's the school both Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall attended. I can only hope they let me in. It's the best school there is for Potions and Transfiguration and they have a pretty good Charms program as well," Hermione said. "There are just so many possibilities."

"Why potions though?" Ron asked. "That's the only class you barely scraped by with an O on your owls. Your other grades were perfect."

"Firstly: I would love to see Severus Snape's face if I came back to visit Hogwarts as a Potions Mistress, and secondly: that's the exact reason I want to persue it. It is difficult, challenging," Hermione said.

"You'll never get into Kamerel," Draco Malfoy said, as he walked into the common room, from his room. He was the year's head boy.

"You couldn't even get into Telemar," she snapped, venomously.

"No, I'll get into Belerly, thank you very much," Draco replied, sharply.

"Fat Chance," she muttered.

"What was that Granger?" he snapped. "Thank you Draco for making sure I didn't have to marry your father. What would I do without a friend like you?" Draco said, sarcastically.

"She hardly needed you, Malfoy," Oliver scowled at the blonde.

"Oh and I expect she'll marry one of you? My father would kill you in a week," Draco rolled his eyes.

"I work for the Gringotts bank in Egypt. I'd like to see him try," Bill said, angrily.

"Two then," Draco laughed, as he disappeared out into the halls of Hogwarts.

"He must be a joy to live with," Bill muttered.

"Actually, he's not all that bad once you get used to his sarcastic attitude and the fact that he's a bastard. He usually isn't so mean. It must be because there are four Gryffindors in our common room. Honestly, I'm not a bitch to him, when he has Pansy or Crabbe and Goyle around," Hermione sighed.

"How could you ever get used to him?" Oliver frowned.

"It's the same as getting used to Professor Snape, I suppose," Hermione shrugged.

"You're used to that mean old bat?" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh honestly, thirty-four is not that old in even muggle years, let alone wizarding aging, he's not a bat, and his meanness has its limits," Hermione said. "You just have to know how to approach him."

"I wish you'd have told me that when I was in school," Oliver muttered.

"I didn't quite learn it until fifth year, sorry," Hermione smiled, apologetically.

"Oh, by the way, Harry, you remember when I lit Professor Snape's robes on fire in first year?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, when it was really Quirell you should have been lighting up," Harry nodded, smiling.

"That was you? That's bloody brilliant!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Ya, that was me, bow, bow, I feel horrible about it," Hermione muttered. "He knows. In Potions last Friday, he asked me to demonstrate how to light a fire for a potion with wandless magic. I knew he knew by the evil look he gave me. I was terrified, but he didn't say anything. He probably knows we stole from him in second year too," Hermione added, blushing.

"My goodness, Hermione, I never thought you had it in you!" Oliver exclaimed.

"It was for a good cause, though. We were trying to find out who the Slytherin heir was," Hermione said. "Anyways, he probably knows what we had taken and figured that it was for the polyguice potion and guess what we're learning to brew next week," Hermione looked slightly worried.

"Oh, geez, 'Mione, just try not to give anything away; besides, he can't do anything to you. Come on, he's trying to marry you, what's the worst he can do after five years," Ron laughed.

"That man has more to do than any one of my professors. He just gives me that disappointed look and then glares at me and I feel ten times more horrible than before!" Hermione exclaimed.

"So, you really like Snape then, huh? Maybe I should be worrying about him," Oliver chuckled.

"I don't really like Professor Snape. He just knows how to make me feel like I'm a little cockroach under his foot. It's like an art form for him," Hermione said. "I can see him, sometimes, sitting in his office, pondering how to get back at me for the stupid stuff I did for you two in my earliest years at Hogwarts, while sipping his tea from a black cup."

"Hermione, it's all right," Bill tried to contain his laughter, his face becoming very red as he tried to keep it in. "I'm sure Professor Snape isn't going to do something too horrible to you."

"No, no, no, he will. I can feel it. That man is planning something. I know it," Hermione said.

"Miss Granger, Weasley, Wood, the Headmaster has had me looking for you for the past hour. He wants to see you in his office now, just you three" Severus Snape said, from the doorway.

"Sorry, Harry, Ron, but you guys have to go back to your common rooms. It's too late to go anywhere else," Hermione said, strictly.

"Who's planning something?" he asked Bill, as Hermione pulled some robes on over her shorts and tank top.

"No one professor, Hermione's just paranoid about one of her Professors. By the way, this meeting doesn't have anything to do with a Polyguice potion, does it?" Bill asked. Hermione punched him on the shoulder, as hard as she could, blushing deeply. The handsome young man didn't even flinch, but he let out a mocking, "Ow!"

"Polyguice potion Miss Granger?" Snape looked at her, smirking at her embarrassed look. "I trust you're ready for it, on Monday," he smirked

"Yes professor," she mumbled, abashed.

"Very well, I just wonder how long you've been prepared," he said, softly as she passed. She jumped, and looked down again. He smirked smugly at the back of her head, as they walked down the hallway between Oliver and Bill on their other sides.

They all walked in silence for a few minutes, before Hermione, still blushing mildly, dropped back and asked, "What does the Headmaster wish to see us for?" she asked.

"I believe something about giving equal opportunity to all three of us at courting you. I really don't listen to what he says anymore," Snape said. Hermione laughed.

"I can't believe it took you this long to start ignoring him," she smiled, brightly.

"Am I right to say then that you also practice this occasionally?" he asked.

"Not really, but he's my headmaster, my mentor, not my friend," she said.

"You believe we are friends?" he scoffed.

"I know you are friends, whether you admit that or not. You have to remember, I am friends with his wife," Hermione said.

"He is not your friend, while another of your mentors is?" Snape asked.

"Well, I do enjoy Headmaster Dumbledore's company, he's much too intelligent for me to feel entirely at ease with."

"If you weren't always trying to impress people, Miss Granger, you would be able to learn much more and become more friends with those of higher intellect, though there are few," Snape said, smirking slightly.

"Was that a complement?" she asked.

"Possibly," Snape replied, glancing down at her, smiling.

Hermione gasped. "You just smiled!" she said, excitedly. His smile turned into a scowl quicker than she could finish her sentence.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Snape stated, astutely.

"There's hope for you yet, professor," Hermione told him.

Inside, his hopes soared as she said that but on the outside, he forced himself to roll his eyes and snap snidely at her, "Whatever hope you see, Miss Granger, you are wrong." She's right! his mind dared to challenge, hopefully.

"We may have some more competition, Bill," Oliver whispered.

"He may actually be capable of loving her," Bill replied astonished.

"Possibly," Oliver agreed. "And being that Hermione prizes intelligence over almost everything, he has as much a chance over both of us."

"That's something I never thought would happen, Snape competing with me in my love life," Bill laughed, softly, looking back at the two, who were talking about potions.

"Tall dark and greasy," Oliver said, quietly, laughing. Bill laughed too.

"Better keep it down. He was a death eater once," Bill said. Oliver went pale and looked back at Snape.

"He's not anymore though, right?" Oliver asked meekly.

"No, Professor Snape has turned out to be a truly honorable man as my mother says," Bill said.

"Your mother has been deceived," a cool voice said behind them. Bill turned slowly, while Oliver jumped.

"Perhaps, professor, perhaps," Bill conceded.

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