It was 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and Hermione Granger thought she might scream if she had to deal with another Saturday afternoon all alone. Even though the treatise she was reading was fascinating, the silence was weighing heavily on her senses. Add the fact that none of her friends visited much on Saturdays, as most were out having fun, either on the grounds or on a Hogsmeade trip. Hermione would prefer that as well, but she was stuck in her rooms. She could leave them if she wanted, but she could very well be risking her life if she did so. Over the past 6 weeks, she had both grown to love and hate her new room. It was safe, and it was the only place she could relax totally, but at the same time it was beginning to feel like a prison cell. A very comfortable prison, but a prison nonetheless.

In leaving her rooms, she had two choices, to walk to the door, and end up in the dungeons, away from anywhere, with too many stone steps between her and anywhere she wished to go. Or she could floo, but she had to arrange that before hand, so there would be someone waiting for her. Neither option was comfortable at the moment, so she sighed and tried to get back to her reading. She wished there was someone around, they didn't have to talk, just being around another human body would suffice.

A ghost of an idea crossed her mind, and it told volumes about her mental state that she didn't dismiss it instantly. And the more she turned it around, the more appealing it became. She knew that Professor Snape was working on another set of antidote bases, ones that would counteract curses. So she new he would be in the potions classroom. If she could read in there, she wouldn't be moving so there would be no risk of her falling, and the presence of another human being would soothe her frazzled nerves. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. Professor Snape wouldn't want conversation, so she would be able to continue her reading, and he couldn't object on logical grounds, because she wouldn't be doing anything other than reading. She conveniently forgot about her habit to comment out loud while reading, which on a more rational day would have reminded her that her idea did have its drawbacks.

But today, her normally rational mind was quiet, and her emotions at the forefront of the decision making process. She nodded to herself, and rose quickly from her chair, storing the parchment in her pack as she did a quick freshening charm before leaving her rooms. She strode confidently to the door, threw it open, and stepped out of her rooms, the doorway vanishing behind her. Greeted with the stark reality of the stone corridor, she felt the fear suddenly return, and wanted to bang her head against the wall, as she had second thoughts.

Trying to keep her breathing steady, Hermione steadied herself with one hand against the cool gray stone, and took a step towards the potions classroom. Five steps more, and she would be there. Four steps. Three. A bit of a bobble at 2 steps, but she didn't fall, and let out a sigh of relief. Her last step, and she smiled beatifically, at the door in front of which she now stood. Raising her hand she knocked firmly.

Severus Snape scowled at the door. No one was expected at this time of the afternoon, with all of the students and most of the teachers out frolicking, doing their best to let off steam from the previous week. Severus snorted, as if any of them had any idea what real pressure was. He was determined to not have his peace interrupted, and ignored the knock on the door.

Hermione frowned as there was no answer at the door. He had to be there, he just had to! She knocked again, harder this time, in case he hadn't heard the first time.

Snape again raised his head, glaring daggers at the doorway. He sighed and gave in. He'd just have to make sure whoever it wasn't didn't stay long. He had essays to grade and potions to finish. "Come!" He barked.

Gratified beyond belief, Hermione opened the door and gingerly set foot in the classroom. "Professor Snape?" She called to get his attention.

It was all Professor Snape could do not to drop his head into his hands at the sound of the girl's voice. Of course it would be Miss Granger. As if she didn't take up enough of his time as it was. Without looking up he responded sharply, "Yes, Miss Granger? Did you have something that is of vital importance to share with me, or do you just think that I cannot live without your presence for 24 hours?"

Hermione almost smiled at his comment. It was to be expected. She realized she hadn't thought about actually asking the Professor, just about being around another living human being. Though there were those that would disagree of putting Professor Snape in that category. "Sir… I, uh, I mean, can I read in here?"

Professor Snape nearly snarled his response. "Why on earth would you think that you are allowed to 'hang out' in the potions classroom?"

Hermione flinched. But she did not give up. "Sir, its just that… well, my chamber is so quiet, and I'm used to reading with more people around and you see, I miss that, other company while I'm reading. " She tried to keep her voice strong and clear, but she was failing miserably. "Please, sir? I'll be quiet, I… " she trailed off, unsure of how to explain her need to this growly professor of hers.

Severus leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose as he surpressed his groan of frustration. If he turned the girl down, he would surely hear about it from Dumbledore. And he needed that even less than he needed the girl interrupting his work. "I will take you at your word, Miss Granger. Not a sound to come from you, and the moment you make any kind of noise, you leave this room, and I do not care where you go!"

Hermione smiled at the scowling professor and opened her mouth to reply but before she could, he held up his hand.

"I said, NOT A SOUND, Miss Granger. Now have a seat before I change my mind!" He ordered imperiously.

Hermione nodded and smiled softly to herself. He wasn't so bad after all. He could have been much more insulting, and have given her a hard time, not to mention outright refused her request. Very slowly she made her way to the closest desk, and sank gracelessly into it. As quietly as possible she brought out the treatise on the Difference between Muggle and Wizarding Home Architecture, by one A. Billder. She unrolled the parchment, and began to read, reveling in sounds of Snape's marking.

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"Idiotic Wizard!" Hermione exclaimed, after about an hour of silent reading. She had gotten so into the treatise that she forgot where she was, and who was in the room with her.

Severus Snape narrowed his eyes and hissed at the girl. "Miss Granger?" She didn't even look up!

"Listen to this… MORON! 'As obviously shown by their houses' box-like construction, Muggles lack both imagination and style in their idea of Architecture.' The simpleton never once takes into account the difference of materials, nor the fact that Muggles lack magical means of construction, and must obey the laws of nature, gravity and such!" She looked up, her eyes snapping and her face flushed in anger. As she saw her professor, she suddenly remembered where she was. Her faced drained of color, in embarrassment. She quickly lowered her head, and mumbled quietly, "I'm sorry, Professor, won't happen again."

Severus just sneered and went back to his marking. Third year essays were horrifically written, as per usual. While he didn't enjoy teaching, he would like it if some of the students retained at least the most basic information regarding Potions. But it seemed he was doomed to disappointment. Again.

As if her outburst had opened the floodgates, Severus was aware of constant mumblings from the student sitting in the chair nearest the door. It was enough to disturb him, and as he was tired of reading essays containing sentence like "Mandrake root is good, it helps reverse a lot of potion's effects!", he sat back to watch Miss Granger, trying to make out what she was saying. And exercise in eavesdropping, he justified to himself. He surely wasn't interested in learning what she thought.

Over the next few minutes, he continued to hear words like "obtuse," "moron," "nincompoop," "dimwit," and the like. But he also heard words like, "tensile strength," "supporting beams," "floor joists," and was intrigued despite himself. The most recent sentence she uttered, "You pinhead, Muggles can't cast warming charms over rooms, that's why they need insulation!"

Severus had never thought about how Muggles controlled the temperatures in their houses. He assumed they had fires in the winter, but surely they had found a more efficient way by now! "Miss Granger!" He snapped, and her head rose quickly as she blushed again, realizing she'd been speaking out loud.

"I'm sor… " she began to apologize again.

"Since you obviously think I care, why don't you share how Muggles do heat their homes in winter?" Severus leaned back, eyes half closed to disguise his interest.

The seventh-year student started. "Well, sir, um, they use small… flames, fueled by oil or gas to heat up the air very hot, then use a fan to push the air through small tunnels in the walls and into various rooms." She tried to explain in terms that she thought a pure-blooded wizard could understand.

"Idiotic!" he declared. "Everyone knows that fans cool the air!" he sneered. He didn't quite understand how it all worked, and hoped she would take the bait.

Hermione's eyes flashed in anger, and she found herself explaining how fans don't cool the air significantly, wind chill, and the overheating to compensate for it. Snape kept making snarky comments and she kept trying explain how it wasn't preposterous or similar. After the fourth or fifth similar comment, her hazel eyes widened in understanding, that Snape wouldn't admit to being curious, and this was his way of asking for more information. Once she realized that, the heat went out of her responses, and his comments.

After one particularly long explanation, Hermione blurted out in true Gryffindor fashion, "You know, if you made people less angry, I bet you could have more friends, you are rather nice to talk to." Then she clapped her hands over her mouth, as she realized what had come out.

Snape's black eyes narrowed, and his mouth became a hard thin line. How dare she! Judge him, of all people. As if she knew about having friends. It was time to put a stop to Miss Granger's growing familiarity with him, if that's how she thought she could talk to him. "Miss Granger, if there is ever a time when I wanted friends, I would surely not seek out your advice. Your own track record of being third wheel to a glory-seeking would be hero and his brainless sidekick as your only interaction with your peers shows the lack of your intelligence. One would think that with a brain as big as yours appears to be, you would be more discriminatory with your selections." Good, he managed to insult her friends, her choice of them as friends, and her intelligence. That would teach the chit.

Hermione gasped as he voiced his insults with clear precision. Her eyes teared over as she lashed out. "You, sir, have no right to comment on my choice of company or lack thereof, since your confederates seem to get off on hurting people for no other reason than an accident of birth." She cocked her head angrily, as she delivered the last line of her response, "Maybe its just that you prefer that sort of company, which makes one wonder about the sort of person you are, and which side of the line you truly are on." Beyond thinking, she glared at her potions Professor."

"And maybe you should remember who is considerably inconveniencing himself to help you with your problems, Miss Granger." His voice was deadly quiet.

"And maybe I should rethink my request for your help, as all of your hard work," she rolled her eyes, "is obviously insufficient. Or maybe you aren't being as quite as helpful as you are making yourself out to be, after all, it must be fun to see a Gryffindor dependant on your largesse?" She sneered. "It would be rather Slytherin of you to hold back a possible cure, since Malfoy now has the highest marks, and stands to gain a rather large amount of points for your house if he graduates at the top of the class, doesn't he?" She delivered the last line with no small amount of triumph in her voice.

Severus lost his control as she questioned his motives and his integrity. "Get out, Miss Granger. Do not speak in my presence again, unless you are spoken to." He hissed before exiting the potions classroom with flourish of robes.

Hermione snorted as the door slammed. Serves him right. They were having such a nice conversation, and he had to go and ruin it all by insulting her. Angrily she shoved the parchment in her pack, and pushed the chair back, her emotions blinding her to the dangers of the potions classroom. She forgot her situation and strode towards the back of the room, her mind on her potions professor, and all the nasty things he'd said to her over the past seven years.

Distracted, she didn't quite clear the corner of the desk. Her left leg caught on the corner, she pitched forward at an awkward angle, her leg staying put as if it were glued to the wood. A large crack sounded as her thighbone broke. She yelled in pain, and lost her footing, landing on her right side, hearing more bones break as her wrist and knee both suddenly became sources of pain. Her head hit the stone floor with a resounding thud, and Hermione was lost in a daze, before the world started spinning around her, and she faded into unconsciousness.

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A/N:
Getting back to it. Though the direction is vastly different than I remember from my previous notes. :D

More soon, I promise!