"I object!" Severus cried indignantly, standing up fiercely from his chair. "I will not participate in this madness! I will not sing karaoke!" "What's karaoke?" McGonagall asked, confused. Severus looked around the room, few people in the room looked like they knew what karaoke was, but those who did looked petrified.

'As they should be!' thought Severus angrily. "Karaoke," he began, "is when you sing the lyrics to a popular song in front of lots of people." "What?" screeched McGonagall. An uproar of screeching and a demanding of answers ensued. Dumbledore stood and silenced the room "That is quite enough! We are having karaoke and that's final.

But to be fair, I am not requiring the staff to participate." The teachers slouched into their chairs in relief. "I also like the idea of a costume contest. I think that it is also very difficult to have so many trying to plan this Halloween Fair. Remember the saying 'Too many cooks in the kitchen burn the food', well I think it applies here. I think it would be best for either the Head Boy or Girl, with the guidance of a professor of course, to plan this celebration. So who shall it be? Hermione? Draco?"

Draco snored on the table peacefully, the earlier racket not having woken him up.

Hermione looked around nervously. "Ah Hermione…How about you?" 'Shit!' thought Hermione. She couldn't turn the Headmaster down, now that he had asked her directly. "Uhh…well...Sure. I guess…" "Splendid! Now all we need is a teacher." The teachers shifted nervously. Dumbledore surveyed them viscously, like a lion about to jump it's prey. His eyes roamed over them all, making each quiver with fright when his eyes landed on them. "Ah Severus. You should be perfect."

The teacher's (save Severus') hearts leaped in happiness.

Severus felt his heart jump to his throat. "But Sir, I have a potion to attend to-" "Surly it can wait a while. It can, can't it?" Asked Dumbledore daring Severus to say anything else. "It-It can Sir." Said Severus in defeat.

Hermione almost cried. More time with Snape? What could she have done to deserve such horrible karma?

Although Snape put her down, and humiliated her in front of many people, it wasn't the worst part. Hermione had secretly harbored an infatuation with the Professor since third year, when he had attempted to save them from Lupin, which made his cutting remarks all the more painful.

When around him she felt naked, exposed, like there wasn't a secret she could hide from him. Like he knew it all.

He made her feel terribly frightened, and vulnerable. 'Maybe I'm a masochist.' She thought dryly. She shouldn't be attracted to someone who put her down and made fun of her, she knew that. But still she kept watching him, attracted, and intrigued.

He wasn't an overly ugly man; now that she thought about it. His nose was large, but it works on his face.

His eyes, now that she looked at them, were very large and round as, though he had grown up in the dark. 'He probably did.' She reasoned. She looked deeper into his eyes; they were blue!

Not the black she had long thought them to be. They were a dark navy blue, on the verge of being black, but not quite. His cheekbones were very high, creating deep hollows in his pale cheeks.

He had long, thick, black eyelashes that cast shadows on his cheeks. She surveyed his body. 'Long, and lean' she concluded 'perhaps a bit too lean.' She thought looking at the way his robes hung loosely on his thin frame.

'Very little muscle, he must not eat very much protein. Well, course, you dimwit, he barely eats at all!' She chastised herself for her stupidity, remembering how during the few times he came to meals; he had only a small salad or bowl of soup before rushing back down to his dungeons. "Have a good weekend everybody!" cried Dumbledore.

Hermione jumped. She hadn't even noticed the meeting ending. Her eyes went from Dumbledore back to Snape. She nearly jumped again, he was staring right back at her. 'Well of course, he of all people should feel it when someone is staring at them.' She flushed lightly, feeling her whole body going hot. She looked down and stood from her chair, her legs feeling tingly when the blood rushed back to them after sitting for so long. She quickly gathered up her books and scurried out of the room, eyes on the floor. She still felt Snape's eyes on her as she left the room. 'Strange' thought Snape interestedly.