Dreaming of You

By: acrophobia1322

Chapter Two:

Teacher's Pet

Hermione stirred her eggs around on her plate at breakfast the next morning. She didn't have an apatite. She kept sneaking small glances at the staff table, where Severus Snape was looking menacingly at the plate in front of him. His fork was poised in his hand, ready to eat, but, suddenly, he decided against it and set it back down, shoving his plate away. Hermione yawned and also set her fork down. She was exhausted.

After lunch the day before, she had retreated to her room and spent six hours trying to coax her body into sleep. When, finally, her eyes agreed to close and she drifted into her subconscious, yet another dream had haunted her slumber. One more explicit than the first. More detailed. She rubbed her eyes zealously and sighed again. These dreams were not helping her current stress over their last year at school. She yawned and stretched languidly. She got to her feet and was going to start toward the Great Hall's doors when Dumbledore stood up and cleared his throat. Hermione sat back down immediately and stared at him.

"I am aware that some of you filled out the application for professor's aide at the beginning of the year," he began and Hermione felt suddenly relieved. Professor's aide was something she had signed up for, being as that was what she planned to go into training for when she left Hogwarts. The experience would be priceless. "Would the following see me after breakfast so that we may sort out what professor you'll be aiding and what part of the day? The students selected are Seamus Finnegan, Hannah Abbott, Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Justin Finch-Fletchly, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood. Those who wanted to be part of this program and were not selected, we are terribly sorry. I chose the students whose best interests would be served by this program. Now, continue on with breakfast."

When breakfast was over, Hermione was the first to make her way up to the front of the Great Hall. Luna later joined her followed by the rest. Hermione and Draco shared equally threatening glares.

"Ah, yes, here you are," said Dumbledore, clapping his hands together and surveying the seven students before him. He took a stack of folders from his place at the staff table and came toward them. He handed each of them a folder and they all opened it. "As you see, the class and professor you will be assisting are at the top of the sheet. The times are at the bottom. I can assure you that your aiding time does not interfere with class time." There was a twinkle in his eye as he glanced at Hermione. She gave him a smile and opened her folder.

'What? NO!' her mind cried. 'Potions, Professor Severus Snape. Monday: 5:00 PM. Tuesday: 6:30 AM. Wednesday: 7:15 PM. Thursday: 6:00 PM. Friday: 6:45 AM. Saturday: FREE. Sunday: 7:00 PM.'

Hermione almost dropped her folder. Her eyes shot up and she was staring into the solid black ones of Severus Snape. He gave her a sneer and she turned her eyes back to Dumbledore, who still had the glint in his eye.

"You will each be responsible for writing a five roll essay on what you learned this year while in this program," Dumbledore said. Draco's hand shot up. "And 'yes' you will be required to remain in this all year if you wish for it to count as anything after you've graduated." Draco lowered his hand and grumbled at the folder in his hand. "All aiding periods are thirty minutes long, except for the stretch of time that either ends on your time chart with a 15 or 45. Those times will be forty-five minutes long. You'll all start today. As you see, all of your Sundays are PM. Each week, your timetable will change automatically for the new week. I think that's about all. You may go."

"Seamus, Neville, what did you get?" asked Hermione, moving over to her fellow Gryffindors.

"I got Charms," said Seamus, staring at his chart. "Not too bad."

Neville looked cheerful as he answered Hermione. "I got Herbology. What luck, huh? What did you get?"

"Potions…"she murmured, staring down at her time chart as well.

"Oh, poor you, Hermione," said Seamus.

"I got Divination," whispered Luna, surprising Hermione with how silently she had appeared.

"I have Care of Magical Creatures," interjected Hannah.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Justin murmured.

"So that means Malfoy got Transfiguration?" They all looked back at the Slytherin Prince, lagging in stride behind them. He was glaring at his timetable.

"Well, good luck with Potions, Hermione," stated Seamus, patting her on the back. "We're rooting for you."

Hermione sighed dejectedly as she stared after the other six students. Draco was still glaring at his timetable and muttering curse words under his breath. The brunette Gryffindor girl, stopped in the middle of the Entrance Hall, gazing at her timetable in an almost incredulous look. 'I honestly do not need this right now!' She tucked the folder under her arm and headed up the Grand Staircase.

When she entered the Gryffindor common room, Neville and Seamus had already informed everyone about who was whose aide. Hermione was not surprised to find that Harry and Ron were giving her piteous looks while Ginny seemed to be having trouble controlling her laughter. Hermione made a move toward them and set her folder down on the desk. She sat herself by that desk, folded her arms on the wooden surface, and buried her face in the folds of her black robes.

"It's not that bad, honestly, Hermione," came Ron's voice. Hermione nearly choked. This was coming from one of the boys who had made it perfectly clear he loathed every ounce of Severus Snape. Hermione was not comforted.

"That's rich, Ron," she snapped, "coming from you! 'It's not that bad.'" Hermione scoffed. "I am having a great week! I think I need a rest. See you later, at dinner." She waved to them, picked up the folder containing her Professor's Aide timetable, and started up the stairs leading to the girls' dormitories, Ginny on her heels.

When the two entered Hermione's room, they plopped down on the bed, grateful that none of the other girls was in there. For a long time, Hermione just buried her face in her pillow, hoping to Merlin that everything that evening went alright, though she was seriously doubting it. Ginny, on the other hand, had broken out into a fit of giggles, staring at the back of Hermione's bushy brown hair.

"Oh, honestly, Ginny! It isn't that funny! I find it bloody horrifying and you're laughing about it!" Hermione snapped and Ginny's giggles subsided quickly.

"Oh, come off it," Ginny reasoned. "I saw this coming since last night. Rather amusing if I do say so myself. Having dreams about the infamous Potions Master of Hogwarts and then being paired with him all year. It's starting too look like a romance in blossom." Hermione wretched and rolled over onto her back.

"Something tells me tonight is not going to be pleasant for me," she moaned.

At dinner that evening, Hermione picked at her food, stabbing it several times with her fork as if it were someone she really wanted to kill. She finally gave a frustrated sigh, nearly threw her fork on her plate, and pushed it away from her body, no desire to eat anywhere in her mind. She turned her head and looked up at the staff table for the thirtieth time that evening. Severus was giving a rather disdainful look to his food and, repeating what he had done in the morning, also pushed his plate away. He looked up and for a moment, Hermione and his eyes locked. She felt a shiver run down her spine as the images from her dream arose and she had to force them back down.

"I'm not hungry," she murmured, getting to her feet.

"Where are you going then? You still have an hour and a half until you have to meet Snape in the dungeons," said Harry, swallowing his mouthful of shepherd's pie.

"Library," Hermione replied automatically. Harry's mouth formed an O and he had the look that said he should have guessed that.

She shuffled out of the Great Hall and toward the Grand Staircase, her mind aching slightly. When she finally got to the library, she grabbed a book from one of the shelves. She sat down and began reading. Her eyes stopped abruptly as she read through the paragraph at the beginning of the third chapter.

"…his eyes were focus on hers, every ounce of his being trying hard just to read the one thought that would make or break him. She was silent and soon it came to him. He smiled at himself as he knew he had mastered Legilimency…"

'Legilimency!' thought Hermione, looking through the page. 'I forgot that Snape has the ability of Legilimency! Damn! So he's been reading my thoughts lately and that's why he's been so sour around me…He knows I'm having those…dreams!' Hermione shuddered. If he knew, then that night would no doubt be the worst of her life.

She looked up at the clock hanging by the door and jumped. 6:53! She got to her feet lightening fast and thrust the book into a nearby shelf. She had seven minutes to get from the second floor to the dungeons! She'd be lucky if she made it! Her feet clacked against the floor as she scuffled pasted several students blocking her way. She nearly fell down the stairs into the Entrance Hall and then veered right toward the door leading to the dungeons. Two minutes left to go! She bounded toward the Potions classroom, her heart pounding in her chest as she desperately gasped for air. She pushed the door open with great effort and sidled in, panting and sweating.

Severus looked up from what he was doing on his desk. "Cutting it dangerously close, aren't you, Miss Granger?" His voice was slightly more icy than usual. Hermione winced.

"Sorry, professor," choked out Hermione. "I lost track of the time. I was in the library and—"

"I don't want your frivolous excuses," he snapped. "Just sit down somewhere and wait patiently while I finish this letter."

"Yes, sir!" squeaked out Hermione, dropping into a nearby chair as fast as she could and taking time to regain her breath and composure.

When she was calm, she looked up at him and watched him as he scribbled on his parchment quickly His curtain of black hair hid his face and his hands moved quickly across the parchment. The images from her first dream flashed across her mind and then the most recent and explicit filled her thoughts. She closed her eyes, looking at the details of her dream in her inner mind's eye. For a moment, her body was warm and then she heard the scribbling stop and opened her eyes. Severus was staring her dead in the eyes and she gulped, looking away to hide the blush creeping onto her features.

"Miss Granger," he snarled in a low growl that made a shiver run down Hermione's spine. "Please take this to the owlry (sp?), without reading it, and attach it to an owl. Tell it to give it to Amadeus at Baraculus' Tendril."

Hermione got up and walked as steadily as she could toward him. Her heart was beating so fast. Had he read her mind again? 'Oh, Merlin, I hope not!' She took the parchment from him and her fingers touched his making her shiver. She started for the door, the blush already set on her face deepening. The door opened before she'd reached it and standing in the doorway, with Justin Finch-Fletchly by her side, was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Sylvia Poreschi. She had long, black curls sprouting from her skull. Her eyes were muted violet and her skin was so pale it nearly matched the snow.

"Severus," she greeted. "How are you this fine evening?"

"As well as can be expected, Sylvia," he replied. "Now, would you kindly move aside so that my aide may get through with the errand I have given her?" Sylvia looked down on Hermione and the brunette could not help but feeling rather intimidated and competitive at the same time. She moved to the side and Hermione pushed past.

She looked over her shoulder at the back of Poreschi's curly, black head as she moved as quickly as her already sore legs would allow. She followed all of Severus' instructions. She told the owl where to go after attaching the piece of parchment and then began heading back down the Grand Staircase. She entered back into the Potions classroom and she saw that Poreschi was sitting on Severus' desk, giving him a seductive look while Justin looked around, oblivious. Hermione wasn't sure why, but the scene made her stomach squeeze uncomfortably. Hermione cleared her throat and Severus looked at her.

"Aw, well, Sylvia," he said silkily, looking almost relieved to see Hermione standing in the doorway. "If you don't mind, I must continue on with this…program."

"Oh, I don't mind, Severus," replied Sylvia's honeyed voice. "I find it a rather interesting sport to watch you."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy," drawled Severus, taking Hermione by the wrist. "But you yourself have an aide to teach, so get to work." He half-dragged Hermione out of his room and around a corner, watching as Sylvia departed out of the dungeons. "Merlin that woman vexes me. Now, Miss Granger, let us return to my class and…talk." The sound of "talking" with Professor Severus Snape was not appealing to her at the moment because she was almost certain what they were going to be "talking" about.

She followed him back into the Potions classroom and sat at a chair parked directly across from him in front of his desk. He surveyed her for a moment and then reclined into his chair, his ebony eyes focused intensely on hers. She felt nervous under his gaze and her face flushed.

"Most of the time while you're here, I will be expecting you to be paying full attention. I'll show you how to prepare lessons and how to deliver them accurately," he began. "Understand?" Hermione nodded. "Good. I would advise you to begin the writing of your essay as soon as you find that you have collected enough to begin." He checked his watch. "Nearly 7:30. I suppose you'll be off, now? Don't dawdle to your common room, or I shall know. Head Girl or not, this is most definitely not a time when you should spend too much time alone." Hermione nearly choked. Was his advising her? Warning her?

"Er—professor?" she asked as she watched his getting to his feet.

"What is it now, Miss Granger?" he growled, looking back at her.

"I was just wondering…" she gulped, "…if that is all you wished to talk to me about?" Severus' eyes narrowed slightly at the pink spreading across Hermione's cheeks.

"Not unless you would enjoy discussing your dreaming," he drawled, folding his arms over his chest. "I know I certainly would not." Hermione's face reddened another shade. "Dreams are dreams, Miss Granger, and I, personally, do not take my dreams seriously, nor do I take the word of Sybil Trelawney any more gravely." Hermione felt a slight twinge in her chest but ignored it. She quickly got to her feet. "Now, be gone. I shall see you tomorrow just before dinner. Be punctual."

Hermione nodded and raced out of the class, heading for the Gryffindor common room, taking absolutely no detours as Severus had cautioned, not like she ever had anyway.

A/N: I know, not much of a…connection yet, but there will be one eventually. Just pay attention. I hope you don't mind the huge age difference, I know I don't. Age is just another obstacle and one easily conquered. Anyway, review, review, review! I'll update soon!

Acro