Chapter Six: Fears
It wasn't just Hermione's class that noticed the change in their darling professor. Ginny practically crashed into the threesome on their way to Herbology.
"I am SCARED!!!" she cried, shaking like mad, not realizing Harry was the one she had cemented herself too.
"Ginny," Hermione patted her friends shoulder, "Calm down, relax and think, then speak." She prompted the hysterical girl, "Why are you scared." She asked the simple question on everyone's mind.
"Snape." She said calmly, "He.He. He didn't take points!!! He gave them!!" and she held on tighter.
"Gi-Ginny!" Harry said red in the face. Ginny looked up and immediately jumped back five feet.
"Sorry Harry." Her knees buckled under her. "What up with Snape any ways?" Ginny asked facing each of them, and stopped on Hermione because she was laughing. "Hermione?"
"Sorry, it's just funny." She wiped the tears that had formed because she was holding in 99% of the laughter.
"What's Funny Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Snape." She stated. "He said he'd do this, I just don't believe it!" she burst out in another round of laughter.
The three around her exchanged looks and looked back at their poofy haired genius.
"Mione you alright?" Harry asked worried.
"I think they both are infected." Ron suggested.
"Would make sense." Ginny agreed.
When her laughter had been used up, she looked up at her friends in horror. "WHAT! Why are you standing there! We're late!!!" she picked up her books and ran Harry and Ron followed.
"LATE!!" Professor Sprout exclaimed when they all entered.
Class then begun after fifteen points were taken.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Snape saw the entire display.
But what had floored him was that she was laughing.
Ms. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter had looked at her like she had never laughed before.
Then Mr. Weasley said something odd "I think they both have been infected."
Infected with what? Snape wondered as he started to his destination once more.
*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
That night was patrolling again, even though Snape has assigned papers to grade, he figured it would do her some good to learn that teachers had other thing they had to do besides grade.
Plus, if she managed to figure out a method of grading, patrolling, and school work, she would be well relaxed when she actually became a teacher.
It was good practice.
Since the other professors had complained about Ms. Granger, walking about on her own, Snape was ordered, quite literally, to take her along with him everywhere.
This was annoying to say the least.
"Professor?" Hermione had asked as they walked along the quidditch pitch, "Why are you with me tonight?"
"The teacher's dreaded being assigned a potential twelve detentions again, Ms. Granger, I was thus ordered to remain with you to ensure it doesn't happen." He said gloomily.
"What they don't know sir, can't very well harm them can it?"
"I wish it were so simple, Ms. Granger." He sighed, "However, sadly enough, Albus has the entire school under surveillance, so he would naturally know."
"I'll speak with him tomorrow, and ensure to him that I won't assign that many detentions on a single professor again." Not that she minded the company, but Snape had appeared so bored.
Who wouldn't if they had to be a walking baby-sitter?
It was far more pleasant of a time when he smiled and hummed.
It was a side of him she had begun to treasure. Sure only four nights ago, she hated his guts, but since then, he had begun to open up, and she saw a side, that she shyly named hers.
Trusting of course that no one else realized that his grin was so large and his voice so melodic, she simply hated it when he acted as he did around everyone else.
It was frustrating, seeing this side, and then facing the git again and again.
Her detentions, she had started to think of them as lessons instead, were the part of the day she looked forward to.
Not only was she applying her knowledge of fairness, and her teaching ability to life, but also she felt like a teacher at times. It felt like all of her dreams were coming true.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
He really didn't feel comfortable walking around with her like this. It was almost as if she were five!
But more importantly, it was embarrassing. He knew very well how well she handled herself, and being forced to follow her around was not only an insult to her, but to himself as well.
"Ms. Granger, we need to go to the edge of the forbidden forest now." He said checking the time. "Then we have to more areas to go after that."
She nodded and they walked to the edge of the forest, and begun to pace back on forth.
"Evening Professor, Evening Mione." Hagrid said from his hut as they passed by.
Hermione waved "Evening Hagrid how's fang?"
" 'e's doing fine, how are ye?"
"Annoyed really, it's dumb that Professor Snape has to follow me around."
"Rules, Mione, rules. And yer not to be enjoying yer detention anyhow." He warned.
"Who ever said I was?" Hermione said back with a smile.
They were quiet once out of rage of the hut.
"Ms. Granger?" Snape asked.
"Hm?"
"I was wondering, since when has the perfect Ms. Granger been known to go about at night by herself?"
"Meaning?" she wondered what in the world, he could be talking about.
"Mr. Longbottom didn't seem too surprised when he was told why you had so many detentions."
"oh well everyone in Gryffindor knows how much I read, and sometimes there just isn't enough hours in the day, so I make some. Everyone is normally used to me not ever getting caught, after all, we have perfected the art of stealth in this school." She instantly clamped her hand over her mouth, and let them fall. "I shouldn't have told you that!"
"It's perfectly alright Ms. Granger." He said smiling. "The professors are quite aware of the irony that is the fact that Gryffindors are far better about getting around at night than Slytherins." He chuckled a little. "Even though my house is supposed to be the sly one."
"How?"
"Oh it's been that way for centuries." He waved off her comment.
It was quite bright out, Mione thought, she looked up at the full moon, "Professor, don't we have to go into the forest?"
"We already are Ms. Granger." He informed her, and indeed, they were surrounded by the large trees and dark mists of the forest.
"Yes, well, are there any werewolves in this forest sir?"
"Of course."
"It's a full moon out." She informed him, as if he had forgotten a very important detail.
"All the more reason for us to be in here, don't worry you'll be fine."
After a few minutes of walking, Hermione heard a long and loud howl, and begun to question their safety.
"Are you alright Ms. Granger?" Snape asked her, dryly.
His voice made her shiver. The git was back.
Then, and only then did she understand.
Professor Snape was scared. He put up his git face whenever he felt scared, worried, or in bad company.
If her hypothesis was, correct than it sure did explain a lot. But it also made her wonder; did he feel safe, or secure while in her company? He did seem to become more of a human being while he was around her, and only her.
A large set of growls pulled her form her retrieve. While walking neither of them had heard the large pack of werewolves, surround them.
Both Hermione and Snape were too caught up in their own thoughts to hear the simple warnings both of them had memorized.
"Ms. Granger!" Snape cast a spell she didn't quite hear, forcing an attacking wolf back, and away from her, "Get out your wand!" he ordered.
The pack walked in on them slowly, tightening their circle, forcing both Snape and Hermione into the other.
"Ms. Ganger hold on tight." He whispered into her ear as he encircled her with his arms.
In the next second, they were in the middle of Hogsmead.
"You alright?" He asked her waving his hand in front of her face.
"Yeah, I think so." Her knees buckled.
"I'm sorry Ms. Granger, I didn't hear them coming." Why was Snape apologizing?
"It's my fault sir, I shouldn't have been so caught up in my thoughts, you did notify me of the danger, I should have put my safety first."
Snape regarded the girl oddly, "You have a phobia of wolves don't you?"
Her head snapped up, "How?"
He shook his head, "When I told you of the wolves, you kept questioning my sanity, then when we were surrounded, you froze up, something I have personally never seen you do."
She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I should have told you."
"It's my fault I should have realized, come on, let's get back to the castle." And he started off.
"Professor?"
"Yes, Ms. Granger?" he stopped.
"You won't tell anyone, right?"
"No." And they walked back.
One couldn't say they walked together; after all, there was a good ten paces between the two.
Hermione was once again wrapped up in her thoughts. He knew her secret, her darkest secret. 'Everyone has a fear,' she rationalized.
The image in the suitcase from her third year came back.
She had seen professor Lupin change, painfully into a monster, and it had charged at her.
The mere thought made her shiver.
Warmth came over her. She recalled the event in the forest. His robes felt so soft and warm as they wrapped around her and brought her to safety.
The thought alone banished her fears, and made her relax again.
"You may go to bed early tonight Ms. Granger." Snape said once they were in the castle, "you stayed late last night so this will make up for it."
She nodded and walked to the tower, pondering a single thought.
Why did Snape make her feel so safe?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Interesting don't you think?
Well, review, and ideas PLEASE!!!!
If I get decent and logical ideas I may use them and update faster!!!
RELENA
It wasn't just Hermione's class that noticed the change in their darling professor. Ginny practically crashed into the threesome on their way to Herbology.
"I am SCARED!!!" she cried, shaking like mad, not realizing Harry was the one she had cemented herself too.
"Ginny," Hermione patted her friends shoulder, "Calm down, relax and think, then speak." She prompted the hysterical girl, "Why are you scared." She asked the simple question on everyone's mind.
"Snape." She said calmly, "He.He. He didn't take points!!! He gave them!!" and she held on tighter.
"Gi-Ginny!" Harry said red in the face. Ginny looked up and immediately jumped back five feet.
"Sorry Harry." Her knees buckled under her. "What up with Snape any ways?" Ginny asked facing each of them, and stopped on Hermione because she was laughing. "Hermione?"
"Sorry, it's just funny." She wiped the tears that had formed because she was holding in 99% of the laughter.
"What's Funny Hermione?" Ron asked.
"Snape." She stated. "He said he'd do this, I just don't believe it!" she burst out in another round of laughter.
The three around her exchanged looks and looked back at their poofy haired genius.
"Mione you alright?" Harry asked worried.
"I think they both are infected." Ron suggested.
"Would make sense." Ginny agreed.
When her laughter had been used up, she looked up at her friends in horror. "WHAT! Why are you standing there! We're late!!!" she picked up her books and ran Harry and Ron followed.
"LATE!!" Professor Sprout exclaimed when they all entered.
Class then begun after fifteen points were taken.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Snape saw the entire display.
But what had floored him was that she was laughing.
Ms. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter had looked at her like she had never laughed before.
Then Mr. Weasley said something odd "I think they both have been infected."
Infected with what? Snape wondered as he started to his destination once more.
*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*
That night was patrolling again, even though Snape has assigned papers to grade, he figured it would do her some good to learn that teachers had other thing they had to do besides grade.
Plus, if she managed to figure out a method of grading, patrolling, and school work, she would be well relaxed when she actually became a teacher.
It was good practice.
Since the other professors had complained about Ms. Granger, walking about on her own, Snape was ordered, quite literally, to take her along with him everywhere.
This was annoying to say the least.
"Professor?" Hermione had asked as they walked along the quidditch pitch, "Why are you with me tonight?"
"The teacher's dreaded being assigned a potential twelve detentions again, Ms. Granger, I was thus ordered to remain with you to ensure it doesn't happen." He said gloomily.
"What they don't know sir, can't very well harm them can it?"
"I wish it were so simple, Ms. Granger." He sighed, "However, sadly enough, Albus has the entire school under surveillance, so he would naturally know."
"I'll speak with him tomorrow, and ensure to him that I won't assign that many detentions on a single professor again." Not that she minded the company, but Snape had appeared so bored.
Who wouldn't if they had to be a walking baby-sitter?
It was far more pleasant of a time when he smiled and hummed.
It was a side of him she had begun to treasure. Sure only four nights ago, she hated his guts, but since then, he had begun to open up, and she saw a side, that she shyly named hers.
Trusting of course that no one else realized that his grin was so large and his voice so melodic, she simply hated it when he acted as he did around everyone else.
It was frustrating, seeing this side, and then facing the git again and again.
Her detentions, she had started to think of them as lessons instead, were the part of the day she looked forward to.
Not only was she applying her knowledge of fairness, and her teaching ability to life, but also she felt like a teacher at times. It felt like all of her dreams were coming true.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
He really didn't feel comfortable walking around with her like this. It was almost as if she were five!
But more importantly, it was embarrassing. He knew very well how well she handled herself, and being forced to follow her around was not only an insult to her, but to himself as well.
"Ms. Granger, we need to go to the edge of the forbidden forest now." He said checking the time. "Then we have to more areas to go after that."
She nodded and they walked to the edge of the forest, and begun to pace back on forth.
"Evening Professor, Evening Mione." Hagrid said from his hut as they passed by.
Hermione waved "Evening Hagrid how's fang?"
" 'e's doing fine, how are ye?"
"Annoyed really, it's dumb that Professor Snape has to follow me around."
"Rules, Mione, rules. And yer not to be enjoying yer detention anyhow." He warned.
"Who ever said I was?" Hermione said back with a smile.
They were quiet once out of rage of the hut.
"Ms. Granger?" Snape asked.
"Hm?"
"I was wondering, since when has the perfect Ms. Granger been known to go about at night by herself?"
"Meaning?" she wondered what in the world, he could be talking about.
"Mr. Longbottom didn't seem too surprised when he was told why you had so many detentions."
"oh well everyone in Gryffindor knows how much I read, and sometimes there just isn't enough hours in the day, so I make some. Everyone is normally used to me not ever getting caught, after all, we have perfected the art of stealth in this school." She instantly clamped her hand over her mouth, and let them fall. "I shouldn't have told you that!"
"It's perfectly alright Ms. Granger." He said smiling. "The professors are quite aware of the irony that is the fact that Gryffindors are far better about getting around at night than Slytherins." He chuckled a little. "Even though my house is supposed to be the sly one."
"How?"
"Oh it's been that way for centuries." He waved off her comment.
It was quite bright out, Mione thought, she looked up at the full moon, "Professor, don't we have to go into the forest?"
"We already are Ms. Granger." He informed her, and indeed, they were surrounded by the large trees and dark mists of the forest.
"Yes, well, are there any werewolves in this forest sir?"
"Of course."
"It's a full moon out." She informed him, as if he had forgotten a very important detail.
"All the more reason for us to be in here, don't worry you'll be fine."
After a few minutes of walking, Hermione heard a long and loud howl, and begun to question their safety.
"Are you alright Ms. Granger?" Snape asked her, dryly.
His voice made her shiver. The git was back.
Then, and only then did she understand.
Professor Snape was scared. He put up his git face whenever he felt scared, worried, or in bad company.
If her hypothesis was, correct than it sure did explain a lot. But it also made her wonder; did he feel safe, or secure while in her company? He did seem to become more of a human being while he was around her, and only her.
A large set of growls pulled her form her retrieve. While walking neither of them had heard the large pack of werewolves, surround them.
Both Hermione and Snape were too caught up in their own thoughts to hear the simple warnings both of them had memorized.
"Ms. Granger!" Snape cast a spell she didn't quite hear, forcing an attacking wolf back, and away from her, "Get out your wand!" he ordered.
The pack walked in on them slowly, tightening their circle, forcing both Snape and Hermione into the other.
"Ms. Ganger hold on tight." He whispered into her ear as he encircled her with his arms.
In the next second, they were in the middle of Hogsmead.
"You alright?" He asked her waving his hand in front of her face.
"Yeah, I think so." Her knees buckled.
"I'm sorry Ms. Granger, I didn't hear them coming." Why was Snape apologizing?
"It's my fault sir, I shouldn't have been so caught up in my thoughts, you did notify me of the danger, I should have put my safety first."
Snape regarded the girl oddly, "You have a phobia of wolves don't you?"
Her head snapped up, "How?"
He shook his head, "When I told you of the wolves, you kept questioning my sanity, then when we were surrounded, you froze up, something I have personally never seen you do."
She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, I should have told you."
"It's my fault I should have realized, come on, let's get back to the castle." And he started off.
"Professor?"
"Yes, Ms. Granger?" he stopped.
"You won't tell anyone, right?"
"No." And they walked back.
One couldn't say they walked together; after all, there was a good ten paces between the two.
Hermione was once again wrapped up in her thoughts. He knew her secret, her darkest secret. 'Everyone has a fear,' she rationalized.
The image in the suitcase from her third year came back.
She had seen professor Lupin change, painfully into a monster, and it had charged at her.
The mere thought made her shiver.
Warmth came over her. She recalled the event in the forest. His robes felt so soft and warm as they wrapped around her and brought her to safety.
The thought alone banished her fears, and made her relax again.
"You may go to bed early tonight Ms. Granger." Snape said once they were in the castle, "you stayed late last night so this will make up for it."
She nodded and walked to the tower, pondering a single thought.
Why did Snape make her feel so safe?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN: Interesting don't you think?
Well, review, and ideas PLEASE!!!!
If I get decent and logical ideas I may use them and update faster!!!
RELENA