Chapter Fifteen: Small Talk
Hermione sipped at her Tea.
"Tell me all about it." Flitwick repeated.
Hermione sighed, "Its complicated, I don't know why, really, I'm acting like this, nothing unusual happened."
"Tell me then what did happen child and let me decide that for myself."
"Well, I don't think I'm really allowed to tell you everything, I wasn't informed as to whether I could or not."
"I won't judge nor tell anything said in this room," The charms teacher assured her.
"Well," she took another sip, "If I get in trouble its all your fault." She informed him.
He nodded, sipping his own tea.
"Well, Professor Snape and I were dancing-."
Flitwick spit out his tea, "What?" he asked, shocked.
Hermione put down her tea quickly and clean up the mess.
"It's honestly not what you think sir, it was only lessons." She took to her tea again, hiding her face, honestly what did he think was going on.
"Lessons, whatever for?" Flitwick was sincerely interested.
"For training, I need to be able to dance properly among other things before he will consent to letting me attend the Malfoy Party coming up." She explained.
"I see, Now, you were dancing then what?" Filius had many more questions he wanted to ask her, but thought better of it.
"Well I wasn't getting the steps at first, so he decided to lead me into the steps, that worked for a bit, then," She blushed, and Flitwick braced himself, "I stepped on his foot." She muttered, "And he shouted."
"That seems like Severus." Flitwick agreed.
"I - I didn't know what to do," a tear fell down her cheek, "I ran."
He was now thoroughly confused, "Ms. Ganger, Severus always shouts." He informed her wondering if this was new on her.
"Around most people yes, that is the case." She agreed, not knowing exactly what she had just said before she saw a calculating look in her charms teachers small eyes.
"Most people? Would you consider yourself most people Hermione?" He asked calmly.
"No, when its just me, he never shouts, never sneers, he's decent and happy," She hid her face in her cup, "I guess I ran because it scared me."
"Hermione, why does Severus wear the mask you suggest he is?"
"Because he's scared." Hermione was starting to think there was more in this cup then just tea. "And insecure. Unless he feels completely safe, he wears it. He hasn't worn it during my detentions since after the second day."
"I see." He took a sip of his tea, "why does this matter so much to you?"
"His opinion, matters to me, its very important to me that I have his approval, I've worked so hard getting this far, I - I'm scared I lost everything."
She had tears on her cheeks now, flowing like small rivers.
Filius had an idea now, exactly why Severus seemed more cheerful, and why they hadn't both killed each other yet.
There was something more between them that neither had quite figured out yet.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Ron were both pacing their room, Hermione wasn't back yet, the Bat had come to see if she was there, and she wasn't.
So both, needless to say were out of their minds with worry.
"Where is she!" Ron demanded.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione hadn't said anything for a while, and Filius thought that it was enough for tonight. "Go to bed dear, you should sleep on this before you overreact anymore to the situation."
Hermione sipped her tea and found it cold, he had a point, plus the tea wasn't any good cold, "Of course, and thank you, sir, for listening." She stood up and left.
Filius waved his wand, re filling her empty cup with more warm tea, and more vartiserum. He didn't have to wait long before the door opened again.
"Good evening Severus, Care for some tea?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Severus had paced his classroom for five minutes before realizing that she wasn't going to come back.
He hadn't meant to yell, it just came out. Pulling his finger though his hair, he let out a great sigh. Something was wrong with him.
That much was sure.
With a huff he grabbed his long menacing cloak and set to the halls, he would first check Gryffindor tower.
"Professor," the Lady in pink greeted him.
"I'm looking for a student who has detention with me this evening, I believe, as all students remaining are Gryffindors, Ms. Granger may be within."
"I haven't seen her return, but as you wish." She opened to reveal the entrance way.
Walking in he winced, he never particularly like Gryffindor tower, "Potter, Weasley." He greeted the boys, "Shouldn't you both be in detention?"
"Professor McGonagall let us leave early." Ron explained.
"Where's Hermione professor?" Harry asked.
"That's precisely what I was going to ask you both, but I presume she hasn't been here since eight?"
The boys exchanged worried glanced, "No," Ron shook his head.
"We haven't seen her sir since we got back a minute ago." Harry explained.
"Very well." Snape drawled sounding disinterested. "You will inform her the moment she returns that I expect to see her tomorrow about five, to make up for the time she has to make up."
With that he spun from the awful place to search the halls.
That's when he saw Hermione exiting Filius's study. She looked so, dead.
His curiosity perked, he waited until she was well into another corridor before entering Flickwick's room.
"Good evening Severus, care for some tea?"
The chairs and tea were already set out, he noticed. Deciding the best way to get information out of the sneaky dwarf, was to comply.
"Yes, Filius, a spot of tea sounds rather nice right now, you don't mind?"
"No of course not." He gestured to the seat.
Severus took a seat and picked up the tea. He smirked.
"Now, I trust you wanted to ask me something Filius?" Severus put down the china.
The man smiled, "I ought to know better than to try to pull a trick on you." He waved his hands and the cup was refilled. With only tea this time.
"Then you were questioning Ms. Granger as well?" Snape asked calmly, not touching the cup.
"Caught," he smiled, "May I ask you a few questions then Severus?"
"I won't answer most," he warned.
"fine, I understand." He sipped his own cup, Severus smirked.
"Why was Ms. Granger talking to you?" the potions master asked calmly.
"I found her crying and she looked like she needed to get something off her chest." Filius answered eyes wide.
"What did you do Severus?" he demanded.
"I needed information, just as you." He smirked evilly, "I'm, however, better at getting it."
"I see, Trapped in my own game am I?"
"It wasn't your game to begin with." Severus informed him simply.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione managed her way to the common room without bursting out into tears again.
She really couldn't understand this unexplainable urge to cry that had come over her since she stepped on Snape's foot and he yelled at her.
"Dragon wings." She recited to the portrait, who didn't open.
She looked up at the fat lady, who was currently glaring at her.
"Dragon Wings." Hermione said again, louder.
"Oh I heard you the first time." The lady crossed her arms, "But you need to go see professor Snape before I let you in."
Hermione was honestly floored when the tears fell down her shocked face. What had she said to warrant such a response?
Not to mention she didn't want to see Snape for the rest of the night.
"Dragon wings." Hermione said again, her voice shaking.
"You're a Gryffindor, what could that man have done to possibly make you cry!" The lady retorted, "Now show your courage and go find him."
"DRAGONWINGS!" She shouted.
"I have to left someone out, don't you dare go in!" the portrait opened, Harry stuck his head out.
"Hermione?"
She hugged him right then and there, "Let me in Harry," she whispered.
Harry, not knowing what had happened, picked up his friend and carried her into the common room.
When the fat lady looked again, Hermione was gone.
"Damn." She cursed.
You see, portraits see everything.
And there was a portrait in every room of the castle.
Each portrait talked to each other, the guys cared little, but the female portraits had come up with a hypothesis.
The same one Harry and Ron had.
And every female portrait was to try and 'help' the young couple discover their feelings.
The fat lady failed.
*~*~**~*~*~~*~**~**~~*
AN: thanks Jen (AKA HunnySnowBunny) For the plushies ^_^ I really adored them, Hermione is helping with me school, I need as much help there as I can get. And Daxi, for your support, I'm glad you like the idea. Thanks to Stella By Starlight too. My knees fine dun worry, and yes junior year is not that nice..
I read all of your reviews on the eleventh, after I had a bad day and they really helped, I'm grateful they just made my day.
But especially Jen, she gave me a Hermione plushie and a Snape plushie, and subconsciously she had to have known I wasn't sleeping well, and I was struggling with my homework. And after the bad day the two hugs REALLY helped. Thanks.
I made time as much as I could to write this for you three. Its dedicated to you.
I love all of my readers so if you weren't above, know I love you too, just they made my day on a bad day and made me smile, I love all reviews I just wanted to that them this time.
I hope my story is flowing alright and I wrote fast so that I don't lose any of you!
I will try to write if I can, but I might not be daily or weekly, those people are amazing, I can't do that.
I'll get chapters out as often as I can.
Thanks for your patience.
RELENA
Hermione sipped at her Tea.
"Tell me all about it." Flitwick repeated.
Hermione sighed, "Its complicated, I don't know why, really, I'm acting like this, nothing unusual happened."
"Tell me then what did happen child and let me decide that for myself."
"Well, I don't think I'm really allowed to tell you everything, I wasn't informed as to whether I could or not."
"I won't judge nor tell anything said in this room," The charms teacher assured her.
"Well," she took another sip, "If I get in trouble its all your fault." She informed him.
He nodded, sipping his own tea.
"Well, Professor Snape and I were dancing-."
Flitwick spit out his tea, "What?" he asked, shocked.
Hermione put down her tea quickly and clean up the mess.
"It's honestly not what you think sir, it was only lessons." She took to her tea again, hiding her face, honestly what did he think was going on.
"Lessons, whatever for?" Flitwick was sincerely interested.
"For training, I need to be able to dance properly among other things before he will consent to letting me attend the Malfoy Party coming up." She explained.
"I see, Now, you were dancing then what?" Filius had many more questions he wanted to ask her, but thought better of it.
"Well I wasn't getting the steps at first, so he decided to lead me into the steps, that worked for a bit, then," She blushed, and Flitwick braced himself, "I stepped on his foot." She muttered, "And he shouted."
"That seems like Severus." Flitwick agreed.
"I - I didn't know what to do," a tear fell down her cheek, "I ran."
He was now thoroughly confused, "Ms. Ganger, Severus always shouts." He informed her wondering if this was new on her.
"Around most people yes, that is the case." She agreed, not knowing exactly what she had just said before she saw a calculating look in her charms teachers small eyes.
"Most people? Would you consider yourself most people Hermione?" He asked calmly.
"No, when its just me, he never shouts, never sneers, he's decent and happy," She hid her face in her cup, "I guess I ran because it scared me."
"Hermione, why does Severus wear the mask you suggest he is?"
"Because he's scared." Hermione was starting to think there was more in this cup then just tea. "And insecure. Unless he feels completely safe, he wears it. He hasn't worn it during my detentions since after the second day."
"I see." He took a sip of his tea, "why does this matter so much to you?"
"His opinion, matters to me, its very important to me that I have his approval, I've worked so hard getting this far, I - I'm scared I lost everything."
She had tears on her cheeks now, flowing like small rivers.
Filius had an idea now, exactly why Severus seemed more cheerful, and why they hadn't both killed each other yet.
There was something more between them that neither had quite figured out yet.
*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry and Ron were both pacing their room, Hermione wasn't back yet, the Bat had come to see if she was there, and she wasn't.
So both, needless to say were out of their minds with worry.
"Where is she!" Ron demanded.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione hadn't said anything for a while, and Filius thought that it was enough for tonight. "Go to bed dear, you should sleep on this before you overreact anymore to the situation."
Hermione sipped her tea and found it cold, he had a point, plus the tea wasn't any good cold, "Of course, and thank you, sir, for listening." She stood up and left.
Filius waved his wand, re filling her empty cup with more warm tea, and more vartiserum. He didn't have to wait long before the door opened again.
"Good evening Severus, Care for some tea?"
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Severus had paced his classroom for five minutes before realizing that she wasn't going to come back.
He hadn't meant to yell, it just came out. Pulling his finger though his hair, he let out a great sigh. Something was wrong with him.
That much was sure.
With a huff he grabbed his long menacing cloak and set to the halls, he would first check Gryffindor tower.
"Professor," the Lady in pink greeted him.
"I'm looking for a student who has detention with me this evening, I believe, as all students remaining are Gryffindors, Ms. Granger may be within."
"I haven't seen her return, but as you wish." She opened to reveal the entrance way.
Walking in he winced, he never particularly like Gryffindor tower, "Potter, Weasley." He greeted the boys, "Shouldn't you both be in detention?"
"Professor McGonagall let us leave early." Ron explained.
"Where's Hermione professor?" Harry asked.
"That's precisely what I was going to ask you both, but I presume she hasn't been here since eight?"
The boys exchanged worried glanced, "No," Ron shook his head.
"We haven't seen her sir since we got back a minute ago." Harry explained.
"Very well." Snape drawled sounding disinterested. "You will inform her the moment she returns that I expect to see her tomorrow about five, to make up for the time she has to make up."
With that he spun from the awful place to search the halls.
That's when he saw Hermione exiting Filius's study. She looked so, dead.
His curiosity perked, he waited until she was well into another corridor before entering Flickwick's room.
"Good evening Severus, care for some tea?"
The chairs and tea were already set out, he noticed. Deciding the best way to get information out of the sneaky dwarf, was to comply.
"Yes, Filius, a spot of tea sounds rather nice right now, you don't mind?"
"No of course not." He gestured to the seat.
Severus took a seat and picked up the tea. He smirked.
"Now, I trust you wanted to ask me something Filius?" Severus put down the china.
The man smiled, "I ought to know better than to try to pull a trick on you." He waved his hands and the cup was refilled. With only tea this time.
"Then you were questioning Ms. Granger as well?" Snape asked calmly, not touching the cup.
"Caught," he smiled, "May I ask you a few questions then Severus?"
"I won't answer most," he warned.
"fine, I understand." He sipped his own cup, Severus smirked.
"Why was Ms. Granger talking to you?" the potions master asked calmly.
"I found her crying and she looked like she needed to get something off her chest." Filius answered eyes wide.
"What did you do Severus?" he demanded.
"I needed information, just as you." He smirked evilly, "I'm, however, better at getting it."
"I see, Trapped in my own game am I?"
"It wasn't your game to begin with." Severus informed him simply.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione managed her way to the common room without bursting out into tears again.
She really couldn't understand this unexplainable urge to cry that had come over her since she stepped on Snape's foot and he yelled at her.
"Dragon wings." She recited to the portrait, who didn't open.
She looked up at the fat lady, who was currently glaring at her.
"Dragon Wings." Hermione said again, louder.
"Oh I heard you the first time." The lady crossed her arms, "But you need to go see professor Snape before I let you in."
Hermione was honestly floored when the tears fell down her shocked face. What had she said to warrant such a response?
Not to mention she didn't want to see Snape for the rest of the night.
"Dragon wings." Hermione said again, her voice shaking.
"You're a Gryffindor, what could that man have done to possibly make you cry!" The lady retorted, "Now show your courage and go find him."
"DRAGONWINGS!" She shouted.
"I have to left someone out, don't you dare go in!" the portrait opened, Harry stuck his head out.
"Hermione?"
She hugged him right then and there, "Let me in Harry," she whispered.
Harry, not knowing what had happened, picked up his friend and carried her into the common room.
When the fat lady looked again, Hermione was gone.
"Damn." She cursed.
You see, portraits see everything.
And there was a portrait in every room of the castle.
Each portrait talked to each other, the guys cared little, but the female portraits had come up with a hypothesis.
The same one Harry and Ron had.
And every female portrait was to try and 'help' the young couple discover their feelings.
The fat lady failed.
*~*~**~*~*~~*~**~**~~*
AN: thanks Jen (AKA HunnySnowBunny) For the plushies ^_^ I really adored them, Hermione is helping with me school, I need as much help there as I can get. And Daxi, for your support, I'm glad you like the idea. Thanks to Stella By Starlight too. My knees fine dun worry, and yes junior year is not that nice..
I read all of your reviews on the eleventh, after I had a bad day and they really helped, I'm grateful they just made my day.
But especially Jen, she gave me a Hermione plushie and a Snape plushie, and subconsciously she had to have known I wasn't sleeping well, and I was struggling with my homework. And after the bad day the two hugs REALLY helped. Thanks.
I made time as much as I could to write this for you three. Its dedicated to you.
I love all of my readers so if you weren't above, know I love you too, just they made my day on a bad day and made me smile, I love all reviews I just wanted to that them this time.
I hope my story is flowing alright and I wrote fast so that I don't lose any of you!
I will try to write if I can, but I might not be daily or weekly, those people are amazing, I can't do that.
I'll get chapters out as often as I can.
Thanks for your patience.
RELENA