YES ITS SHORT!! I know u've already noticed but there u go - its only part of chapter 23! SORRY! read on to find out why
Cookie crumb of Chapter 23: The hate of love.
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So sorry yet again, but I did warn u. I know, I should be hung up on a stick and left for the vultures but these past weeks have been the most eventful (and still slow-paced) I can recall. I suppose I used to write to relieve myself of thinking of Severus too much. I could pour it all into my writing and breathe easily but now Severus is not what haunts my mind... don't worry I will always love him etc. all that. But when u find something real it's so much more confusing and wonderful and I completely hate it – especially when u can question their sincerity. (surprisingly, that is not the inspiration for this chapter – I've had this plan since august.)
"Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end/Just like a memory, it twists me/Just like romantic verses, just like a joyous end/Twist... twisting me" – AFI (stands for A Fire Inside) – Celluloid dream – go look up the lyrics for it – they're amazing! Its pure poetry the whole thing! All their stuff is... I have now definitely finally found my favorite artist.
To tell the honest truth closes eyes and waits for slap I completely forget about AF! Totally forgot... this summer I found it hard to tear myself away from a computer... now... I still find it hard to tear myself away from the computer but for different reasons (u know, as much I would love to get into great detail of this long story – almost as long as this one – I won't deprive u a second longer – its not like ur reading this anyway...)
O
It struck a chill to his marrow. His whole flesh was consumed by shivers of nonexistent pain. He had never been stung by an insult but her voice did strange things to him.
He could not move, despite the overwhelming urge to step forward and either shake her violently by the shoulders or kiss her. Could the woman not see how she had burned him? He knew that wasn't the correct order of things, he had burned her and suffered for it but humored his temper with lies.
"...what are you doing here?" she continued when he made no move to speak.
The confrontation between the stranger and Snape made several heads turn in curiosity. Severus spared them a few dark glances which sent them scuttling off to the great hall.
"I do believe I work here..." he said it and then it was too late to take it back. He was giving her the tone he would give a misbehaving student. This did more damage than he liked to consider. Hermione flushed angrily. This had confirmed her suspicions of how little she had meant to him that he could just dismiss her like anyone with his snide retorts.
"You belong in Azkaban with all your friends, or..." she stopped herself before she outright wished him dead.
"Hermione-" he began, attempting an apology for his comment to appease her. He took a step closer to her back she took one sharply backwards and cut him off loudly.
"Don't you ever refer to me by my first name ever again!" she spat, temper rising along with her voice. A few people began to stop and stare in blatant nosiness. She had a fiery rage smoldering in her pained eyes and Severus felt it prudent to back away slightly for both the stares and her possible actions which he had misjudged terribly before.
"Perhaps," he said in a soft calm voice that held enough edge to it for appearances sake, "we should go to my quarters to discuss things. If there is to be a confrontation, here is the worst of places-"
"Ha!" Hermione burst out in a sarcastic hysteria. There was a collecting crowd now that were failing to look as though they were just moving very slowly to the Great Hall. As she laughed, her hood slipped back off of her head and curls.
Following the sight of her face, there were a few loud gasps from the older students.
"I don't know why you try to defend your reputation, Severus," she snapped spitefully, feeling the deepest of revolting twisting inside her. She was furious with herself for letting his brooding menacing sight get to her. "It was never the most wonderful of reputations..."
Severus tried to force a stern glare onto his features under their watching eyes. "That was uncalled for," he began icily but as Hermione began to swell indignantly he continued in softer tones, "and I deserve far worse..." There was a small moment, affected by his gentler voice, where they locked eyes and all retorts and hatred deserted her.
"Hermione Granger?!" gasped a rather impudent and obtuse Dennis Creevey. It was enough to bring her back to earth.
She looked around at the faces – there were so many. She hadn't seen more than five at a time for the past two years and their attention was slightly intimidating.
She turned back to Severus, looked him hard in the eyes, less openly than a moment before, and lifted her chin.
"Maybe your quarters would be preferable for a conversation of this sort..." she said frostily and brushed past him towards the dungeon. He cast a dark glower over the sea of peering faces which had given up pretences. He then swept after her, close on her heel and heart pounding deep within his chest.
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"Did Miss Granger arrive safely?" Minerva McGonagall was in a fluster and had asked that question repeatedly in the past ten minutes of the welcome feast's start. She leaned over her food to get a better look at the open doors into the empty Grand Entrance. All students had been seated, all words had been said, minus an introduction of Hermione, and the food had appeared before them.
And their returning student had not shown her face.
Dumbledore had a deep-seated unease that he knew exactly where she was and didn't want to consider the difficulties that would result amongst certain members of staff this year.
He turned to McGonagall with a benevolence and weariness in his tone.
"Minerva, my dear, have you taken a look at our staff table?" this was the most information she had been able to extract from him all evening. She blinked behind her square spectacles and shook her head.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and swept out a weathered hand slowly to imply she should do so.
She followed the direction of his fingertips, past to familiar colleagues and then her eyes fell on an empty chair. And it was not that of any ordinary staff member either. Severus Snape had not shown up for the welcome dinner... and neither had Hermione... and it clicked smartly into place.
"Oh! My god, Albus! This isn't good!" she panicked and in a flustered movement, forgot composure and her food entirely, pushing herself back from the table to stand.
Dumbledore laid a hand on her arm quickly and she hesitated long enough to fall prey to his penetrating blue stare. Using unspoken words McGonagall was made to calm down and settle herself in her seat again, but her eyes flickered uneasily around the room.
"Hermione can take care of herself, Minerva. This has been held back long enough..." McGonagall didn't answer but bitterly stabbed her chops with a fork.
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Im so sorry – keep a look out – I will replace this chapter with the full thing but for some reason every word is a pain to get through. So it may be a while (cough, sound familiar?) but I had to give u guys something soon or else that would be just mean of me – this is all I've got down. – its not as long as I expected it to be – there will be a confrontation for those biting their nails. But what will be the outcome – I feel snotty in saying that I'm the only one who knows
but...
Im the only one who knows!!!!! NAHNAHNAH!!! – sorry... uncalled for.
I cant wait to get to the ending, not only is it the END and no more AF – but I should enjoy writing it.
So keep looking for when I replace my author's drivel with more writing.
Sorry once again – u can never apologize enough.
Snakecharmer. – I love u who reviewed – thank u thank u thank u – now I don't expect any for this – as its only a piece of a chapter. This is either to whet ur appetite or quench ur thirst – read it however u please.
PS – ill leave u with this much info – though Severus no longer haunts me – a pair of black eyes do! Ssh!(and a very sexy smile - he knows i think so, i told him so- which is weird because im not the bold kind of person...)