Professor Snape found himself standing in the dining room of the Granger home. There was a large table that, at the present, held only a large basket of assorted fruits. The room was very comfortable and warm. Snape grimaced slightly at the sight of the floral print curtains.
"Oh, welcome home Hermione," Mrs. Granger said releasing Hermione from her crushing embrace. "We're so glad to see you dear. Mr. Dumbledore has been in contact with us and he told us when you'd be coming. I certainly didn't expect you to show up at the back door." Mrs. Granger paused and looked up curiously at the dark man standing in the doorway behind her daughter. She looked nervously at his black robes.
"Mum, this is Professor Snape," Hermione said gesturing to the potions master. She looked at Snape, but she couldn't read his expression.
"Welcome to my home Professor Snape," Mrs. Granger said feeling relieved. "I'm Emily Granger, Hermione's mother. Obviously." She smiled at Hermione.
"Indeed," Snape replied, bowing slightly to the woman. She looked like an older, rounder version of Hermione. "I will leave you to visit and I will return for you after dinner," he said silkily to Hermione.
"Oh, no. Please stay Professor Snape," Mrs. Granger said kindly. "I made so much food because I was told that you'd both stay. We would love to have you. Hermione speaks so highly of you."
Hermione felt her face grow hot when the professor glanced at her briefly and said "Is that so?" He looked back at Mrs. Granger and said "Very well." Mrs. Granger beamed.
"Oh good!" she exclaimed cheerfully. "Mr. Granger will be home in time for dinner. He's been at the office all morning finishing some paperwork."
"On Christmas Eve?" Hermione asked, a little disappointed that he wasn't home yet.
"You know your father," Mrs. Granger said, with a good natured roll of her eyes. "He loves his work. A workaholic if there ever was one."
"And I suppose he passed this trait to his daughter?" Snape asked with a slight smirk.
"So it would seem," Mrs. Granger said beaming Hermione proudly. "Hermione dear, why don't you give the professor a tour of the house while I make dinner?"
Hermione glanced at Professor Snape nervously. He looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. "Alright," she muttered softly. Her eyes followed her mother as she hurried out of the room. Hermione turned to Snape and took a deep breath. "This is obviously the dining room," she stated simply.
"Obviously," he said in return, impatiently crossing his arms over his chest. He glanced around the room once more noting a doorway to his left that led to the kitchen. He allowed Hermione to lead him into the next room where he saw a large comfy looking couch and two armchairs. He looked with mild interest at the large television.
"This is the living room," Hermione said smiling slightly. "Are you familiar with televisions? Nevermind," she said shaking her head. "I forget that you're muggleborn. I've grown accustomed to describing everything to the Weasleys in great detail."
Snape nodded with a smirk and then gestured for her to continue.
Hermione nodded and led him into another room. "Here is the guest bedroom," she said. She waited patiently while Snape looked around at the spacious room. There was a large full size bed against the wall farthest from the door. It was covered by a fluffy dark blue comforter. To the left was a large oak bureau. On the right was a small oak table with two chairs. The room was simple but cozy. Hermione turned and walked back out of the room and walked over to a stairway where she waited for him. She pointed to a door to the left of the stairs. "That's a bathroom," she said glancing at him before walking up the stairs.
Hermione took another deep breath. Leading Professor Snape all over her parent's house was making her quite nervous. She stopped at the top of the stairs and led him straight to her bedroom. She winced slightly when she realized what she had done. She certainly didn't want to have the brooding potions master following her into her bedroom. "Too late now," she thought. "I've already led him in here."
"This is my room," she told him quietly.
Hermione struggled not to hold her breath as Snape's dark eyes roamed around her room. The comforter on her bed was a rich deep red color with gold lining and embroidery. "Ridiculous Gryffindor," Snape thought with a smirk. The bedposts were made of dark cherry wood. At the foot of the bed was a large trunk. There was a book shelf to the left of the bed that was full of books both magical and muggle. There was a table with a small lamp to the right of the bed where he suspected that Hermione spent a lot time working. There was also a large bureau in the room. The whole bedroom had a warm comforting feeling about it. Snape was relieved to see that the curtains didn't have flowers on them. Instead, they matched the comforter on the bed. "You used Gryffindor colors," he said silkily. "How very predictable."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't contain her sigh of relief. She had expected a much worse response. "Come on then," she said leading him back out to the hall way. She showed him another guest bedroom that was identical to the first, except for the fact that the comforter was a rich green color. She led Snape to her parents' room and grinned when he looked into see a room very similar to her own, but with floral prints on the bed and curtains. He grimaced but politely examined the room like he had the others. "I take it that you don't care for flowers," Hermione said with a small smile once she had closed the door to that room.
"Your assessment would be correct," Snape replied with a shudder. Hermione giggled earning a glare from him.
"Well, that's everything," Hermione said looking around for a moment. "There is another bathroom there." She pointed to another door right across from the stairway. When Snape nodded she led him back downstairs. "Let's see how dinner is coming along," she said going back to the dining room.
"Hermione, your father called and he'll be here any minute," Mrs. Granger said, coming out of the kitchen to meet them. "He wants us to go to the living room. He has something for you."
Hermione looked at her mother curiously but her mother ignored her look and ushered them into the living room. Mrs. Granger left the room and came back a moment later with mugs of some warm liquid. Hermione sat down on the couch and motioned for Professor Snape to sit down as well. He sat and hesitantly accepted the mug and glanced at Hermione. "Apple cider," she whispered to him. "It's really hot, but it's good." She smiled as he carefully sipped at it and visibly relaxed.
Mrs. Granger sat in on of the armchairs with her cider. The three of them remained silent for a few minutes, enjoying the feeling of the warm mugs in their hands. The sound of a door opening caught their attention. Mr. Granger walked into the living room holding a package covered in red and green wrapping paper. Professor Snape reached over and took the mug of apple cider out of Hermione's hands so she could go to her father.
"There's my baby girl," Mr. Granger said affectionately. His hair was short and less curly than his wife and daughter's hair. He was tall and lean with lines around his mouth and eyes that seemed to indicate that he smiled a great deal. His dark brown eyes were currently resting on his daughter. "You've changed even more since we last saw you," he said smiling.
Mr. Granger turned his attention to Professor Snape. "I'm Stephen Granger, Hermione's father," he said shaking Snape's hand when Hermione took her mug from the professor. She looked nervously at her father who seemed to examining Snape very carefully.
"Dad, this is Professor Snape," Hermione said quickly. "He teaches potions at Hogwarts."
"Ah yes," Mr. Granger said with a polite nod. "We've heard about you. Hermione's your apprentice."
"Yes," Snape said simply. He shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't very sure of what to say or do. He had promised Dumbledore that he would be agreeable and somewhat pleasant while at the Granger's house. It wasn't especially difficult, but he was left feeling uncertain about how to maintain a conversation.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," Mr. Granger said gesturing to the couch. "Hermione, your mother and I ordered something for you. With the help of the headmaster of course. An owl delivered it to the office today. I wrapped it before coming home." He handed the package over to his daughter.
Hermione smiled and pulled the wrapping paper off to reveal a plain cardboard box. She opened it curiously and saw that it contained very silky cloth that was the color of red wine. With a smile, she lifted it out of the box to find that it was dress robes. "How beautiful," she murmured.
"Go try it on," her mother said, smiling brightly.
Hermione got up and went into the bathroom to change. Moments later she stepped back into the living room. She blushed slightly as Professor Snape and her parents looked her over. The robes had a v-neck and bell sleeves. The silky material hugged her curves slightly, making it very clear that she had grown up quite a bit. The robes flared out around her legs. She spun around in delight, enjoying the way the robes swirled around her.
"Oh, you look beautiful," Mrs. Granger said looking tearful. "Isn't she lovely Professor Snape?"
"Yes," Snape said softly looking at the beautiful woman in front of him. He had been slightly startled that he had been asked but, he managed to mask his surprise somewhat. Hermione was looking startled by his reply. She blushed and muttered a thank you. Stephen Granger was watching Snape's reaction with interest.
"Mr. Dumbledore told us that new dress robes might be useful in the near future," Mrs. Granger said grinning. Hermione looked at Professor Snape curiously, but he merely shrugged. "Anyway, Hermione get changed and meet us in the dining room," Mrs. Granger said leaving her chair and going to the kitchen.
Snape's black eyes followed Hermione's form out of the room. He noted her pleasantly rounded hips and small waist. When she had first walked in, he had noticed her full rounded breasts. She had changed so much over the past few years. He sneered at his train of thought. She was his know-it-all student, nothing more. He shook the image of her body out of his mind and followed her parents into the dining room.
