Chapter 1
The moon was glittering across the lake at the Snape's family manor, but truth be told there was only one family member left and even he did not want to spend his waking, or sleeping moments there. The only things that lay dormant there were house elves and evil things that are not nice to describe. But wind blew through out the manor and a clomping of footsteps was heard as the house elves scrambled to attention to the only master that they had who was Severus Snape. Time had lay heavy on his heart for the past sixteen years, and it never got any easier to return to this "home" if you could call it that. Most of his time was spent doing missions for Dumbledore or writing up school lessons. But now he didn't even have that for a bossy little know it all had been assigned to him for him to look after. He would never have requested this and certainly did not agree to it lightly, but if Dumbledore had found another way or reason to put her with someone else for safety then he would have asked them or put her there. But sure enough he hadn't and he had to be stuck with the bossy little know it all, alone for the next six weeks and that didn't change his mood at all.
"Move out of my way!" bellowed Severus Snape across the manor as the little figurines of elves ran out of his way and fell over themselves to get away and hide.
"Professor." began a straight haired, grown up, young, woman from the doorway. "Do you really think that was necessary? I mean these creatures have been alone for the last… I do not know, how many years and the only way you can great them is by telling them to "Move out of my way"?"
"Don't push me Granger." he said and could feel his temper rising. Just because he'd been given the job to shelter this girl, didn't mean he had to be nice to her.
"Just because I'm younger than you sir doesn't mean you can treat me with the disrespect you did at school. I am a respectable young adult and am only here for fear of my life and my relatives, including my parents. So please, do not use that tone with me." she said with authority in her voice and power in her eyes.
"What are you talking about Granger? What tone?" he said with a puzzled look on his face.
"That tone and you know and have known for the past eleven years. So call me Hermione. How ever much it may pain you to do so, everyone I know calls me Hermione and I want it kept that way." she said and sighed.
"Well with that out of the way. Not a bad place." she said looking around quizzically at her surroundings.
"I'm sorry but I think you hit your head on one of the fireplaces on the way here because this is not a good, passable, living space." he spat and twirled his robe behind him as he glided across the floor to the next room, out of the space of the pitiless, black, dusty, mouldy excuse for an entrance hall.
"Excuse me?" she said with a, I-can-not-believe-that-man look plastered all over her face.
"You heard me." he said and turned round before he could enter into the next room and shut the doors leaving her helpless. "Now, your room is up stair on the second floor if you need anything my room is the second one down and I shall be up there at 2o'clock. Anything else Miss Granger?" He said with one eyebrow raised in a manner to say, I have better things to be doing with my time then spend it here playing nursemaid to a little girl like you.
"No, just..." she started but couldn't finish.
"What?" he glared.
"Just, thank you. It means a lot that you're letting me stay here." she said and floated her trunk up the stairs leaving a gob smacked Potions Professor behind.
"You're welcome." he whispered to himself as he, made his way to his secret room in the house.