Chapter 19
Saturday December 1st
Hermione and Draco were sitting in the headmaster's office discussing preparations for the Yule Ball. It would be held on the evening of December 19th, and the school was on holiday the next day. They had dozens of ideas but wanted to make this ball one to remember since it was their last year. Dumbledore asked Hermione to provide some musical entertainment on the piano, which she graciously accepted. After the meeting, they sought out the prefects to let them know of a planning meeting. Since very inclement weather had cancelled a quidditch match, most students were in the common rooms or library. Hermione and Draco were in an empty great hall with some parchment sketching out their plans for the ball. Snape walked by the hall to see Hermione standing on a bench pointing to a corner with Draco nodding and taking notes. He stopped and observed, not noticed by the two.
She had her arm outstretched and she wavered a bit.
"Alright there shorty?" Draco asked.
Snape snorted lightly at the name and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Yes, Drakey-poo. I'm fine. This bench is wobbly," Hermione retorted with his hated nickname.
Then they looked at each other and laughed. Those two have come a long way. She hopped from the bench and Snape took in the amusing shirt she was wearing this day. She had on a black t-shirt that had "Never Tickle A Sleeping Dragon" in white letters on the front with a picture of a sleeping dragon on the back. After a while, the two left the hall and ran into Snape who pretended to just be walking by.
"So what are the stalwart head students up to this morning?" Snape asked.
The two looked at each other eyebrows raised and Draco said "Planning the Yule Ball sir," as Hermione turned talked to a first year about something.
"If you two will excuse me, I have something to attend to. Draco, Professor."
She jogged towards the Hufflepuff common area. Draco and the Professor stood talking for a few more minutes when they saw Hermione carrying an unconscious small first year Hufflepuff boy towards the infirmary.
"Draco, could you fetch Professor Sprout? This little lamb is one of hers," Hermione said with exasperation
"What happened here?" Snape asked. Little lamb?
"Some Hufflepuffs decided to hold quidditch practice in their room. It got out of hand. Excuse me professor," she continued towards the infirmary.
Soon after a group of Hufflepuffs were hurrying towards the infirmary to check on their housemate, met by Draco and Professor Sprout. Minutes later, Hermione and Draco left the infirmary with Hermione shaking her head.
"What were they thinking?" she said.
"They were bored, that's what McAllister said," Draco said looking to the window at the snowstorm blowing outside.
"Will she be alright?" Snape asked.
"Yes sir, she's awake. 'Bored' she says. Getting hit in the head with a bludger is nothing to play around with. Believe me, I know. I have tutoring to do now. See you later," she said walking off.
The rest of the weekend was quiet, too quiet and the restless students actually looked forward to classes. Monday morning in potions, Snape drawled,
"We will be continuing the study of short term memory potions. Turn to page 234 of your book. The use of hellebore had long been…."
After the lecture had concluded, Snape announced,
"We will be brewing this potion on December 19th. I suggest you study hard as this potion is difficult and you will be testing it on each other. It will be pass or fail. You are excused when you have cleaned your cauldrons and work area."
Monday evening found Harry, Ron and Hermione in the library studying. A small mountain of books was on the table, parchment stacked in front of her. Unnoticed again, Snape was observing her from behind the restricted section.
"Shit, where are you?" she muttered under her breath.
Shuffling through the parchment, rifling through her bag, she stood up stretched and looked under the table. Aggravated, she waved her hand and the books moved aside. Harry and Ron looked at each other.
"Mione, one of these days you will have to show us how to do that," Harry said.
"Huh? Have you seen my little purple notepad? Show you what?" she said absently.
"The wandless magic stuff," Ron said.
"Stuff?" she said putting her hands on her hips.
Uh oh. She's riled! Weasley, you know better! Snape thought.
"I'll have you know, Ronald, this "stuff" as you call it is difficult to learn and took me weeks to move so much as a feather. If you can be serious about it and focus I might consider showing you. I don't want to waste my time," she huffed.
Ron put his hands up in surrender. "Alright Mione, Calm down. I am genuinely curious, okay? Hey, isn't that the shirt Charlie gave you?"
"And on that note, I will be leaving this library. If Draco comes looking for me, I will be in the music room. The Headmaster gave me some music to sample for the Yule Ball. See you at breakfast. Good night."
Snape waited for a few minutes then went to what seemed now his usual place, the music room watching Hermione. She played through some classical pieces them some Christmas tunes. She stood, marked on some of the sheets, then left the room. Snape disillusioned himself quickly lest Hermione run into him. He caught a whiff of her fragrance this evening, the roses and honey again. She took a few steps, paused, glanced behind her, said "Hello?" quietly and waited. She shrugged then took off again quickly.
She's not stupid Severus. She sensed someone's presence!
The next Sunday Snape threw open the drapes to his window. It was sunny and cold. Snow blanketed the ground except where the sidewalk had been cleared. Snape recognized the familiar figure of Hermione returning from her morning jog. She didn't strip this morning as it was freezing, but she did stop in her normal spot and did a few yoga positions. Suddenly she watched as ball of snow sailed over her head. In a second she whipped her wand out of a holster on her right hip she had made. Snape whipped his wand out as well. Seconds later, she smiled and put her wand back. Snape opened the window ever so slightly to hear.
"Ron, you don't even want to go there!" Hermione shouted.
She laughed as a snowball hit her in the shoulder.
"Alright, let's dance," she said with a wicked grin.
Hopping behind a nearby tree for cover, she bent down to fashion snowballs of her own. Peeking from behind the tree, she launched some of her own. Snape heard Ginny squeal.
"Traitor!" Hermione shouted to her. For minutes there was a flurry of snowballs, some hitting her, some not.
"Harry, you can't hide for long! ACCIO INVISIBILTY CAPE!" Hermione shouted.
"HEY!" was heard from Harry.
Hermione laughed hard until a snowball hit her in the mouth. Spitting snow out, she shouted,
"Okay, no more Miss Nice Hermione." Even Snape had to smile at that comment.
She got behind the tree again and started fashioning a large ball of snow about two feet in diameter. Satisfied it was firm enough, she extended her hand, muttered a spell, and wandlessly levitated the giant snowball.
Impressive! Snape thought.
She said an incantation to make the large snowball accelerate and waved her arm towards the three. She hooted as they fled with the giant snowball just feet behind them. It was charmed to hit the closest person, who happened to be Ron because the snow bogged down his large feet. With a loud splat, it exploded on his shoulders throwing him face down in the snow. Hermione was doubled over with laughter, as were Harry and Ginny. Ron sat up in shock, covered in snow sputtering through a mouthful of the stuff.
"Mione, like I said, you have got to show us how you do that." Harry said.
The next deatheater that crosses her path will have his hands full! Snape thought.
Dumbledore and McGonagall had watched the snowball fight from his office window. They too were laughing.
"I still can't get over her learning wandless magic," McGonagall said.
"It is an important advantage to have. I still think she needs additional instruction in the finer aspects, but she does have the basics down. Mr. Weasley can attest to that," Dumbledore said.
"Oh, did I tell you? She received an owl from Matthias Longley yesterday. He wants a sit down interview with her about the apprentice position she applied for at the ministry. She was thrilled. All she needs now is a recommendation from Severus. That would probably secure her appointment," she pondered worriedly.
"I wouldn't worry about that Minerva. She should be able to secure the appointment on her own merits, with or without the recommendation."
"Why? Do you know something that I don't? Wait, don't answer that."
"I have an inkling that our dear potions professor has developed a certain, how shall I put it, affection in regards to Miss Granger."
"Oh Albus, that is preposterous. Severus? Towards a student? Miss Granger? That can't be."
"I can't confirm it yet, you know how Severus is, but we will see at the Yule Ball."
"Now Albus, what in the world do you have planned?"
"Nothing earth-shattering, I assure you. Let's just say I hope the professors have their dancing shoes on that night, Minerva."
"Oh dear."