SUMMARY: Hermione looses her two best friends in the war against Voldemort. Because of this, she becomes depressed and flees from the world she loves. To London she goes and chooses to live as a muggle. Six years pass. Hermione slowly begins to forget how to use magic. Will the staff of Hogwarts be able to teach her again before the damage becomes permanent?

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.

PAIRINGS: Hermione Granger, Severus Snape (eventually); Rated M

A/N: Thank you to iloveseverussnape, KellyRoxton, and Murphyangel for your reviews.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Hermione came down to breakfast, she saw Snape sitting in his usually seat. Her chair was between him and Dumbledore. Hermione had no desire to sit next to him this morning for two reasons.

Reason number one, she was angry with him. Hermione thought Snape completely overreacted when dealing with the two feuding Slytherin students. She felt expelling them was absolutely unnecessary. A simple jinx never hurt anybody, she thought. She secretly hoped Dumbledore would change his mind.

And reason number two, and the most important reason which over rides reason number one is that Hermione was thinking about Snape in a not so teacher like way.

The dream she had only an hour ago was still in her mind. Hermione desperately tried to push the thoughts away, but they wouldn't budge. She believed the only reason for such thoughts was because of the kiss she had accidentally gave him on the first night of her magical recovery.

Hermione had no intention such things to happen. She kept telling herself it was an accident and it meant nothing. She thought after confronting Snape about what she had did, it would be over and she would never have to think about that kiss again. But now, Hermione had another kiss to contemplate.

The kiss, of course, Hermione knew wasn't real. But when she mixed the imagination of her dream with the reality of the small peck she gave Snape, her mind exploded with unbelievable images she knew where highly inappropriate.

Seeing Snape only made her situation worse. Luckily, to Hermione's relief, she didn't have to worry about potions for two days. That meant, she wouldn't see Snape as much as she had been. It would only be during meals and maybe a couple times in the halls. And if she wasn't careful, she just might see him when she closed her eyes at night. Her dreams already posed as a problem. She could only hope that they wouldn't become an every night thing.

Instead of taking her seat beside Snape, Hermione walked over to Professor McGonagall who sat on Dumbledore's right side.

"Professor McGonagall?"

"Good morning, Ms. Granger," she said with a smile. Hermione smiled in return.

"I was wondering, if you are free to help me master Transfiguration again? That is, later this evening of course."

"Certainly," Minerva said happily. "My last class ends at four. Will you be ready by then?"

"I think so."

"Then I will see you at four." Hermione gave her a short smile then nodded her goodbye.

Hermione then moved to Dumbledore's left side. She reached around and grabbed a blueberry muffin.

"Hello," said Hermione with a smile to Dumbledore. She tried not to look at Snape, though she could see his black robes out of the corner of her eye.

"Hermione," replied Dumbledore with a smile just as wide as hers. "Won't you sit?"

"Um, actually no," she said. "I was just getting something on the go. I have work to do." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. Hermione explained. "Because I don't have to worry about potions for a couple of days, I thought I would spend some time with my wand. Its already furious with me. I should really try to master it again."

"That you should." Hermione turned to leave, when he spoke again. "By the way, how is potions?" She froze. She knew Snape's head had turned.

"Its...its fine," she said, turning back around. "I was able to complete the potion for curing boils and currently Professor Snape has me working on the Poly Juice Potion, by your request I believe."

"Ah, yes," he smiled. "What will you be working on in the mean time?"

"Transfiguration. I just discussed it with Professor McGonagall."

"You will definitely need your wand for that." Snape always had to add his two cents. Hermione bit her tongue and ignored his comment.

"Well, if you'll excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, I have to go practice." With that, Hermione turned on her heel and left the Great Hall. Dumbledore brought his attention to Snape.

"Is everything all right between you two," he asked.

"Define 'all right'," Snape said, watching Hermione's retreating back.

"There aren't any problems, are there, Severus?"

"Why would you think there were problems?"

"I'm sensing some...emotions between the two of you." Snape looked at him. "At the current time, I'm aware of quite a bit of hostility."

"Hostility?"

"On Hermione's part," Dumbledore said. "You haven't done anything to upset her have you?"

"No," he answered quickly. Dumbledore raised a questioning eyebrow. "Well, she was a little overturned with me this morning."

"What did you do," Dumbledore asked in an expecting tone.

"I DID NOTHING," Snape roared, his voice echoing of the walls, turning many heads his way. He quieted. "She brought my attention to Joyner and Steele fighting in the dungeon halls. So like any other person, I go to try and fix the problem. But, when I tried to rectify the situation, Ms. Granger becomes livid with me because she doesn't agree with my methods." He paused. "And apparently you don't either."

"Mister Joyner and Mister Steele didn't qualify for expulsion, Severus," Dumbledore said, chuckling in-between words. "I would have to agree with Hermione."

"Typical," he huffed. "Gryfindors always stick together."

"As do Slytherins," Dumbledore countered. Snape rolled his eyes.

"It's positively unbelievable that she would even dare interfere with my techniques."

"And even more unbelievable that you let it get to you," said Dumbledore quickly.

"I beg your pardon." Snape was staring straight through him.

"It is clear that Ms. Granger is influencing your decisions." He smiled.

"That is the most," Snape said as he stood from his chair, "ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life."

"Believe what you will, Severus. But like it or not, Hermione's opinion matters to you."

"It most certainly does not," he hissed as he made his way out of the Great Hall. Dumbledore watched him go. Minerva spoke to him.

"Albus, what is wrong with Severus?"

"Hermione Granger is what is wrong with him, Minerva," he said to her, smiling. "She had found a way under his skin."

"You speak as though that is a good thing, Albus."

"Only time will tell," he said with a questioning eyebrow raised.

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