Chapter 5- Wicked Wednesday

After Hermione's terrible dream, she just knew she would've never gotten back to sleep. She laid in bed, staring at the canopy of her bed and tried not thinking of her dream. She thought more about how she was going to be able to face Professor Snape in Potions.

She rose earlier then the other girls and threw on her robes and headed down to the Common Room to sit by the fire. The big red chairs seemed inviting as she sat down as she sighed once she had. She stared at the fire as it crackled and sparked.

What had her dream meant? Snape had kissed her and she cannot believe her dream self really liked it, but it was like she could feel how soft and warm his lips were and then she started to wonder if they were for real.

What?

Hermione shook her head and tried to get her head out of the clouds. There was no way they'd be soft and warm. Snape was a cold, hard, evil bastard and she refused to think such thoughts that would give him good traits. He didn't deserve it.

She sighed and the firelight danced in her eyes. She could feel the fire's heat and it gave her goose bumps. The heat was almost like the heat she had felt on her neck…

'No Hermione…stop thinking such provocative things. It's not right, especially about a professor!'

She didn't want to be thinking these things, but it was like she couldn't help herself. Snape was mysterious, tall, dark and maybe that old Muggle saying was true: "Good girls always go for the bad guys…" Yeah…right.

Hermione turned as she heard voices from the dormitories. She sighed again. Here starts another day.

Hermione's first few classes of the day had become boring to her…for the first time in 7 years. Even in Muggle Studies, Hermione had fallen asleep. There was something very wrong with her.

"Hermione, you don't seem like yourself. Maybe you'd better go see Madame Pompfry…"

Hermione had smiled when Ginny told her this. Ginny was always looking out for her, when Hermione thought it should be the other way around. Ginny was the little sister she never had and Hermione knew to Ginny, she was the older sister she never had.

Hermione nodded to her and set off for the Hospital Wing. She didn't know it Madame Pompfry could do anything for her, but it was worth a try.

As she neared the door to the wing, Snape rounded the corner and Hermione slammed right into him. She fell to the ground and she winced in pain as her knee his something cold and hard. The parchments Snape had been holding went everywhere.

Hermione groaned and looked down at her knee. Blood trickled down her leg and stained the upper portion of her socks. She looked at a small gargoyle near the door and saw a spot of blood on the foot of it. She looked up and came eye to eye with a fierce looking Severus Snape. His eyes were burning with anger and he made no move to help her.

"For your clumsiness, 20 points. If you think this is an excuse to get out of this night's detention, you are sorely mistaken, Miss Granger…"

He waved his wand and his parchments flew into his hand and back they way they had been. He gave her an icy glare and walked away. Hermione watched his backside with tears searing her eyes. What a bloody ponce.

"Oh my, what happen, Miss Granger?"

"I…uh…slipped and fell into the statue out near the door."

Madame Pompfry waved her wand and the wound began to close.

"I've been telling Dumbledore that he should remove that statue, he refuses. Why should I even bother?"

She threw he hands up in the air and sighed.

"There…all better…you can go…"

"Well…there is something else…"

Madame Pompfry looked intently at her and Hermione jumped off the bed and dusted her robes off.

"I need a sleeping drought of some sort…"

Madame Pompfry's eyebrows furrowed.

"What kind?"

"Well…the kind that doesn't make you dream. I need a good night's sleep and I know there is a drought that can do that…"

"Yes, but I do not have any. The only other person in the castle is Professor Snape. I know he has some…here…"

Hermione watched as she scribbled something down on a bit of parchment and then she handed it to her.

"Bring this to him and he should give you some, but make sure you take it in small doses and you must take as soon as your ready for bed, or you'll pass out wherever you are."

Hermione nodded and was on her way…to Potions.

'How am I going to ask Snape?'

Hermione sat in Potions with Harry and Ron. She eyed his office door worriedly and the two boys noticed this.

"Hermione…is something wrong?"

She shook her head.

"No, I'm fine…"

The fact was that she wasn't fine at all. Somehow, she had this feeling that something was going to happen. The office door opened and Snape stalked in, his robes billowing behind him. His sneer was more heinous then usual.

"I have graded your essays and I must say…I am extremely disappointed in you all. Anyone with half a brain can tell the difference between a blackheart seed and a kasha root…"

He sighed.

"And for the exception of Miss Granger, you all received failing marks on the essay."

Hermione blinked. What did he just say? Harry and Ron had heard it too and the looked at Hermione. She was as shocked as they were. Snape had just praised her…in his own cruel way, but it was still praise nonetheless.

Snape started to hand the essays back and when he reached Hermione, he almost threw it at her. She looked at the mark and gasped. It read: A+. She had never accomplished to get an A+. She folded up her essay and shoved it into her bag. Something was not right about this.

After class, Hermione stayed behind. She waited until the last student left before she approached Snape at his desk. He was writing and she gulped as she stepped forward.

"If you are wondering why I gave you that grade I did…it was because when I compared it to everyone else's, it seemed worthy of an A, but if you would like it changed…"

"No…I am just…"

"…here to thank me? Here to gloat? Well, Miss Granger, it was a once in a lifetime chance and it will never happen again. Now if you would be so kind as to leave me to my work so I may have time to eat my dinner before your…"appointment"…"

Hermione stayed silent and stood her ground. She wasn't going to let him win this.

"I need to ask you a question first."

He put down his quill and steepled his fingers.

"The Gryffindor know-it-all has a question for me?"

Hermione felt a bubble rise in her stomach. She swallowed her pride and continued.

"I need a Hibiscus drought…here…"

She handed him the letter from Madame Pompfry and watched his eyes dart across the paper.

"I see…well…if you want a Hibiscus drought bad enough…you'll make it yourself…"

"But…"

He raised his finger and she held in a growl.

"For your detention tonight, you will make the Hibiscus sleeping drought…if you can make it that is. It is a very difficult potion and many who have tried to make it…fail…"

Snape sneered and Hermione knew he was taunting her. Well…she would just have to show him…

Dinner was harder then Hermione expected it to be.

She kept looking up at the staff table between bites and watching Snape closely. He was acting so calm and cool like he always was. She wanted to slap him for being the way he was. Nobody has to be as awful as he.

Harry, Ron and Ginny were also spurting out comments and questions to her, but she really wasn't paying attention. Her attention was focused on how she'd be able to show up her Potions Professor. He didn't think she'd be able to pull off making a sleeping drought. Hadn't it been she that concocted a Polyjuice Potion in her 2nd year? Oh wait…he doesn't know about that.

Still, Hermione was determined as ever to show Snape how good she really was, even if it meant her using any means necessary. When had she become so bent on proving him wrong? Hermione wasn't sure, but she knew somehow she'd do it and at least earn some miniscule amount of respect from him…if it was even possible.

Hermione made her now repetitive journey down to the Potions classroom for her detention. She was prepared and ready to make this drought. She needed it just as much as she felt she needed to show Snape she was more than an insufferable, know-it-all Mudblood. She wanted to prove herself and she knew this was the last and only time she'd get.

She entered the room with her head held high. A cauldron was set out and so was the parchment with the directions on it.

Snape sat silently at his desk, fingers steepled in a very Dumbledore-like way. His eyes shimmered darkly and his lips were drooped down in a scowl. She knew she was earlier then expected. She grinned to herself.

Hermione was silent as she took the instructions in hand and read it. It looked quite simple until she reached the stirring directions.

'Stir clockwise 10 times, repeat. Stir 60 times counterclockwise, repeat: after add two fairy wings, 6 spoonfuls of coddermilk, three petals of the rosemallow flower, two vials of wolfs bane then stir back and forth three times, stop. Stir 5 times clockwise…' and it went on and on with stirring directions.

'This is going to take all of my time!'

She looked up at Snape and he smiled evilly. A sparkle of knowing glistened in his eyes and Hermione was awestruck.

This is exactly what he had hoped for; that she'd ask him for something difficult and he'd make her do it. That pompous toad!

Hermione felt her anger turn into courage and she set to work on her sleeping drought.

3 hours later:

Hermione, with semi weary eyes, poured her finished product into a bottle and corked it. She walked up to Snape and handed it over to him.

He looked at the purple liquid inside the bottle and then held it up to the candle that was next to him. The purple liquid went clear.

Snape looked up at Hermione and his face was blank. He looked like he was at a loss for words.

"Is is correct, Professor?"

He remained blank, until his brow furrowed and he snarled:

"Yes and if you'd like me to boost your ego further, no student had ever correctly made the Hibiscus drought except…"

"…for you."

He paused. She knew it. Even though she knew it was a coincidence that Madame Pompfry had given her the note to get the Hibiscus drought from Snape, it was also because she had known Professor Snape was the only person within a hundred miles that knew how to make it, and how to make it correctly. And Snape was also the only one in the school that has ever made it and made it correctly.

Snape stood and came around to her. She froze. He towered over her and then he handed her the potion. She took it from him quickly, but did not break her gaze from his eyes. His eyes burned into hers, but she did not waiver.

Snape growled low and turned to go back to his desk. He walked around it and Hermione caught him mumble something about Gryffindors and their pride.

"Well, sir…if there is nothing else…?"

He waved his hand and stayed silent. Hermione collected her things, but stopped and turned back to Snape.

"Tomorrow night, then." And she exited with Snape staring at her backside.

Next Chapter- Chapter 5- Rested, but not cured

A.n: Thanks for the reviews…they are really really appreciated!