A/N: Watch out, I'm on a roll!
Severus-Fan: don't worry action to come soon, I promise but maybe a little twist on what you are expecting. You'll just have to wait and see.
Fairy of Furry and Fire: Sorry you have to get up early, hopefully you will get time to read more soon, and thank you for the kind comment.
Alaksandra: Ahh yes, sweet sweet tension, how I wish it could continue forever, but I think you would all hate me for that!
Next chapter coming soon, with another nice little outburst from our beloved Potions Professor. Stay tuned.
The Great Hall was relatively quiet when Hermione emerged somewhat out of breath from the trek up from the dungeons, the enchanting ceiling shimmering with the pale winters dawn, the sky still a myriad of soft colors flowing together. The handful of students staying at school over the holiday were all still in bed, using the chill permeating the castle as an excuse to stay in bed while the few teachers happily chatted away at the High Table. Professor Sprout and Madam Pince were excitedly talking with Madam Pomfrey over several trays of delicious smelling food, they attitudes relaxed and carefree, making them all seem like a bunch of fifth year students. The three adults turned to see Hermione's approach, beaming at her warmly for a moment before Madam Pomfrey let out an alarming shriek.
"Miss Granger! Dear girl why are you walking around this drafty castle with bare feet? You will catch your death traipsing around like that!" Glancing down at her feet Hermione wiggled her toes that were indeed quite bare, the chill of the stone floor suddenly becoming rather apparent as she began to shiver. Quickly rising from the table Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout gathered around her, guiding her to one of the many empty chairs at the table while Madam Pince poured her a cup of tea saying,
"Here you go my dear, have a nice cuppa to warm you up." Nodding her thanks Hermione let the women coddle her for a few moments, their tender ministrations a drastic difference from the callous and uncaring manner in which Severus treated her. Once they were all settled around the table once more Madam Pomfrey turned to Hermione, laying a weathered yet warm and caring hand upon the girl's slender shoulder.
"Now tell me dear, why are you running around with no shoes?" Glancing down into the dregs of her tea Hermione nervously fingered the rim of her cup. I can't tell them what really happened she thought sullenly to herself, still it would be nice to get that snarky bastard into trouble her mind interjected as she tried to keep the sadistic smile from her face.
"I umm… I was… that is I umm…" she began, her impressive intellect unable to come up with an appropriate answer, while the women around her only continued to look at her with a growing amount of concern. While Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince looked at her with motherly looks on their faces, Professor Sprout's expression had begun to darken, her arms crossing over her rather ample breasts.
"It's that beast Snape isn't it?" she asked gruffly.
"Pomona!" Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince exclaimed simultaneously, to which she only snorted in reply.
"It's true isn't it child?" she asked as she leaned towards Hermione, a look of suspicion creeping into her slightly rounded features. "Is he bullying you? He hasn't… done anything physical to you has he?" she asked, her question bringing a scandalous gasp from the other two women at the table. Feeling a deep flush begin to rise in her cheeks Hermione set down her cup carefully on the table, her anger at Severus seeming to retreat faster and faster when the thought of what his reaction would be if she got him into trouble crept into her mind.
"No, no Professor, nothing like that. It's just that the Professor and I do not see eye and eye, and being in such close quarters, well…"
"He is being a miserable git isn't he?" Pomona continued with a smirk of contempt for the man.
"Pomona!" the other two women once again exclaimed in shock.
"Oh come off it girls" she said cheerily while giving Madam Pince a nudge and Madam Pomfrey a knowing nod. "You both know as well as I that he is the most miserable and difficult man to ever grace Hogwarts with his presence. Why, Poppy you were only saying last week how mean he is, and you Irma, what was it you said about him? Oh yes, that he was just as dark, vile and greasy when he was student here as he is now!" Irma's cheeks blushed furiously as she tried to hold back a chuckle and a smile as she bowed her head slightly.
"But it's true!" she suddenly declared as she slapped a hand down on the table and shrieked with laughter, Pomona and Poppy bursting into peals of laughter along with her while Hermione chuckled under her breath. It soon became apparent that breakfast had turned into a "verbally attack Severus Snape" session, insults and tidbits from his past flying back and forth between the women who would periodically stop to gasp for breath between loud bouts of laughter. All the while Hermione sat beside Poppy with her head bowed, rocking her cup back and forth between her hands, chuckling once in a while at the comments flying over her head.
Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes Poppy sat back in her chair with a loud sigh of mirth, her expression darkening and humor exciting her like an abruptly deflated balloon when she saw the sullen look upon the brilliant and charming student beside her. Clearing her throat softly to put a halt to the raucous laughter still occurring between Pomona and Irma she laid and gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"Well, my dear I think you've heard enough of a couple of old biddies cackling, how about we run along and get you some socks and shoes, shall we?" Looking up from her hands Hermione forced a small smile and nodded slowly and rose to her feet along with Poppy. Placing a protective arm around the young girl's shoulder Poppy guided her across the Great Hall to the door where she paused and casting a beaming smile over her shoulder shouted cheerily,
"Don't forget about our Poker game tonight!"
"I won't Poppy, and don't you forget to bring to Fire Whiskey" Vector chuckled in response while Pomona jeered,
"Hey maybe you should invite old Snape, might help to ease the stick in his ass!" Another bout of cackling filling the otherwise empty room as Poppy simply shook her head and chuckled while ushering Hermione down the hall.
Once they reached the infirmary Poppy guided Hermione to one of the many empty and pristine beds, smiling tenderly at the girl.
"Tea dear?" she asked as she wandered towards her office.
"Oh umm no thank you Madam Pomfrey" Hermione replied curtly while staring at her hands in her lap.
"Very well, and please dear do call me Poppy, no need for formalities during the holidays" she said warmly, her eyes filled with sadness at the apparent unhappiness of one of the most beloved students in the school. Disappearing into her office she turned moments later with a medium sized box which she then placed on the bed opposite Hermione.
"Well lets see what we can find shall we" Poppy mused merrily as she began sorting through the box that was filled with random articles of clothing left in the infirmary by forgetful students and professors. "Aha!" she exclaimed after a few moments worth of rummaging as she pulled a relatively clean pair of tennis shoes from the box. Handing them to Hermione she said,
"No socks I'm afraid my dear, except for a half dozen dirty and sweaty pairs left by the boys after Quidditch injuries." Twisting her face into an expression of revulsion which was not at all hard Hermione simply shook her head as she slipped the tennis shoes onto her bare feet, giving her toes a good wiggle to assure the fit before smiling up at Poppy gratefully.
"No thank you Poppy, who knows what I might catch from a pair of those. Besides, these will do me just fine until I get back down to the dungeons."
"You're heading back down to that awful dark and dank place already?" Poppy asked with concern in her voice.
"Well I was going to go for a walk outside, but Professor Snape said I shouldn't go out alone, that it is too dangerous" Hermione replied as she bowed her head to look at the toes of her tennis shoes. Emitting an unbecoming snort she crossed her arms over her chest and frowned before giving Hermione a tender pat on the shoulder.
"Don't you worry about that old beast my dear, you go outside and have some fun" she said cheerfully causing Hermione to smile in reply. "If he comes looking for you I'll just tell him that you are running some errands for me."
"Thank you Poppy!" Hermione said before throwing her arms around the older woman in a friendly embrace before bounding off towards the doors.
"Oh dear wait! You mustn't go out in that dreadful cold without a coat and scarf, you'll catch a terrible cold" Poppy said before once again rummaging in the box on the bed and drawing out a warm looking dark blue coat and a Gryffindor colored scarf.