A/N: Sorry this has taken a while, I've been in Greece on a school trip having a great time. This chapter's all a bit atmospheric and contemplative if you know what I mean…

- CHAPTER TEN -

Night-time Wonderings

Hermione could not remember how she got back to her bedroom; everything seemed like a dream, colours and sounds flashed past her and her feet seemed to be working separately from her brain, but within a few minutes she found herself lying flat on her back on her bed, staring at the ceiling with her head still spinning. Had what she thought had just happened really happened? Had she just been kissed by Severus Snape? She wrung her hands anxiously, sliding her ruby ring up and down her finger, she felt for her engagement ring, but her ring finger was smooth and empty.

She sat bolt upright, her hair standing statically upwards. It had been real. She walked into her bathroom and downed a glass of water; she shook her hair out of her eyes and blinked. The cold water sent a shiver down her back and she saw the world clearly again.

So he had just very gently kissed her on the lips, what of it? He had been so composed and collected. And she? She had made a complete prat of herself by telling him why she couldn't be with Ron and blowing everything out of proportion, like she was again; they hadn't kissed, it had been more of a barrier than a door, it was as if he had said that although she might think she could he would never see her as anything more than a girl, a student, a colleague. And he had her engagement ring; she couldn't just go and ask for it back, especially after all the stupid things she'd said. She needed a plan.

At that moment there was a loud knock on the door to her office, she walked out of her room and opened the door to a cherry Emma Burrage.

"Emma, what are you doing out this late? Your detention finished an hour ago." Hermione frowned at her,

"But Professor, Snape just gave me another detention!" Emma pushed through the doorway and sat herself down on one of the soft red armchairs by the fire.

"Another one? Whatever for?" Hermione, resigned to the fact that Emma was going to stay a while pushed the door shut and joined her by the fire.

"For not completing the last one, and being rude apparently, but I know he likes it really." Emma sighed deeply, "Oh and he found out that I faked a note explaining why I didn't do my homework, but personally I do see why he should care."

"Emma, you are so hopeless, you know you should do your homework; you need to develop a good balance between work and leisure. So what is he planning to do with you then?"

"He said I had to tell you that detentions don't work on me and that you should reinstate corporal punishment," she said cheerfully,

"Hogwarts won't beat students any more, Professor Snape knows that."

"Professor Snape? I thought it would be at least Sevvie by now, or does the position of power turn you on?"

Hermione scowled, "that's enough Emma, for the last time, there is nothing going on between myself and Professor Snape, I am engaged as a matter of fact."

"Ooooh who to?"

"Ron Weasley,"

"Oh, another one of Harry Potter's friends, it must have been hard work for him to keep up with you two lovebirds."

Hermione sighed, "He had much more important things to worry about than us," she felt her eyelids twitching slightly,

Emma, sensing she had said the wrong thing, quickly apologised and said: "can I see your ring?"

"Well," Hermione looked down, "you could if I hadn't left it in Professor Snape's office."

"So you were declaring your undying love to him!" Emma's eyes lit up,

"Nothing of the sort!" Hermione retorted sharply, whilst her heart hammered against her ribcage, "I accidentally put my finger in some Bubotuber pus, so my finger swelled up and I had to take the ring off, I forgot to pick it up when I left. I would also remind you that if I had not been there at that very moment you would still be lying on the floor of his office."

"Chuh, don't you realise that Sevvie would never let his favourite student come to any harm. And Bubotuber pus? How lame, is that the best you can come up with?"

"Enough! I shall put you in detention now." Emma's eyelids fluttered,

"Me? What have I done?"

"You have kept me up very late tonight and I am very tired, but you are not going to bed until you have got my ring back from Professor Snape's office without him knowing. You also better not get caught by any one else."

"What! How the hell am I supposed to do that? I can't just pull an invisibility cloak out of my sleeve. And he'll get me expelled if he finds out; he won't let anyone in his office unattended."

"Well you should have thought about that before you let you tongue run riot. See you later." Hermione rose from her chair.

"Where is it? What does it look like?" Emma frowned at her,

"It's probably still on his desk, and it's silver, silver with sapphire."

Emma jumped out her chair a little less enthusiastically than usual, "Why are you trying to deprive me of sleep? I won't be able to concentrate tomorrow."

"Well you better be quick then." Hermione shut the door in her face and paced back to her room, quickly changing into her nightdress and making herself a mug of hot chocolate.

She sat by the window, a chilly November wind rattled the panes. She couldn't believe she'd been teaching for more than two months; time had just blown past her like the leaves on the trees outside. She cupped her cold hands around her mug and breathed in the warm chocolaty smell, a small jack-o'-lantern Grawp had carved specially for her for Monday's Halloween feast stood beside her on the windowsill, its candle still flickering under the charm she'd put on it. It grinned at her, a grin similar she realised to that of Emma Burrage, she shook her head; if she was imagining students as pumpkins she really must be tired.

She heard distant sounds of fireworks exploding in Hogsmeade; always much better displays than any Muggle could produce, part of her longed to be down there celebrating, but another part of her craved her soft warm bed. It was her own fault though; she had told Emma to get it tonight so she would have to stay up until she came back.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Emma glared at Hermione's door and looked at her watch; it was already past midnight and it looked like she was going to be up for a while longer. She took a short-cut behind a tapestry and went down a narrow spiralling staircase in the pitch black; as she was sure Filch could see through walls. She felt for the bottom and slowly pushed the wall in front of her, she climbed out into the gloomy corridor to the dungeons, the slimy stone wall sealing immediately behind her.

She tiptoed along the corridor until she came to Snape's door, she put her ear against it but heard no noise from inside; at least someone in this castle was in bed, she thought. She pulled her wand from her robes and whispered, "Alohomora," there was a small click and a creak as the door swung open, her eyes lit up, she had not expected Snape to be so lax with his security.

She walked silently through the door and closed it gently behind her; the room was a velvety black but through small grilled windows along one wall faint beams of moonlight shone through, illuminating edges of bottles.

"Lumos Minimus," she whispered, and a tiny light appeared on the end of her wand, just enough so that she could see each object she pointed to.

She moved slowly over to his desk, her pinprick of light scouring its surface. She saw the brief glint of silver as her wand passed over the desk, pointing her wand back at it she almost shrieked.

A pale hand lay stretched across the desk, the ring glinting between its fingers; she drew her wand up the arm's length to catch the hanging head of her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, his black greasy hair hiding his pale face.

She groaned; why did this have to be so complicated? It was so near, but in her sleeping professor's hand. She grimaced, she would just have to grab it, and stun him if he woke up; he deserved it. The only problem was she'd never been taught how to stun anyone, she'd read the incantation in one of her spell books whilst doing homework, but she wasn't sure if she could remember it, or the wand movement needed. She would just have to hope Snape didn't wake up.

Slowly she reached out her hand, hooking her little finger through his and into his palm. She fished the ring onto her finger and retracted it, slipping it into her pocket.

His fist clenched and his head lifted suddenly, his face sullen and pockmarked in the watery moonlight. His eyelids snapped open and she stood staring at him in terror as he rose; a ghostly vampire from his coffin.

"I think we need to have a little chat Miss Burrage, now why don't you take that ring out of your pocket?"

A/N: Hehe, very old school I think! In case you were worried the title of this chapter is not a typo, just me trying to be clever… Promise you won't have to wait so long for the next ;)