Title: Half the World Away
Author name: Calbee
Author email: Romance
Sub Category: Humor
Keywords: Snape Hermione psychological
Rating: PG
Spoilers: SS/PS, CoS, PoA, GoF
Summary: Severus Snape and Hermione Granger. A Slytherin and a Gryffindor. Who would have thought that this could happen when the results of a psychological love test are assumed to have gone horribly wrong...
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. This fic is inspired by an idea provided by josette the black pearl.
Author notes: Thanks for everyone's review!

rinny08: Thanks for the offer to beta for me. I'll get in contact with you in the coming few days.

SlytherinxBitch: I have to say SS/HG is my favourite pairing as well, not because of the whole forbidden relationship thing between teacher and student, but more with how you can find soulmate in the least expected person, that's another reason why I also like DM/HG and RL/HG pairings as well.

Also, sorry for the late update. I was travelling around Britain on short trips and I had totally forgotten about updating. So sorry about it.

Chapter 5 Is this really Hermione?

"The future Mrs. Snape? I am crazy if I am going to marry Snape."

BANG!

"Those Slytherins just DON'T grow up, do they?"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"I am going to kill them. Chop them up into a million pieces and feed them to sharks!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

It was a good thing that all Head Girls had their own room. Most of the Gryffindors didn't know what that 'BANG' was about, but Harry and a few other muggle-born guessed that that was the sound made by hitting a punch bag. Only Harry knew for sure that Hermione did own one. She normally hid it under her bed, and he had seen her use it once --- two years ago, after she broke up with Krum.

"Harry, are you sure it is wise to leave Hermione in her room like that?" Ginny asked, when the loud 'Bang' came again. She was getting worried about what Hermione was doing in her room.

"I am absolutely sure, Ginny. I doubt very much she would want to see anyone, at least for tonight," Then Harry remembered, and also hit himself for forgetting it. "Ron, have you seen Professor McGonagall anywhere after dinner?"

"No, we were all sent back to our common room. Why? What's wrong?" Ron asked.

"We have all forgotten that Hermione 'dueled' in the Hall. What do you think they are going to do with her?"

Oops! "At least... none of the tutors have reappeared yet. Well, it won't be too serious I think. It's obviously the Slytherin's fault."

"I very much doubt it." Harry and Ginny looked at Lavender and Pavarti, who had positioned themselves at the far end of the common room.

Lupin groaned when he was 'sent' to tell Hermione the good news. But first, he had to get past Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "Harry, I have to tell Hermione about the decision first." Lupin sighed. Harry had the same determination of his parents --- James and Lily. Now, he, Ginny and Ron wouldn't let him go to Hermione's room.

Harry was determined not to let Lupin see Hermione tonight, and Lupin could sense it. "Okay, Harry, what's going on?"

Harry looked at Ginny and Ron, then said finally, "Moony, I would 'advise' that you don't speak to Hermione tonight. If you 'have to' tell her what the staff had decided on her punishment, you better write it down, and give her through the gap of her door."

Ginny added, "Professor, you are in danger if you insisted on seeing her tonight."

Lupin was quite shocked that they told him this. He could only sighed and rubbed his temple, "Why am I sent to break the news?" Before Lupin could react on Harry's and Ginny's advice, Ron had already taken off the silencing charm, and the loud and sudden 'Bang' almost knocked Lupin off his feet. "What's that? Is it coming from Hermione's room?" It was followed by a lot of groaning from different floors of both dorm.

All three nodded. Harry said, "She had been hitting that punch bag all night, and the sound scared quite a number of the younger years that we put a silencing charm on. She has been hitting the punch bag unstopped for three hours already."

Lupin was fighting inside. He should leave a message for Hermione that the staff didn't blame her at all, and there was no punishment going to be put on her, but... With the situation now, it was wiser for him to leave it till tomorrow.

Lupin had been keeping a journal since he was eleven. But for tonight, he didn't know what to write down, or more accurately, what he should write down. everything seemed so bizarre to him --- Hermione's fiery character underneath, Snape's reaction, Dumbledore's amusement of the situation, McGonagall's expression of shock...

It was quite some time after the staff had finally cooled down, and could talk 'relevantly' about the incident.

"I assume that Miss Granger shouldn't be blamed?" Dumbledore said, while looking at both McGonagall and Snape.

All the staff nodded their head, except for Snape. McGonagall added, "Miss Granger is defending for herself, although I think her reaction is a bit too vigorous, still I couldn't blame her for that." She mumbled, "I should better find out who leaked this information to the Slytherin." She glared at Snape.

"What information?" Lupin, who was sitting right next to McGonagall, asked.

McGonagall neglected Lupin's query, glaring at Snape and Dumbledore, "I told Dumbledore before not to let the students order 'Witches' Weekly' a whole lot of times, and now, what I have worried all the time had come true."

"Minerva, I know what you are worrying about, but we can't ban them from ordering Witches'..." Dumbledore wanted to calm her down, but was further interrupted by McGonagall.

"Oh no, we can! Using muggle's term, this is an anti-feminist publication, which taught them nothing at all, but pushing their teenage-hormones."

Surprisingly, Snape nodded in agreement.

Regardless of Snape's agreement of her opinion, which was extremely rare, she continued, "There is this test in this week's Witches' Weekly, about finding the perfect match. The Fat Lady told me about Hermione taking that test, which is still a shock to me, and her match being Snape," she glared at Snape, "was more than shocking to the poor dear girl." McGonagall ordered, "I demand to know who leaked this information to the Slytherins and Miss Granger will not be punished for dueling in the Hall."

"You wish would be granted, Minerva. Firstly, Minerva, please ask the Fat Lady and all the Gryffindors if they know anything about the leakage of the 'information'. Severus, could you ask Miss Blaise and Miss Parkinson where they got that 'information'... erm, tomorrow. They had a fair degree of shock and punishment for tonight." Dumbledore was restraining himself from smiling. "Anything more?" Silence. "Okay, that's it."

The staff started moving out, but Dumbledore asked Snape to stay after. Snape stayed in his seat, and both of them kept silent until the door was closed behind them. "Severus, are you really that against the idea of..." Before Dumbledore could finish the question, Snape had already jumped up from his seat and left, closing the door behind him loudly.

Outside the room, the staff was actually watching from a distance. They heard what Dumbledore had asked (thanks to Flickwick for his spying charm), and Snape's reaction of leaving immediately without a word. This was getting stranger that they would like it to be.

They were so deeply in thoughts that they didn't notice Dumbledore approaching them, "Had you all heard and seen it?"

To Be Continued

Updated: 30th November 2005