: ) This story is so much better than it should be all because of my reviewers.

I thank you for your varied kinds, your guiding minds,
your giving hearts, and all your other body parts.

Thanks to KellyRoxton, duj (Thanks for your spot on reasoning) , Die Geschichtenerzaehlerin, Mari Skyrin-Sarker, Bene Gesserit Witch (Thanks for the keen eyed correction) , queenanneus, gal-from-the-'hood and CareBearErin (Great point! I just figured their handwriting expertise was somewhat suspect since no one recognized it as Snape's though they'd all seen plenty of his in red. Thanks for letting me slide.)

I write for you!

Discovering the Hidden Heart

Part Six

Promise of a Night to Remember

The next morning at breakfast, an Emperor owl flew to Hermione and dropped a cream and gold envelope with a Ministry seal. Looking around she noticed that several other seventh years, McGonagall, and the professors present were receiving similar Owls.

She opened hers. It was an invitation for her and a guest to attend 'A Night to Remember' the Order of Merlin Awards Gala to be held this Saturday at seven with a dinner served. A stuffy Ministry affair with Rufus Fudge making endless speeches was the just about the last thing she needed. At least Snape would be there. Well, she sincerely hoped he would be. She stuck her invitation away in her book bag and returned to her toast and marmalade.

Combined House N.E.W.T. Level Double Potions was her first class of the day. She took her seat next to Zacharius Smith her usual partner since Harry died. Smith was decent at Potions and didn't irritate her in class as much as he did outside of class. Since Snape's return, Smith didn't speak in class unless absolutely necessary. She wondered what it must be like to effect people the way Snape did. He certainly seemed to enjoy it.

Snape swooped in right on time as usual. He tossed a book down on his desk with a bang and said,

"Clear all books and notes away."

Snape put up with a moment or two of shuffling then wandlessly slammed shut the books of students who were moving too slowly to suit him.

"This oral is worth fifty points. You will stand while answering. Miss Granger, name five potions discussed in your text requiring different parts of the Caddis fly. Specify which parts, how each is prepared, when it is added, and its purpose in each potion. While we are all aware that it can take you ten minutes to answer the simplest of questions do try your dismal best to be succinct."

Hermione stood, took a deep breath, and said,

"Maturation of Pus Potion requires the fore-wings of twelve dry Caddis flies to be ground to a fine powder and added upon the boil to balance the base. Male Fertility Elixir requires the abdomen of one fresh Caddis fly crushed added to balance the base just prior to first stirring. Trichromatic Magical Tattoo Ink requires three entire dried and crushed Caddis flies sprinkled in at the end when removed from heat to enhance the desired trichromatic effect. Kangaroo Legs Hopping Tonic requires a fresh chopped larvae of Caddis fly added as a stabilizer after the addition of the powdered ragweed seed. In-grown Toenail Potice requires the whole head of a single dry or fresh Caddis fly added after addition of holly leaves as a catalyst causing the holly leaves to react with the toad's blood. May I sit now sir?"

"Do. While the information you provided was correct and complete you seem unable or unwilling to follow my directions. I did ask you to list potions discussed in your Potions text, Miss Granger. Trichromatic Magical Tattoo Ink as you well know appears nowhere in the pages of your book. Perhaps the loss of ten points to your grade today and five points from Gryffindor will serve as a reminder when next you consider showing off in this class."

Hermione stood again.

"Sir, See In The Dark Syrup requires seven entire fresh sliced Caddis flies, added after the first color change to-"

"Too late. Sit. Detention tonight in my office at seven o'clock Miss Granger and ten more points from Gryffindor for wasting time in this class. Mr. Smith name five uses for different parts of hummingbird. Specify the part, how it is prepared, when added, and its purpose in each potion. Five house points if you can provide a sixth example not covered in your potions text which I highly doubt."

Zacharius Smith stood, took a deep breath, and said,

"Er, hummingbirds, sir?"

Despite losing ten points Hermione still got the highest grade on Snape's pop oral quiz. Nearly a third received no points at all when their minds blanked under the pressure of Snape's two ton glare. She lagged behind which was not hard to do as everyone else bolted the second that Snape dismissed them.

"Afraid I can't make my class tonight, sir. It seems I have a detention to serve."

"You will have to find a way to combine the two, Miss Granger, as you are excused from neither. Have you successfully brewed Trichromatic Magical Tattoo Ink?"

"No sir, I've never tried to brew it."

"Should you ever find the need I suggest you do not attempt it in the vicinity of Mr. Longbottom. It is permanent on contact."

"Will you be going the Ministry ceremony on Saturday?"

"Unfortunately yes, the Headmistress informs me that staff attendance is not optional."

She hadn't meant it. Well, she did mean it. She just hadn't planned on asking.

"Would you escort me, sir?" just slipped out when her mouth was open.

Snape could not hide his surprise. Then his brow creased slightly. Hermione realized that she had just asked Snape on -a date- of sorts. Worse still, he looked disinclined to accept her invitation. He had not turned her down yet however.

"I don't want to go alone. Well, I don't want to go at all really. I feel like I should go though. I thought that if we went together at least we'd have someone to talk to at dinner, sir."

Hermione shifted her weight from one leg to the other. She painfully swallowed what seemed to be an under-abundance of saliva in her mouth. She clutched the strap of her book bag more tightly until she could feel her nails pushing into her palm. She wished he would just say something. Hearing, 'No you stupid girl! How could I show my face at the Ministry with an insufferable frizzy haired know-it-all twit like you in tow?' would be somewhat preferable to enduring more of this unbearable silence with him just staring at her like that. Gods! He was going to say nothing at all forever. Then he was going to say no!

"Miss Granger, to many I will always be a Death Eater. Are you certain that you wish to be seen in my company?"

"Anyone who still believes you are a Death Eater is either dim-witted or unbelievably ignorant, sir."

"You have just accounted for the vast majority of the Wizarding World."

"Regardless of what the majority may think, I 'd be proud to be seen with you."

"You do realize the press will be there and will doubtlessly make something of it if we go together."

"I don't really give a f- uh-"

"A Fudge?"

"Yes sir, one of them. I don't give a Fudge what the press makes of anything least of all of me."

"I am your Potions professor."

"As it breaks no rule of Hogwarts in regard to student/staff conduct, I'd be grateful for the company of my Potions professor on Saturday at the Ministry, sir."

"Have you given thought to how your House will react? I am the Head of Slytherin and wildly unpopular with Gryffindors based solely on my own merits."

"The only two Gryffindors whose opinions mattered to me were Ron and Harry. Neither of them managed to stop me from being escorted by Viktor Krum, Pride of Durmstrang, even more of a stigma according to Gryffindor wisdom than being Head of Slytherin House, sir. To be fair, Quidditch probably helped in his case."

"Escorting you to the Ministry on Saturday will be my honor, Miss Granger."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me."

"You are late for your next class. I hope you do not expect me to write you an excuse."

"Of course not. We all know that it takes you ten minutes just to answer a simple question, sir. Clearly it's my fault for asking you one. See you after dinner!"

After classes, Hermione went back to her room, fed Crookshanks, and took a hot bath in her private bathtub which was in her opinion the best part of being Head Girl. The prefect's bathtub was far nicer but every time she had attempted to use it she had walked in on someone having sex. Well, what else was it for, really? She dried her hair and braided it and then reread parts of the Occlumency book Snape had lent her until it was time to head down to dinner and on to the dungeons.

When she got to his office door, she suddenly felt the mad urge to flee. She knocked anyway.

"Are you well? You look pale."

Hermione let out a breath she had been holding. Good Gods! Snape washed his hair!

"I half expected you to attack me as soon as you opened the door, sir. You-" -washed your hair! She was staring. She couldn't help it. She couldn't believe it! It was shiny and moved when he moved and was so horribly distracting. Why couldn't it just be hanging there all clumped together as usual? "-could have attacked me when I should have been least expecting it so I was expecting it, sir."

"Sorry to disappoint you. You were wise to be prepared."

"I don't know if I'll ever be prepared. I'm terribly nervous." She was too. It wasn't just the prospect of having the lesson either. It wasn't that she'd asked him on a date or that he'd accepted. She could have dealt with all that, because she was expecting it. His hair was so unexpectedly pretty! She would have to ignore that.

Ignoring Snape's hair was like trying to ignore a hippogriff plucking a dead ferret off of her. Somehow Minerva's new color had been a far less drastic change. Each individual hair moved independently to draw her eye. Each caught the light just to spite her. She found herself wondering if it felt as good as it looked. What might it feel like under her fingers, like silk, or like something alive? Would stroking Snape feel like petting a wild animal? Did she want to find out?

"Have you had second thoughts?"

"No sir, I want to do this. I do have some questions first." This was bad. She was going to attempt Occlumency when all she could seem to think about was running her fingers through Snape's hair! He'd had years! He just had to pick tonight to wash it?

"I will answer as best I can. Have a seat. Would you care for tea?"

"Perhaps later? After the lesson, sir? Oh, don't let me stop you from having one."

Maybe he'd washed it tonight -because- she'd asked him out. Could it be he was trying to impress her by looking nice just for her? If he were trying to impress her what did that mean exactly? Should she say something? Isn't complimenting someone's personal hygiene insulting no matter how you say it?

"Did you finish Clavenfoot's book?" Snape didn't so much as look at the teapot. His eyes were fixed firmly on her. She hoped he'd attribute the fact that her eyes were roving over his hair to her nervousness, which was all it was obviously.

"Yes sir. I'll bring it next time. I wanted to reread sections after my lesson. From everything I've read, I have concluded that every Occlumens finds a personal way of repelling attacks. Would you say that is an accurate assessment?"

"There are many ways to approach Occlumency if that is what you are suggesting. I clear my mind. Dumbledore lead his opponent on a merry chase through a maze of the nonsensical before tossing the Legilimens out. After a time or two of experiencing it I found that giving up the idea of looking in his head seemed the wisest option. Of course, that was the route he took with me when I was young. Another Legilimens might have been met by an alternate, less kindly defense. Voldemort flooded his mind with what Dumbledore described as 'poisonous mental sludge'. I never waded there personally. There was too great of a chance that he would have detected the intrusion and taken out the affront on my person. Another Occlumens of my past acquaintance built barriers. This is a useful tool but is not a technique to wholly rely upon. However, it might hold against a weak, beginning, or accidental Legilimens. Barriers can be used to test your opponent and give you a sense of whom you are up against. They can also be used as temporary obstacles to slow and exhaust your enemy."

"That was one of my ideas for keeping you out."

"Try it by all means. Employ all your ideas, Miss Granger. I will start with a very basic low level attack. I will warn you first before I start. In fact, I will wait until you indicate to me that you are ready to begin."

"That's sporting of you, sir."

"I can afford to be sporting as you say since you are not my enemy. You are here voluntarily. It does not matter to the future of the Wizarding World whether you ever learn these techniques or not. I do suggest that you try to learn something. These are very useful skills, Miss Granger. They have saved my life more times than I care to count. Additionally, Occlumens and Legilimens do not have to register with the Ministry."

"Why is that?"

"There are many reasons. First of all, Occlumency can be used only for self-defense. Legilimens are untraceable. While one might get a sense of whom is attacking there is no magical residue, no signature to identify. Proving that an attack even existed is difficult. Identifying the attacker beyond all doubt is impossible. The only excuse to register Legilimens would require the Ministry to enact a right to privacy statute which in turn would make illegal the forced registry of Legilimens, as well as Animagi, werewolves, and the like."

"Exceptions can be made to any law."

"True, which brings me to the most important reason: those in power do not wish to upset the delicate balance that keeps them there. At a completely practical level politicians do not want to alienate those who can access their secrets. Legilimency is knowledge, Miss Granger. Occlumency is the ability to preserve its power."

"Do a lot of Occlumens go into politics?"

"Throughout history this is the case."

"Don't tell me Rufus Fudge is an Occlumens!"

"Like his uncle before him, Fudge overtaxes his mental capacities when he talks and tries to seem sincere at the same time. Scrimgeour was an Occlumens, as was Crouch, though neither was particularly gifted."

"It was a shame about Scrimgeour. Do you know who poisoned him, sir?"

"I believe so. However, that is a conversation for another time."

"Sorry for getting off topic." At least she wasn't thinking about Snape's hair any more- oh bloody hell! "Harry insisted on calling Legilimency mind reading. It isn't the same is it?"

"Mind reading is a popular theoretic construct that does not as yet exist. Legilimency is more and less than that. Think of the mind as a pensieve. Everything stored in that pensieve exists in memories. Memories are constantly being made. Describing the unlikelihood of finding a particular memory or bit of information in that pensieve requires the needle and haystack analogy. However, every memory holds an inordinate amount of various kinds of information. Part of the art of Legilimency involves deciphering the meaningful from the seemingly useless. The more you practice and the more you know of your victim or should I say your subject the better the quality of the information gathered. A skilled Occlumens can show a Legilimens only particular memories he wants seen, even false memories. These are the techniques Dumbledore applied. I believe Voldemort did the same in creating his poisonous sludge. The perfect Occlumens creates a false memory so real you can touch and taste and feel it. Voldemort turned his defense into an attack on the senses. The perfect Legilimens will recognize a false memory no matter how skillfully created. He will also learn to protect his mind from defensive attacks. There are levels upon levels in both disciplines. Tonight I hope you will learn to defend successfully against a very basic attack and to attack an unresisting mind."

She was out of questions for the moment and intensely curious about what was going to happen.

"All right, sir. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

A/N- Rufus Fudge nephew of Cornelius Fudge belongs to Rowling too. He was mentioned in an article published in the Daily Prophet, several issues of which were written by Rowling, printed, and distributed through the Official British Harry Potter Fan Club. According to the article, Rufus Fudge was recently hired in the Improper Use of Magic Department at the Ministry. I have elevated him to Minister, under the belief that his being related to a former Minister would help him to rise quickly and gain the office himself. Of course nothing like that would ever happen in Muggle politics! ; )