Less than an hour following her conversation with Minerva, Hermione apparated into Hogsmeade. She had been promising her parents a visit for ages and knew that she needed to see them right now, after such a traumatizing experience. But she couldn't wait two days to begin the research that would give her the answers to all her questions. Why Ron was dead, and why she wasn't. Why Harry was in an unbreakable coma. Why… everything. She had to know. Two more days of doing nothing would drive her to insanity.

Classes were not being held, but during the last weeks of the escalating tensions between the two sides it had become a refuge for many. The doors were open. No one frequented the hallways as Hermione went to the library- all the emergency residents had left the night before, eager to return home.

She went straight to the library without even noticing where her feet were taking her. She should have informed Minerva of her presence, but somehow preferred not to. She supposed she didn't want to risk being told to stop worrying for the moment and go home until the committee could meet. Perhaps the portraits would tell the headmistress of the intruder.

Her first instinct was the head into the Restricted Section, but she had no idea what she was looking for. For the first time in her memory, Hermione Granger was at a loss as to what book would help her. What had happened was, to her rather extensive knowledge, almost completely unprecedented. The closest she could think of was at the Triwizard Tournament, when Harry had described the Priori Incantem effect between his wand and Voldemort's.

An hour later, Hermione rested her head in her hands, staring down at page 75 of Unexplained Magical Happenings and Their Relationship To The Equinox. She was getting somewhere, but it was such slow going that she felt as if she was going nowhere at all. If she was on the right track, finding the answers was going to take the rest of her life, and if she was on the wrong track, it was going to take even longer.

"Are you using this book, or simply staring at it?" The voice came from behind her, startling her back into awareness. She recognized it instantly.

Without so much as twitching, she processed the situation and skipped over all of the petty retorts that came to her mind to ask her first serious question. "Were you asked to work on this as well?"

Severus was as surprised by her response as she had been by his presence, but true to form he didn't show it. "Yes, I was. But I don't recall the instructions being to start right away, Miss Granger. Are you so eager?"

She wasn't thrown off by his biting tone. "Yes." She flipped a page defiantly, as if to say 'You see, I'm working here.' Simply staring at a page indeed. She refused to let him see her frustration.

Severus was astounded at her single-mindedness. Nevertheless, his research so far had led him the same book she currently was perusing so fervently, her scroll of notes growing longer by the second. She must have arrived at Hogwarts just before he had- perhaps he had even been a mere step behind her the whole time.

How very unnerving. It was more than rare for one of his students to get ahead of him, even by the tiniest bit.

"Did you need something?" His staring was beginning to bother her.

Hermione was still rifling through pages with one hand while taking meticulous notes with the other. Rather than tell her he needed the book- which he had a feeling he wouldn't have access to for a while- Severus replied with a sneering "No. I was simply wondering how long it would take you to show the respect of speaking to me- perhaps explaining exactly what has enticed you to arrive here so very early to do something that was clearly reserved for a committee."

She smiled softly, still facing downward at her book so he couldn't see. His intimidations were not nearly so frightening when there were to House points or detentions to concern herself with. She decided to let him stand there for as long as he wished. She was busy, after all, and didn't need to answer his questions. If he thought hard enough he could surely figure it out for himself.

Another half an hour established Severus at the next table over, absentmindedly flipping through an inane novel as he watched Hermione, waiting for her to finish with Magical Happenings. It must be a better resource than he anticipated, because she didn't show any signs of giving the book up soon.

A few more minutes passed and Severus grew bored with the novel. Losing hope of ever seeing the book Hermione was still flipping through, Severus backtracked his research to his last tome and began again. Hopefully he would find something, some cross-reference or idea that would lead him somewhere else- somewhere Hermione wasn't.

Another hour went by and Severus began to grow hungry again, his breakfast having been very small. Hermione was still perusing the same book, which he was more and more certain he needed to see. He wasn't sure how she could not have exhausted it's pages of knowledge by now- he secretly suspected that she was keeping it just to spite him, even though she should have had no idea that he wanted it. Resolving not to concentrate on it, he concentrated on his rumbling stomach instead.

He came back from the kitchens bearing a plate far to full of food to feed just one person. Hermione smiled, recalling Harry and Ron's frequent trips to 'visit' Dobby. She then redoubled her efforts, ignoring the hunger she felt. Ron and Harry were more important.

Severus ate his fill rather leisurely, quite glad that Madam Pince wasn't around in the summertime to scold him for eating in the library. He wondered what on earth could be in the book Hermione had- it certainly seemed to be useful.

"You could eat, you know, Miss Granger." He finally said. "It's not as if you are the sort of person to watch your weight."

Hermione looked up for the first time since Severus had spoken to her, nearly two hours before. Her eyes were stormy with anger. "Professor Snape, do not assume anything about me, please. There are a great many things about me of which you are not aware- for instance, you did not know until now that I intensely dislike being disturbed when I am studying. Now you may assume, since you know that, that I will be annoyed when you bother me. And that is the only assumption that it is safe for you to make."

That said, she looked back down and began her notes again, now only occasionally referring to a chart in the back of the book.

Severus watched her for a moment, surprised by her outburst. She had spoken in a cold tone that reminded him vaguely of either Minerva or himself- he wasn't sure which. That was slightly disturbing.

Hermione seemed to be full of surprises lately. She had sought him out, cried in his arms merely two days before- something he had never expected anyone to do. She had not waited for the committee- something that felt remotely akin to rule breaking, something he had never expected from the perfectionist Gryffindor prefect. And she had stood up unusually well to his jibes today.

She certainly was an extraordinary young lady. And definitely full of surprises.

Well, people, it's been a few weeks- maybe three? I'm not too sure. I've been officially moved into my dorm now though- excuse me, my 'residence hall'. So anyway, I don't know too many people yet, so managed to crank out the last half of this chapter in about three days. I know, I know, I'm a slow writer, but at least I'm still going! No promises once I start getting involved here- between my social life and work and eight am classes five days a week, I'm not sure how much free time I'll have. I do know that I'm starting the next chapter probably today though, so perhaps there will be a Chapter Four by the end of next week.

I love you all, please leave me pretty reviews, voice your opinions about my writing, style and plotwise as well as technical stuff- and tell me where you want this to go next, because the ideas in my head are pretty vague and might be susceptible to change if you have an awesome idea.

3 Me