A/N: Thank you all my reviewers. Your opinions are greatly valued. Here's the next chapter but there is a small Warning: There is mild slash in this chapter. Don't worry it's nothing graphic at all. But if it still bothers you then you probably shouldn't read. Ok that's all, now carry on.

Chapter 4: I'm Looking At Him

With everything that had happened in the library, Severus completely forgot that Hermione would be in his next class. He was sitting at his desk when she walked in and sat down with the rest of the students. She looked up at him for some kind of facial expression but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the papers on his desk. She sighed and opened her notebook. Severus looked up from his desk and saw Hermione not paying any attention to him. There was only one way he was going to be able to talk to her alone.

"Today we will be continuing the potion you started yesterday. They have all been sitting for the correct amount of time so if you have prepared them correctly they should all be a deep purple color. The rest of the instructions are on the board. You may get to work." He walked over to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, if you would please, I would like to stay after class. I have an important matter to discuss with you." Hermione nodded and turned back to her potion. Great now he's gonna yell at me. I really didn't mean to make him mad. I knew I shouldn't have done anything. She sighed. But it just felt so good. She closed her eyes and remembered the feeling of his smooth hands rubbing her leg. Thankfully a few years ago she had found a spell that kept her legs smooth and hair free. She shuddered when she thought what might have happened if her legs had been hairy. He probably would have been disgusted.

After class Hermione took her time putting her things away. She took a seat as Severus made sure the door was shut tight. He returned to the front of the classroom and leaned against his desk. Hermione looked nervously at the floor.

"Hermione, I want to talk to you about what happened in the library." Hermione couldn't force herself to look at him.

"I'm sorry," they said simultaneously. Hermione looked up confused and Severus looked at her in confusion too.

"What?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I said I'm sorry."

"For what? I'm the one who did it."

"But I should have stopped it. But I didn't. I encouraged it. It shouldn't have happened no matter how good it felt." Did he just say what I think he said, Hermione thought as she smiled.

Damn, I should not have said that, I should not have said that.

"I just meant that…" He couldn't figure out what to say. She sensed his loss for words and walked closer to him.

"I understand what you're saying. It was fun but you could get in a lot of trouble. Don't worry I won't get you in any trouble." She turned and began to leave. He couldn't let her leave.

"Hermione…" She turned around.

"Yes Professor?"

"Would you maybe like to stay here? We could talk or whatever…as friends." She smiled but inside she was jumping up and down, screaming in joy.

"I would love to Professor…" He smiled. "…but I have class."

"Oh, ok I understand." Hermione hated disappointing people. Wait Professor Snape was sad that she couldn't hang out with him? This was getting strange.

"But I could come by later, if that's ok with you."

"That would be fine. See you then." She walked out of the room and grinned. She couldn't focus in any of her classes that day. She kept thinking about later that night. Snape had asked her to hang out with him.

What do you do when you're 'hanging out' with a teacher? Especially a teacher that you're in love with, and that you played footsie with. Every time she thought about him she got all giddy inside. She didn't know what to do. At dinner she tried to act normal and talk to her friends but Ginny sensed something was up.

"Hermione what's up with you tonight?"

"Nothing, I'm just in a good mood is all."

"Oh, ok," Ginny said not very convinced. "Hey guess what, I have a boyfriend." Hermione temporarily forgot about Severus and focused on Ginny.

"What? Who? Is it Harry? I bet its Harry."

"No, that didn't really work out. I guess I don't like him like I used to. And besides he's been acting very…strange lately."

"So who is it then if it's not Harry?" Ginny looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"It's Seamus. He kinda asked me out a couple days ago. I haven't told Ron yet so please don't say anything."

"Aww that's so cute. At least he's a Gryffindor."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing just that I'm glad he's a Gryffindor."

"Ok, so any thing new in your love life?"

"What love life? I don't have a love life."

"You could if you wanted to. I bet any guy here would be happy to go out with you."

Yeah just not the one I want, Hermione thought as she looked up at Snape. Ginny noticed Hermione glance at the head table.

"Oh I get it. So why don't you do something about it?" Ginny said.

"About what?" Ginny gave her a look that said 'you know exactly what I'm talking about'.

"What am I supposed to do Ginny? He's a teacher."

"I don't know but anything's better than just sitting there."

"I am going to his room later."

"See, there's your chance."

"Hey where's Harry?" Hermione said trying to change the subject. Ginny looked around the table.

"I have no idea. He has been disappearing a lot lately." Hermione shrugged her shoulders and turned to her meal. After dinner Hermione went up to her room to drop her things off before heading to Severus' class room. She decided to tell Draco about what had happened between her and Severus. She knocked on his door but no one answered. She opened the door slowly and peeked her head in. Draco was there, but so was…Harry? Hermione couldn't believe what she was seeing. Harry and Draco…were making out.

"Harry?" Hermione said loudly. Both Draco and Harry turned to Hermione and were at a loss for words.

"Draco, I would have expected this from you, but Harry?" Hermione was very confused.

"Hermione, I can explain," Harry said.

"I think…this," she motioned to the two boys. "…explains itself." She tuned and went to the common room. Harry followed her and sat on the couch next to her.

"Hermione please don't be mad." Hermione looked at Harry and then at Draco who was standing next to Harry.

"I'm not mad Harry. I would never get mad at you for something like this. I'm just confused as to why you didn't tell me."

"I guess I thought you wouldn't understand." Harry looked at the floor. Hermione grabbed his chin and raised his head so that he looked at her.

"Harry, I'm not going to judge you for who you choose to be in a relationship with."

"Thanks Hermione."

"I just hope that one day you can be the same way for me." Draco squinted his eyes but then he smiled. Hermione tried to ignore him.

"Hey Harry, how about you go wait for me in my room. I have to talk to Hermione for a minute," Draco said. Harry nodded and went into Draco's room. Once he was gone Draco turned to Hermione grinning.

"So Hermione, did you enjoy your free period this morning?" Hermione could sense that Draco was up to something.

"Yeah, why?" she asked cautiously.

"Oh nothing. I just happened to stroll by the library and saw a rather interesting event." Hermione began to blush profoundly.

"And what might that be?" she said trying to play dumb.

"Well it looked like Snape was feeling up a certain Head Girl."

"He was not 'feeling me up'."

"So you admit it!"

"So, what's it to you?"

"I just thought maybe you might want to thank me."

"Thank you, for what?"

"Well did you happen to notice how immensely crowded the library was? And how there was only one empty seat? Or who showed Professor Snape where to sit? And then when you left did you even notice how the library was empty again?"

"No, what are you getting at?"

"I did all those things Hermione. I did a spell that made the library appear full. And then before you left I undid it." Hermione just sat there with her mouth open. She was too embarrassed to speak.

"You're welcome, gorgeous." He got up and walked back to his room, leaving her sitting on the couch confused. After sitting there for about five minutes she got up and headed to go see Severus. As she made her way down the cold dungeons she thought about what Ginny had said. She didn't want to attempt something that would ruin her relationship with him forever. She decided that if it was meant to be, it would happen on its own. She knocked on his door and went in.

"Hermione good to see you," Severus said standing up from his desk.

"Hello Professor." Severus had an idea which he only hoped would work.

"Would you care to accompany me to my quarters? I have a very impressive book collection which I thought you might want to see." Hermione smiled.

"I would be delighted Professor." Hermione followed him through a hidden door in the back of his class room. She was astounded at the size of his living room. It was as big as her whole room. She then noticed his book shelf or shelves as he had more than one. Three out of the four walls were covered in an oak book shelf. He smiled as she eyed all of his books.

"Professor, this is amazing. This has to be the best private collection I've ever seen."

"Thank you Hermione." He moved right behind her as she looked over his shelf. He was so close he could smell her hair. It smelled like French Vanilla. She turned around suddenly and collided her forehead with his nose.

"Oh! I'm so sorry," she said panicking. He was holding his nose.

"Here, come sit down," she said while pulling him over to the couch. She helped him sit down while he was still holding his nose.

"Let me see." She took his hand and lowered it away from his face. She put her hands on his cheeks and raised his head. She leaned over and examined his nose.

"I think you're going to be ok. I'm really sorry. I didn't realize you were behind me." She realized she was still holding his face and pulled her hands away.

"It's ok Hermione. It was an accident." He noticed she was blushing and tried to hide his smile. She turned back to his book shelf and pulled out a book. It appeared to be an old copy Advanced Potion Making. Severus noticed she looked very confused.

"Something wrong?"

"No nothing's wrong. It's just, I feel like I've seen this book before." Severus looked at it and realized it was the book he'd had since he was in school. She remembers, he thought.

"Maybe you've seen it in the library or a book store."

"No, I don't think so. I mean it feels like I've seen this same one somewhere. Sorry you must think I'm crazy." She put the book back.

"I don't think you're crazy Hermione." Should he tell her?

Hermione turned to examine the rest of the room. She was unaware that he was watching her. She was too busy thinking about when she had been holding his face. She had wanted to reach out and kiss him but she knew she couldn't. She didn't know how much longer she could be alone with him without exploding. Where's that courage that got you put in Gryffindor, asked a small voice in the back of her head.

Just tell him how you feel and if he rejects you, well then at least you tried, said the little voice.

You're right, she told herself. She took a deep breath and turned to face him.

"Professor, I have something I need to tell you. I have a sort of dilemma I'm going through. You see I have developed a crush, well it's more than a crush, on one of my professors. And if I don't tell him how I feel, I'll always wonder, 'what if I had told him?' Now I completely understand that student-teacher relationships are forbidden. I just need to know if my feelings are unwanted or not." Severus was silent.

"So you're probably wondering which professor I'm talking about. Well…" She took a deep breath. "…I'm looking at him."

A/N: Ooooooh evil cliffie! I love being evil. Muah ha ha. Well want to know what he's gonna say? I guess you better review so that I can update soon.