Disclaimer: J.K Rowling and Publishers hold all rights to the Harry Potter characters and I am not intending to make any money on my stories they are just for fun.
"The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks"
Tennesee Williams
It was all totally unacceptable, the time it took to rearrange the schedule, the space that Minerva had allotted for the lectures, right after dinner, his best time to mark papers, the quietest time in the castle, the studious ones were engaged in their assignments and the rowdy ones were off flying on the quidditch pitch. These annoyances coupled with the fact that his most trusted apothecary had bungled his new term order had popped Snape's bubble of infatuation with all things related to Dragonflowers. He had sunk into a sulk that not even the public humiliation of Harry Potter would have raised him from.
It was at this time that Hermione and Charlie arrived at the castle, late by half an hour.
The great hall was filled with students eating their dinner when the doors opened hesitantly and the two, now almost celebrities, walked in and up to the high table.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, such a pleasure to have you back." Dumbledore shook Charlie's hand good-naturedly and kissed Hermione on the cheeck. She laughed at the archaic gesture but her eyes betrayed a fondness that cynicism could never cut down.
"Professor's McGonagall and Snape have worked out a wonderful time for you to proceed with your lectures. We must thank them for their ingenuity."
Snape snorted quietly, thinking that Dumbledore knew all along it would have to be after dinner, it was the only free time the students could afford.
Dumbledore motioned for the pair to sit on either side of him for dinner.
Snape watched as they chatted amicably with there old professors, their youth and lineless faces brought a radiance and honesty to the high table that, although he was loathed to admit it, was most pathetically lacking.
Snape and McGonagall were the first to depart, they had to give the house-elves instruction on resetting the room and preparing the hall for the lecture. After dessert everyone was asked to move to the sides while the tables disappeared, the chairs were set in rows, the lights dimmed, save for a large empty space in front of the double door, it was then Charlie walked through, no one had actually seen him leave, but now he donned a full suit of what could only be described as battle armor. A long tunic clung to his angular physique replete with sleeves that were fashioned out of dragon scales. He stepped into the middle of the empty space and brought his wand up high above his head, but pointed the tip down; he turned slowly tracing a cyclone about himself.
Snape, having entered the great hall through the teachers back entrance came to stand next to Dumbledore. He looked at Charlie with a confused disgust.
"What's this?"
"I think a bit of theatrics?" Dumbledore mused.
"That doesn't bode well for the content of this affair." Snape sounded resigned and in no small way defeated. After all the planning and inconvenience he thought at least there would be some interesting information to gather.
"Hold your applause till the end dear boy, let's give our former birds a chance to spread their wings."
As Charlie turned, a white fabric grew from the end of his wand, it inverted above his head, appearing as a giant umbrella that had been blown up by the wind. It had spun several revolutions when he made a whip like motion with his arm and the fabric molded itself into an open tent. The students clapped at the show and Charlie took a bow. Snape pulled a droll expression and brought his hands together only because he was standing next to Albus.
It was not just a tent but also a scenic tableau, the floor had been transformed to mountain meadow and where the doors were was an image of a rising mountain, a chill blew from the area and the students pulled their robes about their necks.
Charlie motioned for everyone to take their seats then he walked to the back of the tent, which opened up to the mountainside, and retrieved a worn brown steamer trunk. He levitated it to the front of the makeshift classroom and methodically undid the straps and locks.
Snape had to admit he had made him curious and considering his exploits that was no easy feat.
The sides of the trunk parted and a three dimensional map of the Matterhorn region sprang up, there were small representations of two types of dragons hovering at the base of Zermatt, and so the lecture began.
Snape and Dumbledore listened attentively to Charlie's findings and research for ¾ of an hour when Dumbledore turned to Snape.
"I don't see Miss Granger?"
"She is no doubt preparing her circus entrance?" Snape couldn't help a smug laugh.
Dumbledore peered over his glasses at him in silence.
"I shall see if, 'Minerva' can be of any assistance." Snape conceded.
Dumbledore smiled and turned back to the lecture.
Snape laced his way around the students and edged along the wall that held the great hall's double doors, now transformed by charm to appear like the Matterhorn. He thought he could slip through the doors without being noticed but the effect was that it appeared Snape was opening a door in the mountain and walking inside. The children laughed at the comical sight and although he was on the other side of the door now it was unmistakable when Charlie Weasley said, " It seems that some creatures will change their habitats…"while he looked pointedly at the door, "…but I assure you the dragon is not one of them." Everyone roared with laughter and none more heartily than Dumbledore.
Snape was incensed at the laughter at his expense, he was ready for a full blown rage to come over him when he noticed Miss Granger sitting on the first step of the stair case looking as white as a sheet.
She hadn't seen him come out and unbelievably had not registered the deafening laughter that had wafted out with him.
He walked over slowly, taking the opportunity to stare. She wore a yellow dress with small blue flowers, a khaki vest and some sort of very unappealing jungle boots, her hair was twisted into a tail in the back and tendrils escaped at the sides, and a pair of small oval glasses were covering her eyes. The glasses he thought were not an improvement, although he wasn't surprised, Miss Pince had come to a faculty meeting once to request some new books because evidently Hermione Granger, only in her 5th year, had nothing left to read in the library and was driving her mad. He laughed under his breath at this thought.
"Miss Granger?"
She stood up quickly and straightened herself out, so quickly though Snape thought for a moment that she was going to puke. He didn't know whether to back away or conjure a basin.
"Professor Snape, is Charlie finished already?" The sense of dread that Hermione was trying to desperately hide would never be lost on Snape.
"Not the showman that your partner is, Miss Granger?"
"Obvious, huh?" she smiled ever so slightly.
"Let me guess, this was Mr. Weasley's idea?"
"Yes, but I did agree."
"There are a lot of those Weasley's?" Snape raised his eyebrows in a knowing question.
"Yes," Hermione smiled broadly.
Clapping was heard behind them and Hermione knew that was her cue to enter.
Snape watched her take out her wand and levitate her trunk, similar to Charlie's, her hands shook and the trunk wavered. Snape stepped in and grabbed the trunk from the air, breaking the spell and walked effortlessly to the door. Hermione followed with her other bag. When he reached the door he turned and made to press one side of the double door open with his back but before he did he looked down at this adult Hermione Granger, with glasses and knowledge and worries.
"Remember Miss Granger…the violets in the mountains have broken the rocks."
A look of understanding crossed her face, he had read the book, and enjoyed it,…maybe she could do this lecture thing after all.
Acknowledgements: to Tenessee Williams for his quote, I stole it for Hermione to use in her book. Don't worry Snape is not supposed to be quoting him.