Chapter Two- In the Leaky Cauldron

Hermione returned to the Leaky Cauldron dripping wet and freezing cold. She performed a quick drying charm on her clothes and hair and went to the bar. She didn't want to return to her lonely room and sit in wait for Dumbledore. She sat at the bar and laid her two purchases down on the stone floor. Thankfully Draco had wrapped the chest up neatly with brown paper so it didn't attract too much attention. If her purchasing such things had unnerved Severus Snape then she didn't wish the rest of the world to know what she had in the packages at her feet.

"Just a pumpkin juice" Hermione said to Tom the barkeeper at his enquiry as to what she wished to drink. Hermione looked down the bar and to her utter dismay Severus Snape sat cradling a glass at the other end of the bar. He was staring at her. "Make that a firewhiskey" she called to Tom just loud enough for Snape to hear. Snape smirked, Hermione looked stonily back. Hermione downed her drink, not taking her eyes of her former Professor and called for another one. It was not usually in her nature to drink alcohol because she didn't usually take it very well. However something about Snape's actions had brought out a defiant and reckless feeling in her. Her eyes flashed dangerously at him. His lip curled and as if to infuriate her even more he raised his glass and tipped his head at her before downing his own drink. Hermione rolled her eyes sardonically and asked for another firewhiskey. Snape raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

To any onlooker in the bar, Snape thought, the exchanges between him and Hermione would probably be quite comical. Their body language obviously suggested a mutual dislike but they also seemed to be teasing each other. Hermione seemed to have realised this too because a reluctant smile crossed her lips. Snape suppressed his own amusement with difficulty and got up from the bar.

To Hermione's surprise she felt a sudden annoyance that he was getting up to leave. She shook herself mentally at the thought of wanting him to stay and put it down to the alcohol that was currently making her feel slightly tipsy. She looked down at her hands clutching the glass of golden coloured liquid. I should really get something to eat, she thought rationally. A sudden movement to her left made her jump. It was Snape again. He had not left at all but had come to sit with her. She felt half anger and half pleased.

"Albus Dumbledore sent me to talk to you" Snape said before Hermione got the chance to ask what he was doing.

"Ah so that's why you've been following me all day" Hermione replied coolly. She looked up at him.

"Drink?" he enquired

"Yes" she replied shortly "Please" she added. Snape called to Tom for two more firewhiskey's. They drank together in silence for a moment and then Hermione turned to him again. "So are you going to tell me what Albus wants me to do?"

"Not here" he whispered into her ear "We should go up to my room"

"You're staying here?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Yes I am staying here"

"And you want me to come up to your room?"

"Yes it's quieter up there and there is less chance of being overheard"

"You bought me a drink and now you want me to come back to your room?" Hermione made her point again looking suspiciously at him. He sighed.

"Granger I have no interest in young girls" he said, surprising himself.

"I'm not a girl anymore Snape if you hadn't noticed. I'm nearly twenty." Hermione said bitterly. She had definitely had too much to drink by now.

Snape opened his mouth to reply but closed it again. It was true that he hadn't been able to see past her as a student but now he looked at her he realised that she was no longer a child. Repressing this sudden revelation and putting it down to the alcohol in his system he found speech at last.

"It's urgent" he said finally "Professor Dumbledore needs you back at Hogwarts"

"He wants me back there now?" Hermione said alarmed, wishing he had told her this earlier before she had started drinking.

"No Granger he wants you to go back to teach. They need a new Arithmancy teacher"

"Why couldn't he ask someone else? Surely there are a lot better qualified people than me!" Hermione said, her annoyance rising in her chest.

"You are a natural candidate in Dumbledore's eyes" Snape replied looking doubtful himself.

"What about my work? What about me?" Hermione said heatedly

"You'll be well paid at Hogwarts" said Snape

"That's not the point." She shouted finally. How could Dumbledore ask her to give up the job that she loved? She had worked so hard for her promotion and she had learned so much from her time in her office. Snape looked at her curiously.

"He seemed to think that you would be pleased to take the post at Hogwarts" Snape said. Hermione thought for a moment. It was true she had wanted to teach at Hogwarts in her final year there but she knew she had been to young. That is why she had taken up the post at the ministry, the post that she now loved. "Professor Dumbledore understands that you want to keep your job" Snape continued "Its only a temporary teaching post, a year or two at the most"

"Do you really think my department would keep my job for me?"

"I don't think it, I know it" Snape snapped "Dumbledore has already asked your manager." Hermione glared at him. She knew that everyone in her department was jealous of her and they would probably very much like to get her out of the office despite her amazing work. Her anger intensified a thousand times

"How could he be so stupid?"

"You'll still have your job Granger, they will keep your post for you." Hermione stared at him. Confusion and alcohol turned over in her brain. For a moment she imagined what it would be like to be a teacher at Hogwarts. She had felt slightly lost not living there over the past year and her thoughts had often wandered to the castle.

"Are you sure?" said Hermione finally.

"Yes" Snape replied shortly.

"What about my work for the Order?" she whispered conspiratorially. Snape looked round to make sure no-one else had heard her.

"That's another reason why he wants you back there," he hissed in her ear "There's something he wants you to work on at Hogwarts". He got up from the bar and headed to the wooden staircase that led to the accommodation above. "See you in September Professor" he said turning around to face her halfway up the stairs. Hermione smiled in spite of herself, for a few brief moments she had spoken to Severus Snape in what could be described as a civilised manner.