A/N: Thank you to all of you who have reviewed. I liked the comments. I would like to remind you that Hermoine is Head girl. Please review this one. I hope you like. Please let me know any other ideas for future chapters. Enjoy!
Hermione wandered down to the dungeons thinking. She was not the only one to change over the summer. Not only had she changed drastically, but so had Professor Snape, Ron, and Harry. Ron was no longer the dorky looking red head he was known to be. He was tall for his age and rather muscular. He even looked more mature in the face and his hair was perfectly trimmed for his look. He wore his clothes loose, but what guy didn't? Harry had also changed. He once looked just as dorky as Ron, but now he too had matured. The scar that once was so prominent was now covered by his hair and was fading fast into his skin. He still had the signature glasses, but they worked out perfectly with his look.
She headed down the hall to catch up with her friends. The usual group was again gathered around the doors of the potions classroom like all the years before. Everyone was still the same minus some exceptions. Harry and Ron were resting against the wall near the door as Hermoine turned the corner to head to the classroom. As soon as she was spotted by the rest of the class, everyone went quiet. This class was considerably smaller than the years before because of it being an advanced potions class. She was surprised to see Harry and Ron in the class, but they did want to become Aurors and have picked up on their studies. The rest of the class consisted of two Ravenclaws, one Hufflepuff, and the one Slytherin Hermoine could not stand, Draco Malfoy. The class now stood gaping in the hall. Apparently none of them had seen her at breakfast. She walked slowly down the hall holding her books at her side and her robe billowing behind her.
"Who is that? Is that Hermoine?" One Ravenclaw whispered to another. Hermoine overheard as she slowly came to stand between Ron and Draco. Draco eyed her curiously.
"Hello Granger, how are you this fine day?" Draco turned to talk to Hermoine after she greeted her friends.
"I'm fine Malfoy. How are you?" She smiled to be polite.
"Fabulous. Now tell me, have you always been this hot, or did you have to use a spell to become as mature as you are?" Draco slid his eyes down her body slowly checking her out. Hermoine rolled her eyes and looked away. She started a small conversation with Harry and Ron while Draco glared at her back, not liking the fact that he was just ignored.
"Hey Granger, why not answer the question? I know everyone here is dying to know if those are fake or you just had a growth spurt." Draco smirked in his usual way. Hermoine let out a heavy sigh as she turned around to fire back a retort. She knew this would happen. She had changed over the summer, and it was bound to come up at some point.
"For your information Malfoy, I just happened to mature faster than the rest of you. I don't have to resort to plastics or spells to look as mature as I do, and frankly, I wouldn't even if I was like you. The only one here who is fake, would be you." With that said, Hermoine turned around to look at the shocked faces of Ron and Harry. No one noticed the tall man walking down the hall.
"Well, Granger, it seems you have actually found something useful to say after all those years of no retorts or comments. It surprises me. I might just actually have to act on one of my threats for once. I would love to actually torture that pretty brown head of yours."
Draco inched forward as he said this till he was right behind her left ear. She could feel the breath on her ear, but still just rolled her eyes. Before she could respond, a cool silky voice floated into their ears.
"Mr. Malfoy, I believe that could quite possibly be an invasion of Miss Granger's personal space, and if I heard you correctly, that also could be a detention with Filch tonight at 8." Everyone turned around to see Professor Snape leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. Some of the other students gasped not seeing him until now. "Now everyone, please, inside the classroom now." He barked sharply.
The class scurried into the classroom still aghast at how much the dreaded potions master had changed. Something had happened, because he just gave his own student a detention for being too close to Hermoine Granger. Things have changed.
Hermoine has decided to start on a new foot with Professor Snape this year, and sat in the front row. Harry and Ron took their usually seats in the back to avoid his stern glare that they had come accustomed to over the years. Everyone filed in. The Hufflepuff sat down behind Hermoine and Draco sat across the isle. The two Ravenclaws sat across the isle from Harry and Ron. Before the chatter could start again, the door was slammed shut and Snape walked deliberately down the center isle to the front, his robes billowing behind him.
"Now, you must have noticed that I have changed over the summer, or at least it may appear that way. Now that Voldemort is dead and the Death Eaters are in Azkaban, life has changed for all of us. Some more than others." He eyed certain people in the classroom. "I would also like to say that just because I have changed, it does not mean you can goof off in this classroom or in my presence. I will still be as strict as I have always been. Nothing has changed there. I will still expect those high marks for all of you. Now, today I want to see what you are capable of doing since you have certainly not done magic or potion brewing over the summer. Just make what you think shows your most talent in the two periods we have. Begin."
The whole class scurried into action, except Hermoine. She sat thinking for a moment before deciding to make Veritaserum. She had done it before, and she certainly had the time for it now. It also would be well none to Professor Snape. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He had really changed. His face looked healthier and he wasn't as pale as before. He looked pretty good. She hurriedly started working on her potion.
Snape watched his 7th year advanced students work on what he hoped would be a great batch of potions. He was more optimistic than he used to be and it bothered him sometimes that he never looked for the best in situations. He scanned the classroom for any points that could be awarded or taken away. His eyes stopped on Hermoine as she rolled up the sleeves of her robe and blouse to begin chopping up ingredients. She had matured. When he had seen her this morning, he hadn't thought of just how drastic the change was. He looked around the rest of the classroom. No one was as mature looking as her. He had been wrong about his previous thoughts. She was alone on her maturity level.
He continued to watch her for a moment until she looked up to find him watching her. She blushed and smiled. He nodded his head towards her in acknowledgment and started walking around the class. They all worked busily. He paused for a moment next to Hermoine after making a round about the room. She had just added her last ingredient to the potion and was cleaning up while it brewed. He looked into the caldron and realized instantly what she had made. He knew it all too well.
"Miss Granger? How exactly did you know how to brew this?" He tilted his head in her direction. She smiled weakly. He liked her smile.
"Well, I just sort of found it one day and it stuck in my head. Things just do that sometimes." She shrugged her shoulders and kept cleaning off her work table.
"Well, I think this deserves some extra points. Five points to Gryffindor for your success." He winked at her unable to control himself and left her standing astonished by her desk. He moved to stand at the front of the class while everyone else finished their potions.
"I believe you should all be done by now with your potions. Please flask them and put them on my desk if you want credit for them and please clean up your desks before leaving." Everyone was surprised that he had not taken away any points the whole time, but they still had room for mistakes in cleaning up. They hurried about putting things away and sat down quietly in their seats waiting to be dismissed. Snape looked at the heard the far off bell to signify the end of classes and let them go.
"Wait, Miss Granger. I have come to find out that you are very excellent in motions. I know I never have complimented you before, but I would like some assistance in brewing potions for the infirmary. Would you like to help me in your free hour after lunch? It would be greatly appreciated." He gave her a small crack of a smile.
"Wow, I would love to. Thank you sir. See you later Professor." She smiled confidently and left the room with her books held loosely at her side.
Snape stood and pondered to himself for a moment. He would have to compliment her more often. He really did like her smile.
Hermoine hurried off to the Heads Common Room before lunch. She just remembered that she still had no clue who the Head boy was. She wondered about the possibilities before quickly saying the password and entering through the portrait hole. Before she could make it to the stairs to set her books in her room, she heard a familiar voice from the couch.
"So Granger, how do you like the new and improved potions master? I think he has gone soft, but what do I know. Maybe he just has a thing for tall girls in short skirts and tight blouses." Hermoine looked up to find the Head boy lounging on the sofa. Draco Malfoy would have to be the worst choice for head boy in the whole Wizarding world, but that was the choice that had been made. He wasn't bad at school, actually, he was pretty good, and he did have the charms, just maybe not the manners.
"Malfoy, leave me alone. I don't have the time for this." She briskly left the room without giving him a chance to respond. When she came back down the stairs he had moved to the chair closest to the door and was staring at her with a smirk on his face.
"Is there something between you and the dreaded potions master? Or are you just playing dumb?" Hermoine looked at him in wonder for a moment before walking out of the door.
She thought to herself as she walked to the Great Hall. Is there something between her and Professor Snape? Would she mind? She shook her head as she walked down the main stairs to greet her friends.
A/N: Hey, hope you liked it. Not much though. I hope there are fewer errors in grammar in this one. Sorry about the last one. I was in a hurry. Thanks. Please review.