Summary: There is a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. She's talented, beautiful, and the most talented Auror of the century. Harry and Ron have a crush on her. Hermione and Ginny are jealous and decide to play matchmaker. Who can they set her up with? Severus Snape. A love/hate relationship.
Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. Or Severus Snape. Or any other of the fine characters of Mrs. Rowling's series. We do however, own Victoria Cole.
: Chapter 3:
Common Knowledge and Rubbish Implications
"Lumos!" Hermione said with violence in her voice. She began her brisk pace through the hallways, Ginny close behind.
"Really, Hermione, it couldn't have been as bad as my brother's dream about the tap dancing spiders!" Hermione slowed down a little to respond.
"Believe me; it was far worse. Everyone heard." Her tone was sorrowful, and she sounded hopeless. Ginny tried to think of something to cheer her up, but in the end her efforts were in vain. Hermione continued to look down each hallway for anyone still up, ready to send someone to Snape to be dealt with. She found that her head girl duties were a good way to vent her anger.
"Really Hermione, what good will it do you continuing to sulk like this? It certainly won't make everything better between you and Ron." Hermione snapped at the mere mention of Ron's name. To her, he might as well have been nonexistent.
"You try watching Harry under her spell. It's disgusting! Just because she can't find her own boyfriend doesn't mean--"
"Shhhh! Will you be quiet? We're trying to sleep!" Hermione's voice had escalated to a notch before screaming and the portraits had all covered their painted ears.
"Sorry, I'll keep it down," she replied, embarrassed.
She walked closer to Ginny, whispering sharply in her ear, "You should have seen the looks on their faces. Both of them, Ginny!"
Ginny breathed in uncomfortably. If Hermione was telling the truth, which she most likely was, how could he? It was preposterous. "Harry wouldn't," Ginny whispered with extreme quietness. "He, I mean, no." She began to get frustrated with her own thoughts about Harry and Hermione's words. Hermione could hear her words getting to Ginny, and right as she was about to speak again, she heard arguing from one of the hallways. Ginny heard it too; a loud shrill voice clashing with a low, oily one.
"Ha ha, don't make me laugh Severus! They all think you're losing your touch." It was Professor Cole's voice, and did she say Severus? Was Snape with her?
Hermione motioned to Ginny to get off to the side with her as she dimmed her light. They listened more intently for Snape's response.
"I assure you Victoria; my touch is as sharp as ever."
"Not according to McGonagall..." Victoria was teasing Snape.
How stupid can she be? I know she's an auror, but I still wouldn't mess around with an ex-death eater... Hermione's thoughts trailed off as Snape snapped at Victoria.
"Stop this game at once!" his voice roared, sharp and violent, a clear warning that quickly turned to a threatening whisper. "This isn't about a faulty potion or what the other spineless professors say about me behind my back. I know what you think of me."
There was a pause, and suddenly Snape's voice became so quiet and low that Hermione was sure he must be speaking mere inches from Ms. Cole's face in order for her to hear. His tone sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.
"Well, Victoria, it may shock you to find that I am not as crude as all of your rubbish implications suggest."
"A decade of recorded crimes is hardly rubbish." Victoria's voice had become low, almost growling.
"The ministry does not exactly carry the most accurate records, as you well know. Unless, that was your name in the Fraternization with Death-Eaters file..." Snape equaled her growl with his own, causing discomfort amongst the portraits.
"Severus! Keep it down. You're almost as bad as the students!" yelled one portrait from the right. "He's right! Take your quarrels elsewhere," screeched another. Utterly annoyed, Snape pulled Victoria by her elbow into a nearby closet, hidden in the wall. Hermione and Ginny heard the light slam of the door and immediately jumped to follow the conversation.
"Lumos!" Hermione whispered. Her wand lit up and she and Ginny went towards the rustling portraits, keeping the light low as to avoid any confrontation with the sleeping headmasters. As they entered the hallway where Snape and Victoria had been, they could hear the slight rustling of robes off to the side. Hermione held her wand up to reveal the closet. She dimmed her light once again, and she and Ginny crawled near to the door to listen to the heated conversation.
It was a small, dusty closet, lined with bookshelves on each wall, making it incredibly difficult for Severus and Victoria to move at all. They were centimeters from each other, and any movement in an attempt to adjust would force them to collide or squeeze back out the small door.
"You know nothing about that file!" Victoria hissed through her teeth. "Don't you dare assume my past is anything like yours." Her voice was warning, yet cautious at the same time. Snape pulled his wand higher to light the crowded space.
"I wouldn't think of it." Snape spoke through his teeth.
"I know you've wanted my position for years," she held her chin high, trying to show as much command of the situation as possible. Unfortunately, Snape towered above her in height, leaving her feeling a slight lack of control in the situation.
Then the thought suddenly occurred to her that she was in a closet, in a deserted hallway, in the middle of the night, with a former death eater. Possibly a current death eater. She had no reason to be worried. She had fought and killed plenty of death eaters in her time. But against her better reasoning, Victoria unwillingly felt of pang of alarm being so alone with and so close to Severus Snape.
"And who could have possibly told you that?" Snape's cruel voice began resurfacing, his malice shining through his cold pewter eyes.
"Oh come now Severus, everyone knows that. Its common knowledge, even at the ministry!" she spat out, defining each sharp word.
Snape chuckled sarcastically to himself. "Everyone is it? Obviously then, everyone knows that I am an accomplished Occlumens and Legilimens, potions master, and have dealt with the Dark Arts firsthand. Common knowledge would say that I am undoubtedly the only professor accomplished enough for the Dark Arts position."
"Ah, but it is Defense Against the Dark Arts which is to be taught, not the Dark Arts themselves," she sneered at him.
Snape inhaled sharply and thrust his arm towards the doorknob. Victoria moved slightly to make the move easier, but moved too quickly into the bookshelves. The books came crashing down, propelling Snape forward, and taking Victoria with him in the confined space. As everything fell into chaos, Snape and Victoria found themselves in even smaller quarters.
Victoria had braced herself against the door, and Snape had braced himself against her. His dark, oily hair fell across his face as he found himself staring into the piercing blue eyes of Victoria Cole. He could hear rapid heart beats, yet he could not tell whose they were. Victoria could feel her heart thumping into her throat, wanting desperately for it to stop giving her away.
Snape was the first to speak, though he was sure his heart spoke louder than his mouth.
"We'll finish this discussion later." His words were choppy, nervous almost. He fumbled for the doorknob, unable to turn it from sheer nervousness.
Hermione and Ginny heard a loud, tumbling crash and quickly ran into the girl's loo across the hall.
Victoria and Snape fell out of the closet disheveled. Victoria tried to straighten out her appearance while Snape smoothed his greasy hair back. "Goodnight Severus," Victoria tried to say with indifference, though it came off harshly. "Ms. Cole."
Hermione and Ginny waited to talk until they couldn't hear the lingering footsteps.
After a moment of awkward silence, Hermione turned to Ginny. "Did you…" she trailed off, shaking her head a bit with a look of confusion and nausea, "…just sense what I did?"
Ginny looked disgusted beyond belief and replied, "You mean between Professor Cole and Snape?" Hermione nodded, something clearly going on in her mind. "Unfortunately, I think I sensed something that should never be sensed."
"They were -" Ginny searched for the right words, "I mean...that was some serious...uh...tension," she held back a giggle of disbelief.
"Really," Hermione breathed out with new inspiration. She turned to Ginny with a sly grin, no longer dismayed by the day's earlier events. "Ginny, I have an idea. But I'm going to need your help."
Ginny quirked an eyebrow. "Hermione. You've got that look again..." she said warily.
"This is different. I've just figured out a way to keep Victoria Cole occupied enough to leave us alone."
Ginny hesitated."….Alright...how then?"
"Snape."
"You want Snape to keep her after class or something?"
Hermione let out a small rumble of frustration. As if it weren't obvious, she thought.
"No, I want Snape to take her out after class. If you know what I mean."
Ginny's eyes went wide and she let out a small snort of a laugh, "Snape? You seriously want to play matchmaker with Professor Cole and Snape?"
"Why not?" Hermione's voice trembled with excitement now. "It all makes perfect sense! They're obviously smitten with each other! And, there's no way Harry or Ron will be interested in a woman who is interested in Snape."
Ginny thought on that. "True. But honestly Mione, one tense argument in a closet - do you really think we can turn that into a relationship?" She asked it sincerely, not doubting but planning.
Hermione paused. She hadn't been sincerely interested in making them fall in love, merely occupied with each other so neither could torture them. She decided that if she wanted Ginny's help, she would have to make sure they did. "I think we can. It'll take some time, but there's something that runs deeper with them. There's a fine line between love and hate, you know."
"Ah yes, but how to make them cross it?" Ginny said.
Hermione thought about this for a moment. "Perhaps, a bit of provoked realization is in order."
Ginny scrunched her brow and asked, "And how do you plan on executing this provoked realization?"
Hermione smiled and replied, "Nothing really. We'll just place them in the optimum situation and let fate run its course."
Ginny smirked at how easy it seemed. "Why not? We'll provoke fate."
Snape stomped through the Slytherin tower and all the way down to his room. His thoughts still lingered on Victoria and the closet. He turned to his dresser and put his weight on it, anger increasing once again.
Leave it be and don't look back on it. He let out a breath of air, wishing he had a sleeping potion handy.
Victoria slammed her door accidentally behind her. Her nerves were still shocked from the night's events, and she wanted nothing more than to forget them. You're flirting with disaster. This will only end badly... She tried to convince herself that nothing had happened, but she was cold from the recollections.
Snape rummaged through his drawer for a sleeping potion, but came up potion-less. Why does she insist on infuriating me while I'm not even around her? She was so stubborn! So absolutely tenacious and sure of her accusations! The way she raised her chin, looking up at me, as if she had sole possession of the entire bloody world! Every single word and action she took was utterly maddening!
I hate her.
Victoria stomped to her window to let in some cool air. This is ridiculous! How can a man so obviously evil drive me this crazy? I deal with dark characters like him all of the time. He's not particularly special in any way and he hasn't an emotion to speak of! He's an arrogant troll without one attractive feature! And why the bloody Hell did he even pull me into that closet in the first place? He did it without rhyme or reason, and then he just stood over me! The nerve…
I hate him.
AN: Hey guys, whew we are finally getting to the romance. Ah love/hate relationships. I hope you are all enjoying it! Please review, it helps my friend and I write and gives us motivation. Thanks to: …
BlueUltraViolet: Thank you!
SupportSeverusSnape: Ha ha yes she is an interesting character, not the friendliest per say, but then again, neither is Severus. Thank you!
Klappa: Ha ha, it was our intention to portray her that way, so my friend and I are glad you have a tinge of dislike for her. Hope to redeem her in the future…
EriksDiva: Thank you!
Shiroko34: Thank you! Hope you enjoy!
Thanks! Check in for a new chapter soon and please review…
