A Toast to Death

Disclaimer: None of it is mine- it all belongs to J.K. Rowling, only what you don't know is my creation.

Hermione Granger is facing her last year at Hogwarts. As the last battle between good and evil begins, she finds herself falling for Professor Snape, but she must keep her feelings hidden at all costs. What she doesn't know is that Severus is having the same feelings. Will love find a way between these unlikely two, or will death come first?

Chapter Three: The Real One

"It was an uneventful train ride, considering that Snape was riding with us. Nothing really happened, and for this I was grateful. We weren't even bothered by Malfoy and his lackeys. The whole time that Snape was there, I kept glancing over at him trying to understand any part of him. His hard ass exterior that's he presents to the rest of the world is a really tough shell to see through. I wasn't able to discern anything, and the next thing I knew, we were at Hogwarts."

It has been a few minutes since everyone had settled into their own rooms. Being head girl my seventh year allowed me to have my own rooms, so I've been setting things in order to my liking. My books were already put away, and my clothes were next.

There was a knock at the door and I instantly knew who it was without asking.

"'Mione, come on girl, we have tons of things to talk about before the boys drag you off for the feast in a few minutes!" I laugh at the knocker and open the door to Ginny, who was standing there with a wide grin across her face.

"Come on, we can talk as we walk towards the feast. Knowing you, you will bust from not knowing the information about my love life or lack there of." I tell her and chuckle softly as Ginny rolls her eyes at me.

"So, what happened! Mum says you've been getting close to Bill!" She exclaimed and I just laughed.

"I love your mum, but we both know she's been trying to get me to date all of her sons, except for Percy. You know I don't know how I can deal with him! I really don't understand how you can take him sometimes!" I told her and she laughed.

"It's hard, trust me. I think Mum would love to hex him to knock some sense into his head. I just don't understand how someone who supposedly so smart be so dumb at times." she told me. We finally reach the Great Hall and I figured we missed the "Sorting Ceremony", but not the speech, due to the new number of first years sitting at the Gryffindor table. Dumbledore was talking quietly to Snape on the side, which struck me as peculiar.

We walk quietly to our table and sat in the same spot as always.

"We decided to let you girls talk about whatever you talk about most. I hope it was about us." Ron said cheekily as he shoved more food in his mouth.

"Ronald, not everything revolves around you two. Another thing, if we were talking about you or Harry, it wouldn't have been a pretty topic, since I know for a fact that we can talk about some embarrassing moment that you two had." I told them, smiling sweetly. I knew how much they hated that smile, knowing it was obvious and infuriating at the same time.

Dumbledore got up and tapped his glass to get everyone's attention.

"I have just a few things to say. I would like to congratulate our new Head Boy, Draco Malfoy, and our Head Girl. Hermione Granger." he said. I froze when I heard Malfoy's name, shocked that he would get the position. From the look of his patent stare, he didn't know I had gotten it as well. We sat back down after Dumbledore nodded his head towards us.

"One more thing: the forbidden forest is off limit for obvious reasons. And with that said, "tel eht laem nageb.'" he said as he smiled at all us and sat down to eat himself.

"So Neville," Ron asked as he was reaching for the pumpkin juice, "what did you do this summer?"

Neville looked startled for a moment, but launched excitedly into an explanation.

"Nothing much, I just worked on some plants that I want to crossbreed. I want to see what will happen, but so far they've just grown normally."

I looked at him thinking that I would love to do some experimenting of that kind if I was away from the Weasley's house.

"Hey Neville, when you get a chance, I want to talk to you about something." I told him and he raised his eyebrow up a little bit in a questioning matter.

"Sure, 'Mione, how about tomorrow evening?" he asked me and I thought about it.

"Sure, that would do just fine." I told him and he just nodded his head.

I snuck a look up at the high table towards Snape. Realizing he was staring at me as well in a manner so unlike Snape, he raised his glass up towards me and nodded his head quickly before anyone could see. "What the blue blaze was that all about?" I thought to myself.

"So 'Mione, it seems like you had a even busier summer then these two did! Spending time with Bill then moving on to Snape…" Ginny said. I almost choked on my pumpkin juice at her forwardness, though knowing she would be the only one to bring that up with that much tact. I had to grin, since she does know how to get a point across. She's also a great interrogator, getting information out of anyone. With that statement said, I resigned myself to a long year.

"I am going to talk to you in the common room about something tonight Ginny, because I need your help on something." I told her and she look at me kind of funny.

"Sure, but I suppose it won't do me any good if I ask what it is." she asked me and I thought about giving her just a little hint to tide her over until later tonight.

"Well," I told her, "let's just say it's something you can do very well." With this said, she started to grin from ear to ear.

"Let the games begin" I thought to myself as I openly looked at the head table to the one person I held in very high esteem.