A/N Well thank you to all my reviewers, I'm going to try to make my chapters longer but I'm very busy right now. And I am soo sorry this chapter took so long. Another thing I just wanted to say I was reading Iridescent Snow by Rebecca Lee and I have to applaud her on finding something so cool, here take a look at this quote, 'It was Harry's defiance that had furnished the proverbial "enemy's blood, forcibly taken…" If he hadn't struggled when Pettigrew had sliced his arm…would Voldemort have risen again?' I just think that was very cool how she found that tidbit of info. Anyway here's the story…

Chapter 3

Later that day, she was walking down to the dungeons, thinking about how she was going to convince her professor to pick her.

She was almost there when she was greeted by Harry and Ron coming out of the Great Hall.

"Hey Hermione, where are you off to?" Harry said.

"I was going to go see about my apprenticeship with Professor Snape."

Harry and Ron looked shocked at the statement, "Professor Snape, as in Greasy git of Potions, Professor Snape, the same professor that has made our lives a living hell…"

"Yes the one in the same," she said with a smile at their horrified faces, was it really that bad that she was going to be Professor Snape's apprentice?

Ron put his hand on Hermione's forehead, "She has to be mental to want to spend 2 years with Professor Snape alone, Harry check if she's been hit with a curse or something."

Hermione slightly annoyed said, "Oh Honestly Ronald, it's not that bad I'm sure, besides I want to be a great Potions Master when I'm older, and I can't do that unless I have a good teacher."

"But Hermione it's SNAPE….do you want to be killed right after we've already killed Voldemort?"(Oops this takes place where they've already killed Voldy)

"Ron unless you didn't notice Snape was on the light side and never tried to kill us, although I'm betting he would have liked to the way you disrespected him. You two better have not ruined my chances at becoming his apprentice. I'll see you two at dinner, best be off before lunch is over."

So she left them with their gaping mouths open, while she walked down the hall contemplating if she got the job, IF she got the job would he be different to her.

Harry and Ron on the other hand were worried if what she said was true, would they ruin her chances at becoming Snapes Apprentice because they had been so rude to him.

"Maybe we should apologize to Snape," said Harry.

Ron snorted, "The only time I'll apologize to Snape is if Hermione gets the job or if I grow a horn."

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She walked down the corridor nervous of her impending rendevous with Snape.

As she reached the dungeons she noticed a portrait she had never seen before, it had a woman on it and looked as if it was a secret room painting.

"Who are you? And where did you come from?" she asked.

The portrait looked at her and smiled, "I am Salazar Slytherin's Mistress, I pop around now and then in the dungeons to see if there is anyone worthy enough to figure out my password."

"You look like a smart witch, I will ask you my riddle and if you guess right you'll have my password and my private quarters."

Hermione thought, 'Well I might as well try, here goes.'

"Ask away."

"If you break me, I do not stop working.

If you touch me, I may be snared.

If you lose me, Nothing will matter.

What am I?"

Hermione thought long and hard.

"………….one's heart?" she answered.

"Correct, now whenever you wish you may call upon me anywhere in the castle to claim your quarters."

Hermione was dumbstruck, 'I got it right, wow, if I hadn't read so much I probably wouldn't have got it right. Now if I get the apprenticeship I can live in the dungeons…'

"Well I'll be seeing you in hopefully a month or so," Hermione said.

As she said this, the portrait sunk into the wall and went on to another part of the castle she thought.

'I'd better hurry lest another distraction come my way and make me late for Professor Snape,' She thought.

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Finally after many distractions she found her way down to the Potions classroom.

After making sure she looked alright, she rapped on the door twice.

"Come in, if you must," came the silky reply, her heart started to flutter and it felt like there were butterflies in her stomach as she opened the door nervously.

She didn't know why she was acting like this but she was at least glad she had learned to control the emotion on her face.

She walked in to find the professor sitting at his desk grading papers.

He looked up as she walked in, a flash of dazed uncertainty crossed his face before it was quickly replaced with his usual cold mask.

"Miss Granger, to what do I owe this visit," he said his voice dripping with sarcasm, although his voice held pure curiosity and interest as well.

"Well sir, I noticed your eligible for an apprentice and I'd like to be yours."

To say Snape was shocked was an understatement, if he hadn't been as dignified as he was his mouth would be hanging open.

He was quiet for about 10 seconds until he said, "You, want to be my apprentice?"

"Well yes, I'd like to be a Potions Master when I grow up, and your most fit for the job, I want to be taught by the best."

Once again Snape was quiet, she didn't know what he was thinking, but by the look of his face he was thinking quite hard.

"Well Miss Granger, as much as it loathes me to admit, you are the most qualified in your grade and I do suppose I wouldn't take anyone of less stature."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and the grin on her face widened as she looked at the professor.

"Really sir? I'm your apprentice?"

"You start next week." He said grudgingly, although if you looked closely you could see a small smile on his face.

Her eyes lit up at the thought, she thought, 'He's really making me his apprentice! I can't wait!'

"Thank you sir, you won't regret this, I'll be the best apprentice you've ever had." She said as she walked toward the door, excited at the prospect of being with him next week, 'whoa, where'd that come from!' she thought as she turned around and closed the door behind her.

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As Hermione closed the door behind her, Snape was holding his head in his hands.

'What have I done,' he thought, 'Now I'll never be able to get her out of my head…'

As soon as she had walked in the door his heart had started to pound as he looked up and saw his beauty in the doorway.

He had thought, 'What in the world are you doing here? There's no Homework for you to ask about and you wouldn't be here of your own free will.'

The next words she said made him freeze completely as images flashed in front of his eyes of things to come.

The images held a picture of them talking together, laughing, and kissing in front of the fire.

He knew he had to stop himself from seeing this before he got out of control and decided to make his dreams come true.

'She wants to be my apprentice! If I say yes that means I'll see her every day and if I say no I'll let her down and ruin any future relationship, although I could do that by accepting too, I don't think I could make it through each day pretending to hate her when it's just so damn tempting to love her.'

As he looked up he realized he'd been thinking awhile, he put on his usual cold mask and prepared to speak in contemptuous voice.

"Well Miss Granger, as much as it loathes me to admit, you are the most qualified in your grade and I do suppose I wouldn't take anyone of less stature."

And loathe he did but not because admitting that she was the most talented witch he'd ever met but because he said she'd have to wait a week.

'A Week, why did I say that, oh well it'll give me some time to prepare myself for her next week.'

He saw her smile and felt his heart tug as he willed himself not to smile back, although he had a small smile that she couldn't see on his face.

As she thanked him and left he thought, 'Well next week will certainly be interesting.'

A/N Well hoped ya'll liked it I tried to make it a bit longer. As you know I'm very busy right now but I'll try to get the next chapter in soon. PLEASE, IF YOU ARE READING THIS REVIEW! That is all…