Hermione strolled into the Great Hall only to find that everybody, staff and students, had already arrived, and were chattering away with each other animatedly. She walked up to the High Table as quickly as she could, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself, and sat down beside Professor McGonagall.

"Are you going to make a habit of being late for all of your activities now, Hermione?" McGonagall asked her.

Hermione stared at her. This was a comment that she might have expected from Snape (well, the Snape that she used to know, when she attended school here), but never from the fair, benevolent Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor House. "I'm sorry, Professor," Hermione said quietly. She felt like she was a student again, tardy for class, and was being reprimanded for it.

McGonagall smiled kindly. "Oh, Hermione, it's all right. You are not obligated to attend meals, after all. You are certainly not required to be on time, thought it is somewhat expected. And call me Minerva, please, dear."

Hermione flushed. "All right, Professor. I mean Minerva."

She nodded and asked her former student, "Did you enjoy the Ball last night, Hermione?"

"Yes, I did, very much so," she answered.

"I am surprised that Severus chose to ask you to the dance. I would have thought he would have chosen someone a bit closer to his age," she said. Hermione hid a smirk, suspecting that the Transfigurations professor may have been hinting at herself.

"He did not ask me, Minerva. It was I who invited him to accompany me."

Minerva's eyes bulged. "Really? What made you choose to ask him, out of all the professors here? I mean, after all, he made your life a living hell when you were in his Potions classes, and, if I am being honest with you, he still no picnic in the park."

"I know, but Neville had already asked you, and then Remus was invited by Trelawney, and so I thought that Severus was the best thing next to those two. Now, I am quite glad that I invited him over anybody else."

Minerva raised an eyebrow. "And why is that, Miss Granger?"

Hermione smiled and tried to keep herself from blushing profusely. "His presence is surprisingly tolerable, and even enjoyable, when he is not rudely instructing me how not to add ingredients to a difficult potion in his class."

"I saw you two dancing. He looked quite nervous. It is nice to see him like that, especially when he so rarely shows emotion as it is. I think you are having a good affect on him."

"I doubt it. I mean, I doubt if I am making any difference at all. He is still our same bad-tempered Potions Master. Has he always been like this, Minerva? Always so sullen and moody?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Yes, for as far back as I can remember. Even when he attended Hogwarts as a student, the only class in which he participated in was Defence Against the Dark Arts, although he was an exceptionally sharp student all-around, much like you. Quite intelligent. He might have had a very bright future, had he not thrown it away carelessly when he joined ranks with the Death Eaters so many years ago. I doubt if I have ever seen a smile cross his face or heard laughter pass through his lips. He was always so quiet, so morose. Up to his eyes in the Dark Arts, that boy. Poor young man."

As if on cue, the doors of the Great Hall were exploded open, causing them to collide harshly with the wall and shut themselves again loudly, and in strode none other than the Potions Master, his black robes billowing out behind him as always.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "Does he always need to make such an entrance?" she asked rhetorically. Hermione giggled, and realized that what Minerva had said was true. She could not recall a time when she had seem him open a door like a normal person.

Minerva glanced at Hermione suspiciously, but she merely shrugged at her former professor. Hermione had assumed that Severus had already eaten and returned to his office early. He took the available seat beside Hermione and began filling up his plate.

"Good morning, Severus. We were just talking about you," Minerva greeted him.

He scowled at her. "I imagine that you want to tell me exactly what it was that you were saying about me?"

"Well, if you are asking-"

He snapped, "I am not asking. I simply assumed that you wanted to tell me. You were the one that first mentioned it, Minerva."

"Very well. Professor Granger was merely inquiring about your past, Severus."

His eyes darted between the two women, finally settling on Hermione. "That does not concern you, Miss Granger. You ought not to pry into things that have nothing to do with you," he said edgily, a warning in his voice.

"I apologize. I simply wanted to know-" Hermione began, but he interrupted her.

"You have no right to know!"

Again, she cowered away from him. "Sorry."

He scowled.

She leaned close to his ear and whispered playfully, "Remember what I said about scowling, Severus."

Will she never let that go?, he thought. But even so, he felt the corners of his mouth twitch slightly as he turned her words over in his mind. Replaying her soft voice, over and over again.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate it so much!

merrymagic- You want the truth? Me either! At first, a couple months ago, I thought that it was a sick idea, but then I finally decided to take a chance a read one, and I loved it right away. Now, all I read is Severus/Hermione romances! Now, they aren't gross at all; they are so sweet. Thank you, also, for saying that my story is a "well-written romance." I appreciate that.

Remember: Review, Please! Even if you don't like my story, tell me what is that you dislike and I will try to work on it. Thanks!