During the next staff meeting, it seemed to Severus as if Dumbledore would never stop droning on and on, boring them all to death.
"And in further news, I received a new pair of socks from my dear sister last week. You really should try them. They're cotton…"
Or at least, it was something like that. Severus had stopped fully listening after Albus had begun speaking of something called "M and M's".
Hermione nudged him with her elbow from her seat beside his.
He looked at her and whispered, "What?"
"When is the next Hogsmeade trip?"
"Why would I have any possible clue?"
"I just thought you might like to accompany me, that's all."
"Excuse me?"
"Dumbledore asked me to supervise it, and I am required to invite one other professor of my choice. I choose you."
After considering this for a moment, Severus replied, "Fine."
"Hermione? Hermione?" She suddenly realized that somebody had been speaking her name repeatedly, and she looked up, only to find the rest of the staff staring. The Headmaster had been addressing her.
"I'm terribly sorry, Headmaster. Yes?"
"Have you acquired a partner to accompany you to supervise the students on their next trip into Hogsmeade?"
"Yes, I have. Professor Snape will go with me, Sir."
Gasps of shock were heard around the room, as Professor Snape was hardly one to agree to such a thing. Actually, he was hardly one that anybody would ask to such a thing.
"Oh, don't look so shocked," he snapped at them. "And shut your mouths; you all look like fish."
"I think it is rather nice of you to have accepted Hermione's invitation." Severus glanced around the room to see whom this remark had possibly come from. Of course: Remus Lupin.
"That's right. You're not going soft, now are you, Snape?" Professor Sinistra asked him.
A smile twitched on Hermione's lips, but for Severus' sake, she kept a straight face. Severus simply glared at Professor Sinistra. A glare enough to make any student cower in fear. Sinistra, on the other hand…
"Oh, come off it, Snape. I was only joking."
"Hm," he said, sneering at her.
"My, you really do pride yourself on being an arse, don't you?"
"It's better than an aggravating little twit who annoys the hell out of everyone around them, Sinistra."
"That's funny, Snape. Did you come up with that all on your own, or did you have Professor Granger help you with that one?"
"Do not talk about her. She has nothing to do with this," Snape snarled.
"Yes, we wouldn't want to upset your girlfriend, now would we? Wouldn't want you to miss out on anything tonight, Snape."
"That is enough! You are an infuriating twit, as bad as the students, and there is no point in even attempting to argue with you," Severus snarled. He pushed his chair back from the table and stood up, taking long strides toward the door.
"At least I'm not some overgrown bat who terrifies young students the moment they enter his classroom."
"I'm sure your face frightens them enough as it is, Sinistra."
"You're one to talk, Snape!"
Severus slammed the door shut furiously, walking rapidly down toward his dungeons.
Back in the staff room, Professor Sinistra was being reprimanded by Minerva McGonagall.
"That really was quite uncalled for."
"He's the one that stormed out of here."
Minerva stared at her in disbelief. "You're the one that started it!"
"I was only joking. He knew that."
"You know, Severus is right; there really is no point in arguing with you. And by the way, I think it would be fit if you would apologize to Professor Granger."
"Hermione, I apologize for what I said. I should not have brought you into our conversation."
"No, you shouldn't." Hermione shot Professor Sinistra a menacing glare that could almost have rivaled Snape's. "I'm going to go and talk to him," she declared.
"Before you go, Hermione," Dumbledore said, "allow me to remind you all of our yearly autumn staff party. I sincerely hope that all of you will join Minerva and me in the Great Hall this coming Friday night, at 7:30, just after the students have departed from their dinner. Thank you." He nodded once at Hermione, a small smile painted on his face as always, and she quickly swept out of the room, exercising all of her self-control not to slam the door closed behind her.
Severus was in his office, a glass of wine in his hand, sipping it slowly, when he heard approaching footsteps. Just as Hermione raised her hand to knock, she heard his deep, growling voice mutter, "Enter." She opened the door and peered inside. She was somewhat hesitant, as she recalled the last time she had been here, but nevertheless, she pushed forward and walked into his office, but left the door behind her cracked a little.
"What can you possibly want now?" he snarled at her.
"Well, I…" she began, but her voice trailed off when she spotted the glass of wine in his hand. As she eyed it witheringly, and Severus slowly followed her gaze.
Then he snapped, "Calm down. I am tired of everyone watching over me as if I were a student here again."
Hermione sighed. "Very well. I simply wanted to know if you were all right."
"'All right'? You want to know if I am all right. Okay. Well, I was just humiliated in front of my colleagues and laughed at. What does that tell you?"
"Nobody was laughing."
"When I left the room, I mean."
"And still, no one laughed. Why do you always assume the worst, Severus?"
He scowled at her and took another sip of his wine.
"Looking forward to the Hogsmeade trip this Saturday?" she asked jokingly.
"Oh joy," he said, still scowling. "I simply cannot wait."
For Hermione, however, the Hogsmeade trip could not arrive soon enough. Like her students, she had anxiously counted down the days in anticipation of it. At last, she was standing just outside the great oak doors leading into the school, her arms wrapped around her in a vain attempt at achieving warmth. The students were hovering around her, awaiting Professor Granger's signal to begin the journey into Hogsmeade. Hermione would have liked to already gone, longing for nothing more at that moment than a seat in front of the bar at the Three Broomsticks with a tall glass of Firewhiskey in her hands. However, she was compelled to wait for Severus before she could leave. Luckily, within seconds, one of the oak doors swung open and Severus' black figure appeared. The inviting warmth from inside Hogwarts supplied Hermione with a wave of temporary heat washing over her body, but it disappeared as soon as Severus closed the door behind him again.
"You finally made it, I see," she said to him.
"Indeed. Not of my own resolve, I assure you. Dumbledore flooed into my office and practically guilted me into joining you."
Hermione smiled at him kindly, and then descended the steps and walked to the front of the crowd of anxious teenagers.
"Attention, please. Your attention!" Hermione had a kind smile and a gentle voice toward everyone, but the students knew that for slightest provocation, she could pierce you with a glower as heated as Snape's or a gaze as stern as McGonagall's in an instant, and so they obeyed her at once and fell silent. "Thank you. Kindly follow me, please. Keep together! Let's go!"
Soon enough, Severus and Hermione had managed to arrive in Hogsmeade with all of the students present. The teenagers stood around now, glancing up and down the streets in awe, wondering which shop they should enter first.
"Everyone will be back at Hogwarts before dinner, understand?" came Hermione's stern voice booming over the students' incessant chattering.
"If anyone is absent and we locate you wandering around here in Hogsmeade, you will have me to answer to!" Severus told them menacingly. "And do not forget that the rule concerning the deduction of House Points is still in affect here, the same as it is at the castle!"
The students all looked at each other a bit apprehensively, but nothing could dampen their spirits too much just now. Most were still grinning, if not somewhat worriedly, and several even continued with their ringing laughter.
"Well, go on, then," Hermione sighed, smiling and waving them away, recalling her first visit to Hogsmeade in third year and how excited she had been. The children immediately scattered, breaking off into groups and placing as much distance as possible in between themselves and the sullen Potions Master.
Severus began to walk away, up the street, and turned back to Hermione after a few seconds. She had not made a move to follow him.
"Are you coming or not?" he asked her irritably, gesturing for her to pursue him, and so she began to walk after him, having to stroll rather briskly to keep up with his long strides. After a short while, she was breathing heavily, and fairly noisily, and noticed gratefully that after a split-second of pause, Severus slowed his pace. They walked beside each other for a while, surveying the streets and keeping an eye out for misbehaving students or the slightest inkling of a fight about to break out.
"Would you like to join me for a drink in the Three Broomsticks?" Hermione asked Severus as they approached it.
After a moment of consideration, Severus asked, an eyebrow raised, "I was under the impression that we were assigned here to prevent the students from misbehaving too carelessly?"
Hermione replied, waving this thought away, "They can take care of themselves for a short while. I am sure that they are capable enough. Besides, I am freezing and would like a nice cup of hot chocolate."
"No Firewhiskey today, Miss Granger?" Severus asked her as he held the door open for her while she walked in.
"Not today. And for you, Mr. Snape?" Hermione grinned.
Severus sneered, but remained silent as he followed her to a booth in the corner. They sat down on opposite sides of the table on the worn, padded seats.
"What would you like, Severus?" Hermione asked quietly, gazing out the window.
"Firewhiskey."
She nodded. "Be right back, then." Severus watched her make her way over to the bar, order their drinks from Madam Rosmerta, and then return with them, one in each hand. After sitting down once more, she slid one of the drinks over to Severus, and then sat back, taking a sip at her own. It was only then that he realized that their beverages were the same.
He raised an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't drink," he said, sipping his beverage.
"I changed my mind," she answered simply.
"So easily?"
Hermione smiled at him and then returned to staring out the window. She brought her hand to her mouth and began gnawing on her thumbnail.
"You shouldn't bite your nails, you know," Severus told her.
"Thank you," she said sardonically, and then resumed her previous actions. However, suddenly, she stopped and, setting her elbow on the table, she rested her head in her hand.
"Tired?" Severus asked, smirking, deliberately trying to irritate her now. All in good fun, of course.
"Well, aren't you a picnic?" she asked sarcastically.
"That's what my students tell me," he replied, causing Hermione to grin and then chuckle at him.
They continued to sip their drinks slowly, savoring the flavor and the warmth. They listened to the shouting of students outside that still managed to occasionally make its way through the glass window panes. The customers here were all gossiping with each other fervently, and by blocking out all other distracting noises, Hermione even managed to catch snippets of their conversations. After a long silence, though, she asked Severus, "Has Dumbledore mentioned the autumn staff party to you?"
"He's having one again? Every year, I tell you. Any excuse to host a get-together. I respect Albus, honestly, I do, but sometimes, that man can get on my last nerve."
"You don't have to attend, though, right? It isn't required."
Shaking his head, he answered, "No, but every year, somehow, I find myself there, and each time, I promise myself that I will never attend another one of Albus' parties again. And then it occurs once more, and then another time after that, and then another, like a never ending cycle."
"Well, this year will be different than the others. This year, you will have an escort," Hermione said.
Severus' brows drew together. "What can you possibly mean by that?"
"Me. I will accompany you. You won't be alone."
"You think I am alone at these gatherings of Dumbledore's? McGonagall, Albus, even Hagrid make attempts, every year, without fail, to force me into a pleasant conversation. Believe me, I would much prefer to be alone."
You dolt! Now she won't want to go with you! You've just insulted her!, the voice in Severus' head told him angrily. However, a smile spread across her face and she reached out to touch his hand lightly, which had been resting on the table.
"I am very sorry to inform you of this, then, but this year, you will not be alone at all, because I will be there with you the entire time."
"Very well," he sighed. Then he continued, clear, joking with her, "I suppose I can tolerate your presence for one evening. If I must."
Hermione smiled at him, squeezing his hand before pulling her own away. She wrapped both of her hands around her cup and brought it to her lips. Then she set it back down onto the table and peered out the window once more, surveying closely the manner in which the wintry draft swept up everything with such ease and grace.
A thought suddenly entering her mind, Hermione sighed and wondered, Oh dear. What am I possibly going to wear?
This chapter is a little longer than my other ones, I think, and from now on, I will try to make the rest of the chapters just a little longer as well.
Thanks to everyone so much for reviewing! Over 200 reviews! Whoa!
Tasha-Draco- How observant of you! Sorry about that- I guess I just…I don't know what happened…forgot, I guess. Oops. Sorry. Thank you for catching that, though!
SwissMiss1- Thank you for pointing out everything that you liked and disliked. I really appreciate it, and I will definitely take everything that you said into consideration. I think I am going to tone down Snape's smiles, because I think you may be right. Lol. Thanks so much!
breaker-one- You certainly are one to contradict yourself, I must say! Lol. Thank you so much for pointing out each thing that you especially liked and disliked. As I said before, I appreciate it and will definitely take everything that you said into consideration. I realize that my chapters are very short, but I usually update around every other day, so I feel as if that is justified. However, as I said before, I am going to try and make an effort to make the chapters a bit longer than they have been so far. The cliffhanger/soap opera thing, I will try to be better at, I promise. Let me know if I'm doing it again, though, okay? But you are absolutely right- if my story really is good, then I should not have to resort to this. The characterization, I will also try to work on. Thank you. The clichés- Severus the character is kind of brooding with a dark, mysterious past, though, and he doesn't really know how to express love, does he? Sorry, but you are right, though. Thank you for the compliments too. No, I don't have any original fiction, by the way. Sorry. Thanks so much! Your criticism really helped me a lot!
sally- The action will come…just be patient. Lol. In good time, I promise you. Soon. Hehe.
M-M-X-M-X- Wow, thanks! Your reviews made me laugh so hard! The making out- Like I said before, it will come, just be patient. Soon. Also, for your Chapter 16 review- Hermione was just really tense then; she will apologize. I don't think anyone likes that they are in a fight, either. Lol. Well, were in a fight. Dumbledore…he will come later. I promise.
Megan- Thank you so much! I would absolutely love to be a professional writer of some kind, like a journalist or writing novels or something like that, but I don't think I would write romance. Sorry. Hehe. I think that J.K. should allow a book like that, as well. Hehe. And the gray eyes- I don't care; black eyes are way cooler, and way sexier!
Chapter 20 will probably be up Sunday, but I have a lot of work to do this weekend, so I don't know. But don't worry, because if I can help it at all, Chapter 20 will be up by Sunday.
Disclaimer- (See Chapter 14)
Remember: Review, Please! Even if you don't like my story, tell me what you dislike about it and I will try to work on it! Thanks!