Chapter 6: Our Dreams Pick us
Hermione sat there, quill posed in front of her, ready to write. She felt so sure of herself. So confident of what Severus Snape would write on that board at any moment. Her heart beat rapidly. She was almost too sure of herself that little bits of doubt began to creep out of the nooks and crannies of her mind and mock her.
It wasn't real, they said.
How could you, an insignificant, eighteen-year-old girl possibly make a man twice your age continue to dream about you? the doubtful voices asked.
She countered them with replies that he was just as lonely as she. The dreamscape was real, and she knew she'd been meeting Snape there, night after night. She quivered in fear as Snape approached the board at the start of class. her heart began to pound and an excited smile crept across her face. Snape pondered a moment before writing across the board in his messy scrawl:
Vanishing Fancy Potion
Hermione's jaw dropped in dis-belief. She raised her hand determined to find a way to set him straight. "But sir!" He shot her an evil glare and began to speak.
"The vanishing fancy potion makes whoever drinks it fall instantly out of love with whoever they fancy. It's most often made by way-ward men before such abominable holidays such as Valentines day. I would appreciate a vial from each f you at the end of the period." with that he sat down behind his desk and began to read.
"Figures, really." Ron said pulling out his book to search for the necessary ingredients. "Snape asks us to make the potion that kills love."
"What a nutcase," Harry said sorrowfully. Hermione however did not comment on Professor Snape's choice of potion. She was much to busy wiping her eyes on the inside of her robes.
IIII
Snape sat transfixed at his desk. The night before, he'd dreamt Hermione Granger telling him to request the making of the sleeping draught. He'd considered doing just that.
She had said, in his dream, that she needed a sign. Well it would be a cold day in hell before he'd give her the upper hand even if it was just a dream. No, he'd decided to conduct his own experiment to decipher the truth.
Was he, Severus Snape, meeting her on a dreamscape? He'd remembered 'Dream Granger' speaking of that possibly happening. but he couldn't decide if he believed or not.
That's when he decided not to assign the sleeping draught. Maybe something in Grangers face would give away her disappointment if it was all real. He wrote it on the board. All the other students groaned at the difficult assignment. She'd made a noise, Possibly to only ask what his request would do.
But no... the tears that she silently wiped from her cheeps were not lost on him as he watched her from his desk.
IIII
He watched the clock. It was late in the night and his body told him that sleep was trying to take control. He desperately fought against the idea of lying down and resting. He knew he'd see her face. He feared seeing her, because the dreamscape had all seemed so real. he didn't want to spent another night with her when it may be real. He could no longer be himself, not even in his dreams, and he hated that.
Slowly his eyes closed and although he fought it passionately he entered their world.
IIII
"Why do you come here?" She asked abruptly. He gaped at her, unaware of the proper answer, not to mention how ill-at-ease she looked.
"I don't think I do it by choice." He answered icily. A bit taken aback, Hermione sat up.
"You now its real, don't you?" She asked. He nodded in submission.
"I know too," She said. "I didn't even really need a sign. Something in me told me from the first moment that it was real." She seemed saddened by this.
"Its not exactly how I would elect to spend my time either, Miss Granger." He thought for a moment before speaking again. "I believe there is a reason the two of us are meeting." Hermione nodded this time. "And I don't think we'll figure it out by merely dreaming."
IIII
He let the water run over his sore form. The night before had held little sleep for him. When he had slept He'd been with her. He began to see her in a new light and it disgusted him. He saw how pretty she was. how unconventionally sweet she could be. Even more than that, he respected her intelligence. She had test scores that could rival his own and that too, ate away at him. her persistence, though dreadfully annoying , was admirable because so many people now a days seemed to give up at the first sign of trouble.
By God, He thought, I'm beginning to fancy Hermione Granger!
With that he snapped off the water and stepped out. His anger at his new epiphany boiled under his skin. He'd put an end to this alright.
IIII
Hermione ran the brush through her hair for the 200th time. She smiled absentmindedly into her reflection. Last nights dream of Snape had renewed her faith within the dreamscape. At this point, Hermione had become almost dependent upon these dreams. They were against all her logical ways yet they did two wonderful things. They cured her loneliness. Even though night after night, she saw Snape in her dreams, it was enough to know he seemed as lonely as she and second, it gave Hermione something to think about during the day. She so wished to cure this dreamscape mystery. It had been such a long time since something challenged her intelligence.
Hermione couldn't wait until that night.