Disclaimer! Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Severus Snape are legal property of J.K.Rowling. Don't sue! I'm too young to die:)

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Blood Runs Deep
Written by Epans Sureves

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Chapter One
The Last Straw

Seventh Year Hermione Granger entered the potions classroom with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley for the last class of the day.She took her usual seat next to Harry at the back of the room. This was the usual custom for Professor Snape always targeted Harry. And so Ron and Hermione usually positioned themselves on either side of Harry so that just maybe Snape would miss him. It was a good theory, but never worked. Snape seemed to be on a schedule on what time to torment Harry. He never missed the opportunity to embarrass The-Boy-Who-Lived in front of the class.

Hermione sighed and pulled out her books and the ingredients needed for the potion that they would be brewing. Looking about the room as the other lucky students, that had passed the marks to come back to Snape's class, entered the dank chamber. She almost snorted when both Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson entered last, sniggering and looking as if they owned the place. Hermione sighed again. It was almost true; they did half-own the place in a way. Everyone knew Draco and his gang of cronies were favorites of Professor Snape and if you rowed with one of them -- even if you were provoked -- you would pay dearly for it.

Hermione looked up as the dungeon door banged open and Snape strode in, his black robes billowing behind him. He turned to the class as he reached his desk, sharply rapping with his wand the knuckles of Ernie McMillan who had been whispering to a nervous looking Hannah Abbott. Ernie took in a sharp intake of breath and didn't speak again, glaring at Snape.

"How extraordinary," said Snape, lazily, laying a hand on his desk, "I didn't expect so many of you to reach this far in my class. However, when I saw Mr. Potter's name, I knew straight away many of you would be here today."

Hermione's hand found Harry's wrist. She squeezed and breathed, "Ignore him," without moving her lips. Harry rolled his green eyes at her and turned back to Snape, eyes flashing.

"Before we begin," said Snape, turning to the blackboard and ignoring the sniggers from the Pansy and Draco, "I will warn you that this is not a class for slackers. I will not have anything less than an A. We are in N.E.W.T.s level now, and we are no longer handling simple first year potions." He paused for dramatic effect and tapped the blackboard with his wand. 'The Uses of the Wolfsbane Potion and Why It Is Illegal in Some Cases' appeared there along with a list and references. "Copy this down. For homework you will be given two rolls of parchment on the Wolfsbane Potion. No talking."

Snape's black eyes swept over the students and they quickly pulled out their quills and parchment. No one felt like being on the wrong side of Snape apparently. After fifteen minutes and everyone had finished their copying, Snape turned to the blackboard again and tapped it. "Instructions for making the Wolfsbane Potion are on the blackboard. Carry on."

Everyone scrambled to get out the ingredients and begin making the potion. Hermione saw Snape's familiar smirk out of the corner of her eye.

She hated him more than any other teacher alive but didn't show it. She had watched Snape torture Harry for the past six years, and no one had ever done anything about it. Not even Dumbledore who had sworn Snape was on their side. Hermione's face reddened a little at the unfairness in the whole thing. Why was Snape so cruel to Harry? If Harry's father and friends making fun of him in school wasn't counted, Harry had done nothing to Snape personally -- except be born, and that was not Harry's fault.

Hermione finished the rest of her potion without thinking about Harry and Snape. Or as much as she could that is, for Snape kept insulting Harry throughout the lesson, and every time he did she'd hiss, "Ignore him, Harry, Ron," respectively in Harry and Ron's ears.

By the end of the lesson, the trio was fuming with rage and hatred. All were now red in the face from keeping their mouths and tempers under control.

"Tell me, Potter," said Snape softly, when he reached Harry's cauldron. It wasn't the bright electric blue as it was supposed to be, but turquoise. "You can read, can't you?"

"Yes, sir," said Harry, stiffly as Pansy's giggles echoed across the hall. "I can."

"Then why, Potter, did you miss the most crucial ingredient in this potion?" asked Snape. "Surely you know of it. Longbottom can probably tell you what it is, Potter, for the simplicity of it. You do know what Monkshood is, Potter?" Hermione's hand gripped her wand tightly, anger spreading throughout her body.

"Yes," said Harry, quietly.

"Then why, Potter, did you somehow, miss --?"

"Shut up," said Hermione, in a low voice that never the less carried throughout the room before she could stop herself. Snape, as did everyone else, froze and stared at her.

"What did you say, Miss Granger?" said Snape in a dangerous voice, recovering quickly from this new shock.

"I said," said Hermione standing, still gripping her wand tightly from anger and glaring at Snape. "Shut. Up. The reason Harry missed the most crucial ingredient was because you insulted him and distracted him when it was time to put in Monkshood. Haven't you insulted Harry enough for a lifetime, Professor?"

There was a dead silence. But behind Snape's back, Ernie, Hannah, Harry and Ron were grinning at her with admiration, shock, and envy.

"Detention, Miss Granger," said Snape, tracing his mouth with his finger, eyes flashing. "And fifteen points from Gryffindor. You will stay after class to schedule your detention."

Green and silver sparks shot out of the end of Hermione's wand tip. Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows furrowed, and then, as if nothing had happened, turned back to Ernie's cauldron.

"Hermione," hissed Harry, in her ear as soon as Snape's back was turned, "I love you."

Hermione blushed a little then Ron whispered, "Yeah, that was bloody brilliant, Hermione."

She smiled quickly before Snape again turned in their direction.

"Class, dismissed," Snape said silkily, sitting down at his desk. "Miss Granger."

Hermione still in a rather nasty temper with him strode to desk, her wavy hair nearly crackling with magic.

"Professor?" she said, acidly after everyone had left for dinner.

"Your detention will be tomorrow in my office at five o' clock," he said looking up at her and clearly noticing she was angry at him. "You will sort the hospital wing's records… without magic." And after a short pause he added, half to himself, "I never expected to give you detention, Miss Granger. I am surprised about your behavior --"

"I put loyalty to my friends before my school record, Professor," she cut in, her mouth but a thin, angry line now.

Snape again surveyed her. Hermione knew she had interrupted yet again, and that he could dock points because of it, but Snape seemed to think he shouldn't say what he meant to, and surprised her by doing nothing about her interruption.

"As I said before, Miss Granger," he said coolly, "five o' clock, my office, tomorrow. I would not be late, Miss Granger, if I were you. You may go."

"With pleasure," said Hermione under her breath, as she left his classroom.

If he wanted to insult Harry, he would have to get through her first. And that was no easy task.

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A/N: There you go, first chapter. Whew! Yes, all the chapters are short, but I'm in the process of writing chapter 16 or so, so expect an update every week or so. If you have any pity at all, please flame/critique/disembowel me. :) -Eve

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