Hogwarts. Late evening. She doesn't know why her foot brought her to the dungeons corridor.
She has been spending her time with Krum dancing with one another for the Yule Ball dance coming. She also taught Krum how to pronounce her name correctly but did not succeed.
Krum still called her 'Hermy-own-ninny'.
The corridor seems cold, dim light sorrow. Her foot walked through the corridor until she heard the door swing open by itself.
A black figure came into the view from the door.. she backed away and couldn't see it clearly. Was it Dementors or just Snape.
"Professor?" She poises her wand towards the corridor where the figure stood. "Lumos". End of Hermione's wand is light. Slowly she approached. "Professor..?" The figure came closer and closer and began to attack her.
Hermione eyes wide open, doesn't know what to do.. all in her head says.. RUN!
The figure is still taunting her from behind, the sky almost dark.. as she reaches the ground the sky is completely darker. She ran towards the black lake, why didn't she think to run back to the great hall where everyone enjoyed their feast.
Stupid me!
Hermione thought as she ran towards the Whomping Willow, but then she heard a voice...
"Miss Granger.. STOP!"
She stops, turns her behind. And it was Snape all along who chased her from the dungeons.
"You know that tree would attack anyone and anything that came within range of its branches".
Hermione panting and breathing, say. "Then why are you chasing and trying to attack me!"
She screams. Snape actually panting as he chases her behind. Hermione is a better runner than him. Old git like him. She can hear Snape trying to breathe, she shouldn't run that hard if she knows that figure just.. Snape.
"I didn't try to attack you, you know how my walk, my cloak flowing behind me. So I suspect you think it was the Dementors trying to attack. Who is just me all along".
Snape patted his chest. "Yule Ball is coming, then I hear someone who already asks you for a date. His lucky".
Hermione looks at Snape about to faint, she rushes towards him and gives him a hand.
"Please sit, Professor. You look like you're about to die in a minute".
She pointed on the grass, Snape laid on it. This is Snape's first time feeling Hermione's skin touch on him, soft and she smells like Lavender.
"I'm an old man, Miss Granger".
"No you are not. Age of late thirty of course if I am not mistaken". Hermione looks up at Snape. "Why do you do that, Professor?"
Snape shakes his head. Gently he's up from the grass as he feels better. Hermione backed away from Snape a bit.
"I'm not. I'm just finishing my brewing and decided to go to a feast, then I saw you point your wand, I tried to approach and you ran".
"Silly me.. I should have known it was you, Professor. I'm sorry".
Hermione walks past Snape then she stops, turns to him. "Do you like standing there alone or follow me to the feast?"
Snape smirk. As she walks, he follows Hermione behind.
Soft music plays. Snowflakes falling from the ceiling, over the smartly dressed students filling the Great Hall, to the sweeping staircase, where Harry and Ron descend.
Ron scans the crowd and searches for Hermione. The Patil twins approach the boys.
Just then, a gust of wind stirs the air and the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students file inside. As Fleur Delacour appears, her silk wrap flies free, like a dove into the air, leading Harry's eye to Cho who arrives hand in hand with Cedric Diggory.
"She looks beautiful". said Parvati.
Harry nods glumly, staring at Cho, then realizes Parvati is looking not at Cho, but at a girl in periwinkle robes. Hair twisted in a graceful knot, swan's necks shining, she is nothing short of breathtaking.
She is... Hermione Granger.
Hermione walks down the stairs. Taking Krum's arm, she gives Harry a little wave in a smile.
Great Hall. A path of light spills from the entrance hall, revealing a darkened Hall glimmering with icicles and mistletoe.
The house tables have vanished, replaced by dozens of smaller ones, each glowing with lantern light around a central dance floor.
Flitwick conducts a string quartet.
As the Champions enter, applause rises. Fleur leads the way, on the arm of a stunned looking Ravenclaw boy, while Harry and Parvati enter last, Parvati waving like a beauty queen.
Harry scans the room for Ron and finds him, staring open mouthed at Hermione as she passes with Krum.
"Is that Hermione Granger? With Viktor Krum?".
"No. Absolutely not".
As the Champions reach the dance floor, Flitwick's baton freezes in mid-air bringing the Hall to a hush.
They dance.
Soon others are joining in, Dumbledore and McGonagall, Mr Filch and his cat, Hagrid and Madame Maxime. Mad-Eye sits on the sidelines drinking.
Snape spots Hermione dancing with Krum. So this is her date? Thought Snape.
"Severus?"
"Yes..."
"Don't you dance?"
"I don't... dance..."
Snape made his way out of the great hall.
Later. The scene changes, the music is now rock played by the Weird Sisters fronted by Jarvis Cocker from Pulp.
The crowd is jumping. Harry, Ron and their dates are sitting some distance away looking miserable. Hermione comes up after a great time with Viktor.
"Hot isn't it? Viktor's gone to get drinks. Care to join us?"
"No, we'd NOT care to join you and Viktor".
"What's got your wand in a knot?"
"He's a Durmstrang. You're fraternizing with the enemy".
Hermione frowned. "The enemy? Who was it wanting his autograph? Besides, the whole point of the tournament is international magical cooperation, to make friends".
"Hrmph, I think he's got a bit more than friendship on his mind".
"What are you suggesting?"
"It's obvious, isn't it? It's Harry he's truly interested in".
Harry jolted as he heard Ron say his name. "Excuse me?"
"He is using you. To get inside information. Maybe even Jinx Harry".
Hermione was rendered speechless by Ron. Hermione walks off.
Courtyard. Night later. Harry drifts into the courtyard, alone. bedeviled by the distant blare of the music of the Great Hall.
Here another kind of torture greets him as amorous shadows tremble behind the steamy windows of carriages, whispers drip from foreign tongues. A girl giggles.
"I told you before, Igor. I see no reason to discuss it. Lumos!"
Harry freezes, watches Snape and Karkaroff come into view. Snape sprays the backseat of the carriage with wand light.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff, Pawcett! And the same for Ravenclaw, Stebbins!"
A girl and boy flee. As Snape and Karkaroff walk on, Harry slips behind a stone gargoyle, listens.
"It's a sign, Severus! You can't pretend this isn't happening!"
"I don't have to pretend, Igor. Can you say the same?"
Karkaroff says nothing, staring lethally at Snape, then turns away, heading back toward the lights of the castle. Harry draws back into the shadows, watching him pass then notices a glint of blue light on the far side of the courtyard.
Later. Entrance hall. Ron and Hermione stand just inside the empty hall, faces flushed in anger.
"He's using you".
"How dare you! Besides, I can take care of myself!"
"Doubt it. He's way too old".
"What? What? That's what you think?"
"Yeah that is what I think".
Hermione creeps behind Ron. "You know the solution then don't you".
"Go on".
"Next time there's a ball, pluck up the courage and ask me before somebody else does, and not as a last resort".
Hermione stood in front of Ron.
"Well, that's completely off the point. Harry...?"
Harry walks up, Hermione turns then, sees... Harry.
"Where have you been?"
Harry just stares. Much of Hermione's hair has escaped making her look a bit mad.. and lopsided.
"Never mind! Off to bed both of you!"
Harry and Ron walk away. "They get scared when they get older".
"Ron, you spoiled everything!"
As Harry and Ron increase their pace, Hermione kicks off her miserable heels, hitches up her wrinkled dress and hobbles off, all lunatic hair and weary shoulders, leaving the Hall to Ginny, Neville, Hagrid and Maxime, who dance on.
"Miss Granger?"
Snape approaches her in confusion. He looks around, and there's no one. The hall is empty, she is crying all alone here, not even Krum trying to approach her or calming her.
"What are you doing here crying?"
Hermione didn't speak. "Is it Mr. Durmstrang boy who hurt your feelings?" He asked.
"No".
"Then why are you crying?"
Snape demands her answer. Hermione shakes her head. "What are you doing here, Professor?" She changed the subject.
"I'm guarding the castle. And I saw you here.. alone". Snape studied her. "Who's the person who dares hurt such a beautiful girl like you, should I jinx or cast my spells on it?".
Hermione suddenly cracked chuckles as she wiped her tears, looking up at Snape.
"You don't have to. I can take care of myself. Thank you".
Snape nodded his head, about to leave.. Hermione stops her. "Would you care to dance, Professor?"
"I don't dance, Miss Granger. I never will".
She snorted, grabbed Snape arm running towards the courtyard. As both are in position in the middle of the courtyard. Snape blinks, and doesn't know what to do next.
"It's okay. Just take my waist". Snape did as she was told, put his hand around her waist. "See, it doesn't hurt me. Now, we slowly take a step as you saw before".
Hermione and Snape slowly begin the dance. She makes sure everyone is already back in their dormitories and sleeps after dance.. including Harry and Ron.
"I've told you, you can dance, Professor. Just.. need a little practice".
His eyes meet her. Like Snape said. Never ever he know about the dance. Never ever a woman or girl asks him to the dance floor.
Not even Lily's. Snape was alone all along until now... but this young Granger asked him to. A new awkward experience he felt in his life.
Didn't know what time it was, what we knew.. Snape and Hermione change their dance into something special they both never felt, and on as the clock strikes midnight.
They stop the dance, Snape kisses her hand and asks Hermione to walk back to the dormitories.
"I have a great day. Goodnight Professor".
Snape nodded his head, watched her figure walk back inside the castle, waited until she was out of his sight, then he made his way guarding the castle before going back to the dungeons in a wide smile.