You're welcome! ❤︎
Chapter 11. Rumours
Hermione was exceptionally excited for it to finally be Friday. The week had seemed to drag on and she was ready to curl up with her novel and hopefully finish it by Sunday. She would have to fit in homework of course, but she would be able to manage that just fine in between chapters. Just because it was only the beginning of February did not make the due dates any less important. Given most major essays and final projects were weeks away from being due, Hermione was always determined to get a head start on her studying. N.E.W.T. classes were contributing to what would certainly be her hardest year yet, and she determined to be ready for them when they came.
The witch was up well before her friends, readying herself silently as to not wake her sleeping dormmates, and headed down the steps to the common room. It was empty, as was routine for this hour of the morning for Gryffindors, and she was grateful for the peace. Hermione found her way to the great hall and took up a spot near the middle of the benches, helping herself to her breakfast. In front of her, she had her novel propped up to get in a chapter or two before her friends joined her. It wasn't long before Ginny came down, sitting across from the brunette and helping herself to her own meal. They engaged in mindless chatter, and Hermione was forced to put down her book to listen to her friend's countless stories about Harry and their romance. Hermione didn't mind, she was excited to be back to the normal state of things after her tiff with Ron and Harry.
Soon the hall was filled, Ron sitting beside his sister and Harry taking up the seat beside Hermione. Shortly thereafter Lavender and Parvati joined them, whispering to each other deliberately loudly. They were terribly obvious when they started glancing at Hermione from their spot beside Ron before they would burst into fits of giggles. The intelligent witch looked at Ginny who was already glaring at the pair. Thankfully, the two ceased their laughter, and Ginny glanced back to her friend and offered a sympathetic smile. Harry and Ron also seemed to straighten up when other people joined in on the whispering and started staring at their friend.
"What are they all whispering about? What has Harry done now?" Hermione asked, specifically to Ginny who appeared the guiltiest of her particular clan. The ginger's face turned a rosy colour and her eyes flicked about when she was nervous or hiding something. Which is why it was actually quite impressive that Ron was still acutely unaware of her best friend and his sister's steamy relationship, but that was another issue.
"Well you see, there's a rumour going about." Ginny started, looking down at her hands. "It started last night but we hoped it would be too ridiculous and no one would be talking about it." She continued, pausing for a moment to glance up at Harry who was nodding. "We didn't think you'd ever have to find out because it's just so absurd." Hermione began to shift uncomfortably in her seat and the same feeling from when Rita Skeeter published that she and Harry were an item began to bubble in her gut. She immediately thought to her only secret, the fondness she had lost herself in far too quickly for Professor Snape. The idea of anyone finding out about her crush had haunted her from the moment she pinpointed the exact feelings and she would be devastated if that was what people were talking about.
"Wait, is it about me?" Hermione asked, the shock and embarrassment set in as she leaned back. She glanced around at all the people who were looking at her, chittering after meeting her gaze. Even first years couldn't peel their eyes away from the frazzled witch. "Well tell me! I need to know so I can deny it." She pressed, grabbing Ginny's hand so she couldn't leave before letting Hermione in on the details.
The redhead sighed in defeat and leaned in close as to ensure they were afforded some level of privacy. "Lavender said she saw you and Snape snogging after dinner yesterday, then snuck off into the room of requirements to likely continue snogging, then claimed, when you two finally emerged, that you spent a great deal of time in his office." All the blood in Hermione's body seemed to find its way to her cheeks, causing her to reach a temperature she didn't think was all that healthy. Her robes suddenly felt far too thick, like she was wearing winter clothes in the dead of summer. This was far worse than people finding out about a crush, this was career destroying gossip.
"Well, that's obviously untrue," Hermione spat immediately, making Ginny sit back in shock. "I would never snog a professor! That is absurd, don't tell me you believe it! I would never!" The brunette continued to protest, her embarrassment growing with her uncontrollable outburst over the gossip. She didn't understand why she felt like she was lying, or why she was denying a stupid rumour so adamantly. She indeed did not snog her professor and he would never be so stupid as to risk his career on her, so why did she suddenly feel like her diary was being read out to the entire school? Surely her feelings weren't so obvious Lavender could tell anything, let alone concoct such a vicious rumour from them. And even if she had seen them entering the room of requirements, there would not have even been the suggestion of romantic incidences from their actions that night. "I was visiting him during office hours last night to learn more about a potion I'd read about in the textbook, that's what she must have seen and blown it out of proportion as usual and concocted this preposterous rumour!"
"Oh, my little Won-Won," the voice of the gossip broke Hermione from her justification as she saw the culprit devouring her friend's cheek once more while he tried to eat. Could she be so self-absorbed that she's not listening to me right now? How can she say such horrible, damaging things, and not even try to corroborate her story? Hermione was beyond furious.
"LAVENDER, we're eating here! Take your snogging and gossiping elsewhere!" Hermione screamed at the blonde witch, standing up and slamming her fist on the table. This drew a silence from the entire hall, but it didn't stop her. "Gossiping is an idle past-time that only leads to trouble. I have not, nor will I ever snog a professor!" With an exasperated grunt of displeasure, the brunette gathered her book and bag and ran out of the grand hall. There was nowhere, in particular, she had in mind as she stormed through the halls, but it wasn't long before she ended up outside Professor Snape's office.
Pushing the door open with force, the stubborn witch entered her professor's office without knocking. Part of her wasn't expecting him to be seated at his desk, but she was glad he was. She was ready to vent. "Have you heard, Professor?" Hermione started with her teeth clenched with rage. "There is a positively daft rumour going about and I can't believe someone would be so awful as to spread such poisonous gossip." She huffed, pacing the length of his office. "Can you imagine? Me snogging a teacher? It's barbaric that someone would even come up with that!" She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as she continued to pace, her face was hot and she felt as though she could break something.
"Miss Granger, you cannot simply storm into my office without so much as an invitation or a knock on the door," Snape seethed, making her turn to face him in embarrassment. Her mind was suddenly very quiet and her stomach was flipping in her abdomen. What a brilliant idea this was, Granger, fuel the rumours by going directly to the man you're accused of having an affair with, the witch began to chastise herself as she watched his face twist into one of his classic hateful expressions. Her world seemed to collapse around her as she sunk into the wooden chair she'd sat in so many times before, but this time she felt incredibly unwelcome. "If there is a rumour, of which this is the first I am hearing, there is no need to put any stock in the situation if it is simply just a rumour." He emphasized. "Furthermore, I expect to see you tonight in my office for another lesson. We'll be learning healing charms and potions. There is a war coming up, Miss Granger, you best prepare for that instead of wasting your time on meaningless gossip." He finished, staring down at her over her nose.
The prospect of a new lesson made her want to smile, but the feeling that she had just been berated by the man she was falling for crushed that impulse rather quickly. She blinked at the sudden change in topic, but nodded curtly, holding the armrests of her chair firm in her grasp. Sitting down once more, the professor waved his hand, motioning for her to leave. Quietly, she departed, thinking back to the advice he'd offered as she walked blindly to her Herbology lesson. The witch almost felt like blowing off class, but she was certain Madam Sprout would make a fuss over her absence, and she really didn't need any more attention that day.
-x-
Curled up in one of the overstuffed sofas of the Gryffindor common room, Hermione gazed blankly at the wall, attempting to come up with an idea of what to do next to stop the rumours spreading any further. It had been a rather benign day. Ginny and Harry keeping her from being the centre of attention or at least keeping her from seeing that she was. And she had made it to her free period without punching anyone in the face, which was shocking because Draco was in two of her classes that day. Unfortunately, she was alone in her free period, with Ron and Harry engaged in other classes, their schedules differed more than she would have liked at that moment. She considered finding Ginny, but she was in her fifth year and they didn't have the same free period as she did. Thankfully, Lavender enrolled and nearly every class she could with Ron, which meant that Hermione would have an hour without the threat of running into the root of all her current problems.
She sighed, knowing she would have to figure this out on her own. I'm a brilliant witch, I can do this, muttering back the words in her head that she'd heard a thousand times from her friends and professors. Continuing to brood, the young witch didn't notice the snickers that had started around her as more Gryffindor's flooded the common area. Hermione felt in her bag for the novel that Professor Snape had leant her, and was immediately calmed by the texture of the novel's front cover. The room fell to a silence around her as she remembered back to their meeting over tea, and how easy it was to talk to him about books. She was rather pent up about not being able to share her love of reading with her friends, given they weren't the reading sort, and seemed to only find interest in her past-time when it served them.
"They must be dating," a particular hushed tone filled her ears, making her perk up and glance around the room. There were suddenly quite a few more of her housemates littering the room, and she realised it was likely the end of class. Tuning into the whispers, she silently wondered who the gossip had been about this time, hoping they had moved on from their crusade against her. She looked up seeing a group of Gryffindor's looking at a picture and sneaking glances at her, making her stomach flop. With an exasperated sigh, she got up and snatched the picture away from the group to which there was a collective groan of disapproval. Her eyes widened at the sight of her flinging the door open and entering Snape's office. That must have been taken that morning when I went to vent to him about the rumours, she groaned, watching her backside disappear into his office repeatedly.
With a groan, she turned on her heel and stormed up to her dormitory, taking the picture up to her cot where she started tearing it to pieces. With every rip of the flimsy parchment, her heart seemed to tear with it. Part of her, the part she wished would shut up during this particular disaster, longed for the rumours to have a glimmer of truth to them, that perhaps there was something romantic going on between them, that they were, in fact, snogging. Even being friends would satisfy Hermione's craving for Snape's affection. However, the logical side of her knew that this rumour would bring her nothing but trouble and even push her farther away from her potential happiness.
-x-
Hermione wished she wasn't hungry, but it seemed that the stress of the day was only making her desire more food to quell her anxiety. Had she not wanted dinner, she could have hidden away from the student body and silently slipped away to her lesson with Professor Snape, but instead, her stomach forced her down to the Great Hall. Harry and Ginny were sitting together, and thankfully the other lovebirds were nowhere to be found. A sigh of relief washed over her before she glanced up to noticed a distinct member of the head table was missing. A couple actually, Dumbledore was also absent from the dinner, but she paid it little mind and slunk down to her friends, catching the seat opposite them.
"How are you, Hermione?" Ginny asked genuinely, "I can't believe they're still on about this. I mean, it's completely daft." She protested in an attempt to comfort her friend. Unfortunately, it did little to calm the growing anxiety in the brunette's chest. "Lavender took it back, even, after Ron called her out on it in Divination. I don't even know how that picture got circulated so quickly." Hermione released a breath, picking at her mashed potatoes.
"It's fine, I'm fine." She insisted, looking down at her meal intently. "I don't understand why Professor Dumbledore hasn't asked to see me, or why I haven't gotten in trouble over this? There must be parents who are furious to hear this and kids have definitely written home about it." Hermione huffed, taking a forceful bite of her dinner. "I can't believe Lavender would do such a thing to me, there's absolutely no good reason for that. She has Ronald." The silence of her friends was beginning to worry her so she looked up just in time to see Ron was moving towards them, alone.
"Looks like that may not be the case after all," Ginny commented as the three of them stared at the ginger sauntering towards them. His posture was poor, though it always was, Hermione decided, looking at the boy she once thought she loved. "Blimey, you look horrible, brother," The female Weasley continued as her brother approached.
"Yeah? Well, you don't look so fantastic yourself," he spat, sitting down with an audible grunt beside Hermione. Instinctively, the brunette flinched away and he sent her an apologetic shrug. "I'm sorry for being such a git, 'mione. Lavender had my head all messed up, but after that rumour thing, we're through. No one spreads shit about my Hermione." She'd have thought the apology was sweet if it weren't for his complete lack of culpability and sudden possessiveness over her.
"Leave it to you to make an apology all about yourself while also laying the blame on someone else," Hermione grumbled, facing away from her friend with a frown.
"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" He pleaded, but his expression just seemed to anger her further. She took another bite of her dinner and stood from the bench. "Where are you going?" Ron asked as he helped himself to the buffet.
"I'm suddenly not very hungry." She seethed, storming out of the great hall. I've been doing that a lot lately, storming out of places, she recognized her more recent inability to control her temper and decided she ought to cool off before subjecting Professor Snape to another round of her likely hormonal behaviour. I'll grow out of this, Hermione determined, winding her way up to the Gryffindor tower.
She moved to push open her dormitory door but heard a rather dramatic sniffle on the other side followed by some sobs. The curiosity got to her, so the witch decided to place her ear on the wood and listen carefully. Hermione quickly deduced it was Lavender, as she had just been broken up with and she was not at dinner. Conflicted, the brunette stood outside the room. If I go in, I'll have to talk to Lavender and I can't be bothered to produce sympathy for that- girl, but if I don't go in, I won't be able to read my book before my lesson with Professor Snape. Eventually, her desire to avoid Lavender outweighed her desire to read so she resigned herself to return to the common room and wait out her emotional journey in silence.
-x-
Hermione paused for a moment outside her Professor's door before she knocked. A part of her wanted to glance around, ensure that no one was watching her, but she knew that it would only seem like she was hiding something if someone were to be watching. Her paranoia was starting to get the better of her and she hated where it was taking her. It was so simple before Lavender went and made a bloody mess of this, she grumbled internally before rapping on the door. As he had many times before, Snape produced a grumbling sound from inside his office and she pushed through the threshold. Upon entering, she registered another presence she hadn't been expecting.
"Miss Granger, thank you for joining us, I take it your day went well?" Dumbledore's booming yet cheery voice filled the room and stunned Hermione for a moment. She noticed that Snape was sitting at his desk, his overly large nose buried in parchment, and actively ignoring her presence. His lack of attention bothered her for a moment but she quickly brushed the thought from her mind as she decided on an appropriate answer for the Headmaster.
"It's been a bit of a mess, actually," Hermione confessed, stepping forward and clutching her notebook to her chest. She had suspected she would be learning potions again that night and she was ready to take notes, unlike her last class that required fewer notes and more action. However, it seemed that might not quite be the case that evening.
"Well you see, Miss Granger, it has come to my attention that there is a rumour circulating regarding your relationship with Professor Snape," Dumbledore continued, regarding the brunette with a twinkle in his eyes. Hermione winced at the mention and stepped back. "While I am certain there is no such activity occurring under my nose, I would request we halt your tutoring sessions, at least for the time being." His last words sent Hermione's stomach plummeting downward, and she was barely able to keep her knees from buckling from below her. The witch was simultaneously devastated at the loss of her allotted time with Professor Snape and furious at her classmates for allowing the unfounded gossip to spread. "You are welcome to finish this last session, but henceforth you must keep your communication with Professor Snape to a minimum." The older wizard finished, his tone becoming far more serious than it had started out.
"Of course, Headmaster," Hermione resigned, letting her head drop. When she looked up again, it was just her and Snape. She began to wonder how it was that Dumbledore had managed to slip away so quietly and suddenly, but she was grateful for the absence.
"I am sorry, Miss Granger, that we must stop our tutelage," Snape started, making her heart jump and her eyes widen. She had been upset but she fully expected her professor to be relieved at the removal of the burden. "You are, without a doubt, the brightest witch of your age and it was a pleasure helping you grow beyond the classroom." He had stood at this point, and was gazing at her sincerely. A flutter developed in her chest and she was suddenly very aware of how she was standing, adjusting her grey blouse that was tucked under a blue jumper, and shifting her weight onto one foot.
"Thank you, Professor," she whispered, catching his look and swallowing hard. His brown eyes were glued to her and tension was building in her chest. He made a swift move to stand beside her and cupped her cheek. Before she could gasp at the motion, he captured her lips with his own and she stiffened. It wasn't like she dreamt before, his lips were soft and caring, and she melted into him far quicker than she had in her mind. A heat was building around her and she relished in the sensation. Throwing her arms around his neck, Hermione pulled herself as close as she physically could manage as she ravaged her mouth.
A/N I hope you guys don't mind that there were two Hermione chapters in a row. Don't worry, Snape's viewpoint is coming up next! Thanks for all your continued support, favourites, follows, and reviews!