AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
It was difficult to believe that anyone would allow Hermione to steam vegetables. Granted, she wasn't such a dunderhead that she would burn herself on the scalding water, but under most circumstances the same couldn't be said for her carrots and broccoli. Knowing her luck, the carrots would become mush, and the florets of the broccoli would disintegrate.
"The rice should be done in two minutes. The vegetables should be what I consider the correct consistency in a minute, though you may want them somewhat softer," Mr. Snape began.
"Okay." She answered, wondering if he would be this patient if he had to eat whatever she made. Merlin knew he would not appreciate eating a less than adequate meal, no matter how nutritious it may be.
"Stick your fork into the carrots and determine if it's the right consistency."
She did so. Her eyes widened. "It's perfect."
His lips curled up.
"I mean, I cannot believe I actually steamed a carrot without it becoming slop!" She cheered.
"I told you that you could do it," he turned bright yellow. "Though if I were you I would dump the hot water before your vegetables become too soft."
"Of course." There was a skip in her step as she went over to the kitchen sink and dumped the water.
"Now, pull out some teriyaki sauce and you should be ready to uncover the rice."
"Fine, but you still haven't told me if this sauce will be better than the kind they serve in a restaurant." Hermione opened the cabinet and reached for the sauce.
"I told you, it depends on the restaurant and the kind of sauce you buy."
"What about this kind?" She showed him the bottle.
"That's adequate."
"Just adequate?"
He shrugged. "I've had better, and I've had worse."
"That's encouraging," she deadpanned.
"You act as if you expected me to be overly enthusiastic."
"Perhaps you wouldn't be over teriyaki sauce," she admitted. "But I'm almost used to your enthusiasm, even if you try to hide it."
He raised an eyebrow.
"You can be quite the motivator when you want to be."
"Only if the person I'm speaking to warrants my encouragement."
"And I warrant your encouragement?"
"It would seem so." He gave her a small grin.
"You know," she hummed, "you aren't as big of a git as you made yourself out to be."
"Very few people think as you do."
"People don't know you." She pulled out a plate. "Well, I guess now they can't know you now."
"No," he turned a light blue.
"Still, when you aren't spying though you are pleasant enough."
"You have an odd definition of pleasant."
She suppressed her laughter.
"Go ahead and uncover the rice. It is clear you are so famished you are delusional."
Hermione chuckled before opening it. Steam billowed out. "Do I need to pour the water out of the rice?"
"Do you see any water?"
She looked down. "No."
"Then it means you made it correctly."
She blinked.
"The rice absorbs the water. That's why you have to keep it covered. Otherwise the steam escapes and it's too hard."
"Oh." She began putting the rice on her plate.
"That rice should last for a couple of meals. Tomorrow night, I will teach you how to stir fry chicken so you can have some with it," his glow returned to its normal hue.
"Stir frying sounds too fancy to master at the moment."
"Believe me, it's anything but fancy," he replied. "And almost any dunderhead could master it."
"Are you saying I'm not a dunderhead?"
"You are anything but a dunderhead."
Her face lit up.
"Still, if you can stir fry you can create almost anything."
"Really?"
Mr. Snape nodded.
"I didn't know that's all it would take," she muttered.
"The meals will be simple, but right now, we're looking for simple, manageable, and nutritious."
"I can get behind that." She put the vegetables onto her plate. "Does everything look good?"
"Judging by the appearance you've made it perfectly."
"Let's hope so." She took the teriyaki and sat at the table. After peeling off the plastic she twisted the top, but it refused to budge.
"If you need help, all you have to do is tell me to touch it."
"Please touch it." She stuck it in his face.
He took the top and twisted it off with ease.
"I was honestly wondering if you could do it." She took it from him.
"I was too." He replied. "Usually I exert myself quite a bit when opening those bottles, but it was effortless."
"Being a spirit must have its perks." She poured the sauce onto her meal.
"At times, it does." He sat across from her.
After setting the bottle aside, she took a bite of her meal. Her eyes were wide. "This is good! This is actually good!"
Mr. Snape smiled. "I was right then, you could cook."
"I can cook." Hermione raised her hands. "I can cook!"
Crookshanks leapt and meowed.
"Shush," Mr. Snape hissed.
The half-kneazle growled at him.
"Crookshanks," she hissed. "Don't be rude to our guest."
Tail in the air, he marched out of the room.
"I didn't think I could do it." She took another bite. "I thought I was a failure in the kitchen."
"No, you just needed someone to unleash your potential."
She swallowed. "Do you want some?"
"I don't think I can eat," he noted.
"I want you to touch the food and eat it."
"I will not stuff your food into my mouth."
"Fine." She stuck out her fork. "I want you to touch the fork."
He took it from her hand. Then he took some of her food and put it into his mouth.
It landed onto the chair.
"Did you taste it?"
He shook his head.
"Oh." She frowned.
"I will trust you when you say it is amazing. It appears appetizing anyway."
"It is more than appetizing."
As Hermione continued to eat, she observed Mr. Snape's glow. At times it maintained its normal hue, yet at others it was a light blue. She was used to it changing colors, but not so frequently.
"Is something on your mind?" She asked.
He glanced at her.
"Your glow is changing, and I'm curious as to what it means."
"Nothing, I am just thinking," Mr. Snape replied.
"Your thoughts do not appear pleasant."
"They aren't unpleasant necessarily."
"Then what are they?"
He shrugged as he examined a crumpled three day old newspaper on the table. Why would Hermione be interested in beauty tips?
She kept eating.
"May I ask you something?"
"Sure."
He made eye contact with her. "You were part of the Golden Trio, correct?"
"Yes," she drawled. "You should know that."
"I do, but it raises a question," his glow pulsated. "I have seen you interact with Potter, but I have no idea where Mr. Weasley is."
She dropped her fork onto her plate.
"Where is he?"
"I don't know," her voice was soft.
"How could you not know? He was one of your best friends."
"I just don't know."
"Have you had some kind of falling out with him?"
"You could say that." She began to scrape the rice onto the edge of the plate.
"When is the last time you've seen him?"
Hermione huffed. "Is this an interrogation?"
"No," Mr. Snape answered in a low voice. "I am much less pleasant when I'm interrogating someone."
"This is an unpleasant topic, so I suggest we find something else to discuss."
"It might be best for us if you tell me where Mr. Weasley is."
"Why?"
"Because someone has suggested you would be happier if he was in your life."
A piece of rice went down the wrong way. She erupted into a coughing fit until tears came to her eyes.
"Ms. Granger!" Severus stoof
She held up her hand.
He looked on, his glow going white.
She snarled as her breathing evened. "Who told you I would be happier with Ron?"
"Sirius Black."
"Tell him to go fuck himself."
Mr. Snape's mouth hung open as he plopped into his seat.
"No better yet, tell him to stay out of my business," she snapped.
"I'm only trying to determine what happened which has made you the way you are. Perhaps if some things were reconciled…"
"You want me to reconcile with him?"
His mouth closed again.
"I have no intention of ever seeing him again, much less reconciling with him!" She took the napkin off her lap and threw it onto her plate.
"I was only trying to ascertain what you needed."
"Do you know what I need?"
"What?"
"I need you to stay out of my romantic life and just teach me to cook and make potions with me."
"You only want me to teach you things?" He furrowed his eyebrows.
"Yes," she crossed her arms over her chest.
"So that's all I am to you," He stood as his glow became bright red. "Some kind of glorified servant."
"Isn't that your goal, make me happy until you leave?"
"I may be helping you, but you are not my master!"
"And I'm not your charity project!"
They glared at each other.
"I'm only trying to help you," Severus growled. "Clearly you think you can dominate me and make me your glorified maid."
"If you were my maid you'd be cleaning my house."
"Someone needs to clean it!" he threw up his hands. "I'm surprised you can find anything with all the piles around!"
"Oh so now I'm defective!" She stood.
"I never said that. I said you were messy."
"No, we're back to that! I'm the dunderheaded student you must save. You must think I'm the most helpless woman on the face of the earth! To you I'm nothing more than a means for you to get to heaven."
"And I'm nothing more than someone you can boss around until she has everything she needs!"
"You get to go to heaven. Isn't that good enough for you?" She retorted.
"Not if I have to serve another master."
"I thought you liked me!"
"I do, but you're usually far more pleasant than this!"
"You're usually far less intrusive."
"Excuse me for caring!"
"You're excused!"
Hermione was glowering at Mr. Snape as his glow turned orange.
"Do you want to know what will make me happy?" She snapped.
"Should I care?" He growled.
"I would be happy if you leave."
"You cannot force me out."
"Just watch me! I can find some holy water and sprinkle it on you."
"That only works on damned spirits." He rolled his eyes. "Souls in Purgatory are saved."
"You'd know that, wouldn't you?"
"I would."
Hermione turned her back to him.
"I'm leaving not because you told me to, but because I do not want to waste my time with someone who only sees me as a glorified servant." Mr. Snape raised his head.
"Fine! Go!"
The room grew cold.
Crookshanks snuck back into the room and glanced at Hermione.
"What do you want?" She spat.
The half-kneazle glared at her.
Hermione's eyes fell to the glob of for on her chair. Boiling tears came to her eyes.
Why do I chase away everyone who wants to help me?