Chapter 3
Severus gasped softly. Did she really just say that she saw him in the Mirror of Erised?
Severus had been watching her and waiting for her response to Albus' question, but he never expected this. He continued to look at Hermione's face and noticed the redness getting brighter. He glanced away toward Albus and noticed that he was watching for his response to what she said. Blushing, he looked down and away from the Headmaster. Then he reprimanded himself for acting like a teenager and faced the Headmaster again.
"You saw Severus in the Mirror? Doing what?" Albus pressed.
Hermione looked like she was going to pass out from embarrassment. "I... I.. Sir, I don't think that..." Albus gave her a look that said she had to answer the question. She swallowed noticeably. "He was... K.. kissing my neck. His hands.. were around my w.. waist. Please, sir. No more." She pleaded, and Dumbledore nodded and let her go silent.
"That is all I needed to know. That confirms what I was thinking had happened." He looked at Severus and said, "I need you to do something for me. I wish to test my theory out once more before I tell you what I suspect." Severus nodded. "Take her hand."
Severus looked confused and raised his eyebrows in question. Albus just shook his head and gestured towards Hermione, whose hands were laying on her lap knotted together. "Hermione, please offer your hand to Severus. I know this is embarrassing for you, but bear with me and it will all be explained, I promise." Hermione nodded slowly and, just as slowly, raised her right hand toward Severus, palm facing down. Severus slowly reached out with his left hand and grasped her hand firmly in his.
Hermione and Severus both gasped the moment their hands touched. The sensations that ran through them was like nothing they had ever experienced before. Hermione was so surprised by this, she looked up, straight into Severus' eyes. She saw so many things happen in the time she watched those opaque eyes. So many emotions passed through them. Surprise, Joy, Confusion, sadness, L.. no, that couldn't be right. Had that really been Love she just saw? Love for.. who? Her? No. That would never happen. A noise made her look away from Sev.. No, Snape. Dumbledore was looking at them in astonishment. She quickly let go of Snape's hand.
"Sir, what is it?" Hermione asked, leaning forward.
Dumbledore was silent for a moment. Then he said, "There was a golden aura around you that was very visible. Auras aren't supposed to be visible, ever." Dumbledore looked away from them, with a thoughtful look on his face. When he looked back at them, he had a slight grin on his face. "Now, onto what I thought had happened. Miss. Granger, Severus, you two are soul mates. Two people meant to fall in love and get married."
Severus looked at Dumbledore for a few minutes in silence, then he glanced at Hermione to see her reaction. She looked like she wanted to faint.
"It seems you two are a special kind of Soul Mates, though. I will have to do some research, but I believe that you two have to be in contact with each other every hour for the first year. So, it looks like I am going to have to set up a room for you two and.." Hermione and Severus interrupted him at the same time.
"But what about my classes? I can't just disappear." Severus said.
"But, sir. What about my classes? I really don't want to fail after all this work." Hermione said.
"Miss. Granger, Severus, don't worry about anything. Miss. Granger, you may still go to your classes. We will just have to have Severus here go with you. Maybe he can pose as a student." The last part was said mostly to himself.
"What? A student? I have already finished my schooling. I don't want to have to study all of the same stuff again. And the teachers will definitely recognize me, from the first time I was this age." Severus complained. Then he seemed to realize something. "Wait. Did you say that I have to spend all my time with HER? No! Absolutely not! Plus, when I looked in the Mirror the last time, I didn't see her."
When he finished his unusual tirade, he noticed Hermione was looking at him with a hurt expression in her eyes. After a second, that look changed to defiance.
"And you think I want to spent my time with you of all people. The Greasy Git of the Dungeons. You think so much of yourself that you think everyone wants to be in your presence at all times. NOT!" Hermione yelled the last word at him and looked away from him, toward Dumbledore.
Dumbledore slowly looked from one of them to the other and back. He did this a few times before he spoke again.
"You both need to get to know each other, so I am going to move both of you to a new room now. I don't want any complaints or problems. You are both going to be treated like adults and I expect you to act like it." Dumbledore stood up and walked over to a book case located to the left of his desk. Pulling out a large red book, he waved his wand over the cover and the book opened to the page he was apparently looking for. "Ah ha. Just what we need." Closing the book, he put it back on the shelf, and stepped away from the book case. Turning towards the two in front of his desk, he said, "Follow me to your new rooms."
The new soul mates rose from their chairs at the same time and moved to follow the Headmaster. Severus allowed Hermione to go on ahead of him and he ended the line. After they were off the moving stairs, Dumbledore began to speak again.
"I know this is going to be difficult for you two. You have never really gotten along with each other, but I want you to put the past behind you, where it should be in the first place, and try to get to know each other better. You two have a lot more in common than you think. Now, these new rooms have a kitchen and dining room as well as the living room, bedroom, and bathroom. You are both allowed to eat in your quarters as often as you wish. For the next few days, you will both be excused from classes in order to get acquainted and more use to your new situation, I suggest you stay in your quarters for those few days. During the few days that you are not present, I will be explaining to the school what has happened and that you two are to be left alone about this. Miss. Granger, you may of course inform your friends about what has happened, but it must be done in your new quarters with Severus present. I will inform whom ever you wish to tell where to go to see you. Who do you wish for me to inform?"
Hermione thought for a moment. "Ginny, Harry, Ron, Luna, and Neville." She replied. Luna, Neville, Ginny, and she had all gotten to know each other during the last summer. They were all really close now. Ginny and Neville had become a couple at the end of the summer and they seemed to be getting even closer lately. Dumbledore turned then spoke to Snape. "Anyone that you wish to speak to about this at the same time?"
Severus nodded, "Yes. My godson, Draco." Hermione looked over at him curiously for a moment. Draco was his godson? That.. actually explained things. A lot of things, actually.
Dumbledore nodded and was silent for the rest of the walk to their new rooms which seemed to be on the 3rd floor. They finally stopped in front of a tapestry of a Unicorn with an Forest Elf standing next to it petting it gently.
"The password is True Love. I would prefer if you didn't change it. These rooms were once used for married students back when arranged marriages were done at early ages. This password has been used for many and serves as a hopeful reminder." Dumbledore explained and the portrait swing open. They all walked through the door and it closed behind them.
(A/N: Normally I would stop here but I decided not to because of all the wonderful reviews. :P )
Hermione gasped as she saw the room they had just walked into. The walls were a sky blue color with portraits of nature all around the room. In front of the stone fire place, that was situated on the right side of the large room, there sat a pure white loveseat and 2 white recliners with sky blue trim. Along the wall left of the fire place and directly in front of the group were 2 white doors. Hermione assumed they were for the bedrooms. A little more to the left were 2 desks, one was red and the other was green. Right next to the desks on the left was a book shelf filled with books. Hermione smiled. 'I can't wait to see what those books are about.' Next to the book shelf was an archway and she could see a part of a medium sized kitchen with blue marble counters and white cabinets and drawers.
"Alright, you two. I must go but I hope you get settled quickly and get along. I will send your friends to you at 7 tonight. I won't tell them what it is about, so that will be up to you two. See you in a few days." And Dumbledore walked out of their new rooms, leaving them to stare after him for a few moments in wonderment.
Their eyes met for a split second before they both realized it. Hermione remembered that she had just described what she saw in the mirror and they both looked away, blushing.
'Why am I blushing? I have NEVER blushed in my life and what she said really shouldn't effect me. Well, okay, maybe it should effect me a little, because she did basically admit to liking me. Her heart says that it wants me.' Severus thought with a smirk.
'I can't believe that I had to tell them what I saw in the mirror. This is so embarrassing. I really think Dumbledore has gone off the deep end on this one. For all we know, someone could have been around the corner and made this happen to Se.. Snape to freak us out.' Hermione thought frantically, knowing that this was not what had happened.
Severus was the first to walk further into their new... apartment... or whatever it was. He walked over to the book case and gazed at the books in curiosity. Hermione smiled. 'It's good to know that we have something in common. Even if it is only one thing.' She walked over to look at the books as well. She spotted several books that she had never seen before and that sounded very interesting.
"Aren't you going to rant and rave about having to spend all your time with me?" Severus said suddenly, making her jump. Turning towards him, she answered his question, "Not at the moment. I could ask you the same question. But I won't, because I'm not nosy in that way." Hermione turned toward the door furthest from the fire place and grasped the door knob. Opening the door, she thought, 'Hermione- one, Snape -Zero. I can't believe I said that to Snape. I hope he doesn't try to kill me in my sleep.' She glanced back at him, before stepping through the door. Looking around at the room, she nodded and closed it again. Then moved to the other door and opened it. Gasping, she stared at the contents of the room.
A/N: Please don't hurt me for the cliffy. I had to end somewhere and this seemed like the right place to do so.
I have to thank the following people, for their reviews. They both had ideas about this story and I really enjoyed them.
Flowerypetal
TequilaNervous
Thank you All for reading my story and favoriting it or story alerting it.
I am leaving you with these questions.
What is in the room?
Will Snape answer her barb or will he let her win this one?
How are the others going to react to this news?
Why didn't Dumbledore address Severus' job?
