Chapter 6

Hermione had gotten an owl from Snape on Wednesday evening, telling her that Dumbledore had agreed to their project idea and that she therefore could already come this Friday. He wanted to meet her in his office.

She had felt quite nervous on Thursday and especially on Friday, so concentrating in the lessons had been even harder than the days before. She was just glad that no one knew of their project.

On Thursday she also had her potions class which was quite uncomfortable at first, for all her classmates stared from her to Snape and then back again, waiting in silence if he would either make a mean comment or if she would burst into tears. But nothing like this happened. Snape completely ignored her and she had not even bothered to raise her arm when she knew the answer. But it was better like this and after a while she didn't even find it that bad – nothing really out of the ordinary anyway, and at least not worse than all the other classes she had had so far this week. But there was one thing she knew for sure: this was going to be a long school year…

Then it was suddenly Friday evening, eight o'clock, and Hermione stood in front of Professor Snape's office, knocking politely and trying not to hyperventilate from excitement and nervousness… This still felt like a dream to her and she kind of still expected Snape to play a prank on her.

He opened the door instead of barking a "Come in" as usually, greeted her with a nod and then stepped aside to let her in, which she did at once.

"I was thinking about what we could do for our project," Snape then started matter-of-factly when they were both seated, his desk between them, "and finally thought about searching for a better recipe on the Skele-Gro potion to improve the taste without changing its effects. I am not quite sure that we will succeed but I guess that it would be still interesting to research. What do you think?"

"Absolutely," Hermione nodded, still trying to ignore her agitation.

"Good," Snape replied. "Then I thought that maybe we could start today by making the potion once more in a very, very concentrated, attentive way for our further studies?"

"Yes, sure," Hermione agreed and put her bag and jacket on the chair next to Snape's writing desk. "Let's get started," she then stated more enthusiastic than she felt to cover her true feelings.

"Yes," Snape said. "So we better go into the classroom."

Hermione snorted in good humour. "We could have met there directly, couldn't we?"

"Well, yes," he admitted a bit sheepishly. "But do you want to brew here?"

She shook her head but smiled.

"Then let us go." He opened a secret door in his office that let them to the classroom – which was actually 100 feet away from his office but which now seemed to be right next to it!

"But… how?" Hermione wondered astonished.

"Magic?" he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Amazing," she beamed and entered the classroom.

Quickly they collected all the tools and ingredients they needed and started preparing the potion. They didn't need to speak much, a few words were sufficient to understand each other. In silence they stood next to each other at the table and either crushed or cut Chinese Chomping Cabbage, Pufferfishes, Scarab Beetles or other animals or plants. It all worked fine until they actually wanted to start brewing the potion.

"Wait, please," Snape sighed when Hermione began heating the cauldron. "I can't."

"What's wrong?" she wanted to know and looked at him worried.

"I just can't… concentrate," he finally admitted and she saw that it wasn't easy for him to be this honest with her.

"Why?" she asked gently.

"This… um…," he tried, furiously blushing. "This just feels like kind of a… date…," he then whispered.

Hermione was stunned at first, then smiled. She had never thought that he could be shy! He always radiated so much confidence in everything he did or spoke. "Shall I go?" she offered in a friendly way. "It's alright. If you don't feel comfortable around me then I should maybe better go."

"No," he surprised her. "No, I offered you this chance, so you will get it."

"Then perhaps we could just sit down, drink some tea and talk?" she suggested, tentatively smiling. "We can still brew the potion next week."

"Yes, yes," he agreed, sounding relieved. "That's a good idea, I guess…"

They put away the ingredients and tools and went back into his office to have some tea.

"So," Hermione started their talking when they both had sat down in silence, only drinking their tea for a few minutes. "I want to get to know you and you said that it would be alright, so may I then ask you some questions?"

"You asking me questions?" he retorted in a mocking voice. "Then we will never finish…"

"Ha ha," Hermione replied, looking annoyed, but was glad he apparently felt more comfortable now. "Come on, you have to admit that I'm not that irritating anymore."

He smirked. "You're still a know-it-all."

"Still insufferable?" she asked boldly.

"We'll see."

Then they stared at each other shocked when they realised what had just happened: they had talked with each other like friends and even somehow flirted. A strange moment but a first step.

Snape cleared his throat.

"May I ask you now, sir?" Hermione tried again in a calm, student-like voice, although she didn't like it, especially having to say sir… She wanted to call him Severus…

"You may, Miss Granger."

"First of all, I want to know if you want to get to know me, as well."

He thought about it for a moment. "Yes, I daresay I do."

"Why?" she asked at once.

"Because," he replied without showing his emotions, "I want to know what is wrong in your head that you could actually like me."

She smiled. "Do you think you could ever like me?" she then wanted to know with a vulnerable facial expression. "I always had the feeling you hated me."

"Miss Granger," he reasoned with her, "do you really believe I would allow our little project if I was hated you?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. "You're too curious to just do nothing about the current situation. You said so yourself: you want to find out why I like you."

"That is true," he admitted. "But still… No, I do not hate you. Whether I like you or not will be seen when I get to know you better."

"Thank you," she smiled.

They spent the rest of the evening asking each other basic questions such as birthdays, favourite food or music. To her surprise Snape was not only honest but also rather friendly – she had never seen him like this, so relaxed. There were even moments where they could laugh about something, and he had a wonderful laugh. It made him look happy and younger.

Hermione went back to her tower at midnight (being Head Girl gave her the permission to be outside after curfew).

"Good night, Miss Granger," Snape said goodbye to her at the door.

"Good night, professor," she replied, beaming. "It was a lovely evening."

He only nodded.

"I have one last question, though."

"Of course you have," he smirked.

"This evening, was it the real you?" She looked into his eyes, trying to find a lie.

"Yes," he said seriously.

"I like the real you," she then smiled and left.

"I like the real me, too," he whispered, lightly smiling, and closed the door behind her.