She thought that she was wise beyond her years; he wanted to show her otherwise. Expose her. He wanted to bend her over his knee like the child she was. Sitting at his desk in the Potion's Room, Snape attempted to snap himself out of thoughts about the curly haired girl who was often wedged between Potter and Weasley. Frequently he thought, what an odd place for her to be. Then again, where else should she be? Using a feather quill he scribbled notes on parchment. There was a knock at the dungeon door. "Come." He commanded. He looked up to see her hazel eyes. "Miss Granger." He noted coldly and returned to writing, "I assume there is good reason for this interruption." He waited for a response. After hesitation, he looked up again to see her peach face turning pale and her eyes rolling back in her head. He quickly stood up and cast a spell to catch her before she hit the stone floor. "What on Earth-" he started but then realized- this was a potions matter. This girl had been messing around again. No doubt for the benefit of the two nitwits. She was smart enough to note that something had gone wrong and had come to him for advice. He'd give her some when she woke up, that was for certain. He laid her down on the wooden table and spoke "lumos" so that he could examine what she had done to her body. He looked at her pale face. "Poison?" He thought, "Or perhaps something's still caught in her throat." His fingers brushed her lips. It felt like satin, though he did not know why he noted the texture. He propped open her mouth to look inside. There was nothing there. Sans for a smooth pink tongue. He let go of her at that point and stepped back. He had to remain detached and assess the situation. He didn't know why his mind would dwell in all the wrong places. All of his life this was so. Mainly it was the Dark Arts. Now, the sensation felt the same but the subject was different. He recalled the feeling of her lips. Weren't they warm for such a pale person? Then, an advanced potion came to mind. If she had done it wrong, her whole body would be heating up right about now. He took a step towards her and placed a hand over her skin. It felt like a radiator. He knew what would come next, though he was not prepared for the ramifications. She would be waking up any moment now and the first person she saw; he couldn't let it be him. He hid behind a column as he heard her sharp inhalation. She was awake again at least. She sputtered a bit and questioned meekly, "Professor Snape?" He felt a little twinge at the awkward situation she was placing both of them in. Gryffindor would lose some points for this one. "Miss Granger." He retorted.
"Where are you?" She queried and he could hear her weight shifting off of the table.
"Stay where you are Miss Granger. I don't know why you were attempting a potion of that level, but I assure you that your house can thank you for the large amount of points lost that will be coming your way." He could hear her feet on the floor. "Stay where you are." he commanded.
"-Why professor?" He could hear the worry pitching in her voice.
"Because you mixed the potion wrong. You made a different one." he attempted to clarify.
"Why should that affect my placement?" she asked.
"You always have a why, don't you Miss Granger? Perhaps we should ask before we embark on things of this nature." his words were biting.
She swallowed. "Please sir. You're making me nervous. It will be alright, won't it?"
"You're the know it all here Miss Granger. So think about it. Think of all the other possible potions that could have been made by incorrectly making the one you attempted. Recall your symptoms and there's your answer."
She closed her eyes and ran through lines of text in her mind. There, she spotted it. "Love Potion." She whispered in disbelief. She felt her face flush from embarrassment.
"See, you don't need me after all." His voice echoed off the walls. "So head back to your quarters and find yourself a cure."
"Professor Snape!" She panicked, "I can't go out in the hallway! The first person I see-"
"I know." He replied. Then the idea came to mind. This was a teachable moment. A rare smile crept onto his face. "The only other option is having someone who knows what they're doing help you."
Hermione paused. Then said, "Will you help me professor? That's the reason I came tonight in the first place."
"Can't Potter or Weasley help you?" He wanted to hear her say it.
"They wouldn't really know, or have the experience to handle this situation." She was getting flustered.
"Very well Miss Granger, but perhaps you will learn that to your actions there are consequences. Next time, think of them before your rash Gryffindor spirit gets the best of you."