In the Darkness

I feel so special! Hope you enjoy! OOOHHH Phantom of the Opera is out on DVD soon! Yay!

Chapter 5

The alarm known as Lavender woke Hermione for the first time in a long while, by accidentally falling over Hermione's bed in the semi darkness of the cool spring morning.

"Shit!" She exclaimed as quietly as she could, preying that Hermione wouldn't wake up. But she did. "Sorry Herm, I didn't mean to wake you…"

"It's ok." Hermione said groggily, "I need to get up anyway. What time is it?"

"It time for breakfast, I was just on my way there now…" Hermione knew that she had overslept because of the fact that Lavender was just going to breakfast. Lavender was always late.

"Shit!" Hermione exclaimed, leaping out of bed and rubbing face.

"You want me to wait for you?" Lavender said.

"Would you? I'll be two minutes I swear, I just need to get dressed and brush my hair…"

"Sure thing, I'll wait for you downstairs though." As Lavender wandered aimlessly down the stairs to the common room, Hermione excused herself to the bathroom to get ready, wondering the whole time why it was that she had had such a good night sleep.

Five minutes later, Hermione appeared in the common room, noticing the lack of people with them. Lavender had indeed waited for her, staying true her word. Together they walked towards the Great Hall to get their breakfast.

"I feel like crap." Hermione said unexpectantly.

"You look ok."

"I don't feel it. I had a great night's sleep and I still feel crap. I hate getting up late."

"Hey, quit complaining, you can actually get up and within five minutes look great. It takes me all morning and I still don't quite get it most of the time."

"Oh please…"

"Come off it Herm. Look at you. No make up, no fitted clothes, no hair product… well ok, so you could be taught how to straighten it..." Hermione looked at her. ".. but other than that you look great." Hermione did indeed look good effortlessly, although she didn't see it herself. Her pale ivory skin was flawless with no blemishes and a slight natural blush to it, her large fawn eyes always sparkled brightly. Her hair had calmed slightly, making itself into loose but fly away chocolate brown curls that fell onto her shoulders. She had a naturally slim figure without exercising or eating particularly healthily, and managed to maintain such a body with the stress levels she would often experience from schoolwork. Underneath the baggy clothes were a thin waist and slim hips yet enough curves to suit her delicate and petite form, accompanied by small pert breasts that were often thought of by her as being too small but in actual fact they were the right size. Hermione secretly envied Lavender's larger assets and the attention that they got her from a whole manner of people. Hermione was oblivious to the secret desires and thoughts in which she played the main role inside the minds of many of the boys in the school. She was blissfully unaware of the flirting that a lot of her fellow Gryfindor boys gave her, and how disappointed many were when it was not reciprocated.

Chatting gossip and the oh-too-gory details of Lavender's new love interest, the girls made their way to the near empty Great Hall, nearly being ushered out by the prefects before explaining that they wanted to grab some toast. They grabbed a few slices each and made their way to their first lesson, Potions. A pang of worry hit Hermione's stomach, she had forgotten all about last night and her episode with Snape. This was it, the shit was going to hit the fan she thought to herself as she suddenly realised that she was outside the potions room. She calmed herself and she took a deep breath as she walked into the dark classroom. Snape had just entered himself, so she quickly took her seat so she didn't draw attention to herself. She turned to Harry and Ron who had noticed her come in, Harry smiling at her.

"Where were you two this morning?"

"Quidditch practise, remember? Anyway, where were you? We were back for breakfast, we didn't see you there."

"I got up late." Hermione said quietly.

"What? You, getting up late? Damn, pigs might fly after all!" Laughed Ron.

"Not funny Ron, it made me remember just why I get up early. I was all rushed and everything, not nice."

"You slept well I take it then?" Harry asked.

"Yeah I did. Why?"

"Just wondering." Said Harry. Hermione wasn't convinced.

"Why?" She asked again. Harry looked back at Ron who was getting his things out of his bag, then leaned in near Hermione's ear.

"I saw you leave Hermione." Hermione's face dropped. "I saw you this morning. I heard someone downstairs so went down to see who it was. It was you. I looked on the map to see where you were going and there you were in the tower. With Snape." Hermione looked at Harry accusingly.

"What are you saying Harry?"

"Why were you both there? Is there something going on?" Hermione didn't know if she was disgusted or offended with Harry for even thinking anything like that.

"I can't believe that you…" She began quietly, but Snape decided to start the lesson.

"Silence. You will carry on from yesterday with your Pyroice potions, you should all be at step 3 after yesterday's lesson. Today you will finish then I will come around and inspect the finished result. If it is not right you will repeat the whole thing next lesson. Homework will be handed in at the end. Continue." He said simply and began his usual stalking around the class, looking for any wrong potions to correct and take points off for.

"Harry, I cannot believe that you would, one, think anything like that, do you know what you are saying? And two, check up on me and where I go!"

"Tell me Herm, what were you doing up there with Snape?"

"I couldn't sleep! I always go up there when I can't sleep!"

"What, with Snape?"

"No you idiot, he caught me!"

"He doesn't seem very angry."

"Harry, have you lost your mind? Listen to yourself, that is sick."

"Snape didn't show up at breakfast today."

"And you're point is?" Hermione looked at Harry, knowing that he was reading her. She could not believe that he was accusing her of… that! He breathed out suddenly.

"Sorry Herm. I'm not with it. I jumped to conclusions, getting up early, going to bed late. I just couldn't think of anything else that you would be doing up there with him."

"It's ok. I know it must have looked dodgy, but come on, Snape?"

"What were you doing?" Hermione paused and thought of her answer.

"I was thinking of my dad. Sat, looking out of the window. He came in and starting saying all this stuff about pupils being out of bed. I don't think he recognised me in the darkness because he said that he would be speaking to my head of year in the morning and all that, and McGonagall hasn't said anything to me yet."

"Jesus that was lucky!" Neither of them heard Snape creep up behind them until he spoke.

"What, prey tell, is so important that you do not give this highly dangerous potion your full and undivided attention?" He said in a dangerously low tone. Hermione jumped and Harry turned around to look at him.

"We were…talking about the Quidditch, Sir. It was practise today."

"I am aware of that Mister Potter, what I am unaware of is how that is associated in anyway to this subject and in particular this highly volatile potion when you are clearly in a lesson and not in Quidditch practise. Ten points from Gryfindor, for your lack of concentration." And with that he turned and slowly began moving away. Harry pulled a face to him behind his back, then turned to Hermione, not knowing that Snape was in listening distance of them, and said.

"He definitely didn't know it was you last night, or else you would be dead right now. The Astronomy Tower Herm, what were you thinking "

Snape stopped and spun around, starring hard at Hermione, his mouth open slightly, a look of suspended disbelief on his face. Hermione's eyes opened wide, hearing what Harry had said, knowing that Snape now knew it was her. Shit was the first thing that came into her head. She could feel Snape's gaze burning into her, wishing it to stop, knowing that she couldn't bear to look at him.

"Granger, stay behind after class."

And that was it. With a swift turn he retreated to his desk, keeping his head down as he did, sitting promptly and marking any random papers. Hermione just closed her eyes and tried not to think of the things that he was going to say to her. Ron had no idea what any of that was about.

"What the hell?" He asked. Harry gave him a warning look.

"Hermione, so I'm sorry. I didn't know I said it so loud." Hermione opened her eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's ok Harry. I was going to be found out eventually. Man, he is going to hurt me!" She smiled painfully. Harry attempted to smile back.

"Don't worry Herm, I'll stick with you. He can't do too much, you were only out of bed, the worst it will be with Snape is a week of detentions."

"He didn't look angry Herm, he looked more shocked." Added Ron. Hermione looked up for the first time at Snape. He was looking intensely at her, as if trying to figure her out. She looked back down quickly. She knew that she was in trouble now. Goddamn! She knew that he was going to mock her about this, tell everyone about it, and use it to hang, draw and quarter her. She waited silently, continuing with her potion, waiting for the blade to drop. A week of detentions as well as the humiliation of everyone knowing that she sung. There was no doubt in her mind that he would make her stand up in front of the Great Hall and sing to everyone, just to humiliate her more. She thought of all the things he would say, watched the laughing and mocking faces of all the students in Hogwarts as she sang to them in her mind… She put the last few ingredients into the cauldron and sat down, putting her head in her hands and waiting for the class to end, and the axe to fall.

Ok, ok, not the reaction that you were all expecting, I know, but next chapter is from HIS pov, so all will become clear then! REPLIES!

Anarane Anwamane- Thank you! Hope this satisfys! This is different this time!

JTBJAB- NO! YOU MUST BREATH! It's been over 24hrs since I last updated, I wil be amazed if you review again...

Lene- Oh! That is one of the nicest reviews EVER! Thank you so much! What's your native language then? Mine is English and I am still terrible at it! As you have probably noticed I am so bad at spelling, so anything that the spellcheck doesn't pick up on doesn't get corrected... and I tend to write as I speak, with pauses in the wrong palces and stuff.

snapesepanss- Very true, too early to be awake. Your story doesn't hate you, it has just had a mild disagreement with you. I guess they do kinda need each other...

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