I've also decided that instead of making this like a mini story with two chapters or three where it leaves off, I'm making it a full blown story. I already have plots running through my head. So, expect a lot. I hope you guys like this chapter. I know many of you are impatient so here is more good interaction. Sorry if it moves a bit fast.

Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Harry Potter. If I win every single lottery for the next three hundred years, I will attempt to resurrect JKR from the grave in order to get her to write Post seventh book. Then I'd quite possibly semi own it. Then, I'll take this disclaimer off, K?

Chapter 2:

For the life of him, he couldn't figured out what possessed him to say those words let alone go through with them. And what was wrong with her for inviting him? What was this hold she had over his mind and his emotions? Whatever it was, he knew he didn't like it. No one, not even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, had ever had such a strong hold on him as she seemed to have from the very beginning. It only furthered his exasperation with the whole situation. He felt so damned helpless.

To her credit, she didn't try to further conversation as they walked to the library. She seemed quite comfortable in the silence, just as he was. There was no small talk about the weather or Quidditch, there weren't any questions of what this school was like, and she didn't ask him any probing questions about trivial things, such as what he did in his free time or what classes he was taking. It was what it was. He was accompanying her to the library, so she could do whatever she needed to, and he could do whatever he needed to.

What did she need to do? As curious of a soul as Severus was, he couldn't help but wonder what business she had going to the library on her first day here. She didn't have any homework yet. He knew that for a fact. Did she just want to go to read for pleasure as he did? No. That was almost impossible. In all his years, he rarely found anyone outside of Ravenclaw who read for pleasure. Other than Evans, he couldn't ever remember encountering a Gryffindor in the library.

He wouldn't be the first one to break the silence in order to ask. No. She would eventually have to talk to him. Then, he could slip in the question. She would have to ask where certain sections and books were. Then, he could find out exactly what she'd be reading up on. Was it going to be some fiction novel, a history book, a potions book, or maybe a book on the dark arts? That would prove interesting.

It was definitely too odd, he decided, that she would show up just a few months here without a purpose. Was she a spy for the Dark Lord, possibly? No. He didn't hear anything. He dismissed that idea reluctantly, though it lingered in the back of his mind.

Surprisingly, when they entered the empty library, she didn't ask him where anything was. She was simply off in an aisle. It looked as though Granger knew where she was going. He didn't care that she knew where she was going as much as he cared that he wouldn't find out the information he wanted to know. With a groan, he walked past four bookcases and turned to the left. Using a ladder that was positioned there, he climbed up to the top and let his fingers run over the titles. He grabbed a worn potions book, before he climbed back down and walked to his favorite corner on the right side of the library.

She was sitting in his chair. She was sitting exactly by a window that was facing the Forbidden Forest. She was sitting in the chair he had used almost every day for the past seven years. He couldn't hold that against her, though. It was just by chance she picked that spot. So, he decided to sit on a sofa that was just opposite of where she was currently seated. He refrained from trying to figure out the title of her book. The book was placed in her lap, and that task was already nearly impossible unless he got almost directly under her legs.

He opened up his own book and was lost inside it, until he felt he was being stared at. He looked up to see Granger. It was odd. She didn't try to look away or disguise that she was staring. And when he met her eyes, she didn't cringe in fear or become embarrassed. She just smiled at him again. She was such a peculiar creature.

"May I help you?" He asked, calmly. Always, he had thoughts rushing through his mind mostly filled with paranoia and worst case scenarios. This was not helping.

"Oh. No. I'm sorry." She answered, suddenly a blush coming on her cheeks.

"You were staring?" He berated himself because it came out as more of a question than a statement.

"Yes. I'm sorry. You just look so peaceful when reading."

"Excuse me?" He misheard her. He must have. Severus Snape was not the kind to look peaceful. He had too many demons to hide and too much power he possessed to look peaceful.

She suddenly looked flustered like she was scared to repeat herself. That was better. Let the twit be afraid of him. That was a lot better than trying to get close to him. Not that he would let her. "You… have this fiery look, as if you'd want to jump in and share your opinions with the book. It's calm in an odd sort of way." She said, a half smile crossing her face, her eyes looking as soft and gentle as ever.

"So, what in the hell is your exact reason for staring at me other than this gentle demeanor I so obviously possess?" He snapped, sarcasm dripping with every word he spoke.

Then, he noticed something in her that ignited odd feelings within him. Her gaze lit up just as his own did when he was in the mood for a good row. Her light pink skin suddenly was tinted with an even brighter, more powerful color. Her hair. It seemed to stand up on edge even more, whipping around as she turned her head angrily towards him (previously, she had been staring out the window, trying to avoid his gaze) as her nostrils flared. She looked absolutely livid, and… it almost scared him. Almost.

"I didn't realize I was doing it, thanks." She snarled. "I'm sorry that you think people looking your way is so wrong or so unusual! You don't have to be a prat about it!"

She called him a prat. Oh, fuck it all. She would pay for that. But… he didn't feel any anger towards her. He felt more intrigue than anything. He also felt a smile coming onto his lips before he could stop it. He couldn't remember the last time he didn't smirk or sneer, but actually smiled. Well, this truly was amusing.

"What are you smiling at, you… you… muffin!" This seemed to anger her even further. He almost wanted to recoil and stop his smile just so he wouldn't face her wrath. However, he couldn't even control it anymore. She amused him. She amused him.

Wait.

Muffin?

"Nothing." He said, trying to force a neutral, blank expression. It didn't work out too well. Every breath she took was elongated and caused her chest to rise and fall sharply. She still had the fiery look about her. There was just something about her.

"Well!" She exclaimed, not furthering her words or even giving him a hint of what she wanted to say or if she even wanted to say anything. Then, a smile came upon her face. She was still flushed as ever, but she too seemed to find amusement in herself, which caused her to break out in giggles.

Any tension they had felt before, was now gone. Though, if he were to be honest with himself, he couldn't remember feeling any tension. The whole situation starting with their encounter on the stairs seemed quite comfortable, like they had known each other previously and this was just a reunion of old… acquaintances? Companions? Friends? Now, her giggles were full blown laughter.

If he wasn't so caught up in his pleasure, he was sure he would have berated himself for noticing how lovely her eyes were when she laughed. It wasn't just a dull brown or a deep chocolate (like when she was mad). It was more of a coffee sort of color that was almost surreal. Her cheeks becoming just as flushed as when she was passionately telling someone off, she opened her mouth and threw her head back slightly. This revealed teeth that were imperfectly perfect. However, not even Severus could have two strongly conflicting emotions and moods going through him. At the moment, he was quite happy for some unknown reason. So, he also threw his head back and let out a few deep laughs.

"SHHH! This library is here for the purpose of letting students have a quiet place to study! I thought that you, Severus Snape, would know this better than this by now! You'll disturb the other students! Now calm yourselves or LEAVE!" The librarian reared her ugly face. This caused Hermione to cover her face from exploding with even more laughter. She stuck her book in a secret sort of compartment by that chair along with his before dragging him out of the library and into the corridor. There, she continued her fit.

Severus didn't object like he normally would, trying to get the pounding of his heart to calm when he felt her warm touch on his hand. Merlin, this girl. THIS GIRL! He shook his head, trying to clear it. He got the smile off his face finally, though she didn't seem to let this stop her. Her face contorted to a weary, annoyed one.

"You'll disturb the other students!" She mimicked. "Is she in her own delusional land where the library is always filled with eager students trying to further their education? The place was empty, minus maybe a couple or two snogging in a dark corner! You'd think we were in there banging drums in the middle of a N.E.W.T. study session!" She sarcastically stated, a smile still lingering on her face.

As much as he loved the library and commended the librarian for her usual will to make it stay quiet, he had to admit that he was thinking along the same lines. He stayed silent, only slightly nodding to show agreement.

"Well, thank you for the lovely evening, Severus. I should get back to the common room before Lily sends out a search party, which would do more trouble than good considering it would probably mainly consist of James Potter and Sirius Black." She shook her head before continuing, when she saw his raised eyebrow. "She's made it her personal mission to care for me as if I was a little child. It feels as if I'm being forcefully adopted by Remus, James, Sirius, and Lily."

Thoughts ran through his head rapidly. The initial one was, 'She didn't want to hang out with the twits on her own free will'. Was there any slight hope that she would want to possibly become an acquaintance of his? A previous thought he had popped into his mind. It was as if it was a reunion of old friends. He wasn't her friend though. He was no one's friend. He was protective and loyal to his own kind. He had connections that helped him achieve specific goals. He had links, acquaintances, and alliances. He didn't have friends. Friends were useless. What purpose did they serve?

He was the one thinking that it was not too late to form some sort of relationship with her though, wasn't he? What was the reasoning behind that? What was the reasoning behind laughing with her? What was the purpose of aggravating her only to notice how brilliant she looked when she was angered? What was the purpose of noticing the difference in the color of her eyes when she switched moods?

He couldn't answer any of the questions. He wouldn't admit to himself or allow himself to think of what the actual answer might be. The Gryffindor intrigued him. That was all.

"My deepest apologies for having to deal with them. Please no not base opinions of Hogwarts students on the likes of Sirius Black and James Potter." He simply stated.

She shrugged it off. "They're not too bad, from what I can tell. Usually, they seem like they're kind, caring guys." He snorted uncharacteristically. A smile played on her lips as she corrected herself. "They tend to be tolerable most of the time."

That satisfied him.

"I'd offer to walk you to the Gryffindor tower. However, I sense that that may only fuel a confrontation. So, I bid you farewell, Hermione." He said, letting her name slip off his lips, a blank expression once again gracing his features as he nodded towards her.

"Thank you again for accompanying me to the library. Goodbye, Severus." She turned and started to walk down the corridor.

"Hermione!" He raised his voice in order to get her attention. She turned back toward him, looking at him questioningly. Damn him. Damn him. Damn him. Damn her. Damn everyone and everything. And damn Potter and Black and Dumbledore and Trevors while he was at it. He willed himself to stop or throw some scathing remark her way to make her never bother him again. Yes, he'd open her mouth and tell the little Gryffindor to never speak to him again. He'd open his mouth to tell her she was unworthy of his company. He'd open his mouth to pass along a threat. He'd open his mouth and…

"I request that you meet me in the library tomorrow night after dinner."

DAMNATION! DAMN IT ALL.

A/N: So Sevvie obviously has issues with Potter and Black. A bit obsessed?As obsessed, he may become with Hermione... or he is already? Did you like it? Did you love it? Do you want to stone me because you hated it?

You know what to do.

And I know you want to.