The Half Blood Prince

Vs.

The Know-All Queen

The Battle Within The Battle

"Bloody stupid! This whole thing is bloody ridiculous!" I storm about my room with the grace of a partially sedated hippo. It's 9:05 and in an hour I will be in an all out duel with Severus, and to be quite honest I can't take it anymore. I go to the urn on top of my fireplace, get a handful of floo powder and throw it in.

ooo000ooo

"Hermione?!"

"Hi Ginny." I sigh. Ginny has a house with Harry, it's nice and homely and there are pictures of everyone we know on the wall, including me. In all of mine I'm trying to hide behind someone. I never did like getting my picture taken. I flop down onto the couch and Harry walks in holding a tray with three glasses of butter beer.

"Have you suddenly developed psychic powers or something?" I ask inquisitively, he simply smiles and hands me my glass "So, how did you know I was here?"

"You're right; Trelawney was wrong, I'm the worlds most powerful seer since Cassandra Trelawney herself." He nods solemnly, and I look at him totally unconvinced and take a mouthful of butter beer.

"Well I am." He says defiantly "But Ginny shouting 'Hermione!' helped a bit." Ginny laughs loudly, coming here always cheers me up.

"Well, I need to have a word with Ginny in private please." I try to look apologetic, but the fact of the matter is I need to speak to her and I don't have an awful lot of time.

"Yeah, unless you want to talk about hair, make-up and men!" Ginny grins and nudges my arm.

"Well, I always did take a liking to old Snapey..." he looks up thoughtfully. Ginny giggles and I glower at him as though psychically and he starts to retreat.

"I'm going, I'm going." He holds his hands up in acceptance and walks upstairs.

"He really makes me laugh sometimes," she chuckles to herself "but you know at the same time it is a bit revolting. I mean Snape! Come on, you'd have to be disturbed to find him even slightly attractive." She snorts. I drag a hand over my face. Remind me again why I came here to help myself feel better. But she's not done yet "It just turns my stomach to think of Snape and his greasy hair, his arrogance, his snide comments, his-"

"It was just one kiss alright! One! It didn't even last that long and it didn't lead anywhere." I shout. Well I had to tell her and she wouldn't bloody shut up. I have just over half an hour and I need to get this sorted. And now she's staring at me like I've sprouted an extra head. Well done Hermione.

"H-how? …When?…How?!" Ginny stammers.

"Last night, well this morning really." I begin to stride around the room "I gave him his birthday present, I only went to give him a kiss on the cheek! But he moved and then we were kissing and it was really nice, but then that only made it weirder. I apologised, he recommended I leave, I strongly agreed and now, to make things worse I think I fancy him again." I breath I finally got it of my chest, thankfully.

"Wait, you think you fancy him again? As in you've actually fancied him before?" she exclaims. One word crosses my mind. 'Oops.'

"I was 14 and it was only for a few months, but that's not important right now. I've managed to get my self alone with him, in a duel, in his room!" I gasp for breath.

"Well I hope you'll be taking a contraceptive." She shrugs.

"No, absolutely not no way!" I shriek.

"Well don't blame me if you get pregnant." She wags her finger in an almost motherly manner.

"I will not be getting pregnant because I will not be having sex with Severus." Attempting to reinforce what I was trying to say earlier. The words 'Severus', 'sex' and 'I' in the same sentence seem to conjure indecent images into my head and emblazon them across the backs of my eyelids in one long continuous loop. I'm pretty sure I'm about to start drooling until Ginny snaps me out of my little bubble.

"Since when did he become Severus?" she asks.

"Ginny I have less than 10 minutes before I am due to meet him so unless you have some useful advice, I'm going to throw myself off the astronomy tower." I point upwards as though the astronomy tower is right next to us and she can see exactly how tall it is.

"And what am I, some sort of flaming oracle? Either you go, take some contraception and prepare for the worst (or best depending on how you look at it), or don't go and make up some plausible excuse of why you can't be there."

"That's your advice?" I ask incredulously "There's nothing else you want to say?"

"Maybe just one more thing," Ginny grins wickedly. The clock begins to chime in the background. She just crosses her arms and says simply "It's 10 o'clock."

ooo000ooo

I'm back in my room and I'm trying and failing to find reasons not to go. I want to go, I want to see him to hear his smooth voice, to stand in his presence. And that is precisely why I don't want to go. It's getting far too weird for my liking. I can't go, I just can't. Wait…THAT'S IT!

"Winky!" I cry.

CRACK! "Yes Miss?" she bows

"I need you to deliver an urgent message for me please." I say rather hurriedly "I need you to tell Severus that I can not attend tonight's meeting and that I will see him tomorrow at breakfast as per usual. If he asks why, tell him I am unwell, that I have a migraine or something else that would keep me from other wise attending. Do you understand?" I ask her. It is deathly important to me that she gets this right.

"Yes Miss!" She always gets far too excited about running a general errand she was like that when I took her in from the kitchens, she felt useless and needed someone to take care of. I felt so sorry for her I asked her to be my house elf. It seemed like a good idea to me.

"Thank you Winky. Now be quick!" I smile and breathe a huge sigh of relief. But I'm not quite finished with my master plan yet. I know Snape, he wont just let me off that easily. He'll come up and check on me I know he will. I change into my pyjamas that is yet another vest top and shorts, this top is cut quite low and reads 'YES THEY'RE REAL!' I laugh at the irony, race into bed and pull the covers right up to my chin. "Nox!" I whisper. There is loud noise on the other side of the door, which in turn is followed by a gentle knock. "Yes?" I try to sound as ill as possible, it's him I know it is.

"Begging your pardon miss, but Professor Snape is here to see you." She says in a timid voice.

"May we come in Hermione?" Snape's intrigued but pissed off tone emerges from behind the door.

Cough "Yes." Why the fuck did I cough? I have a migraine, just because I'm ill does not mean I need to cough. Too late I've done it now. Winky looks terrified of him, but then so am I, "Winky you can go now, if you want to." I look at her to try and convey the fact that on no account, is she to leave me alone with him.

"Thank you Miss! Call Winky again if you is needing her." And she leaves, with relief oozing out of every pore in her body. Lucky git. I pull my blankets over my mouth as though I'm somehow going to infect him with a headache.

"Now then," Severus starts to speak in a nonchalant manner, which is never a good sign "I hear from your devoted house elf that, in her exact words, you 'have a migraine or something else that would keep you from attending tonight', is that correct?" I begin silently cursing under my sheets with such obscenities, that most modern rap artists would be offended. I nod as I can't bring myself to speak properly.

"I see." He says clearly unconvinced. "I have taken the liberty of acquiring a potion from Madam Pomfrey, who assures me it will remedy any minor illness you could possibly imagine." He gives me a snide grin as he leans a little closer, and I begin to remember the indecent images from before. I start to feel quite warm and I know I'm blushing from the smirk on his face. "I'll get you a glass then." Another terrified glance from me and he leaves the room.

"I'll get you a glass then." I mimic childishly. Just turning up and getting it over with is definitely beginning to sound like a better idea. Severus has re-entered the room. He places the tray with the potion vial and a glass on it, onto my bedside table. It's the sapphire vial I gave to him.

"May I remove my coat?" he asks. I nod, to be frank I'm in such a position now where as, we are alone in a bed room, I'm quite attracted to him (which is utterly mystifying me to the point of insanity) and I'm flattered that he is using the present I bought for him, so the longer he stays the more chance we have of repeating the birthday incident. Which even in my mind makes me sound like some bored sexless housewife, well I haven't had a lot of sex. In fact I haven't had any, but that is not the point. I pour my self a glass a down it in one gulp. Tastes disgusting. He places his coat over the back of the chair. "So how does it taste?" he asks with back of his head facing me.

"Disgusting." I answer truthfully.

"Well you will feel better shortly I'm sure." He turns back towards me. "Do you mind if I stay to make sure of it?" This is unusual of Severus, normally he hates wasting his time, a big flashing neon warning sign pops up in my head, he's up to something. I just need to find out what.

"No I don't mind at all." No way do I mind stay as long as you like, I think to myself.

"Good," Says Severus, he leans in a little and his hand rests over the blanket that covers my thigh. Oh my, is it getting warmer or is it just me. I think it's just me, best not ask as I might end up saying something else I regret.

"Severus, that's my leg you're leaning on." I try to sound normal or ill or both, but instead all I manage this high pitched squeak, which I'm quite sure only dogs can hear.

"I didn't realise, my apologies." He says in a tone that plainly says he isn't in the slightest bit sorry. He leans back into his chair, in a classic superior teacher pose. "So what was the real reason you didn't turn up tonight then?" his eyes glint. O.K. Hermione time to lie like you've never lied before, just stick to the plan it'll be ok.

"Because I think I fancy you, and I don't trust myself to be alone with you in case I do something stupid, again." Wow Hermione, you definitely haven't lied like that before. He suddenly looks stunned then amused. Whilst my features are lock into a look of total horror he begins to smirk. Damn him and his sexy smirking. But I can't believe I said that I don't know why I did, I almost felt compelled…

"VERITASERUM?" I shout "YOU SPIKED MY DRINK WITH VERITASERUM?!"

"Well you cheated in our previous duel, and as I recall you do have the nasty habit of lying to your professors." He says sounding the most like a teacher since I have known him. Pity its only sarcasm.

"YOU'RE NOT MY PROFESSOR ANYMORE!" I roar.

"No," he replies "but I am still A professor. Maybe that's why you want me, although I must say, you don't strike me as the type of woman who prefers the kinkier side of life. Do you enjoy kinky sex?"

"I don't know, I haven't had any." My hand flies to my mouth but it's too late. The words have already come out

"Really?" he drawls "I'd never had guessed. Why is that, do you think?"

"Because I'm too ugly and too studious for anyone to think of me in a sexual manner." This is getting utterly out of control. I start to move across my bed to the other side, trying to get a respectable distance between us. "Stop asking me questions!" I plead.

"Why should I?" he asks. He sits himself on the other side of the bed but doesn't come any closer.

"Because it's very unfair, I don't want you to and, it makes you less attractive every time you do it." I rant.

"I'll ask you five more, then I'll stop I promise." And I actually think he means it. It still doesn't make it right, but I suppose anyone can do just five more of anything.

"I still think you're an arrogant bastard." I quip.

"I would give points for originality, but I'm afraid that unfortunately that line has been said before." he retaliates.

"Great minds think alike." I smile smugly.

"Yes they do." He agrees "And you have always been truly a unique thinker."

"Well at least when I follow the crowd, they don't run away screaming." My god I'm doing well today.

"You can hardly call chasing after a man 20 years your senior 'following the crowd'." Now he looks smug.

"Just because I think I fancy you, and I flashed you my bra does not necessarily mean that I am chasing after you."

"So, you think you 'fancy' me do you?"

"Yes." I hiss. I can't believe the nerve of him. Usually I am opposed to fighting of any kind however, there comes a time in ones life when one can simply take no greater pleasure than to take a large piece of wood, and beat the other into a bloody pulp. My time has arrived with great aplomb.

"Are you quite sure about this?" he leans in until we're almost nose to nose. I feel my heart enter a galloping speed.

"Yes." I breathe.

"What did you think when we kissed?" He looks into my eyes and I can feel them boring through the back of my skull.

"It was nice, nicer than I would have expected I wanted to carry on; but then I thought that it was inappropriate so I decided to stop." I mumble.

"Do you want to kiss me now?" I can feel his lips as he's talking. He's enjoying this the damn, sexy, arrogant bastard. But the Veritaserum still has taken hold of me.

"Yes." But with every bone in my body I refuse to kiss him until he takes me seriously. But still he goads me further; as he begins to nuzzle at my neck. Oh my word, that feels seriously good.

"Why is it you like me so much?" he says the sound vibrations are resonating through into my skin.

"Not…sure." I pant as though I'm running a marathon "I just…just do. But you…need to…to wash your hair." Oh god I didn't mean to say that but the Veritaserum is in full swing. He momentarily pauses and comes back up close to my face.

"Kiss me and I'll do it." I'm like some rabid sex starved animal and I pounce on him and kiss him with such force he falls on the bed just a little. I come up for air and he looks at me quite surprised, and then amused he regains his usual composure but doesn't move back. He shifts his arm a little.

"Severus," I'm squeaking again "your hand." He starts nuzzling my neck again and makes an 'mmmm' noise which rumbles its way through my central nervous system "it's-it's on my breast."

"Yes it is." He mumbles.

"Oh."

Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with this story, this chapter is a lot longer than my usual so I hope I don't bore you! please leave a review and tell me what you think, and a very big special thanks to my Beta, Natasha, she's fantastically patient for taking the time to go through this. Love to all as always, x x x