A/N: I am astounded at the amount of good responses this story has gotten already and its only been up a day. Thank You everyone that added me to their alerts and faves. Thank you for all the reviews too.

This is still not being beta'd yet, though I've updated this chapter too.

Chapter 2

The meeting with the new Headmistress had been interesting to say the least. Minerva McGonagall sat behind her desk as Hermione had entered. It had been a short meeting really.

She had told Hermione that she was not a normal student so there would be a few permissions granted to her. Since she was almost twenty-one years old she could go to Hogsmead without waiting for a weekend pass like the other students.

She did request that Hermione at least tell her, the Headmistress, at least when she was going to go. McGonagall did require Hermione be back by curfew just so the house didn't get into trouble and lose points. Plus, the doors automatically locked at midnight.

She asked Hermione if she had put any thought into which classes she would be focusing on first. Hermione told her that she would do her normal classes and see which ones she needed extra help in first, if that was alright with the Headmistress.

McGonagall had smiled and agreed. Telling her just to let her know and to speak with the professors when she was ready for any extra tutoring. Hermione had readily agreed.

After getting the new password to the Gryffindor dormitory, she had made her way back to her house. Finding it a completely empty had been weird, but nice in a way too. She went to the seventh year dormitory and found were her things had been already put away, her bed made up.

For dinner she made her way into the Great Hall and found the most of the staff sitting at the table. About to take a seat at the Gryffindor table the Headmistress called out to her.

"Yes, Headmistress?" She asked after making her way up to the staff table.

Minerva smiled at the young woman. "I figure that there isn't any reason to make you sit alone, so if you would like to you can join us up here at the staff table."

Hermione smiled back. "I would like to, if that is agreeable with the rest of the staff." Seeing them all in attendance nod their okay's she nodded. "Thank you Headmistress."

She saw Hagrid wave her over. She smile and walked over to him, taking a seat as one appeared between him and another empty chair. She placed her order before turning to her large friend. "Hello, Hagrid. How have you been? I'm sorry I couldn't come last year."

"It's okay, Hermione. The boys told me why you didn't come. Did you find your folks?" He asked as a plate appeared in front of her filled with her dinner.

She smiled taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I did thanks." She spotted a late comer heading in, seeing it was Snape she forced her gaze back to Hagrid.

The potions professor sat down at the his normal place, which happened to be right next to Hermione. She swallowed and smiled at the man, trying to be polite. "Hello again, Professor."

He glanced at her a mild sneer on his face. "I wasn't aware we allowed students to eat with us." He said rather loudly.

Hermione blushed, but Hagrid spoke up. "The Headmistress said Hermione could join us since there weren't any students to eat with her."

Snape glared at the big oaf before looking back at Hermione. "So we only have to endure your presence at our table until tomorrow? Good." He turned back to his dinner, ignoring Hagrid who growled at the rude teacher.

Hermione placed her hand on top of Hagrid's hoping to keep the big teddy bear calm. "I did find my parents, Hagrid." Hoping to change the subject.

Seeing the half-giant gave her his attention again, she smiled and went on. "It took awhile, but I did finally track them down. Took me a few months to gain their trust to start peeling away the memory charms."

Hagrid nodded, he didn't quite understand the spells, but he knew his Hermione knew what she was doing. "I still can't believe you placed them all by yourself or took them away alone too, Hermione. I know you had be careful so you didn't mess anything up, but I just didn't know you could erase a person completely from someone's memories like that."

She smiled at him, unaware that Snape was listening to them while pretending to ignore them. "Well, it was much easier to place them than to take them away. But I had to do it, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if they were captured or killed since they don't have any magic to protect them."

Hagrid patted her on the back in support, forgetting once again his strength and patting a bit too hard, making her wince and almost knock over her glass of juice. Snape hid a chuckle while watching them out of the corner of his eye. "I know, Hermione. How did they take it once they remembered?"

She dipped her head. "They were very angry with me. It took a long time before my mother even spoke to me, and I had to do almost everything on my own. They didn't want me using magic in the house so I had to everything the muggle way." She sighed. "I never did get the laundry figured out. I lost count of how many things I shrunk in the hot water or dryer."

Snape smirked as he took a bite of his meal. Figuring what he'd just heard might explain her outfit today. He had noticed she had changed her clothes sometime between her falling on him and dinner. He was a bit impressed about the memory charm. If what he was hearing was correct and it was a full wipe of her role in their life, it was a difficult spell.

Hagrid was frowning at her not really knowing what a dryer was. He figured it was what it said, it dried clothes, but he didn't understand how it shrank clothes. It that was a common problem, then he didn't want to ever try to use one.

Snape shifted and his leg brushed hers, making her pause mid bite before he jerked his leg back away. Thinking that was odd. Not he brushed his leg against hers or jerked it away. It was odd that she felt a tingling where he had touched her. Did I somehow bruise myself or something during our fall earlier tonight?

Glancing his way, she noticed he wouldn't look at her so she shrugged and went back to eating. Snape on the other hand quickly finished and left as soon as he could.

Touching her had made him remember her sitting on his lap and being pressed against him as his treacherous body reacted. It had taken a long walk and a very stern lecture to calm his erection.

Hermione finished her meal and went back to her dorm and climbed into bed. Students would be arriving the next evening and things would be back to normal. She would have Ginny to talk to and be with. She didn't know how long it would be before she got to take her exams, but she doubted it would take the whole year.

The next morning she rose early and headed to breakfast finding it empty. Minerva had told her to keep sitting at the staff table until the students arrived, so she did. Taking her place from last night since all the other spots were taken by other staff members.

She waited as her order arrived. Two eggs, some turkey bacon, and toast. She was sipping at her coffee, something she learned to drink with her parents, when she saw Snape walk in the Great Hall.

He paused when he saw they were alone. Why does she have to sit next to me again? He scowled as he took his seat. His usual tea appearing next to him as he placed his own order for breakfast.

He glanced her way when he saw her drinking something out of a cup like his own, but the scent was different. Recognizing it immediately, he was surprised. When he spoke it caused her to jump since she hadn't been expecting it.

"When did you start drinking coffee, Miss Granger?" He asked hiding a smirk at her jumpiness.

She glanced at him. "Um...this past year with my parents. Its good and I like the jolt of the caffeine. It helps get my mind moving in the morning."

He doubted she really needed help in that department. "So why didn't you take a seat elsewhere, if I may ask?"

She took another sip. "I'm sorry, Professor, if my sitting here bothers you. I was just following the Headmistress's invitation. I'm sitting here now since I know every teacher has their own spots and didn't want to take theirs. I sat here last night to talk to Hagrid. I won't be up here during dinner."

He saw her plate arrive and watched as she dug into it slowly. A small pot of peach jam appearing for her toast. She glanced his way as she smeared on some jelly noticing him watching her still. "Would you like some bacon while you wait for your own breakfast? They gave me way too much." She said taking a small bite of her toast, her tongue darting out to lick some jelly off her lip.

He frowned at her, as an image of himself leaning over and licking the jelly off her lip before she could popped into his head. Pulling his thoughts away from her lips, he saw she was waiting for him to answer.

At a loss and not paying enough attention, his words slipped out before he gave them permission to. "Yes, thank you."

He saw her eyes widen a second before she school her features to hide her surprise at his thanks. And moved her plate closer to him, offering him a chance to snag what he wished. He grabbed a piece, though he didn't think he had ever done that before. Eaten from anyone else's plate.

She smiled as he bit into the bacon, making him suspicious. When the flavor hit his tongue he paused, before forcing himself to chew and swallow. She could tell he wasn't sure if he liked it or not.

"Miss Granger, what on earth did you just give me? This is not bacon."

She bit her lip to stop her laughter from escaping her. "It's turkey bacon, Professor. It's good for you. Well, at least compared to regular bacon it is. Do you not like it?"

He frowned at her. "Turkey bacon?"

She smiled again. "It's what I eat. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it. I won't be offended."

His frown deepened, turning into a scowl. "I don't care if I do offend you, Miss Granger. I wont eat it if I don't want to. Understand?"

She swallowed, nodding her head. His plate appeared and he went on to eat it. She did notice he did end up eating her bacon as well. Fighting a smile, she finished her own and sat drinking her coffee.

He glanced her way and saw she was done, but still sitting there. "Why are you just sitting there?" He asked a bit gruffly, not understanding.

She shrugged. "I am enjoying my coffee, besides don't you like company while you eat?" She knew he probably didn't, though she found that she was enjoying toying with him while she could.

He glared. "No." He said simply and went back to eating.

She cocked her head at him, studying him and making him glance back at her looking very annoyed. She didn't know why she was annoying him on purpose, but it was a bit...fun.

"So are you my professor yet today? Or are you not until the other students arrive?" She asked him.

He set his fork down and sighed. She obviously wasn't going to leave or leave him alone. "Why?"

She shrugged again. "I'm just curious."

"I guess I'm not until later on with the students. Again, why?"

She shrugged again, seeing his annoyance grow while she fought a smile. "So does that mean as you are not currently my professor, I can call you Severus and you can call me Hermione?"

His eyes narrowed at her. "No." With that one word he stood up, and with his robes billowing, he left the great hall.

She couldn't help the chuckle escaping her lips. She knew it was a dangerous thing to mess with Snape, but she found she didn't really fear him anymore. Sure, he made her nervous at times, but she wasn't afraid he would do anything to harm her like in her previous years.

She got up and went about her day, visiting Hagrid for a while. She noticed at lunch that Snape didn't appear, so she ate quickly and went to her dorm room.

She knew classes started tomorrow and already had her schedule so she sat down to read one of her textbooks. She had yet to meet the new transfiguration teacher since she learned he wouldn't be arriving until just before the students. She heard he was the new head of house for Gryffindor.

When it was time for dinner she sat at her house table, Ginny not having shown up yet, and waited. The staff was already seated, except for Hagrid who was to lead the first years inside the castle.

It wasn't long before she heard a shriek and was pounced on by a tiny redhead. Turning around Hermione hugged her friend. It took a moment to understand her, mostly because the redhead was talking a mile a minute. But it boiled down to Ginny having missed her and wanted to hear everything about Hermione's trip to see her parents.

Once the sorting was done and the feast had began, Hermione started to fill her in on what had gone on during her missed year of school. It was after dinner was finished that the girls left arm in arm and went to walk around the halls so they finished talking, knowing the common room would be full of students already.

Ginny filled her in on how Harry had proposed to her during the summer and that they were getting married following her graduation. Her mother was ecstatic of course. The rest of the Weasley's were very happy for the couple too.

Hermione listened as they walked, thrilled for the couple, but sad she had missed so much of her friend's lives in her absence. It was while they were talking that they turned a corner and almost ran into Snape.

He curled his lip at the two girls, knowing Hermione had made them moved suddenly as to not collide with him, and since it wasn't past curfew he had no reason to deduct points.

"Hello, Professor Snape." Ginny said giving him a full smile.

Glancing at Hermione, he saw she was expecting him to rude as usual so he decided to actually greet the witches just to throw her off. "Hello, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger." He even gave them a slight nod.

Seeing Hermione frown suspiciously at him, he smirked, deciding to take it a step farther. "I take it you girls are having a nice chat?"

When Hermione's jaw dropped his smirk grew, his eyebrow raising at her. Ginny was a bit perplexed as well, but was able to cover it up. "Why yes, Professor, we are. Thank you. How was your summer?"

Not really meaning to open a way for actual conversation he realized his error. He mumbled that it was fine and quickly went on his way. He was still in ear range when he heard Ginny giggle, which made him pause.

He was safely around the corner so they couldn't see him, and he heard Ginny's next statement. "You know I always thought he was kind of cute." Making his eyes bulge. Cute?

He didn't hear Hermione's response since they moved too far away, so he disillusioned himself out of curiosity and slowly caught back up to them. Keeping to the shadows so they wouldn't see his outline.

He finally got close enough to hear Hermione. "...and he's a bit of a bastard." Her words making him frown.

Ginny giggled again, the sound making him grind his teeth. He hated females that tittered. "Still, bastard or not, he's still cute. I always thought so. If I didn't have Harry, I might even make a play for him this year. Who knows, maybe it might have gone somewhere."

Snape snorted, not bloody likely. He thought, before realizing his snort made the girls pause, and froze, not even daring to breath too loud.

Hermione glanced around again, feeling like someone was watching them. Not seeing anything, she shrugged and they went on down the hall. "You never mentioned you thought he was cute before." Hermione said, her ears still perked for odd sounds.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Hermione, you would have lectured me all about how its not okay to date a professor. Plus, you hate Snape."

Snape scowled. So what if he was hated, he liked that he was alone. He almost missed Hermione's answer.

"I never said I hated him. Granted, I don't like what he does to the students, he's always extra hard on Gryffindor's students worse than anyone else, and he's rude. However, I didn't say I hate him. He did a lot for us all during the war. He didn't have to go through all the tortures he did."

At Ginny's look, Hermione shrugged. "I overheard Madam Pomfrey mention some things. I know his back is covered in scars from his beatings and the curses that sliced into him. He could have turned on us to save himself from the pain of it all, but didn't. So no, I don't hate him."

Snaped listened to all of this. He didn't know she knew all of that. He wasn't sure he liked her knowing it either. He was a private person and didn't like that this little slip of a girl knew about his torture he had received at the Dark Lord's hands. Besides he didn't like people knowing of his scars. They made him even uglier than he had been before.

Ginny bumped her shoulder into Hermione playfully. "So you never did really say if you thought he was cute or not."

Hermione smiled softly. "I don't know. I never really thought about it before. I know he's built better than I thought he would be."

Ginny shrieked. "What! How would you know that?"

The shriek causing Snape to wince at the highness of it and scowl once again. Wondering why he was here listening to two girls twittering back and forth. What do I care what they think of me?

Hermione shrugged. "I ran into him, and then McGonagall opened the door and knocked me over on top of him. He has a nice chest from what I could feel of it...though, he's still a rude, heartless, bastard."

They turned back, intending on heading back to the dorm. Snape stayed hidden in the shadows so they didn't see him or run into him.

He saw Hermione smirk suddenly, her eyes softening a bit before speaking. "Okay, maybe not heartless...," thinking of his words to her the day before. "Regardless, he is still rude and a bastard." Her comment making him smirk as they walked past him, deciding he was done eavesdropping for the night.

After they left the hallway he took the spell from himself and walked back to his dungeons. Thinking about what he had heard. He still couldn't believe he had been called cute. It wasn't something anyone had called him before. Though technically Hermione never said if she thought he was.