AUTHOR'S NOTE. I'm sorry for submitting so late. ;-; We had graduation practices, you see, and it took a lot from my time. But I'm here now. Don't worry. ^^; *dodges chair thrown at me by angry person* sorry! Thanks also for those who srsly alert'ed. I APPRECIATESSSS. 3

CHAPTER 2

"Did you see the way that git looked at Hermione?" Ron said, pacing back and forth in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Yes, we all did." Harry sighed. "You've been asking that question for almost five times, Ron."

"But, I just can't... I mean... He.." Ron tried to reason, but found no words escaping him that fit what he wanted to express. Truth was, he always had a crush on Hermione, and having a rival wouldn't help his situation at all.

"But... Did you see the way he looked at her?" Ron asked again, speed building up. "He looked like he was going to... kill her!" Ron shouted.

"Actually, he looked like he... He was going to rape her.." Harry said, in correction. Ron's eyes widened.

"Even worse! I mean... He... He... Damn! I couldn't..." Ron stammered.

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted, holding Ron in place. He stopped on spot and his breathing slowed to normal. "Relax. It's okay."

Harry stood up and walked beside Hermione. "Get some sleep. You'll need it."

Seeing as Harry and Hermione were serious, Ron only nodded and headed up. The door sounded as it closed, and the two sat down on the couch near the fireplace, facing each other.

"A bit paranoid, isn't he?" Hermione said, smiling lightly.

"Aren't you a bit worried? Ron had a point back there." Harry said.

"He's a professor. He wouldn't hurt a student. Besides, if he does, Dumbledore would know about it."

"A bit reliant on Dumbledore, aren't you?" Harry said, imitating Hermione's tone before. Hermione giggled at the accuracy.

"Speak for yourself." she answered. Harry smiled. He missed this. He missed being able to talk to Hermione, without Ron on the way. He missed the feel of someone SMART enough to talk to...

"It's a little late. Shouldn't you sleep?" Harry said, yawning, standing up.

"I'm not tired. Besides, I've got... things to think about."

Harry took note of this and sat back down beside the girl.

"You're worried, aren't you?" Harry asked, placing a hand on Hermione's lap. Hermione sighed.

"Ron started it."

Harry smiled, giving Hermione a little assurance that things would go right.

"Don't worry. That git would have to go through me first."

The bushy-haired girl aimed her beautiful hazelnut-colored eyes at Harry's deep-blue ones.

"Thank you." she said, smiling sweetly. Harry leaned toward her and kissed her cheek. "Good night, Damsel in distress."

"Good night... My knight in shining armor."

The students chattered jollily, taking advantage of their professor's absence at the moment.

"Oh yeah! The hotdog she..."

"...and I kicked his arse so hard..."

"She's so..."

"... and now I'm hungry!"

"Quiet." The students turned 'round and saw their teacher, slamming the door closed. They immediately shut up. The professor walked to the front and looked at them one by one.

"Well, if it isn't the respectful, patient, red-headed kid I met in The Three Broomsticks." he remarked, spotting Ron at the corner of the classroom.

Everyone looked toward him and the kid gulped. "Come 'ere."

Ron obediently stood up and walked toward the teacher. Professor Vergil took a bunch of books from his desks, into Ron's arms. Everyone chuckled at Ron's reaction to the heavy books that their teacher carried nonchalantly seconds before.

"You could've just... used magic to distribute... these.." Ron said to the teacher between pants.

"As you could see, Ronald, I have no magical powers whatsoever." Vergil said, glaring at the kid. Ron gulped again and started distributing the books like a good puppy.

Harry chuckled when Ron handed him a book. He smiled at him and looked over the book. 'Infernalis Daemones', the hardbound read.

"Excuse me, sir." Harry said, raising a hand. Vergil acknowledged this and nodded. Harry stood.

"On behalf of the students who wonder about this, like my friend Hermione, why should we learn about this? Professor Dumbledore never gave a straight answer in your introduction yesterday. I hardly think that they would change the curriculum in the middle of the year."

"I don't think I'm allowed answer that." Vergil said, sternly. "But seeing as though you're in good terms with the Headmaster, I recommend you ask him instead. You are, after all, his handyman."

Harry looked away and sat down. "Sorry..." he mumbled.

"Excuse me, Professor Vergil." Hermione said, bolting up from her seat. "You may be a new professor and all, but I won't allow you to downtalk Harry like that. He's done so much to get this school going, despite all those obstacles, and as true as what you say is, I will not tolerate you calling him by a mere handyman. He's slayed a basilisk, faced the Dark Lord himself, and I believe he deserves something better than that."

"Yeah!" Seamus shouted somewhere behind the classroom. Vergil only stared at the woman, then smirked.

"Why, look what we have here. A couple, defending each other. My goodness, this warms my heart to a point of melting." he mocked. Hermione and Harry blushed.

Before they could say anything, Vergil made them sit down. "Now, turn to page 364. Potter, Granger. Meet me in my office, later."

"Yes, sir." they answered in chorus. Everyone snickered. They did seem like a pair, after all. Even they couldn't deny it.

Harry rapped at the door to Vergil's office, books in hand.

"Sir, it's us." Harry said.

"Harry and Hermione." Hermione said in turn.

The door opened, much to their accomodation.

"Come in." A voice beckoned. It didn't sound like their Professor. As soon as they stepped in, the door closed and saw a house elf on the corner of the room.

"Where's Professor Vergil?" Hermione asked the elf.

"Master Vergil is taking a bath. Would any of you want some tea in the meantime? Ruffter could bring you some!" Ruffter (the elf) said, running toward the teapot.

"No, it's okay. We're fine." Harry said, smiling at it.

"Then please take a seat. Master will be ready in a minute." Ruffter said, running into the darkness of the other room.

"A minute would be unnecessary. Sit." Vergil said, coming out of the door opposite the one Ruffter went into.

Harry and Hermione obeyed, sitting on the couch, laying their books onto the table nearby. "Good evening, sir." they said in chorus, observing their teacher.

He was half-naked, his torso exposed for everyone to see. His chest was well-toned, his abs were perfectly built. A towel was wrapped around his hips down, another towel on his head, for wiping the water out of his silvery locks. The only light in the room, being a candlelight, made the blue of his eyes shine brighter. He was an angel...

"Good evening." Vergil replied, knocking the two out of their thoughts. "Now, I asked you to come here to talk to you about your behavior in my class."

The two quirked an eyebrow. "Sir...?"

"I don't care whether or not your relationship is going great or not. I just want you to stop publicly showing it off. It disrupts the concentration I've for my class. So it's either you stop showing off, or I end that relationship of yours. Understand?"

"No, no! It's not like that!" Harry said, voice cracking. He was blushing. "We're not a couple!"

Seriously? They looked compatible for one another, to a point that they look like their a couple?

"Yes, Harry's saying the truth! You got it wrong! I like someone else!" Hermione shouted in protest. Vergil's eyes widened at this.

"Potter, take your leave." he said, still staring at Hermione.

"Sir?" Harry asked, quirking an eyebrow again.

"Leave now." Vergil said.

"But, sir..."

Vergil glared at Harry. "Leave now. I won't ask you a fourth time."

Harry looked at Hermione. Hermione, in turn, nodded at him.

"Yes, sir."

Harry took his books, walked to the door and sounded as soon as he closed it.

Vergil walked slowly to Hermione.

"Why'd you send Harry out?" Hermione asked, nervously.

"Don't fret, Granger. I won't harm you." Vergil answered. "Unless you provoke me to."

"Then why did you send Harry out?" Hermione asked again, glaring at her professor. If he wasn't going to do anything to her, what was the point of sending the lad out?

Vergil sighed. "I was just going to ask questions."

Hermione started to blabber. "Then you should've just asked me when Harry was here. Sending him out was useless. I should've known that y-"

The puffy-haired girl got cut off in the middle of her sentence when suddenly her professor pinned her on the wall and put a hand on her mouth.

"You don't tell me what to do." he started, glaring at the girl. "I'm the professor here. If you would just PLEASE stop being paranoid for a moment, and listen to me."

Hermione blushed. She was so close to her teacher... She could actually feel his heartbeat on her chest. She nodded slowly, and the professor let go of her.

"What... What's your question, sir...?" she asked, trying to keep her cool.

Vergil shook his head and walked over to the table.

"Nevermind it. It can wait 'til tomorrow."

Hermione nodded. He knew why he delayed it. It was just that, she had made such a big fuss about it that it would just be... anti-climactic to ask her afterward.

"Good night sir."

"Good night..." he said, and the door closed.

"...Hermione."

He smiled to himself. He liked the way her name slid out of his lips.

'This will be a very interesting year, indeed.' he thought to himself.

AUTHOR'S NOTE. Well? Did you like it? Enjoy it, at the least? ;-; I'm sorry! I've been away for too long, and I'm afraid I've lost my spunk. =(( Sorry. I'm sorry!

*gets hit on the head by a bowling ball thrown by anon*