I don't own Harry Potter, or Zoot Suit Riot by the Cherry Poppin' Daddies. But I would love, to because I really like that song.

As Hermione approached the work table she was remembering the night of the graduation ball, when she first realized her feelings for her professor.

Flashback

She took one last look in the mirror, and smiled in satisfaction. She looked amazing, wearing a dark green dress (in honor of who she was going to be apprenticing with) with a sweetheart neckline, that was cinched at the waist, showing of a great figure and flowed out at the bottom, stopping mid calf. Her hair had calmed down a little bit, and with a touch of hair product it flowed down her back in soft curls. Ginny had helped her with the makeup and she had on a red-ish tinted lip-gloss, mascara, eyeliner, and a touch of blush. All in all she looked amazing, not that she had anyone to look good for. Harry and Ron were going to be her escorts tonight, just as friends of course. Oh sure, there were a few guys (Hufflepufs) that had asked her to go, but she wanted to be with them.

She descended down the staircase, and smiled at the look on Harry and Ron's faces. They were gaping up at her in amazement. Finally Harry managed to stutter out a comment.

"You look beautiful Mione, but how did you get your hair to cooperate? Are you sure you didn't get a date for this thing, cause I don't see how you couldn't have."

"Shut up you flirt," Hermione countered right back. "You know that there is no one I would rather go with, than you two. But if you don't stop, I'm gonna tell your girlfriend."

Ginny had been kind enough to lend out Harry for awhile, she was going to go with a bunch of her girlfriends. Ron was single, not being able to be tied down to one girl, but he liked Hermione, that much was obvious to everyone. That may have explained why he wasn't able to form complete sentences yet.

"Well come on guys, let's go. Don't wanna be late. But remember, towards the end, all apprentices have to share a dance with their apprentice masters. Dumbledore just couldn't resist because all the female professors picked male apprentices and vice versa..."

"Ewwww, you're kidding me" Ron finally had something to say, "Does that mean you have to dance with the Greasy Git, Mione?"

"He's not a greasy git; Professor Snape is a noble, intelligent man, who risked his life many times in the war for us. So I would appreciate it if you would show some respect. But yes, I will be dancing with him." Hermione replied, "That doesn't necessarily mean that we are going to slow dance though. Dumbledore told us that he had found a machine that automatically picks a type of music that we both already know how to dance with. So I won't be stuck waltzing, or Snape won't be stuck break dancing"

"Okay thanks for the picture of Snape break dancing. Now, every time I see him, I'm going to have to try not to bust out laughing." Harry said with a grimace.

And then an expression of thoughtfulness appeared on Ron's face. "Wait, you know how to break dance?

"You'd be surprised at what I know Ronald. It's not just all books in my head." And with that she walked away, arm in arm with Harry. A few seconds later Ron caught up and linked onto her other arm.

They walked into the ball and were instantly amazed. Dumbledore had really outdone himself this time. The Great Hall was softly lit with floating candles, and everything was cream colored. It created sort of a soft glow to the room, and Hermione thought it couldn't be more beautiful. She quickly looked around for other people she knew, and somehow managed to catch Professor Snape's eyes. She gave him a radiant smile, and he acknowledged her with a nod of his head and a small smirk. The war may be over, but he was still as bad tempered as ever. The smirk was practically like a hug or something from a friend, so Hermione was touched. I suppose he's just trying to be polite since he's gonna have to deal with me for a while. I shouldn't dwell on it,

All of a sudden she was almost attacked by a group of girls, Lavender Brown leading the way.

"Hermione, oh my god! You look beautiful, your hair is amazing, and that dress. I can't believe Dumbledore made this thing muggle themed, but you look sexy, girl." She gushed, loudly.

Loudly enough, in fact, that everyone in the immediate area heard, including Professor Snape. He turned towards her and looked her up and down, then gave a small smirk and shrugged. Hermione would have happily stuck her tongue out at him, but she decided to keep the maturity level up. Then she got a great idea, she would completely play it up! So she turned towards him, looked up through her eyelashes, and gave him a waggle fingered wave and a sexy smile. Take that asshole.

She could almost see him get hit with the impact. His mouth formed a small o of surprise and he took a deep breath. Then he put his usual façade on and glowered, although it wasn't a heartfelt as usual.

"Ummm Mione," Harry said, "Tell me if I'm wrong, but were you just flirting with Snape? Cause that's what it looked like from here."

"Gods no Harry," she quickly replied, "I was just joking, because he was teasing me about what Lavender said."

"And you could tell all of this from just looking at him?" Ron replied scathingly.

"Yes we can, Mr. Weasley, is that a problem?" Snape drawled from behind him, scaring Ron half to death. He had so without their notice, and Hermione, who had seen the whole thing, was cracking up. "Not everyone here has the mental capacity of a peanut."

"No Sir," Ron muttered weakly.

"I did, however come over here for a reason." He said with a slightly nicer tone, while addressing Hermione, and he turned to her. That was probably a good thing, in light of the fact that Harry had just remembered the break dancing thing, and was almost in tears,

"Dumbledore told me that all apprentices and their teachers are to meet up at the Head Table at 10:30 for the dance. We have to go one group at a time too." He said in annoyance," Blasted old fool, he's doing this just to humiliate us teachers."

But after a look from Hermione he added,

" And the students too. I'll see you at ten thirty, sharp, Miss Granger. Oh, and Miss Brown, try to keep your voice down. I don't really think all of the seventh years want to know how 'sexy' Miss Granger looks tonight, and I certainly don't need to be told that." And with that parting shot, he walked away.

Before she knew what had happened it was almost 10:30, and Hermione was having a lot of fun. She had spent a lot of time, however, thinking about what Snape had said; or moreover, how he said it. When he said he didn't need to be told that she was sexy, he said it in a tone that implied that it was because he already knew she was. And she wasn't the only one to notice it, both Harry and Ginny shot her one of those 'Did he really just mean that how he said it' looks. Oh well she had eventually given up on trying to figure out the enigma that was Severus Snape, and danced, And she had danced with nearly every guy in seventh year, except for Slytherins, but that was about to change. As she looked up at the clock it said 10:29 so she made her excuses, and headed towards the Heads table where Professor Snape was waiting, with a look on his face like he was about to take a walk through hell.

"Miss Granger, I see that you didn't have enough sense to go missing or become ill before this started, so we could get out of dancing. Oh well, most of these people will never see me again anyway."

Normally that would sound rude to her, but Snape said it in a way that didn't make it sound offensive. The next thing she knew Professor Dumbledore had stood up and called everyone's attention to the teachers and apprentices. The first pair to go was Ernie Macmillan and Professor McGonagall, who looked slightly drunk. They, much to everyone's amusement, were tap dancing. Hermione was watching with a bemused smile on her face when Professor Snape leaned over to her and whispered in her ear,

"I don't know what disturbs me more' A: that McGonagall knows how to tap dance, B: that Mr. Macmillan can do it too, or C: that they really aren't half bad."

Hermione smirked in a very Snape-ish fashion and replied, "I would have to go with C, Professor. They could be really good, if McGonagall weren't drunk off her arse."

Then a shocked look came over her face when she realized who she just said that to. She was about to start apologizing, and started to think Oh shit, please don't take points. Please don't take points, but stopped when Snape bust out laughing. A real laugh, not a smirk or a condescending chuckle, but a real laugh. Hermione was shocked, in all her years at Hogwarts she had never heard the man laugh, but now that she had, she was going to do everything in her power to make it happen again. He has the most beautiful laugh she thought. Then he replied,

"Wow, I never thought, in all my years teaching you, that the great know-it-all Hermione Granger even knew how to swear. I guess I was wrong, and by the way, you may have an idea about the drunken thing." He said with a smirk.

While they were talking, Professor Sprout and Neville had gone up and were waltzing. After that came Professor Flitwick and Cho Chang, who were doing the tango. The song was almost over when Professor Snape leaned over again and whispered.

"I think we're the only ones left." The song had ended and theirs was starting. They looked over at each other in complete horror when they heard the beginnings of swing music. She didn't even have to use Legilimency to tell what he was thinking, it was the same as her SHITE !

"I take it you can swing dance, Professor Snape?" she asked with a nervous smile on her face as they approached the dance floor. She may have been horrified at the thought of getting in front of all of her classmates and dancing like this, but it might be worth it to see Professor Snape swing.

He glowered at her, but still replied "Yes, I learned from my mother when I was younger. And you?"

She replied that she learned from taking a class with a few of her muggle friends one summer. Then she got worried when a challenging smirk crept into his eyes. He turned to her and said,

"I'm sure you're adequate, but I'll try to take it easy so you can keep up. I don't want you to make a bigger fool out of us than is already being made."

Oh, no he didn't. She thought defensively. That's it, he's going down.

She quickly replied. "I'm sure I'm good enough to keep up with you at your best attempts at out-showing me" she replied scathingly. By this time they had reached the floor, Hermione faintly recognized the song as a muggle one Zoot Suit Riot, before she was swept up into her professor's arms as he whispered in a low voice,

"We'll see,"

Then, the next thing she knew, she was swing dancing, and pretty complicatedly too. The entire time she promised to herself, I'm not gonna take my eyes off of his eyes. 'Adequate' my arse. He's good and so am I. So I'm just going to make this a show for everyone else. She smiled as she heard the chorus blare loudly from the enchanted speakers

Zoot suit riot, (Riot)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot suit riot (Riot)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair
Zoot suit riot, (Riot)
Throw back a bottle of beer
Zoot suit riot (Riot)
Pull a comb through your coal black hair

By that time they had really gotten into the music. Hermione was swinging her hips and the next thing she knew she saw a smirk sweep over Professor Snape's face and he dipped her. She giggled as she came back up, before realizing what this must look like to everyone else in the Great Hall. Oh well, he's having fun and so am I. She had kept her promise and kept her eyes on his the entire time, and he was unable to hide his amusement at their dancing. Professor Snape had a small smile on his face and he must have looked 10 years younger. He would be really attractive if he smiled more. Wait, did I just think that? But it was true. By that time, the song was almost over. For the finale, he picked her up by the waist and swung her around. The last beats of the song died out, and they were just looking at each other, breathing heavily. His hands were still on her waist, and everyone was clapping.

"I suppose that you were a little better than adequate, Miss Granger." That also would have sounded mean, but his hands hadn't moved, and were gripping her waist in a suggestive manner. Plus he was smiling, a new thing for him. "I'll see you Monday morning at 9:00p.m. sharp." He said as he walked away.

You better be careful, Hermione, if he keeps this up, you just might find yourself a little in love with him. Little did she know, Snape was thinking the same thing as he walked away.

End Flashback

She smiled as she walked up to the cauldrons, hoping today would be just as good. And said to the man she just may be a little in love with,

"

Well professor, let's get to work. Sounds like fun"

Author's Note: Wow, I absolutely loved writing this chapter. I had so much fun, but I just hope Snape wasn't too OOC. I absolutely love Lavender Brown's character, because she really reminds me of one of my friends. Well you know the drill, reviews are appreciated, but not necessary.