A/N

Wooooooo chapter 3! My longest story so far :P Also thanks to the reader who noticed my 'their' error in the last chapter. The results of not having a beta ;( Also a little fact about me: I cannot spell their. I always spell it thier. If it wasn't for spellcheck and automatic corrections, I'd be stuffed.

Disclaimer: I own nothing :)

Wonder if I can make it to chapter 4. Hehe

But now, onto the story :)

Enjoy!

Hermione, Harry and Ron sat in a circle by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room. They had come there straight after leaving the Great Hall. Ginny sat behind Hermione, brush in hand, tugging it through Hermione's hair. She had been put up to the job by the boys, who said they didn't want a repeat performance of today, tomorrow. Ginny was more than happy to oblige, but brushing Hermione's hair was proving more difficult than she'd expected. They had placed several strengthening charms on the brush and yet they still had to reparo it every few minutes. Hermione was in pain. She tried to tell herself that it was nothing, nothing compared to Bellatrix's cruciatus curse and that she was being childish but she couldn't help but yelp when Ginny pulled extra hard. After almost 10 minutes there was no visible difference, except several clumps of hair which littered the floor. Ginny continued brushing but no one could tell if she was winning of losing the battle.

Soon students began to enter the common room and Ginny and Hermione decided to move to their dorms. The boys stayed, as they couldn't enter the girl's dorms, and began chatting with Seamus and Dean, along with a boy in Ginny's year –their year- named Jack. Harry and Ron kept forgetting that the seventh years were two combined classes. Their year and Ginny and Luna's year.

Soon after Lavender and Pavarti came into the room and screamed at the boys, asking where Hermione was. The boys pointed to the girl's dorms and the two best friends rushed up. An hour later the four girls came back down. With the combined effort of Lavender, Ginny and Pavarti the three girls had managed to tame Hermione's hair into a neat ponytail. They paraded Hermione around the room, showing off her hair and then retired back to their dorm.

Hermione woke up early, feeling a lot more confident and happy the next morning. She crept down stairs and through the deserted common room. She pushed open the portrait door and began her descent down stairs to the library. She passed only 3 people, who eyed her hair, noticed it was back to normal and then continued on their way.

The library was deserted (save Madam Pince) and Hermione was able to do a little light reading. She was so caught up in her book that she didn't notice the looming black shadow until he called her name.

"I see you have tamed that creature which you call hair, Miss Granger" the silky voice said. Hermione's head snapped up and she found herself looking into two black eyes. Harry had been right; they did remind you of bottomless pits.

"If you are done staring, Miss Granger, perhaps you would like to inform me as to why you are reading a book from the Restricted Section so early in the morning?" the voice continued.

Hermione looked down to her book and noticed that, indeed, it was from the Restricted Section. She wondered how she hadn't noticed before, how she hadn't even realised she had been, and was still sitting, in the Restricted Section. She guessed it was because of the amount of times she had been in there, studying the darker aspects of magic. Or perhaps Professor Snape was right, it was early.

"I came in here for a little light reading before breakfast, sir" Hermione replied, trying very hard not to look into those bottomless pits, instead focusing on his robes. There are so many buttons...she found herself thinking. She blinked. Focus! She told herself.

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow at her answer. She frowned. "You call that a little 'light reading', Miss Granger?" he said mockingly.

Hermione restrained a giggle. Apart from the mocking, he sounded a lot like Harry and Ron had in their first year, when researching Nicholas Flamel. She restrained another giggle. She was comparing Harry and Ron to Snape! She could imagine the looks of horror on their faces if they ever found out.

"I am curious, Miss Granger, what are you failing to not laugh at?" he asked scornfully.

She took a deep breath. "Nothing, sir" she replied calmly.

He simply continued staring at her, an eyebrow raised in question. She took another deep breath. "It's nothing. Honestly, sir".

He gave her a look that said he didn't believe her. She wouldn't have believed herself either. Damn Gryffindors and their horrid lying skills.

"What are you doing here, sir?" she asked curiously.

Professor Snape raised his eyebrow up a little further. "I am surprised you don't know what a library is for, Miss Granger, seeing as you spend half of your time in here. A library is for reading. I'm here to read. What else would I be doing here?" he drawled and Hermione flushed.

"What are you reading, sir?" she asked before she could stop herself. She flushed an even brighter shade of red.

Snape glared at her. "I am reading a book, Miss Granger" he replied, as if talking to a dunderhead.

Hermione stood there, blushing as red as a tomato and feeling like an idiot. Of course that's how Snape would've replied. Had she honestly thought he would give her, annoying know-it-all and member of the Golden Trio, a truthful answer? Tell her what he was reading in his own private time? Of course he wouldn't. He hated her. Extremely disliked, she corrected. The only people she knew Snape really hated were Sirius, Voldemort, Remus, Harry and James Potter.

She saw the book hidden behind his robes and knew she had to know. She thought carefully before phrasing her question. "What is the name of the book you are currently reading, sir?" she asked.

He continued glaring at her. "And why would I tell you that, Miss Granger? Now if you'll please excuse me I would like to actually go do some reading before I am forced to teach you stupid dunderheads. Out of my chair, Miss Granger. Go find somewhere else to read." He spat.

She frowned. She liked this chair. It was by far the most comfortable in the entire library (She knew. She had tried every chair in the library. Both Restricted and normal section) and was in a quiet corner where no one ever came past. She could understand why. It was in the Potions section of the restricted section, and seeing as all Potions brewed were not illegal or dark (except in 7th year, there were a few darker potions) there was no need to come to this section. "With all due respect, sir, I was here first"

Snape's glare intensified and a vein pulsed in his forehead. "20 points from Gryffindor for disregarding a teacher's orders. That has been my chair for almost 30 years, Miss Granger. Now get out before I take off more House Points!" he spat loudly.

Madam Pince came into view. Hermione gulped. She looked angry. Very angry. "OUT!" she hissed, pointing towards the door. "Out with the both of you! And don't come back for two weeks! Disrupting my library so early in the morning! I won't have it! OUT!"

Hermione looked at her Professor then back to the librarian "Please Madam! I have studying! I need access to the library! I'll fail my NEWTS!" she cried.

Madam Pince only pointed her nose up at her. "I will not have you disrupting my library. OUT! Or I will summon the Headmistress!" Hermione turned back to Snape, only to notice he had vanished. Turning to the door, she saw the slightest flash of black and realised he had already exited. She wondered how he had learnt to move so silently; she hadn't heard a thing.

She quickly followed his lead and walked quickly and quietly (well attempted to walk quietly. By the sounds of her footsteps she knew she was failing. She'd never noticed how loud she was before. It was rather enlightening) out of the library. When she was out of the library, she bit her lip. It was still early, another hour till breakfast. She wondered how she could pass the time. She knew, from her time hunting Horcruxes and at Grimmauld Place that Harry and Ron wouldn't be up for at least another half hour and Ginny was not a person you wanted to be around in the mornings. Actually, none of her dorm mates were.

Suddenly an idea popped into her head and she set off in direction of the Headmistresses office. Suddenly she stopped and looked around the corridors. She didn't know where the Headmistress' office was; only Harry did. She sighed. He had known where the office was for 7 years and had never bothered to tell either Ron or her. She sighed. Now what would she do? She certainly couldn't go back to the common room. What would she do there? Strike up a conversation with some random 4th year? Certainly not. Explore the dungeons? Not unless she had a death wish. Slytherins would hex her on sight for invading their territory. And she was certain it would be a harmless Jelly-legs Jinx.

"Hello Hermione. Did you know you're surrounded by Nargles" a dreamy voice called and Hermione turned to see Luna standing behind her, wearing her customary radish earrings, and dressed in school robes.

"Good morning, Luna" Hermione greeted brightly, smiling at the younger girl.

"It is a good morning today, isn't it? The sun is out and I'm expecting some Plimpy Soup from daddy. I always feel they should include it in the feast. But it was still nice without it. I've always liked the feast...I was surprised to hear you weren't Head Girl, Hermione, but I can understand McGonagall's reasoning" she said dreamily.

Hermione turned pale, remembering the disgusting soup Xenophilius Lovegood had served them at his house, then frowned at her strange friend's last sentence. "You can?" she replied.

"Oh yes. You see, she thinks you're going to end up like Professor Snape"

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Me? End up like Professor Snape? That's ridiculous. I'd never end up like him. He's horrid and mean. Not to mention a greasy, ugly git!" she replied.

Luna frowned, something Hermione had never seen her do before. "No he's not" she replied, sounding less dreamy than before "He's an intelligent, reserved, witty man who no one quite understands. He's fiercely protective and possessive yet I believe he has a gentler side; just no one has ever experienced it. He's harsh and mean because that's how everyone treated him and because it was crucial in the war against You-Know-Who. I'm sure if he was treated with the kindness and respect he deserves he'd be a lot nicer. And if someone got to know him I'm sure they'd see a different side of him. I'm sure he'd like a friend. It must get awfully lonely, not having any. No one's ever bothered to try and get to know him, to be his friend, except Harry's mum and..." she trailed off but Hermione wasn't paying attention. Was it true? Would Snape actually be nicer if someone was nice to him? She doubted it; he had always been a git to her, but now she realised, that it had been crucial for him to be harsh during the war, otherwise Voldemort would've suspected something. But the war was over; he had no reason to be mean. Luna's words repeated in her mind "He's harsh and mean because that's how everyone treated him" Was that it? Snape was mean because everyone was mean to him? Because he knew no other way? Questions filled her mind and all she wanted to do was sit down in her chair at the library, but couldn't because she was banned.

"You know, I believe the Room of Requirement is empty, and I always find that a good place for thinking." Luna hinted and Hermione gave the girl a quick hug, wrinkled her nose as her face came in contact with the radish earrings and skipped off, much like her friend would have done. She was in the Charms Corridor on the fourth floor when she finally stopped skipping, exhausted having skipped up several flights of stairs. She Auguamenti'd herself a glass of water, vanished it and then continued on her journey to the 7th floor.

She arrived there quickly, having found a secret passage from the fifth floor to almost right in front of the RoR. She walked past it 3 times, thinking of a cosy, dark room with plenty of candles for reading by and had barely pushed open the door when she was thrown several feet backwards. She whipped out her wand, only to have it fly out of her hand. She looked up into the angry face of Professor Snape.

"35 points from Gryffindor. This is the second time I have had to deal with you this morning, Miss Granger. Go annoy another teacher. You not only stole my chair but also got me banned from the library for two weeks. I would give you a detention right now but the Headmistress has seen fit to limit my amount of detentions per week and I am saving them for Potter" he spat "Get out of my sight, Miss Granger. I do not want to see you again until tomorrow. That is all." He stormed back into the room, slamming the doors shut behind him. Hermione slowly got up, rubbing her aching backside and glared down at the stone floor. Why couldn't they have carpet? The stone hurt too much.

Knowing it would be stupid to enter the RoR again, and not to mention painful, Hermione decided it would be best to simply go back to the common room, relax on a soft cushiony couch and put up with a grumpy Ginny. And she still didn't know what book he was reading.

-0-

Severus was fuming. How dare the girl disturb him again? Was it not enough that she had to go and get him banned from the library? Did she find some kind of cruel satisfaction when she disturbed him? Some deep, strange form of sadism? He sighed. If all went well (Which he admitted, it usually didn't) he wouldn't have to put up with her for another day, except for meals which he could skip. His stomach grumbled loudly and he decided he wouldn't bother skipping breakfast. For some reason, the food always tasted much better in the Great Hall than in his private quarters, despite both being made by the House Elves. He put his book down, pulled out his worn, handmade book mark, placed it in the book and Evanesco'd, knowing it would disappear to his bedside table. Allowing himself a small smile, he exited the room and billowed downstairs to the Great Hall, glaring at all he passed. He was happy by the time he reached the Great Hall. Not only was Gryffindor down by 55 points but he hadn't passed Miss Granger once and couldn't see her at the Gryffindor table. He walked to his seat. His seat, not the one McGonagall had forced him to sit in yesterday.

"Severus. Don't you bother to deny it; I know it was you who took those House Points. Who can I thank for putting Gryffindor in the minuses so early this year?" she asked angrily.

Severus took great pleasure in his answer "Miss Granger" he replied, before going back to his breakfast.

A/N

How was this chapter? A lot longer than my other two LOL! It's like double hehe :D 2579 words. I'm so proud of myself. Keep reading and reviewing :) And once again sorry for any errors. ;)