Disclaimer: All recognizable words and characters belong to the the brilliant J.K. Rowling and not to me.
Hermione stood shaking before the door that would take her back into the room containing the life-size chessboard and chessmen. She tried to slow her breathing down to a normal pace, but her efforts were soon submerged completely when she saw him walking towards her: his dark, flowing hair and glowing black eyes accentuating the pallor of his face.
All too quickly, Severus Snape stood before her, and she closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to regain control of herself if she were to successfully attempt any pretense of normalcy! When her eyes closed, she missed the strange look that passed over the usually carefully impassive face of Severus Snape. His eyes glowed even brighter, and if anyone had been looking into them, those normally curtained windows to his soul would have revealed an intense display of awe, desire, need, and fear.
Hermione opened her eyes again, her composure nearly steady, but she was still noticeably flushed. She could see that her professor was acting a bit peculiar as well. His energy was enlivened and seemed to be pulsating. However, his features were controlled and unreadable, as they typically were.
"Shall we go?" Snape asked politely. Hermione nodded. Neither of them felt it would be wise to say anything about the other's strange behavior. Snape knew she was reacting to what she had seen in the Mirror of Erised. Hermione suspected Snape also chanced a glance in the Mirror. Curious about the other's experience, but preferring not to risk having to answer questions of their own time with that great revealer of secret desires, each remained (vocally) silent on the subject.
Snape cast that impervious shield around them once again, and they strolled back across the chessboard. The chessmen clinked their swords menacingly, but knew better than to pursue what they knew would be a futile attempt. The shield dissolved once again, and they headed through more doors until reaching the room that harbored the exanimate winged keys. A lone broomstick remained. There had been three brooms when the trio had come down here in their first year. Hermione had used one to transport herself and a semiconscious Ron out to seek help for Harry, who had gone on alone to find the Stone and its predator. Hermione supposed that Dumbledore then must have used the other one in a similar fashion to exit with an unconscious Harry.
"Ladies first," Snape said eloquently, gesturing towards the hovering broomstick. Hermione climbed on near the tail. Snape settled onto the broomstick in front of her. Turning his head towards her he said, "Now, hold onto me tightly. I would not want to hazard you falling and plummeting into that pit of Devil's Snare."
Hermione thought she saw a hint of a sparkle in his eyes, but she could not be sure as he quickly turned his face forward again. Hermione tentatively wrapped her hands around Snape's waist. The broom shot up and began to fly out of the room. Hermione clenched tighter around the man's waist, tighter perhaps than necessary. Despite the thick layers of his robes and clothing, she could feel the strength of his toned abdomen. Seemingly without abandon, she pressed her front against his back and leaned into him, her cheek resting in the softer place between his shoulder blades. She sighed contentedly.
The wind rushed past them as they soared higher, nearing the trapdoor above. He really does feel very good, Hermione thought. I remember feeling this way when he touched my hand in our lesson the other day. Hermione did not know what she would do about the fact that she so seriously desired Severus Snape. He was the last person in the world she could expect to return her affections! Ha! She had a better chance with that Muggle-hating Draco Malfoy, an old school rival who was currently locked up in Azkaban, than she did with her illustrious professor! Hermione shoved her worry away until later. She wanted to enjoy these few minutes that she was allowed to be so close to this man whom she was so inexplicably drawn to.
His warmth flooded her, and she felt a disorienting, deep satisfaction flow through her every limb. Thank the Gods she was holding on so tightly, or else she very well might have fallen off! Soon, most terribly too soon, they were through the trapdoor and Snape had slid off the broomstick. He held his hand out to Hermione, and she took it as he helped her dismount. Snape did not immediately let go of her hand, and they stood simply gazing at each other for a long moment.
Snape's mind was normally very compartmentalized. He processed and sorted new information with ease in order to later review it, gleaning the necessities and using them to his advantage. However, at the moment, his mind was a racing blur. He was overcome with the sensational thrill of their touch, which warred against the claims his mind was currently making: i The mirror cannot have been accurate in this! There must be a good explanation for this ungodly strong reaction I have to her/i Quickly realizing he had not yet let go of her hand, Snape gently guided her hand back to her side, slowly releasing their hands from their embrace.
They headed down the third floor corridor, back towards Snape's office. Along the way, Snape stopped walking and looked at Hermione. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for assisting me today in retrieving these bottles."
"It was certainly not a disagreeable task, Professor," she replied politely.
A familiar twinge of irritation gripped Snape at her words. So that is what it was! Snape thought, realizing that he had come to strongly disfavor Hermione calling him "Professor."
Snape carried on, "Since our Thursday lessons are devoted to your continued education in Potions, and on Mondays we are busy preparing you to teach the curriculum, perhaps I should have you meet with me an additional day for the brewing of the Azkaban security potions."
"Any day is fine with me, Professor."
Snape cringed again upon hearing that word on her lips. "Will Fridays be convenient for you—"
Just call her Hermione!
No, it is too soon for that. She will think she has finished earning the respect required of an accomplished apprentice.
You know you want to call her Hermione. Just do it.
No! I do not think it is the proper time for such informalities!
"—Miss Granger?" Relentless consistency of abhorrent habit is not a virtue!
Snape silently shushed his irritating inner voice. Hermione did not have a chance to answer though, because…
"Hello!" someone called from down the hallway. Snape and Hermione turned to see a smiling woman with blonde, curly hair approaching them, wearing robes deep maroon in colour and accessorized with gold spangles. Hermione remembered her from the staff meeting. She was Matilda Fletchley, the new Charms professor.
When she stood in front of them, she held out her hand, first to Snape. "Severus Snape! It is good to see you again! It has been ten years since I was last at this glorious school! I remember you well, but I dare say I do not remember much about Potions!"
Snape composed his face into the same polite look of deference he regarded all his fellow staff members with. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Matilda."
She laughed amiably and replied, "Severus, I do look forward to working with you this year! "She turned to Hermione and briskly offered her hand. "Miss Granger, is it not?" she asked with a tone of indifference.
Miss Granger! Hermione thought. She acts as if I am a silly child at this school and not her colleague!
Snape spoke before Hermione could answer, slowly enunciating every word with smooth precision, "Actually, you may call her Hermione, Matilda. If you remember, she is a teacher at this school as well."
"Hermione," Matilda acknowledged with a nod of her head. She released the handshake. "Dear, dear, dear, do forgive me, but you just seem so incredibly youthful!" Turning to Snape, she added, "And I do believe, Severus, that I heard you refer to your young apprentice here as 'Miss Granger' when I approached just now!"
Snape's eyes momentarily held that dangerous gleam that always firmly cemented his students in feelings of fear and trepidation. Then it was gone, replaced with a small, ingratiating smile, as he said, "Yes, indeed you heard correctly. Hermione was my student here only just last year. It is a truly difficult task for an old professor such as myself to come to regard past students as anything else. It was simply a matter of habit."
Hermione's eyes widened when she heard Snape refer to her by her given name.Why would he say it now? He has not once called me Hermione, even when I attempted to bring us to a first name basis!
"Yes, yes, yes. Old habits do die hard, do they not?" she said. "But Severus, you are not an old professor!" She smiled. "Well, it is has been a pleasure seeing you again after all this time. I do hope you will come by my office sometime so we can catch up?"
"I dare say I shall," came his succinct reply.
"Very, very good. I am headed now to set up my office. The old professor, Flikwit or whatever his name was, had very poor taste, indeed!" She began to walk past them and said, "I will see you around, Severus…" She glanced at Hermione. "And you, Hermione."
When she had disappeared out of sight, Snape and Hermione continued their trek back to the office. Snape said, "You will be able to make the Potions office over so that it suits your tastes, Hermione. Horace did leave it looking a bit pouffy, and there is also a lingering stench of what bares strong resemblance to old ladies' aromatic balm."
He said my name again! "Er—Professor?"
"That is quite enough going on with that 'Professor' business," he cut in smoothly. "Refer to me by my name; you are a staff member at this school, after all."
Hermione nearly responded with a Yes, sir, but stopped herself just in time. They had ceased walking again as Snape awaited her response. "If you wish it—Severus."
For a long moment they simply stared at one another. Snape saw that Hermione's eyes were still sparkling in the same manner as they were only a little while ago after her encounter with the Mirror. Glittering specks of light danced atop deep brown, swirling around a shiny black center. Snape checked in with his breath to make sure it was not moving as rapidly as his heart.
She spoke, breaking the momentary silence, "S—Severus, thank you for acknowledging my efforts to do well as a teacher in this school. I assure you that I will continue to work hard."
"I am confident you will, Hermione."
Each time one spoke the other's name, it was said slowly and clearly, as if they relished the sound of every syllable on their lips. Neither realized they both felt a tingling heat charge through their bodies at the sound of their name spoken by the other.
Snape continued, "Well, Hermione, we have finished our work for today. I can take these bottles to the Potions laboratory myself. You may leave, and I will see you Thursday. Remember, you can set up your office whenever you would like; I just ask you not to ward it just yet, as I will need continual access to the lab."
"I will get settled into it soon. And to answer your earlier question—Fridays will be fine with me, Severus," she responded.
"Oh, that is well enough, but I rather thought you would be disinclined to be bogged down on Friday evenings." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Forgive me if my memory serves me incorrectly, Hermione, but is not Friday night 'date night' for today's wizarding youth?"
"That is so, Severus, but as I am recently single, it would do well to have work to do as an excuse not to have to join in with that tedious social scene." Hermione did not want to even think about going out to her and Ron's favorite Friday night pub, where they would meet up with all their coupled friends. The tension between her and Ron would be unbelievable.
"Well, in that case, one would think you would be all the more inclined to engage yourself, as you would not remain single long."
Oh my Gods! Did Severus Snape just compliment me? Or did that just mean that I'd want to go in hopes of finding someone, so as not to 'remain single?' Well, he's certainly not likely to be insinuating that I'm special enough to be snatched up right away or anything. So, it must be the latter… Why? Why should he wonder about whether or not I want to go out and find someone to have a relationship with…? Well, he must be only wanting to ensure that I come to work not distracted by wishing I could be elsewhere, Hermione reasoned.
Hoping he did not see her confusion, she responded, "I believe I said I'd find that scene tedious. Besides, it's unlikely I'd be interested in the type who just sits at a pub, sloshing down Firewhisky, hoping to pick up witch chicks on a Friday night—or any night for that matter! I hardly believe I could find romance in such a place or a man who would even respect me. Not many of those wizards find it endearing to be paired with an intellectually inclined witch."
Snape snorted.
Hermione realized she was still flushing with embarrassment for first thinking that Snape might have complimented her. i And this conversation had taken a strange and dangerous turn/i Snape's very presence sent thrills coursing through her since seeing him interact with her so lovingly and tenderly in the Mirror of Erised. If she did not go right then, she would surely end up embarrassing herself!
Hermione stammered out a quick goodbye, walking hurriedly to the stairway to head down to the main floor and out the doors to the grounds, not seeing Severus' sparkling eyes following her until she was out of sight.
Tuesday afternoon found Hermione sitting on her sofa, reading the new edition of Arithmancy Today. She found it unfortunate that this new edition had not become available until after she graduated Hogwarts. The new information it contained was simply revolutionary.
Her mind was lost in a swirl of numerical relations and calculations, when she was interrupted by a Floo call.
"Hermione?" said Harry's voice.
Hermione turned towards her small fireplace and saw Harry's head amidst the green flames. She opened her mouth in surprise.
"Are you busy, Hermione? I was hoping we could talk."
"I'm not terribly busy. Come on in then."
Harry emerged through the pit, hunched over due to its miniscule size. He stood up, and the ashes flew helter-skelter to the floor.
"Scourgify!" said Hermione automatically.
Harry strode into the room and picked up the book Hermione had been reading. "Ugh, Arithmancy! That has to be the most boring book ever! You must be really bored yourself. I expect you haven't had much company without Ron, Ginny, or me around?"
Hermione was suddenly furious. How dare he come here just to taunt her? Without holding back her sarcasm, she said, "Hmmmph, I will have you know I have had plenty of company to be going on with—Howlers are such perfect company, very good at entertaining, you know."
Harry smiled tentatively. "Hey, I was definitely out of it to send you that, and I'm sorry. Sit down with me so we can talk?"
Hermione nodded curtly, her arms crossed, and her eyes blazing—belying the calmness of her demeanor. She was distinctly reminded of Severus Snape. Her lips twisted into a wry smile at the thought, and she realized she had just displayed one of the man's classic mannerisms. She sat down next to Harry.
"Hermione, I need to know what's going on with you and Ron. Is this just another infamous row? Will you get back together?"
Hermione's eyes only blazed more infernally in answer.
Harry sighed, "Hermione, you are both my best friends. I want you to be happy just as much as I want Ron to be happy. It was hard seeing how miserable he was when you broke things off."
"Didn't care to think that I might be feeling thoroughly miserable myself, did you?" Hermione snapped.
"Hermione, do you remember how you and Ron did not get along for weeks back in our third year? And how you two ignored each other completely while Ron was dating Lavender in our sixth year?"
"How could I forget?"
"Well, it was awful to have to go between you two all the time, being a friend to you both. Our trio was split, and I lost hope that we'd ever get things right again. When you and Ron started showing interest in each other, and you asked him to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with you, I just knew… knew… that it might eventually mean the end to the friendship the three of us have together."
Hermione's expression softened a little, and curious, she asked, "So you didn't even want Ron and me to get together?"
"Well, I always knew it'd probably happen. I wanted you two to be happy, and I was ready to support you guys. I just had a terrible feeling that your relationship would end up in disaster. And it turns out that it might have after all. Hermione, isn't there anything you can do—"
"No, Harry," interrupted Hermione. "I will have to let Ron calm down for awhile. I will not get back together with him, but I will be his friend if he's open to it. Harry, will you help persuade him to forgive me?"
Harry nodded. "Of course I will. I hope you two can work things out so everything will go back to how it's supposed to be."
Hermione gave Harry a grateful smile, which faltered quickly as she remembered Ginny. "What about Ginny, Harry?"
Er—Well," stammered Harry, "she's still angry about what happened, Hermione. You'd do better to focus on reconciling with Ron first. He's still so miserable, and Ginny won't see past that."
"Harry, she's your girlfriend. Couldn't you—"
This time Harry interrupted, "No, Hermione. You know what a little spit fire she is." His eyes reflected both his pride in his girlfriend and the sympathy which he hoped would assuage Hermione. "She has a determined will, but she'll come around eventually, Hermione. Don't worry about her right now."
Hermione sighed in disappointment. At least Harry was her friend again. Harry stayed a little while longer and convinced Hermione to play a game of Exploding Snap with him. They talked a lot about Harry's Auror training. It was all very normal, and Hermione was thrilled to have Harry back. She told him a little bit about her Potions apprenticeship. She left out the details of her accomplishment in intuitive Potion making. Somehow that felt too personal to share. She was sure Severus felt the same way, which was why he only taught the standard curriculum to his students. She did tell Harry about the new security system for Azkaban. Being an Auror, who would be catching dark wizards and escorting them to Azkaban, he had already heard a little about it. Hermione was able to fill him in on the details. She explained the characteristics of the flames and told him that she and Snape would be preparing all the potions. She left out the information about their little jaunt to collect the old bottles, though. It made her flush to even think of that adventure.
"Wow, Hermione! I am glad that you, last year's Head Girl and the only person besides me to get an 'O' in Potions, will be making them. Just keep an eye out on Snape for me. Make sure he doesn't try anything funny."
Harry said this way too seriously for Hermione's liking. "Harry! Honestly! Severus Snape would never deliberately alter the potions, and you should very well know that he would take exquisite care in ensuring their perfection!"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Snape is anything but 'what you see is what you get.' I'm sorry you have to work with him this year. You'll let me know if that git disrespects you at all? You're a teacher now too, and he better not keep treating you like he did when we were at school!"
Hermione felt a sudden surge of rage, but repressed it, because she knew how much Harry loathed Severus, and not entirely without good reason. She wished more people could see the side of him that she had seen lately. Maybe one day Harry and Severus could make amends… They did have a lot in common after all….
Hermione smiled to herself. She would make that a new project. Severus deserved to have Harry recognize the great things he did to help him. Harry deserved to have Severus recognize his individuality—especially the fact that Harry was more like him than he was like James. Besides, she wanted her friends to accept Severus Snape. She could not abate the desire that coursed through her for that enigma of a man.
Perhaps she should make another project out of getting Severus Snape to take an equal interest in her. If there was any possibility of a future for them, her friends would need to be accepting of him. She suddenly imagined a scene that came to her like some long forgotten dream. Severus Snape, his eyes blazing with intensity, sweeping down to kiss her so passionately…
A/N: Thank you, Moon Revel, for being my beta for this story.
Thank you to the readers who come back to keep reading this!
This was the last chapter written before the release of Deathly Hallows, so from this point forward, it becomes AU.