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A/N: Sorry the update took so long. I hope you stick in there with me. And please review.

Title: Dear Professor

Chapter Three: Stuck to You

Rated: M

Beta: Severus' Malfoy Maiden

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Monday morning, and Hermione woke with a terrible headache. She opened her eyes and groaned as her limbs protested the awkward position they had been holding in her sleeping state for the past few hours. Slowly, she disentangled herself from the bed clothes and sat up, letting her feet fall off the bed to the floor.

Her body fought her all the way to the loo, yearning for the comfort of her bed, as she made her way to get ready for the beginning of the school week. She turned the hot water tap on high. Her bedroom was quite drafty and the weather had begun to turn as the land prepared for colder months ahead.

Hermione removed the little amount of clothing she wore to bed and entered the stall. The hot water soothed her aching body as she washed her hair and proceeded to scrub her body, the grape and shea butter scent of her wash wafting around her.

Just as the water was beginning to get cold from her extended period in the shower, Hermione shut it off, wrapped herself in a towel and walked into her room to dress for the day. As she was buttoning her shirt, her mind began repeating the promise she made to herself since her last class, potions.

'I will not look at him. I will not speak to him unless spoken to. And I will certainly not write of him.' Hermione repeated this ten times more as she finished her morning routine. She then grabbed her bag and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Hermione was just walking down the stairs to the Great Hall when she heard her name being called.

"Hermione!" She turned to see Ginny Weasley making her way down the stairs.

"Ginny, how are you?" Hermione asked her old friend.

"Quite well, yeah. Question for you though."

"What is it?" Hermione was expecting Ginny to request help with work. Perhaps astronomy or runes. Instead, Ginny asked, "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No," Hermione responded casually, not really giving thought to the question initially. Then her mind began to process.

'Why would Ginny want to know if I was seeing someone? Is there someone interested in me? Why do I want to know? It's not like they would even compare to Profess- NO! Stop.'

"Sorry Ginny, why do you want to know?" Hermione asked.

"No reason." She said it so casually that Hermione didn't know if she should actually be worried or if Ginny was just seeking knowledge about her friend.

Ginny walked away and Hermione resigned to simply worry about it when and if the time came.

Hermione entered the Great Hall and sat at the Gryffindor table next to Ron, already deep into his usual five course breakfast.

"Hi 'Mione," He greeted with a mouth full of beans and egg. Hermione looked at him, not able to hold back the look of disgust from reaching her face as she looked at Ron chewing open mouthed.

"Ron, do you realize that we do live in a civilized society with certain etiquette and protocol?"

"Yeah."

"Then why do you insist on eating like such an animal?"

"It goes with my animal magnetism," Ron responded with a grin and far too much pride. Hermione laughed and nudged him with her shoulder.

"You're deplorable."

"Then why are you smiling?" Ron asked nudging her back.

Sometimes, Hermione wished things could be simpler. There was a time that she harbored feelings of a romantic nature about Ron. Perhaps, a future together with little ginger kids running about, but the thoughts passed as her and Ron developed a more familiar relationship. She began to see him as she did Harry, like a brother.

Just then, Harry sat across from them, filling his plate with eggs and toast.

"Hi ya," He acknowledged them before he went to work on his plate, focusing mainly on the bread and just pushing the egg about with his fork. "So, what do we have today?" he asked Hermione. Harry still didn't pay much attention to his class schedule, or class work for that matter. It's not that he wasn't bright. Hermione knew full well the extent of his capability. It seemed lately that he was detached. So far away yet fighting to be ever so present.

Hermione, always the responsible party responded to Harry's inquiry. "We have Defence Against the Dark Arts after breakfast, break till lunch and double Potions after."

Harry and Ron groaned in unison. Hermione wanted to join them for an altogether different reason.

"Why? Why do we have to be the unfortunate ones?" Ron asked dramatically.

"Really, if you two paid attention to what's actually going on in your lives, you would be able to prepare for this."

"Hermione, this isn't our lives. It's just class," Harry said.

"Class is an important part of our lives," She responded

"No, Hermione," Harry continued. "It's an important part of your life." He pushed his plate away, grabbed his bag and made his way out of the hall. Hermione briefly wondered if she would be seeing him in Defence Against the Dark Arts. Then Harry's words passed once more through her mind.

Class was important to her. One class in particular. She wanted so desperately to look at the staff table. The conversation with Harry and Ron had distracted her. Now, however, Ron had no interest in conversation as he was finishing his meal.

She just wanted to look at him, if only briefly. To see the pale skin of his face shrouded by his ink black hair. More than anything, she wanted to stare at his lips. She's had dreams about those lips. Her mind has seen them do so much more than scolding.

Hermione willed her eyes to remain on the half drained glass of pumpkin juice she was pushing back and forth, from one hand to the other. In her mind, she could see herself turning her head to see if he's there. He is. She sees their eyes meeting.

'And what then?' she thinks as she constructs this fantasy. 'Then, then he stands abruptly. I don't know if he's leaving at first. Then I see he's making his way around the staff table and down the row of tables between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. My heart races as he makes his way to me. I don't know why, but I stand. If he is meaning to leave, I am now blocking his exit. Part of me knows what he wants. The other part is frightened. What if I'm wrong? I'm never wrong. He doesn't slow as he approaches me and I think he might just crash into me. However, as he nears, his pace slows a fraction and his arms reach out. He places his hands on either side of my face, forcing me to hold his gaze. His body presses to mine. Say it, he whispers to me. My knees go weak and my mind feels like it was never even there. He lowers his face to mine. His forehead now resting on mine. If I push only a little further I could finally feel him, taste him. Say it, Ms Granger, he instructs once more. And I comply. I need you, now.'

"'Mione?" Hermione is reeled out of her daze by Ron, now standing next to her, bag over his shoulder. "We're gonna be late, come on."

"Yeah, right behind you," Hermione answers, trying her best to sound casual. Ron left her knowing full well she wouldn't dip out of class, no matter how funny she was acting.

She took a breath to steady herself. Hermione grabbed her bag and proceeded out of the hall. She had accomplished her task and for that she was proud of herself. She had not looked at the staff table. 'Now all I have to do is have fantasies to distract me and I'll make it through this school year yet.'

"Pathetic," she said to herself.

"Who's pathetic?" Ginny asked, walking up behind her.

"What? No one. Well, me if we're getting specific," Hermione spouted.

"You're too hard on yourself. I have news for you. It might be pleasant enough to turn that, that, whatever that look is on your face into a smile," Ginny said.

"Right. Ginny, what is it?"

"Someone likes you."

'Crap. I didn't want to worry about whatever Ginny was up to this soon.'

"That's nice, I guess."

"You sound really enthusiastic," Ginny said sarcastically. "You don't even know who it is."

"Okay, who is it?"

"Seamus, he really likes you. He just doesn't know how to talk to you."

"Wow Ginny, Seamus is really sweet, it's just..." Hermione trailed off.

"Just what? You said he's really sweet. You've known him forever. Maybe not the best of friends, but that leaves room to get to know each other. So, what's the problem?"

'The problem is I have a ridiculous crush on our potions teacher and I fantasize about fucking him almost every night.'

"Ginny, he's just not my type."

"So, what is your type?"

'Older unavailable yet unbelievably sexy men.'

"I don't know really."

"Just talk to him."

"I'll talk to him, but I really only see him as a friend."

"Then talk to him as a friend, please."

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Hermione," Ginny said as she made her way down the hall in the opposite direction of Hermione.

Hermione made her way to class wondering what it was in the world that made the people you had no interest in, like you and the ones you really want not even give you a passing glance.

'It would help if I didn't want my professor.'