Well, people have been clamoring for the next installment, and although I have been working on it, and I wanted to make it a little bit longer before posting, I decided that this should do, and should also tide you all over until the next chapter comes up, hopefully within the next week. Enjoy and please review! If you have any suggestions or ideas for something you'd like to see, please tell me, and I'll try to work it in. Also, I'm DYING to find someone to do some one-on-one Harry Potter roleplaying with over a AIM, Yahoo or something like that… Snape and Hermione, of course… so if you're interested drop me an email or let me know in your review.

XXXXX

"Now let me get this straight." Ron Weasley had a look on his face like he had just been told that there is no Santa Claus. "You argued with Snape after Potions about the grade you got on your three feet on the properties of basilisk venom, and he gave you a week of detention?!"

He and Harry shared the same expression of shocked disbelief as they stared at her from across the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, and Hermione flushed.

"Yes, Ron. That's what I just finished telling you." she hissed, obviously trying to ensure that other students did not overhear.

Harry's expression turned to one of outrage.

"He's just doing this because you're my friend." he exclaimed, and Hermione shook her head vehemently.

"No, he's doing this because I was disrespectful and rude to him, and accused him of giving me a poor grade because he doesn't know anything about the subject."

The boys stared at her in silence for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

"Oh, I wish I could have seen his face!" Ron exclaimed, and Hermione rolled her eyes. A quick glance at the clock told her that she should be returning to the dungeons, and she stood, carefully masking her discomfort as she straightened herself, then picked up her books.

"I'll be late tonight, I'm sure. Don't wait up for me." she stated simply, then gave them a short wave as she turned and exited the Hall.

It had not been lost on Hermione that Professor Snape had not arrived for supper, and she hoped that missing the meal would not mean that he would be even more unpleasant that evening, although she knew that it was a distinct possibility, for sure.

By the time she was back at the door to his private labs (after successfully dodging both Peeves and Malfoy), she was slightly out of breath, and wondering if Professor Snape might be willing to give her some more of that pain relieving potion that she had taken earlier. While her memories were cloudy at best regarding the ten minutes of painless bliss after she'd swallowed down the bitter fluid, she did recall his arms around her at one point, and the comfort they had offered as her slightly intoxicated mind released all anguish and long subdued shock at her attack. And she could also recall how comforting it felt to be held by him, even if she remembered only bits and pieces.

Cautiously, Hermione raised a fist and knocked at the oak door before her, then lowered her hand and waited. A moment or so later, it swung open and she was greeted by the dark eyes of the Potions Master himself.

"Miss Granger. How good of you to join me." He sneered, then stood aside and let her enter.

She did so unfalteringly, and did not even jump when he slammed the door behind her.

"The potion is nearly ready for consumption," he stated simply. "I will require a second examination of your injury."

Hermione turned, surprised, and began to wring her hands.

It seemed that flinging her blouse open at the spur of the moment was much easier than being asked to, and she flushed bright red as she began to unbutton the front of her robes, avoiding her Professor's gaze carefully.

For his part, Severus was having a difficult time keeping himself from embarrassment as well. It was one thing to view her midriff in the heat of argument, but he could not deny that he was looking forward, at least somewhat, to a quick glance at the Gryffindor's chest before moving on to examine her wound a second time.

Which, he thought to himself, is perfectly normal and acceptable, any man would look forward to such a thing when faced with a woman-any woman. He nodded internally. That I may or may not be anticipating a peek at her breasts is neither here nor there, any man would do the same. It means nothing, absolutely and positively nothing at all.

Pity. He almost believed it.

Several minutes went by before Hermione was shyly opening her shirt to show the injury again, and she screwed her eyes shut tightly in total mortification.

Which is why she gasped loudly when she felt cool fingers on her a few moments later.

"Hold still," Severus hissed as he carefully probed her skin, a look of concentration on his face. "I do not wish to cause you pain, but if you insist on moving all over the place like an antsy child, I cannot be held responsible for your discomfort."

Hermione held her breath as she looked down at the top of his head, watching his facial expressions shift and change as he carefully examined her charred flesh. While uncomfortable, the contact of his fingertips against her was not painful, and she found herself wondering if those hands could be so gentle with uninjured flesh as well…

"I must finish the potion," He was standing up gracefully, then striding across the room. "Leave your midsection exposed. I will want to examine it fully while you consume the first dose to watch for any changes that may take place."

Hermione nodded despite the fact that he could not see her-his back was turned-and seated herself in his chair to await his next orders, sighing softly.

"Once you have taken the potion, you must get adequate rest. I will insist that you go straight to your dormitory-no socializing, no studying, and no rule-breaking tonight."

Hermione blinked, surprised.

"But Professor, I thought you wanted me to repay you for the ingredients and time, if the potion is almost complete and I'm to rest afterwards, how-"

"Next time, Miss Granger," he spoke, cutting her off smoothly. "The store room will still be here tomorrow night."

She smiled, only because his back was still turned and he could not see it. She recognized this as the stoic Professor being kind to her in his own way. Before she had a moment or two to analyze this new information (why would he want to be kind to her-didn't he hate her?), he was walking toward the desk and her chair with a steaming black ceramic mug in his hands.

"Now then, Miss Granger, drink up."

The liquid was foul against her tongue, and she sputtered slightly before downing the last dredges in the bottom, nose wrinkling in distaste. Almost immediately she felt a strange stretching sensation across her stomach, not unlike the feeling of the Polyjuice potion she'd taken so long ago beginning to take effect, and for a brief moment she had the terrified thought that she was about to sprout fur and a tail once again. However when she looked down it was just in time to see the blackened color of her flesh fade to a sickly gray. No fur in sight.

Hermione's eyes flicked up to catch the gaze of the Potions Professor, and she relaxed when she saw no real concern on his face.

"Just as I expected. Excellent," he said simply, then straightened and smoothed down his robes. "Please replace your clothing, Miss Granger."

Hermione did so quickly as her mind raced a million miles a minute. Before she had a chance to form any complete conclusions about the whole experience, however, Snape was putting away the last of the supplies and moving towards her.

"Why are you still here?" he demanded almost wearily. She flushed just a bit, and then began to speak quickly before she lost her nerve.

"Sir, are you going to tell the Headmaster about this? Or Professor McGonagall?" she whispered, and Severus rolled his eyes briefly.

"Not unless I absolutely must." he ground out, and Hermione frowned.

"But Sir, you said it yourself! Draco used very dark and dangerous magic against me! Shouldn't he be punished?" she demanded. "Shouldn't the ministry be informed? Professor Dumbledore would be-"

"Then perhaps, Miss Granger, you should have gone to Professor Dumbledore instead of me." he sneered grandly, and Hermione bit her lip, as if holding more words back by force alone.

"I will take care of Mr. Malfoy, I assure you of that."

Hermione found herself nodding in understanding without really meaning to, and Severus gave her his closest approximation of an actual smile. Rather frightening, really.

"Good. Now get yourself to Gryffindor Tower, and be sure to get the best sleep possible. If during the day you find yourself in too much pain to wait for our evening meeting, excuse yourself to the restroom and come directly to me."

"Yes, sir." Hermione said softly, then turned and began to walk toward the closed door. A 'click' sounded, and it opened just a crack.

"Oh, and Hermione?"

She turned her head to look over her shoulder curiously, one hand outstretched toward the knob.

"Do be sure not to tell anyone of this, hmm? Good night."

It was only as Hermione crawled into her bed that night and tucked her cold toes under an extra layer of warm fleece blanket that she realized he had called her by her first name.

And only in the dreams which followed that she realized how much she liked it.

XXXXX

"Oi, Mione! What did Snape have you doing in detention last night? You look bloody exhausted!"

Hermione wasn't sure if it was due to her headache or a strange twist of nature that made Ron Weasley speaking to her from across the breakfast table with his mouth full of food even more annoying (not to mention disgusting) than usual. As it were, she wrinkled her nose, casting him a glare before replying.

"I was replacing labels on potion bottles, and honestly Ron, in 16 years has your mother really failed to teach you any manners?"

Ron's ears reddened just a little, but then he was swallowing and laughing.

"C'mon, Hermione! We can't all be dainty pansies, can we?" He nudged Harry, who grinned and shoved in his own enormous mouthful before giving Hermione a truly grotesque grin.

'Well, that doesn't mean you need to stuff your faces like trolls, either, does it?"

The boys just laughed, and Hermione rolled her eyes. From the corner of her gaze she saw movement, and a quick look toward the staff table showed that Professor Snape was striding from the dais and toward the Slytherin table. She continued to watch as he stopped behind Draco Malfoy, then leaned down and spoke quietly in his ear for a few moments, straightened and without a backwards glance left the Great Hall, robes billowing out behind him as always.

Quickly, Hermione snapped her eyes back to Harry and Ron, but if they noticed her momentarily distracted state, they weren't saying anything.

Relieved, she continued to eat her breakfast, knowing that Professor Snape was keeping his word and handling the situation with Draco, and feeling a wave of happiness at the realization that he must not hate her so much, after all.

XXXXX

Severus Snape was exhausted. After a long day dealing with dunderheads and Longbottom's-in-training there was an acute pain in his head, and he felt as though he'd suffered a few dozen Cruciatus Curses as the hands of the Dark Lord. The fleeting thought that he was growing too old for this line of work crossed his mind, and he frowned, forehead creasing.

Miss Granger was due to his office within the hour for his treatment of her curse wound, and he was a little apprehensive about her arrival. Quite simply, he was tired, irritated, and knew that the gentle manner in which the Gryffindor would need to be treated would be very difficult for him to achieve. He did not want to frighten the poor girl, just because he had to pretend to have a great prejudice against her didn't mean that he wanted to be cruel when no one else was around. Severus groaned, reminding himself that Granger, Potter and Weasley knew of his status as a Spy for the Order. He had not, however, changed his treatment of the "Boy Who Lived to be a Pain in His Neck" or his ginger sidekick when in private with them… so why should he treat their brainy female companion any differently? Removing his outer robe and hanging it over the back of his desk chair, Severus concluded that there was no point in trying to reason anything out right now. The potion, which had been brewing for the past hour or so, was ready for consumption, and he busied himself with decanting it into a bottle and setting it aside to cool. Next, he went to his desk and dug through a few drawers before he found the tin of Magdon's Magical Salve (guaranteed to soothe even the deepest cursed wound or dragon burn!) and placed it beside the potion, trying not to consider the fact that he would have to make contact with her bare skin (on her midriff again, no less) in order to apply it. A quick glance at the clock told him that the ever-punctual girl would be arriving any moment now, and he started slightly when he realized that he had been unconsciously smoothing his robes and hair in preparation for her return.

Severus had to smile as he recalled the dirty looks he'd received from Potter and Weasley all through Potions that afternoon, and he knew that Granger must have told them about her week's worth of "detentions" the night before, or possibly that morning. Anything that bothered Potter that much was good news as far as Severus was concerned, and as a small part of his mind tried to remind him that this Potter was not the one from his past, a gentle knock came to his door. Lazily, Severus flicked his want in that general direction, and a moment later Hermione Granger was poking her head inside.

"Good evening, Professor."

He nodded his greeting, and the student slipped into his office the rest of the way, closing the door quietly behind herself.

"Miss Granger. Right on time." He pointed to his desk chair, and once she was seated, he summoned the potion to his hand, looked down into her eyes, and spoke a simple command.

"Open your shirt."

His frank statement caused butterflies to suddenly go wild in her stomach, and Hermione fumbled with her buttons for a moment before managing to bare her torso to his gaze once again. The potion was thrust into her grasp, and Hermione drank it down, anticipating the foul taste.

Which is why she was surprised when she encountered a pleasant mint flavor instead.

Severus, meanwhile, was focused on watching as the dull gray of her wound lightened to a smoky shade, and the near-melted, puckered texture smoothed out a bit. When he lifted his gaze back to meet the girl's eyes, he blinked at her apparent confusion.

"This potion tasted like something died in it last night."

He scowled.

"And now, it was actually refreshing." She fell silent, the question obvious.

"Ahh yes. I added mint. For its healing properties." He explained concisely, the turned to grab the tin of Magdon's, breaking eyes contact.

Hermione cracked a small smile. "And I'm sure the fact that it eliminated the bad taste was no factor in your decision." She mused, eyes twinkling.

"Hmm?" he turned back, tin in hand, and twisted the cap off, then scooped a generous portion onto his fingers. "No, I could care less whether you find the taste to be palatable or nauseating." He grumbled, and then began smearing the salve across her wound quickly.

Hermione gasped, jumping in surprise, and he froze. Meeting her gaze, he frowned.

"Painful?" he questioned, and Hermione flushed as she noticed the concern in his expression, and then shook her head.

"Cold." She stated, and Severus rolled his eyes and continued to apply the creamy, gel-like substance liberally.

"You will find a quill and fresh pot of ink on the table nearest the store cupboards. Simple vanishing and refreshing spells will prepare the labels on the jars and bottles so that you may rewrite upon them. You will work until supper, after which you are free until tomorrow evening. I will be grading papers, do not disturb me."

With all that said, Severus replaced the lid on the tin, scourgified his hands, than shooed Hermione from his chair, watching her walk toward the storage cupboards before sitting down and beginning to attend to his work.

Hermione found the almost mindless task of replacing the labels to be rather relaxing, all things considered, and she let her mind wander a bit as she worked. Just what exactly was Professor Snape doing to ensure that Malfoy wouldn't come after her again? She knew better than to ask, that was for sure. And why wouldn't he tell Dumbledore? It seemed like something the headmaster should know about. Maybe she should tell him herself?

She glanced at the Potions master for a second, than mentally shook her head. No, that would not be a wise move. Snape was helping her, and actually being civil, if not exactly kind. He must have a good reason for wanting to keep Dumbledore in the dark about the situation, and Hermione decided to trust his judgment for now, at least.

An hour went by quickly, and Severus looked up from his work long enough to clear his throat and meet Hermione's startled gaze.

"You may leave for supper now." He stated simply, and she nodded, collected her things, and headed for the door.

"Same time tomorrow, Professor?" she asked and he frowned.

"Unfortunately, yes. Good evening, Hermione."

She gave a shy smile, noting his use of her first name for the second time, but she may as well not have bothered. He was already face-down in his work again. Sighing, she let herself out, closing the door solidly behind and slowly walking toward the Great Hall.

XXXXX

"Wow, Snape only had you in there for a little over an hour, 'Mione! He must be going soft!" Ron looked surprised, and a little suspicious, as well.

"He usually keeps me a lot longer." Harry remarked, before taking a bite of his supper. Hermione just shrugged, and filled her plate, glancing to Professor Snape's empty seat at the head table. Had he always come in late, and she'd never noticed before?

Harry and Ron were talking about the upcoming Quidditch match now, and Hermione allowed her eyes to briefly scan the rest of the room. That was when she noticed Malfoy was missing too. She was just starting to consider the implication of this when the doors to the Great hall opened and Severus entered, the missing Slytherin at his side. They appeared to be engaged in some discussion, although it ceased by the time the doors were closed behind them, and then Malfoy met her gaze, a look of pure hatred in his eyes so strong that Hermione shuddered.

Snape escorted him all the way to his seat at the Slytherin table, than walked to his own place on the dais, never looking in Hermione's direction once, much to her consternation. What had just happened? Whatever it was, Malfoy looked fit to be tied, he was positively fuming, and appeared to be having a very heated discussion with the students nearest him. Severus, meanwhile, was calmly loading his plate, as if nothing had happened.

This was absurd, Hermione concluded. When she saw Professor Snape the following night, she would demand answers, she deserved to know how Malfoy was being taken care of, and she wanted reassurance from the Professor that he was no longer a danger.

The matter settled in her mind, Hermione began to eat her supper, putting it all from her mind as she began to plan her studies for the rest of the evening.

It was only then that Severus looked up at the Gryffindor, studying her carefully, a pensive, thoughtful expression overtaking his usually stoic features.

The next few days, he mused, would be very interesting. He was sure about that.