"Severus, I think I found it!" Hermione stood at the top of a 3-stair step ladder, and reached high on her toes. "I think the spell book is on the top shelf, but I can't reach it. You know, this ladder isn't very safe."

Snape was crouched down beside the ladder sorting through a pile of books. "It isn't made for people so small." She glared down to see a playful smirk on his face, and couldn't help but laugh.

Ever since their argument a few weeks before, their relationship as assistant/professor had improved drastically. He was still rude and cold in front of others, but when it was just them two, Severus Snape had this kind demeanor to him. She hoped he was just getting comfortable.

Over the course of the last few weeks she had begun to clean up the potions room. The store room was never well kept, and she figured while he was busy muddling with potions she wasn't ready to understand, she could give a little love and care to places that Severus didn't have time for. The room was really just a large storage cupboard off of the main class. Two of the walls were lined with old and dusty potions books piled in shelves as high as the ceiling. The other two walls were lined with vials of finished potions, satchels and boxes of ingredients, and various tools for making an array of magical mixes. The first couples of sessions that Hermione was cleaning up the cupboard she was alone, giving her chance to read bits of the books that she was trying to categorize. Slowly Snape started entering the store room more often, looking for books he remembered he once owned, or doing a quick inventory of a particular item. He would make excuses to enter and then quickly make an excuse to leave. Today was the first time Snape actually began to help Hermione.

"Magical Maladies and Miracle Mends…" Hermione read. "Is this the one?"

Snape stood up and brushed the dust off of his trousers. Their clothing had become casual in their work. Snape wore a simple white button up and black trousers, while Hermione sported jeans and a tank top at most of their meetings. The classroom was too warm from brewing to wear heavy robes anyways. "I believe so, but let me get it. It's too high for you."

"No it's fine," Hermione reached higher on her toes and grabbed the book, but lost her balance and began to fall. Instinctively Snape reached up to steady her, and Hermione let out a small gasp as she felt a strong hands firmly grab hold of her hips. She spun around to face him, his hands still on her hips to steady her as she wobbled again. The lower step of the ladder gave her a bit of extra height and her face was parallel with his. "Uh… thanks."

She stared in his dark eyes as he held her hips for a moment longer... too long. "Be careful Hermione," he breathed, his voice taking an almost husky tone. "You wouldn't want to get hurt." He let go of her hips, and took the book from her hand. She watched as he left the room, and she didn't realize how heavy she was breathing until the sound of her breaths was the only sound in the room.

"I've got to go for the night," she followed him into the classroom. "I am meeting Ron, and I don't want to keep him waiting." She cleaned up some papers she left on the desk and put them in her bag.

"Very well," Snape replied curtly, his eyes not moving from some pages of the book she had just retrieved.

Hermione eyed him warily, his mood seemed to have shifted so drastically within seconds. She wondered if it was something she did. "I'm sorry that I almost fell." Instantly she realized how stupid she sounded apologizing. It's not like she fell on purpose. Like she intentionally reached too high… well she did reach to high… but she was just trying to help.

"It's fine. Thank you for the book." His appreciation was so dry.

Hermione picked a fluff off her shirt, delaying her departure. "Did you still want me to come early tomorrow?"

"If you want."

She nodded to herself deciding that she clearly overstayed her welcome, and made her way to the door looking back one more time before exiting the dungeon.