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Disclaimer: Neither Hermione Granger nor Rogue Cheney are characters of my own creation - I am just playing in the sandbox of greater beings!
The next day, after potions, Hermione purposely packed her things away slowly, and when only she and the professor were left in the class she walked over to him.
"Professor, I was wondering if there is a potion to help with motion sickness," she asked, biting the inside of her cheek nervously. Snape narrowed his eyes at her, but answered anyway.
"Yes, Miss Granger." He said with his customary sneer. "It's called the Travellus potion, due to it's tendency to be used by wizards before travelling in muggle vehicles. Is that all?"
"N-no, sir. Um, actually, do you perhaps know of a book in which I could find the recipe?" She asked tentatively.
"I believe you could find it on page 377 in Barry Berton's Domestic Potions." He said in his normal, emotionless voice, but his eyes showed a hint of surprise - Hermione Granger was actually asking him about something - not acting like a know-it-all, for once.
"Thank you, sir." She said quickly, and left, leaving Snape staring after her.
The potions master sat down in his chair, and pinched the bridge of his nose. With nothing to do, his thoughts soon turned to the source of his incoming headache: Hermione Granger.
The girl was an enigma.
Contrary to popular belief, he didn't hate her. Her thirst for knowledge actually reminded him of himself when he was younger.
No, what really got to him was partially her choice in friends, but more than that, the way she acted, like she knew everything. Even though it was he who was the potions master, she would walk into his classroom and act like she knew more than him - it irked him to no end.
He sighed and walked off to his quarters for a well-deserved drink. Maybe she's not that bad after all, he thought, before drowning his thoughts out with fire-whiskey.
Hermione wondered through the corridors of Hogwarts aimlessly. She had indeed found the book Professor Snape had told her about, but when she took it to Madam Pince, the stern librarian refused to lend it to her.
Apparently, the book had gone out of print soon after being released, due to a dangerous mistake in the Vatque Mallev potion, and this copy was only one of 50 that hadn't been recalled. Hermione sighed in defeat. She'd been kicked out after that, as the library was closing, and hadn't even had enough time to copy down the recipe, so she had to wait until tomorrow at least.
Looking defeated, she started the long trek back to the Gryffindor dorms, and flopped face-first onto her bed once she got there, yelping as she landed on something hard.
She sat up, and looked at the book she had just fallen on, blinking in surprise at the title, because there in obnoxiously shiny letters were the words Domestic Potions. She opened the book, and a small piece of parchment fell out. Hermione picked it up and read it.
Make use of the book. I expect it back next lesson.
S.S.
Hermione recognised that handwriting, and the initials just confirmed it, but she was confused - why would Professor Snape send her this book? He hated her, almost as much as he hated Harry.
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, unconsciously mimicking her potions professor, Hermione flipped through the book to page 377, and began copying down the recipe.
It was relatively simple, compared to potions like polyjuice, but it needed lots of rare ingredients that Hermione would struggle to get.
Maybe Professor Snape... she mused silently, but dismissed the thought. Even if he had lent her this book, he still hated her...didn't he?
Hermione cast a quick tempus charm, and seeing that it was about three in the morning, dragged herself into bed and fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Hermione looked at the empty landscape around her. "Hermione..." A voice whispered, and Hermione turned, searching for the source. "Hermione...wake up, Hermione!"
The Gryffindor bolted upright, almost head butting Lucy in the nose. The blonde chuckled. "I thought you might appreciate someone telling you that it's almost time for breakfast. Those other girls, Parvati and Lavender told me to leave you, but..." Lucy trailed off, wrinkling her nose when talking about their roommates.
"Thank you," Hermione said, rushing round the room for some fresh robes. "Godamn it...Lucy, have you seen any of my robes around here? I fell asleep in these and I can't find any others."
Lucy grinned and pulled out her keys. "I haven't seen your robes, but I can help you out. Open! Gate of the Virgin, Virgo! Gate of the Crab, Cancer!" She yelled, and there was a flash of golden light. When it cleared, Lucy was flanked by a pink haired woman in a maid outfit and a man with crab legs on his back.
"Good morning, Princess. What do you wish for me to do?" The maid asked.
"Can you go fetch Hermione some clothes? They need to pass for Hogwarts robes, so nothing too ostentatious, please." Lucy said, and the maid nodded before disappearing .
The crab man grinned at them. "What can I do for you today, baby?" He said, snipping his scissors. His eyes drifted from Lucy to Hermione, and he gasped. "Your hair...so much potential, baby! Can I?" He said, gesturing towards her hair.
"Knock yourself out. I should warn you, though, no one has been able to tame it yet." Hermione said shrugging.
Lucy grinned at her again. "Don't worry, Cancer is the best stylist - in our world and his!" Hermione raised an eyebrow, but let Cancer steer her towards the chair. Within thirty seconds, Hermione's unruly, untameable curls became soft gentle waves that fell down past her waist, and framed her face perfectly. Cancer smirked as he admired his handiwork.
"Gorgeous, baby," he said smugly, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Soon after, the maid returned, this time with an armful of robes. "These robes seemed adequate, Princess. I took the liberty of memorising Miss Hermione's measurements before I left, so these should fit perfectly," she said, handing the robes over to Lucy.
"Thanks, Virgo," she said, running a finger over the fabric distractedly. Virgo bowed, and disappeared in a similar fashion to Cancer. Lucy gave the robes to Hermione, and turned her back so the other girl could have some privacy.
When she turned back around, the blonde let out a squeal of delight - the robes were perfect! The celestial silk was not only soft to the touch, but shimmered slightly, thanks to the stardust woven into the fibres of the fabric, and Hermione's small, soft curves were framed perfectly by the robes.
Lucy pushed Hermione towards the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, and the brunette took a deep breath before opening her eyes. Blinking her eyes, Hermione brought a hand to her face, and the stranger in the mirror did the same. "Wow," she whispered. "I look...pretty..." She sounded as though she didnt quite believe herself.
"Hermione Granger," Lucy said with faked sternness. "You don't look pretty. You look drop-dead gorgeous! Rogue is going to freak when he sees you in that!"
Hermione blushed. "It's not that obvious, is it?" She said, wondering if anyone else knew about her little crush.
Lucy smirked, and for a moment Hermione couldn't believe that the blonde wasn't in Slytherin. "No, don't worry. As far as I know, Natsu, Gray, Sting and Gajeel are too dense to pick up on it, Levy is obsessed with Gajeel and Erza with Jellal. And Rogue wouldn't be able to believe anyone would like him, so you have no worries there either," she said, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.
Unbeknownst to the two, Sting was aware of Hermione's crush - and knew that his brother also felt the same way! Sat at the breakfast table, he glanced at the doors quickly, and once Rogue came in, dragged him over to the Gryffindor table.
"You know I'm a Ravenclaw, right?" He said, and Sting grinned.
"Awwwww, can I not have my little brother sit with me for once? I missed you!" He said enthusiastically, making Rogue roll his eyes. Suddenly a hush descended over the hall, and the two brothers turned towards the door. What they saw made Sting's grin widen and Rogue's jaw drop open.
Lucy and Hermione were walking towards the Gryffindor table, but instead of the frizzy mess it usually was, Hermione's hair fell in soft waves down her back, and her robes weren't the normal oversized boys' ones she usually wore. Instead, they were perfectly sized - not too tight, but enough to show off her curves. The robes glistened and shimmered with each step Hermione took, and before Rogue realised it, the brunette was sliding in beside him at the table.
"Hi Rogue!" She said happily, before grabbing some toast and buttering it, oblivious to the stares and whispers following her. Rogue closed his mouth, and tried not to stare, and his grip tightened on the fork he was holding so much that he managed to warp the shape of the metal. So much for subtlety, he thought despairingly as Hermione shot him a questioning look.
After they had finished eating breakfast, Dumbledore stood up, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Good morning, students!" He said cheerfully. "As we have already restarted the tri-wizard tournament, the teachers of Hogwarts, Durmstrang and Mahoutokoro have decided to bring back another time-honoured tradition - the Yule Ball! No, it is not compulsory, but it would be a shame if anyone missed it. As it will be held on Christmas Day, any students who are going home for the holidays will be provide with a portkey here, and can either return later in the evening or stay over night."
As Dumbledore sat down, there was an atmosphere of excitement as students began talking about the ball, what they were going to wear, who they were going to ask.
Hermione sighed. No doubt that Lucy, Levy and Erza will make me go, she thought. I guess it won't be that bad...will it?
As Hermione walked into potions, she noticed that most Gryffindors and even some Slytherins turned to watch her as she walked in. Suddenly conscious of every movement she made, Hermione sat down at the desk in the back corner of the room and unpacked her potions kit.
Professor Snape swept into the room in his usual dramatic manner a few minutes later, and wrote the recipe on the board before sitting down at his desk, making the Gryffindors uncomfortable with his glaring.
Hermione concentrated on her potion in an effort to block out the whispers of her classmates, and didn't notice Ron moving towards her potion until it was too late. She lunged to try and catch the lacewing flies that he threw in her cauldron, but only succeeded in getting herself in the splash zone of the unstable elixir.
The blue potion bubbled violently, turning a sickly shade of green, and the noises it was emitting drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Professor Snape, who jumped up, whipping out his wand.
At that moment, the cauldron erupted in a tide of steaming sludge that melted Hermione's desk and started eating away at the stone walls like acid. When the air cleared, Hermione was miraculously unharmed, probably due to the protective wall that had stopped the potion from hitting her. Snape looked absolutely livid as he ordered everyone but Hermione out of the classroom and vanished the disastrous potion with a quick flick of his wand. He shepherded Hermione into his office and closed the door, warding it against intruders before collapsing in the chair behind his desk.
"Sit, Miss Granger," he said quietly, and Hermione sat so fast she almost fell over. This made the potions master smile - a real, genuine smile that made Hermione gasp in astonishment.
Professor Snape started laughing at that, small chuckles that soon transformed into deep booking belly laughs. When he had calmed now, Snape wiped away the tears of mirth gathered in the corners of his eyes, but kept a grin on his face. "I think you have realised by now that I obviously know it wasn't you who caused the explosion," he said, making her nod vigorously. "I saw Ronald walk towards your potion, but I thought he was simply going to talk to you, not sabotage your work. I apologise for not stopping him. Now, I would like to clear up some misunderstandings. Despite what you may belive, Miss. Granger, I do not hate you, or even dislike you. On the contrary, I admire your desire to learn, and you certainly have a gift for academics. However, what I do not like the way you act in my lessons, as though you know more than me - as though you are the potions master, and not me," he paused, and Hermione's face flushed red with embarassment.
"However, you have definitely grown over these past few years, finally recognising my authority, and I find myself able to tolerate your presence - and I have decided to make you an offer. In return for your treating me as your professor, rather than with this manner of disdain, I will tutor you in potions, and if you wish to, you can become my apprentice when you come of age." He said, hoping she bought his weak excuse. In actual fact, he really wanted to tutor her, because...well, he didn't know, but he didn't want her to know that either.
Hermione grinned. "Really?! That would be amazing, sir!" She said happily.
"Severus. You may call me Severus in private, Miss Granger," he said.
"Well, Severus, in that case please call me Hermione," she smiled.
Severus nodded. "Hermione, then. If anyone asks I gave you a detention tonight. I assume you have brought my book with you?" He said, and Hermione nodded, pulling Domestic Potions out of her bag - which had miraculously survived the potions accident!
"Good. We will be brewing the Travellus potion tonight. I will see you at 5 pm sharp, don't be late." With that, Severus led Hermione out of his office, and, for the benefit of any eavesdroppers, began lecturing her.
"In short, Miss Granger, what you did was not only amateurish and irresponsible, but dangerous. You could have injured or even killed one of your classmates with that mess. Now get out!" He hissed, winking briefly at her as she left. She raised her eyebrows at him before schooling her expression into a mask of embarrassment and misery, her eyes filling with fake tears.
As soon as she left the class, Harry ran over to her. "Hermione! Are you ok?" He said, and she nodded miserably, sniffling a bit for effect.
"I-I'm fine, Harry. At least the potion didn't hit me! I'd have been a goner then..." She said the last bit for the benefit of a certain red-head she knew was lurking in one of the nearby alcoves.
Harry's eyes widened. "Oh my God..." He whispered, and Ron walked over.
"I'm so sorry, 'Mione. I shouldn't have done that, it was stupid of me," he said guiltily.
Hermione's eyes turned cold, her expression stony. "No, I'm sorry, Ronald. I'm sorry that that pitiful excuse of an apology will not suffice. You almost killed me, idiot! And I won't even start on your behaviour these last few days, towards both Harry and myself. So, in other words, not forgiven!" She hissed, and whirled around, planning on walking away, but instead coming face to face with Rogue.
He smirked at her in a Slytherin manner. "Hey 'Mione, I came to tell you, Sting's called a guild meeting. It's in that room you showed us on the tour," he said.
Hermione nodded at Harry and ignored Ron. "See you later, Harry, gotta go now." She transfigured her robes into something more suited to what Sabertooth wore, and the boys' jaws dropped when they saw her mark.
"Wh-when did you get a tattoo, 'Mione?" Ron asked, but Hermione just ignored him.
"Do you mind shadow-travelling, 'Mione? It'll be quicker that way." Rogue asked, and Hermione nodded and grabbed his hand.
"Let's go!" She said, grinning at him. He returned her smile, and pulled her into an embrace before shadow-travelling to the hallway outside of the Room of Requirement.
Rogue gave Hermione a moment to recover before they went in; shadow-travel was quite disorientating the first time. Once she felt less dizzy, Hermione nodded to Rogue, and they walked into the Room of Requirement.
A/N - Woohoo, Cancer makes an appearance and Snape laughs. Actually. Fucking. Laughs. Ron still being a bit of a dick (like I said in the last chapter - apologies to Ron lovers. He still isn't going to get any better), I mean, he probably should have apologised for calling Hermione a mudblood before anything else. Hermione liiiikes Rogue! ^•_•^ (that was supposed to be Happy, but it really doesn't look like him)
Reviews are welcome as always •^_^•