AN: Yes, it is another chapter. Hopefully it doesn't completely suck…Tell me how y'all like it please….And I'm still working on the humor, I personally have a very dry one myself so it may take a bit of trial and error…Give me some ideas and I'll look into them! Cheers!

He's Not One of Us

Chapter Four

Hermione was in a haze, she had finally done it, after all the restless nights of seeing him grin at her, talk with her, listening to her. She had been tormented seeing him slowly fall into a moody and dark person, losing the kind and thoughtful boy she had seen through their first and second years. At least he could still laugh, could still smile, and the fact that it was only with her made it all the more special. She let a small smile creep onto her face as she remembered how she felt sitting on his lap, the little thrill that had went through her when she had realized that she was that close to him with only her thin panties and his slacks as a barrier. She had seen his beautiful green eyes darken when he realized their position and had felt his hands pull her just a little close, she had been so sure he was going to kiss her but then Dobby popped in with a tray of food and pumpkin juice for them. The sudden squeak from the small creature snapped them back to reality.

"Oi, Hermione, where have you been? You weren't at dinner," the grating voice of the youngest Weasley boy crashed her thoughts to a shrieking halt.

"It is none of your business, Ronald," she snapped as she adjusted her satchel and made her way to the table where she normally took over with her homework. The sudden firm grip on her arm caused her to snap her head around to glare at the redhead.

"Where were you, Hermione?"

"It's none of your business, now leave me alone. I have work to do," she tried to jerk her arm away from his grasp but he wouldn't budge; she could feel bruises forming.

"You've been with Potter, haven't you? Of course, you have. You're nothing but a little mudblood whore bet that dark wanker has had you doing all sorts of things for him," Ron growled at her. Hermione gasped at the boy she once called a friend.

"How can you say that? Harry's my friend and yours too at one point. Is this really all because you are too stupid to think that he entered this pathetic excuse at entertainment on his own volition? You know as well as I that he hates the spotlight, the fame of his moniker!" she raved as her temper began to boil over.

"It's beyond that, Hermione. He's dark, I've seen the way he gets into Defense, and how he actually looks for the Dark Arts. How else did he survive You-Know-Who all these years?" Hermione once more tried to get free of Ron's grip.

"You're not denying it, Hermione. So even you think he's going dark," the redhead's words sent a dagger through her heart, he had given voice to her fears, but another part of her cried out against it. She could keep him human, he had said it himself.

"No, I don't think he's dark, Ronald. I will not abandon him like you have. Now, let me go!" she jerked away from him just as Crookshanks attacked the Weasley's leg and began to viscously crawl up his body. The instant he let her go she pulled her wand out, as if in slow motion she watched Ron finally get her cat off of himself and fling him to the ground. Ron pulled out his own wand in the attempt to kill the cat.

"Ruddy animal, I'll show you!"

Hermione sent a shield to protect Crookshanks as Ron's spell bounced off but before he could turn to see who had stopped him he was slung into the wall with a sickening crunch as his arm was caught between him and the wall. He slumped to the ground staring at the witch that glowed slightly as her magic was fueled by her anger.

"You evil stupid little cockroach, if I ever see you near my cat, my things, or myself again in anything other than classes so help me you will be nothing but a smudge on the stones of this castle. Be out of my sight when I come back down with my things," she promised her magic spiking with her temper.

"No need Miss Hermy, I have your stuff," She looked over to see Dobby in the middle of the room, her trunk hovering behind him. She ignored everyone around her as she nodded to the little elf.

"Thank you, Dobby, take them somewhere safe please,"

"Yes, Miss Hermy," Dobby popped away with her trunk and cat instantly. Hermione sent one last glare as she swept past the huddled Weasley leaving the Gryffindor Common Room. The twins and Ginny ran to their brother. Fred and George shaking their heads at their little brother.

"You really are a stupid cockroach, Ron," Fred stated

"You've got Harry and Hermione as enemies now," George added as they patched him up. Ron at least had the decency to blanch at that scary thought.

Harry let out a breath of air as he stopped in front of the Potions Master's door. The stupidity of telling the man of his secret studies had not left his mind since it registered on the way to the Great Hall. He was sure the wizard had already ran to tell the Headmaster the juicy tidbit. He didn't even know why he was here, sure he had told Hermione that Snape may be on his side but three years of pointed remarks against him, how could he be sure. It was too late now, he was already there. He quickly knocked to hear the crisp command to enter.

"You wanted to speak with me, Professor," Harry stated as he went to stand in front of the large dark mahogany desk. He waited for the absent wave of the professor's hand to sit in one of the two straight back seats in the same dark wood. Snape stopped writing to look directly into Harry's eyes. The teen felt a soft brush amongst his mind and immediately recognized it as Legilimancy, his mental walls of black marble clamped into place halting the teacher's attempt. The only sign on Snape's face of his surprise was an eyebrow that arched up.

"Good, I didn't even get to your earlier thoughts,"

"What do you want, Professor?" Harry asked on his guard. He waited as the silence grew between them until just as Harry reached the end of his patience.

"To see the damage that has already been done. This is no easier for me than it is for you, but it must be done," Snape stated finally while he slowly laid his quill down.

"What is the Headmaster going to do with me after this fiasco is done?" Harry asked without a hint of the torrent of emotions going on inside.

"The Headmaster believes anyone can be redeemed so he will do nothing but try to force a love of those sour candies into you. Have no fear of retribution from him; it's the outside world you must worry about, Mr. Potter," Snape watched the roll of the boy's eyes at his candy comment and he was unnerved that he had already known that he would inform Dumbledore.

"I imagine there will be a great deal of howlers and other matters of hate mail as well as the Ministry attempting to put me in Azkaban. It's no worse than being here and being sent to my relatives. Professor, why are you trying? You've never even gave a damn, you've done the exact opposite, and you don't exactly have the best of reputations of being a 'good guy'," Harry asked as he leaned back slightly at the candid answer from the "dungeon bat".

"How can your relatives by anywhere near Azkaban? I know you've seen that godfather of yours before the niceties of living in a house for an extended period of time," Snape asked before he could stop himself.

"Secrets are that for a reason, I'm not asking you why you turned out the way you did," Harry growled, he was shocked from his anger when Snape nodded his head and didn't send him detention or deducted points.

"I had a friend who once asked me the question that I am about to ask you, at the time I didn't have an answer for her but I am hoping that you will. Why have you chosen to start down the slippery slope of studying the Dark Arts?" Snape asked returning to their previous topic.

Harry stared at the man a moment as he pondered the question that so closely resembled Hermione's earlier. He lifted his head from where he hadn't realized that he had lowered it in his musings. He doubted the answer he gave Hermione would work for the man in front of him, so did he even have an answer.

"Mr. Potter,"

"I don't have an answer, sir," Harry blurted out.

"What did you tell Ms. Granger? That answer will suffice for now," Snape interjected to see the spark flair at the mentioning of the young muggleborn witch.

"It's all I have left, sir. No, Light spell in my research through Newts is powerful enough that one wizard can take to even attempt against fire and air," Harry muttered dejected with himself for even succumbing to giving away what he knew to the Potions Master.

"Very well, at least I don't have to spell my next topic out bluntly for you. Mr. Potter, a tournament is no reason to study the Dark Arts. It is too trivial of a thing to lose yourself for," Snape said as he leaned forward onto his desk as he watched the teen jump to his feet and begin pacing in front of him.

"It's not about the tournament, don't patronize me, even you think there's another reason I'm even in this bloody thing. Voldemort is behind it, he has more experience then I'll ever have and for some reason he's still after me. I'm not stupid enough to believe that there is some kind of love out there that can stop him, or that a simple expelliarmus will work. Professor, I've come to see that the only way to survive against him is to play by his rules then twist them to work for me. Light and Dark magic doesn't exist, only power," Harry stated in his pacing. Snape couldn't believe that the boy was actually opening up to even say this much to him. Was he not the Slytherin Head of House?

"I must be honest, Mr. Potter why are you even saying this much? Why did you even show up this late and near the rest of the Slytherins?" He could tell the questions caught the boy off guard as he stopped his movements to look at him.

"You're the only one who has tried to understand even with your animosity towards me over the past three years. As for coming this close to the Slytherins, I'm not afraid of a few school yard bullies that can't even do a proper hazing," Harry stated after a moments' pause. The young Champion returned to his seat at the slow nod that came from his Potions professor.

"So you know what you are up against in another month then and I won't ask how you know or what you plan to do about it. All I am going to suggest is to keep it as Light as possible; there is no need to confirm the rumors too blatantly and in front of the press. Chose your battles, Mr. Potter, and chose who to put in your sights with subtlety," The Potions Master stated as he leaned back in his chair to keep his gaze locked with the teenager's across from him. He watched the half smirk put a glint in the emerald shards.

"So Professor Dumbledore has decided to put me on a Watch program then; Professor Moody, and Professor McGonagall are rather obvious but this is the Headmaster. The one that really throws things in a kink is you, Professor. I opened up to you first," Harry added, causing the dark man to blink slowly, before a deep chuckle to fill the room.

"Are you sure you were supposed to be in Gryffindor, Mr. Potter?" he asked after calming down.

"That would be telling, Professor," Harry said as he stood.

"Indeed, very well. Good luck with you coming task," Snape stated with a wave of his hand towards the door. Harry nodded his head and started that way when the Potions Master stopped him.

"My door is open, Mr. Potter, though it would be wise to use discretion,"

"Yes, sir," Harry nodded then left the Potions Master to look back over the conversation he had just held with his school rival's son. Another chuckle erupted from him as he thought of James' face if he could see his son now.