Dear Readers,

I Still do not own Harry Potter -sad sigh- One more item of business this story takes place in about the children sixth or seventh year of school. Yes this story is not at all cannon.

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Nisha A. Halim

Detention

His growing attraction showed itself in many little ways, like a sly wink here or a coy smile there. This made the next week a very long one for the feared potions teacher. His caring for a Miss Hermione Granger was getting to the point where he feared meal times with the torn-ach of both wanting and not wanting to see her. He knew without a doubt he had to do something about this attraction of his. His top questions about this problem were, did Hermione have anything to do with it and was there a way to bring it to a stop? He of course had to stop it somehow, even if it couldn't be done. And the idea of how to get time to talk to her at last hit him while he watched the students brewing the dictated potion.

As he walked past Hermione's caldron he slyly pointed his wand at it and added unneeded ingredient to her potion, a short while later when he had made his way to the front of the class a loud boom exploded from the poor girl's caldron. Smoke filled the air one couldn't have asked for a better explosion.

"Foolish girl, what did you add?" he screamed at her while he stormed back towards her clearing the smoke away as he went.

"I don't know, sir."

"Ten points from Gryffindor and detention for you Miss Granger, seven a clock this evening my office."

"Yes, sir"

"Also Miss Granger, make sure you clean up this mess."

If Hermione had anything to do with this infatuation of his he'd have it out of her before her detention was over.

As Hermione cleaned at her work space, she carefully went over what she had added to her potion and when. As far as she could tell she had added nothing and done nothing wrong to explain the huge explosion. Yet she had detention with the man who had kissed her not quite a week ago, a man on whom she had a growing crush.

Did he know or suspect the real reason behind her little visit with him not quite a week ago? If he did why didn't he just confront them all at the same time? Or was that all a part of his plan, separate them and get enough of a confession out of one of them to get more out of the others?

"Hey, Hermione" Ron called after her as she left the class.

"You don't think it's because of you known what that he gave you detention, do you?" Harry asked.

"Harry the reason I have detention is simple I messed up in potions class, end of story."

"Hermione, you don't mess up in class" Ron stated firmly.

"Well it looks like I did this time, though I will admit I don't know how it happened."

"If you don't know how it happened maybe it really is about something else" Harry decided.

"I think we should talk this over Hermione" Ron agreed.

"If you guys insist"

"We do" they said together.

"Alright we should find a more secluded spot to talk then."

After the golden trio's talk they deiced that it would be much better for them if this really was about Hermione making a simple potions class mistake. However if it wasn't they might as well get ready for a whole lot of detention.

Dinner came and went and at last Hermione found herself taking the stairs down to Professor Snape's dungeon office, with not a little trepidation.

Snape looked up as the door to his office opened, just as it should be Miss Granger was the one to enter in.

"Please take a seat" he gestured towards the seat across from him at his desk.

She took it just a bit hesitantly

"You will be doing lines this evening" he stated as he took fresh paper and a quill out of his desk and placed it in front of her.

"And what shall I be writing?"

"What do you think you should be writing, Miss Granger?"

"Potion class is to be taken seriously?"

"Then write that one-hundred and fifty times. You may commence."

Severus settled into his seat for the evening and opened himself to her mind with a wordless use of Legilimens he entered treading carefully.

He was almost immediately overwhelmed by how much of the last week's worth of thought had to do with him. In fact it left him gasping for breath as he pulled out of her mind.

"Are you alright, sir?" she almost sounded concerned.

"Fine" he gasped.

"What happened?"

There was no way he was going to answer that question. "Nothing" he lied.

"Are you sure?" she sounded close, he looked around and found her standing right next to him with worry etched into her young face. How did she get there he didn't remember hearing her move. However there she was and his heart started racing.

"I'm quite sure, that I'm fine. Please take your seat."

Looking unconvinced she slowly moved back to her seat and sat down, disaster avoided at least for the moment anyway. For him the closer he got to her, the closer he came to losing his job teaching.

After bringing his mind under control he entered hers once more, diving quickly past the last week he sunk farther into her memories searching for something to help him understand what was going on between them. Not finding anything he let himself drift along hoping to be lead to that which he was seeking. He let his eyes drift open to check on her progress, she was about a third of the way done. 'Good' he thought to himself, 'I still have a decent bit of time left.'

He drifted away again on the currents of her memories, until he ran across a quick succession of memories about her parents. The kindness and love he saw in them was simply over whelming, to the point where he felt the grief over never having such love in his own family. He felt himself tear up and again pulled quickly out of her head. Rubbing his hands over his face he worked again on his composure before it was too late.

"Sir," Hermione was yet again at his side, she timidly reached a hand out to touch the side of his face, "Are you really alright?"

He clasped her hand to his face with one of his own. Hers was such a small one reminding him needlessly of how young she was. And the war within him began; on one hand there was his job, respect and common sense; on the other hand there was a strong attraction, the fact that she kissed him first and perhaps love of sorts.

He so wanted to bring her lips close enough to kiss and yet at the same time he wanted her as far away from him as possible. Was that a real type of feeling? He had never felt that way around Lilly.

At last he found the strength he needed, "Your detention is over Miss Granger" he removed her hand from his face.

"But sir, I still have seventy-five lines left to write."

After briefly bring her hand to lips he let it go. "I said your detention is over did I not make myself clear enough for you?"

"No sir. I mean yes sir"

"Then why aren't you gone?"

She quickly grabbed her school bag and went to the door. "Sir, I..."

"Leave, now!" it took him a great effort to use such a mean tone with her. At last however she left.

He pounded his fists against his desk in frustration. How on earth was he going to solve this infatuation problem of his if he couldn't even get that close to the girl without getting weak kneed?

After Hermione left Snape's office she ran up the stairs striving to hold back the tears that were threatening to come in a torrent, she at last made it to the safety of the great hall, a place where no students would be at this time. Sinking onto a bench she sobbed aloud, giving vent to her pent up feelings. If this was love she was feeling it really was everything everyone ever said it was and then some.

Was Severus scared of loving her? She almost always thought of him as Severus lately. Thinking of him as Professor Snape didn't really fit the fact that he had kissed her.

He was clearly infatuated with her, what with all his sly winks and coy smiles towards her on his otherwise stern face. However if that was really so, why then had he been so mean to her just now? He was by far the most confusing man to love.

"Hermione?" a voice called to her.

It was Harry; she looked up trying to wipe the tears streaming down her face as she did so.

"Was detention that bad, Hermione?"

"It was just lines" she tried putting a smile on her face. Failing she started crying again.

Harry was by her side in an instant handing his pocket handkerchief has he sat down next to her.

"What happened then?"

"Harry, have you ever kissed someone and then had that person kissed you back?"

"No. Why?"

"Have you ever been turned away by a person you're almost certain is in love with you?"

"What did Ron do this time?"

"Ron? Nothing, this is about….it's about." she trailed off unable to tell her friend about Severus.

He patted her back. "It's alright you can tell me we're friends remember? Friends confide in each other."

She nodded, took a deep breath then told him everything, starting with her distraction of about a week ago, ending with being yelled out of his office.

"So this crush started back when you kissed him? Or has it been going on longer than that?

"I'm not sure; perhaps that was when it started but it all feels so fuzzy right now. Harry I just know that I love Severus Snape."

"It's late Hermione, maybe with some sleep you'll feel better, ok?"

"Alright, You won't tell anyone, will you Harry?"

"I promise I won't tell anyone."

As Harry led Hermione upstairs he carefully thought over what she had told him and he half wondered if she was under some kind of spell? Perhaps he would do some investigating into this affair of the heart.

Yep now we have to people on this case of the heart, any ideas yet on what might have happened to these two love birds?

N. A. H