Once dressed, Hermione made her way out of the door, which happened to be situated opposite the spiral staircase, she had seen the previous day. She made her way down the stairs, admiring the surroundings before her.

They were very Un-Snapely.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, she looked both left and right. Snape had forgotten to tell her where the kitchen was.

Typical

She heard a large bang to her right, like someone dropping a saucepan. She concluded that the kitchen must be that way. After walking through a very long corridor and through a pair of magnificently carved, oak wooden doors, she found her desired destination.

She had entered a room, quite unlike those she had passed in the rest of the house. The kitchen before her, had to be one of the most modern she had ever seen. There was a long island in the middle of the room; half of which had an illuminated drinks cabinet within, and some rather high, leather seated bar stools. At one end of the room was a rather large black fridge and freezer, and laden with a number of other kitchen appliances.

At the other end of the room sat Snape, drinking a cup of coffee, on a large, black leather couch. A matching armchair was situated opposite it and in the middle a table.

But it was not this that had Hermione transfixed. Upon the table was a group of stones, almost like those seen in an electrical fire. The flame like waves ascended from the stones, but rather than a colouring of orange, red and yellow, Hermione saw moving images.

"Its like what your muggle friends might call a TV. Nice to see I have the Gryffindor know-it-all astounded over something." Came the silky voice of Snape from across the room.

"Sit". It was more like an order, than a request.

"I would like something to eat first if I may."

"You may. So sit and I shall order it," he said.

Confused, she sauntered over, wary of the professor's eyes on her, and sat herself in the leather-clad armchair opposite him.

"To wary to sit any nearer?" he smirked.

"What do you want?" she responded.

"To discuss a few things with you, some of the utmost importance. But first you said you were hungry. What is it you so desire to eat?"

Hermione felt angry at the professors sarcasm, yet managed to keep her cool; she had hoped he would be different from the seven years spent in the classroom with him.

"Now why would I be different, just because of my surroundings?"

"Stop that, stop reading my mind!!" she shouted at him.

"How can I when its speaks so loudly. You should really learn to control your thoughts and emotions Miss Granger, you never know when someone you could use them against you." His voice was low and silky now.

"You really are enjoying this aren't you; making me suffer, knowing I can do nothing about it! I have once school term left sir, so I'm pretty much not a student anymore. You say you want respect? Well I'm only going to give it to you, if you respect me and stop treating me like a child!" She snapped.

"You shall get respect from me Miss Granger, if I feel you deserve it! And right now all I see before me is a spoilt little brat. You are still as much of a child to me, as you were the day you stepped through Hogwart's doors for the first time!"

Snape was now standing up.

"If you want me to treat you as an adult, maybe you should start acting like one!

Hermione stood up. "I am an adult; both mind and body. According to the ministry, due to using a time turner in my third year, I turned 18 last month! And as for acting like a child, I'm sorry if you think its prudish, but I'm not accustomed to being kidnapped and then assaulted!"

She walked over to the coffee machine on the other side of the kitchen; it did always help to calm her down.

"You are such a drama queen Miss Granger. I did not kidnap you, and I did not assault you. I am a death eater. Count yourself lucky it wasn't much worse." He muttered.

"Why do you keep saying that, like it's an excuse? You are still working for the side of good." She exclaimed.

He started to walk toward her "Are you so sure Miss Granger? Everything you have just accused me of, would oppose it. I mean, what's to stop me taking you upstairs, raping you and torture you till your begging for death?"

He was only a few centimetres from her face now; close enough for him to hear her sharp intake of breath.

"Count yourself lucky Miss Granger, very lucky."

They continued staring at each other, trying to read what the other one was thinking.

…Soo naïve…so insufferable…so very childlike…yet she doesn't look it in that dress. Who would have thought that old black things would look so good on her…that corset done up so well just to show enough…STOP IT! She is a child Severus!

…Can I trust him? You can never tell with those cold, harsh expressions…

Severus cleared his throat and stepped back from her, consciously aware of the stirring sensation within him.

"Lucius Malfoy is coming over at 10 today. I have informed him that I have captured you, for my own purposes…" he said silkily. "I expect you to play the part…till then you may do as you wish. You have free reign over the house, except for two rooms. I forbid you use of my private laboratory across from the stairs and the room to the right of your own. Other than that, o as you please…there is a library on the second floor, down the corridor to the left," he spoke softly.

He left the room without another word. It didn't matter to Hermione. She had found herself alone a lot lately.