Chapter 4

Ron was a prat! There was no nicer way to put it, not that he cares to censor himself when it comes to his option of me, Hermione thought as she stalked through the empty hallway with a scowl. As if to add insult to injury her stomach growled loudly announcing it's disappointment that she didn't even manage to finish her coffee before she stormed out of the Great Hall without a backwards at her friends or her untouched breakfast.

"Hermione you have to stop being so bossy or no bloke will ever want to marry you. The nerve! As if he's such a catch." she muttered to herself as she rounded a corner on her way to the library. All she was trying to do was ensure they didn't get into trouble for not completing their assignments. She was doing it for their benefit; she always did it for their benefit.

"Let's see if I ever offer to look over his essays again. He can get a T in every subject for all I care. What did I ever see in that boy!" She gave Madam Pince an apologetic look as she passed by the matron's desk, realizing that she had reached her destination and had best stop talking to herself lest people think she had gone crazy or worse still; be thrown out by Madam Pince herself for disturbing the peace of what she most likely considered her most sacred sanctum.

She continued her berating of Ron, silently this time, as she made her way to her favourite spot in the back of the library where a beautiful window overlooked the lake and allowed just enough light in to be comfortable yet also conducive to some serious study sessions. She did not have to give much thought to where she was going as she knew the way by heart having walked the path at least once a day for the last seven years that she'd been at Hogwarts. She had first period free and planned to do some studying before her classes started

She stopped dead in her tracks however, when she realized that her favourite spot was not available to her today. Sitting in the chair Hermione considered to be hers was the girl that had not truly left her thoughts for the past two days.

Sabina lifted her head when she sensed someone standing close by but seemed once again to have lost her ability to speak when she saw who it was. It was as if she was struck struck dumb by sight of the Gryffindor. Hermione was starting to wonder if she should be offended by the affect she seemed to have on the girl.

"Hello," she said, feeling the need to break the awkward silence. "Sabina right? I'm Hermione." She winced inwardly at how stupid that sounded.

"I remember," Sabina finally answered after what seem like an abnormally long pause. Clearing her throat and looking away she added, "I...um...I wanted to thank you for bringing me up to the school when you found me in Hogsmead. I'm sure I wouldn't have known where to go if you didn't"

Hermione couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable the girl seemed to be around her and so sat down on the chair on the other side of the table in an attempt to make herself seem more approachable. "That's okay, no need to thank me. You looked terribly lost and frightened, I wouldn't have just left you there." No longer able to hold back her curiosity, she added; "but, it's just...and I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did end up there at all? I mean, it doesn't make sense. If you were meant to come to Hogwarts as an exchange student, surely they would have sent someone to get you at the train station or something."

Sabina glanced quickly up at Hermione but looked away again as soon as they made eye contact. "It's my own fault really; I wanted to prove my independence and ended up in a situation I couldn't handle." But of course Hermione would completely miss the true meaning behind those words.

Spurred on by the kind and understanding look Hermione was directing at her, Sabina continued. "I took the Hogwarts Express by myself and it arrived at Hogsmead station earlier than scheduled, but instead of waiting for someone from the staff to come and get me, I thought I could get to the school by myself too." Sabina was very surprised at how easily these lies were formulating themselves in mind.

"I found myself in the middle of town before I knew it, I knew I had to be a bit lost but I just kept going, hoping I would find my way somehow. Only I wondered down the wrong street. Apparently it's Hogsmead's alternative to Knockturn Alley." she chanced another look in Hermione's direction and seeing no sign that the older girl was at all suspicious, continued with her impromptu tale.

"To cut a long story short, a hag approached me, trying to sell some rather grotesque looking items and the next thing I know, my trunk was being snatched out of my hands, and rather nasty looking wizard had his wand pointed at me. They seemed to be in on it together, told me not to try my luck and just run off before something really bad happens to me, so I did. I ran back out into the main road and well, that's when you found me."

Hermione's expression was horrified, as she reached out and lay a hand on Sabina's arm, "Oh my, you must have been so scared. Why didn't you say anything to me then, we could have alerted the authorities."

"I was in shock I guess, not to mention feeling very stupid about getting myself in that situation in the first place" she looked up to see the concern and sympathy in Hermione's eyes and felt a stab of guilt.

"Don't worry though; Professor Dumbledore's taken care of everything. And I've learned my lesson." She gave Hermione what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Still, it must have been quite the experience, and to have to go through that all alone and so far away from home. I mean, if France is your home? Your accent is British though, so...?". She knew she was prying now, but she was just too curious about the new comer.

"I only attend school there, my parents thought it would be better for me to attend Beauxbatons because most of my family's originally from France," she lied. The ease at which she could do it was starting to scare her, but she knew it was a necessary evil. She simply only had to try and remember everything she'd said, so that she wouldn't contradict herself later on. She would also need to keep Professor Dumbledore aware of her little story so that he wouldn't say anything that would raise suspicions or give her away.

"But when this chance to come back home for a while came up, I had to take it. I had to be near my family given...well, I'm sure you know."

"Yes, the war, I can understand why you wanted come back and be near your family." Hermione had finally looked away from the girl sitting opposite her and stared unseeing out of the window as she replied, getting lost on her own thoughts.

Suddenly feeling as if she were intruding on rather personal moment, Sabina stood and started to gather up her bag and the book she'd been reading before Hermione came in.

Snapped out of her melancholy by Sabina's movement Hermione held out her hand, "Oh no, please don't go, we were just staring to get to know each other."

"Sorry, but I have to; I have class in five minutes, History of Magic. Besides, I know you came here to study, before you found me invading your spot." Sabina's smile faltered when she saw Hermione's expression change suddenly and she realized her own faux par.

"How did you know this was my spot?" Hermione's suspicion was made all the more clear by her tone.

"I, er... I mean, I thought it must be when I saw the look on your face as you arrived, you were surprised to find someone here, I just assumed it was because you didn't expect anyone else to be sitting here, that's all." she hoped she sounded more convincing to Hermione than she sounded to herself.

"I really do need to go now, it was nice getting to know you, and thanks again for Saturday. I'll see you around. Bye." she babbled anxiously, then quickly turned on her heels and sped out of the library, hoping Hermione wouldn't pursue either her or the subject.

~xxxxx~

His back was killing him. The indignity of what had happened to him over the weekend had left Snape with the irrational need to prove himself, and so he'd spent his Sunday alternating between brewing the most difficult potions he could think of and stalking the hall dishing out the harshest of punishments to any wrong doers he could find (speaking of which, he had to remember to split the 20 detentions he had meted out, between himself and Flitch, as there was no way he would over-see all of them himself. And he was sure Flitch would be overjoyed at the prospect of more students to terrorise).

His activities had left him with little time to rest and recuperate as Poppy has sternly ordered him to do when he'd gone to her Saturday night, and now he was paying the price. Stalking between the desks of his fourth period Newts class, he wondered if he could slip away for five minutes to fetch some of the extra strength pain reliving potion he had invented specifically for times such as these. They were only 15 minutes into a double period and not yet at a stage in brewing where something could go too badly wrong. But he discarded the idea just as soon as he'd had it. It would be just his luck that after all he had done to protect these children from the dangers that lurked outside the school's walls, to have one become seriously injured in an accident due to his lax care of them in his own potions classroom.

His Newts class was made up of students from all four houses, given that so few from each house had achieved high enough marks to get in. But that still didn't mean they were all completely capable when it came potion's making. Or anything else remotely note worthy, he thought ruefully. He knew the margin for error while brewing, especially at this level, was distinctly high and he just could not leave anything to chance. Especially with imbeciles such as Potter and Weasley in his class. How they had managed to get to Newts level was a complete mystery to him. No wait, not a mystery. He knew exactly how. It was all Granger's fault. He was sure the boys wouldn't even be able to tie their own shoe laces without that girl's help.

"Finely, Mr Cormac! The Dragon liver is meant to be finely sliced! Not butchered into chunks as if it were the dog's dinner."

He turned to the class at large, his ire increased by the stabbing pains in his back he could do nothing about. "The art of Potion's making requires a subtlety that very few of you, if any, possess. This is not the Quidditch pitch were brute force and sheer dumb luck will get you anywhere." At this he looked pointedly at Potter and Weasley.

"Nor is a place where simple book smarts and memory retention has any bearing on your ability at actual potions making." He let his gaze slowly slid past Granger, just long enough to be meaningful, "It is an art that is mastered through technique and skill. Skill that can only be honed through practice and patience, not just blundering through hoping you'll succeed."

He knew he was being unnecessarily cruel and he tried to rationalise his actions by telling himself it was their fault he was in this mood in the first place; the insufferable Golden Trio, but deep down he knew it wasn't true, he and he alone was to blame for what his life had become. This thought, however, only succeeded in making him more agitated and the need to lash out at someone became stronger. It was a vicious circle and he'd just found a fresh victim.

"This is also a classroom where each and every student is required to pay the utmost attention at all times, Miss Bergman."

His newest student, who had been staring into her cauldron while stirring her potion throughout his little tirade, didn't even seem to flinch when he addressed her, she kept her gaze down but it didn't stop him from noticing that the was smiling just slightly.

"Miss Bergman!"

Still nothing. He was about to stalk over to her desk and grab the stirring rod out of her hands, when the always interfering Miss Granger, next to whom she was sitting as that was the only available seat left in the class, nudged her on the arm and gave a pointed look to where Snape was standing, scowling at them.

Miss Bergman's gaze moved towards him, if only a little reluctantly, and he was taken aback by the vulnerable and pleading look in her eyes. Something about the way she looked at him disconcerted him immensely, and he momentarily forgot is anger towards her. Just then her stirring rod slid out of her hands and hit the inside of cauldron as it fell. The noise startled him out of his confusion. He immediately assumed his most intimidating stance, twisting his mouth into a grimace and stalked towards her.

"You will learn, Miss Bergman, that I do not take lightly to those in my class who do not take me seriously. You will also learn, and very quickly I hope if only for you own sake, that I am I not a professor to be trifled with. Do you understand me?"

Best to teach them early on that this was a class you definitely did not muck about in. It was the way he acclimated his first years and the way he would acclimate any new student who came along. He had a reputation to uphold after all.

It took him a while to realise she hadn't responded or made any move at all for that matter, she just kept starring at him, with that same pleading look in eyes. Her odd behaviour was something he didn't quite know how to handle and he reacted to his uncertainty they way he always did; with anger.

"I said," he snarling at her in his most dangerous and threatening tone, "Do. You. Understand. Me, Miss Bergman?"

She blinked once, then suddenly burst into tears, turned and ran from the room. Her reaction has been so sudden he didn't respond until the door banged shut behind her. He moved to follow, fuelled by feelings of anger, confusion and guilt, but stopped himself just in time. Looking around he found the rest of the students either starring at him or at the door out of which Miss Bergman had fled, one student in particular, was glaring at him with loathsome contemp.

"Oh spare me, Miss Granger. That look wouldn't even intimidate a Pigmy Puff. Put yourself to some good use and go find you new peer. And do make sure she doesn't throw herself off the Astronomy Tower."

Hermione immediately put out the flames under her cauldron and turned to leave. As she neared the door, Snape called after her. "When you do find her, be sure to let her know that she has detention, tonight at 7, for leaving class without permission. Now go."