Hermione threw herself into bed and didn't bother to change into her pajamas. She sighed; the first day of term had been amazing, but exhausting. She had heard the students talking, and apparently two Gryffindors had already landed themselves in detention with Severus. Hermione wondered what it would be like if she was the head of Gryffindor house and half wished that McGonagall had asked her, but at the same time was thankful that she hadn't. After all, this was only her first year teaching, and in order to be a qualified head of house she had to have taught at least one year at Hogwarts already. But she knew that McGonagall, as headmistress, really shouldn't have been the head of Gryffindor house because she was the head of the whole school.
Over the past week, Hermione and Neville had spent plenty of time together, getting both nervous and excited as the first day of September approached. Hermione's first day of teaching had been a pleasurable but tiring experience that left her wanting tomorrow to be there already, and also loathing when the morning came because there would be more classes right after breakfast. Hermione had already heard some of the students who had come to her classroom after potions grumbling about how, "The old bat was just as cruel and mean as ever." Rumor among the students told that he'd even made a first year girl cry just by talking to her at the beginning of class. Shaking her head, Hermione let herself collapse, her head hitting her pillow. She could wake up early in the morning and bathe then; right now she was too tired and just wanted to sleep.
She woke the next morning, early as she had wanted, and bathed and got herself ready quickly. The day seemed to drag by, but also to go far too quickly, and before she knew it she was sitting alone in her classroom, head bent over a stack of yesterday's light homework from the first years that had been turned in. She had only asked them to write out a brief description of what the point of taking transfiguration was, and none of them had complained; most had seemed pleased that there was such easy homework on the first day. Hermione hadn't given the second years or above any homework, remembering how much she had loathed it when it was given on the very first day of term.
As far as she'd heard, from both students and fellow staff members, the other teachers hadn't been so lenient. And now on the second day there was even more homework to be heard of. Hermione had decided that she would assign everyone some the next day, but the first two days she would be kind.
She only made it through half of her grading when she glanced absentmindedly up at the clock and realized she would be late if she didn't hurry to the Great Hall. Not wanting to look bad, she neatly stacked the papers and set them in a drawer in her desk before rising from her seat and leaving her classroom. She made it to her seat at the staff table at the head of the Great Hall just before the headmistress rose to address the students. While the staff had all sat around a large table in the corner of the Great Hall during the summer holiday, now they were back up at the traditional staff table which she and her friends had looked upon when they were students. Much to her surprise, when they gave the staff their seats at the staff table, she had remained on the left of Severus and the only change was that now Neville sat on her right, beside Pomona, who was next to McGonagall.
Hermione looked out over the students with a light smile on her face as she waited for McGonagall to finish her short speech, and when the headmistress sat the meal appeared on all of the tables. Hermione noticed as she served herself that more than one of the students was looking at her with a smile on his or her face. Wondering at the cause of this kindness, she smiled back and then turned her attention to her dinner.
She and Severus had gone through several similar experiences like the one that happened a week before; Hermione would turn and look at him because he looked troubled or strained, and he would open his eyes and glance at her out of the corner of his eye, only to turn and face her for a few seconds where he didn't seem aware of the fact that he was staring, and then turn away with a growl and a glare at his plate.
This had only happened a couple of times, though, and not at every meal, for which Hermione was thankful. She didn't know that Severus thought he must be losing it. He wasn't able to keep a firm hold on his emotions anymore, and while on the outside he was calm and cold as ever, on the inside there was nothing but turmoil as he tried to sort out what he thought of it all. Whenever he found himself staring at Hermione, he had always been admiring something about her without consciously allowing himself to do so, and every time, he turned away furious with himself. He could only hope that his constant glares directed her way whenever he wasn't staring at her in admiration would be enough to keep her thinking he hated her.
Hermione assumed he wasn't enjoying this year of school as much as he usually had, though she'd never known him to enjoy anything but being mean and bullying students. Shrugging to herself, she returned her attention to her food and tried to forget about Severus. However, she had to constantly remind herself to sit up straight and not to lean even slightly in his direction. Now there were more than staff members watching, and students were always more perceptive of such things as attraction than adults, so she dared not step out of line.
And so the two of them both struggled through their dinner, neither allowing their caution to lessen as they watched themselves, desperately fighting back the subconscious things they continued to do; he would glance her way, and she would lean his. Both were so wrapped up in keeping control of themselves that they failed to notice the other's battle being fought.
This time when she made it to her rooms, Hermione managed to change her clothes before falling into bed. She thought of Severus before she fell asleep, and she hated herself for it, but she would often press her face into her pillow and wish with everything in her that she might have a dream like the one she'd had almost a month before, in which she would press her face into Severus' chest and he would hold her. Severus retired to his rooms and changed from his dark attire, lying down and turning out the lights, then staring into the darkness, where he could swear Hermione's face was smirking at him everywhere he turned his eyes. Even when he closed them, she was there, smirking, now smiling and laughing, biting her bottom lip as he so hated . . .
And so both fell asleep and dreamed of the other, unaware of each other's affliction and lost in dreams that finally satisfied their absurd subconscious desires to be together. Neither woke until morning, and when they did, both slipped into the hot water in their bathtubs and tried to wash away the memories of their dreams. Hermione had gotten her wish and been in Severus' arms all the night, her face pressed against his shoulder, free to breathe in his scent as she wished. Severus had found himself walking through a dark hallway and following Hermione for some reason, and then everything had been black and warm and he had seen nothing, when the scene abruptly changed and he was completely unaware of his whereabouts because he was kissing his former student and could care less where they were.
Hermione tried and failed to block out the memories over and again, eventually losing her temper and slapping the surface of the water with her palm, which only left a sore, red mark across her hand and caused a funny noise and an explosion of purple bubbles all over her. Glaring at the bubbles for their offensive actions, she sank under the water to rinse them from her hair and used her hands to clear the bubbles from the surface above her before coming up where she could breathe again. Severus became so furious that he threw his bar of soap into the air and used several different incantations to make it explode until he tired of piecing it back together with simple charms and eventually put it back on the edge of the bathtub.
All Hermione heard from students who were headed for Severus' classroom were grumbles from the second years and up, who hated him with a passion, it seemed. There were terrified whispers from the first years, and she wondered how it was possible for the students to hate him so when she couldn't get him off her mind and found ways to ignore his terrible behavior and see good in him somewhere. All Severus heard from students who entered his classroom straight from transfiguration was how much they loved Hermione, and all of his students leaving for her class seemed hardly able to restrain themselves from running in their eagerness to get to their beloved teacher's presence. He found himself wondering how the students could possibly love her so when he managed to find something wrong with everything she did and hated her for how he felt.
Two weeks went by and Hermione found herself waking on her birthday, pleasantly surprised that it happened to be on a Saturday and wondering how she had forgotten about it so completely. She smiled when she noticed a small pile of presents on top of her trunk at the foot of her bed. Still having plenty of time to get ready before breakfast, she went and sat at the end of her bed and opened her presents. She looked cautiously at the gifts from the Weasleys; Ginny and Ron tended to get her normal things, while George could be expected to send her something from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Arthur was known for sending muggle items.
True to her expectations, Ginny had bought her a book on teaching all magical classes. It was a book that she'd never read before, which was something rare, and she smiled down at the plain leather cover. Opening the note, she found that the book was from both Harry and Ginny. Smiling wider, she opened Ron's gift. It was a blinking badge that said, "Gryffindor Nerd." Shaking her head at this, Hermione set the badge on top of the book and opened the present from Arthur Weasley. It was, as anticipated, an item from a muggle home. But Hermione laughed instead of being frightened by his choice; inside of the small package rested a light switch. Smiling more, she opened a parcel of homemade peppermint candies from Molly, Charlie, and Bill, and popped one in her mouth as she read the note from them.
There were four presents left. One was large and rectangular, and the other three were smaller. Opening the one closest to her, Hermione found a golden bracelet with a red lion carved into it. When she put the bracelet on the lion moved, opening its mouth in a silent roar. There was a small note inside the wrapping. Never take this off; it will help you when you need it most. ~L.L. Hermione knew immediately that it was from Luna, and looked down at the bracelet, wondering what special power it held that it could help her when she needed it most. She tore her gaze away from it after a few seconds and took the next small present. It was a small, delicate stone otter, carved so perfectly and with so much detail from rose quarts that Hermione was almost afraid to touch it for fear that it would shatter. She read the short note, which had been written by McGonagall, but was signed by every member of the staff. She held the otter to her chest, surprised that the other staff members had given her a gift.
She found her eyes searching the parchment all of their own accord, stopping and staring in the corner, where the flowing, slanted signature of one Severus Snape could be found. She wondered whether McGonagall had made him sign or if he had perhaps had anything to do with her receiving a gift from all of them.
Forcing her attention to the last two presents when she remembered that she still needed to get ready and be at breakfast, she set the otter gently on her bedside table and turned back to the last small present, lying on top of the large one. It was from Neville. Hermione was shocked; how he had gotten his hands on a tiny bottle of Felix Felicis, she would never know. And why he would give it to her rather than keep it for himself made her wonder as well. She put the potion in her beaded bag and opened the last, large present. It was a massive book on transfiguration and which careers students could pursue if they succeeded at the subject. Hermione had never seen or heard of the book, which listed every possible career for any student, giving detailed summaries of each career and what grade the student would require in their O.W.L.s and their N.E.W.T.s. Hermione found a small note attached on the inside cover: Hermione, thought you might like this. Came across it while cleaning out offices of past workers at the Ministry. –Percy
Hermione was surprised he'd gotten her something, but pleased all the same. Since the battle at Hogwarts, Percy was back as a part of the Weasley family again and he would stay that way. Kingsley Shacklebolt had hired him and immediately promoted him as soon as the battle was over, and he was doing good things with the Ministry of Magic. He had, in the short time since he quit his job at the fallen Ministry, become much the caring older brother to Hermione and she smiled at the thought of him. Making a mental note to write thank you letters to all of them, she set the books on the shelf on the wall and put the other things in the drawer of her bedside table. Then she walked to the bathroom and got ready for the day, changing into new robes and leaving for breakfast.
Neville was waiting for her out in the teachers' lounge and he said, "Happy birthday!" as soon as he saw her.
"Thanks," she said, smiling.
"Oh, dear! Happy birthday!" It was Pomona, who had just entered the lounge.
"Thank you," Hermione said again.
The three of them walked out of the lounge and up to the Great Hall together. "I didn't know the staff members usually gave each other gifts," Hermione said, looking to Pomona.
The older witch smiled. "Well, of course some of us have, being close friends, but that's always personal. This was something different than what we've ever done before. It was all Neville's idea, here!" and she patted Neville on the shoulder. He blushed a deep red as Hermione smiled at him.
"Really? The otter and the note were your idea? Oh, thank you, Neville! I love them!"
He blushed even more at her words and nodded, looking pleased but embarrassed. Pomona smiled and they walked in silence. Hermione was pleased and disappointed to find out that it had been Neville. She supposed it was a stupid thing to have wished that Severus was the one behind the gift, but it had still been something that made her happy to think about. Now she was almost positive that the headmistress had forced him to sign the note. Smiling at the thought, she followed Neville and Pomona into the Great Hall. Here and there staff members greeted her with, "Happy birthday," and some of the students caught on as well. The entire Gryffindor table sang to her as she walked towards the staff table, and this time it was she who was looking pleased and embarrassed.
She took her seat beside an especially stony Severus and tried to ignore the fact that he was glaring at the Gryffindors because of their song. The headmistress rose once all of the staff were seated and addressed the students, explaining that the next weekend there would be a trip to Hogsmeade, and first years had to stay at the school, but anyone older who had a permission slip signed by their parent or guardian could go if they wanted. Hermione smiled, remembering her days in Hogsmeade as a student with Harry and Ron.
McGonagall sat down and food appeared on the tables, and everyone began to eat. Hermione noticed that Severus seemed to be struggling with something, but today she was free of her own struggles and her mind was on her birthday. She even managed to forget about how wonderful Severus smelled and actually focus on eating and talking to Neville for once.
For Severus, breakfast was a different matter altogether. He sat, staring down at his food, arguing with himself again. He glanced carefully at Hermione out of the corner of his eye, but only once, not daring to do it again. Should he tell her happy birthday? Birthday felicitations had never been something he participated in, but he found his lips longing to betray him and wish her a happy birthday simply for an excuse to speak with her. Hating himself for longing as he did for any kind of contact with the young woman beside him, he reprimanded himself again because of his feelings for her. She is too young, far too young, he thought. I must remember how young she is. He sipped his pumpkin juice and began eating just to keep his mouth busy with something so that it couldn't betray him.
All through breakfast he was fighting a losing battle and Hermione was pleased to find herself diverted and enjoying the meal. She found no need to reprimand herself for what she felt for Severus, because as of the moment it wasn't interfering with anything else and she wasn't even thinking about her emotions for the man.
She spent the day in the teachers' lounge with Neville; they would have been at the lake but the students would assume something was happening between them and they were supposed to be acting like mature adults. Hermione wanted so badly to sit against the trunk of the tree by the water again and cross her legs under her like a girl, but knew that with the students around she was supposed to be a model to them and could not behave in such a way.
It was late at night when they retired to their rooms, but Hermione waited until the other staff were all in their own quarters before she stepped out again. She hadn't seen Severus besides the meals, but assumed that he was in his own rooms by then. She glanced around the teachers' lounge, looking casual and not suspicious, but found it empty. So she walked to the main door and left, walking down the corridor that led away from the teachers' quarters. She had no intention to actually go anywhere, just to walk and think for a while. Any students who were up now would receive detention for sneaking around, and wouldn't suspect her meanderings. With that happy thought, she let her mind wander and mulled over whatever thoughts came to her.
Severus pointed his wand to what was left of the last of his students' dirty cauldrons and said, "Evanesco." The substances lining the walls or pooled in the bottom of them vanished and the potions master sighed, pleased to be finished with his work. He could have cleaned the cauldrons in the morning and spent his day doing nothing, had he not needed to brew several potions for madam Pomfrey, who had already found herself mending multiple magical injuries since the beginning of term. Setting the potions on the shelf behind his desk, he walked towards the door; he could deliver them to the medical ward the following morning.
He stepped out of his office and turned to see someone's coat trailing behind them as they turned a corner. Suspecting an older student was sneaking out of the Slytherin common room, which was nearby, he put a disillusionment charm on himself and walked, invisible, down the corridor. He turned the corner and saw that the student had stopped and was staring ahead into the darkness with his or her head cocked slightly to the side. Severus approached quietly and carefully. The student turned back towards him and with a shock he realized it was Hermione. He watched, transfixed, as she ducked into the darkest shadows on the wall. He could still see her, but then her whispered incantation could be heard as a faint hiss and she vanished, invisible under a charm like he was. He looked into the darkness as she had, wondering what she had hidden herself for, and found his answer soon enough.
Moving on silent paws, Mrs. Norris padded into the corridor. She stared right at Severus, though he knew he was invisible, and then walked by, glancing at where Hermione was crouching as well. Then uneven footsteps approached and Filch appeared from the darkness, trailing after his beloved cat. He glanced from side to side but his eyes swept over both Severus and Hermione. Severus felt foolish hiding from Filch, but did not want to reveal himself because then Hermione would know of his presence and suspect that he had been following her. Filch moved on and turned, going through a door that Severus knew led to the caretaker's office.
Severus flashed back to his dream; walking down a dark hall and following Hermione. He felt a sudden, overpowering sense of foreboding and knew he should turn back; he was following Hermione, not a misbehaving student. She was a staff member now and had just as much right to prowl the grounds at night as he did, but why had she hidden from Filch? Didn't she know that she had the right? Or was she aware and she simply didn't feel like explaining herself or going through any kind of encounter? Severus watched the shadows, urging his feet to take him back to the teachers' lounge but also wanting to find out where her destination was. His feet wouldn't follow his command to go back, and he stood against the wall opposite where Hermione was hidden, only a matter of feet away.
He heard footsteps from the shadows and realized that she was not going to lift her disillusionment charm. If she remained invisible, he could not pinpoint where she was and would be unable to follow her. He might walk right into her or she into him for all he knew. It took him only seconds to realize that the footsteps were approaching and not moving away from him. Of course; she'd seen that damn cat staring at him. She'd had enough nightly excursions with Potter and Weasley to know that the cat had an uncanny ability to seemingly see straight through invisibility cloaks and charms that concealed anyone. Panicking at the thought that she would find him spying on her, and quite without thinking, he silently thought incantation that stopped her charm from working and pointed his wand away from him. He remained concealed, but she appeared quite suddenly and very close to him. Closer even, than he had expected.
She stopped, knowing right away that she was visible. Eyes darting from one side of the dark corridor to the other, she looked about suspiciously. Before Severus could flee back to the teachers' quarters where he belonged, she too, cast the counter charm, and silently as he had, for he was suddenly quite visible and still quite close to her. She covered her mouth with one hand, barely stopping the gasp of surprise that he knew sprang to her lips. She took her hand from her mouth, but had not yet stepped back, and they were still standing very close together.
Severus stared down at her, keeping his face impassive. But his mind was reeling. What excuse could he use? Could he tell her the truth, that he had thought her a naughty student who deserved detention? Thinking back, it seemed a weak explanation for spying after he'd seen who she was. And it seemed even worse then, because if he said that he hadn't seen her face, he needed a reason why he hadn't stopped Filch and caught her then and there.
Hermione was too shocked to react beyond her initial gasp of surprise, and lowered her hand slowly back down from her mouth, staring up at the potions master. First she was bewildered, and then she was annoyed that he was spying, and then she was astounded; he had been following her? Was he stalking her or did he think that she would be up to something? Had he perhaps mistaken her for a student who was out for a midnight stroll against the rules? But if that was the case than why hadn't he left when she turned back as she hid from Filch? And if he hadn't seen her face, then why hadn't he stopped the gamekeeper so they could catch her together, thinking she was a student? Her thoughts were just as muddled as Severus'.
They stood very still for several moments. Neither spoke, but both were thinking. "Why were you following me?" Hermione blurted out at last.
Severus was usually ready for anything, but while on the outside he remained calm and collected he was panicking on the inside. For lack of a reasonable explanation, he went on the defensive; "That is for me to know and you to forget about."
And his feet actually obeyed him for once, and he turned, striding away down the corridor. But Hermione wasn't satisfied in the least with his answer. If anything, she was more suspicious because he had evaded giving her an explanation. She tried to stop him with words, and when that failed she actually reached out and grabbed his arm. He stopped, whirling around and facing her. He was glaring, but she could see only how pale his face was in the darkness and it was hard to read his expression. "What are you doing walking around this time of night?" she asked.
He lifted his chin slightly and said, "I could ask you the same."
Hermione folded her arms, releasing his. "That is not a proper answer to my question."
Even though she'd only been touching him for a matter of seconds, he felt a strange tingling in his arm in the place her hand had been. He looked down at her. It was obvious that he could see better in the dark than she, but he was used to the dungeons and she was not. Her arms were folded firmly over her chest, she had tilted her head back so she could look him in the eyes, and her mouth was set in a thin, determined line. He thought fleetingly that he didn't like to see her lips like that, pressed together so that they were rather white. He liked when they were full and pink better, perhaps even when she was biting her bottom lip as she did so often . . .
Realizing what he was doing, he mentally reprimanded himself and tried to come up with a response. "I-" he found himself stammering. She was looking just as surprised as he that he was even capable of stammering when he spoke. "I," he tried again. She waited, eyebrows raised, wanting an explanation that would make sense. "Happy Birthday," he growled, turning on his heel and striding quickly back to the teachers' lounge. He turned the corner and knew that his words had done the trick; she wasn't following.
Hermione stood, in the middle of the corridor, feeling extremely warm and happy all of the sudden. Although it was hardly appropriate for the potions master to be following her, she wondered whether he'd known it was her all along and wanted to know what she was up to. Also, even though he'd said his last words very harshly and in a growl, to her it was as if he'd whispered them sweetly in her ear. She couldn't help but smile; Severus Snape had wished her a happy birthday, and that was a better present than the rest of them put together.
Sorry this one was short! I have school and stuff to catch up on today but I didn't want to keep you waiting. The next chapter's length is so far undetermined, but I'll start working on it ASAP and hopefully have it up tomorrow. Maybe even if I'm lucky and have the time, tonight. But he next chapter will hold a few interesting happenings! Thanks again for reading and to all of you who review, you make my day every time that I read what you've said and it encourages me so much! Thanks again! ~Taelr