Inside

Chapter Two: Conversations

Hermione's POV

3:03…

3:10…

3:28…

4:01…

4:10…

4:47…

5:17…

"Hermione…

"Hermione…

"We love you, darling."

"Miss Granger

"Miss Granger…"

"Uh… uh… what…" I moaned sleepily while rolling away from the light of my open window. "Ti… red… No. Good dream, finally asleep, pl… ease."

"Miss Granger," Snape's voice rang again in my ears forcing my eyes to shoot open, "Your parent's tried to wake you earlier; it is well past four in the afternoon. They tried to tell you, but left me with the massage to tell, since you were asleep, that they received an emergency telephone call from you Aunt Ariella and headed out immediately. They don't know how long they will be gone, but told me to tell you they love you and to not worry if they are gone a few weeks."

"That's," I said, sitting up and swallowing saliva down my dry throat, "That sounds serious… she lives in Australia. Did they leave a number to reach them at?"

"No, they didn't." He sighed. "But said that they would get a hold of you in the next couple of days."

"I'm sorry to have missed them; I must have really been out." I said, feeling awkward and uncomfortable as I bit my lip softly and looked down at my mattress.

"You were." He agreed. "So, now that I have told you… I will be downstairs reading, minding my own business."

"Okay," I said while running my fingers through my matted hair, "Help yourself to anything if you need it."

I flopped backwards onto my bed and let out a sigh after he closed the door shut behind him.

Alone with Snape for up to a few weeks… well, it isn't the school year. And people are different when they're out of Hogwarts. Or are they? Maybe it's just the awkwardness of seeing people away from school and out of uniform and robes? I might as well try and make things as little awkward as possible, seeing how we will be alone together. Maybe I shouldn't look to him as Snape, but as just another adult… But then can I really do that? I have known the man to be Professor Snape since I was eleven years old, and kids of that age are so impressionable. But I'll be seventeen soon! So maybe with my soon-to-be adult eyes and mind I can see him for who he really is: a person. Because teachers are people, just like students are. And oh boy, am I tried!

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, is Ron there?" I asked into the phone a half hour later while slowly sipping a mug of morning tea at the kitchen table.

"Hello Hermione dear!" She sang happily, "And actually I think he and Harry went out with Fred, George and Ginny to play a game of Quidditch a few moments ago. But if you like I can go get them?" She asked. "I have been made aware of your, um, situation, and I know Ron already asked it, but if you'd like us to come and-"

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, but that won't be a possibility," I told her, "My parents have gone out of town for a few weeks; family emergency, so I have got to stay and man the house. However, I would like you to have Harry and Ron call me when they've finished their game, if that won't be a problem?"

"Oh not at all, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear from you. Now take care dear."

"Yes, thank you. Goodbye Mrs. Weasley."

"Bye-bye now."

As I hung up the phone I set it down gently against the kitchen table and looked out the window to the bright yellow and blue sky. I then let out a sigh and decided to check the missed calls list to see who had called since going to bed, with my hopes high that I had not again missed Viktor.

"Damn!" I hissed as I saw his name listed at 1:48pm and 3:07pm.

"Something the matter?" Snape's voice asked from a distance to the side, and I jumped and let out a small squeal, spilling my tea on the table and floor.

"Professor Snape!" I announced with my heart racing, "You startled me."

"So I see. I apologize, would you like some help?" He asked as he strode slowly towards me with a look of what seemed like contained amusement.

"I…" I thought quickly, and deciding to maintain a civil relationship while he stayed in my house, concluded with, "Yes, that'd be nice. I'm still waking up."

"Where are the towels?" He asked as he hovered aimlessly beside the refrigerator.

"They're in the second cupboard beside the sink." I told him, "Yes, just there." I said with a small, pleasant smile on my lips as he opened the appropriate cupboard.

"I know this is weird for both of us, Professor. I can hardly be the student of choice you'd decide to spend a summer with." I said before thinking.

"Oh, I wouldn't necessarily say that, Miss Granger." He said as we bent down in unison to the floor and he handed me a plaid violet and yellow towel. "After all, people are different in school versus out. What you know of me, and what I know of you, is hardly cause to avoid each other completely when we don't have to see each other. We barley know each other to judge like that."

"Yeah," I said stupidly as I began wiping and dabbing at the spilled tea. "So, um, did my parents say anything about what was wrong with Aunt Ariella?"

"No," He told me. "No, I am sorry they did not. They just said it was an emergency and that they didn't want to take you away from your summer holiday, and for you to not worry yourself over it."

"Well how can they possibly expect that of me?" I asked him. "Expect me not to worry? They flew all the way to Australia to see my Aunt Ariella, who we only visit once a year, if that. And they ask me not to worry…" I trailed off. "Sorry, Professor, I'm… sorry." I said more to myself than him.

"Well, Miss Granger, I'm not saying that I know your parents, but I doubt they'd tell you to not worry if it were serious. I mean, don't you think they would have asked you to come if it were truly serious?" He asked. "I'd understand them lying if you were a child, but you're nearly an adult now."

"I know, before I know it I'll be out of school and starting my own life."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself yet Miss Granger; you've still two years left."

"I know, but the first five seem to have flown by."

"Oh, you've no idea." Snape laughed, showing me for the first time that he could laugh, and smile. "Before you know it you'll be my age and reflecting back on your own glory days, or, youth."

"Yeah, Harry, Ron and I have certainly had some of those." I laughed.

"Yes, you certainly have." He said back while taking his now damp towel and folding it unnecessarily in his hands.

"You know, Harry, he's not as bad as you make him out to be." I said cautiously. "He never wanted to be famous, and if he did that would just be sick. I mean, who would want to be famous for having both your parents' dead? And not just dead but murdered… Leaving you with not even one single memory of either of them…"

"I know that, Miss Granger." He said with equal calmness, and with that, stood up and left silently.

"You did what!?" Ron bellowed into the phone.

"I, you know, had a conversation with him. And a fairly decent one at that." I told him again as I walked over and laid down comfortably onto my unmade bed. "Really Ron, it wasn't that bad! I think it's just at school he acts the way we're used to."

"Just acts that way at school? Hermione! Have you lost your brain!? It's Snape!" he fumed.

"I know that, Ron. And I don't appreciate you asking me such a thing like that." I told him as I curled my knees up to my stomach. "I think it might just be Harry. I mean, I've ran into him at school before when I was without either of you and he was decent."

"Hermione! Do I need to ask it again? He's evil! Pure, cold, Slytherin evil!"

"Ronald Weasley! I am not saying I am going to become best friends with him! I'm just saying that things don't always have to be tense and awkward with him! Think Ron! I am alone in my house with him, and I'd loose my mind if we didn't speak! That would just make things more awkward, wouldn't it? I mean seeing him every day here, and having no memory of speaking with him and driving myself crazy wondering if he is in fact actually here?"

"Fine." He said after a moment. "As long as you don't go calling each other by first names or anything. And don't you dare ever call him nice! And when school starts back up you better not go off telling Harry and me stories of your summer with Snape!"

"I'll try and hold my tongue." I said sarcastically after a moment of thinking how nice it would feel to hit Ron across the head with a frying pan for even thinking, even suggesting such a thing as to converse about Snape out of school. "Anyway Ron, I am going to get off the phone now. And I probably won't call you tomorrow. Or the next day, it's awkward talking to you so frequently in the summer like this."

"Oh, but it isn't with Snape!?"

"You know what I mean." I sighed impatiently. "Usually it takes me days, weeks, to get a hold of you. And now, talking like this two days in a row on top of Snape and my parents' being gone, it's throwing me off. This isn't a normal summer, but I'd like to at least try and keep it slightly normal."

"Alright, I get it." He sighed. "I'll talk to you later then, I guess."

"Yeah, bye Ron."

"Bye 'Mione." He said softly before hanging up, and I rolled over and flicked off my light, still in day clothes, and fell into a deep and restful sleep.

TBC