Inside

Chapter Four: Goodnight

Snape's POV

I turned away and held my hand firmly against my chest with electricity still coursing through it like wild fire; it hadn't left since the moment our hands parted. The realization had not hit me until that moment of contact, the reasons why I had been so cruel to her, why I had been so quick to judge her for being nothing more than an irritating know-it-all. The reason why in that one moment of silence earlier today I had thought those things about her, and why I had placed my hand to her forehead after offering her my room and wished her sweet dreams only after she had already fallen asleep.

I loved her.

"So you'll want to put that pot on the stove; I've already turned it on for you. And add a dollop of olive oil, then wait for it to boil for a couple minutes, then you can add that box of pasta to it and let it cook for nine minutes. I'll get started on the dressing. And after that I'll show you how to help me with the chicken."

I leaned against the countertop and watched as she began pouring equal amounts of three different liquids into separate containers, and then transfer them all into a forth container, where she began beating them together.

"Shall I get started on the chicken?" I asked her after a few moments of silence of watching her and her having no idea of it.

"Um, well you can open the packaging and rinse them with cold water from the faucet. I'll be there to help you in just a moment; I'm almost finished here I just need to add the sesame seeds then my attention will be all yours."

Hermione's POV

I told Snape that he helped out enough with the making of dinner, and leaned up against the side of the counter beside the sink and watched as he retired into the lounge with my heart standing still in my chest.

My mouth opened and I let out a deep breath of air I had been holding as he disappeared behind the corner and into the lounge. The way he had been acting since the morning was just not normal of him; he was being nice. Not just nice but extremely nice. And extremely comfortable, with not only the house… but me as well. His eyes on me nearly every moment during dinner, and thinking I wouldn't notice it! Perhaps it was nothing, I thought as I turned and began loading the dishwasher, I was just thinking too much into it. The man hated me! He was probably just amazed that I was able to fend for myself for a few weeks and actually know what I was doing. Or maybe he was just jealous I knew how to take care of myself without any help from magic at all.

Still, I wish he didn't make it so obvious about what he was thinking. I mean we both know this is the last place he'd want to spend a couple months at, regardless of what he said, he probably just said it to be nice so he'd be able to make it up at the start of next term. And decent conversation with him or not, I can't stand him! I can't believe I actually talked to Ron about him! I mean honestly! The things I said! It's unbearable living in a house alone with him! Just knowing he is here; sleeping in a bed in a room directly beside mine is sickening! And to think in my tired state this morning I actually slept in a bed he sleeps in, before he even made it! When he himself had more than likely slept in it less than an hour, or half hour, before myself!

I shuddered at the thought of it, and if what was already bad could possibly get any worse, became horrible as a glass slipped from my loose grip and dropped to the floor, shattering everywhere as I let out a painstaking and pitiful, "Shit!"

"Is everything alright?" He was around the corner and in front of me before I even had time to look up. Great! Now he had even more to make fun of me for later! Well, at least I'd be able to tell people how he doused himself in water without meaning to.

"Yeah," I told him sulkily. "Everything is fine Professor; I just wasn't paying attention and dropped a glass. You can get back to your reading."

"Are you sure you're alright, Miss Granger, you seem-"

"I'm fine. I've broken glasses before; it's just a bit of glass," I told him. "I just hate breaking things when my parent's aren't here, it feels disrespectful to them." I lied quickly as I crouched down and began picking up pieces of the bigger glass and placing them into the palm of my hand. "But I'll just tell them when they- OW!" I shrieked as a sharper edge gouged itself into my skin and immediately began spurting blood. "Darn it that's deep," I mumbled while dropping the glass from my hand back to the floor and pressing my opposite hand over it.

"It is," Snape said as I stood and sucked in a mouthful of air through my clenched teeth and closed my eyes. "I may not be trained in the muggle way of life, but you should rinse that," he suggested as I felt his hands on my shoulders. "Miss Granger? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it just twinges a bit," I whispered. "So bloody stupid!" I added in a mumble as he turned me slowly to face the sink, as if I were an infant who were incapable of even walking.

He took my hands in his and pulled them apart delicately. "Yes, you are bleeding a good amount. Here, run it under this," he said after turning the faucet to its coldest and lightest setting.

"I just need to apply pressure to it to stop the bleeding. In the cupboard in the bathroom beside the mirror you'll find gauze and antibiotic ointment; it's labeled, could you go get them for me? And some cloth tape too, please."

"Yes, of course."

It didn't really hurt as bad as I was making it out to be, I was just so embarrassed and upset with myself for letting such a stupid thing happen in front of him. Though it was bleeding quite a lot, it wasn't the blood that was making me feel sick. It was him and his kindness and uncanny ability to always be around me at the worst time possible! And not to mention the fact he'd been touching me all bleeding day, what was wrong with him!? Seeing me unstable wasn't enough? He had to feel how tense my body was, too? I bit back tears of frustration while turning off the faucet and lifting my head at the sound of his quickly approaching steps.

"Here you are. What do you need first?" he asked quickly, overbearingly.

"Nothing. Thanks for getting these, but I can help myself." I told him while taking a folded towel and squeezing it in the palm of my hand and unrolling the gauze with my right one.

How I wish he'd stop looking at me, all serious like! He's probably beside himself with laughter on the inside…

"I can do more than sit around reading and making a fool of myself while trying to cook with you all summer, please, what do you need me to do?" he asked as I opened my eyes and looked up at him.

"You really don't need t-"

"What do you need?" he cut me off seriously.

"The antibiotic ointment," I told him. "It needs to go directly over the cut once the bleeding has slowed down a bit. And after that we can wrap it in gauze, then tape it closed. I'd say I needed stitches, but the palm of the hand heals so quickly it wouldn't even be worth it. I'll just keep it covered and it'll be fine."

"Shall we check it then?" he asked after a few moments of shared silence.

"Yes."

After washing his own hands, we walked over to the kitchen table and he squeezed a generous amount of ointment onto his forefinger tip and gently rubbed it onto the cut, I winced and pulled my hand back, but his opposite hand was cupped around my wrist so I didn't get far.

"Sorry," he apologized as he wiped his finger onto the cloth I had been clutching. "Does it hurt badly?"

"No," I told him truthfully this time. "More sharp than anything, I just wasn't expecting that sort of pain from a cut."

"Well, as you said, it will heal quickly so before you know it there will be no pain at all," he sighed as he began wrapping the thin gauze around my hand; between my thumb and forefinger and around my wrist, back and forth. As he placed the tape on the two separate ends of gauze and momentarily cupped his hand around the top of mine and gently squeezed.

"It's really weird having him here," I went on at long last speaking with Viktor. "I was so stupid to say yes to Dumbledore! It is so uncomfortable! And with my parent's gone it really is just us here. Alone."

"Vell, it can't be that bad. It is only until summer is over, then you only haff him during one class at school," he told me thoughtfully as I lay on my bed with my pillow pulled tight to my chest. "I think it vas fery thoughtful of you to say yes, him haffing no vhere else to go. That is vot I luff about you."

"I wish it were you here instead of him," I told him honestly.

"I haff been vishing that since I met you," he told me back just as honest.

A moment of comfortable silence passed before either of us spoke again.

"So how is your hand?" he asked. "Does it hurt badly?"

"No, it isn't that bad. I was just being stupid and was so frustrated at the time and forgot what I was doing, it wasn't until I felt the pain I even remembered I had glass in my hand."

"If I vas there I vould kiss it better."

"I bet you would."

"You know I vould."

"I know," I laughed. "Viktor, I really love talking with you; hearing your voice, but I-"

"Haff to go," he finished for me.

"I'm sorry," I told him sorrowfully. "It's just I never finished cleaning up the glass from the kitchen, let alone cleaning the kitchen. Will you call tomorrow?" I asked after a moment.

"Of course," he promised. "But why don't you haff Snape clean it? He is not staying there for free."

"Right, because he'll be able to let that go when term starts," I shook my head and sat up. "No, I need to do it, it was my fault and I can't trust he'll do it right, he's used to using magic for these things."

"Very vell," Viktor sighed. "I vill talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, talk to you tomorrow Viktor. Bye."

"Goodnight."

As I made my way into the kitchen I was both surprised and shocked to find it completely and utterly cleaned.

"Professor, did you do that?" I asked as I walked into the lounge. "The kitchen I mean."

"Yes. I knew you were on the phone, so I just thought I'd try my hand at muggle cleaning."

"Oh, well you didn't have to do that."

"I didn't want you to hurt your hand," he pointed out. "It was not a big deal, Miss Granger, it was rather easier than I thought it would be."

"I wouldn't have, we have rubber gloves I just would have worn those."

"Well, still, it is done."

"I guess I'll have an early night then," I told him, not knowing what else to say.

"Yes, I think I'll do that too," he nodded as he pulled himself up from the couch and began walking in my direction.

"Sounds good, I'll just lock up and see you in the morning then."

"Actually, that is taken care of as well. I took the liberty to do it also while you were on the phone."

"Oh," I gaped. "I guess you've left me with nothing to do other than go to bed."

"It appears so," he laughed. "I'll try to leave you something tomorrow."

"Okay, thanks."

As I reached the top of the stairs I was reaching for my handle when I felt him standing not far behind me. And so, I turned to see what it was he wanted.

"Is there something you need, Professor?" I asked him stupidly while pulling my hand away from my door and looking up at him.

"Nothing just…" he said awkwardly. "Goodnight, Miss Granger," he smiled, opening his eyes to look down at me.

"Goodnight," I nodded once, but was barley able to make half a turn away before his arms were wrapped around me, and his lips on mine.

I was so shocked all I could do was stand there. But then, as reality set in, I realized he was still kissing me, so I pulled my hands up to his chest and shoved him off of me with all my might. I fell against the wall and could do nothing but look up at him in horror and never ending shock.

He took a step towards me looking as if he were going to try and kiss me again, but this time – knowing what was to come I forced my feet beneath me to move and stumbled backwards into my room and slammed my door, locking it as quickly as my hands could move. I placed my hand over my open mouth and listened as he walked across the hall and into the guest room.

The rest of the summer passed in silence.

TBC