Disclaimer: These characters all belong to many others including JK Rowling. They do not belong to me.
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Power in All It's Glory
Chapter 14: Power (of the mind)
Professor Snape surveyed the classroom full of third year students. He glared at each of them daring them to question him further. He was finally going to get to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, even if it was for just one day while that imbecile was incapacitated.
He strode gracefully down the isle.
"Today we are going to study werewolves."
"But sir, we haven't gotten that far yet."
He turned to glare at the student stupid enough to interrupt him.
Granger, of course. The insufferable know-it-all, always with her hand up in the air. Always wanting to show off.
He was going to show her. Although she was not as easily intimidated as the other third years, he knew just what to say to bring her down.
As he opened his mouth to admonish her, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face the girl behind him. No … not a girl … a woman. Hermione Granger, not as she was in her third year, but as she was now at seventeen.
"Sir, I just wanted to please you," she whispered.
He stared at her as the memories of the present flooded back to him. She was still his student, but he was having a hard time thinking of her as such. They had been through so much the last few days. He noticed she was not wearing her school uniform. Instead, she had on a dress that clung to her curves.
"Professor." She stepped closer to him. She reached up to caress his face. Her hand was warm and soft, and he leaned in to her touch.
Snape glanced down at her lips that were parted in anticipation of his kiss. He remembered how wonderful it had felt to kiss her. He wanted to relive that experience.
"Hermione." He wrapped his arms around her and leaned in toward her.
"Severus," she whispered "why can't you love me?"
Suddenly she was gone. He looked up startled.
"Sorry, sir." He turned around at the sound of Draco Malfoy's voice. "But she loves me now." The boy, he was just a boy after all, was holding Hermione in his arms.
Hermione smiled at the scowling professor. "I need someone now, Severus. I can't wait any longer."
Snape felt the anger and frustration of the last few months build up. Someone had been tormenting him, making his life hell. Nevertheless, it had brought him closer to Hermione and that was its own kind of hell. He wanted her so much, but she was his student and he could not, would not, cross that line. But the thought of her with Draco Malfoy … that was too much. He glanced back at the couple, a scathing remark dying on his lips. Draco was gone. In his place, Neville Longbottom held Hermione tightly in his arms.
"What's the matter, Professor?" Neville asked with a smirk. "Are you too stupid to realize she no longer loves you?"
Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Mr. Longbottom, detention!"
Neville laughed. In fact, he could not stop laughing. He bent over laughing and when he straightened up, he was a foot taller.
"Oh, Snivellus, you were always the funny one." Sirius Black pulled Hermione closer to him. "And now the delectable Miss Granger is all mine."
"Black, let her go!" Snape stepped closer to the couple.
"But it is me she wants. Surely you did not think she could actually love a greasy git like you?"
Snape hesitated as the words hit their mark. How could she love him? The answer came into his mind swiftly and was just as quickly voiced aloud.
"She doesn't love you," Sirius Black taunted him. Draco Malfoy and Neville Longbottom unexpectedly appeared on either side of Professor Black.
"She doesn't love you," they chanted in unison.
Suddenly the chanting stopped.
Severus and Hermione were alone. She walked up to him and looked at him with a sad smile.
"I'm sorry, Severus. I don't love you anymore."
Severus Snape awoke with a start. He was sweating, and his pulse was racing. As he oriented back to time and place, he realized he had been dreaming. He was been so exhausted he had fallen asleep on the couch in his office.
It was almost dinnertime. Snape was irritated with himself for falling asleep. He had several things he needed to do before he went down to the Great Hall.
Damn, the Granger girl. She was driving him crazy, and she didn't even know it.
Neville Longbottom leaned back in his chair in the Gryffindor common room. He was relaxing before dinner. He thought back to the day's events.
That morning Hermione had kissed him in the Library. She had then punched out Pansy Parkinson in DADA class, getting detention with Professor Black in the process. Then when she had flirted with him during Potions class, Snape had been livid.
Neville smiled to himself, savoring the memory.
His plan was falling into place.
