AN: Hey! I'm really happy with all the positive feedback I've been receiving lately. You guys are amazing. So now that we've gotten onto the real plot expect chapters to be more around this length or longer. I'm still in the process of editing the first 3 chapters just in case anyone was wondering. I'm focusing all my time on making more content so I haven't had time to go back and edit the rest.
And here's another shout-out to my amazing beta reader RPGgirl514 who is super helpful and perfect. If you haven't already please check out her stuff!
She woke up on the mattress, tucked into emerald sheets.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, fading in from static. She rubbed her eyes, pushing the sheets off to the side and rising to elbows. Ah, that's right. She looked around the room, the memories of the night before slowly making their way back into her head. She was inside Professor Snape's bedroom. She had another one of those dreams. She shuddered, pressing her thighs firmly together. Thinking about her Professor that way in his own bed, she worried, biting her lip, how dirty. Her eyes darted to the chair when he had been asleep before. When she found he wasn't there she wasn't entirely surprised. She just hoped wherever he was he would return soon, she didn't know what to do with herself alone in his quarters.
She looked around the room, trying to get the dream out of her head., more of its fine intricate details sticking out in the dim early morning daylight then the burnt-amber glare of the fireplace. Everything in the room looked ancient, like the beautiful old wooden furniture in her house her parent's got from their parents, their parents before them and so on. She assumed the windows the lights were coming from were artificial being as far into the dungeons they were, but beautiful nonetheless. The curtains above it were mostly closed, but opened enough in the corners that it allowed the light to illuminate that room. From her side she heard a deep groan. She turned, and much to her surprise it was Snape lying asleep aside her. There he is, she thought, immediately comforted by his presence.
He wore a loose fitting white button up with his plain black school slacks. She brought the sheets back up from the edge of the bed and put it back on top of him. What am I doing here? Hermione wondered what happened to her resolve yesterday.
His chest rose and fell with every steady breath. She wasn't doing him any favors by hanging around so closely. She didn't know what she was thinking, spending the night in her Professor's bedroom. He must have not said anything to be polite. She had to be completely out of her mind to stay anyway. If anyone were to find out, her actions would reflect badly on him. Technically she was a year over the age of consent, but that still didn't excuse sleeping with her teacher. Even in the most innocent of terms.
The stress wrinkles on his face were settled as much as she imagined they ever could be. She noticed it last night too. He looked so calm. She moved her hand towards him, not sure what she was going to do it but quickly pulled back when he started to murmur himself awake. Unsure of what to do she quickly closed her eyes and faced the ceiling. The sheets rustled, and Snape was off his back, rolled onto his side. He cleared his throat and repositioned himself on the bed. Her eyes were sealed shut, but she soon felt his strong gaze rest on her. It made her uneasy, as his gaze always did.
He softly ran his hand across her face, which surprised her. It took every ounce of her control not to jump back. He brushed her bushy hair out of her face, resting his hand in place for a second before removing himself from the bed. She heard him storm off into another room and a door clicking behind him.
What was that? She asked herself, raising her hand to her cheek. She could still feel his lingering touch on her. She shook her head, trying to get a hold of herself. Right now she didn't have time to be lovestruck. She got up from the bed and got ready to leave, putting on her socks and shoes that were neatly placed near the edge of the bed. Finished, she took another look around the room, surveying it. There was one place she hadn't looked. Her eyes looked to the hidden hallway in the corner, completely blocked out of view by the drapery.
She hesitated, afraid to betray Snape's trust if it had been anything he wanted to hide. Still, curiosity got the best of her and she began moving in its direction. To her surprise it was just a small kitchen with a small table for one and storage room. In comparison to his office workspace and bedroom this room was a bit messier and looked more lived-in. The wallpaper was a yellowing minimalistic floral pattern and was chipping off in spots. In a way, seeing how he lived showed her a different part of him, like the other day when she was surprised to see him carelessly fill his pockets with mushrooms. Professor Snape really wasn't that rigid unfeeling person she had been convinced he was only a few months before. She got a lot of similar comment about herself from her peers but experiencing the feeling firsthand was strange.
"I see you found your way to the backroom." Snape entered the room from behind her. He swayed his wand, a warm mug of coffee headed her way.
She took the mug and lifted it to her nose. It smelled richly of pumpkin spice and vanilla bean. She was usually more of a tea person but she would let it slide this time. "Thank you. It smells amazing."
"I'm glad you like it." He sat down at the table, pulling a chair out for her to join him. "I assumed you wanted to floo back to your common room before the others awoke. It's still very early so you can leave after you eat." To be honestly, she wasn't feeling very hungry that morning but she picked up an apple anyway from a tray on the center of the table and awkwardly brought it to her lips. Hermione took a bite, chewing it slowly. He was oddly persistent about watching her eat.
Satisfied, he huffed, sat back in his chair and began to read the Daily Prophet, taking a long sip of coffee. His eyes darted impressively fast across the page, quickly flipping to the next as expected of a Hogwarts professor. He cleared his throat, disrupting the silence she had oddly found more soothing than not. "I thought over what happened yesterday and I decided on a proper punishment for having smut on your person."
"Ah." She was hoping he had forgotten about that.
"You have a free class period next quarter, am I correct?"
She nodded, not quite catching on.
"You will be aiding me with some of the things you have already been doing. I have been in need of a teacher's assistant for sometime now."
"Y-yes it would be no problem at all!" She piped, sounding more excited then she intended. She hadn't noticed a smile was plastered to her face as she spoke. If he was asking her to be his assistant, something that required them both being in close proximity for a good portion of the day, it must have meant in some way he enjoyed having her around. Still, it sounded like a bit of a stretch but she knew he definitely wouldn't ask Harry or Ron to substitute detention with him for the same thing.
Her overenthusiastic response caught him off guard, but he looked pleased. "I'll only need you to be here during that period and occasionally after school but you are free to spend your lunch however you wish."
Out of nowhere a question formed in her head. Truthfully, it's something she had been wondering about for a while now, but she hadn't had the courage to bring it up before. She parted her lips to say something but quickly closed them, unsure of how to properly word it. "I've been meaning to ask, and excuse me if it's too intrusive, but considering you've been through my belongings it might not be too out of place."
"Well, spit it out already," Snape commanded.
She knew she would regret it later but it was too late to go back now. "What was that whiplike thing doing in your supply closet to begin with?"
He put the newspaper down and rested his chin on his palm. "For warding off Hagrid's creatures."
It was his turn to explain himself. "Really?" She tutted, mimicking his posture.
"I don't appreciate your persistence Granger, but if I must say," he cleared his throat again, and placed his mug to the side. "It's something I haven't used in years, so it was just as much a surprise to me when I found it in there." He didn't say it, but Hermione knew that he knew she was well aware of what it was used for. "And may I ask why you were interested in such a book?"
Hermione had already seen this coming but had not prepared a response.
"Well, I was already aware that that kind of stuff existed, but after I saw, er, your thing. It sparked my interest-"
He interrupted her, his tone as sharp as nails. "And I hope that interest does not inspired you to seek out similar experiences." He must have been referring to the remark she made out of frustration the other day. She beat herself up for saying something so careless, but in her defense he could have never know it would get such a distinct reaction out of him. It interested her. Hermione considered pressing the subject but decided against it.
"Not really," she gulped.
"Good." He straightened his posture and returned to reading.
Hermione took her time finishing her food then removed herself from the table. "I suppose I should be leaving now. Thank you for having me over." Snape nodded and lead her back to the mainroom. He pulled a small bag of floo powder off the ledge above the fireplace and poured some of it into her hands. Standing in the fireplace, about to floo herself back to her room she recalled her dream. It wasn't likely but she wondered if she had said anything strange in her sleep? She glance at Snape once last time before tossing the powder and muttering her destination. His expression told her nothing. "Gryffindor common room!"
It was strange seeing the place that was usually filled with so much life as silent as she was. She cast a spell, removing the ashes from her shoes and stepped onto the carpet. The same dim light that had highlighted Snape's room so beautifully made the room feel cold and lonely. She began towards the girl's dormitory tower, wondering why that was. Before she was halfway across the room someone appeared from the door, rushing out in a frenzy.
When the girl's bright red hair came into view she knew the identity of the person immediately. "Hermione, there you are!" Ginny smiled. "I was looking for you after supper. Someone told me you had detention with Snape again but I didn't think you would be out all night."
"OH! Yes, um, I got home really late and you were asleep by the time I got back." She lied.
"Ohh, and what time was that around? I was up pretty late waiting."
"...Er, I'm not too sure, sorry." Hermione gripped the strap of her book uncomfortably, shifting her way past her. "I am awfully tired though. I got up thinking I could get some extra studying in but I can hardly keep my eyes open."
"Hermione, listen," Ginny called, her suspicious undertone revealing itself. "If anything is going on you can tell me."
"It's nothing, really." Hermione answered quickly, still heading towards the door.
"Hermione, don't leave." Hermione finally stopped, not having the heart to go when Ginny was so genuinely concerned about her. "I'm really worried and if you don't tell me what's going on with you I'm going to tell someone about this."
Hermione bit her lip, realizing she would have to at least half spill the beans on this one. "Okay. Whatever you do, please do not tell Harry and Ron." She told her the story from the beginning truthfully, with some minor edits leaving out the awkward bits about the flogger since she wasn't sure how Ginny would react to that part.
"Oh, so you think you might be interested in Professor Sna-" Hermione shushed her, and bobbed her head around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "Sorry, sorry. I was surprised." Ginny giggled, "Trust me, your secret is safe with me." With another outburst like that, Hermione wasn't so sure.
"I just hope you know what you're getting into." Ginny's sudden change in tone worried her. "Ron and Harry would go absolutely bonkers if they found out. And, you and Snape together as an item could get you both into some real trouble."
"I know," she replied back, her eyes falling to the floor. Hermione had already considered that, but despite how much she warned herself not to get too close she could never bring herself to listen to her own advice. They had spent so much time together already she had become accustomed to being by his side, and he was so different from anyone she'd ever met before. His intellect was refreshing.
Sensing her friends worry Ginny's voice perked up, "But don't get me wrong! I will support it!"
She smiled wearily, "Thanks." Though there was so much she couldn't tell her, Hermione was happy she had a friend she could confide in.
The rest of the day passed by slow. Hermione sat at her desk in Potions class, head resting in her hand, watching the clock tick. Her mind was unusually empty, and when she was able to think of something it always revolved around him somehow. Snape stood ahead of her in the front of the class, lecturing in his monotonous drawl. He asked the class a question, his attention immediately turning to her. His stare reeked of unashamed confidence, making her fidget uncomfortably as he looked her up and down. She stood still, unsure of what to do. When she didn't answer he looked surprised, but quickly picked someone else to answer his question.
Coming back to her senses she shook her head, nervously shoving her face behind her textbook. Unlike her, he was never afraid to meet her eyes during class. Which she guessed wasn't really out of place in his position as her professor, but she could never get over how direct his stare was. The thought brought her mind back to his interest in BDSM; a subject she's been avoiding completely since he confiscated the book from her.
Dominant, she remembered the term, seemed like his natural trait. There was no other way to describe it. Hermione couldn't help but find it alluring. She didn't know how she didn't notice this about him before. Maybe it was she just hadn't paid attention to it and the only difference was that it was thrown in her face everyday, not that she minded it. She waited behind after class, knowing she should have left.
"Granger," he said, calling her attention. "I wasn't expecting you to stay here today." Snape waved his wand, collecting a pile of pop quiz papers from the previous period to the front.
Hermione walked to the front, grabbing a chalkboard eraser. Happy to make herself useful."I thought since I'm going to be doing this soon anyways I might as well start helping you sooner rather than later." The dust flew around her, irritating her nose. She tried to fight the upcoming sneezing fit but eventually gave in to inevitability and sneezed into her elbow. He let her finish up erasing the rest of the board, amused with her reaction. She took his lack of protest as encouragement and she continued to help around the classroom, doing whatever she saw needed to be done.
She watched him from the corner of her eyes, studying his appearance. The words rolled out of her tongue, unexpected even to herself. "Why do you like stuff like that? Doesn't flogging hurt?" She wanted to bring up the subject again to continue the conversation they had earlier, but obviously not in the way she did. Her words even took herself back.
"I suppose it comes with the territory." He snarled. "I would really prefer not to talk about this here." He turned away, straightening a stack of papers.
Embarrassed, she sealed her mouth shut, very seriously considering the option of hexing herself so she could never say something so brainless again.
Snape sighed, and spoke again, softening the edge in his tone. "If you must, you may return here after your last class period. Now go eat Ms. Granger."
Nodding wildly Hermione jogged out of the classroom.
When she had gotten a decent distance away she slowed her pace. She didn't know what possessed her to say such a thing. She wondered if maybe Ron's moronic blunt outbursts were starting to rub off on her. In that case she wasn't really looking forward to seeing him in the Great Hall; she was afraid she would be less forgiving with him this time. At the end of the hallways she saw a familiar blonde head, who upon spotting her headed in her direction. His pale figure glowed in the dark halls. She considered stopping in her spot and dashing in the other direction but did her best to pretend she hadn't noticed him yet instead.
"Granger," he cooed, stopping in front of her. "Aw, coming back from detention again?" He was the last person she wanted to run into in an empty hallway at night. Hermione said nothing, hoping he would get bored with her and leave. She tried to walk past him but he stopped her again, maneuvering himself in front of wherever direction she tried to leave from.
"If you can help me out here I promise I'll play nice."
Hermione sighed, crossing her arms. The sooner she played along the sooner Draco would leave she supposed. "What is it?" She asked, hoping she wouldn't regret it.
He leaned against the wall, making himself comfortable before beginning. "It's actually a pretty funny story. A friend of mine accidentally left something a little risque in the library last time he was there and he's looking to get it back." Her heart skipped a beat, knowing exactly what he was referring to. She did her best to hide her involvement, but was unsure if her acting skills were up to par.
"What does that have to do with me?" She interjected, speaking between her teeth.
"Yeah, the funny part is that he says you were in the library with him when he lost it. Can you explain that to me?"
"I saw no such thing. That's absolutely disgusting, and if I did I would have reported it immediately. So consider your friend lucky he only lost it." Hermione scowled, and added a bit of a scoff as she spoke for effect.
Draco smirked, and moved in closer to examine her face. She instinctually jerked back and he choked out a laugh as she did. His thoughts were impossible to read, but not in the same way thought Snape's were. Draco was chaotic and erratic, she didn't believe there was a soul out there who could predict his actions beside his equally turbulent friends. The only way she pictured she could ever begin to understand his motivation behind being the biggest jackass she knew was if somehow he gained a sense of reason, or if she went completely insane. Which was more likely to happen first.
He pulled back and turned away. "I suppose you weren't completely useless today Granger."
Not knowing how to respond to that, or if she should respond at all, Hermione stood in place and angrily watched him leave the hallway. Her appetite was lost, but she continued off to the Great Hall anyway. She tried to perk herself up before she got there, worried her friends would ask too many questions and that she would explain herself in circles. The only person who may have noticed anything was Ginny, but she didn't ask, thinking Hermione would tell her on her own when she was ready.
After supper, Hermione finally returned to the Potions classroom, still uneasy about Draco's suspicious behavior. She tried to convince herself that he only volunteered himself to investigate to bother her, and that he wasn't actually on to anything, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling he knew more than he was letting on. Though, on the brightside, she thought, even if he had known anything, it's not as if he would betray Snape's trust. She knew the story, their fathers had been close for years. Draco was dumb, but he wouldn't do anything to upset Snape and thus upset his parents. She scratched her head, unable to let it go. What was he thinking?
Snape's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, calling her back into reality. "Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
And with those words, he had all of her attention.