A/N- Alright, so, not going to lie, I am actually really in love with this chapter, and I hope you all like it as well! I'm sure you will though. I would really, really love a review, is it too forward of me to ask for 80 reviews? Ah, anyways, thank you so, so much for the reviews and alerts and favourites! Enjoy.

"Alright, class," Hermione said as she walked back and forth in front of the rows of students, and turned to face them appraisingly. "Does anyone know how to perform the Patronus Charm?"

The sixth years all shook their heads, looking around to see if anyone in the class had raised their hand. The Ravenclaws and Gryffindors looked rather put off, Hermione guessed they hadn't thought to study up on the charm, given as it was normally taught much later in the year.

"No one?" Hermione asked, looking around. "Well then, how about this. How many of you know the theory behind the charm?"

A few hands rose up in the air, and Hermione was satisfied. A few of them had read past their year. Pointing to a blonde, burly looking Gryffindor boy, she called on him. "Mr. Hartreach, can you tell the class how to perform a Patronus Charm?"

The boy stood up. "Well, professor, my dad told me that you have to think of something really happy, like a memory that makes you feel happy, and then you have to focus on the memory and remember everything about it and exactly why it makes you feel happy, and then you can cast the charm."

Hermione clapped excitedly, and gave the student a pleased look. "Very good, Mr. Hartreach! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

Hartreach sat down looking very pleased with himself. Hermione resumed walking, "how many of you have a memory like that? A memory so powerful that whenever you think of it, you feel unbelievably happy?"

All of the hands thrust up into the air. Pleased, Hermione nodded. "Very good. I know the patronus charm is something you would normally learn far later in the year, but as it is a difficult charm, a little extra practice won't hurt." She walked back up to hear desk. "For homework, I expect two feet on why the Patronus Charm works the way it does, it's practical uses, and why you think your memory is enough to perform the charm, to be delivered the Monday after next. Happy Holidays, everyone!"

The students groaned collectively, but returned the sentiments to Hermione. Several of them were already whispering hurriedly to their friends about which memory would be the most powerful. Hermione smiled, she knew that all the essays would be handed in on time. There was nothing like the thrill of learning an advanced charm to coax students into completing their homework. The holiday vacation would provide ample time to complete the essay, as well. She glanced at her pocket watch and stood up to leave, grabbing her bag on her way out. She made her way to the dungeons, Snape was expecting her. They had started the Wiggenweld Potion last night, and today it was ready for the last few ingredients to be added.

Approaching his office, she heard footsteps behind her. Whirling around, she stopped to see Professor Snape in front of her.

"Oh, hello Severus," she said quizzically, Hermione had thought Severus was in his office, like he usually thought around this time. "I thought we were going to work some more on the potion this evening?"

Severus shook his head curtly. "No, I have put a stasis spell over the potion for now," he said as he gestured for her to keep walking. "I seem to be curiously out of dittany, and I would like your help to obtain some for the potion."

Hermione blinked at him. "I – of course, but how, and why were you out of dittany?" she said as she started to follow him, struggling to keep up with his long strides.

Severus looked down at the witch and slowed his pace when he realized she was nearly jogging to keep up with him. "That, Miss Granger, is exactly what I asked myself. I believe someone has been in my private stores."

Hermione bit her lip to hold back a snicker and pointedly looked away from Severus. She still hadn't quite gotten over her guilt at stealing from his stores in her second year, when she had made the Polyjuice Potion for her, Ron, and Harry.

"There is no need to look so ashamed," Severus said witheringly as they reached the castle doors. "I know perfectly well that it was you who broke into my office in your second year and stole boomslang skin."

Hermione stopped and gaped at him. "You knew?" she said incredulously. She was sure that no one had known that it was her who had stolen from the Professor. "How–"

"Miss Granger, please do not insult my intelligence. I am not foolish enough to forgo placing wards over things I don't want touched," he said waspishly. "One of the most obvious being a ward to detect and identify whomever it was doing the stealing."

Hermione closed her mouth. Of course, she told herself. It had been stupid to think he never placed protective spells on his stores, but the idea had never once occurred to her. "How was I able to get in, then?" she queried.

"The castle's magic prevents me from placing wards over rooms that do not allow entrance, I could only place a few enchantments to tell me who and when."

"But," Hermione began. "Why didn't you stop me? Or catch me? Or– "

"Because, Miss Granger, the headmaster bade me not to," he interrupted evenly.

"He did? He knew what we were doing?" Hermione said, the surprise evident in her voice. "Why didn't he stop us?"

"Dumbledore knew many things," Severus intoned in his deep baritone. "Why he decided to let you continue with your rule-breaking was something he neglected to share with me." Having left the castle, they walked quickly to the gates to the grounds.

Hermione stepped in front of Severus quickly. "Hold on," she said. "You have yet to inform me where you are dragging me too so hurriedly. Where do we have to go?"

"Miss Granger, I did not drag you. You were, if you can recall, free to leave when you wished. I merely stated that I was in need of your help," he replied evenly. "We have to apparate to a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea."

"I've never attempted to apparate that far," Hermione objected hurriedly, the most distance she had apparated was halfway across Britain, but the area Severus had mentioned was further than she had ever expected to apparate.

"No matter, you can hold on to me," he said as he offered her his arm.

Hermione stepped forwards cautiously. Gently taking a hold of the black clad arm in front of her, she nodded to Severus. He spun on the spot, and she experienced the usual oppressing feeling of being forced through a small rubber tube. She landed clumsily, and had to resort to clawing at the black robes in front of her in an attempt to stop herself from falling. Regaining her balance, she blinked up at the potions professor, meeting his gaze, his obsidian eyes looking at her intently, the expression on his face unreadable. Hermione got lost in the look the tall, dark man was giving her, as she returned his unwavering gaze. Realizing she had stood for far longer than was necessary, Hermione looked away sheepishly and stepped back hurriedly. "I – er, sorry," she said lamely as she let go of his robes.

"If you are quite done, we can start our search," Severus replied curtly, and turning away from her quickly.

Hermione nodded, grateful he didn't make any mention of her clumsiness, or the fact that she had held onto him far longer than was strictly necessary. Brushing her embarrassment off, she started looking around, and noticed they were far from any landscape she was familiar with. "Where are we?" she said curiously, noting how tall the forest they stood in front of looked. The trees were spread out, and the brush underneath was sparse as well, although it had clumps of bushes that looked impossible to get through.

"The island of Montecristo," he said shortly. "The plant is most known for growing on the island of Crete, but it grows in one other place, this small scrap of land."

"Wait, Montecristo, as in from the novel?" she asked stupidly, looking around. She had always wanted to visit the island, but never had the time. Hermione supposed it was always because she had expected to go on some sort of trip with her parents, as they were avid lovers of Dumas' works, but they had never got around to it. She found herself strangely not bothered by the fact that her first time visiting the island was with her generally snarky coworker.

"Indeed, it was the island on which Dantes found the treasure of the Spada family in The Count of Monte Cristo."

"You've read it?" Hermione asked as she tried to imagine the brooding potions professor with a muggle book in his hands. The very idea was ludicrous, from what Hermione knew of Severus. All their time spent together Severus had kept strictly professional, and any time Hermione tried to change that, he had stoutly refused her friendly advances, even though his manner had become noticeably softer towards her in recent weeks, Hermione was still slightly flummoxed that Snape had read the famous muggle novel.

"Yes, Miss Granger, your powers of perception are as sharp as ever," he said snidely. "I prefer to have a varied library, and I grew up in the muggle world, along with my mother having a penchant for muggle literature, even though my father didn't."

Hermione didn't respond. Was Snape telling her personal information about his life? Shaking her head slightly, she found the whole thing very abstruse, and decided to reflect on that particular piece of information at a different time. "What are we looking for, then?" she asked as she scrambled up a cliffside, and looked around at the plants. She knew vaguely what the dittany plant looked like in its natural state, but she had never attempted to find the plant before.

"A small, silvery plant that smokes," Severus replied as he peered under a bush. "Be careful, though, the plant releases flammable vapors occasionally; I would not suggest conjuring a jar of fire."

Finding it slightly suspicious that Severus would use that exact phrasing for conjuring fire, Hermione nodded in understanding, and started to search, looking for anything that slightly resembled the professor's description. "Wait," she said as she paused her search, looking at Severus thoughtfully. "Dittany is a brown liquid, is it not?"

Severus glowered at her over his dimly lit wand, causing his features to look more trenchant than usual. "It changes colors when it boils down."

"Oh, well I suppose that makes sense," Hermione said under her breath as she resumed her search. They continued to search for a few more minutes, and all that could be heard was the slight rustle of various plants being gently pushed aside. Hearing Severus mutter something under his breath, Hermione turned to see him gently plucking the leaves off a silvery plant that emitted a faint puffing sound. "Is that it?"

"Miss Granger, you seem to have a flair for stating the obvious," Snape said dryly. "Yes, this is the plant we need. Conjure a flask quickly."

Hermione did as he asked, and handed him the small glass bottle. Watching him fill the bottle with the plant leaves, she asked, "how long does it take to break down into a liquid?"

"Exactly 12 hours."

She nodded as he stood up. He tucked the bottle into his pocket, and offered her his arm expectantly.

"Miss Granger, hurry, I haven't got time to stand around watching you dither about. We must get going, and quickly."

After rolling her eyes dramatically, Hermione took his arm and they disappeared. Arriving back at Hogwarts, they quickly walked to the doors, as neither were too inclined to dally around in the chilly December weather. Neither spoke a word as they rushed down to the dungeons, it was crucial that they get boil the leaf down quickly after it was picked, because the wilted dittany leaf didn't have the magical qualities that the freshly picked plant was known for. Severus ushered Hermione into his quarters, the dragon swung open instantly when Severus stated their urgency. Leading Hermione through a door off the side of his living room, they arrived at his laboratory. Hazarding a guess at where Severus placed things, Hermione quickly went to a cabinet, and found the stirrers. She smirked slightly as she realized he ordered things the way she would have, and kept the stirrers of various lengths in an easily accessible area.

Summoning a small copper cauldron, Severus quickly emptied the flask into it, watching the silvery leaves flutter to the bottom of the cauldron. With a muttered aquamenti, he filled the cauldron with a measure of water; pointing his wand underneath, he lit a magical fire and charmed it to burn at a constant low heat. Hermione glanced at him, and handed him the stirrer she had grabbed, then he stirred the brew ten times counterclockwise, and then once clockwise. Severus placed the cauldron besides the large one containing the beginnings of the Wiggenweld Potion. Standing up, he turned towards Hermione, and nodded.

"Thank you for your help, Hermione," he said curtly. "You may go now."

Hermione looked at him for a minute, and Severus didn't know what to make of the expression she had on her face. Arranging her features in a smile, Hermione nodded and bade Severus a good night. Walking towards her dorms, Hermione ran through the evening in her mind. When she had grabbed his robes, and held on, the expression on his face had been one she had never seen before. It wasn't a smirk, or anything close to it. It was more...deep. His dark eyes had been practically boring a hole in her skull, as if they were piercing through to her soul. Looking back, Hermione was a little unsettled by the intensity of the gaze he had fixed on her; but not unpleasantly so, and she wanted to know what was behind it. Hermione felt a small shudder race through her body as she remember his eyes looking into hers so intently.

Reaching her rooms, Hermione quickly walked in and divested herself of her clothes, and climbed into her bed, snuggling down under the duvet. Wondering about the how's and why's of Severus Snape was something Hermione knew could take a lifetime, but nevertheless she wondered what had gotten into him that night, and why the look he had given her had affected her so.