A/N Here we go! Back at Hogwarts, though something tells me it isn't for long... anyways, thank you all for the reviews, I adore each one! Enjoy :)
Hermione watched the last class of the day exit, and heaved a relieved sigh. As much as she had enjoyed her first day back from the holidays, the students had not, and their mumbled complaints were numerous. Hermione had let them slide though, she remembered how difficult it was for – well, not her, but most of her friends to get back in the swing of things. Glancing at her pocket watch, she stood up and waved her wand, the cushions that scattered the floor flew neatly back into the cabinet. She had been teaching the fourth years stupefying and stunning spells, and the cushions had indeed come in handy.
Pausing at the door to give the room one last look over, Hermione nodded to herself and walked out, closing the door behind her. She hurried down to the Great Hall, she was nearly late for the dinner feast. Approaching the staff table, she found herself cringing inwardly at the overwhelming noise coming from the tables filled with students chattering about their holiday vacations. Hermione found herself wishing for the quiet peace of Severus's mansion.
"Hermione! Dear girl, come sit down, I haven't heard from you all holiday!"
The headmistress voice interrupted Hermione's yearnings, and Hermione glanced at Minerva, and flashed her a smile before taking her seat. "Hello, Minerva, did you have a good Christmas?"
Minerva shrugged slightly, and gave Hermione a knowing glance. "As good as any other. I hope you enjoyed yours, though."
Hermione looked down at her plate, studying her potatoes intently. "Oh, yeah, it was, well, you know; same as any other," she mumbled quickly, covering her obvious reluctance to answer by taking a large bite of mashed potatoes.
If Minerva noticed the offhand way Hermione had answered her question, she didn't comment, and instead led the conversation into the plans for overseeing the next Hogsmeade weekend.
Hermione was grateful for the distraction, as she had no desire to delve into a retelling of Christmas day. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she wanted the headmistress to know how she had spent the remainder of her holiday. Hermione was sure Severus wouldn't appreciate Minerva knowing, and Hermione was more than alright with having it be between him and her alone.
Smirking slightly, Hermione finished her meal and say her goodbyes to Minerva. On the way back to her rooms, Hermione ran into nearly every other professor, and felt obligated to engage in conversation with each of them, attempting to hide her impatience through Aurora's almost nonstop monologue about her holidays. Hermione smiled and nodded, and responded appropriately. When Aurora finally bade Hermione good night, it was nearly ten, and Hermione hadn't had a moment to herself for most of the day.
Relieved, Hermione took a lesser known path to the third floor. Turning the corner, she shrieked in fright as Severus reached out to stop her. She jumped back, but Severus's grip on her was strong, and they ended up colliding against the wall.
Hermione looked up at the Potions professor, and was surprised to see the hint of amusement on his face. Standing up, she placed a hand over her heart and tried to control her breathing as she calmed down. Glaring at Severus, she sagged against the wall. "You really need to stop skulking in the damned shadows, Severus, I nearly had a heart attack."
Severus's lip twitched, and he inclined his head, and gestured for them to continue walking. "I would not have let that happen, Miss Granger," he said smoothly. "I was on my way to the headmistress's office, and I did not expect any one to be down this particular hallway."
Hermione found that odd, as the quickest way to Minerva's office was the opposite direction that Severus had been heading, but she decided not to mention it. "Don't let me stop you from your date," she said cheerfully, as she glanced sideways at Severus.
Severus scoffed. "If I took that old bint on a date, she'd probably fall over from the shock of it."
Hermione chuckled at the remark, unsurprised at Severus's callous sarcasm. "That's a bit harsh," she objected lightly as they walked down the hall. Turning the corner, she started to bid Severus a good night. Severus returned the goodbye, and strode off in the opposite direction, disappearing quickly behind yet another corner. Making sure he was out of sight, Severus transformed quickly into his animagus and turned around, peeking past the corner to watch Hermione go into her rooms. The quickest way to the Astronomy Tower was past her, and he need to get by her.
Hermione hummed quietly to herself as she reached her doors. Turning to take one last sweep of the corridor, a flash of black caught her eye as it rushed around the corner. Hermione sprinted to the edge of the corridor, and saw the tail end of a black cat whisk around the corner.
Hermione frowned, she didn't know of any black cats in Hogwarts. Mrs. Norris was a grey tabby, and her tail was as easily distinguishable as the rest of her body. Still musing over the cat, Hermione entered her rooms and settled down in the comfy chair with a book and a piece of parchment with a quill.
She stared at the pages for some time, not focusing on the words, but running through the past few days in her mind. The holiday with Severus had been absolutely wonderful, and as strange as it was for Hermione to admit it, she greatly enjoyed Severus's companionship. The man was very sarcastic, but with her, over the course of their project together and especially after spending the holidays with him, Severus had softened with Hermione, but watching Severus interact with his fellow staff members back at school had made Hermione notice how comfortable their relationship had become.
Severus treated his colleagues with an air of cold indifference, but Hermione was somewhat shocked to notice that he now treated her with what appeared to be friendliness, especially when compared to how he treated everyone else. The two of them had been holed away the entire Christmas holiday, with no one but each other for company, and although Hermione had recognized that Severus was treating her, albeit rather begrudgingly, as a friend during that time, it was coming back to Hogwarts that made her realize just how great that difference really was.
Hermione shifted in her seat as she felt that odd warmth spread over her chest again. Shrugging it off, Hermione ignored it, and started to read. It was an old book of many obscure Potions ingredients, and it was very dry, and written in old English, which made it very difficult for Hermione to read. Her mind began to wander again, and Hermione didn't bother to pay attention to the dry book any more.
Her thoughts strayed to the cat she saw, and how she missed the stray in Severus's home. It had been an odd cat, she mused. Always running off, but it always seemed to be there at night, and stayed for a good while. It was a pity that Severus was never around when the cat was...
Hermione snapped her head up, a look of dawning comprehension on her face as she gaped at the fire. Severus was never around when that cat was, and always seemed to appear as soon as the cat left. And just then, in the corridor, Severus had disappeared around the bend, and then seconds later Hermione had caught a flash of the black cat running away.
Hermione's mouth opened and closed in astonishment. Severus was the cat.
She jumped up and nearly smacked herself in the face for not realizing it sooner. Severus was an animagus, and of course his animagus was a cat. That explained perfectly why the cat had been so sensitive about its neck. Hermione knew the scars of Nagini's attack were on his neck, which is why he always wore his chin-high button up shirts.
Hermione slowly sat down as she smiled at her discovery. Severus was an animagus, and an unregistered one at that. Hermione snickered, it made perfect sense that Severus's animagus form was a cat. It fit him perfectly. Lithe, silent, agile, powerful, mysterious. She assumed his fluffy fur was supposed to be reminiscent of his rather long black hair.
Hermione giggled as she remember the cat playing with her curls. As much as Severus enjoyed making fun of her hair, Hermione now realized that it was a source of great amusement to him in his cat form. He had gone out of his way to provide companionship for her during her stay, and Severus had enjoyed sleeping and staying next to her in his cat form. The warm feeling spread out again, and Hermione refused to acknowledge what it could, telling herself firmly that it was all in friendship.
Hermione grinned as an idea struck her. Standing up, she walked to her bedroom and undressed herself, climbing in to bed wearing only a tee. Pulling the duvet over herself, Hermione hummed softly to herself again as she thought about her discovery. If she had to be honest with herself, Hermione was quite touched by Severus's feline friendship, and it changed her views on the man even further.
Severus walked into the headmistress's office, having changed back to his human form right before coming to the entrance. "Good evening, headmistress," he said evenly as he took his customary seat.
Minerva smiled at him, and poured him a cup of tea. "Did you enjoy the holidays, Severus?"
Severus merely glared at Minerva.
Minerva smirked in response and she handed him the cup. "I rather though you might have."
Severus eyed the headmistress warily, she was acting strangely as if she knew Hermione had stayed within for the duration of the holidays. The damned Granger woman had better not have told her, he groused inwardly. "The same as always, Minerva."
"I see, no surprising company this year, hm?" Minerva asked with a smirk. Hermione had acted rather odd at the dinner table that evening, and Minerva now knew why Ronald Weasley had come to Hogwarts the day after Christmas, asking to see Hermione. The headmistress had been slightly worried that Hermione hadn't been with the Weasley's, so she had paid a brief visit to Hermione's parents, to check and make sure the girl wasn't staying there. She hadn't told Weasley her suspicions, but seeing Hermione at dinner had confirmed them. The girl had kept glancing to her left, waiting for Severus to fill the empty seat; the pieces had clicked in Minerva's mind after Hermione had asked, rather nonchalantly, if she had seen Severus.
It also explained why Severus had avoided her more than usual throughout the day, because she knew he didn't particularly enjoy how she could now read him. Severus glared at Minerva disparagingly. "No, Minerva. You should know I never have house guests."
Minerva arched an eyebrow. "Very well then, you can act that way."
Severus glowered at Minerva as he prodded his pieces to set themselves up. The headmistress was acting suspiciously as if she knew that he had spent the holidays with Hermione, but he knew that had to be impossible. Hermione wouldn't have told her, and he certainly wouldn't. Brushing it off, he waited for Minerva to make the first move.
Minerva decided to not to mention that she had guessed at where Hermione had stayed for the rest of the holidays, as she was sure Severus would make it known when it would benefit him in some way.
The two played rather half-heartedly, as Severus was busy filling Minerva in on their progress with the potion, and Minerva was listening intently. She applauded his discovery on the use of dittany root essence, and Severus accepted the praise with a smug look. The evening passed amicably, and Minerva noted with joy the subtle change in his countenance. Hermione had apparently worked her charm on him, and Minerva was elated that Severus was finally letting someone in.