A/N- Alright guys, I've tried to be pretty faithful with uploading a chapter a day, but I'm afraid I might be a bit spotty with keeping on that track from now on. I'll still try, but well, you know. The holidays are...well, the holidays. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this :) Thank you for the reviews, they mean so much to me!
The next morning, Hermione was at the staff table, enjoying a bit of conversation with the headmistress whilst she ate her breakfast. She was eager to get through the day, as she had sent Cosette with a note to Severus, stating that she wanted to see him after dinner.
Severus was mildly pleased that Hermione wanted to see him; he had found himself slightly missing her company. Even though they had only spent a week together, her constant chatter and banter was something he had grown endeared to, and he was looking forward to seeing her. They saw each other in the corridors and such, but he missed her quiet companionship.
The day passed quickly for them both. Hermione only had three classes, and they were exciting ones. She took the sixth years into the Forbidden Forest to teach them about signs for dangerous creatures. At dinner, she ate hastily. Minerva was absent from the table, and Hermione was mildly surprised. The headmistress rarely missed a meal, so it must have been something important. Finished, Hermione made her way down to the dungeons quickly, excited to talk to Severus about what she had been thinking of.
Not stopping to knock, she entered his office and was slightly disappointed to find he wasn't there. He must be in his rooms, she thought to herself, and she walked out and stood in front of the dragon portrait. "Is Severus in?" she asked politely.
The dragon eyed her curiously. "No, he isn't. But I think I know where he is, if you tell me why you need to see him."
Hermione bit back a smirk at the nosy dragon. Being a portrait must be a boring life, no wonder the Fat Lady spent most of her time gossiping. "I need to speak to him about something, and we need to start work on the potion."
The dragon scoffed, and puffs of black smoke swirled out of its large nostrils. "Excuses. You just want to spend time with the man." The dragon's eye widened, and it looked Hermione up and down appraisingly. "Hmm. Yes, well, if it had to be anybody, you would be the best for him, I'd think."
Hermione looked at the dragon confusedly. "The best for him? What are you talking about?"
The dragon chuckled, its wings shaking with the deep laugh. "Nothing. Go on, you can wait inside for him." The dragon swung open, and Hermione entered warily, still entirely confused about the dragons behavior. The fireplace was lit with a cheery looking fire, and Hermione noticed the drastic difference in Severus's Hogwarts quarters to his mansion.
The room was cozier, and much less forbidding. The fireplace was a standard Hogwarts fireplace, but it was a great change from the scrolling black marble of Severus's mansion. The couch was a warm green colour, and Hermione smiled as she took a seat, curling her feet underneath her. Looking at the coffee table, Hermione noticed a book on ancient magics. Picking it up, she cracked it open to the page that was marked, and started to read.
It was an hour before Severus returned from the grounds, he had gone for a walk whilst waiting for Hermione to finish with dinner, and the dragon had alerted him to Hermione waiting in his rooms. He entered, and was surprised to find the witch fast asleep on his couch. Severus approached he silently, and peered down at her. Her cheeks appeared flushed, which Severus supposed was from being so close to the fire. Her was up in a messy looking bun, and a few strands lay haphazardly across her face.
Severus thought she looked absolutely beautiful, and as soon as that realization hit him, he took a step back. He couldn't be thinking things like that about his colleague, especially about one who most certainly would not appreciate them. He scowled.
He went to sit next to her, and slowly shook her awake, and Hermione groaned as she stretched and yawned. Opening her eyes, she grinned sheepishly at Severus. "You shouldn't have taken so long."
Severus rolled his eyes and leaned back. "I expected you to take longer at dinner, so I went for a walk on the grounds. Why were you here so early?"
Hermione shrugged as she sat up. "Minerva wasn't at the dinner table, and everyone else didn't bother to talk to me. It's really the conversation that makes meals so long, I eat rather quickly on my own."
Severus smirked, he was the same. He saw no point in dallying over food, it was there to consume and he did so in a timely manner. "Well? What was so important that you had to interrupt my hitherto Granger-free day?"
Hermione laughed and ignored his irate comment. "I want your help, Severus," she said seriously, as she turned to face him.
Severus eyed her curiously, and arched an eyebrow questioningly. "Did you figure out something else for the potion?"
Hermione shook her head. "No, nothing like that. It's more of a...personal matter," she said hesitantly as she bit her lip.
"Out with it witch, I can tell you are holding something in, and beating around the proverbial bush does nothing,' Severus replied briskly, stoically ignoring the delicious way Hermione was chewing on her lip.
"I want you to help me become an animagus," Hermione said quickly.
Severus looked at Hermione in shock. She wanted his help with becoming an animagus? "How could I help you?" He asked suspiciously, studying her face for any hint of an ulterior motive.
"Well, because I consider you a friend, and I need someone who has, er, studied the process to help me with it."
"Do you know the theory behind it?" He asked, ignoring Hermione's odd choice of words. If she had discovered that he was her feline friend from the mansion, Severus was quite sure she would be very angry with him, so he knew she couldn't have found out, although the suddenness of her decision was certainly odd.
Hermione nodded vigorously. "I studied anything I could find on the matter this morning, and last night. I've been thinking about it for a while, and it has always been something I wanted to do, I've just never had the courage or the time really, and now that we have enough ingredients to get started on a base for the potion, it makes sense that I could start now, especially now that I have got into the groove of teaching and I manage my time well enough."
Severus glared at her. "Your rambling never ends, does it witch?"
"No, I don't suppose it does," Hermione retorted with a grin. "So? Will you help me?"
Severus sighed and leaned back. "Hermione, this is a deeply personal experience, are you sure you want help on it?"
Hermione nodded eagerly. "I am, and I am prepared for it. I really think I can do this."
Severus eyed Hermione. She seemed genuine enough, and she hadn't made any real indication towards his secret, so he assumed she didn't know. He nodded. "Do you know where you have to begin?"
"Well, I've heard that writing down one's personality traits helps, and visiting a place that means something to you as well, but really it's about learning who you are, and what form your very being would take if it wasn't human."
Severus let out a short laugh. "Perfect summary from the many books explaining the process. I should have known you would have already devoured all the books you could find on the subject."
Hermione grinned, and nodded. Reading was certainly her forte. "Yes, well, I had to come prepared. Do you have anything to do this evening?"
Severus shook his head, and resigned himself to the fact that he would be spending his evening going through the myriad of sides to Hermione Granger, something he hated to admit, but had done several times to himself. She was an extremely intriguing person, and as such had been the subject of a few evening's musings.
"Good, because I need your help to help me recognize all my personality traits. All my friends would be too kind, but I know I have to realize both the good and the bad, and you would be able to point out the less than savory aspects, I think, and honestly too."
Severus smirked at that. "I could be of service in that area, yes."
Hermione grinned and summoned a piece of parchment and paper. She spent half an hour writing down any adjectives that Severus and her could think of to describe herself. She read through the list for the third time, speaking the words out loud, and nodding appreciatively when they made her think of herself.
Severus moved closer to Hermione and read the list over her shoulder. "You should write down nosy," he added.
"Nosy? I'm not nosy, " Hermione objected as she turned to look at Severus. "When have I ever been nosy?"
Severus raised an eyebrow in response.
Hermione glowered at him, and realized he was probably right. It wasn't a particularly strong trait, but when someone said something about her, the burning desire to know exactly what they had said took a long while to leave. Scowling slightly, she wrote it down.
"Indignant, too," Severus added.
Hermione rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "Alright, that too."
They spent another hour going through the list, and finally Hermione was satisfied with it. She handed it to Severus, and he read it through one last time. Smirking, Severus nodded. It definitely ensconced all that was Hermione, and he was satisfied too.
Hermione peeked at his face over the parchment. "Good?"
Severus nodded. "Indeed."
Hermione grinned in satisfaction. She glanced at the clock, and gasped. It was late. "I had better go," she said hastily. Severus nodded, and rose to walk her out. Hermione thanked him for helping her. Severus stood silently, and Hermione looked up at him, drawing her lip into her mouth, debating to herself. Quickly, before she could stop herself, she gave Severus a hug.
Severus looked down at the witch wrapped around him, and sighed. He returned the hug briefly, and shooed her out. Shutting the door quickly, he returned to the couch. Scowling, he stared into the fire. Hermione was slowly becoming closer to him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. He liked Hermione, yes, and probably more than he should. But Severus found a small part of him worried; if Hermione got to close, he didn't quite know if he could pull himself out of another situation like the one he endured with Lily.
Granted, he didn't have those ridiculously annoying Mauraders mucking his life up, but still. He had never been able to love or like easily, and once he did, it was as good as eternal. But he wasn't so sure that Hermione would appreciate that. Sighing, he briefly recalled how good the witch felt wrapped around him. It was somewhat frightening to have someone become so close to him in so short of a time, but it was too late to stop it, and Severus hated to admit it, but he didn't want to.
Please, take a minute and send your condolences and prayers to those affected by the CT school shooting. Thank you.