Chapter 12: The Familiar And The Not So Familiar
{A/N: Here's another update...}
My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
The Great Hall, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Idol chatter filled the vast Great Hall as students from every house relished the excitement of returning to Hogwarts for yet another term. As per the usual there were sweets and pastries of every sort available as many hands reached out to the centers of the lined tables and filled their plates as well as their mouths with them. Slytherin had been on their best behavior if just barely due to Snape sitting at the Staff table. His face had been as expressionless as a marble statue as he glared out at his past, present, and future snakes. His dark gaze occasionally shifted toward the Gryffindor table where he did little to hide his contempt for those seated.
The emerald green eyes of Harry Potter glared back at him over a plate of pastries. He had never seemed to be able to hide his disdain for the Potions Professor and everyone despite filling more than a little intimidated by the surprisingly swift wizard agreed in some form or another sympathized with him. Hermione had taken care not to draw any attention to her own occasional glances at the staff table with Professor McGonagall watching her like a hawk. She smiled at her Head of House and glanced briefly at The annoyed Potions Professor.
Most of the time the solitary wizard skipped out on dinner in the great hall, sighting more important matters to attend but during the first few weeks school was in session Dumbledore made it mandatory for him to be present.
Snape had eaten little to nothing as usual. Choosing instead to turn dinner into another brooding session. The witch had been curious as to how their strange relationship would progress given it had only been one month and a couple of weeks before they would be bound in matrimony. Outside of Hogwarts, Snape proved to be vastly complex and innately bitter about life and anything in terms of happiness.
Hermione continued to finish off her dinner doing her best to ignore Ron's open-mouth chewing and Harry's radiated hatred of her soon-to-be husband. It seemed only Ginny had been refreshed by the summer's end and ready to get back on the Quidditch field. She had been polishing her Quidditch stick for hours when they first arrived and got settled into their dormitories.
"Are you gonna eat that?" asked Ron breaking Hermione from her train of thought.
Her amber eyes narrowed as she took in the sight of red filling plastered across the red head wizard's face.
"You know it's rude to speak with your mouth full." she said disgusted.
"What's up your bum?" asked the red head wizard seemingly offended by her preference for common decency.
"You know what Ronald...take the whole bloody plate I've suddenly lost my appetite." she said getting up from the table and making her way through the large door in a bid to exit The Great Hall.
Her departure had not gone unnoticed as Severus Snape's obsidian eyes drifted toward the closing door as the bushy haired witch stepped through it. He had not been much for the antics of his students at Hogwarts either, but he had to admit Granger had a point when it came to the youngest Weasley boy's unnerving need to disgust those around him.
Albus Dumbledore smiled brightly as he noted the attention his Potions Master had given to Miss Granger's exit. It was only a matter of time before they were wed and already their interactions were of interest, of course their arrangement had been purely to keep Hermione safe given that she was an invaluable asset to young Harry Potter and therefore instrumental in the upcoming battle against the Dark Lord.
"Something on your mind Albus?" asked Snape noting the old fool's gawking at him.
"I am thinking of what I would like to have for dessert tonight." replied Dumbledore with a pleasant smile and an unnerving twinkle behind his blue eyes.
"I shudder to think of what goes on in that spacious cavern you call a mind." said Snape staring down at his own plate. He hadn't been in the mood to touch anything and as a result it was still as covered as it had been when he first sat down to this annoyance of a meal.
"You really should eat something." said Dumbledore noting the younger wizard's lack of appetite. "
"I never knew you cared." replied Snape pushing the plate aside and turning his attention to getting up from his seat.
Before any other word could be said, Snape hastily retreated through the teacher's exit.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The Corridors, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Hermione had been fuming and to be honest more than a little mortified by Ron's behavior, of course she knew all too well that had not been the root of what was bothering her. Noting that Snape had been reluctant to indulge in tonight's meal as well, she could only stand to guess that he too felt the pressure from the impending day they would be wed.
The lone witch slowly made her way down the deserted corridors unable to think of anything except what the future held for her as far as death eaters being out for her blood. She had seen the injuries done to Snape back at 12 Grimmauld Place. There had been significant reason to believe that Professor Snape would endure much worse should he be wed to her.
From what he had revealed to her during their strange chats back at the Order Of Phoenix Headquarters, The Potions Professor had simply been used by others all his life and she had no intention of being added to the list even if it meant her own life would be in jeopardy.
"Going somewhere?" asked a familiar voice dripping with amusement and a hint of spite.
The witch turned around to see that Professor Snape had fled the dining hall as well and looked to be taking a special interest in her current issue of the day.
"P-Professor Snape." she said suddenly nervous in his presence, a left over habit when wondering the halls of Hogwarts.
"Weasley is quite the grotesque one of the bunch isn't he?" mused The Professor looking her over.
"Ron is Ron I suppose." replied Hermione half-heartedly.
"Indeed he is." said Snape noting the look of anguish that filed across her young face. "Your last month of freedom should be spent with you enjoying the things of a child."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
"I am not a child." she countered.
"Sooner or later, you will come to realize that you are indeed a child." said Snape meeting her fierce gaze. "And when that time comes it will be far too late to do anything about it."
"What's that suppose to mean?" she asked.
Snape simply smirked and went on his way. Hermione turned toward Gryffindor tower desperate to be as far from the meddling git as possible before he concocted a new way to make her feel worse about herself.