Chapter 13: Maturity V.S Impropriety
{A/N: Here's another update...}
My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
{"Sister Christian...Oh the time has come...And you know that you're the only one...To say okay...Where you going...What you looking for...You know those boys... Don't want to play no more with you... It's true...You're motoring... What's your price for flight...In finding mister right...You'll be alright tonight..."}Sister Christian, Night Ranger
The Corridor,Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Ron had been as impossible as usual when it came to all things Hermione related. The two of them had gotten into a row before breakfast and he spent most of the day sulking. Harry could do little to stop the erupting friction as Ron once more made an insensitive comment about Hermione not at all being a real girl because she would rather study than spend the day snogging some boy and being half way to pregnant. He threw the names of the girls he's felt up in hall closets in her face and she stamped rather angrily on his foot.
"SHE'S BLOODY MENTAL!" shouted Ron nursing his throbbing foot. "That's why she can't ever get a boyfriend and needs to hang around us all the time."
"Shut up Ron." Harry warned.
Before Harry could finish the aforementioned warning, Hermione had already whipped out her wand and sent a series of painful hexes after the red head wizard whom had been much too "injured" to hop out of the way.
Unfortunately for the Golden Trio, their little spat happened to be in the wrong location given they each were headed to Potions for their next class for the day and Professor Snape had stormed out into the corridor to handle the situation as befitting a wizard of his station. With a glare he quieted the entire argument and noted the horror on the faces of Gryffindor's elite.
"And to think I didn't believe this day was going to be any fun at all." he said taking in the anguished face of Ron Weasley before turning to face Hermione. "Explain."
"W-Well Professor...Ron got what was coming to him and Harry had nothing to do with it." replied Hermione meeting his harsh gaze.
"Bloody Hell!" shouted Ron angrily. "She's mental...she hexed me!"
Snape turned his attention to the harsh glare of emerald green eyes never leaving him since the second he came out of his classroom.
"Is this true Mr. Potter?" asked Snape with his arms folded across his ebony clad chest.
"Most of it." he replied rather bitterly.
He had not relished speaking with Snape nor did he like the idea of having to tattle on Hermione but he knew Snape would pick his brain and try to find some way to punish him for what happened.
"Ron called her names and she reacted." he said still evidently bitter.
Snape turned his attention to Ron.
"That will be fifteen points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley for inciting a disturbance while class is in session." he said in a biting tone.
Then the Potions Professor turned his attention to Harry.
"That's five points from you as well Mr. Potter for your insolence when being questioned by a Professor." he added.
Harry did his best to fight the urge to roll his eyes not wishing to give Snape the satisfaction of taking more points from his house due to his apparent hatred of him.
"Run along boys." he instructed the two wizards of Gryffindor. "Well in your case Weasley...hop along would be more appropriate."
Ron hissed in apparent agony as he struggled to move as quickly from Snape's sight as possible and entering the Potions classroom with Harry Potter trailing behind him, The Potions Professor turned his attention to Hermione Granger.
"It appears Miss Granger, that you are just a hot bed of mischief as of late." he said with his obsidian eyes flickering in amusement. "Might I suggest, you find something more productive to consume your time?"
"I hate you." she said unable to help herself.
"Ten Points from Gryffindor for attacking a student in front of my class room Miss Granger." he said still amused. "However, you've earned five points for providing me with a means for entertainment."
Hermione knew she was better off keeping quiet from this point. Whatever Professor Snape had in store for her was bound to be humiliating.
"Get to your seat, Miss Granger." he replied in his usual Professor tone. "And that will be another five points for being tardy to my class."
The innate witch glared murderously at him.
He knew very well that she was only tardy because of him stalling her entrance into the class room. Still choosing the high road, Hermione did her best to ignore her Potions Professor and made her way to her seat.
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Potions Classroom, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
By the time Potions had ended, Both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were fuming. Harry had been annoyed with the way Snape had taken advantage of a disagreement between Ron and Hermione to extract as many points as possible from Gryffindor. He had not hid his callous move form either of them and it only seemed to spurn Draco Malfoy's incessant babbling further.
Harry finally had enough and ended up spilling Draco's cauldron on his lap prompting more points to be taken from Gryffindor despite the "accident" and the issue of detention with Argus Filch for two weeks.
Draco screamed due to the searing pain via the burning potion and he narrowed his eyes at Harry Potter.
"My father will hear about this!" he groaned.
"Of course he will." replied Harry bitterly. "Daddy's little boy."
"At least I have a father." spat Draco angrily. "And a Mother."
"SILENCE!" shouted Snape making all the students including Hermione tremble. "Detention for you Mr. Potter has been extended to three weeks as for you Mr. Malfoy, the moment you recover you will be serving a week's detention...with me."
Hermione's brow arched once she noted the Potions Professor's apparent annoyance with Draco.
The sleek blond wizard did nothing to further incur the wrath of his Head of House.
Snape set about cleaning up the potions mess and administering a potion to his most prominent Slytherin. Once the bell rang to signal the end of class, everyone else filed out save for Hermione Granger and Professor Snape.
"I noticed you didn't take any house points from Draco." she narrowing her amber eyes at him.
Snape had done his best to ignore her as he erased the blackboard behind him.
"I know you can hear me." she said.
"Is it a wonder that you Gryffindors are a gluttons for punishment?" he sighed be fore turning to face her.
As he had suspected the indignant witch had her hands on her hips and the look on her face had been one of annoyance.
"Am I to be interrogated now?" he asked flicking his wrist causing the class room door to close behind her.
He tossed up a ward and a silencing charm in a bid to keep lingering students from eavesdropping.
As a Slytherin himself he knew the interest in collecting secrets, even if they are from the Head of House. Information was power within the wizarding world and it mattered whom wielded it with the utmost care. He had not been an effective spy just because fools considered his presence with little regard.
"Draco deserved to have points taken too." said Hermione.
"And I suppose Potter was suppose to be spared detention due to dumping expensive and not to mention dangerous potions ingredients on Mr. Malfoy?" asked Snape with an arched brow.
"No." she replied. "Harry deserved detention but it would not have happened if Draco would have left him alone."
"Am I to take it that Mr. Malfoy being burned wasn't enough punishment for his insolence, perhaps I am to treat him horribly despite his injury simply to satisfy your dislike of him?" asked Snape pointing out her flawed logic as far as his handling of Draco had been.
Hermione thought briefly on this. He had been right of course, Draco was burned as a result of his comments and punishing him due to his antics when he was already in pain was just rubbing salt on an open wound.
"Miss Granger, there is a fine line between maturity and impropriety." he said. "I suggest you find out where you stand while you have the time because it wouldn't due for me to be wed to a mere child."
With the last quip he opened the doors and lifted the wards. A new flood of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs came into the room watching the lingering Gryffindor with confused eyes.
"I suspect that you are late for your next class Miss Granger." said Snape with a blank expression despite the amusement behind his obsidian gaze.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him before taking her leave.
"Good day to you...sir." she replied doing her best to bite her tongue in front of the other curious students.
Snape turned his attention to the newly filled class room.
"Let us begin." he said with voice adopting it's familiar coldness that often greeted his students and introduced their sense of utter dread.