Fitful sleep led to Hermione laying awake for most of the night staring at the crimson canopy of her bed, with sheets tangled up in her restless legs. Her stomach was tied up in knots of anxiety and peppered with excitement, the prospect of seeing Severus that evening both thrilled and terrified her. But first she would have to endure a day filled with trying teenagers.
Being awake at the crack of dawn saw her styling her hair, something she wouldn't normally bother with on a school day, or even the weekend but since she had an abundance of time she at her disposal, she figured she might as well.
Certainly it had nothing to do with her scheduled rounds with Severus that evening.
She was more than a little irked when he paid her no mind at breakfast, not so much as a sideways glance.
So Hermione chatted amicably with Remus, Neville and Minerva while Severus scowled heavily at his plate.
Several times she thought he might speak up, his jaw twitching occasionally,- with annoyance she imagined. But he just sat there, until the time came for classes to commence when he swept away in what appeared to be an icy rage, black robes billowing in only the way his could.
"Professor, my cushion ran away!"
Hermione sighed heavily before putting down her quill and approaching a frantic fourth-year Hufflepuff who was crawling around after a red velvet pillow that was quickly scuttling away from him.
"Accio cushion," Hermione said. The cushion flew into her open palm and struggled against her with its four transfigured legs. "Mr Downes, considering this is Charms class, not Transfiguration, would you mind explaining to me why this cushion has legs?"
"I just wanted to practise," Downes mumbled, not quite meeting her eye.
"While I appreciate your academic efforts, I will have to insist that you practise your other skills on your own time, five points from Hufflepuff."
The class gasped audibly. Hermione rarely took points and never found the need to with this particular group of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Although she didn't think her actions were unreasonable, she would be hard pressed to deny that she was a little on the irritable side due to Severus' blatant cold-shoulder at breakfast.
As the class continued, a few Hufflepuff students had more than earned back their loss. The students seemed pleased overall as they filed out of the room.
Being the last class of the day Hermione tidied her classroom and tucked away the remainder of her grading into a warded drawer in her desk.
Quickly she dashed to her bathroom to assess her appearance. Her hair had remained almost perfectly curled, overall she thought she looked presentable. Severus preferred her hair curly, he had told her as much on Halloween.
She watched her reflection as her face and neck tinted pink at the memory, patting down her robes and headed in the direction of The Great Hall for dinner.
Working at Hogwarts had a pleasant repetition that her job in the Ministry hadn't offered. Hermione thrived on a rigid schedule and familiarity.
She also enjoyed the opportunity to take her meals with the other staff members, being prone to self-isolation, it was good for her.
When she and Ron had broken up a year after the final battle, Hermione had tucked herself away carefully. She wasn't exactly heartbroken over Ron per say, but after such a long and drawn out period of confused feelings for him she figured romance just wasn't worth the hassle.
Severus sat in his usual seat, next to Minerva and seemed to be eating his meal at high speed. Hermione unsuccessfully attempted to ignore the flurry of butterflies struggling to escape her stomach at the sight of him.
Taking her usual place between Remus and Neville she poured herself a steaming cup of tea.
"Good evening Hermione," Lupin said cheerfully. "How was your day?"
"Great," she lied. "What about you?"
Both Remus and Neville attempted to converse with her, but her mind was elsewhere. She admittedly only wanted the attention of one colleague and couldn't keep from glancing along the table at him.
Dinner was much the same as breakfast, Severus was clearly ignoring her,— not that anyone else would notice his behaviour and if they did it would be deemed completely normal.
He couldn't ignore her all evening. Could he?
More to the point, why was he ignoring her?
The fluttering in her stomach now seemed decidedly unfriendly, less like excitement, closer to anxiety.
As Hermione toyed glumly with her food and before dessert had been presented to the Hall, Severus rose from his seat, his fork clattering against his plate and swept away without uttering a single word.
The thought of facing him during their scheduled rounds that evening suddenly seemed daunting.
Severus' patience had been at breaking point all day. Breakfast saw Granger constantly glancing in his direction, how clueless was this girl? Didn't she have any notion of subtlety?
How could he ever consider pursuing a relationship with someone so blatantly obvious?
The whole school would be filled with frantic whispers and gossiping teenagers within the hour if he reciprocated her side-long glances.
So Severus had taken it upon himself to continue on as if nothing had happened on Halloween, engaging his Occlumency shields to avoid the inconvenience of stray thoughts.
His students seemed extra wary of his low tolerance and overall his classes ran smoothly. One upside to Occluding throughout the day was the icy, unapproachable guise he exuded.
The downsides of course much outweighed the positives; irritability, fatigue, paranoia and hypervigilance. Overall, to erect ones shields and hold them for any length of time was exhausting.
He missed the days when he could tuck himself away during mealtimes. There would be no question that he would avoid facing Granger at all costs during dinner if he could.
The final meal of the day was spent shovelling food into his mouth at an impolite rate, as soon as his plate was clear he left the table and headed in the direction of his lab.
On his journey through the halls he disengaged his shields to afford his body some rest before a long evening of Occluding his colleague.
Brewing some standard hospital supplies never failed to ease his tired mind, even after the most trying of days.
Several cauldrons sat with various potions suspended in a Stasis charm.
Severus stepped up to the workbench, ceasing the charm wandlessly and set to work.
Tending to all of the active brews at once usually posed no problem for Severus and today was no different. He set rods stirring, light and quenched dancing flames beneath varying sized cauldrons and siphoned completed potions into waiting vials.
It wasn't until he stepped up to the smallest cauldron and caught a whiff of Pepper Up potion that Severus was knocked from his stoic reverie.
With his eyelids half hooded he took in the scent; spicy and nostalgic. The last time he'd inhaled these dazzling crimson fumes, she had been here, brewing this potion for him.
It was difficult to ignore the sudden tightening in his chest and the oddly lightheadedness that assaulted his person.
The only thing missing was the slight hint of vanilla from her shampoo.
Quickly he snapped the lid onto the assaulting cauldron and quenched the flame. He'd brewed enough.
Time had quickly gotten away from him and he needed to get going. He loathed to say it or even think it, but without the distraction of Occluding, he felt anxiety at the prospect of facing Granger.
Him, Severus Snape, the man who had spent four years facing a megalomaniac master while juggling classes filled with dunderheads was nervous.
Without the distraction of brewing he couldn't help but focus on his jittering nerves, which angered him to no end.
Severus had maintained such constraint over his emotional state for so long that this was rattling him. How could this slip of a woman unravel him so quickly and so completely in only a matter of months?
He refused to give her the satisfaction of arriving first for their scheduled patrol, so he stood in wait for her, scowling deeply.
When he saw her approach, Severus subconsciously ran his eyes over her form, drinking in her appearance. She wore steel grey robes which cinched in at her slim waist and hung loosely down her legs, swishing hypnotically.
Clenching his jaw Severus engaged his shields just as she smiled sweetly at him.
"Severus," she said gently as she approached him. Her hair was relatively tame and shining under the dim lights of the sconces. He sensed that the golden flecks might be utterly distracting if he hadn't detached himself from such innocuous thoughts.
He didn't reply, just stared at her intently before leading the way toward the upper floors. The girl stayed silent, but it was far from comfortable. The very air surrounding them seemed to hold a tension, thick and palpable even in his desensitised state.
Somewhere along the third floor corridor she finally cracked.
"Severus?" Her timid tone washed over him and his anger bubbled up.
"What?" he snapped, turning quickly to face the witch. Her mouth popped open, brows pinched upwards in an expression filled with desperation.
"What's wrong?"
"What are you talking about?" He was growing tired of her incessant need for knowledge in all matters.
"You seem angry," she said quietly, uncertainty quilting her tone.
The witch reached out seemingly in search of his arm but he pulled back suddenly and tucked both arms against his chest. With his piercing look he challenged her to try again, he knew his stance was aggressive and he did nothing to soften it.
"Wha,-" she started, her eyes already glassy with unshed tears.
"What are you stammering about Granger?" Severus knew he was being extraordinarily cruel to the witch, but it was for the best.
"What did I do?" she croaked, her voice breaking.
Severus only scoffed and looked down his nose at her. Of course, she had done nothing wrong per say, but he needed her to back off. The mooning, doe eyes at the head table had been the final straw. He needed to put a stop to this before it went any further. In a moment of weakness he had let himself get swept up in this ridiculous fantasy. Thankfully he'd come to realise— although be it a tad late- that this entire thing was inappropriate.
He was a pathetic, disgusting old fool who'd let that pining, yearning part of him temporarily take control.
"But we, you.. we," she said, gesturing between them.
"It was a mistake."
Granger gasped, her lip trembling. Her mouth opened and closed as if she was searching for her voice.
"What?" she finally replied.
"Miss Granger, Is your hair too thick to permeate or is your head just full of air? I said it was a mistake!" He didn't intend to shout at her but his shields made it difficult to gauge his reactions.
Her face hardened, all traces of tears and sadness quickly transforming into anger.
"No Severus, my head is full of you!" she hissed before pushing passed him and running in the direction of her chambers.
Severus watched as she ran, almost colliding directly with Lupin as he poked his head out from his office. Obviously their disagreement had been loud enough to draw his attention to the hallway.
"Fuck," Severus hissed, rolling his eyes. The wolf, of course.
Lupin tilted Granger's chin up and after looking at her he embraced her tightly, over her shoulder his eyes locked with Severus'.
Somehow, even through his impeccable Occlumency shields the sight of Hermione wrapped in Lupin's mangy arms caused insurmountable rage to bubble in his chest.
He watched, breathing hard as the Defence professor tucked a tuft of hair behind her ear and whispered something. Severus' mouth was twitching with anger, he was vibrating with fury.
Some dark part of him wanted to scream at his colleague to take his hands off of her.
Lupin patted Hermione's trembling shoulder and led her into his office, closing the door behind her. He did not follow her, instead he adopted an unfamiliar glowering look and stepped toward Severus.
"What's your problem? Can't you just be nice for once?" Lupin hissed, his face turning red with anger. "She's a sweet girl, Severus."
"Well, you can have her," Snape spat viciously.
"What are you talking about?" Lupin asked, his face was contorted with anger.
Severus laughed, a mirthless and cold sound, but said no more.
Lupin seemed to study his face for a moment, trying desperately to piece together what was happening.
"Run along wolf," he snarled, gesturing in the direction of his office. "I'm sure you can think of a way to comfort her."
"What are you implying Snape?" Lupin asked, taking a step forward.
Severus quirked his mouth into a sneering smile he usually reserved for the classroom.
"Oh please, you've been sniffing around her since she arrived."
He watched as Lupin tightened his fist and braced himself. Some distant part of his brain knew it was foolish to keep provoking, but jealousy thrummed violently at the forefront of his mind.
He did not acknowledge that he was trying to push the girl away and by doing so was likely pushing her into the arms of another.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Lupin's voice bounced around the corridor. "Are you blind? She's quite clearly taken with you, you imbecile! Merlin knows why!"
Snape attempted to push passed Lupin, eager to finish his task and return to his chambers where he could brood in peace.
When the other professor wrapped his hand around Severus' forearm, he saw red.
Faster than Lupin could react, Snape shoved him hard into the wall and held his wand to the soft flesh underneath his chin.
"Keep your hands off me wolf," he hissed.
A lifetime of pain was swirling aggressively in his mind as Lupin squirmed under his wand.
"What in the name of Merlin's beard is happening here?" Minerva's voice pierced through Severus' rage, causing his stance to soften slightly. Lupin took his chances and pushed hard, causing Snape to stumble slightly.
The headmistress stood with Hermione by her side clearly in shock at the scene they had come upon.
Severus patted down his robes and turned to face the witches.
"Well headmistress, you did encourage me to seek happiness and I can't think of a better way than putting down the wolf."
"Severus!" Minerva snapped. For several minutes all the occupants of the hallway simply stood, eyes slipping from one person to the next.
"Alright," Minerva continued calmly, "everyone in my office, now."
The walk was short and silent as the three professors followed behind the headmistress. Once everyone was seated with Hermione between the two wizards Minerva stood for a moment, shaking her head.
"Severus," she started. "Before we begin, I would appreciate if you could give me your full attention."
Raising a brow Severus challenged her with a look which she returned with vigor. Sighing he disengaged his Occlumency shields and shrugged sharply.
"Thank you," she replied patiently.
"Now, why in Merlin's name are two of my professors brawling like wayward students in the hallways?"
"Minerva, I'm terribly sorry," Hermione croaked from her seat, eyes downcast. "This is all my fault, I was a bit upset."
"Hermione, it's not your fault that he," Lupin jabbed a thumb in Severus' direction, "is an insensitive arsehole."
"Remus," Minerva warned.
"Sev,- um, Professor Snape and I had a slight disagreement in the corridor and, well, Remus overheard us."
Without moving his head Severus glanced to his left and noticed the witch dab at her blotchy, tear stained cheek. Minerva conjured a box of tissues and slipped them across her desk to Granger.
The younger witch took one and smiled weakly at the headmistress.
"As usual, Lupin is sticking his snout where it is not wanted," Severus sneered.
"Both of you are acting like bloody children!" Minerva snapped. "If you continue to do so I will treat you as such am I understood?"
Severus huffed and nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement while Lupin did the same with slightly more enthusiasm.
"Now, Hermione," Minerva said gently, "would you care to tell me why you and Severus were arguing in the hallway?"
From beside him Granger made a strangled sound and shook her head quickly. Lupin was studying her reaction with a smug look plastered on his face that made Severus want to smack it off him.
"A lover's tiff." Severus heard the other wizard mutter under his breath. Before Snape could respond Minerva held her hand out to stall him in his tracks.
"Remus, please refrain from provoking Severus,"
Minerva said, exasperated.
"With all due respect Minerva, moments ago Severus was all but ready to curse my head off my shoulders."
"Yes, and I would love to prevent such reactions again if you don't mind?"
Lupin snorted, shaking his head slightly but fell silent. Severus allowed himself a triumphant little smirk.
"Well Severus?" Minerva questioned, turning her gaze to focus solely on him. "Do you wish to explain yourself? This, I believe, is the second time you've reduced Hermione to tears since she has arrived. Do you intend to make a habit of this behaviour?"
"Perhaps Granger should work on controlling her emotions," he replied dismissively.
The witch next to him snapped her head in his direction and Lupin leapt to his feet.
"Remus," Minerva pressed on. "Perhaps it would be best if I spoke to you separately."
The other wizard let out an angry sigh before making his way to the office door. When he reached the threshold he turned to face the remaining staff.
"Hermione," he said gently, "you know where to find me if you need to talk, any time."
Severus snorted and rolled his eyes, Minerva was surveying him sternly from behind her desk.
"Thank you Remus," Hermione finally said, she looked as if she wanted nothing more than to escape the current situation.
When the door clicked shut, Minerva took her seat and waited a moment or two. Her eyes tracked from one professor to the other while the tension in the small space between them seemed to mount.
Severus could feel Hermione's eyes boring into the side of his skull as he waited for one of the witches to break the silence.
"Well," Minerva began. "I can't help but wonder if perhaps Remus was not too far off the mark."
When neither of them made an immediate comment to deny, the headmistress leaned back in her chair and removed her glasses.
"I see," she whispered softly. "Well, you cannot allow this.." seemingly searching for the correct term she paused, "situation to disrupt your duties."
"I'm sorry," Hermione said again while Severus remained silent.
"Severus," the headmistress said in a prompting tone. "Do you have anything to say to Hermione?"
For the first time he turned his head to face the younger witch. Her face was a flustered mess and her smooth curls had started to frizz at the roots. His treacherous heart leapt at the sight of her large, open eyes and wary expression.
He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze.
"I think that maybe you two might be better off to discuss this matter alone. You can use my Floo, just please, do not kill one another." The headmistress smiled and gestured to her fireplace.
Hermione rose to her feet and stepped up to the grate, pinching some powder she looked over her shoulder to the headmistress.
"Thank you Minerva, I'm sorry for the added stress to you, it won't happen again." Then she called out for her chambers and stepped into the green flames and disappeared. Severus was a little annoyed that she gave him no opportunity to decide the location.
"Severus," Minerva said. "Please be gentle with her, no matter what your decision may be."
Severus nodded once and followed after Granger into the fireplace calling out his destination.
