Hermione went about her day feeling apprehensive about Professor Snape's request. What could he possibly want with her? She had brewed a perfect potion and conducted herself as expected, yet he was instructing her to be in his classroom at 7 tonight. It wasn't fair. Throughout the day, she pondered what he could possibly want with her. Images of him assigning her the task of scrubbing cauldrons all evening played in her mind. With a grimace, she shook her head in denial. Surely it wasn't detention.
After the day finally concluded with an exciting session in Charms class and an exhilarating lesson in Defence Against the Dark Arts, she compelled herself to attend dinner in the Great Hall with her friends. She trudged her way to the Great Hall, not in the mood for socializing with anyone.
Taking her seat beside her friend Ginny, she stared at the platter of food before her. Nervously gripping her fork, she selected a piece of roast beef and spooned some fingerling potatoes onto her plate. Mechanically cutting and chewing her food slowly, a sense of dread filled her stomach.
Ginny turned her attention to Hermione. She noticed that Hermione was not acting like herself. "What's making you so nervous, Hermione?" Ginny inquired.
Setting down her fork, Hermione turned towards Ginny with a small frown. "Professor Snape wants to speak with me this evening in his classroom. I don't know why." She pierced a potato with her fork and put it into her mouth, still lost in thought about what she could have possibly done to warrant his attention.
Ginny shrugged in response and remarked, "He's Snape. He doesn't need a reason to do anything."
Hermione sighed, acknowledging her friend was right. Snape didn't need a reason at all. Glancing at the clock, she noticed she had 30 minutes before her appointment with the dark wizard. Quickly picking up her fork, she resumed eating with gusto, aware that her time was coming to an end.
Hermione concluded her meal and embarked on the slow, apprehensive journey down to the dungeons. She wrapped her robes tightly around her shivering body. As she moved through the halls, her mind started to drift, filled with memories of him berating her over the years. Shaking off those thoughts, she soon found herself standing at the door to the classroom.
Arriving at the classroom door five minutes early, she lifted her hand and gently knocked, awaiting permission to enter. Suddenly, the door swung open, granting her access. She entered the classroom, and the door swung closed behind her, sealing her inside the potions classroom. She saw her professor sitting at his desk, with a black, empty chair placed in front of him.
"Take a seat, Ms. Granger," Professor Snape commanded, pointing to the available chair before him.
She hesitantly walked down the aisle of the classroom and carefully settled into the chair, attempting to suppress any fidgeting under his stern gaze. The silence hung heavily in the air. As the minutes crept by, she couldn't help but fidget with her hands. Eventually, the oppressive quiet became unbearable. "You summoned me, Professor?"
He cleared his throat and remarked, "I observed this morning that you were rather distracted in my classroom. Are you not aware of the serious consequences that could arise if you are not careful? Potion-making demands utmost focus, and I will not permit you to continue brewing if you cannot concentrate." His tone was lethal, daring her to defy him.
She felt slightly rebuffed by his words. Despite creating a perfect potion, he was reacting like she blew up a potion. Suppressing the retort that had formed on her lips, she swallowed it down. Instead, she responded, "I apologize, Professor. I will make a greater effort to concentrate next time." She hoped her words would pacify him, allowing her to go to her rooms and start working on some homework. However, judging by his demeanor, she knew she wouldn't be so fortunate.
"Words alone won't cut it, Ms. Granger. What could possibly occupy your mind when you should be focusing on your studies?" he asked sternly. "NEWT Potions is not suited for everyone, and if necessary, I could request your removal without hesitation."
Her complexion drained at his words. "Please, sir, no. You know I can do this. Just give me some time, and I'll prove that I can." Desperation brought tears to the corners of her eyes. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Didn't you see the potion I managed to create today? I thought I impressed you." Feeling embarrassed by her reaction, she attempted to apologize for her insolence.
"Impressed? You followed the directions. Congratulations on knowing how to read," he snarked at her.
She looked down at her hands, feeling anger begin to stew within the pit of her stomach. His jab at her hurt, like it always had. She wanted to leave. She wanted to run out of the classroom, but as a dutiful student, she stayed rooted in her seat. His next words caught her off guard.
"Are you regretful for what you did for me the last time you saw me?" he inquired. He observed as she glanced up from her hands, a scowl forming on her lips.
Hermione despised the way he scrutinized her. He failed to comprehend how much time she dedicated to perfecting every detail of the elixir she crafted. He remained oblivious to the numerous nights she spent waking up in cold sweat, screaming his name. As her anger reached its boiling point, she erupted in rage, "What do you want from me? I did everything you asked, and not once can you treat me with kindness." She attempted to regain her composure, but it proved challenging. "I saved your life," she spat sardonically. She observed his eyes flash with rage. She knew she shouldn't have said it, but after the tumultuous year she had, she didn't care anymore.
He stood up from his wing-back chair, towering over her with ease. "I didn't ask for that," he seethed. "Did it ever occur to you, you insufferable little chit, that I did not want to be saved?" He observed with satisfaction the horror that spread across the young witch's face. "I knew I was going to die. I knew from the beginning that being a spy would only end one way for me. So, yes, Ms. Granger, don't expect me to appreciate anything you have done for me."
Hermione's fists clenched angrily at his words. She rose from the chair, intent on leaving the classroom, but his quick grasp of her wrist prevented her. She stared down at his pale hand, gripping tightly.
"I did not give you permission to leave yet, Ms. Granger," he spat angrily. His intense, penetrating gaze continued to fixate on her. His grip tightened a bit, not allowing her to leave just yet.
She defiantly ripped her hand out from his grip and sat back down in her chair. She crossed her arms like a petulant child. "Fine, continue then, Professor," she said mockingly. She didn't know where this newfound attitude came from, but she liked it. She was done being anyone's punching bag.
He also settled back into his chair, his eyes boring into hers. "Why did you save me that night? You had no reason to."
Hermione wasn't sure how to answer him. Opting for caution, she replied simply, "Because you were dying." She knew that wasn't the truth.
"If that were the case, you would've saved any of the other Death Eaters on the battlefield. I don't have all night, witch. Why did you save me that night? I want the truth," he demanded.
She looked back down at her hands. The room started to feel uncomfortable. The more he stared at her, the more she was afraid he would find out the truth. Swallowing thickly, she tried again to come up with something. "You were my professor, and I guess I figured it was better to save you than allow you to die." She hoped he would just drop it. That he would let her return to the safety of her common room. The minutes ticked by agonizingly, and she began to feel tears prick the corner of her eyes again. She didn't understand why the sight of him brought her to tears three times today, but it was starting to get exhausting for her. "I have homework, you know," she commented.
Professor Snape leaned back in his chair, his anger continuing to boil inside his veins. The nerve of her. How dare she have that tone with me? "I think we may need to meet again tomorrow, Ms. Granger. This attitude of yours needs adjustment. I asked you a direct question, and instead of getting an answer, I got an attitude. I get rudeness. I'll give you one more chance, Ms. Granger, or you will not be allowed to continue NEWT Potions this year."
His threat scared her. The pit in her stomach began to grow, and her hands began to shake. The tears she had in her eyes began to fall. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She didn't want to say it. She watched in horror as he scooted his chair back and headed towards the exit. Before he made it there, she called out, "Because I cared about you." She felt embarrassed and ashamed by her admittance.
Professor Snape stopped mid-step and turned back to face the young witch who began to cry. "Get out!" He roared at her. 'You are no longer welcome in this class!"
Hermione rose from her chair and immediately bolted from the classroom as fast as she could. She didn't stop running until she returned to the portrait of Helena Ravenclaw. She mumbled the password and was quickly let inside. Once she was safe, she collapsed onto the floor and began to sob.
Draco approached her hesitantly and said, "What happened?" He stared at the witch with concern.
She slowly regained her composure and wiped the tears from her face. Draco helped her up from the floor and guided her to an armchair. Once she was seated comfortably, she began retelling the story to Draco. When she got to the part about her admitting she cared for him, Draco began to laugh. Hermione glared at her friend's reaction. "It's not funny. I know it's stupid. I know it doesn't make sense, but I do. I have for many years. I didn't want him to know that though." A faint blush stained her cheeks. Pleased that her friend stopped laughing at her, she asked meekly, "So what do I do now?"
Draco shrugged and said, "What can you do, Hermione? You are stuck in a castle. You can't hide forever, and we have class again with him on Wednesday."
Hermione sighed, knowing her friend was right. Remembering the last words he said to her, she shook her head, and a new set of tears began to dribble down her face. "He threatened to not allow me to take NEWT potions anymore unless I told him the truth." She took in a shuddering breath and said pitifully, "He said I was no longer welcome in his class." The idea of her having to drop out of potions upset her again. Determination soared through her, and she declared angrily, "I am not doing that. I will continue to go to potions and do what I can until I pass my NEWTS."
"You should know my godfather doesn't like students who challenge his authority. Seems like you have gotten under his skin," he acknowledged with amusement.
Hermione grimaced and said forlornly, "I didn't try to. I was just tired of being treated like a doormat." Feeling her anger rise again, she stood up from her chair and began to yell angrily, "I have worked these last seven years tirelessly to gain his approval. I have shown him that I can do anything he throws at me, but not once does he notice it. Even after saving his damn life in that shack, did he appreciate any of it." Feeling silly for her outburst, she headed up the stairs after muttering a quick goodnight to Draco.
Once she was back in her bedroom, she closed the door with force and reinforced her protective wards, ensuring that no one could breach them. She hastily changed into her pajamas and flopped onto her bed, making an effort to cool down her anger, knowing she had to focus on her homework assignment. Once she regained control, she grabbed her school bag and retrieved a scroll of parchment paper, ink, and a quill. She also took out her potion's textbook. Seating herself at the available desk in the room, she began to draft her essay, which was due in a week.
She diligently worked on her essay for the past hour, completing about a foot of it and realizing she needed at least 4 more feet to finish. Setting down her quill, she stretched her muscles. As she eased her hand's tension, she noticed an owl heading straight for the window. Landing gracefully on the windowsill, the owl began pecking the glass insistently. Carefully opening the window, she saw a letter clutched in the owl's beak. Taking it gingerly, she watched the owl hastily fly away before closing the window tightly.
Glancing down at the letter, she expected it to be from Harry and Ron, but instead, she saw the familiar spiky handwriting of her potions professor. She cursed quietly to herself and put her head in her hands. Why can't he just leave me alone? She begrudgingly opened the envelope and took out the parchment paper that was neatly folded inside.
Ms. Granger,
Due to your cheek this evening, you will serve a detention tomorrow night in my classroom. I expect you to be there at 7 sharp. Your rudeness and attitude will not be tolerated.
Sincerely,
Professor Snape
She crumbled the letter up into a ball and threw it into the trash. She aggressively put her belongings away and got into her bed. She silently stewed at her receiving detention. She didn't want to be alone with him ever again, but she had no choice. She lay in bed, gazing at the ceiling, contemplating her next move. The more she thought about it, a realization dawned on her. He had said she wasn't allowed in his class anymore, but now he wanted her to come back. Feeling more confused than ever before, she rolled over in bed, trying to get comfortable so she could get some sleep.