Chapter 5

The following Monday found Snape mostly recovered and surprisingly looking forward to the sixth-year potions class. Although he wouldn't admit it to himself, let alone anyone else, he was anxious to see a certain curly-headed witch with cinnamon eyes.

At breakfast, Lupin noticed the change in his demeanor and commented, "Sev, you look downright mellow this morning. Did you fling a first year off the Astronomy tower on your way to the Great Hall or something?"

"Nothing of the sort." Snape grumped. "And mind your business, mongrel."

Lupin grinned with his usual good humor. "You have sixth-year potions first this morning." he murmured.

"And?" Severus bit out sharply.

"And a certain one of your class hasn't taken her eyes off you all breakfast. Don't react." Lupin whispered sharply. "She looks like she expects you to explode into a flurry of bats any minute. What happened?"

Snape briefly considered prevaricating but decided against it. "I gifted her a discarded book from the Restricted Section-don't read anything into that." he held a warning hand up. "One can only presume the insufferable chit came to get her missed work after Poppy released her, although she said she came to thank me. I had only just returned from a…meeting, and I was a bit worse for the experience. And when I came to, she was practically in my lap, dripping dittany down my back."

Remus' eyes turned hard. "Greyback again?"

Severus nodded. "I won't pretend this one wasn't bad but he didn't bite me. That was the first thing she asked."

"She's very astute." Remus replied. "And it would seem you're very fortunate she decided to flout curfew. Please tell me you at least forewent the deduction of House points?"

"I did. Poppy offered her an apprenticeship on the spot when she saw her work." Severus said quietly.

"And?" Remus raised an eyebrow.

"And, nothing."

"Something."

Severus lowered his voice to a hiss. "She vanished everything."

Remus paused, then his eyes widened as realization dawned. "So she saw…"?"

"Everything. Before I could stop her." Severus' eyes are glued to the table.

Remus is quiet for a minute, then slowly put a tentative hand on Severus' arm. "Sev?"

"What?"

"It's ok." Severus' eyes shot up to meet the werewolf's.

"It's not. She…I…practically in her face…" Severus trailed off, mortified.

Remus' voice is kind and quiet, not to attract attention. "She saved your life, you dolt. Just as much as you did hers. She is a very bright, very mature witch and I highly doubt that she is the sort to run back to the Gryffindor common room, crowing to her girlfriends that she vanished you out of your knickers."

Severus glared at the other man hard and Remus held his hand up.

"I know, there were none to vanish. The sentiment remains. And I'd never insult you by asking if anything untoward happened because you're too honorable to have let it."

"Thank you." Severus replied.

"She's concerned, that much is evident. My advice? Thank her, acknowledge that the event took place and go on. Ignoring it won't end well and would probably make her feel as though she did something wrong."

Severus nodded. "I'll ask her to stay after class and speak with her."

Remus nodded in satisfaction and turned back to his coffee.

"Remus?"

"Sev?"

"Thank you."

"No need."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Class was tedious, and Severus noticed that Hermione was making a concentrated effort to avoid meeting his gaze. Oddly enough, that stung a bit, though there was no good reason that it should and he refused to revisit the events occurring after her departure from his office Friday night. A momentary lapse, nobody ever need know.

As the students packed their things, he spoke.

"Miss Granger." Her head shot up, eyes wary.

"Professor?"

"Stay back a moment, if you would? I'll write you a pass for your next class."

After the others had gone, Snape gestured to his desk. "Come and have a seat?"

Hermione acquiesced, sitting down and immediately beginning to wring her hands. "Sir?"

"You aren't in trouble, Miss Granger, leave your fingerprints intact." Her sigh of relief nearly parted his hair. Gods, was he that intimidating? He continued.

"I wanted to…thank you. Again. And also to apologize, if my…actions made you at all uncomfortable. I very much appreciate what you did and that you were there to do it in the first place."

"I thought you had reconsidered detention or deducting House points." Her voice was so soft Snape almost didn't hear her.

"On the contrary, Miss Granger. I'd add points but frankly I'm not sure how many would be appropriate for saving my life and the attention you would receive for the way they were acquired might not be…welcome."

"You don't owe me anything, Sir. You saved me first." Hermione's voice was steadier now.

"I can only hope that evening the score means we can consider the competition closed." Snape replied dryly. "Nothing against your company, my dear, but I can think of far less dramatic ways to meet."

Hermione smiled at that, but tears shimmered in her eyes. Snape became concerned all over again.

"Miss Granger?"

"I thought you were going to die, right there in front of me. And then I thought later, if I hadn't come, you'd have died alone." A tear fell from one of her cinnamon eyes to land on her flushed cheek.

"Oh, Miss Granger…"

"Nobody deserves that."

"And because of you and your swift action, neither experience came to pass. Again, I thank you. Not everyone would have gone to such lengths. Very few come to mind, if we are speaking plainly."

"You don't deserve that."

"You would be in the minority in thinking so, Miss Granger."

"Hermione. If you'd rather." She mopped at her cheeks and met his gaze.

"Hermione, then. I do have to ask…will you please forgive my abhorrent behavior Friday night? I in no way meant to act untoward…" Snape trailed off as Hermione shook her head vigorously.

"There's nothing to forgive."

Snape sighed. "You're sure?"

Hermione nodded. "Positive. It's normal. I was…overwhelmed as it was and then…surprised. But not offended. No apology needed."

Snape sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'll write you a pass for…what do you have next?"

"Herbology."

"Maybe Pomona won't be too surly." Snape said as his quill scratched over a scrap of parchment.

"Perhaps not. Um, Sir?"

"Severus, if you would like."

"Severus, then. May I… um, well…" The poor girl was turning fuchsia.

"Hermione?"

"Oh, sod it. May I please give you a hug?" Severus' eyebrows shot up at hearing the prim little witch curse, then at her request.

When he didn't immediately respond, she blushed even harder, if such a thing was possible. "I…never mind…sorry."

"All right." Severus spoke quietly.

"All right?" Hope flashed in those cinnamon eyes.

Severus nodded, opening his arms and inhaling sharply as she moved into them, wrapping her own around him and squeezing gently. He lightly let his arms rest on her slim shoulders for a few seconds before she released him, hoping his robes would conceal his traitorous reaction to her close proximity.

Hermione stepped back, still a bit flushed. "Thank you. I better get to herbology." She smiled shyly at him and departed, leaving Severus feeling strangely bereft and not at all looking forward to his next class.

XXXXXX

He smelled like parchment and ink and bergamot and clove.

Hermione hurried to herbology, blissfully revisiting the events of the last few moments. His robes had been pleasantly scratchy against her cheek. He hadn't pushed her away. And unless she was quite behind in biology, Professor Snape (Severus) hadn't minded the contact much at all…and neither had she.

Handing her pass to Professor Sprout, Hermione slipped into her seat and proceeded to not hear a word that was said the entire lesson.