From Dire Circumstances

Chapter 2 - Spinner's End

Hermione left the head girl's room with her shrunken belongings all in her shouldered school bag, heading straight to Professor Snape's dungeon office. That was, after all, the place she had been told to go to begin her "holiday", as Dumbledore had put it.

She decided earlier that morning that it would be unwise for her arrive late for their departure, so she walked quite briskly, reaching the office in record timing. Her hand raised immediately to knock on the door, and she paused to hear the low 'enter' Snape would utter before she opened the door.

His back, thankfully for her as she needed a moment to compose herself from the walk, was turned on the door as he faced the fire. 'Good morning, Professor Snape!' she intoned dutifully, resting her bag near the doorjamb.

He spun around sharply to face her, robes whipping in the cold, stale air, the noise hanging damply. He glared down as he spoke. 'Miss Granger, what a delightful surprise. Come to say goodbye before you leave for the holiday? How quaint,' he hissed with just a hint of annoyance.

'Actually, it appears as though I will be your guest for the holiday,' Hermione replied, getting a kick out of the way his face drained of what little colour it had.

'As funny as that jest may seem to you, Miss Granger, I have no time for banter,' he said dismissively and added almost to himself, 'and someone is very late...'

'But, Professor, I am not jesting you. The Headmaster was explicit on the details of my timing and especially insistent that I would be leaving from the fire in your office,' she said firmly, picking her bag up from near the door.

Snape faced her. 'You are being serious, are you not, Miss Granger?' He sighed, folding his arms across his chest before bringing one long-fingered hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with eyes squinted closed. A migraine perhaps? But not possible. Dumbledore had misused Snape's trust that he would make wise decisions. Again.

'Yes, Harry is with Remus, and Ron went home with Charlie,' Hermione replied immediately, shifting her position uncomfortably.

Remus Lupin had been reinstated to the position of DADA instructor, and Charlie Weasley had been called in as a replacement for Hagrid, who was currently on leave for his honeymoon with Madame Maxime-Hagrid. Snape's sigh of resignation broke Hermione's chain of thought, however, as he moved to stand closer to the fire.

'Very well, Miss Granger. Come with me,' he said, grabbing a handful of Floo powder.

Hermione obeyed without question this time, and in moments they were standing in a fully furnished study. All of the walls were lined with ceiling-high bookshelves, filled with books. A claw-footed desk was on one side of the room, and comfortable armchairs surrounded the fireplace itself.

'I will show you to your room,' Snape drawled sullenly, moving towards a door.

Hermione followed wordlessly, still awed by the magnitude of the large study, walking through a spacious and lavishly decorated hallway on what she assumed was the second floor landing. They were soon on the third floor and at the end of that hall; Hermione made sure she memorised the exact way she had come.

The bedroom that they entered was furnished with a large, four-poster bed, a dresser, long mirror, as well as various drawers and cupboards. There was a small study desk and chair to one side, with an open door that led to a bathroom on the opposite side of the room. All in all it was quite nice and welcoming, smelling of irises.

'I do believe, Miss Granger, that you have never, in the small expanse of time that I have known you, been rendered speechless in such a way,' Snape said silkily, unable to help the little jibe. 'However, that door--' he pointed to the bathroom. '--leads to the bathroom as you can see. The curtains are charmed to close on whim, and any of the clothes you brought with you were automatically transferred to the wardrobe when you entered, for convenience,' he rambled methodically. 'You are most welcome to any of the books on the shelves in the study.'

Hermione nodded, completely unaware of the personal attack, absorbing all that she could lest she do something wrong and become victim to his wrath.

'If you should encounter any difficulties, do not hesitate to inform me of them, and I shall do what I deem reasonable in the circumstance. I will leave now to let you better acquaint yourself with your surroundings,' he said gruffly.

Hermione found her voice finally. 'Thank you, Professor. I appreciate your hospitality and hope that I do not further impose on you during my time here. It was unfair of Dumbledore to make you bring me here,' she said softly.

Snape turned to leave, but paused without turning back. 'Lunch is served at noon, if you are hungry.' And with that, he left.

Hermione, therefore, decided to get a head start on her essays, set by nearly all of her professors for the break, with a particularly nasty one from Snape himself. By noon, her stomach began its protest, and she reluctantly stood up, leaving behind a stack of completed essays higher than the stack of those yet to be completed.

She left her room and followed the trek backwards that she had made and took a further flight of stairs down, guessing and finding the dinning room directly to the left of the staircase. She was glad to see that Snape had graced the table with his presence, and that lunch was there too.

She sat in what appeared to be her seat, lowering herself into it gracefully. She then waited for him to tell her exactly what to do, even against the protesting of her stomach that thankfully had growled silently that day.

'Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation? Despite what you believe about magic, Miss Granger, I hardly think that the food will feed itself to you,' he said sarcastically. Hermione bit her lip to quell the sudden wave of frustration and fury at the mild-mannered man across from her.

Hermione remained silent and ate quickly, watching the plate disappear. Snape had remained blissfully ignorant of her presence and the whole time had read a book while nibbling thoughtfully at a sandwich. He had finished and stood without a word, moving to the door. 'Dinner will be at promptly 7 o'clock. If you are in need of any assistance, call a house-elf,' he said, walking away.

Hermione sniffed at his curt dismissal and left the dinning room then in a dreadful mood, wishing that Harry or Ron were with her, or better, that she was away from this house, with them...