Married Life

It was Hermione's seventh year and she was on her way to Hogwarts Express. While on her way she noted how many guys looked her way, for she now had wavy, shiny hair, not the same bushy hair she had before. Hermione had also filled out over the summer. She was 5'6, with a different sense of style. She no longer wore the plain, boring clothes. Hermione now wore hip hugger jeans with a green tube top that brought out her eyes. As she walked, her high heal shoes clicked on the pavement and she smiled to herself, knowing she looked good. For the first time since she's been at Hogwarts, she felt happy with herself and her looks. Hermione looked to her right and saw Ron. She ran to him and gave him a hug. Hermione pulled away and looked up at him, for he was a good three inches taller than her.

"Hey Ron, how was your summer?" Hermione asked.

Ron looked at the girl in confusion. "Do I know you? If not can I get to know you?" Hermione laughed at this.

"It's me you git, Hermione." Ron's ears went very red, causing Hermione to laugh harder.

"Sorry about that, Herm. It's just - you look good!"

Hermione gave him a death glare and asked, "So you're saying I didn't look good before?"

Ron was starting to look nervous. "No, not at all!" Hermione saw how nervous Ron was getting and decided to back off. She went through the barrier and walked towards the Hogwarts train. She was so deep in thought she didn't see the tall, mysterious, figure in long, black robes, who had his back towards her.

Snape watched the students walking towards the train. He was silently cursing Dumbledore for making him watch over the students, for he hated children. Just as he thought of the headache he was going to have later, he felt someone bump into him. He turned around slowly and looked down at Hermione, who was on the floor. He raised an eyebrow and in an icy tone of voice he said, "Miss Granger, I thought a know-it-all like yourself could at least know how to walk in an orderly fashion. If you spent as much time as you have on your looks, and Merlin knows that must have taken a month to straighten that bush that you called hair out, you could be just as graceful as Longbottom is clumsy." He gave a slight smirk.

Hermione had know idea what she hit or whom, until she looked up and saw the evil Potions master himself. She expected Snape's words to hurt, but they just pissed her off. As he was insulting her, Hermione got up off the floor, and stood in front of her Potions teacher. Her eyes flashed in anger. Hermione knew she was going to lose her cool so she tried to calm down, but that smirk of his pushed her over the deep edge. She had no idea if it was just everything he ever said to her that was cruel or if it was everyone that was ever mean to her, Hermione ever knew, but right then and there, Hermione exploded.

"Thank you for the tip, Professor Snape. Would you like to borrow some shampoo, Professor? For if you spent as much time washing your hair and brushing those yellow, tea stained, objects in your mouth that you call teeth, you might have even been a match for Lockhart himself. So, here's some shampoo." She handed Professor Snape the shampoo. "Because unlike you, I actually wash my hair. You do know what shampoo is and what to do with it, right?" Hermione couldn't believe she just said that, but she tried not to look scared. Which she suggested, but to her dismay, looking scared was the least of her worries.

Severus didn't know what to say. He just stood there in plain shock. *How dare she say that to me? Oh, I'm going to have fun making her final year hell!*

Just as he thought this, Hermione smiled and said sweetly, "Got to go Professor. He who washes none." Hermione then ran to the train and got on. She quickly walked to the cart Ron, Harry, and she always shared. Hermione opened the door and sat down and looked at Ron and Harry, trying to see if they knew what just happened. From the faces of both Harry and Ron, they did.

Harry got down on his knees and said in a weird but funny voice, "Oh queen of all that annoys the grease ball Snape, how may I serve thee?"

Hermione couldn't hold it anymore, and she burst out laughing. "You may wash the grease ball Snape's hair, and do the world justice," said Hermione, who was trying to keep a straight face, but was falling rapidly.

The Dream team talked about their summer, and what they want to do after Hogwarts. Hermione, being head girl, had a lot of options for her future. She smiled at the memory of her O.W.Ls. Hermione, being who she was, got outstanding on everything. This year, she was taking everything that she was in her fifth year. Hermione was brought out of her dream world by her friend Jimena, who was tapping her shoulder.

"Hey, we're here." Jimena and Ron have been going out since 6th year. Jimena was a nice person, but Hermione knew not to push Jimena over the edge. Hermione opened the train doors for the other students, watching the first years walk to Hagrid, and knew what they were thinking and what they were going to be going through later brought a smile to her face. So lost in thought, Hermione didn't notice the other carriages were already gone. When Hermione looked up she realized her mistake. As fast as she could, she ran toward the last carriage. Hermione had no idea until she got in that the carriage that it was already taken by a certain Potions Professor.

Snape sat in the carriage, eyes closed and in deep thought. Only in Snape's mind would he admit that Hermione was breathtaking. Snap out of it! Snape silently scolded himself. Severus felt someone climb into the carriage, but he didn't care. He kept his eyes closed. His mind returned to Hermione, but not her looks, no what she said. Severus Snape had never been talked down to like that before, and let the culprit go unpunished. I'm going to get her back, he thought to himself, but how? Severus sat there with his eyes closed for the entire carriage ride, plotting how he was going to get her back. He could not punish her, for they were not in or on school grounds, plus school term technically hadn't started. Snape growled in frustration at this. How much simpler things would be if he could shout out 30 points from Gryffindor. Then it suddenly dawned on him. He smirked and had to hold back a laugh in pure delight. Snape was going to get Hermione where it hurt most. Not house points, not detention, but with her grades. Severus was going to find ever little thing he could use to lower her grade as low as possible, and when he did, he was going to reduce her into tears. If she wants me to play the villain, then I'll play the damn villain, Snape thought with a smile. When the carriage stopped, Snape opened his dark, black eyes, where they met rich brown ones.

Damn, damn, double damn, Hermione thought as Snape's eyes bore into hers. She quickly looked away and got out of the carriage as fast as her legs could go. She walked up the Hogwarts' steps, and opened the main doors. She then caught up with her friends and all four of them walked into the Great Hall.

Snape smirked at Hermione's retreating figure. He knew she thought he was going to give her a detention or take off house points, but no. What he was going to do was much worse. Why bother just taking all the thorns off the rose, when you can take all the thorns off the rose bush, Snape thought acidly. Snape started up the steps, glaring at students on the way, but on the inside, he was laughing.

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table with a frown on her face. She had a bad feeling and she had no clue why, but she knew something wasn't right. Hermione turned her head to the main doors just in time to see Professor Snape, billowing robes flying out behind him, and a scowl on his face. He turned his head and looked right into her prying eyes. If looks could kill, thought Hermione, she would be dead, buried six feet under, dug up and killed again. Hermione didn't look away though; no, she met his eyes, and gave him a look of her own. Snape looked surprised for a moment, then he did the unthinkable, he smiled, a real, tooth grinning smile. Most people who didn't know Professor Snape would have thought it was a nice jester, but for the people who did know Snape, it scared them worse than any other look he could have thrown at them. Hermione knew right then and there that she was in trouble.

Snape smiled even more at the surprised look on Hermione's face. On the inside he was laughing at the look on her face, but the look on her face didn't stay like that long, not long at all. Snape was the one with the surprised look on his face now. Snape's skin was more pale than usual, his eyes were very big as they looked into Hermione's brown ones, though they didn't look long. Snape quickly looked away, and stormed to the head table. The gears in Professor Snape's mind were turning faster than normal. It couldn't be true, but in fact it was. Hermione, the smartest girl Hogwarts had ever seen, and in fact did the most unthinkable, the most craziest thing in Hogwarts history, she winked and blew kisses at the dreaded Potions master.

Hermione had no idea what had gotten into her, but whatever it was, in a weird way she liked it. Right then and there, she made a promise, that she was going to piss Snape off, no matter what.