I Didn't Know Snape Had a Secret Chamber

Harry Potter heard the yells before he even entered the Portrait Hole that night. He was flushed and exhausted from detention (honestly, he didn't know what he did to Snape this time --) and the obnoxious noise wasn't what Harry was in the mood for.

"What's happening?" he asked Ron, as he entered the Common Room. Ron waved off a hand, as to indicate to his best friend that he didn't want to be interrupted.

"Fight number eight," Dean said, pointing to the fireplace.

"Ooh," Harry grinned, suddenly bright and awake. He took a seat next to Ron and whipped out his Divination homework. Hermione was standing right in front of the fireplace this time, her face beginning to gather soot. She was only arguing with her father this time, though.

Harry missed the insult that Hermione had socked to her dad because he was concentrating on thinking of a rather bad experience that was sure to make him go insane in his later years. Professor Trelawney was sure to love it.

The insult, however, must have been a good one because it resorted several shrieks of delight from the boys, while the girls gaped in horror at Hermione's moxie to talk like that to her parents.

"Did you hear that, Harry?" Ron was almost doubled over in laughter.

Harry shook his head. "Afraid not," he set his homework down. He can always do it later. He saw Hermione stand up from her kneeling position. Her robes were covered in dust as well, and as she stood up, she shook of her clothing.

"Dad, come off it," Hermione snapped. "I love him." Although she didn't, really - it was more of a slight crush, she knew this was making her father angry.

The Gryffindors gasped, Ron being the loudest. Harry grinned. Good one, Hermione, HE knew it wasn't true. He could see through Hermione better then Ron (though perhaps this was because Ron had an obvious crush on her...Why do you think he hated Krum?) and he could see she was enjoying her father's reaction.

"You love him?" Martin asked solemnly. "You're only fourteen, you don't know anything about anything! Especially love. Why I didn't know I loved your mother until we were married -- "

Hermione yawned, bored. "That's because you and Mum had an arranged marriage," she snapped.

Woah, really?

"Whatever, I'm leaving," she threw her hands up. "Lavender, can you close the fire for me?" Lavender perked up at the sound of her name. She looked quite honored to be brought into this particular row, and nodded eagerly as she dismissed Hermione's father for the night.

Harry stared at her. "Going to bed?" he asked.

Hermione looked up, distracted. "What? Oh, yes, yes." And with that, she left the Common Room. But as we all know by now, it wasn't for bed.

The Invisibility Cloak was wrapped around Hermione's shoulders so that her just head was floating in the distance darkness. For some reason, it was extra cold out in the corridors, and she shivered and closed her eyes. When she opened them --

"OW! Mudblood!" Draco Malfoy exclaimed, Hermione hitting him square in the face. She stumbled back in surprise. What was he doing here...Again? Was she missing something? No, she was Hermione Granger, Logical of All Logics. She'd never miss anything.

She blinked at him. "Stop following me."

"What? Me follow you? Did Hogwarts, a History somehow clobber you in the head?" He sneered. She gave him the nastiest look she could muster.

"How would you know about that book?"

"I happen to be one of the head students in the Slytherin house, I'll have you know. But wait, why am I telling you?"

Hermione scowled. "Your father buys them out, Draco. I know. Everyone knows."

He smirked that smart-ass smirk. "Not Dumbledore."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Norris, I smell trouble-makers lurking in the distance..." A cold voice sounded from the end of the hall. Both students stared at each other, wide-eyed with fear.

"Shit, it's Filch!" Draco muttered.

"Tell me something I don't know," Hermione whispered fearfully.

"Pansy still wets her bed," he laughed.

"Excuse me?"

"That's something you don't know."

They could both hear Filch coming down the hall, faster and faster. Draco suddenly slipped under the cloak again, just like he had done last night and they wrapped it around their heads.

"Now, we don't move and we stay quiet until Filch leaves," Hermione said softly, getting closer to Draco, much to her dislike. Draco sneered.

"Really? I thought we were going to engage him in a game of Exploding Snap, with Mrs. Norris as the referee."

"Oh, shut up before I do an Unforgivable Curse on you, you twit."

"You have to mean the pain, Hermione."

"Who says I doesn't? I swear, I'll -- "

"SHUT UP!"

Filch walked closer. "Did you hear that? I hear voices. Hiding somewhere, I daresay..."

"SHIT!" They said simultaneously. Draco grabbed for a door that they just noticed was behind them. "Hey," he whispered. "My hand goes right through it!" In and out, he was clearly amused.

Hermione wasn't. "Stop being a little girl, and let's go!" And they both jumped into the room.

Too bad Snape was already in there.