New Beginnings

DISCLAIMER::: Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I just love them so much I wanted to play with them a little.

Summary::: Hermione gets a date.

New Beginnings

Chapter Eight

In the first week of February, the Headmistress announced, during the after dinner staff meeting, that there would be a ball on February 14. It seemed that Valentine's Day would fall on a Saturday this year, and she wanted to celebrate it as Professor Dumbledore would have, which meant Hogwarts was to have a fantastically outlandish dance. All of the staff would be required to attend, along with the entire student body. Of course, her proclamation irritated the Potions professor.

"I see no need for my attendance, Minerva," Professor Snape said testily, "and I'm certain the students would agree it would be a more festive affair without me."

"Now, Severus, it would not be fair to the other professors if you did not attend," Minerva McGonagall said, trying hard not to smile. "Besides, it would hardly kill you to chaperone just this once."

Under his breath, Professor Snape muttered, "It just might, Minerva, it just might." With that he stood and swept out of the room, robes billowing behind him dramatically.

"That man is such a drama queen," chuckled Madame Hooch, and the rest of the staff smiled in agreement.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Following the announcement of the Valentine's Day ball, the teaching staff had difficulty holding their classes' attention. The students were so preoccupied with arranging dates and discussing what to wear that they ignored their professors' efforts to teach them anything. This situation only fazed Hermione for a few days, though. By the Wednesday after the ball was declared, she had given up on her scheduled syllabus, and instead used the ball as a practical lesson in clothing Transfiguration. Remembering the awful get-up Mrs. Weasley had sent to Ron in their fourth year, she particularly focused on helping students faced with a similar situation. For this, many of her students were extremely grateful.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Professor Snape was sitting in his office two nights prior to the 'horrid affair', as he called it in his own mind, when a knock came on his door.

A little startled as it was after his normal office hours, not that any student ever took advantage of his office hours anyway, he called out, "Enter!"

Looking up as the door opened, he watched as the newest member of the staff entered and walked slowly up to his desk. She was glancing around with an odd look on her face. He wondered if it was because the last time she had been in his office she had been a student in trouble or if there was an entirely different reason.

"What can I do for you, Professor Granger?" he inquired. "I assume, from your expression, that this is not a social call."

Meeting his eyes, she said, "That is correct, Professor Snape. I came to see you because of something I overheard during my rounds this evening." Taking a deep breath she continued, "I believe that one of your Slytherins, Mr. Greyadder, is planning on acquiring his date for the ball in an unethical way."

Interested in anything concerning a member of his house, he asked, "And just how do you think he is going to do that, Professor Granger?"

"I believe, from what I have heard, that he is planning on giving a student, from a different house and a different year, a love potion."

"And what gave you that idea? Did he tell you this? Are you now an expert on love potions? Or are you just assuming that no Slytherin would be acceptable to a student from another house without resorting to such drastic measures?" Snape found himself becoming quite angry.

'How dare she accuse a student of MY house of plotting to dose another student!' he thought, fuming.

"Professor, I am sure that any of your precious Slytherins could talk a veela into dating them, if their heart so desired, but when I hear a seventh year student talking about getting more Ashwinder scales for his potion, then I have to wonder what he is doing. Furthermore, I become curious when I know that said Slytherin has asked the same fifth year Gryffindor, Miss Docker, to go with him to the ball no less than six times with the same negative answer each time."

"You mean to tell me that a Gryffindor turned down a Slytherin six times," Severus muttered with disbelief. "That is truly amazing."

"Amazing! What do you mean amazing?" Hermione huffed indignantly. "You think that no Gryffindor could resist a Slytherin's advances? That is just preposterous!"

"Will you go to the ball with me?" Severus asked.

"Yes, yes, of course," she said, still so outraged she didn't really hear his question.

"Excellent! I will be at your chamber door at seven," he said, smirking. He knew he had caught her off guard and was enjoying her reaction.

"Wait... what did you just say?"

"I said that I would be at your chamber door at seven. Are you losing your hearing, Professor Granger," he inquired politely. "Perhaps you should see Madame Pomfrey."

Hermione blinked before asking, "Be at my door for what exactly?"

"For the ball, you silly Gryffindor. I asked you to the ball, you accepted, so I will be at your chamber door at seven. Please do not make me repeat myself a fourth time."

With that he went back to the parchments he had been reading before she entered.

"Oh, umm... what do you plan to do about Mr. Greyadder?"

"I was already aware of his potion. I caught him just two hours ago trying to sneak into my private stores to steal the ingredient." Smirking he added, "He, unlike a Gryffindor I used to teach, is not very good about sneaking into places he is not allowed."

Hermione blushed. "You knew about that?"

"Of course I did. To whom do you think Madame Pomfrey came to find out when the Polyjuice was likely to wear off?"

"Why didn't I get detention for it?" she asked. She was certain she should have gotten detention for stealing from a Professor.

"I never reported the theft. I was too impressed that you had successfully brewed Polyjuice, and in your second year, no less. I couldn't tell Dumbledore about it, or Minerva would never have let me give you such bad grades in my class. Even if it was necessary for my cover."

"I see, well, I guess I can tell Miss Docker that Mr. Greyadder will not be asking her to the ball anymore. Thank you."

Hermione turned to exit the Potions professor's office. Just as she reached the door, she heard him say, "Seven o'clock sharp, Professor Granger. I will not be kept waiting."

Smiling, she exited the office, thinking, 'What ever shall I wear?'

TBC

AN::: Once again I would like to thank my fabulous betas, Pixie, Allison and Piper. I would also like to thank everyone who has left a review. In the next chapter Hermione goes to the ball with Professor Snape.