Winter's Shadow

Chapter 13

The Missing Professor

Hermione returned from Diagon Alley to what appeared to be an empty house. Snape was no where to be found, yet his things remained. Hermione had not seen him at all since receiving her owl that morning. Shrugging it off she ascended the stairs to her room with her bags. While out shopping she had an idea as Head Girl to work on inter-house relations. An idea struck her and immediately she owled Dumbledore and Hogwarts two newest students--Harmony and Ophelia.

Hermione ate dinner alone that night. She sat alone at the small table in the dining area and pondered that morning. Had she done anything to cause Severus to not want to be there? Then something struck in the portion of Hermione's mind that was pure logic. Of course something had happened--adrenalin. Together they barely escaped Death Eaters and with the adrenalin still rushing through their veins they had kissed under the false excitement and want caused by that adrenalin. He still saw her as a child. With these thoughts penetrating her every thought she curled into a big comfy chair with one of her school books to read.

Severus stepped through the fire to see Hermione curled up in a chair sound asleep. A flash of memory about the previous night brought a scowl to his face as he passed the sleeping girl. The moment he reached his room he shut and locked all doors and collapsed on his bed.

The remainder of the week went pretty much the same. Hermione did not see Severus once. She did, however, get to see Harmony. Dumbledore brought her by floo one day to discuss the plan Hermione had concocted. Other than that one day Hermione saw no one up until it was time to go to Hogwarts.

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Hermione entered Platform 9 ¾ with a feeling of loss. Not that she had not been experiencing such a feeling; entering the start of where she was perceived as a student only brought it home deeper. Draco saw Hermione first and ran up to her embracing her. Hermione smiled at the blonde Slytherin while others cast odd looks not being accustomed to this friendship. Harry and Ron ran up not long after. With a deep heavy hearted sigh Hermione joined her friends on the train.

The four sat in a compartment catching up on the excitement of the Death Eater attack and what possibilities their last year held when the compartment opened. Hermione hugged Harmony and Ophelia as they entered.

"I have our fourth person." Harmony looked at Hermione. "In fact, I have already taught her all the moves and what to do when etcetera. We have been friends since we were babies."

"Who?" Hermione wanted to know who she would be revealing her true self with.

Hermione followed Harmony and Ophelia out of the compartment to another one. Upon entering Hermione stood still looking at Harmony in disbelief.

"Parkinson?"

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Hermione watched the landscape pass for thirty minutes before she picked up a book. Harry noticed something was bothering her.

"You okay, Hermione?"

"Yeh, why?" She looked up from her book putting on the best fake smile she could.

"Well, you seem a bit..."

"Dark," Draco finished.

"Yeh, and the Hermione from this summer appears to be sitting here instead of the one from Hogwarts." Hermione raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"I'm just being me. Get used to it." The boys exchanged looks that said 'uh-oh.' The rest of the ride was silent and uneventful.

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Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table awaiting the new arrivals. Despite her desperate attempts not to, she looked up at the head table. Yep, there sat Snape as brooding and scowling as ever. He however, avoided as much as noticing her looking. She stopped sulking on the batty professor when the new arrivals entered with Harmony and Ophelia.

Harmony and Ophelia were the last to be sorted as they were not first years. Harmony sat under the hat and waiting to be sorted. Hermione watched, clearly on the edge of her seat.

"Ravenclaw!"

Ravenclaws exploded in applause. Now, Ophelia sat patiently.

"Hufflepuff!"

"Perfect!" Ron and Harry looked at Hermione as if she had lost her mind. "Oh, you'll see soon enough." She ran from the hall quickly to meet up with Harmony, Ophelia, and Pansy for the plan.

Meanwhile a stage appeared in front of the entrance. Four white flags hung from floor to ceiling and all wondered what this was about. Dumbledore stood up to make announcements.

"Welcome back returning students and just welcome new students. Inter-house relations are important during these times. Tonight you will be entertained before the feast with a special performance. Ladies and gentlemen I give you Inter-House."

Everyone's attention turned to the stage that had appeared. The four white flags burst into a color of their own when the music started. Each a different house color and all that could be seen were the dancing silhouettes of the unknown performers.

"Free your mind." The four girls sang at once bringing any stragglers at paying attention straight to them. Who these girls were danced in everyone's mind.

The scarlet light danced on the silhouette of the first singer.

"I wear tight clothing and high heel shoes it doesn't make me a Gryffindor."

Then a yellow light danced on yet another silhouette.

"I like rap music wear hip-hop clothes.

That doesn't mean I'm a Hufflepuff."

Curiosity coursed through the veins of every one watching as to who was singing this song. Then, the blue lights danced.

"Oh my please forgive me being Ravenclaw

It doesn't mean there's another blood in my heirs."

Finally the green lights danced around the unknown figure.

"I might date another house or muggle

Doesn't mean I don't like my Slytherin brothers."

Everyone watched in awe and shock as the chorus broke out and the flags lifted revealing a female member of each house coming out behind the appropriate lighting singing together.

"Free your mind and the rest will follow

be colorblind, don't be so shallow

before you read me

you gotta learn how to see me."

The student body of Hogwarts watched in amazement as two new girls, a book worm, and a pureblood Slytherin joined together on the stage to sing about breaking down the barriers and lines of differentiation among houses to be one.

Hermione finished the last verse of the song.

"Oh now attitude why even bother

I can't change your house

You can't change mines color."

The entire school clapped profusely--except Snape. He was rather taken aback by the sudden performance by Hermione. With a smirk Hermione thought to herself, 'if you had stayed around long enough you would have known.'

Once she joined her friends at the Gryffindor table for the feast she kept Snape in her sight. The more she saw and thought about what happened the angrier she got.

"What happened when you and Snape got to your hideout point?" Harry was talking to Hermione, but it took her a moment to register what he had asked.

"Why?" She was rather curious as to why he would ask such a question.

"Well, Snape was at Grimmauld every day, left to sleep at the hideout and would return every morning--grumpier than I have ever seen him."

So that was where he was going--he was running from her.

"I don't know Harry." At that Hermione got up and left for her Head Girl chambers.

Snape's eyes followed her out of the Great Hall. Averting his glance he noticed Dumbledore's eyes sparkling on him and that damn smile again. Snape felt new curses forming in his mind for that old man. There was no way he could endanger Hermione with any type of relationship and there was no way he could be with her even without the danger factor. The simple fact was that she is a student and he is her professor. He felt ridiculous even thinking about it. Then another movement caught his eye.

Draco rose from the Slytherin table and followed Hermione out. He was looking for her and Snape knew that much. Abruptly Snape rose and excused himself to head for his own chambers. Well, that's what he told himself anyway.

Draco caught Hermione before she reached the stairs. He pulled her into a nook just under the stair case.

"What's wrong?" Draco was not a stupid boy and had learned Hermione's little moods. "You are a Gryffindor, Hermione, you can not lie. What happened between you and Snape to cause the tension in the room with the two of you to be thicker than Hagrid's hair?"

Before Hermione could deny anything tears formed and she found herself spilling everything to Draco. He was a true friend allowing her to cry without making her fill silly or ridiculous.

"Sh...Hermione, it was just a kiss." Hermione looked up at him with tears still floating in her eyes.

"But my heart was in that kiss." A pained expression crossed Draco's face.

Snape had left the Great Hall and followed the sound of the whispers to find Draco and Hermione whispering about him. This enraged Snape. He was avoiding her for good reason and the first thing she did was run to the arms of her Slytherin pal.

"WHAT may I ask are you two doing?"

"Hermione just needed to talk, SIR." Draco was not hiding the animosity he was feeling toward his head of house at that moment. Hermione, in shock, frantically wiped the tears off her face. She was NOT going to allow him to see her like that--as if HE had caused such a reaction. Snape glared at the two of them.

"Ten points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, and I suggest you find your Head Room and remain there." He turned his head in the direction of Hermione. "And you, you silly little girl, 20 points from Gryffindor. Go to your room also before I give out detentions as well." Hermione looked at him in horror. 'Little girl?' Draco saw the look cross her face that warned him when he was in trouble.

"Hermione." He touched her arm and then grabbed it pulling her toward their rooms.

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Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast without a trace of last night's event on her face. Snape saw the determined set girl walk in and for a moment he felt as if he would smile, but thought better of it. He was still cursing himself for allowing the kiss to even happen, yet every time he did he could feel her lips on his as if it was happening all over again.

Hermione sat down, no longer sadden and feeling the need to cry. Now, she was just angry. McGonagall was passing out the schedules. Double Potions that afternoon. Snape sat at the head table watching Hermione covertly as she read over her schedule. Her last class of the day was Double Potions with the Slytherin and he knew this and for some reason was looking for any reaction from her. Hermione looked up at him after reading her schedule. Oh yeh, she was mad beyond belief. She was not a silly little girl, nor was she a child to be toyed with. The REAL Hermione had arrived at Hogwarts and dear Professor Snape was about to find out WHAT that meant for him.

Snape found himself quite uncomfortable at the evil grin and malicious glint in her eye.

"Free Your Mind" by enVogue--with deliberate mistakes (duh)