Winter's Shadow

Chapter 14

Rat

"I believe I told you to SOD OFF!"

The loudest silence ever experienced in the potions classroom developed after that. Harry and Ron looked at each other and then to Draco; each frightened as to WHAT Snape was about to inflict on Hermione for her outburst. To the boys' shock, Ophelia only appeared slightly worried and Harmony looked evilly thrilled.

The bell signaling the end of class sounded, but everyone was transfixed to their seats waiting for Snape to do something. He had not taken his eyes off Hermione though and still did not when he yelled to the class.

"OUT!"

Students scrambled to not be in his line of fire. Hermione kept her eyes on him refusing to let him intimidate her. She was very aware that he would give her detention and she was daring him to say the words.

"Detention, Miss Granger, tonight at 7. Do NOT be late."

"Yes, PROFESSOR."

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Hermione walked into the common room and looked around for her friends. She found them by the fire playing wizarding chess as usual. Plopping down in her favorite chair they looked up at her waiting for the story.

"Bloody hell, Hermione! Well?"

"I have detention tonight." She shrugged her shoulders indicating she didn't really care.

"I'm sorry, Hermione." Harry truly felt for his friend at the moment.

Hermione stood up grabbing her bag.

"No big deal. It just fits into my plan. I need to go to my common room and drop some of this stuff off before dinner." Ron and Harry exchanged curious looks. Hermione noticed and answered before they could actually ask. "To make his life a living hell."

"Blimey, Hermione! What did he do to you while you were in hiding?" Ron's question was never answered however. Hermione only smiled and walked out through the portrait hole.

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Hermione sat down at the Gryffindor table and instinctively looked up to the head table. Snape sat there sneering and glowering as usual. His eyes fell upon Hermione and his glares did not affect her as they did other students--she simply returned the favor.

Hermione sat through dinner rather quietly. Ron and Harry were talking continuously and after a while Ginny joined them.

Quidditch.

That was what the conversation was about. Ron, being captain, was informing Harry and Ginny about Chaser tryouts Friday. They would have a limited amount of time because each house was having tryouts that day. Hermione watched Snape leave the Great Hall and with a roll of her eyes she stood to go to her detention. Ginny, Ron, and Harry all cast her pitying looks as she bid her goodbyes and headed out of the Great Hall.

Hermione entered the Potions classroom tossing her bag down on a desk rather loudly. Snape looked up from the desk at the front.

"Miss Granger."

"Professor." The emphasis on the word was loud and clear. After a moment of silence Snape sneered at her once again.

"As extra class work would only cause you pleasure I have cauldrons that need scrubbed." He pointed toward a number of cauldrons to one side of the room. "No magic." Without a word she walked over to the sink and the cauldrons and set to work.

Hermione only became angrier with him as she worked. Snape kept his head down looking at the paper before him and writing. It was as if she did not exist in the room with him at all. A couple hours later he heard her clearing her throat.

Snape looked up from the parchment he had to see Hermione, dirt smeared on one cheek, standing before him. Eyeing her he stood up and stalked over to the cauldrons. Looking at each one he found nothing to give him reason to have her do them again.

"You may go." She turned on her heels and grabbed her bag from the desk she had left it. When she reached the door she stopped however and turned to face the professor.

"I must say, Professor, I am rather impressed myself."

"What?" Something told him he didn't really want to know.

"You actually remained in the same room as I. That is something you have avoided for well over a week. Good evening, Professor."

Snape watched her walk out of the room cursing having kissed her. Couldn't she understand that it should not have happened no matter how much he would like it to happen again?

He left his dungeon classroom for his chambers. Sitting on the sofa in front of the fire Hermione still whirled around in his mind. Why had Dumbledore sent him to her house of all places anyway? And any concern Snape had about developing feelings Dumbledore brushed them aside. What Hermione had said was true. He had avoided her since they had kissed, but what else could he do? She was his student. Thinking of that night brought the sensation to his lips. He could still feel her warm lips on his and her warm soft body sleeping peacefully partially on his. Snape let out a growl of frustration.

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Friday passed donned with the usual classes and Quidditch tryouts. After her final class, Hermione headed toward her common room. She debated going to the Gryffindor common room, but as their tryouts were just beginning Ron and Harry would not be there and she had no desire to listen to the squealing antics of Lavender and Parvati. At least in her and Draco's Heads common room she could get some work done.

Entering the common room she saw Draco sitting on the sofa playing with something. Watching him silently she noticed he had nicked the golden snitch.

"Draco, if you have the snitch WHAT do you think Harry is going to do?" Draco turned to look at Hermione as he caught the snitch again. A crooked smiled formed on his lips.

"Well, Hermione, I think he will be with Ron trying chasers out."

"Oh yeh." She hadn't really thought about the fact that Harry would not be practicing. Tossing her bag ahead of her onto the floor she sat down next to Draco.

"So, did you give Snape hell?"

"No, not really." She shook her head as she dug in her bag for a book. She pulled her head up out of her bag and noticed Draco watching her with a grin.

"I didn't think you would."

"What? Why?"

Draco grabbed the snitch this time retaining it from another near escape. He turned to look at her.

"Hermione, you have always been too mature to perform any childish pranks."

She smiled at him and gave him a hug in thanks. Draco was right though. Hermione never would do anything really childish. Perhaps that was why she did nothing in her detention that could be perceived as a childish prank. She simply ignored him and then left with a sarcastic question and sarcasm is not childish--it's more like a fine wine that betters with age. With a smile she opened her book to read some before dinner.

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After dinner Hermione all but forced the others to the library to start studying. Together they occupied a rather large table toward the back. Harry had a couple of books he was looking through in order to do his potions essay early for a change. Ron sat next to him with nothing but a piece of parchment and quill. Hermione and Draco sat across from them, both with large piles of books and writing furiously. Harmony sat next to Harry with a witch's glamour magazine, thumbing through the pages.

Hermione and Draco were bickering over where a book went when Ophelia entered the library looking rather windswept. Hermione did a double take at her friend's appearance once she sat down by her.

"Ophelia? Are you okay?" At Hermione's question everyone turned their head to look at the raven haired girl. Ophelia rolled her amethyst eyes.

"Why no! You are looking at Hufflepuff's new Seeker though." Hermione dropped her quill and hugged her.

"Congratulations! That is wonderful." Ron looked around the table at everyone before he spoke his realization.

"Hey, three Seekers are sitting here, four if Harmony tried out for Ravenclaw?"

Everyone looked to Harmony waiting for an answer.

"I don't think so," Harmony answered rather slowly while crinkling her nose as if stink sap was just poured on her. Still shaking her head at the thought of being on a Quidditch team, she pulled out a sketch book to work on another design. Harry leaned over a little to see what she was doing. Noticing his curiosity she held up a sketch of muggle dress.

"Creation Harm."

Hermione and Draco had already begun to put books away and head toward Madam Pince to check out the ones they needed. The others took their cue. On the way out of the library Harmony was talking to the group animatedly.

"We definitely should do something for Hermione's birthday. It is before the first official Hogsmeade visit, but I'm sure we can figure something out." In the middle of Harmony's rave about Hermione's birthday, Professor Snape passed by. Instinctively Draco looked to Hermione. She was looking straight ahead, pretending not to see him.

"Hello, Professor." Harmony and Ophelia chimed in their sing-song voice to the Potions Master in a way that made him cringe.

"Don't you think you should be returning to your common rooms? I know your Head Girl and Boy have duties to attend to." Snape swept away. Hermione became suddenly aware of the onyx resting on her chest and the warmth that seemed to penetrate from the stone. Yes, she had duties that night and taking care of this stone was the first.

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Hermione wondered the corridors as her duties called for. This evening her wonderings had a destination--wherever Snape might be. On her stroll of the corridor containing the entrance to the Astronomy Tower she witnessed several students scurrying away.

'Found him.'

Snape emerged from the shadows of the entrance and stopped at the sight of Hermione. He held his hand out in instinct when she motioned to give him something. Looking down at the onyx in the palm of his hand he sighed.

"There is no need to return this." He held out his hand for her take the onyx back. "I know how much you admired it."

Hermione took a step back.

"No, I have no need for a cold rock. Besides, it belongs to the serpent that hangs from your neck--maybe then this gem is not so cold. Either way, I do not want it." Hermione turned to leave, but Snape's voice stopped her.

"Miss Granger, you are my student." She stopped and turned to face him. Her heart was racing, but she was not going to let him get to her. She walked up to him only inches from him.

"So you keep reminding me." She moved forward so that she was caressing his neck with her nose. She felt him stiffen as she caressed his neck and spoke.

"But do tell, PROFESSOR, was I a mere STUDENT when you placed that gem on my neck? Am I nothing more than a student now?" He felt her lips gently caress the already sensitive skin of his neck.

Abruptly she pulled away and turned to leave.

"Miss Granger, I could give you detention for that!" She turned back to him with a wicked smile.

"Oh yes, PROFESSOR, you could. But I think you and I both know you won't." She left this time without looking back. Snape just stood for a moment watching her go. He really should give her detention, he knew that. But there would be the usual questions to the girl of why she had detention. Questions that did not need to be answered. He turned toward the dungeons.

From the shadows behind where Snape stood, a rat scurried away.