The Flaw In Perfection: A Snamione Romance Fanfic

Chapter 8. Revelation

The man's soot-coloured eyes sparkled with idle interest towards the young girl facing him. Her preponderance to the subject was exceptionally extensive, but that doesn't avert him to doubt the girl's answer.

The girl immediately caught the silent glint of distrust in her Professor's eyes which made her relinquish to aid her demanding teacher. The moment she traced the odour of the flavescent liquid from the glass, she knew how and what had happened. She treated her Professor with increased respect, but if he showed no confidence in her, then maybe it was best to let him discover the incident on his own.

"Sir, if you have no interest in listening to what I got to say, I believe I have to go." Hermione tried hard to sound courteous, even though she was heart already crushed in two.

Snape, who doesn't know how to swallow his pride and accept defeat, didn't try to pull her back to him.

"Now then, if your knowledge is so precious, why don't you take all of them? I shall see you tomorrow in the 4th year class, you are excused. Get out". Snape arched an eyebrow and pointed his hand to the door.

Hermione walked towards the door but she could go, he looked at him in a way that startled him.

"Sir, I just wanted to tell you that I won't tell anyone about this. And in case you are still going to search for the culprit, which I'm sure you will, whoever it was, I can assure you one thing about him or her. That person is a muggle-born." Hermione gave a sideways glance and with that, she went out.

Professor Snape felt like he was going to vomit the moment he heard her final words. If she really did know about his situation then why would she have to play hard-to-get? That girl is really an unbelievable student. He knew that it would be unwise if he will call for her back and asked for her assistance. He was absolutely capable of doing things in his own way. And besides, this was all he wanted, make sure to eliminate the girl's involvement in his problem.

Severus Snape woke up in the middle of the night. His body ached and started to complain, it implored him to go back to his drowsing once more. He forced his eyes shut, and be taken by that slumber again, but his eyes were tumultuous.
He got up from his bed and felt a sudden rush of chill creeping his spine up to his neck. This coldness was already known to him, for living in the dungeons for quite a long time made him accustomed to it. But this time of year was the coldest, for the cool breeze of December has completely swallowed the entire area.

He wanted to grab something to drink, but when he rummaged through his cupboards, the coffee jar was empty. He never liked dark chocolate or tea but maybe it was safer to drink chamomile tea for a while rather than a glass of Firewhisky. He seemed to express a little fear at the thought of another incident with that same beverage.

After a quiet sip, he left the cup of tea on his table to get a paperback and tire his eyes until they were ready to sleep. He came back to the table and saw his cup of tea swirling with frost. His face frowned in distaste but said nothing. He was finally entertained by his reading when a knock on his door interrupted him.

Whom could that be? A person still up at this hour is not very ordinary. He got up from his comfortable chair and opened the portcullis only to reveal a panting bushy-haired girl.

"What in the world are you doing here Ms Granger? Having midnight strolls is not tolerable. And of all places, you chose to come here?" Snape's unhealthy curiosity filled him completely.

Before you take away points from my House or punish me, I just want to ask you one thing". Hermione still looked weary but she looked at him in a way he couldn't recognize. His bemused face was enough for Hermione to think that he was asserting a positive answer.

"Hear me out first, please. And after that, you can do anything you want, Sir." Hermione closed her eyes for a short time and she was a bit shocked when her Professor hurled her inside his chambers.

He offered her a seat by motioning his hand to the nearby chair and she gladly accepted it.

"Sir, I have to tell you that I already know who tried to impair you." Hermione's eyes were wide and Snape could tell that she has upholding the truth, doubtlessly.

"And who is this person you claim as my vitiator?" Snape looked at her closely, for the answer he longed to have was etched on the girl's mind. He only has to wait til her lips declare the name of that pernicious person.

"Before I tell you that, let me start at the very beginning. Sir, as I said, the culprit is a muggle. A muggle-born student." Snape's face turned white with rage. He himself couldn't contain his anger but he couldn't just lash out there and then.

Hermione gulped before continuing what she was saying.
"That person poured a psychedelic drug into your drink, Sir. Well, a psychedelic drug is a..."

"No need to elaborate, Miss Granger. I am aware that a psychedelic drug is a drug which causes hallucinations and pain towards the drinker. Now, will you proceed?" Snape cut her words once more, and he showed an angry smirk at her.

"Sir, are there any suspicious events that prevailed on that day you got vitiated?" That person couldn't have executed the plot if that person didn't create any mayhem to distract you." Hermione stated matter-of-factly.

It was a dreadful feeling that a student was interrogating him, a teacher! This encounter was truly foreign to him, for he never shared anything with a student before. Not even to his favoured Slytherins. He was a private person, keeping his light to himself, showing nothing but darkness and strife to other people.

"As far as I can reminisce, the faculty has a meeting at three o'clock. But earlier that day, I received a message via owl post that the meeting was pushed over an hour. I came at the given time, I even thought I was late, but it surprised me that there was no one to there to meet me. They came an hour after that. I asked Minerva if she was the one who sent me the message about the meeting's delay but she said she didn't. I daresay, it was a false interruption." Professor Snape's narration completed Hermione's theory.

"That's it. Sir, that afternoon during our class with the 4th years I saw a spilt liquid on the floor just outside the door. When I was going to the common room, I saw this lying on one of the stair's steps. I took it for I sensed something screwy, but since I have no proof yet, I decided to keep it to myself." Hermione was breathing hard, trying to conceal her excitement from her teacher for she doesn't want him to have the impression that she was playing heroine again. She showed him the empty vial which made him shudder.

No matter how he tried to remove the girl's concern towards him, it seems that the kismet disapproves.

"But tonight Sir, I finally figured out who that student who tried to hurt you is. You see, this vial must have been left accidentally on the stairs. And this evening at dinner, I saw the culprit holding the vial that resembled this. I followed her and she went to the Astronomy tower. She threw all the vials down an isolated corner and scampered away after." She finally told him everything. She wanted him to know as soon as possible for this person might aggravate him or any of the teachers any time soon.

"Who was it? Tell me, Miss Granger. Who was that student too proud to even mess with me?" Snape bellowed. His physical appearance showed his supreme darkness at that very moment.

"That person you seek is Ms Anuerin Foster, Professor Snape." Hermione's eyes were almost wet with tears but tried to fight them.

Severus Snape instantly lost himself when he heard the name. He vowed to know who it was but now he doesn't know if he really wanted to.

"She's a Hufflepuff, Sir," Hermione said and glanced at him to see a dismayed and furious look on his face.

His eyes wandering around the room, forgetting the presence of a student in his chambers, he left with a snap his robes billowing after him.