Under The Stars

Mistaken Identity

Chapter 10

Finally, the summer had ended and Hermione couldn't wait to be reunited with Severus once more. She boarded the carriages with Ron and entered Hogwarts for their 6th year. She dropped her trunk off at the Gryffindor common room, got changed into her school dress robes and headed for the Great hall.

Has she entered with Ron and Ginny, Hermione connected eyes with Severus from across the room. She gave him a quick discreet smile before placing herself down at her house table. She knew he would have smiled back, but even a glimpse of emotion shown by the man and people wouldn't suspect that something was wrong.

As the feast went on, Harry finally joined them, after being missing from the remainder of their journey to school. Dumbledore began to make his traditional speech about which parts of Hogwarts are out of bounds and what staff changes there will be this year. Hermione usually switched off her hearing and stared at Severus for the announcement. She didn't care who taught her for what. She was going to succeed in anything she studied anyways. That's until the headmaster revealed something that broke her stare. This caused her eyes to flicker over to Dumbledore and back at Severus several times.

Dumbledore had just released news that Snape would be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. She tried to catch his attention, over the Slytherins cheers, but he was now in conversation with Professor Slughorn... The new Potions professor. Of course he was trying to avoid her eye contact now. He never mentioned this in any of his letters to her. Surely he couldn't have skipped over this tiny bit of information.

As soon as the students was ushered to bed. Hermione took her first detour to the dungeons and waited for Severus to return. As she got there she made herself comfortable again with the familiar surroundings. She poured him a glass of Firewhiskey and her a cup of Butterbeer. She didn't want to start the year off with an argument or question him about his lack of information in his letters. She had been wanting him for so long and didn't want to mess it up.

He finally entered through the door, 15 minutes after her arrival. Hermione greeted him with a wide grin. "Welcome home, Honey." Hermione seductively said teasing him, as she crossed the room with both drinks in hand.

Severus' surprised expression turned into a delighted one, as he accepted the Firewhiskey from her grasp. "Well this is a pleasant surprise."

Hermione grabbed him by the neck and gave him a long lingering kiss, tenderly on his lips. He wanted more but she pulled away, with their hands still entwined. She led him over to his couch for them to talk. "Are we celebrating something?" He asked suspiciously sitting down next to her. Noticing music in the background and the dimmed lights.

"I've just missed you, that's all." Hermione tried to hide her fake smile as she took a slip of her drink. But Severus wasn't that easy to fool.

"My dear, what is it?" Severus placed his glassed down and raised her chin gently with his finger to look at him.

Hermione's looked puzzled, "Why didn't you tell me about your job?" it was now Severus' turn to look away.

It wasn't that he forgot to tell her. He just didn't want her to worry, or have a change of mind about him due to his own desires. Severus stood up and walked away turning his back towards her. "I was afraid."

"Afraid? Of what?" Hermione remarked, following him. She stood behind his form waiting for a response.

"Of what you would think of me..." Severus turned around finally looking at her again.

Hermione cupped his cheek in comfort. "Severus, you achieved one of your life long dreams. How could I think any less of you?" She searched his eyes.