Dance With A Serpent

Dream Of Me

That insufferable man! She should kill him and have it over with. If he were dead she wouldn't see him in that damn mirror, they wouldn't have to dance together, and she wouldn't have to meet him once a bloody week and talk to him! His friend or whoever it was who had awakened him should have left that man dead! It would have saved Hermione a damn lot of trouble...

She sighed. A man like Severus Snape could not be her soul-mate. They had almost nothing in common... Just a fondness for order, books and rules- and maybe the occasional breaking of rules when it suited them... but NOTHING else!

No, Hermione was not anything like the old grumpy man someone should have left for dead!

She walked in to the head boy and girl common room. Malfoy stood by one of the windows, his body framed by the setting sun. Hermione tried not to stare at his torso that seemed to once again have failed to attain a sweater.

"For heavens sake Malfoy, put something on! My eyes might start bleeding...," she muttered and slumped down on the sofa.

"I know I'm breath-taking no need to get all excited, Granger or I might have to stun you," he smirked and sat down on the other end, still failing in the shirt department.

"You revolt me, Malfoy."

"Sure Granger... Whatever you say. How was talking with old batty?" he asked.

"He makes me even more nauseous than you do, Malfoy. And that takes practice; is that what you people do down in the Slytherin dungeons?" She asked, looking up at him from her lying position. He smiled at her and played with a few of her curls that reached him.

"Certainly, right after lunch. No, but honestly, did he say anything interesting?"

"He wants us to discard the dance." She answered, not looking at him.

"He would. Was that it?"

"I got detention." It was surprisingly nice to have someone playing with your hair. She felt lulled by it.

"You?" he barked, laughing. "How did that happen?"

She felt herself drift in and out of focus.

"I insulted him...."

"What! Why?! I thought you where smart...."

"He insulted me..." her voice trailed off.

Draco looked disbelievingly down at the muggleborn girl. She was clearly asleep. What the hell? Sure, Snape insulted and provoked her, that's how he is...but Granger losing it? What the hell was happening? He de-tangled his fingers from her hair and snuck up to his room.

He too wished that they could ban the whole dance, and the theme and mailbox ideas, but it was McGonagall's orders.... He sighed and looked out the window again.

Love is a terrible thing to have sneak up on you.

He sighed again as he thought about the likeliness of his soul-mate dancing with him, charm or no charm.

None.

He threw himself down on the bed, trying to block bad thoughts and forcing sleep to come.

He stood not far away from her. She still hated him, the hot feeling of loathing stirred through her as she observed him. He turned his dark eyes upon her.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger." She startled- he didn't say things like that. And certainly not like THAT! So silkily, with no hint of sarcasm.

"That... that's okay, Professor. I spoke out of turn as well."