The Flaw In Perfection: A Snamione Romance Fanfic

Chapter 19. The "S" Situation

"Hermione Jean Granger..."

A pissed boy shouted at his best friend. The female he was referring to hid under the sheets, for she tried to avoid talking to him. Her eyes glowed with tiredness and confusion but she remained still as she faked her sleep.

"Get up. Hermione Granger. Get up. Now!" Another boy shouted making her snort and finally get out of bed at last.

"What were you thinking? You're acting like you're a bothered rooster eager to announce that it's morning. I need more sleep, for God's sake!", she returned from her sleeping position but unluckily, Ron Weasley quickly took away her pillow. She hit her head on the bed and this time, she took her wand and pointed it to her annoyed fellow Gryffindor.

"You're not telling us? Keeping secrets now, are we?" Harry Potter threw the pillow back to her after he snatched it from Ron. The pillow hit her squarely on the face which fanned the flames of her fury.

"Harry,  do something!" It was Ron's turn to scream, almost shutting his eyes as Hermione's wand crawled up his neck.

"What's going with you? You've been avoiding us. You haven't said anything about yourself. And earlier this morning, we heard that you have been given a student exchange scholarship from Ilvermorny. Then we heard you got stuck with the "S" situation. And now look, you look like a barbaric monster ready to kill your own best friend."

Hermione drained the color of her face after what she had just heard from Harry. It was true. She was indeed avoiding them for almost weeks from now. She couldn't risk spilling the nightmare secret to them. There's no assurance that they can handle it. She slowly took the wand away from him and muttered a soft "sorry" to him.
She was down and gloomy when she cognized the last words from Harry's statement.

Did she just hear it right? The "S" situation. What was that?

Hey, wait. What did you just say? "S" situation?" she raised an eyebrow and she gained distorted looks from the boys.

"You said YES. You agreed!" Ron looked at her with dripping disappointment. Harry chimed in after his outburst, "Why him, Hermione? I understand if you're defending him. But why? Why?"

"Stop it. I don't understand a word you say." Hermione scolded. She's tired of being given clues instead of answers. Even them, her best friends, choose to act in a mysterious manner?  What was going on???

"You accepted Snape's apprenticeship. Why? Why?" The mist in Hermione's mind had disappeared after he clearly stated his words.

She knew Harry would never approve of it,  because he loathed Snape same as Snape loathed him.

"He's a skilled person, Harry. I can learn lots from him. It's a stepping stone." she reassured her friends as she find a way to make a sound excuse.

"A stepping stone to what?  A lucrative career as a doormat?"

"No. It's not like that. Please, just understand. I know what I  am doing. I won't regret anything, I promise. I just need your support. Do you really have to oppose and predict things from my actions?" she was still explaining in a smooth and emotional way when she sensed that her friends quickly bought it.

"We didn't mean to meddle with your decisions, it's just that we care. We care for you a lot" Ron put in hastily, making Hermione go red.

She opened her mouth indignantly but no sound came out.
She gave the boys an apologetic look but turned away with a slight pain on her face.

Now, if you don't mind, I still have work to do. Best be off" she finished off determinedly. She took her cloak, headed out and marched away.

Hermione found herself walking down the chilly dungeons to meet her snarky professor. The place was plain and eerie in her opinion but still continued to walk, eager to start her apprenticeship.

Professor Snape was sat on his favorite chair the moment she came in. Before she could even knock on the door, he spoke the words, "Come in." It was as if he knew she was there. He's really unpredictable at times.

"You already know the reason why you are here. I chose you to become my apprentice. Never think that this is a thing worth praising because this isn't an easy task. I am thinking maybe you should aspire to be contained in my NEWTS class next term. But still, it is your decision."
Snape was reading some sort of a material and he never even looked at her but his words were enough for her to be considered in the apprenticeship.

She just nodded her head a bit as a sign of respect and agreement.

His face was quite pleasant in this view, now that she's only a meter apart from him. His eyes weren't as black as ebony but a strange shade of deep grey. You can only notice it once you're near enough.

She shifted her thoughts away from the man before her and focused her eyes onto the table near his chair. There was a platter of baked cookies placed neatly on the table.

"Care for a biscuit?" he asked boringly.

"Uhm, sir... come again?" her eyes grew wide a bit upon hearing his question.

"I know you heard me, Miss Granger. But if your brain couldn't recognize such little information, I think I need to repeat it again. Do you want a biscuit or not?"

Hermione quickly took a piece of cookie and tasted it. A small smile formed to her lips the moment she ate the biscuit. It was by far the most delicious cookie she ever tasted.

"It's very palatable, Sir," she uttered and for the very first time, she gave him a controlled but genuine smile.

"Actually, I made it" his answer was too foreign to her. Who would have known that he can bake delicious goodies like this one.

"I didn't know you could bake, Sir, " she told him.

"A lot of people associate Potions with cooking. But, I think not. Cooking is a more subjective art. The taste of the dish is based on the persons who will prepare it. Unlike baking, every ingredient is carefully chosen. Everything that will be poured down into the cauldron should have precise and exact mensurations. For me, baking is more likely to be linked with Potions. You cannot produce any quality pastry if you are accustomed to self-indulgence and fatal flaws" he spoke in a calm tone, and finally he had let his eyes met hers at last.

"I understand," she quietly nodded.

He faced her once more and showed a strict expression. "Are you sure you want to take this apprenticeship? This is not something anyone will find amusing and enjoyable."

I will try my best to cope up with any hardship, Professor."

He looked at her again with a twinkle of approval in his eyes which Hermione remembered well. It was the same look he had during that Christmas night when we was wishing to the star.

She returned the gesture and that was all needed to be said.

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It's Chapter 19!!! My lucky number.
Anyway, see you in the next chapters!