When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 37: First Step in Trusting

But instead, he moved to a side and hid his body in the shadows. Her eyes were looking at the pool of floating memories and her frown was marked. Was she tempted? Would she be as disrespectful as Potter?

Her fingertips caressed the edge of the bowl and a spark of light shone in response. Then she closed her eyes, yanked her hand away, and turned her back to the pensieve. She walked over to his desk instead.

She didn't look, and the possibility of her looking at them before he came back was nonexistent. She wouldn't have had time.

This was a sign he couldn't ignore. It was a show of true respect towards him. He was the most hated man at Hogwarts. He had had many secrets anyone would love to know and use against him if the chance was given. But she hadn't looked. And that meant more to him than anything else she could've done.

Leaving the corner with a quiet movement, he showed his presence but the girl was still silent. Her eyes were roaming around the papers on his desk. She hugged her essay and two books against her chest. This girl needed to sharpen her senses.

"Miss Granger." As he expected, she jumped at his voice. The girl opened her lips and her amber eyes looked at him, surprised. "I assume you finished the essay?"

"Yes, Professor. Fifty inches, no less." With a complex maneuver of her arms, she managed to give him the papers without dropping the books in her arms.

He accepted the papers and gave them a quick view to check her words. It was the exact length he'd asked for. She usually tended to put more words, but this time she didn't. Apparently, she didn't want to lose this last chance.

"Thank you for this, sir. I know you don't give many second chances."

He silently accepted her gratitude and sat down. It was now or never.

"Lately you seem to thank me too much, Miss Granger. You're going to ruin my reputation."

The girl frowned. "I'm merely expressing what I feel towards your actions with me. You're helping when you don't have to. I know I'm not the most liked student around."

"You definitely aren't. It appears that not all Gryffindors stick their heads in other's memories like Potter does."

The girl blushed at his words but he waited patiently to hear her excuse. He wanted to know why she hadn't done it. Why she respected him when she had no reason. He'd never been a saint with her.

"I respect your privacy, sir. It's not in my place to do that, and I never knew Harry did it. If I had, I would've chewed his head off."

The last words caught him by surprise, but he wouldn't stray from the topic. "Apparently the bottle of cockroaches I threw at his head scared him enough to keep silent about it."

He heard a low growl. "You probably scared the soul out of him. He's too stubborn to learn, so I figure that is why he never told us."

He raised an eyebrow. Did she just partially agree with him? That was unexpected. "Is that so?"

"Just to let you know, sir, I would never betray someone that way. If I grew to know you, it would be through whatever you let me know. I have no desire to know people through a pensieve without their permission."

That was enough to start a tentative trust with her.

"If I'm not mistaken, I assume you just said you'd like to know me?" His eyes focused on hers and she bravely maintained the connection.

"W-well...I..." Her arms gripped the books harder against her chest. "I know it's not my place."

"But?" He encouraged her to continue.

"I'd like to know you better. I know you aren't as bad a person as everyone insists you are. And you're a good teacher even if you are sometimes..."

"Rude? Cruel? Bitter?" He supplied the words with a half smile. It amused him that she could imply those things.

"In a simple manner, yes, sir," she said with a defying voice.

She was strong too. She could do it if he guided her and prepared her well.

"We will see, Miss Granger." He rose from his seat. "But for now, detention on Friday with me after dinner. Don't be late."

The young woman gasped and looked at him with astonishment. She probably thought it was because she overstepped her boundaries, but that wasn't the case.

He would put his plan into motion soon, and if all went well, they could become allies in this unfair world.

AN: Little changes...and plots starting to get in motion. I hope you liked it and let me know what you think. I want to balance all what Snape is, so, he can be cruel sometimes with the people he despise. Besides, hearing that word that marked his life, has it's issues that makes him pay more attention to Hermione and notice the surroundings. Anyway, I work on this Saturday and I'm not sure if I will be able to post but I will try on Sunday if I can't. Until next chapter.