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."
"No, it was not okay. I took my frustrations out on you." He seemed so sincere. Hermione didn't know what to do. He took a step closer to her, then another, and another.
"Let me make it up to you," he whispered. Hermione had rarely heard such a whisper. There was a hint of need in it and she felt shivers run down her spine.
He came even closer to her and placed his hand around her neck.
"Pro... Professor," she stuttered. She couldn't back up any more; the wall was in the way. His face was closing in on hers.... The feelings of hate and loathing forgotten....
Hermione sat up.
She was on the sofa where Malfoy had left her.
She looked out the window; it was still dark.
At least no one would be able to discern her blush. His lips had been soft, his need great.
Her blush deepened. She tried to stifle her giggles as she snuck up to bed.
It was his last class of the day and Severus ignored the Advanced Potions students as best he could. Minerva was plaguing him about that upcoming ball of hers and Miss Granger hadn't reported a way around that stupid dance. Other than that it had been a good day.
He glanced down the rows of students to her. If she could only stop looking so damned innocent. It just made him feel worse, a grown man dreaming about a young luscious girl.
She glanced up and her eyes locked with his. He felt his entire body respond as she... yes, she blushed.
She had no right to blush. He had irritated and provoked her yesterday, and today, she blushed. She shouldn't blush, she should glare.
Snape didn't know what to do. She made his nerves stand on edge and his senses dance to their own tune.
Good thing she was a completely unattractive...ugly.. oh, what's the use?
Gryffindors are so stupid and forgiving. Why had she forgiven him for giving her a detention? She deserved it for calling him names, but still, he had provoked her.
He glared holes in the blackboard. She made him furious! If she could only go back to being a snotty twelve-year-old who stole ingredients! But oh no, she had to develop breasts and lips and hips and...and! He snarled and looked out over the throng of students. Those closest to him looked up and stared at him with frightened eyes.
He only hoped one of them would say something so that he could tear his or her head off.
No one was that stupid.
He walked over to his desk and sat down to murder some reports.
He was going to get her out of his head. With spells if he had to!
He engrossed himself with splattering the poor parchments with red ink when he heard chairs scrape and people moving.
He looked up. No one had actually left their seats but they seemed restless. He raised an eyebrow. Then he looked at his watch. Ah....
"Leave me the vials." He sighed. He had calmed somewhat after the intense slaughter of homework.
When Granger's vial was placed before him, he calmly gave it an O and waved her away.
He was satisfied to hear her gasp in sheer shock.
She had made it flawlessly, so why not? He heard them file out and the room settled down to its best, empty and silent.
"Sir?" He looked up. He groaned, Miss Granger hadn't filed out with the others.
"What do you want, Granger?" He asked not so politely, as she was ruining his good mood by just standing there.
"My detention Professor, you never said when I was going to serve my detention."
Bugger.
"Tonight then, if you are so eager."
Bugger.
"Um....What time professor?" She seemed nervous.
Bugger bugger damn damn shit!
"Half past seven, now leave, Miss Granger." He stood up and loomed over her.
It worked so well, she basically jumped out. It was nice being tall.
As the door slammed behind her he slumped in his chair. It had been such a good day. No cauldrons blowing up, it was the right temperature in the dungeons, he hadn't seen Minerva all day except for lunch, and she hadn't spoken to him then. Then, Little Miss Granger had to waltz up to him and demand her detention. Stuck-up-good-for-nothing-know-it-all that she was.
He massaged his temples.
Severus had to be in his quarters tonight. Damn, he just had to set the girl up to sorting books or something.
"Naw! I can't believe it!" Ron exclaimed. he and Harry had been standing outside, waiting for her. "Snape doesn't give O's to Gryffindors!"
"I know! Still, I got one."
"I think he's up to something," Harry warned ominously.
His comment made Hermione shiver. He had been up to something in her dream. Why did it have to be a pleasant kind of dream? Thinking about it, the dream sounded like a nightmare, but the feeling when she had awakened was one of pleasure from the dream and sadness upon it ending.
Something must be wrong with her brain. Their eyes had met during class and she had blushed. She promised herself never to blush because of him, ever again!
With his piercing black eyes, her brain felt exposed with every glance from him.
"Are you okay, Hermione?" Ron asked. "You seem dazed, is it because of your detention?"
"Oh yes..." She thought.
"Oh no," she said. "I was just thinking about things."
"Yeah, I've been thinking about things too," Harry said. "Mostly about that dance."
"Yeah about that, when's the mailbox coming up?" Ron asked eagerly.
"When Malfoy and I finish it. There's a lot of spells to put on it," she informed them and swept off to Arithmancy.
She walked in silence, looking at her feet. There had to be a spell to block Snape from her mind. She walked up to the second floor thinking that maybe she could nip in to the library before lunch and maybe.... Her foot sank down one of the trick steps in the staircase.
Oh shoot.
She was going to be late, and Professor Vector was going to be annoyed.
Hermione pulled fruitlessly at her leg and tried a levitation spell. She was stuck.
There was no one around, everyone had gone to their next class, and she was stuck.
"Where's my prince in shining armour when I need one?"
She tried to jump out but only sunk in further. If she screamed, what would happen? She couldn't even sit down and wait for the class to end.
Hermione felt a tug around her waist as someone pulled her by magic up and out of the step.
"I do not know about shining armour, Miss Granger...."
She turned and saw him looking calmly at her, his wand in one hand and three books tucked under the other.
She tried to not hiss as she thanked him.
He gave her a curt nod and moved off.
His eyes, why did she have to focus on those eyes!
She stomped off to Arithmancy.