Hogsmeade

Chapter 12 -- Hogsmeade

Snape walked along the path to the small wizarding community not so far away from Hogwarts, trailing behind a mass of students that were eagerly making their way to Hogsmeade, no doubt to buy sweets and other rubbish from the shops there. Dumbledore had graciously given him the task of chaperoning the little brats and the older dunderheads as they merrily went about their business.

He carefully trained his jealous eye on the school’s newest gossip item, Hermione and Anthony Goldstein, with rumours sweeping about that they had been a couple long before the ball, even going as far as speculating their sexual relationship. Snape wished he hadn't heard those.

He was inwardly seething that the head boy had managed to coerce Hermione into anything with him and dreadfully jealous. Dumbledore had called him into his office two days ago to discuss the matter, in fact, and had been most keen to hear Severus' view. He had kept silent and sneered when Dumbledore had suggested that he was jealous.

'Silly little girl,' he muttered to himself as he walked.

Just ahead on the pathway, Hermione was talking and smiling with her beau, hands intertwined and practically as close to each other as they could get. The two had been inseparable since the ball a mere two weeks earlier and were practically joined at the hip. The end of February was nearing, however, and the two would soon be spending far less time together to prepare for their N.E.W.T exams at the end of March.

Snape wished that Hermione would talk to him, or argue with him, or smile one of her brilliant smiles at him, but she had not said so much as a 'hello' or 'goodbye' to him since their dance at the ball.

Hermione herself wasn't too keen on the subject and avoided it at all costs when other students brought it up. Even though she was with Anthony now, she still felt a familiar twist whenever Snape was mentioned in her presence. She had hoped that Anthony would be a good distraction for her and that she would soon be over her little schoolgirl crush, but apparently the attraction had gone further than that.

She therefore concluded that if she avoided all contact with him it would eventually end and she'd be able to move on and be more comfortable with her future companions.

They reached Hogsmeade not long after and Hermione parted ways with Anthony, going to the bookshop and apothecary to restock her school supplies and treat herself to a new book, promising to meet up with him at the Three Broomsticks later.

She dodged a few gossiping students and ducked straight into the bookshop, taking an hour to find the perfect book, and bought a new supply of quills and parchment, as she had almost exhausted her current supply, paid the shopkeeper, and headed to the apothecary to get potions supplies for herself.

She walked into the shop and to the last aisle of ingredients, running straight into Snape's black clad form. Stumbling, she was caught around the elbow by his strong hand and hauled into a normal standing position.

'I'm sorry, Professor,' she murmured, keeping her eyes trained on the ground.

'Next time be a little more aware of what you are doing, Miss Granger,' he said softly, in a voice unlike the usual stern one that she was used to.

'Thank you for your help,' she said, avoiding his eyes and feeling a little strange around him, a little breathless at his close proximity.

'Cut the crap, Granger!' she thought furiously. 'He's your professor, and you have a boyfriend--remember him?' She looked up and noticed that he was still standing there, looking at her expectantly.

'What exactly are you looking for, Miss Granger?' he asked curiously.

'Oh, nothing, really,' she replied. 'Just some supplies that I have run out of...'

'Would you like some help?' he offered. Inside he was cursing himself for acting so openly different. 'I hope she doesn't notice...'

Hermione shook her head, wanting him to stay, but willing him to go away at the same time. 'No thank you, but your offer is appreciated. I think I can manage.'

He bowed out, leaving a very puzzled Hermione standing alone in the aisle of the apothecary. Why was he being so... nice? He had been nothing but downright awful to her since the evening she had returned from Spinner's End, a gentleman at the Valentine's Day ball, and generally pleasant ever since.

The only catch was that he was extremely rude to Anthony, always criticizing his mistakes inside and outside of class, and even going the extent of blaming him for her failures.

Shaking Snape from her head, she picked out a few ingredients and paid for them, heading straight to the Three Broomsticks to meet up with Harry, Ginny, Ron, his date Luna, much to everyone's surprise, and finally, Anthony. They waved and beckoned her over as soon as she walked in out of the cold. She smiled and sat down next to Anthony in the little out-of-the-way booth.

He put his arm around her waist and drew her in nearer, pushing a Butterbeer towards her with the other hand. 'Thanks,' she quipped, rubbing her hands together to warm them inside of her gloves.

'No problem,' he replied, giving her a light squeeze. 'You're cold,' he added offhandedly.

'Just a bit,' she muttered, pulling out of his grasp so that she could shrug her damp outer cloak off.

At the bar, on the other side of the room, Snape watched the exchange with interest, noting the little glances, the smiles, the hugs and kisses that punctuated their conversation. Even Weasley and Potter had their little dates hanging off their every word, doing the exact same thing, small exchanges of glances and intimacy.

He felt a pang of jealousy when it was time to leave, and Anthony got up and helped Hermione out of her seat, wrapping her cloak around her shoulders, caressing them in a very Slytherin manner, kissing her neck before wrapping her scarf around it. And Hermione let him do it.

He had often wondered over the past two weeks why he chose to follow them around like a stalker, watching everything that went on between them. When realisation dawned on him: he was the one that had driven Hermione into the arms of the boy. He had ruined his only chance with the girl during the months that had followed their return from Spinner's End. It was all his fault.

'Professor, are you ready to leave?' asked a voice from beside him.

'Yes, Miss Granger,' he started. 'But I do not need you to chaperone me back.'

Hermione snorted a laugh back. 'I would never suggest that you needed a babysitter, Professor Snape.'

Snape stood up from the barstool, towering over all of them, and moved silently out of the pub, sending a jet of green sparks into the air. It was the signal for everyone to return to the meeting spot to leave for the castle. Within ten minutes, Snape had counted all seventy students that had come, and they all headed back to the castle on the path they had come from.

When they reached the castle, Snape walked into the entrance hall and happened to look up at the top of the grand staircase just as Anthony pinned Hermione with a long kiss. He fled from the room, straight to his dungeon and slammed his door shut with fury.

It was the beginning of what promised to be a long night and a very painful hangover when he woke up the very next day.