A Peep Inside the Book

As Severus came to, he noticed several things. The first was the bright light that pierced his closed eyelids, then came the cheerful and totally unwarranted bird song that assaulted his ears, and finally the frizzy, woolly something that was weighing down his chest. Just as he was considering hexing the assailant and asking questions later, it started to stir and make noises.

"Whaa...? Where am I? How did I end up here?" The weight lifted from Snape's chest, and he sat up and opened his eyes now the light wasn't directly on them, just in time to see Miss Granger put her hand to her no doubt aching head and exclaim "What the Hell's happened to my hair?"

Startled, Snape took in the witch's appearance. Although he would never admit it, he had noticed the way she had been able to tame the locks that had been a frizzy mess during her school days and had often wondered how it would feel to run his fingers through it. Now her hair was, well, not so much frizzy as woolly in appearance, and had been twisted into curling flat horns over her ears. The dust she seemed to be habitually covered with during weekdays had settled into a mask over her forehead and down her nose, elongating and subtlety altering her features.

Her clothes too seemed odd, now he took notice. He didn't recall her wearing a fleecy jacket before, or the way the tight black leggings and long sleeved t shirt she wore accentuated her shapely limbs. He was momentarily distracted. He had always appreciated a well-turned limb and had much more fun imagining what those limbs would be like wrapped around his own body than about the somewhat more passive charms of breasts or backside.

Noticing his eyes stray down her body, Hermione too noticed the change and jumped to her feet. As her weight left the prostrate man both were startled as something leapt up between them. As Snape started taking swipes at this new menace, Hermione took the time to let her brain take in all the details of the scene before her. There was no doubt about it; Snape's clothing had changed too, and quite dramatically. Trying hard to hold in the giggles unless she became hysterical, she watched Snape battle the skirt of a crinoline dress. What is more, a crinoline that Severus Snape was wearing.

Hermione ignored the curses from the man as the hoops kept springing up each time he tried to compress them and took in his whole appearance. Hooped crinoline in a floral fabric, complete with flounces and ribbons, although Hermione was somewhat glad to spot that the bodice was close fitting but not corseted. She would have had to be Obliviated if he'd had a wasp waist and cleavage. As it was, she had to add to the picture the flower bedecked ribbon holding his hair back and Oh Merlin draws! Snape's legs encased in white, calf length tiers of lace stuck out from under the dress, ending with what looked like Snape's usual black button up boots, except maybe slightly higher heeled.

It was all too much, and the wide-eyed witch started to titter. Snape had by now thrown himself forward, effectively flattening the hoops in front but causing them to stand out above him like a sail.

"What is the matter with you? I see nothing funny in this." sneered Snape. Hermione waved her hand loosely in his direction and managed to splutter.

"N..nn..nice knickers, Severus".

The wizard looked at her, appalled. Had she lost her mind? Then he finally took a look at himself as Hermione gave in to her laughter. She couldn't know it, but the clothing and her laughter opened up a festering wound in Snape's psyche, taking him right back to the bullying, taunting and jeers he'd been subjected to as a child and young adult, and he reacted as he'd always done. Leaping to his feet he'd advanced on the witch, a snarl on his lips and murder in his dark eyes.

"How dare you! How dare you laugh at me, you misbegotten chit!" Spittle flew from his mouth as he yelled at her. He raised his hand, and Hermione stepped back, the hysterical laughter stilled by his angry outburst. Grabbing the front of her jacket he shook her violently.

"I don't know what you've done, or what you think you will gain by humiliating me like this, but you'd better put an end to it now, or else." This last was hissed in her face. Hermione hadn't seen Severus Snape this angry since her third year at Hogwarts, when Sirius Black had escaped.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't do any of this." She looked down at herself and brought a hand to her bushy head. "Whoever did this, they got me too. The last I remember was cleaning shelves in the Library and pulling out a book that was stuck, then you knocking me off the ladder."

Snape's eyes narrowed as he listened to her explanation, then widened a little. From what she'd said, Hermione was the one to throw dust over him in a careless but not malicious act. It was the same dust he'd seen coating her every day for weeks. Dust that was heavily imbued with the magical residue that plagued the Restricted Section. Miss Granger hadn't realised he'd been there, hence her surprise and subsequent tumble. His mind's eye replayed the falling book. So this hadn't been a spiteful act. In that case, just what had happened?

"Look, over there. I see smoke and a chimney. Let's head over there, perhaps we can figure out where we are."

Severus looked up to where the witch was pointing and realised he still had her by the front of her jacket. He released her, and she stumbled back. Keeping a good two paces apart the unlikely couple moved up the rise towards the smoke.