Chapter 3

He walked over to the fireplace and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Just as he was about ready to throw it in the fire, he saw a burst of green flames.

And Albus Dumbledore's head.

"Ah, Severus. Would you please join us in my office?" Severus could see the Headmaster's eyes roaming the room behind him. It did not take him long to find the sleeping girl on the couch. Something about the Headmaster's quiet appraisal bothered Severus. Albus Dumbledore in this kind of mood could be very dangerous.

"I will be up in a few minutes, Headmaster." He thought to say that he needed to send Hermione on her way, but the Slytherin stopped before the words reached his throat.

"Very well, Severus. Finish up what you were doing and join me as soon as possible." There was that slight hint of 'something' in the older wizard's voice that Severus couldn't identify, something that probably meant trouble.

Snape merely nodded, keeping his expression as stern as he could. This girl was going to cause him a massive headache before the night was over; he had no doubt. Something about her had been bothering him for some time now. He just wished that inkling of... something... would go away.

It did not take long to store the bottles that she had completed or the ingredients she had chopped, diced and pulverized for him. Her work this evening would save him quite a bit of time tomorrow morning. He might even be able to get the last potion done during his first years' class. It would be more effective if used right out of the cauldron, and more satisfying if those little screw-ups had brewed their potions incorrectly. He almost smiled as he thought of the look on Poppy's face as she saw all the children hobbling into the hospital wing.

Just before leaving, he quickly penned a note to Hermione. After placing it on the mantle, he waved his wand at the Fireplace casting the spell to allow Hermione to Floo out. Since she was one of his precious Gryffindors, Severus was sure Lupin would not mind.

That Severus took one last look at the girl sleeping comfortably on his sitting room couch before he left the room was an unconscious gesture, one he almost didn't catch himself doing. He certainly didn't care to ascribe a meaning to the feelings that boiled somewhere in his gut at the sight.

There were times when the trip through the castle took a long time and times when it seemed just a few steps. During Voldemort's nightmarish reign there had been too many of the former. This trip was one of the latter. As he stood at the gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office, he neither remembered what he had thought about in general nor his passage up from the dungeons.

"Twizzler."

Disgusting Muggle sweet. He could only assume that it was the Headmaster's current favorite. Snape had never seen a 'Twizzler', but he had a feeling that would change. Whenever the Headmaster used a new Muggle sweet as his password, he tended to have it located all over his person, on his desk and on whatever food tray he served from – appropriate or not. Upon entering the Headmaster's office, he could see his supposition was correct. There was a new tin on his desk with thin, individually wrapped strawberry-red sticks.

The Headmaster was not alone.

"Come in, Severus. We were just discussing a grave matter and wanted your opinion." The Headmaster's words brought about a snort from one of the young men in the room and an elbow in the ribs from the other. Severus only raised his eyebrows.

"What matter would that be, Headmaster?"

The look in Dumbledore's eyes reminded Snape of a snake about to strike at an unsuspecting mouse. It was not a look he liked, especially when he was not sure who was playing the roll of 'mouse'. "Our Head Girl has gone missing, apparently."

"And?"

The snake slithered a little closer to its mouse. "It seems the last place she was known to be is your classroom."

Out of the corner of his eye he could see both young men straighten up, waiting for his answer to that piece of news. Severus, however, kept his peace.

"And you said you hadn't seen her!" His earlier visitor spoke up for the first time – though Severus thought it would not be the last time.

Silently, he turned to look the boy in the eyes and was gratified to see the hint of repressed fear bubble there. "I do not recall you asking if I had seen Miss Granger. You stated, I believe, the fact that she had missed an... appointment... as well as dinner. You did not ask her location."

"But you knew what I wanted to know!" His freckles, Severus was silently amused to see, were quickly being camouflaged by a strong red flush.

"If you wish to ask a specific question, please do make sure you use the proper words, boy. I do not care to make suppositions about what little goes on between your ears, so please do not ask me to find out using more... invasive... means." His tone lowered until these words were practically whispered, deadly as viper venom.

"Where is she, Professor?" The darker of the two asked him in an almost calm voice.

"Safe from your friend." Severus' voice was still low and lethal. His mind was quickly reviewing Miss Granger's arrival this evening and all the times she had come down to the dungeons after hours. Her emotional state had ranged from confusion to anger, but never ventured into the tender parts of the spectrum. If he had not been in such close proximity to her this year, Severus would not have noticed the change. She certainly had never spoken of it, apart from off-hand remarks similar to her 'humanoid demon' one earlier in the evening.

"What do you mean, safe from me?" The boy had the gall bring himself toe-to-toe with Snape. "She's been disappearing an awful lot this year, been distant. If I find out you've done something to her, Snape..."

"Mr. Weasley!" Dumbledore stepped between the two wizards standing almost nose-to-nose in his office. "That is enough. You may not threaten a teacher." He laid a hand on each wizard's shoulder. "Severus, I need you to tell Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter where Miss Granger went when she left your classroom."

Severus crossed his arms into his robe and gave the Headmaster an appraising look. He barely caught the slight hint of acceptance and permission in his eyes. Snape knew that the Headmaster had seen Hermione in his office and knew that she was safe. "She fell asleep, exhausted, over the text she was working from, and I put her on a couch so she could rest." Both of the boys in the room processed that news differently. Potter's eyes cleared, showing no emotion; his face cleared as he thought out what the Potions Master had said. Mr. Weasley's eyes narrowed, and his mouth opened at the same time. "Why was she so exhausted? Where is she now?"

Weasley's face cleared as if a puzzle fell into place. "You seduced her. She's going to see you at night. That... whore! What did you do to her?"

The wall that the boy had been pounding on all evening finally broke. The voice that came from Severus' mouth was metered and deadly. "Who do you think you are? What have I done? That is exactly what I want to know of you. For months, Miss Granger has been avoiding you, for reasons she keeps to herself. She takes on midnight patrols almost every night. Before curfew, she is most likely found in the library researching some arcane bit of lore or information until Madame Pince runs her out of the library. Why would that be, Mr. Weasley? Why would she do enough research for two admittance projects? Why would she come into my classroom tonight wanting to work enough to shut out her 'humanoid demons'?" Severus moved closer to the young man who was rooted to the carpet as surely as if he had grown roots. "What happened today? What did you do? More importantly, what did you do to her?"

Potter looked from his friend to his Professor.

The Headmaster watched them all.

Weasley shook his head. "I love her. You have no right to even look at her twice."

"You love her? Let us just see. If you love her, then we can assume that it was someone else that has been causing the pained look in her eyes all year, someone else that has nearly made her cry." He took one step closer to his adversary, his voice dropping to its most deadly tone. "Someone else who called her a whore."

A quick lunge from Mr. Potter kept Mr. Weasley from punching Snape in the face and getting himself expelled.

"I think that has answered the pertinent question, boys. You may return to your dorm room." The Headmaster shooed them out the door before they could say anything else.

"Oh, and Mr. Weasley, do remember what I told you earlier about curfew." Snape's eyes blazed with the desire to take the hundred points from Gryffindor right there as he knew it was past curfew but could not. However, if they continued to roam the corridors...

"Severus, a moment." The Headmaster laid his hand on Snape's arm as he started to walk out of the office.

"Yes, Headmaster?" His voice was weary at this point. He had not meant to show his anger with Mr. Weasley. Now, there were sure to be repercussions that could have been avoided.

"What had you planned to do with Miss Granger?" The dangerous look was back in his eye.

Now, Severus knew that he was in fact the mouse that Dumbledore was planning to catch. "I left her an open Floo connection to Lupin's rooms."

The Headmaster nodded his head. "Yes, he would prove to be an adequate shelter for her." Here he looked Severus in the eye before turning away and back towards the side balcony stairs. "But I think that perhaps she already has sufficient sanctuary in the dungeons." Upon reaching the upper balcony, he turned back to the young wizard. "Be sure you know just why you defended her so admirably this evening, Severus, before you tell her of what happened here. Take some time with the explanation. It might be a stormy encounter."

Severus could only turn his head back to look at Dumbledore as he heard that last bit. He was not quite sure what the Headmaster, his friend, was trying to tell him, but he left the office and made his way back down to the dungeons.

And he was very careful to watch for signs that the Gryffindor boys were still out of their tower.

The walk from the Headmaster's office to the dungeons this time was a long one, giving Severus time to think on what had happened. Emotions were not his gift; he had always known that, but he recognized basic confusion when he and it met. And it was not one of his favorite emotions.

He let himself into his classroom and into his office. Surprisingly, Hermione was still there, asleep on the couch. The note that he had written her was still on the mantle, just where he placed it. The only difference in this scene and the one he left seemed to be his perception. That had changed. How it had changed, he had not yet figured out.

He poured himself a cognac and settled into the chair next to the couch. He could see her face; barely visible above the blanket she had pulled up to her nose. He also had a good vantage point to see the fire, but not catch much of its heat.

He stayed like that long into the night, thinking of the evening that had passed and just what changes it brought for him.

AN: So there you have it. This part of the story is over and done with. Severus has had words with the source of Hermione's unease. However, the revelations of one night can often have far reaching impact. The next part of the story is called "Something to Talk About." It is very intense. The story takes place in 8 chapters, spanning 12 hours time. That POV belongs to Hermione. I hope you all enjoyed this little story and are looking forward to "Something to Talk About." I must say one more word about my beta, slytherinlaurel. She is absolutely fabulous, both as a beta and as a writer. I bow to anyone who will take my work in raw form. Thanks for coming along on the ride. Truffles, Sara.