Something to Think About

Disclaimer: I have never owned any of these characters from the Harry Potter series and I never will. They all belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling, however this story belongs to me, spewing forth from my very own sick and demented mind. I don't plan on receiving any sort of profit for theses stories. I just love the characters so much that I HAVE to write about them.

Also, this is my FIRST story, so please, be nice and helpful. Enjoy! :)

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Chapter 4: Something to Think About

Hermione closed her eyes in silent agony as she tried to will her headache away. Potions seemed to be excruciatingly longer than usual. Ron and Professor Snape kept glaring at one another, Harry and Draco were making empty threats, two cauldrons had already exploded, one pair of students had succeeded in gluing themselves to each other, her hands were sore from scrubbing the night before, and she STILL had another detention at seven o'clock SHARP that night!

"Good Lord, will the day ever end?!" Hermione dreaded.

She slowly poured the fig tree sap into her sticky potion and sighed loudly, part of her wishing she had never stood up to Snape. It didn't help Neville back into Potions, and she was stuck for a month and now FOUR days worth of detention. Sometimes, life just wasn't fair.

Hermione's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar scent. No, it wasn't her potion, because that was supposed to be odorless. It most certainly wasn't her, because she didn't wear perfume that smelled like that. She slowly inhaled through her nose again and recognized the smell of sandalwood and cinnamon. She held her breath. Oh good Lord, it was Professor Snape! Suddenly Hermione stiffened slightly as she felt his presence directly behind her while he looked over her shoulder and stared into the cauldron. Her heart quickened. He was so close that she could actually feel the heat radiating off of his body. It was a bit unsettling since the last time he was so near she received her detentions, and yet, Hermione couldn't help but feel a little... intrigued?

'No, no, no,' Hermione scolded to herself, 'you're nervous, Hermione, just nervous he's so close... again! God, how uncomfortable! Why does he have to loom over me like this, trying to act so domineering? Geez, what happened to the somewhat cool Potions Master I knew over the summer?'

Hermione tried to shake the thoughts from her head and concentrate on anything but the man behind her that was making her stomachs do flip-flops, and she didn't know why. After all, she wasn't afraid of him, but still... Why was her body acting this way?

Snape was surveying the classroom with scrutiny after the cauldrons exploded and the incident between Crabbe and Goyle. "It never ends!" he sneered when he had to detach them. Honestly, if there were two idiots that could get themselves glued to each other, it was definitely them! He felt a headache coming, and no potion in the world would be able to prevent it. It had just been too stressful! Damn kids, such a pain in his arse!

As his stern face scanned the room, his eyes fell on Hermione who sighed rather loudly while pouring exactly three millimeters of fig tree sap into her potion. Hm, what could be troubling the star student? He'd better go over there, at least to make sure she wasn't about to take revenge for Longbottom and blow up the whole dungeon.

"Oh, since when did we start making excuses to go and check on students, hm?" the voice in his head teased, "What happened to big bad Snape who would just stride over to anyone to give them hell without so much as a second thought?"

Snape pursed his lips and ignored the annoying voice as he slowly walked right behind Hermione Granger hard at work. At first she didn't notice he was there, but Snape knew immediately the moment that she did. She stopped breathing for a moment and her body stiffened slightly. Silly young woman, er, girl!

Snape leaned closer to Hermione, not purposely meaning to slightly brush up against her, but to make sure her potion was indeed odorless as well as thickening. He looked menacingly into the bubbling potion. Hmmm, everything seemed to be brewing just fine. He tested the air for any hint that the potion might be giving off some sort of odor, but, as he predicted, all was perfect in the land of Granger.

Snape was about to take his leave until all of the sudden he stopped and sniffed the air again. This time he did smell something: roses. Wild roses. Well, well, well, it seems Miss Granger isn't perfect after all. Suddenly, it occurred to him that the scent wasn't coming from Miss Granger's potion, but from Miss Granger herself! Of course, how could he forget THAT?!

In an attempt to cover his discomfort (or sudden interest) from standing so close, he stepped back and said sternly, "Miss Granger, a word after class."

"Yes, sir," Hermione squeaked as he walked back to his desk. Great, what did she do now? That man just could never be satisfied no matter what! She remembered when she was working with him over the summer. He was a perfectionist, never content with just mediocre results. He'd work all night if he had to until he got exactly what he desired.

Sometimes, Hermione would finish recording the results of her brew and look up to find Snape asleep at his desk with a quill in hand pressed against a parchment filled with notes and formulas. Hermione lost count of the number of times she'd clean up and pull a blanket over him while he slept. Whenever she saw Snape like that, Hermione couldn't help but feel some warmth in her heart. He looked so peaceful then, so clam, so gentle, even a little –dare she say –handsome. In that state of such tranquility, he looked almost... human. She often wondered if that Snape even existed anymore. Had years of working as a double agent completely erase a softer side of Snape never before seen by the public? For some strange reason, Hermione hoped not.

At the end of class, each student filed out of the classroom... except Hermione, Ron, and Harry. After convincing her friends she'd be fine by herself with the Potions Master, Harry and Ron reluctantly left the room and waited outside close to the door just in case she screamed for help. Hermione quietly approached Snape's desk as he wrote something down on a scroll.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Snape?" she asked.

He put down his quill and looked up, meeting Hermione's curious eyes. He stared at her for a moment before he finally broke the silence and say slowly, "Just two hairs upon my head, but I wear a flowered gown and dance in the flower bed, the prettiest creature in town."

'Oh God, he's gone mad!' Hermione feared, 'Great, I'm alone in the dungeons with Professor Snape who has just fallen off his rocker! All that spying must have caused him to snap!'

Hermione took a deep breath before asking, "Um... Are you feeling all right, sir?"

"Here I thought you were more intelligent than that, Miss Granger, but I guess you don't know a riddle when you hear one. I suppose I was just expecting too much from a Gryffindor."

"Oh no, sir. I knew it was a riddle," Hermione lied, "but I thought..."

"You thought what?"

"I thought..."

"Thought I went mad?"

"Well...Never mind, sir."

"Well mad or not, see to it that you arrive here ON TIME at seven o'clock SHARP for your next detention."

"Yes, sir. I'll try to solve the riddle before detention."

"See that you do, Miss Granger. It would be to your benefit."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

"You are dismissed."

Hermione left Snape's desk and quickly walked up the stairs towards door, where Harry and Ron waited on the other side.

"All right, 'Monie?" Harry asked with a very concerned look.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said with a forced smile.

"What did he say to you?" Ron asked.

"He told me, 'Just two hairs upon my head, but I wear a flowered gown and dance in the flower bed, the prettiest creature in town.' "

"WHAT?!" Harry and Ron asked shocked.

"He told me, 'Just two hairs upon my head, but I wear a flowered gown and dance in the flower bed, the prettiest creature in town.' "

Ron and Harry looked at each other with disgusted looks on their faces before looking back to Hermione with the same sour expressions.

"Ew, gross!" Ron grimaced, "I don't want to know what Snape does on the weekends outside of Hogwarts!"

"No, no, no," Hermione scolded, "It's not what you think. It's a riddle!"

"Oh, that makes sense," Harry sighed with relief, "but why did he tell you a riddle?"

"I'm not quite sure," she lied again.

"Is that all he told you?"

"Well, he also said it would be beneficial if I figured out the riddle BEFORE I serve detention."

"Why?" Ron asked.

"I don't know."

"Wouldn't it be a kicker if Snape gave you some kind of reward?" Harry said jokingly.

Hermione's eyes slightly widened. COULD have Professor Snape been hinting at some sort of reward? That would be too good to be true! Hermione broke into a grin as the wheels of her mind began to turn, hoping the Professor Snape she knew over the summer would grant her some leniency.

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The corners of Snape's mouth slightly twitched as he tried not to smirk. It was too funny to see Hermione run up the stairs in dread, yet he ALMOST felt bad for seeing the uneasiness in her eyes. Was he losing his touch? No, it definitely had something to do with her. There was a sort of understanding and tenderness she possessed that Snape couldn't really conceive, something about her that made his skin tingle... or crawl, he really wasn't sure.

He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on he desk, clasping his hands behind his head. He remembered an occasion at Grimmauld Place when he had woken up at his desk with a warm blanket covering him as well as all his experiments cleaned and ready for continuation the next day. His notes were neatly stacked in a pile in front of him and his quill was laying next to his ink well. At first he suspected Molly Weasley had cleaned up and covered him during the night, but how would she know to keep the belladonna and arnica mixture simmering overnight?

At that moment, it suddenly occurred to Snape that it wasn't Molly at all, but, instead Miss Granger! That was all Hermione's doing. It only made sense since she was the only person who had his permission to enter his laboratory. He could understand her tidiness, but he couldn't believe that she would do something as... kind as to cover him and let him sleep, something he cherished since he rarely had a chance to do it. Voldemort loved to keep the Death Eaters all night to do dirty deeds or just as a pathetic power trip. Between that, teaching, his research, and reporting to the Order of the Dark Lord's intentions, he got little rest. Letting him sleep was about the most thoughtful thing she could have ever done for him. But why would she do such a thing? If anything he expected her to awake him up or at least let him freeze during the night, but no, she didn't. Why did she do it?

Snape had found himself in that situation several more times over the summer at Grimmauld Place. He'd awaken with a warm blanket tucked tightly around him with his lab orderly and ready for the next day's experimentation. He never fell asleep THAT often in the past when he did his research, why was he suddenly dropping off then? Perhaps it was because he was getting older, or he had too much burdens and responsibilities on his shoulders. Although he'd never admit it, perhaps it was because he felt so... calm... so comfortable around her, that he knew she could handle anything that came her way, and that filled him with a peace he hadn't felt in such a long time.

However, despite the fact that he knew it was Hermione who took care of the lab (and him), he never lead on that he recognized it was her. In fact, he never mentioned the incidents to anyone. He didn't want everybody to know, especially since he had secretly taken pleasure in the strange act of "affection." It was nice to know that precious prat Potter wasn't the only one getting special treatment.

Snape sat up in his chair and stretched. He looked at his pocket watch and saw he had plenty of time to finish writing a couple lesson plans before dinner. He began writing on the scroll again, wondering if Miss Granger would figure out the riddle BEFORE seven o'clock and wondering why he was wondering about her at all.

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Hermione picked at her food, trying to think of creatures (mainly mammalians) with two hairs on their head, while Harry and Ron where discussing Quidditch, of course. While Harry began listing the many reasons the Cannons were not going to win any games this year, Ron stole a glance at Hermione and smiled as a single stray curl fell into her face. He hesitated for a moment as he debated whether or not to tuck the hair neatly behind her ear. His question was answered when she removed the stray curl herself. That's when he noticed the focus on her face, how her brow furrowed and her lips pursed as she contemplated the riddle. Doesn't this girl ever rest? Still, Ron had to admit she looked pretty cute when she was completely engrossed with her thoughts!

"Hey, 'Monie, could you keep it down? You're concentrating so hard that I can hear you think!" Ron teased.

"Quiet, I'm thinking," Hermione hissed ignoring his words.

"That's obvious," Harry chuckled.

"That's enough from you too."

"Aw, we're only fooling..."

"I know but... I just NEED to figure out this riddle Professor Snape told me. Maybe you're right about the 'reward,' Harry. He did say it would be to my benefit."

"I was only joking when I said that, Hermione, I wasn't serious. Besides, I think he told you that as more of a warning than enticement anyway."

"Snape giving a Gryffindor a reward?" Ron asked with a forkful of mashed potatoes to his mouth, "I think he'll do a ballet with Hagrid in tights before he hands out rewards to Gryffindors."

"He's got a point," Harry nodded, "I mean, honestly, even if Snape DID hand out a 'reward,' I think you both would have different definitions of what a pleasant reward would be. Seriously, what kind of 'reward' do you think Snape would hand out to you?"

"Knowing Snape it's probably a new toothbrush to clean more cauldrons," Ron said with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Ron Weasley, I KNOW your mother taught you better manners than THAT! Talk AFTER your mouth isn't brimming with food!" Hermione scolded, "I know you two think it's silly, but I want to solve this riddle before detention, so, if you'll please excuse me..."

She rose from the table and made her way out of the Great Hall with Ron calling after her, "IF YOU'RE DONE EATING, THEN CAN I HAVE THE REST OF YOUR MASHED POTATOES?!"

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Hermione sat on the rug in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room, thinking about the riddle as she stared into the flames. Everyone was still at dinner so it was nice and quiet enough for her to think uninterrupted. She repeated the riddle to herself again while she pulled her knees up to her chest and watched the orange flames dance and flicker as they threw shadows on the walls. She sighed and contemplated in the warm glow of the fire, concentrating her efforts into solving that riddle. She sat in the silence as the minutes passed, which was only interrupted by the sound of cracking logs. She repeated the riddle again and giggled when she imagined Snape dancing in flower beds with a flowered gown with only two hairs poking out of his head. He would look ridiculous! He'd probably pass as some sort of alien or bug with those hairs sticking out like...

Suddenly, Hermione sprung to her feet. Of course! She quickly looked at the clock on the wall that read, "You've got a few more minutes!" Hermione rushed up the stairs to her room.

'I hope I only have to scrub half the cauldrons,' she thought to herself as grabbed her toothbrush, wand, and a pink button that had fallen off of her blouse last weekend.

She ran back down the stairs and looked back up at the clock. "You'd better hurry!" the clock read. Jumping over the last few steps, Hermione dashed out of the common room and towards the dungeons with a huge grin on her face.

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Snape was sitting at his desk about to grade those damnable third year essays when the door to the potions room suddenly slammed open. He jumped to his feet (and just about jumped out of his skin) with his wand ready to defend himself when Hermione burst into the dungeon flying down the stairs yelling, "I have it, sir, I have it! I have the answer to the riddle!"

Snape rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. Good God, he almost had a heart attack! He put his wand away and sat back down in his seat pinching the bridge of his nose while Hermione stood in front of his desk grinning from ear to ear. After regaining his composure, Snape looked up and sneered, "Did you have to scream like a banshee, Miss Granger?! You Gryffindors and your grand entrances! Ten points for failing to control your vocal chords!"

"Sorry, sir," Hermione continued grinning, "but I was just so excited about discovering the answer BEFORE my detention!"

"So it would seem. Now then, Miss Granger, if you know the answer, then what is it?"

Hermione placed the pink button on the edge of the desk and stepped back. Snape studied the button and raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but a button is NOT the answer to the riddle," Snape said almost triumphantly at the thought of stumping the little Know-It-All.

"I know, sir," Hermione continued grinning as she took out her wand, "THIS is the answer."

With a few flicks and motions of her wand, Hermione transfigured the pink button into the answer..."

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Yea, there's chapter 4! I hope you all liked it!

- DADA Mistress