Interesting Revelations

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 2: Interesting Revelations

"A whole month's worth of DETENTION?! Bloody 'ell!" Ron yelled as he, Harry, and Hermione made their way down to dinner.

"I know better than anyone that Snape can be cruel, but kicking Neville out AND giving you detention for that long was over the top!" Harry added. "But I'm still very proud of you, Hermione."

"Me?" Hermione questioned, "Why?"

"Because you stood up to that no good greasy ol' git!" Ron responded indignantly.

"I just hope I'm NOT expelled."

"Yes, and from what I remember, there was a time in your life when that was worse than death."

"It STILL is!"

"And you STILL need to get your priorities straight!"

"Well, I don't care what you think, I KNOW I was rather snide with Snape today, and he'll try everything in his power to expel me, my children, and my children's children. I just hope he doesn't succeed."

"Are you kidding?!" Harry asked in disbelief, "Everyone KNOWS you are the smartest student in all of Hogwarts! They're NOT throwing you out!"

"I hope not," she sighed while her stomach was tied up in knots. She couldn't shake out the image of Snape in her head. His lips curling into that sneer, those dark intense eyes, those long fingers wrapping around her shoulders, the heat of his breath against her ear as he whispered into it, how he smelled of sandalwood and cinnamon... All of these impressions were pounding in her mind, refusing to disappear. It was a little unnerving.

Wait, sandalwood and cinnamon? Where did that come from? True, he did smell of those things (which rather surprised her), but why would she remember that? Hm, how odd.

What was even odder to her was how her body reacted when he touched her. Despite the fact that it was in no way tender or affectionate contact, it still caused goose bumps over her flesh. She couldn't believe how hard it was to suppress the shivers that so desperately wanted to crawl down to her toes, especially when his silky voice invaded her ear. Well, she supposed it wasn't too abnormal, after all, there are tons of little nerve endings on the ear, so it's only natural that it would cause such a reaction... Right?

'Stop over analyzing this, Hermione!' she scolded to herself in her head, 'It was just a reaction from nerves, nothing more!' While she told this to herself over and over, somehow, she didn't find it convincing.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the horrible voice of Draco Malfoy taunt, "What's the matter, Granger? Are you thinking about what else to pack for your train ride home tomorrow? I'm sure Professor Snape would be more than happy to owl you any items you leave behind!"

Hermione looked up in front of her to see the fair-haired boy standing in front of the doors to the Great Hall with a smug look on his face. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle were standing by his side chuckling along with him.

"Shut your damn mouth, Malfoy!" Ron snapped.

"It's a shame, really," Malfoy continued, "After all the hard work you've done, you get kicked out on your last year. Tsk. Tsk, tsk, what a pity."

"I'm warning you, Malfoy!" Harry growled.

"You must be heart-broken, aren't you, Granger. Well, I can't say I feel the same way because... I don't! In fact, I'll help you pack if you like. The sooner you leave, the better off Hogwarts will be."

"Sh-shut your big stupid mouth, Malfoy!" a voice suddenly piped up from behind the Gryffindors.

Hermione turned around and was surprised to see Neville Longbottom standing there trying to look tall and courageous but he wasn't very convincing.

"Ah, Longbottom, the number one screw up in Hogwarts," Malfoy smirked, "and today was no exception."

"You slimy Slytherin snake!" Hermione hissed, "He didn't screw up today, it was YOU who ruined his potion and you know it!"

"Come now, Granger. We both know he WOULD HAVE botched up eventually and been thrown out of class. I just hurried along the process so I wouldn't have to see the back of his empty head!"

Surprisingly, both Neville and Hermione rushed at Draco, whose eyes grew wide at the sudden attack. What was even more surprising was that Harry and Ron actually held the other two Gryffindors at bay. "Hermione, Neville, stop!" Harry demanded holding Hermione by her waist.

"Yeah, settle down, mate!" Ron insisted as he held Neville back by his elbows with great difficulty while Malfoy and his goons laughed.

"Let him go, Weasley!" Draco chortled, "Let's see how far he can get before I pummel him!"

Suddenly, Neville stopped struggling against Ron and glared hard at Malfoy with a determined gaze. The look was rather unsettling, especially coming from Neville since it was so uncharacteristic. Hermione and the other Gryffindors looked at him in shock. This wasn't like Neville at all! Perhaps, just like Hermione, he snapped too, and this was the straw that broke the camel's back!

"Mark my words, Malfoy," Neville said red in the face, "I will get back at you for what you did to me!"

The Slytherins and other Gryffindors stared at Neville in astonishment. Who was this guy who suddenly grew a backbone? Perhaps there was a reason Neville was sorted into Gryffindor.

"Ooooo!" Malfoy and his goons hooted after regaining their composure.

"Laugh it up now, Malfoy," Neville grimaced throwing off Ron's arms and walking right up to Draco, "because you won't be laughing later!" The two boys stared each other down with hatred burning in both their eyes, not daring to advert their gaze.

"What's going on?!" a voice suddenly barked from the Great Hall. The students turned around to see Professor McGonagall with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed tightly.

"Nothing, professor" Malfoy said in velvet tones while continuing to stare Neville down, "Longbottom and I were just talking."

"I bet you were!" she glared, "Now stop loitering in front of the doorway and go to your tables for dinner, all of you! Go on! Shoo! Move along, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Weasley, please keep your tongue inside your mouth. Mr. Crabbe, please refrain from cracking your knuckles, it's such a horrible habit!"

The rivaling houses gave one last glare at each other before taking their seats in the Great Hall. "Neville, that was bloody amazing!" Ron smiled patting him hard on the back, "Good show, mate!"

"Th-thanks," Neville blushed, "I don't know what came over me."

"Well whatever it was, it was brilliant!" Harry smiled, "Did you see Malfoy blanch? I thought I was going to laugh out loud!"

"Yeah Neville, if looks could kill, Draco would have been dead five times over before he hit the ground!" Ron cheered, causing the others to laugh.

"Yeah, what happened to the bashful shy Neville I once knew?" Hermione grinned at the now bashful shy Neville that blushed at her.

"I don't know," he shrugged, "Like I said, I don't what came over me. I was just so... angry. I guess Malfoy just brings out the worst in me."

"He brings out the worst in everyone," Harry grimaced.

"That and getting pushed around for the past six years would help release all that pent up anger," Hermione growled to herself as she remembered the events from potions.

"Speaking of being out of character, YOU surprised us all today in class, Hermione! I NEVER thought you of all people would talk back to a professor, let alone Snape!"

"I wasn't talking back, I was standing up for..."

"Me," Neville whispered.

"Yes, and myself as well. I was just doing what was right."

"Well, um... Thanks... For standing up for me... I'm really sorry you got in trouble."

"I think you got the worst end of the deal by getting kicked out. I have to admit I was surprised to see you in class. I didn't think you'd want to take Potions."

"Well, I wanted to prove something. I just wanted to prove to Snape and those other Slyhterins that I WASN'T incompetent, that I knew what I was doing. I just get so nervous around Snape that I get mixed up and do something stupid. But the most important reason I wanted to I enrolled in Advanced Potions was because... I wanted to create a potion... for my mom and dad. I'm really good at herbology, Hermione, everyone knows that, and if I can apply that knowledge to potion making... Then, maybe, I can find a cure for them so they can be... parents... real parents."

"Oh. Neville, I... I had no idea!"

"I could have helped my parents become normal as well as prove I wasn't a dunderhead... but I guess I am."

"Not in the least," Hermione said putting her hand over Neville's, which caused him to jump slightly. "Neville, you can't be blamed for what Malfoy did. I'm sure if you go talk with Dumbldore about what happened, you can get back into class."

"Well I can't now, because Professor Sprout found me in the library after I left the dungeons and wanted to know why I wasn't in class. After I told her the story, she said I could help with her research during that period so I can learn more about herbology AND have some lab experience already when I apply for a job."

"That's wonderful, Neville!" she exclaimed squeezing his hand, "Some good DID come out from all of this!"

"Yeah, I guess I should thank Malfoy, huh?"

"No way. That little snake should still be punished!"

"Don't worry, Hermione, he will be."

"What did you have in mind?"

"That's for me to know and for no one to find out until it happens," Neville smiled at Malfoy, which made Hermione withdraw her hand and shift uncomfortably in her seat. Geez, that look he gave was disturbing, especially for someone like Neville!

Suddenly, Hermione got the strange feeling that she was being watched, the creepy feeling where one can feel someone's stare boring into the back of their head. Hermione turned around and looked over at the High Table and saw Snape watching her.

"I wonder if he heard the whole thing?" she thought to herself as the food appeared on the table.

She dismissed the thought from her head as dinner commenced, trying to enjoy her meal as she resisted the urge to turn around and stare back at the Potions Master.

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It was ten to seven when Hermione made her way from the Gryffindor common room down to Snape's dungon with a toothbrush in hand.

"Good luck!" Harry, Ron, and Neville called out to her.

She smiled back at them before the Fat Lady portrait closed on their sorry faces. It grew colder as she came closer to the dungeons.

She shivered from both the cold and nerves as she thought, "Oh, what am I going to have to do with a toothbrush?!"

The horrible thoughts flooded and tormented her mind as she finally arrived at Snape's door and knocked three times.

"Enter," Snape said curtly from inside.

Hermione slowly opened the door and descended the steps to stand in front of Snape's desk. He was writing something on a scroll, not bothering to look up at her.

"You are late," he said while still writing.

"I'm sorry, sir?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"Did I not make myself clear or are you deaf? I said that you are late."

"Late?! But, sir..."

"I said be here at seven o'clock SHARP. It is quiet near a minute past now."

"But..."

"That's another day I'm adding to your extensive detentions."

Hermione's mouth dropped open in surprise and her eyes grew wide with shock. Unbelievable! Is there nothing this man won't do to try and ruin her life?!

"But, sir, that's... That's not fair!"

"Do you want another detention, Miss Granger? If not, then I suggest you remain silent," he scowled finally looking up at her huge chocolate eyes, "When I say seven o'clock SHARP, I MEAN seven o'clock SHARP! When I say to shut that horrible mouth of yours, Miss Granger, I mean close that obnoxious trap and shut up, understood?!"

She nodded.

"Of course, you talk at the most inappropriate times, but now you fall silent when you need to speak! I can't hear your head rattle, Miss Granger! I'd appreciate a verbal response!"

"Yes, sir, I understand," she said barely above a whisper.

"Finally, you understand! Pray you recall that information before you open your treacherous mouth and spew more insolence! Now, use that toothbrush to scrub those cauldrons in the corner. No magic is to be used."

"Yes, sir," Hermione sighed as she made her way to the back where there were four stacks of cauldrons. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the stacks were taller than her by a good foot and a half!

"I'd leave your boyfriend's cauldron last if I were you," Snape sneered bitterly, "That's going to take a LONG time to scrub out that travesty!"

"My boyfriend?!" Hermione asked in puzzlement as she spun around to face Snape.

"Longbottom, of course. Isn't that why you defended him? Was that not the reason you held his hand at dinner this evening?"

"Good Lord, no! Not at all! He's just my friend, not that it's any of your business, sir."

"Five points for that saucy remark, Miss Granger, and another detention!"

"WHAT?!"

"Lower your voice, Miss Granger, lest you want to make it TWO months."

"Pardon me, sir," Hermione said through clenched teeth, "but, as I was trying to tell you earlier, I was defending Neville not only because he's my friend, but because it was the right thing to do."

"Right, eh?" Snape asked with a raised eyebrow and some muse in his voice, "Perhaps you won't be saying that at the end of a month... and two days."

"I highly doubt it," she grumbled as she took the first cauldron from the first stack and began to scrub it vigorously.

Snape smirked before he looked back down at his scroll and began to scribble on it again, wondering why he was prying into her love life to begin with. After all, who cared what children did as long as they left him the hell alone? God, he hated teaching!

Hermione gritted her teeth in anger as she scraped and scrubbed the crusted green rims of the cauldron.

'Lousy horrible man!' she thought to herself, 'I need to focus on something else before I get another day added to my detention!'

In hopes of drowning out the thoughts of Snape (both the good and the bad), Hermione began to whistle. It wasn't anything specific, just a tune she improvised. She whistled as she scrubbed the first cauldron clean, which seemed to take forever. She could feel his eyes glaring at her, like hot daggers burning the back of her head, just like at dinner. She didn't care. Besides, she was kind of doing it to upset him. Serves him right.

As she started to work on the next cauldron, Snape growled, "Miss Granger, cease that infernal whistling!"

"Sorry, sir," she said not feeling the least bit sorry as her eyes narrowed. 'Denying me from whistling?! Geez, what a grouch!'

Hermione resumed scrubbing the cauldron, taking notice that her toothbrush was already mangled. As she continued her work, she started to hum without thinking about the wrath of Snape. It was another improvised tune, but it kept her mind off her work. Her fingers drummed to the beat on the cauldron as she hummed and scrubbed. Just as she swept off the last piece of pink gunk from the cauldron, Snape slammed his hands on his desk and stood up.

"Miss Granger!" he spat, "It is so difficult for you to remain silent that you must hum ridiculous and nonsensical tunes?! For Merlin's sake, can you resist the temptation to be absolutely aggravating?!"

"Y-y-yes, sir. I'm sorry!" she stammered as she grabbed the next cauldron.

"That's yet ANOTHER day added to your extensive detention! Now I don't want to hear another word from you, understood?!"

"Yes, sir," she said through clenched teeth.

Snape sat back down, satisfied that she wouldn't be creating anymore rude noises and respect the silence. They both returned to their work, counting down the minutes until this horrible experience was over, especially Hermione. Now she was not just angry, she was livid! She couldn't believe it! In a matter of minutes, he had already tacked on THREE more days to her huge detention list. That ruddy poor excuse for a...

"Angry are we, Miss Granger?" Snape asked mockingly, "Well you brought this upon yourself. I wouldn't be concerned if I were you. After all, you needn't serve your detentions if you're expelled."

He chuckled low as he twirled his quill between his fingers.

Oh, that did it!

Hermione's nails scraped against the cauldron as her hand formed a fist.

'Don't say anything!' she thought as her face grew red with rage, 'Just let it go! He's trying to get you another detention. Think of something else!'

Hermione racked her brain and searched through her head to try and find something, anything, to distract her from the vindictive remarks of her Potions Master. Suddenly, she remembered the riddle! Yes, the riddle! She hadn't time to figure it out yet, and now would be the perfect opportunity to do so without any interuption. She relaxed her fist and went back to scrubbing. Snape merely grunted and returned to his scroll.

'Let's see,' she thought, 'What's placed on the table, cut, and passed out to everyone present, but never eaten?'

She tried to think of things that were on the table in the Great Hall, hoping it would clue her into the answer.

'Spoons, forks, knives, plates... No, no, no. They can't be cut.'

As a number of possibilities whirled in her mind, she didn't realized that she began to mumble out loud, growing louder as she thought about the riddle more and more.

"No, not butter, although you really shouldn't eat that, well, too much of it anyway. Hmmm. What's placed on the table, cut, passed out to everyone present, but never eat..."

"That does it, Miss Granger! You're not my last nerve!" Snape bellowed from his seat. "What was it that just earned you another detention?!"

Hermione squeaked in surprise and jumped. She snapped her head up and locked eyes with his as he seethed with rage.

"Oh my gosh! I'm sorry, Professor Snape!" Hermione apologized profusely.

"Not as sorry as you're going to be!" he fumed as he pulled out his wand.

Hermione's eyes grew wide with terror as she realized she left her wand in her room. There was no way she could defend herself if he tried to hex her.

"Sir!" she gasped as he raised his wand over his head, "What are you..."

"I'm pissed off is what I am!" he spat as he flicked his wand and caused all the cauldrons she just cleaned to be completely dirty again. She sighed inwardly in relief once she realized he didn't curse her.

"THAT will teach you to defy me again!" Snape sneered tucking his wand back in his sleeve. "You better NOT so much as sneeze for the remainder of your detention, Miss Granger! Do you understand?!"

"Please, sir," Hermione pleaded, "I didn't realize I spoke aloud!"

"You truly ARE going mad, Miss Granger, if you are oblivious to the fact that you're talking! WHAT did you say that you couldn't POSSIBLY keep to yourself?!"

"Um, well, sir, it's, um, uh..."

"SPEAK!"

"It's a riddle, sir!"

To Hermione's surprise, and relief, Snape's hard cold features softened and his eyebrows went up in curiosity.

He continued to stare at her horror stricken face until he asked sternly yet calmly, "A riddle?"

"Y-yes, sir" she responded quickly, "I was thinking about it and I guess I just..."

"What's the riddle?"

"What?"

"You really should get your hearing check by Madam Pomfrey, Miss Granger, since you never seem to listen. I inquired about the riddle."

Hermione was taken back by Snape's sudden interest until she remembered that, like herself, Snape loved riddles and logic. In fact, she remembered her first year at Hogwarts when she solved the most lovely and challenging riddle he created to protect the Sorcerer's Stone. It was brilliant!

"Well," Hermione started hesitantly, "What's placed on the table, cut, passed out to everyone present, but never eaten?"

Snape looked down at his scroll, pondering the riddle in his head. Hermione looked at him one last time before returning to her work, not looking forward to another yelling match. Besides, she better start working faster if she wants to get out of there before midnight. She STILL had to re-clean all those cauldrons!

Hermione sighed quietly to herself and wiped her brow. All of this scrubbing and yelling was making her hot, not to mention the huge annoying school robe that kept getting in her way when she scrubbed! She might as well make herself comfortable. After all, she was going to be in here for quite awhile. Hermione shed her robe, removed her gray over shirt, pulled off her tie, and rolled up the sleeves of her white button up collar shirt. Ah, much better... and cooler! Now if only she could take off her socks and shoes! She pulled back her hair and tucked it behind her ears before she began to scrub again, this time without the big black school robe hindering her.

As both Snape and Hermione worked in the eerie silence of the dungeons, they contemplated the riddle in their head, trying to decipher the solution.

'I'm thinking too narrowly,' she reflected, 'I have to think past food at the dinner table.'

'Food is too obvious,' Snape considered, 'I must think of things that can be cut.'

'Paper can be cut.'

'Perhaps "cut" has a double meaning.'

'Other forms of paper can be cut too, like wood, cardboard... Wait a minute...'

'Hmmm, "cut" has its obvious definition, but one can cut in a line and it doesn't have the same connotation. Of course, one can cut... Oh that's it!'

'Of course!'

Suddenly, Hermione and Snape whipped their heads up at each other and said simultaneously, "Playing cards!"

They both drew back slightly looking stunned at the other's response. They stared at one another for a moment, only this time without anger or resentment, but instead in disbelief and wonder, especially Snape.

'When did she remove her clothing?' he wondered to himself as he gazed at the girl –nay, young woman –with a pile of clothes behind her.

She stared back in her plaid skirt and white dress shirt, which accentuated all her curves in all the right places. He noticed her hair wasn't at all big and bushy as it had been in the past. In fact, it was smooth and looked silky to the touch. Mature feminine features replaced her girlish looks without losing her pixy face with those dark chocolate brown eyes that seemed as if they were looking into his soul. Snape was suddenly seeing Hermione in a very different light, and he wasn't quite sure if he liked it or not.

Hermione quickly looked away and began to scrub again, uneasy by the strange stare from her Potions Master. Stupid, she should have NEVER cried out like that! Now he was probably sitting there staring at her trying to decide what other forms of punishment he could dish out as penalty for breaking the silence he so desperately sought.

"So," Snape began startling Hermione from her dreadful thoughts, "like riddles, do you Miss Granger?"

"Yes, and, apparently, so do you, sir," she responded with her head down, still slightly embarrassed from her outburst.

"Miss Granger, do me the courtesy of looking up at my face when you're addressing me."

She didn't want to, but she forced herself to meet his eyes, those black-tunneled eyes that had obviously not left her since he and she had both blurted out the solution to the riddle. She fought hard to prevent the blood that was rising to her cheeks. She couldn't help it. The way he was just staring at her would have made anyone blush. It was... weird, yet... intriguing.

"Ah, yes, I recall you solving a riddle from my own mind in your first year," Snape replied. "It's a good thing 'precious Potter' had YOU along to decipher it. He'd probably still be down there or poisoned by now if it weren't for your company. Lord knows he isn't the best when it comes to logic... or common sense."

To his surprise, Hermione giggled. He thought for sure that she'd defend her friend, but apparently, she knew he wasn't the best when it came to problem solving. He was just too impatient and arrogant for such things, or so Snape thought. Honestly, how could the Boy-Who-Lived who vanquished the most evil wizard of their time also be the Boy-Who-Doesn't-Know-His-Ass-From-A-Hole-In-The-Ground? Well, at least he was in Snape's mind. That little Potter prat was definitely lucky to have a friend like Hermione. Anyone would be lucky to have Hermione as a friend... or otherwise.

Wait, where did THAT come from?! Ugh, it must be those fumes from potions all day. They must be getting to his head. That had to be it. He wasn't even going to think about the other possibility of why he would have such thoughts, especially of... HER! That little Gryffin-dork chit!

For the rest of the time, Hermione and Snape worked in silence, except for the sound of a scribbling quill or a scrubbing mangled toothbrush. Occasionally, Snape would discreetly look up to steal a glance at the girl, but he wasn't entirely sure why. Oh, he had an idea, but he wasn't going to admit it. In fact, he fought to remain focused on his work. He wrestled with himself to not look up at her or even think about her, but unfortunately for him, his mind always wandered back to the pretty young woman scrubbing out cauldrons on the dungeon floor in front of his desk. Damn him for being so weak!

Finally, Hermione finished the last caludron with a badly battered toothbrush. After stacking them neatly in the storage closet and gathering her clothes, she informed Snape that she had completed her task for the evening.

"Very well, you are dismissed," Snape said snappily not bothering to look up at her, "but don't forget to arrive for your next detention at seven o'clock SHARP tomorrow!"

"Yes, sir," she said in a tired voice as she walked up the stairs.

As she pulled the door open, she turned around and declared, "Professor Snape, I just want to tell you that I thought the riddle you created for the Sorcerer's Stone was absolutely brilliant. I've never seen or heard a better riddle in all my life!"

"Well, that's not saying much since you've only been around for eighteen years," Snape responded tersely. "Flattery won't get you anywhere, Miss Granger, not out of your detentions OR out of your possible expulsion."

"Those weren't my intensions, sir."

"Whether they were or not, nothing will save or redeem you from this month and now four days of punishment... unless, of course, you are prohibited from attend Hogwarts."

"Yes, sir," she answered down-heartedly as she began to walk out of the classroom.

At that moment, Snape didn't know what came over him. He wasn't sure if it was the hurt look in her eyes, the small frown on her face, or the sadness in her voice, but it tugged at his heartstrings and caused him to do something that he RARELY did.

"Miss Granger."

"Yes, Professor Snape?"

"Thank you."

"For what, sir?"

"For finding the cure for the common cold. Really, Miss Granger, what do you think?! For the compliment about the riddle, silly girl!"

"Oh, you're welcome sir, and I really did mean it when I said it was the best!"

"Yes, well a riddle like that could have only been solved by the best, Miss Granger."

Hermione's eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth formed a small smile that slowly grew into a wide grin across her face. She knew, in Snape Speak, that was as close to a compliment as she was EVER going to get from him.

Seeing how she was no longer depressed, Snape returned to his cold merciless self and hissed, "Now leave and get out of my sight!"

Without a second thought, Hermione turned tail and ran all the way to the Gryffindor common room out of pure adrenaline and joy from being the only Gryffindor in Hogwart's history to ever receive a flattering remark from Professor Snape.

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Yea, there's chapter 2! I hope you all liked it!

- DADA Mistress