Chapter 3 - The Morning After

Disclaimer: Alas, the world of Harry Potter is not mine. JKR dreamed it up before I ever had a chance. Anything character you recognize belongs to her.

A/N: As always, RobisonRocket works hard to keep my story readable. Thanks, RR.

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Ch 3 -The Morning After

Hermione woke to a tapping sound at her window. Groggy, she got up and stumbled to it, only to find a large raven standing on the sill, looking at her expectantly. Tied to its foot was a small parchment. When he lifted his leg, Hermione untied the message. It squawked at her once and took to the air, leaving her staring after it in confusion. That bird seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it.

When she returned to sit on the side of her bed, she opened the missive and surveyed its contents. In the blink of an eye, she was wide awake and staring in shocked wonder at the words that were written elegantly across the page.

Dear Miss Granger,

Severus Snape

Hermione stared at the parchment. She was stunned. Never had she thought in a million years that Snape would dance with her to begin with. But to send her a letter, basically inviting her to come discuss the possibility of doing it on a regular basis? A smile spread across her face as she considered it.

She had always liked him. She thought he was noble and wonderful when it came to light that he was spying for the Order. Some small part of her had begun to have romantic notions about him even then. Rolling her eyes, she shook her head, reminding herself before she got carried away that he was only looking to have her as a decent dance partner.

With that thought, she sighed and began to dress. She would have to tell him about the bet. Just so he would know that she probably would never have bothered him otherwise. It was a strange turn of events that he knew her favorite style of dance. Who would have thought?

Charming her hair into a simple French braid that fell down her back, she then put a moderate amount of make up on to enhance her appearance ever so slightly. Looking in her mirror, she smiled her approval and nodded. She looked mature, attractive and Professor Snape would see that, she hoped.

Satisfied, she turned and made her way down to breakfast. She hoped that Ginny had been right and Ron would be eager to forgive and forget about the previous night. Her hopes plummeted when she reached the Great Hall. The first thing she saw was Ron. He looked over towards her, smirked, then turned to speak with Neville, who was sitting across from him.

With relief she saw that Ginny and Harry were not sitting with Ron, but several feet away, and were gesturing for her to join them at the empty seat beside them. Lavender had even sat with them, instead of Ron.

When she sat, both girls offered her sympathetic smiles. Smiling back, she sighed. "So, he hasn't gotten over it?"

Harry waved a dismissive hand in Ron's direction. "Oh, he might have, but I got so sick of listening to him prattle on about it, that I kicked him out of our room at three this morning."

Lavender giggled. "Yeah, and I was the first one to see him sleeping in the common room." She shook her head. "How do you sleep with all that snoring, Harry?" she asked.

Ginny covered her mouth, laughing. "Oh, Lavender... Imagine being in the Burrow with him! That tiny little house. His snores?" She looked at Harry, adding, "I used to ask Mum if it was earthquakes we were being hit with and they just sounded like Ron's snoring!"

Harry started to laugh, but caught himself. "That isn't very nice. He's still Hermione's and my friend. He's just going through an odd period in his life right now." He looked to Hermione, offering her a small smile. "He just needs us to be patient."

Hermione glanced from Harry to where Ron was sitting. She would always care for him. But she wasn't sure she wanted to wait for him to grow up and realize how hurtful he could be when he groused about things. "I don't know, Harry. I'm not sure I like the man that he's becoming." She blew out a sigh. "The adult he's becoming is almost as cruel as the boy Draco used to be!"

As she spoke that last bit, her eyes moved to the professors' table. She saw Dumbledore sitting between McGonagall and Snape. Her Transfiguration professor was talking animatedly with Albus. But the Potions master was staring directly at her. His eyes searched hers for several moments, and she could feel her heart beginning to trip over itself at the heat of his gaze before he slowly inclined his head to her in silent greeting.

A small smile flitted across her lips in response before she turned back to look at her friends, who had all grown silent. Harry and Ginny were both staring at her. Touching her face, she wondered if she had something on it, asking, "What? Do I have food on the corner of my mouth?"

Harry raised an eyebrow and looked from her to the professor and back. "He's too old for you, Hermione. And even if he wasn't... He's the greasy git, remember?"

Hermione scowled and argued, "He's not that old! And that greasy git is also one of the reasons we were able to defeat Voldemort." She shook her head. "I'm not thinking of him in a romantic way, Harry. Someone like him wouldn't want me. He'd be more interested in a more mature, prettier witch."

Harry scoffed and Ginny shook her head. "The way he danced with you last night didn't say that," she said. "By the looks of it, you were the only thing in this world that he had any interest in." She glanced up toward where the Potions master and the Headmaster were now conversing. "And it still looked like it just a moment ago," she added.

Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head. But in her heart she found herself hoping that it would be so. "You don't know what you're talking about," she insisted. "The only reason he danced with me at all was because Trelawney was drunk and trying to throw herself at him."

Harry balked at that and Hermione nodded. "Yes! I tell you honestly, he told me no at first. When I started to walk away, she was there, running her hand down his chest and telling him that she wanted to get him alone." She looked to Ginny and Lavender, who both looked shocked. "He only danced with me as a way of getting away from her."

Lavender was the first to recover. Leaning forward, she asked quietly, "Professor Trelawney was hitting on Snape?" She gaped. "Poor witch must be addle-brained."

Hermione waved her hand at them and turned to her breakfast that was starting to get cold. Muttering a quick heating charm on it, she began to feed herself while the others resumed other conversations.

When she realized they were busily arguing over Quidditch, she cast a last glance up to where Severus had been sitting. His chair was empty, and he was no longer in the room.

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Severus sat behind his antique mahogany desk that he kept in his private office. He kept checking the time to see if it was time for Miss Granger to be there yet. Some part of him expected her to stand him up. Making himself blindly go through students' essays, he tried to give the appearance of someone who was indeed busy, and not just waiting anxiously for another person to show up.

He was desperately annoyed with himself. Some part of this whole situation made him feel as he had when he was younger and desperately in love with Lily. She had never been interested in him that way, but she had always endeavored to be kind. Part of him wondered, Will Hermione come here today with the same intent? He scowled at the thought. The last thing I want is for her to show up here and try to turn me down without injuring my feelings.

Anger made his scowl deepen, and when Hermione walked hesitantly into his office, she paused and almost took two steps back before he saw her. Glancing at the clock, she asked, "Am I late?"

He spared his timepiece a fleeting glance before answering, "No, Miss Granger. You are punctual, as usual." He kept his voice flat because he feared that if he tried to sound pleasant he'd give away the quiver that hummed beneath his dark baritone.

At his rather brisk response to her, she found herself clasping her hands before her in an attempt to not fidget. "Well, then, I suppose I can assume that sadistic look on your face has nothing to do with me?"

Realizing at her words that he had indeed been glowering at her, he relaxed his shoulders and gestured for her to come into the room. "Please, Miss Granger, come in and close the door."

As she did what he asked, he found his eyes drawn to her Muggle wardrobe. She was wearing a pair of faded denim jeans and a rather snug baby blue t-shirt. His eyes roamed her backside appreciatively as she had her back turned.

When she swung back to face him, she noticed his eyes were fixed on a spot below her waist. Clearing her throat, she fought the urge to smile when his eyes flew back to meet hers. "You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Indeed," Severus responded, trying to sound bored. "I wanted to thank you for rescuing me last night." He suppressed an involuntary shudder at the look in Trelawney's eyes as she had nearly drooled all down the front of his silk shirt. Forcing the vision out of his head, he continued, "It was very considerate of you."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "You are welcome, Professor." It's now or never! she thought to herself as she added quickly, "I guess it was a good thing that Ron bet me to ask you to dance." When his eyes flew to hers, she cursed herself for not thinking through what she was going to say. "What I mean is..."

Standing, Severus rounded his desk to stand before her. "You did what?"

Swallowing down her fear and ignoring her pounding heart, she tried to explain. "You see, Ron dared me to either kiss Draco, or ask you to dance." She shook her head. "I have never had the desire to be a foot within kissing distance of Malfoy, so I thought... Well, that is to say... Sir, I never expected that you would say yes." She felt like a bumbling fool. "And you didn't! You turned me down flat, and Ron never said that I had, to get you to dance with me. Only that I had to ask. But then, Trelawney came... and you just looked so miserable. I just... Well, I couldn't let you be groped by her. So, I ..." Her shoulders sunk as she took in the look of pure fury across his features. "I'm sorry, sir."

Trembling with rage and humiliation, Severus nodded. "Oh, not yet you aren't. But you shall be, Miss Granger." His forefinger shook as he pointed at her perky nose, making her eyes cross. "You have detention every night for the next two weeks!"

Hermione sputtered, eyes wide with indignation. "What? But I... What for?"

Snape growled and stepped closer, making her shrink away, mortified. "For insulting a professor by agreeing to use him in one of your bets!"

Hermione found her own rage boiling at that moment. "But, I ended up helping you! I saved you from that loony witch with a severe hormonal imbalance! You should be thanking me!"

Severus growled, "Oh, I'll thank you all right! I'll thank you so much, Gryffindor shall never recover!"

"What?" Hermione sputtered.

"Two hundred points from Gryffindor!" Severus roared at that same moment.

Hermione fell silent at that. She stared at him, at a loss for words.

Severus, on the other hand, wanted to lash out even more. He wanted to accuse her of trifling with a man's emotions. He wanted to call her mean, petty names to make her feel wounded. He wanted her out of his sight before he kissed her senseless. "Go now, you silly know-it-all! Get out of my sight! But report to the dungeons after the evening meal tonight."

She gasped. "But, sir! Today is Saturday!"

He clenched his fists to keep from reaching for her. When his body took to trembling like this, there was only one thing that alleviated it, and it wasn't snogging. "Did I not say every night, Miss Granger? Now go! Get out of here!" He waved his hand at his office door, and it came open without the use of his wand.

Turning, she fairly ran from the room as he stalked to the door, furious. Albus had told him to pursue her if she was what he wanted. Well, the passion that ignited in him at their little heated discussion just now sealed it. She should have taken the dare to snog Malfoy. Because Severus knew now what he wanted more than anything. And he would not stop until he had it.

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A/N: Woah! man! Did she open her mouth and insert her foot just then, or what? I want to thank all of you that have been following my stories and leaving me such fantastic reviews! They really feed my Muse and keep her throwing more and more ideas my way! Please continue to leave me some more reviews; it's food for the Muse of romantic writers!!!

Up next... What do you think he's going to make her do for detention?