Surprise Surprise

Disclaimer: This story's universe and characters were created by J.K. Rowling. I make no profit from it, and no copyright infringement is intended.

The next day, Severus Snape sat at his desk carefully perusing his sample Potions syllabi for each year. At exactly five o'clock he looked up expectantly and was not surprised to hear the rat-a-tat-tat of Hermione's knocking. "Enter."

Miss Granger came in beaming entirely too brightly.

"What is it?"

Her smile faded away, and she spoke cautiously. "Pardon me, sir. I am just so pleased by the opportunity to learn from one so accomplished and brilliant as you are in the exact art and science that is potion-making."

Snape was momentarily stunned that she remembered the words with which he had once passionately described Potions. Then her words of praise struck him, but he knew better than to believe them. She had to be using flattery so that he would go easier on her. How juvenile of her to think that it would work.

Miss Granger took a breath, reasserting herself. "I do hope that we can have a truly productive working relationship this year. I am eager to learn from you, and I hope to be a very pleasing apprentice, Severus."

Snape suddenly stood and glared at her. She jumped back a bit, unnerved by his sudden change in demeanor. "How did you just address me, Miss Granger?"

The girl looked positively aghast at his reaction. "I do apologize, sir," she said. "I just thought that since I am no longer your student..."

"Enough." He looked at her for a moment before continuing. She was not a Hogwarts student anymore, true enough. She was a co-worker... but was it not a bit presumptuous to acknowledge the change in their status so quickly? Ambitious, but after all, he was still her mentor.

"Miss Granger," Snape said pointedly, "it is my job to mentor you as you take on this new teaching role. In that regard, I see you still as my student, and therefore I shall watch your progress carefully. When I feel that you are quite capable enough in this endeavor, then I shall take into consideration your status as a fellow staff member."

"Certainly, sir," she said. "I want to express my gratitude that you are willing to take me on as your apprentice."

"Oh?" Snape said, allowing an expression of curious disbelief to cross his face. "I was under the impression that you hoped to teach Transfiguration. Why is it you are so insufferably excited about taking on Potions instead?"

"Well, sir, while I do love Transfiguration, I had no idea that Potions would be available to teach. Of course, I was very surprised that neither you nor Professor Slughorn had elected to teach it, but it was a pleasant surprise, and I am gratified to have been asked."

Despite the effected formality of her words, he could see her nervousness and tension in the way she shifted from one foot to the other. Since they were both still standing, Snape gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs facing his desk and returned to his own behind it. His apprentice's avid interest in pursuing an education in Potions was mystifying, and he was filled with the insatiable desire to quench his curiosity about the matter.

He nodded to her. "So, what do you hope to gain out of a continued education in Potions and from teaching it to others?"

"Well, sir, you may have noticed that I have a certain... fondness for reading books and learning as much as I can," she said as she gestured toward Snape's massive bookshelves with a covetous gleam in her eyes.

Crossing his arms and leaning back, Snape snorted in response, then turned his face away. "Noticed you're a know-it-all?"

She pretended to not have heard his retort and went on to say, "Potions is different. It's special. I've already learned what I could about potion-making from books, but potion-making is an art form as well, isn't it, sir?"

Snape gave her the slightest nod, inwardly interested in the girl's unpredicted passion.

"Well, if I am to challenge myself and my abilities, I need to go beyond the realm of book-learning. I know you are an artist in this form...you can vastly improve even the most well-rounded potions with your inspired, subtle changes."

Snape was startled. No one had ever shown such appreciation for Potions before. He found himself imagining sharing his mastered secrets with her... showing her how subtle and beautiful his creations really were. Snape cleared his throat, but found himself uncharacteristically not knowing what to say. "Miss Granger, how is it you have come into this... appreciation?"

"It was the book, sir. Your Advanced Potion Making book."

"Ah, indeed," said Snape. He knew that the Potter boy had got his unworthy hands on it. "That reminds me, I must ask Potter to return my book to me. Now, tell me more about how my book influenced you, Miss Granger."

"Well, sir, at first I found the book repulsive, and I just completely detested it."

"Oh?"

"Yes, well, I was not willing to believe that the book's scribbled deviations from the original instructions could be better. How could anything be better than the standardized methods? Yet, time and time again, Harry produced the better results, and I admit that it had me feeling a little bit incensed."

Snape smirked. "So, Miss-Know-It-All finally gets outdone. I knew Potter was good for something." She glared at him, looking as if she were barely constraining an angry retort. He nodded to her and said, "Do continue, Miss Granger."

Taking in a deep breath, then biting her bottom lip to compose herself, she went on, "Well, it's not only that the potion-making methods were better; I also did not trust the anonymous author."

"A wise judgment on the whole," Snape said. "So, then what did you do when you learned the identity of the Half-Blood Prince?"

"Well, I was really torn, sir. It was a relief to find out it was you, actually, and it all made sense, but..." her voice faltered, but the look on Snape's face urged her to continue, "but you had just killed... you know..."

"Yes, yes, I do know." Snape frowned in irritation. "I see where you are going. Skip ahead and tell me how your initial revulsion turned into an appreciation of my potion-making skills."

Sighing, she said, "Although I had always secretly admired the genius mind that created the alterations to the potions and invented all those spells, I finally allowed myself to fully appreciate it when I knew you had not really betrayed us."

"I see. So, you are ready to expand your knowledge beyond the realm of books. How admirable. I am surprised you did not go in for a Divination apprenticeship," he said, consciously allowing his tiniest of smiles as well as the ease in his tone, curious how she'd respond and curious of why he was experimenting at all.

The expression was affecting, the teasing inflection of his voice satisfyingly surprising, but the absurdity of his suggestion was enough to make her overlook it for now and come back with a retort. "I said I wanted to expand my knowledge, sir. I did not say I wanted to throw knowledge out a tower window and strut around acting All-Knowing."

Snape's mouth twitched, and he let out a chuckle. It was a brief chuckle because he managed to regain control of himself, feeling appalled that he had let that slip.

"Sir?"

"Miss Granger, I think we've talked quite enough for today. If it should be convenient for you, I wish for you to return tomorrow at the same time to discuss your course outline."

"Okay," she said, looking slightly uncertain about the dismissal. "I can come at five tomorrow."

"Fine. And there is also the matter of an extensive task I have been given by the Ministry. They require a regular supply of a certain potion, and I shall wish to have your assistance with it as it will be quite laborious work, especially given the many extra responsibilities I have already this year."

Miss Granger's eyes widened. "Certainly, sir. I would be glad to help."

Snape only said, "Hmmph," and then, "Well, you are excused, Miss Granger."

Later that night, Hermione felt a little light-headed, so she lay down to get some rest. Harry and Ron had come over to the flat she was renting for the summer and had brought over a batch of Ogden's Old Firewhisky, which they had all drank to celebrate the beginnings of their new careers.

Before long, Hermione was drifting in that place between waking and sleeping. Half-conscious, half-dreaming, images came unbidden to her mind. She saw Severus Snape inspecting the finished result of a complicated potion she had brewed. Severus turned to Hermione and offered her his congratulations. Then, before she could understand what was happening, he had swept down and kissed her...passionately.

The shocking image stirred Hermione to consciousness. "I must be more intoxicated than I thought," she mumbled to herself. Sighing, she finally drifted off into a deep sleep, not remembering any of her dreams the following morning.