Bei Mir Bist Du Schon

This fic idea came to me this afternoon. It is based on, of all things, work! I work in a caregiver respite program (at the moment, among other things—for those who do not recognize the name, it is a more dignified term for “adult day care”) and today was sing-along day. It is true that the songs my clients remember all have themes of love and war, and my mind kind of wandered as we sang. I’m on a new allergy medicine which I think is making me loopy—so we’ll see what happens. (I just kept thinking, wouldn't it be cool to write a story that fits the mini-plots or situations described in all these songs?)

All of the chapter titles (as well as the title of the story) are older and traditional songs, but I will not post the lyrics because I don’t really want this to be a “song fic”—so if you want to know the whole song, google it (I recommend this if you don’t know the songs, they are all very good).




Bei Mir Bist Du Schon
Chapter One
School Days

It was nearly November, and the days got progressively shorter and colder. It would doubtlessly be dark when the students emerged from the dungeons—though the reality was it was darker earlier for those who had their last class of the day in the dungeons which seemed to be immune to the light of day.

Hermione Granger sighed and stretched. Double Potions seemed to go on forever, probably because it was so unlike Professor Snape to assign them book work. The reason she loved Potions so much was because it was ALWAYS hands on. Always, except for today. Today, they were assigned a series of chapters to read and they were to take DETAILED notes, Professor Snape had stressed that fact.

Hermione assumed they would be for use with the complex potions described. Of course, she had been done with the reading and the most detailed set of notes in the whole classroom for about ten minutes… still thirty to go.

Though very level-headed, Hermione was not above the occasional daydream or doodle. Daydreams, were however, a very risky pastime while in the presence of the Potions master. Doodles were definitely the safer bet today. She let her pen drift idly over the parchment as she stared blankly at the front of the classroom, where the professor sat apparently engrossed in some kind of paperwork.

He was a brave man. Beyond all belief, and Hermione felt terribly guilty for ever doubting his allegiance. What a touching story his life was! She would never forget how horrified he had been when he discovered that Harry had shared his life story with the world when he had shouted it at Voldemort. Severus Snape was a private man. He had gone into hiding shortly thereafter. He was never seen in public, not even to procure ingredients.

Around Hogwarts, he had become much meaner and nastier, as if he had to double his former persona to make up for the perceived breeches in character that were love and devotion. Ha! All students knew the truth: Professor Snape was a snarky, bitter old snake of a man.

Hermione smiled. He was a sarcastic man, for sure. A truly beautiful man, she mused, graceful, simple. She was always drawn to him, inexplicably she thought. Now doubly so because of the tragic story of love lost. She had always wanted to make things better, to smooth things over. This was why everyone in her life was pushing her toward the healing field.

For herself, Hermione didn’t know what she wanted, hell, she had a semester left in her seventh year. Not that she didn’t have panic attacks about the whole thing. But que sera, sera. The little things seemed much, well, littler since a year on the run and a battle beyond her wildest imagination.

Looking down at her notes, Hermione realized that the entire time she had been doodling, she had drawn a very elaborate SS with embellishment all around. She couldn’t help smiling. This was how it was supposed to be: body and mind working harmoniously together, without conscious thought. It was what Harry had said to the DA, what Professor Snape had said in his first DADA lesson. Only on a much more insignificant level. But one had to start somewhere, and intuitive wand work was never Hermione’s strong point; in fact, DADA had always been her weakest subject.

Her thought process carried on; she was unaware of being watched from the other side of the room. Very carefully, Severus Snape was watching the student who had always been his favorite, the very student to whom he could never afford to show any favor. He wondered whether his fascination with her was entirely healthy and normal. Many long hours outside of class he had puzzled over this. It had never been an inappropriate fascination, not before this year, anyway. It was always amazement that a Muggle-born witch could know so very much of the world she had only occupied for a very scant amount of time.

As he continued to watch her, it became very clear to him that his student of choice was neither working, nor focused on the here and now.

“Miss Granger!”

Hermione jumped visably, and looked up.

“Ten points from Gryffindor. Get back to work.”

Hermione nodded and sighed; it could have been worse. Rather than stare toward the front of the classroom whilst doodling, she would have to stare at a page in her text book.

Behind her, she heard Ron whisper, “The git! He has to know she’s been finished for an hour!”

It was an exaggeration, but not too terribly far from the truth.

Looking back at Ron and Harry had reminded her of her musings regarding the tragic life of one Severus Snape. Like all goody-goody bookworms, Hermione imagined that all the man needed was a good, loving woman. If only it were that simple.

Soon, Hermione found herself treading more dangerous waters. ‘We could be good together,’ she thought, ‘God knows I’ve put up with Ron and Harry’s stupid shenanigans, how much worse could he possibly be? And he would be wonderful to talk to, I’m sure. He is probably the most intelligent man I know.’

As she thought, Hermione was careful to stare down at either the book or the parchment. She had added small hearts to the area surrounding the ornate “SS.” She nearly laughed out loud. What an absurd notion!

But was it?

She had no more time to ponder as class was over. Vaguely she registered Professor Snape asking for their—notes?

‘Oh, no,’ Hermione thought weakly, it was too late to make corrections, her professor was standing over her with his arm extended. It seemed he was unable to summon it, she was clinging so fast to it.

“Miss Granger, your notes,” he said sharply.

“Oh, p-p-professor, I just need a moment… some mistakes… spelling errors… short-hand… very embarrassing… don’t want you to have to…” All the while, Hermione was stammering and not fixing.

While she had been making excuses and talking busily, the professor caught her off guard and snatched the parchment out of her hands.

“Class is over, Miss Granger, and your time is up. If you wanted to make corrections, you should have spent your time doing so, rather than daydreaming in my class.”

“Professor,” she continued, a hint of her bossy persona showing through, “I really must insist you give me the parchment back for corrections. You see, I didn’t realize you would be collecting the notes. I thought they were for… personal use.”

“Class dismissed. That means you, Miss Granger.”

“But—”

“Class dismissed! Leave now, or detention for a week!”

The entire class, including Hermione, instantly obeyed. There was a scraping sound of chairs being thrown back, and the swishing sound of fabric on fabric as the students threw their school bags over their shoulders, then at last the slamming of the door behind the last student. Ah, the blessed sound of silence.

Now to see what Miss Granger had disturbed and embarrassed so. Surely no spelling error was worth what should probably been twenty-five house points? On that note, Severus reminded himself to take twenty-five points from the next Gryffindor he caught even vaguely out of line to make up for his lack of quick thinking in the classroom.

He examined the roll of parchment in front of him. What he found on the parchment caught him completely by surprise.




A/N: I really wanted to work in the hickory stick, but I couldn’t go there, LOL.