Confrontation

Cooling Out with Snape


Suddenly the moonlight disappeared.

“That’s it,” Professor Snape said, straightening as the blooms closed again.

Hermione looked at what she had gathered. Not too bad really. The moon came back out and Snape walked over to her and looked at what the witch harvested. He didn’t say anything as he walked back over to his satchel, took out a burlap bag and put his blooms in it. Then he walked back to Hermione and held the bag open.

“Put them in,” he said shortly.

Hermione did so. Snape set the bag on the ground, turned and looked at Hermione consideringly.

“Go gather some wood,” he said to the witch.

Hermione blinked at him.

“Wood?” she asked the wizard perplexed.

“Yes, wood. I want you to get wood,” the wizard said, his face contorting a little when the perversity of the comment hit him. He scowled.

Hermione blinked at him again, pulled out her wand and walked the perimeter of the forest, gathering wood as Snape asked, wondering what he was doing.

She brought back an armload. Snape pointed at the ground.

“Drop it there,” he said, drawing his wand.

Hermione did so, and the Potions Master used his foot to make it into a pile. It was a very neat pile actually. Obviously he had done this many times before. He pointed his wand at it.

“Incendio,” he said, igniting the pile of wood.

Then he sat down before it, cross-legged, staring into the flames.

Hermione stood there and watched him for a while, then said, “What are you doing, Professor?”

Snape looked up at her with a frown.

“I’ve decided not to let your presence hinder my normal practices after harvesting,” the wizard said, “I often sit in the forest and…contemplate. It is peaceful here, away from the aggravation of Hogwarts. I spend one or two hours here before returning to the castle.”

“Oh,” Hermione said, sitting down on the other side of the fire, cross-legged also.

Both witch and wizard were silent for several minutes, then Snape’s eyes rested on her for a moment. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver flask with a serpent on it…of course. He uncapped it and took a small sip, Hermione watching him.

“Liquor?” she asked the wizard, who sighed, his face relaxing more than Hermione had ever seen before. The normal frown line between his brows seemed to melt away and the hardness to his eyes softened somewhat.

“No,” he said, his voice softer and silkier now as he continued looking into the fire as if entranced by the flames, “It is cannabis draught.”

Both of Hermione’s eyebrows disappeared into her forehead as she looked at Professor Snape, whose eyes seemed a bit bloodshot now.

“Cannabis as in marijuana?” she asked with a squeak.

Snape nodded. Normally such an idiotic question would have prompted a snarky retort. But he was too mellowed out to bother.

“But…but that’s a drug,” Hermione informed him.

The Potions Master arched an eyebrow at her, then to her shock, actually smiled.

”A natural drug,” he responded, “I don’t like the smell of it clinging to me when smoked, so I imbibe this way. I find it quite relaxing.”

Good gods. Professor Snape was a pothead. And he had smiled. He wasn’t smiling now but Hermione was sure he did. He didn’t have a bad smile either. His teeth were crooked but so were most people’s teeth. He didn’t have on his normal scowl though. He just looked…well…relaxed.

Hermione became curious.

“What’s it feel like?” she asked him.

Now Snape did frown slightly.

“I can’t describe it to you. I can only say it brings me a moment or two of peacefulness. The world isn’t so ugly,” he said, looking up at the moon, “I began using it shortly after Albus made me a spy. It helped me deal with Voldemort and his tortures. It also eased my pains when I returned to Hogwarts broken and beaten. Healing potions weren’t enough. Now I use it recreationally.”

This was the first time Professor Snape had ever said anything that didn’t contain at least one insult or snap. Hermione looked at the flask curiously. Cannabis wasn’t illegal in the wizarding world. There were several recreational drugs that wizards used from time to time, though the effects of most could be stopped with a simple incantation from the user.

“Professor, can I try some?” she asked him.

“Are you the age of consent?” the wizard asked her with a half-smile.

Hermione nodded.

”I turned eighteen in September,” she replied.

Snape handed her the flask. She opened it.

“Only a li…” Snape warned as Hermione took a huge gulp.

“Shit,” Snape breathed, taking the flask back from her. She was going to be blasted. He had only swallowed about half a teaspoon.

Hermione’s eyes fluttered, and a laziness filled her eyes. Then she looked up at the moon amazed. It was huge, almost close enough to touch.

“Wow,” Hermione breathed, Snape shaking his head.

They both sat there in silence for several minutes again, then Hermione suddenly started giggling hysterically. Snape looked at her.

“What is so funny, Miss Granger?” he asked her as she turned red.

“Professor Lecter stopped me tonight. That’s what made me late…well later than I would have been. He read my pass and told me you were bringing me into the woods so you could fuck me. Isn’t that the most hilarious thing you’ve ever heard?” she said, bursting into full-fledged laughter, “Like you’d even think about such a thing? You? Snarky, doesn’t-like-anyone Professor Snape? That’s…that’s too much to even consider. Professor Lecter is mad.”

Snape looked at the witch.

“I would never fuck you, Miss Granger,” the wizard said silkily, “Unless of course, you wanted me to.”

Hermione stopped laughing.

Fast.

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A/N: Ooh. Thanks for reading.