Doubts and Desires

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews!! I greatly appreciate them! I\'m trying to update as much as I can, although I may be a little slow at times depending on ideas and how much school work I have to do. I\'m also still working on my other fanfic which will take up some of the time. I also have to admit that even I\'m interested in exactly where I\'m taking this, except for the smut that\'s eventually going to come. I just came up with the idea a couple of days ago, so not all the details are completely worked out. Don\'t worry though! I will update and I do have things in the works. :) Especially since this story is fighting it out with my other stories for my main attention.


Chapter Two: Defining Boundaries

Hermione woke up on the floor amongst several boxes scattered about. She stretched stiffly, vowing not to fall asleep on the floor again. Standing up, she looked around, noticing that it was after breakfast. Rummaging through her clothes, she found a light pair of black pant and a dark green tank top and went into her shower. The warm water eased the aches of sleeping on the hard floor and released her anticipations of the new day. She had a lot of work to do to get the Hospital Wing organized and ready for the students that would be arriving in less than a week. Feeling quite refreshed, she stepped out of the shower and dried off. Wrapping the towel around herself, she wintointo her living room, looking for a hair clip and to grab her clothes. Unfortunately, she bumped into the table and a stack of books fell to the floor. She groaned slightly, figuring that she could pick them up after she got dressed. She found her hair clip and grabbed her clothes, not hearing the door open behind her. She turned around and gasped, clutching her towel firmly around her. “What are you doing in here?! Get out! Haven’t you learned how to knock!?”


Severus had woken up with a painful migraine. He rolled out of bed and went straight for the headache potion. The blasted little know-it-all’s words were going through his head about how adding spearmint helped it work faster and with the taste. He dropped in a bit and then drank it. Surprising, the potion did taste better. He went and took a shower, feeling the effects of the potion quicker than normal. Perhaps she was on to something, he thought reluctantly. After dressing, he went up to breakfast, having a strong cup of coffee with his breakfast. The Great Hall was relatively quiet so far, and he relished in the fact, knowing that in a short amount of time that all quiet and peace would be gas tas the dunderheads came back to school.

He was just finishing his second cup of coffee when Albus entered cheerfully. “Good morning, Severus.” the wizened wizard said as he sat down and got his own breakfast. Severus nodded his morning and undid his copy of the Daily Prophet. It did not take long for the other professors to come in for breakfast. Severus seemed to be the only one to notice that Miss Granger had not shown up. After he finished the paper, he folded in and placed it on the table in case one of the other professors wanted to read it. He stood up, only to have his attention of spending some quiet time in his private quarters working interrupted by the headmaster. “Severus, I would like a word with you in my office.” Inwardly, he sighed. “Of course. Now or later?” “Now, should work fine.” Albus said, getting up from the table and motioning for Severus to follow him.

Once they had entered the headmaster’s office, Albus motioned to a seat for Severus and sat down as well. “I would like to talk to you about Hermione, Severus.” Severus took the seat and looked at the headmaster, wondering why in the world he would want to talk to him about her. Albus then continued, “I think you should talk to her soon about sharing your space. I know that you are not pleased of losing a part of your private lab, but she needs a place to work. You two have a lot in common actually. I think you can work shinghing out. Also, remember that she is a colleague and not a student of yours. ”

Severus just nodded. He knew better after all these years than to argue with the headmaster. Insane old man! He had nothing in common with the know-it-all. Surely, he wasn’t THAT insufferable! He did have to admit that she was better than Weasley and Potter though. “I will make room for her to work in peace.” He looked at the headmaster. “If that is all….”

Albus nodded. “That’s all, my boy.” he said, dismissing him.

Severus stood up and walked out of the headmaster’s office. He shook his head, figuring that he might as well get this over with now so he didn’t have to deal with Miss Granger later. He went to the Hospital Wing and knocked on the outer door where students would enter. He didn’t hear anything and opened the door. Empty. He then went to the door to her personal quarters, figuring that she was probably in there. He knocked a couple of times and waited. No answer. He figured that she must have gone down to the Great Hall by now and turned to leave when he heard a crash coming from the next room. Taking out his wand, he opened the door and stood there, staring blatantly at Miss Granger as she was in just a towel, clutching her clothes to her. It took a moment to register that she was even screaming at him to get out. He quickly adverted his eyes. “I’m sorry, Miss Granger.” He still had made no effort to move from his spot.

“OUT!” Hermione said, raising her voice and shooting him a glare as she walked over and pushed him out of the door with one hand while making sure the towel still covered everything in the other. She slammed the door and went back into her bedroom. She reappeared out of her room moments later with her hair clipped back and the pants and tank top on. She slipped on some black flip flops and entered into the main room, finding Snape sitting on one of the hospital beds. “How dare you come into my quarters like that?! What were you thinking?”

Severus looked up at her, noting the anger in her eyes at what he had done. “For your information, Miss Granger, I had come to discuss your sharing of my private labs. I had knocked several times, and I was about to leave when I heard the loud thump behind your door. I thought that perhaps you were in some trouble, since you had not answered when I knocked.” he stated in a calm, silky tone.

Hermione’s mouth formed a silent ‘Oh’ before the anger came back. “You still shouldn’t have entered my quarters. It’s inexcusable.”

Severus nodded slightly. “Yes, next time I won’t bother to come to your rescue, Miss Granger, especially if you are in your quarters.”

She glared at him and crossed her arms. “You wanted to talk about the schedule then,” she stated bluntly, figuring that the sooner she got him out of here the better. Why, oh, why couldn’t Albus get her a lab of her own!

Severus smirked slightly at her glare. “Well, the schedule depends on how much the students get injured this year.”

“Yes, it does to an extent, but I would like a couple of nights that I can count on to use the lab, Professor.” Hermione stated.

Severus nodded curtly. “Would Wednesday and Sunday work for you? I have classes on Thursday and Monday mornings right after breakfast, so I will not personally have time to work on my own potions those nights as well as I have the night hall duty on Sunday. I expect my lab to be straightened up before you leave. The password to the lab is ‘Nevermore.’ I change them often to keep students out of my private stores and lab though. I will let you know when it is changed.” His accusing glare fell steadily on her. He had always suspected that she had taken the shredded skin of boomslang and the powdered horn of a bicorn from his private stores.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a student who had been caught doing something she shouldn’t. “It’ll be just as you have left it, Professor. Sunday and Wednesday will work.”

Severus stood up suddenly, noticing her unease. “Then, it is settled.” He was about to go when he remembered what Dumbledore had also mentioned to him. With a soft sigh, he looked at her. “We are colleagues. You may call me Severus.”

“Severus,” Hermione said, his name sounding foreign as it rolled off her tongue. “You may call me Hermione, P—Severus.”

Severus nodded. “Hermione...” he said silkily. He was about to leave when he remembered one thing that he did want to mention. “You were right about the headache potion. I added some spearmint to it, and it did work and taste better. How did you come up with that conclusion?”

Hermione smiled slowly, realizing that he was actually listening to her conversation about her studies. “Actually, it was by necessity. I wasn’t feeling too well, and I had quite the migraine from studying too much for exams. I had brewed up the headache potion, but I didn’t think I could stomach the taste of it, so I added some spearmint. It just worked. I tried it out a few more times, and it hasn’t failed me yet, so I continue to add it.”

Severus nodded slightly and smirked at something she said. “You mean that you have realized that one can study too much?”

Hermione actually laughed. “Yes, I know. Hard to believe that the little know-it-all could actually reach a point of studying too much and realizing that point, isn’t it?” It was her turn to smirk. She remembered that he had a tendency to call her a know-it-all. At least, he hadn’t said it yet…or worse. He hadn’t called her a silly girl either, which was an improvement.

“Quite.” Severus stated simply. “Well, I will leave you to your own work, Hermione. I will expect you on Wednesday and Sunday nights then. I also prefer you notifying me if you won’t be using them on a night.”

“Very well.” Hermione stated, glad that he was being rather civil to her. “I’ll be sure to knock, if I have to come by and notify you on anything.”

“Same here.” Severus stated, although he couldn’t say that he didn’t completely mind the image that was burned into his retinas of her just in a towel. When did this girl, no, young woman get curves again?

She nodded, hoping not to repeat the incident of earlier. He then moved to leave and gave her a curt formal nod and walked out, knowing that he had some potions to work on as well as make a spot for Hermione to work at.

She watched him leave. The boundaries had been set. He had admitted that she was a colleague, which seemed an improvement, although he easily could make her feel nothing more than a first year still with his professorial glare and tone. She then turned and walked back into her quarters. She had lots to do besides organizing her quarters. So much to do and not all that much time to do it. At least, she had one thing already worked out, and it didn’t seem to be a bad deal at all between her and Severus.


A/N: Please take a moment to review!