Remember When It Rained

Remember When It Rained
Chapter Three
I am Serious, and Don’t Call Me Shirley


Hermione plopped down on her bed and huffed. For the first time in her life she felt at a total loss and all because of the events of that evening. She closed her eyes, trying to resist the headache that was threatening, but opened them again when she felt the familiar weight of her cat on her belly.

“Oh Crooks,” she sighed as she stroked his soft fur. “I am at a loss. I have no clue what has happened.”

She gently slid the cat off of her and hopped out of the bed. Pacing the length of the room and ringing her hands she took deep calming breaths then turned to her pet.

“Crooks, Professor Snape asked me to apprentice with him this term, what do you think of that?”

With a small yowl, Crookshanks rolled himself into a ball and proceeded to lick his butt.

“Thanks ever so much!” she exclaimed in disgust.

Plopping onto the bed once more, she closed her eyes and reflected on what had occurred after her hasty exit from the library.

Certain that she was going to die, she fled in the direction of the kitchen, hoping to find protection in Molly Weasley, but instead finding the Headmaster drinking tea. Upon her hasty entry into the room, Albus smiled and asked, “Miss Granger, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Oh Professor Dumbledore, sir. I’ve gone and done it again!” she gasped in a terrified voice. “He’s going to kill me!”

“Done what again, who is going to kill you?” he asked softly.

Before she could answer, the booming voice of one Severus Snape yelling her name rolled though the door that had just burst open. With a sharp cry, Hermione leapt behind the Headmaster for protection from the obviously irate Potions master.

“Ah, I see,” Albus said with a chuckle. “You two have had a run in again it seems.”

“Oh, it’s much worse than that Albus,” Snape hissed. “Miss Granger has just informed me that we were this last terms, what was it she said? Oh yes, she just informed me that she was my fu-“

“Surely you don’t put such stock in rumors, Severus?” Albus interrupted. “They occur every year after all.”

This was news to Severus. He knew he was rumored to be a vampire, called a bastard or a greasy git. But someone’s fuck toy? Worse yet, Hermione Granger’s fuck toy?

“Sir? Am I to understand that you have heard this –this drivel?” he sputtered.

“Yes, just as I have heard similar drivel every year since I was a student at Hogwarts,” he answered with a chuckle. “When Lockhart was teaching, he and Hooch were a rumored item. Ignore it. Both of you.”

Hermione stepped out from behind Dumbledore’s robes and cautiously made her way to the table. Albus took a seat next to her and motioned for the tea tray, which glided to the table.

“Sit and have tea with us Severus,” he invited as he handed Hermione a cup of steaming brew. “We can discuss Miss Granger’s apprenticeship with you.”

The men winced at the sound of a tea cup shattering against the wood of the table.

“What!” she exclaimed. “An apprenticeship?”

Severus rolled his eyes at her reaction as Albus laughed and replied, “Yes Miss Granger. An apprenticeship. Reparo.”

Hermione picked up the tea pot with trembling hands and refilled her now repaired cup.

“Oh thank you Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape! I can’t tell you both how much this means to me!”

“Well you are a fine student, Miss Granger. The finest that Hogwarts has seen sine Professor Snape’s time. We both think that you have the potential to be an accomplished Potions mistress.” Albus said, eyes twinkling. “Now, I shall leave the two of you to work out a suitable study schedule. I think that perhaps yould sld start her studies next week, Severus?”

Silence reigned in the room after Albus’ departure, and the two regarded each other from across the table.

Severus raised an eyebrow and regarded her through hooded eyes. She was a brilliant student, although he had reluctantly admitted the fact to Albus during their conversation that morning.

He had been thrown off by Albus’ wanting to know his opinion of Miss Granger. Then again, Albus would on occasion throw him off with out of the blue questions. Now sitting here, across from the student in question he thought about his assessment of her.

Yes, she was brilliant. A rival to even him potentially for there was still so much she would have to learn to master the craft that was Potions. She was an annoyance as well, with her constant eagerness to show off her knowledge, yet this had been curbed in recent years. He couldn’t recall any signs of the over eagerness that she had demonstrated during her first three years as his student. No, she was more disciplined now, thus allowing her fellow classmates the opportunity to answer his questions and to ask their own. Not that his class participated any more then necessary out of pure intimidation. Which was, he admitted, his fault. Then again it was a teaching method that had served him well over the years and prevented serious accidents from occurring.

Her work was always done properly and carefully aer eer essays were a joy to read. Not that he would ever tell her this of course. Perhaps this was a by product of his loathing of Potter, for he didn’t hesitate to praise the mediocre work of the students of his house. This was, however a necessary by product of his work for The Order. Instead, she had to be satisfied with her grades, and if his lack of commentary on her work bothered her she had never let on.

By all accounts her other teachers were just as pleased with Miss Granger, Minerva being the most complimentary of the bunch. The praise wasn’t overdone nor exaggerated, even from her. Over exaggeration wasn’t needed in Miss Granger’s case.

He sighed inwardly, but there was the problem of her continually running him down. It had become a joke amongst the teachers and now a source of rumor amongst the students. His fuck toy. That was horrifying and yet interesting. He had never, to his knowledge been party of a rumor of this sort.

Yet he could see how these things came to be. She was, he reluctantly admitted rather attractive in an unusual sort of way. She wasn’t classically pretty, but there was something about her that attracted attention. He was a man as well as a wizard and he hadn’t failed to notice the curves she had acquired of late. Granted he wouldn’t have noticed had she not continuously run him down. It was hard to ignore the young woman’s attributes when she lay sprawled on top of you. She smelled good too and her skin was so soft!

Her brains just added to the picture she presented, her peers merely hadn’t matured enough to make that fact out yet. Given a few years, Miss Granger’s attributes would make her a most sought after witch in a society where these things mattered. No one wanted to be married to an ill educated witch, no matter how pretty she was.

“Professor?” she asked interrupting his thoughts.

“Yes, Miss Granger?”

“When would you like me to start? Do I need to buy anything special? If so could you escort me to Diagon Alley? How-“

“One question at a time, Miss Granger,” he said raising a hand.

“Sorry sir.”

He answered with a slight nod. “Perhaps we need to first address your incredible clumsiness. It won’t do to be clumsy as a Potions mistress.”

Hermione had the grace to blush, and most becomingly so he noted. “Well sir, you are right. I have been rather clumsy-I don’t know why I seem to always be running into you. But you aren’t the only one in spite of what you might think!”

“Perhaps not the only one, Miss Granger, but I seem to be your favorite target.”

“What would you suggest?” she asked after a moment.

He drummed his fingers on the table and said in a contemplative voice, “Perhaps if you slowed down?”

“Slowed down sir?”

“Yes silly girl! Slowed down. I have seen your schedule from last term and the proposed schedule you presented to the Headmaster. It is entirely too full, Miss Granger.”

“But sir, I like to study. I want to learn everything I can. I want to show those pure-blooded bigots that a ‘Mudblood’ can be just as good of a –“

“I am a Pure Blood, Miss Granger, so watch what you say! I must point out that you will not have the time to take all of the classes you enrolled in and be an apprentice at the same time. You will need to drop most of your selections and keep only the required classes. The rest of your time, aside from scheduled free periods, will be spent with me.”

“I understand. I will write to the Headmaster about dropping some classes.”

“I believe that he has already taken care of the matter, Miss Granger,” he replied. “Does Malfoy still call you Mudblood?”

Hermione met his gaze, “Yes. As does most of your house, sir.”

His gaze remained inscrutable. “We will begin next ay aay at 10 am sharp. You will meet me in my office at school. As for your supplies, we shall go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to purchase them.”

Sensing his dismissal, Hermione rose from her seat and bade him good bye.


“Oh Crooks! I start on Monday and tomorrow I have to spend time with him. In public, which of course means that others will see us and there are rumors!” she sighed as she came out of her reverie. “Well no matter. I am an apprentice Crooks! I did it! As to the rumors, I shall just ignore them. So there! What do you think?”

Crookshanks responded with a \"meep\" and returned to licking his butt.