Every girl wants a hero.

Every girl wants a hero.


Disclaimer: I own nothing recognizable, I make no money from this so be kind and review.

Hearing that Luna was coming the eavesdroppers scattered like the wind , one man in particular headed for his potions lab, his mind whirling with the information he had just heard.

On entering his private sanctuary, Severus immediately locked and warded his doors to give himself time to work out what he had just heard, could Hermione Granger really fancy him?. Walking over to his desk he opened the drawer and took out a crystal cut decanter half full with a golden amber liquid and a matching glass, slowly pouring three fingers worth in to the glass he replaced the stopper before sitting down in his favorite antique leather chair in front of the fire.

Taking a long slow sip of the amber liquid, he savored it's smooth smoky taste in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. Staring into the flickering flames of the fire he allowed his thoughts turn to the person who invaded his dreams at night Hermione Granger, ever since she'd saved his life back in the shrieking shack and then spent the next six months helping him recuperate, giving him what ever he needed, be it sympathy, an intelligent mind to talk to or a sounding board to bounce ideas off or even when he was being extraordinarily belligerent and the rest of the household had refused to talk to him, she'd given him the kick up the arse he needed to stop being such an prick.

He ran a long, pale elegant finger back and forth across his full but firm bottom lip as he relived that memory in his mind.

He was lying in his bed feeling a small amount of satisfaction of having made the younger female Weasley cry, when all she'd done was to bring him some soup for lunch accidentally spilling a bit on his lap as she levitated it over to him, when suddenly the bedroom door swung wide open and in stormed the bushy haired Gryfindor who looked liked she had murder on her mind.

“How DARE you reduce Ginny to a pile of tears, what gives you the right to hurt somebody else's feelings?” she demanded standing there in front of him with her hands on her waist.

“The stupid girl spilled hot soup in my lap” he said simply.

“It was an accident! There was no need to call her a moronic dunderhead who couldn't even manage a simple levitating spell.”

“It might have been an accident but the fact that she is a dunderhead remains” he replied.

He could see her struggling to remain calm and some perverse little voice in his head was telling him to see how far he could push her before she snapped.

“Might I remind you Severus that we are not in school anymore”

“Obviously” he drawled sarcastically.

She folded her arms under her chest, which on looking back at the memory gave him a good view of her rather luscious chest, he just didn't appreciate it at the time.

She ignored him and continued “You are the most rude and sarcastic man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting, and just because you are sat here feeling sorry for yourself, you can not and will not take your bad temper out on people who are just trying to help.”

His black eyes glittered dangerously “You forget who you're talking to Miss Granger, surely you would of learned to mind your own business by now and to keep that incessantly annoying bossy little miss know it all attitude to yourself.”

She glared back him “I'm only trying to help, it's not like you have a long line of well wishers trying to break down the door to spend time with your oh so amiable personality.”

“What do you want, a medal for being a martyr? Oh look how good and great I am, Potter's frizzy haired encyclopedia selflessly looking after their mean old nasty potions professor” he sneered “Your help was not asked for, nor is it desired.”

He watched as tears threatened to spill from her, tensing he waited for the tears that were sure to fall but to his surprise none did, she just turned away from him and looked out of the window for a few moments before turning back to him her eyes filled with rage.

“Now you listen to me you stupid, self deprecating man, do you honestly think I've been spending time and effort looking after you because I want to be a martyr? Ha! If only it was that simple. I came here day after day in the start because you needed round the clock medical supervision, I stayed because I enjoyed our debates, I thought we were becoming friends but obviously I was mistaken.”

She walked over to the door and stopped not bothering to look at Severus “You'd think you'd learn from your past mistakes” she said sadly and closed the door quietly behind her.

“What the fuck did she mean learn from past mistakes?” he thought angrily to himself, he spent the afternoon self recollecting until it dawned on him she was referring to Lily and how he had pushed one of his closest friends away because he was hurting on the inside.

A couple of weeks had passed and still she had not returned to visit him and when he asked anybody where she was they just told him she was busy, realizing that he'd really hurt the young witches feelings left a sickening lump in the bottom of his stomach, he missed their conversations about potions, he missed her incessant quest for knowledge and the ways her eyes lit up when she worked something out or on the rare occasion he praised her.

Making an un-Severus like snort he finally admitted to himself he just missed her, determined not to lose her like he lost Lily he got out of bed and slowly began to look for his wand, finding it stashed in his bedside cabinet he transfigured his Grey pajamas into a pair of jeans and a jumper before going to find Hermione. Slowly making his way down the stairs he found her coming out of the library, her nose was stuck in a magazine and didn't see him coming until she almost ran into him, startled she dropped her magazine.

“Sorr-” she stopped mid speech as she looked at him open mouthed, before steeling her features and saying rather coldly“Is it wise for you to be out bed Professor Snape?”

Wincing out her abrupt tone he bent down and picked her magazine up “I owe you an apology Hermione, I'm sorry for behaving like a ..”

“Bastard, Tosser, Prick, Total Arsehole feel free to insert any of these adjectives, although I'm sure there's some I missed” she commented lightly as if she was talking about the weather, but her stance belied her tone

He bit back a smirk that was threatening to emerge “I'm sorry for behaving like a spoilt child, you didn't deserve my anger that day” she raised an eyebrow in expectation “and neither did anybody else.”

She looked shocked at his statement and then smiled at him “I was just reading a rather interesting article in Potion's Monthly that I think you'd enjoy, would you care to join me in tea, biscuits and a lengthy discussion about the properties of dried Gillyweed when used in potions.

“Assam tea and ginger biscuits?”

She grinned at him “Naturally, what am I, a savage?”

Severus took another sip of his whisky, ever since he'd realized that he'd missed Hermione and had taken the steps to regain her friendship, he had found himself being increasingly more attracted to the young witch only he'd never tell her for fear of rejection.

Now with this new knowledge in his grasp, his hopes had been lit and it was time to find out if she really did fancy him, only to find out how she truely he'd be employing tried and tested Slytherin measures, he sat back in his chair and began to form a plan of action

A/N: Thank you for all for your amazing reviews, you've really made my day when I read them, some of them have been side splittingly funny. Personally I've always had a thing for the 'bad boy' hero in fiction (Magneto over Xavier if I really had to choose ;D)

Please review as it feeds my ravenous plot bunnies.

Much love
Her Royal Goddess Xx