For all the times he saved me

Minerva sat behind her desk, looking over her steepled fingers into... well, nothing. Good. She smirked.
"You're starting to act like me more and more everyday, Minerva. I would advise some caution there." The wizened wizard in the portrait behind her smiled down on her. "But nicely played."
She waved the old man into silence. Ssh, I'm thinking. Gloating. Whatever. She thought once more on the events of the last term. It had been hard on everyone. Three professors had left, and noone out there wanted the jobs. She had Albus teaching DADA from his portrait for fuck's sake. And potion's had been the hardest. Where would she find a certified potions master who was willing to join the staff? And then he'd shown up. He was her savior at that point, but he came with demands. She had played it quite well, she thought. He had her hire Miss Granger as her new librarian, which was just fine. She had been bluffing when she said she wouldn't hire her without him. They had both known it, but amazingly he had complied. He only tried to weasel his way out once, by saying he couldn't just abandon his research on the wolfsbane with Lupin. Good, that was her last vacancy filled. She had dismissed him, and started writing the letters to her new staff members. Without knowing, he had solved all of her problems in one conversation. But he didn't need to know that just yet.

Hermione thanked anyone who would listen for the opportunity to go to Hogwarts. She knew Minerva must've been in quite a pickle, to hire her in the middle of term. But she would have a place to stay. A new job, a new start. She had firecalled Ron right after posting her reply, telling him he might have to keep the kids with him just a little while longer. She would floo in every weekend, to spent the day with them, and floo back to Hogwarts every night. He had agreed. So now, she was walking down Diagon alley to get her new Hogwarts staff robes, and would spent all of her last money on the finest fabrics.

As she was turning in front of the full length mirror in Madam Malkin's, she heard the bell tingle behind her. She heard Madam Malkin rush through the shop towards the new customer.
"Madam Malkin, I need some new teaching robes." Teaching robes? What? She wipped herself around so fast she lost her balance. Bloody heels. She caught herself in time.
"Master Snape" she stammered. Jeans? Hmm, curious. She quirked her eyebrow a little. Not that bad either.
"Miss Granger" he nodded. She saw him look at madam Malkin, and the poor old woman hurried off. He turned to her. Her mind went blank. Here was the man who had picked her off the ground. The man who had plucked her from the gutter, literally, and taken her into his home. Without even so much as an explanation. And the next morning had kicked her out. She hadn't seen him since. She'd thought about contacting him but she knew it was more likely he would just brush her off again. She still had to thank him properly. She knew all of this, somewhere, but her mind was still blank. Her eyes focused on him. He was smiling. He was smiling? Wow.

He had seen her go in. He had stood outside looking like an idiot for at least five minutes, debating what he would do. He could just go get his potions supplies first right? Wrong. His feet weren't listening to what his mind was screaming at him. Don't you bloody well go in there! He sighed heavily. Stupid feet. Okay, fine. Shield up. Scowl in place. There we go. He stepped into the shop. Madam Malkin came running the minute she spotted him. Good woman. He told her what he needed and saw the girl his treacherous feet had followed in the shop, turn on her high heels. She stumbled, but he ignored it. What did he care?
"Master Snape" She sounded surprised. Well, she hadn't known he would go back to Hogwarts as well. He nodded. "Miss Granger"
He sent a look at the shopkeeper, sending her on her way. She bustled around the shop, trying to find exactly what he needed. He appreciated her memory. He turned his gaze upon the young witch in front of him. She looked blank. Cute. The thought passed unnoticed. He took in her robes, black with the slightest trimming of silver around the cuffs. It was too big, making her look like a young girl who had stolen her daddies clothes. He caught himself smiling. Well, in his defense, it was quite the look on her, standing there flabbergasted like he was the father who had caught her going through his clothes. A thought tried to kick in the back door to his concious mind, attempting to make itself heard. He inwardly blasted it to pieces, door and all. Without a word he stalked over to the nearest rack of clothing, pulled out a set of black robes which were more suitable in his opinion, and walked back to her. She was still staring. She looked as though she was trying to form a sentence, after having lost the ability to speak. She looked a little like a fish. It reminded him of the morning she had woken on his couch. Before his mind could wander down that path, for he knew the remembrance of waking up with her head in his lap would follow shortly, he shoved the robes into her arms.
"Try this, it will do you justice." He bit out. Where were these niceties towards the girl coming from? He turned on his heel to stalk toward the counter where the Malkin woman was ringing up his robes. Nice woman. He paid for his new clothes, muttered something to the old woman and made his way out of the shop and down the street as fast as he could.

"Are you allright dear?" The soft words alerted her to the fact she was still staring at the door.
"Did you want to try those on dear?" The old woman asked. She looked at the robes in her arms. "Erm, yes?"
Madam Malkin smiled at her sweetly. "If you are dear, try these on as well."
She handed her a few garments. She nodded at the woman and went to change. After she had tried the first set on, she felt like a real librarian. Madam Malkin had given her a few suits, pencilskirts and all. Librarian or secratary, what's the difference? She picked out one set, the rest she dismissed. Some were a lot more stiff than she had bargained for. Yes, she would be a librarian starting next monday, but that didn't mean she had to look eighty, right? After a long time of trying to talk herself out of it, her curiosity won over. She picked up the robe he had tried to shove her over with. Did he not know his own strenght, or had it been on purpose? She didn't know, and as soon as she saw what she was holding, she couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She was holding a beautiful set of Potions Mistress' robes. The ink black silk fabric was specially spelled so it would not absorb any fluids. It was perfect for the clumsy potions masters around. She would not take that as an insult. Right now anyway. The fabric was embroidered around the wrists in a shining silver, coiling around the two buttons on each wrist, looking suspiciously much like snakes. It fit perfectly. The arms and bodice were a little tighter than she'd liked, but it brought out her figure beautifully, but not overly so. From the waist down it flowed into a wide skirt, with even more silver embroidery. From top to bottom it had been secured with buttons. He had been right. It suited her. She could just see her high heels from under the hem of her skirt. Perfect.

Puzzled, she had gone through the rest of her shopping on auto pilot. When she had gone to the counter to pay for her new robes, there were several other items of clothing waiting for her on the counter. When she had asked Madam Malkin why, she had simply stated they were hers, to be shipped of to Hogwarts that afternoon and everything had been paid for. Curious. Had she not known the man better, she would've been sure it was him. But why?