A Turn for the Better

Chapter 34 ~ The Return to Hogwarts

When Hermione returned to Hogwarts, the first person she saw was Neville, who grabbed her and swung her around.

"Hi, Hermione! Did you have a good holiday?" he asked with a smile, taking her bag and walking with her up the marble staircase to the first floor.

Hermione smiled back at him.

"Yes, I did," she replied, "but where's Luna?"

"Oh, in Ravenclaw House. I already got her situated and was waiting for you. I met her dad over the holiday. He's pretty cool. Luna's a lot like him. And Luna met my parents too. They like her," Neville said as they walked up the narrow staircase that led to the second floor and the shifting stairs. "What did you do on your holiday?"

"Er . . . studied mostly," Hermione said obliquely.

"That's good," Neville replied with a smile.

He escorted her to Gryffindor tower, waited for her to put her things away, then they went downstairs to the Great Hall for brunch, which was set up so those students arriving late could still have something to eat. Luna didn't appear, and it felt almost like old times. But when they finished eating, Neville said he had to go meet the Ravenclaw, and that was the last she saw of him the entire day.

Well, he had a girlfriend now. She was lucky he had time for her at all, and that Luna wasn't the jealous type.

There were no classes the first day back in order to give the students a little time to wind down and get their heads back into schoolwork. Hermione spent the day going over her banned workbook. It still had the different title on the cover. Hermione imagined Cecila created it that way purposely, so it wouldn't be discovered easily. The young witch was grateful for that.

Even though Hermione had no instructions to do so, when eight o'clock arrived, Hermione could be found in the dungeons, knocking on the Potions master's office door. Snape pulled it open with a scowl, and looked out at her, his expression becoming sober immediately.

"Miss Granger, what are you doing here?" he asked her.

Hermione's belly did flips as she looked up at the wizard and she swallowed before she answered him.

"I just thought since I've been gone so long, I'd come down and start catching up," she said to him rather hopefully.

Snape studied her, and his lip quirked as he widened the door.

"Come in, Miss Granger," he said softly.

Hermione entered the office and he closed the door behind her, drawing his wand and fixing up the rickety chair in front of his desk to make it more comfortable. He gestured to it.

"Take a seat," he told the witch as he walked around his desk and sat down. He studied her a moment. Seeing her was like a bit of sun in the dungeon area.

"How was your holiday?" he asked her politely.

"It was good. I did a lot of studying concerning brewing techniques. I really think I've learned something," she said, playing with her robes a little.

"We'll see. However, I don't have the lab set up for doing any extraneous work tonight, Miss Granger, so you wasted a visit," he told her.

"Oh," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. This was it.

"Well, not totally wasted. I also wanted to let you know I told my parents about your offer of apprenticeship," she said hesitatingly.

Snape arched an eyebrow at her.

"And their reaction?" he asked, tensing a bit.

"Well, it was like I said. Dad wasn't too thrilled, but we talked about it and he'll support me . . . but he wants to meet you," she said softly. "I told him you would arrange a meeting with him."

Snape nodded, relaxing a bit. Hermione was old enough to make her own decisions, but her parents might have brought out the big guns in some manner. He was glad they didn't.

"I hope his reaction wasn't too severe," the wizard said.

"No, not too bad. I think they were both hoping I'd go into dentistry, but I explained to them that I'm a witch, so I wanted to go into a magical field," she told him.

"I imagine it isn't easy disappointing your parents that way," Snape responded.

Hermione shook her head.

"It isn't, but they have to see that I'm not a little girl any longer, Professor. I'm a woman now," she told him, her eyes meeting his directly.

It was Snape's turn to swallow. If she meant physically, it certainly was true.

"My parents are good sorts, really. They've always been supportive, even when they found out I was a witch. They were reluctant to let me come to Hogwarts initially, but decided to let me try it out. I haven't looked back since," she said, trying to work in their age difference in some way.

Snape helped move that along.

"So both your parents are dentists. Interesting. Were they dentists when they met?" Snape asked her with some interest.

Perfect.

"Ah, no. My dad was, but my mum was still in school at the time they met. Dad said it was rough going for them at first," Hermione offered.

"Really? And why was that?" Snape asked her.

"Well, my father is twenty years older than my mum, and grandfather wasn't too thrilled about that. He gave dad a shiner," Hermione said. "But, eventually he accepted the situation, and they got married and mum studied dentistry. She was studying accounting originally. She still does all the books."

"I . . . I see," Snape said, thinking this was quite fortuitous. Mr. Granger might understand his attraction to Hermione. Maybe . . . maybe he should be forthcoming with the Muggle when he met him. He'd have to think about it.

Inwardly, Hermione was elated. She'd managed to let Snape know about the age difference between her parents. Hopefully, that might make him more amicable to a relationship with her. In theory, anyway. Now, for the harder part.

Hermione looked at Snape, her eyes eager but a bit hesitant. Snape recognized that look as the one she gave when she wanted to say something but wasn't sure if she should say it. Generally, this happened in class after she'd answered a number of questions, without any other students getting a word in edgewise.

"Is there something you need to say, Miss Granger? If so, out with it," he said to her a bit sternly.

"Ah, it's rather personal, Professor," she replied, hoping it would make him curious. "I don't know if it's proper to discuss with you . . . because, you know. Our past. I was thinking I'd go to Professor McGonagall for advice. But I won't name you."

This certainly got Snape's interest.

"So this involves me?" he asked her for clarification.

If it did, he certainly didn't want her bantering it about with Minerva, even if she didn't use his name.

"Yes," she said, "but I'm embarrassed to tell you what it is."

Now this really made Snape curious. That book certainly knew what it was talking about.

"You can tell me, Miss Granger. I will hold it in the strictest confidence," he told her, leaning forward in his chair a bit.

"First, before I tell you, Professor . . . I have a personal question to ask you. Your answer might put us on even ground," she said softly.

"Ask," he said, full of curiosity now.

Hermione blinked at him.

"Do you ever . . . ever think about me, you know . . . in an intimate way? Or maybe dream about me?" she asked the wizard.

Snape was caught off guard by this one.

"Miss Granger . . . that is a highly inappropriate question considering our student/teacher status," he responded, his belly tight.

Hermione's face fell.

"I know it is, Professor. That's why I wanted to go to Professor McGonagall for advice. You see, I've been dreaming and thinking about you frequently. And not as a young wizard, but the way you are now. It's very disturbing, and sometimes I can't sleep because of it . . . because of the dreams . . . I don't know what to do about them," Hermione told the wizard.

"You find these dreams . . . distasteful, Miss Granger?" Snape asked her in a rather tight voice. She had said they were disturbing. Maybe the idea of being intimate with someone as old as he was, disgusted the witch, no matter her parents' age difference. She was still her own woman.

Hermione turned rather red.

"No, I don't. I find them . . . they make me want . . . oh, I don't know what to do! I'm so sorry, Professor," Hermione said, her eyes filling.

She wasn't lying. She did dream about being with him the way he was now. It was a relief to tell him, but frightening and embarrassing as well. What would he say? What would he do?

Snape studied her, his heart full. She didn't find dreaming about him repulsive at all. In fact, it sounded as if she wished to pursue a physical relationship right now.

Dear gods.

"You have nothing to be sorry about . . . Hermione," he said softly, using her name. This was a personal matter after all, and something had passed between them that gave him the right to address her in this manner. At least for right now. And he needed to comfort the witch . . . but carefully. This had the potential to be quite explosive if he didn't handle it the right way.

"I . . . I do find myself thinking of you," he admitted, "but I have to remind myself of our situation, of my position."

"Do you think of me . . . like . . . like you'd like to be with me?" she asked him, her heart thudding in her chest.

Snape caught himself.

"Hermione, these are not things we should be discussing now. Perhaps when you graduate . . ." he said softly.

Hermione's heart felt as if it would fly out of her chest. He was interested! He was just waiting for her to graduate. She gave him a helpless smile.

"Yes, we can talk about it when I graduate," she agreed happily.

Snape's dark eyes rested on her. It was clear that she wanted him. If he had any doubts in his mind, the witch had dispelled them.

Snape took a bit of parchment out of his drawer, picked up a quill and dipped it into the inkwell. He wrote a pass out for her.

"I think you should leave now, Miss Granger, and I suggest you take that Dreamless draught I gave you to help you sleep," he told her softly, sliding the pass across the desk. "That way you won't dream about me."

Hermione stood up and took the pass from him, her brown eyes soft and sparkling as she looked at the wizard.

"I don't want to stop dreaming about you, Professor. It's all I have . . . for now," she responded.

Snape swallowed.

"Go, Miss Granger. I will see you in class tomorrow," he said, trying to sound firm.

Hermione opened the office door.

"Good night, Professor," she said to him, wishing with all her might that she could kiss him. It seemed the perfect moment to do so. But the book had warned her not to do that. The situation was far too delicate at this point. But she had done what was instructed. There was more to do, but this was an excellent start.

"Good night, Miss Granger," Snape replied.

He watched her leave, then immediately warded the door and covered his face with one pale hand for a moment. It had taken all his strength not to stand up, walk around his desk and pull her into his arms. The desire to kiss her had been so strong, it shook him.

After a minute or two, he stood up, lowered the already low torches in his office, then entered his private quarters.

Merlin, he needed a drink.

Maybe two.

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Hermione nearly floated up the dungeon corridor, a soft and rather goofy smile on her face as she approached the narrow staircase that led up to the Entrance Hall.

He wanted her. He couldn't say it, but she knew he did. He thought about her the same way she thought about him. She wondered if he dreamed of having sex with her, holding her, kissing her . . . possessing her.

A delicious, sharp ache hit her lower belly as this thought entered her mind, and she let out a soft gasp as she reached the bottom of the stairwell. She was just about to walk up when a silhouette appeared at the top of the stairs.

It was Harry Potter.

"Granger! What are you doing down here?" he demanded, pulling out his pad.

"I . . . I was with Professor Snape. Here, I have a pass," she said to the Slytherin as she walked up. Harry moved to let her exit, then took the pass from her, studying it. He handed it back.

"You just got back today, and already you're down in the dungeons?" he asked her with a frown.

"Well, you know about the basilisk. I'm helping to render it for potion ingredients. It's a big job," she replied amicably. She wasn't in the mood to argue with Harry. She just wanted to loll in the good vibes of Professor Snape's interest. "I was just checking on the Professor's progress since I've been gone."

Well, it was a little white lie, but appropriate to get Potter off her back.

Harry stared at her, and couldn't help saying what he said next.

"You know, Granger, you're around Snape so much, people might think something's going on between you two," he said to her a bit accusingly.

Hermione frowned at him.

"Harry Potter! Professor Snape is a teacher! He'd never risk his job dallying with any student, especially me!" she said to him vehemently.

Harry studied her.

"You won't always be his student," the wizard replied. "You'll be graduating soon. Then there'd be nothing to stop you two from getting together . . . and he's got to be twice your age. That's sick."

"You're sick!" Hermione spat at him. "I'm not going to listen to any more of this. Good night!"

Harry watched as Hermione stalked off stiffly, heading up the marble staircase.

He shook his head. Maybe he was wrong.

But he couldn't help feeling something more was going on between Hermione Granger and Severus Snape that met the eye. They might not be acting on it, but he was almost certain something was there.

He could see it in Hermione's eyes when he looked down at her from the top of the stairs. She looked kind of dreamy-eyed. It reminded him of the way Ginny would look at him sometimes, and Ginny loved him.

Could Hermione Granger be in love with Professor Snape?

Harry shuddered a little as he walked down the stairs and through the dungeon corridor.

He supposed she could. There had to be some reason she looked like that.

Well, if she was in love with the dark wizard, even though Harry liked Snape, as far as he was concerned it was just plain creepy.

Creepy as hell.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. ***