Coming Together

Chapter Four – You say that so often

“It’s not fair!” Hermione shouted ridiculously at no one in particular. She was lying on her bed, glaring at the ceiling as though it had just insulted her mother’s honor. She sat up quickly and looked around her head girl’s room. Normally, the blue-green hues (thank goodness she didn’t have to have all Gryffindor colors) would have soothed her, but right now she was just too intent on being unreasonably pissed to revel in her decorating genius. “It’s just not fair!”

She knew that she had no right to be upset, but that didn’t stop her. Ron, that stupid prat hadn’t wasted any time at all before showing her what she was (and obviously he wasn’t) missing; but did it have to be her? That stupid Tiffany girl had always irked her and now she was right at the top of the list of people to hex ‘accidently’ with some horrible incurable skin disease at the first chance. Tiffany (which Hermione had decided probably meant “bitch” in some ancient language) was one of those blonde, skinny, gorgeous girls who, somehow despite her tiny frame, had managed to grow humongous curves in all the right places. This was the reason that Hermione, the bloody Know-it-all, the bloody Gryffindor princess, member of the bloody Order of the Phoenix, and part of the bloody golden trio, was now thinking of attacking her ceiling tiles.

It just wasn’t fair. Hermione had to work especially hard at her appearance and was still only passable as just barely female, but Tiffany and her lot could elicit a reaction from wearing a fucking T-shirt and looking like she just rolled out of bed. ‘Not as though I care’ Hermione chided herself, ‘I hope Ron is happy with her.’
“BUT STILL!” she screamed.


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Severus was decidedly less snarky on this day (not that anyone would know it of course) because of his meeting with Miss Granger the night before. It had gone as well as he would have guessed. He had asked her ridiculously hard questions and she had ridiculously known the answers to them. He had been surprised (although he probably shouldn’t have been) to see that she had also read up on his research. They had talked for about an hour about potions theory before he realized that idle conversation was probably on the list of nice things to do and therefore completely out of character for him. Upon realizing this he had told her that every weeknight from now on she would be helping him in his labs and when term ended he would draw out the contract for her apprenticeship, if she still wanted it.

While all of this had been going through his mind he had been paying very little attention to the students around him as he stalked through the halls in his typically menacing fashion; but then something caught his eye and he stepped into the shadows and out of the way of the storm he saw approaching.
Hermione pushed her way through a group of second years, very nearly knocking them over and, not quite as nearly, drawing a chuckle from the Potions Master. Her jaw was set and her hands were balled up into fists, she was obviously upset but not in the crying sort of way; more in the going-to-hex-the-life-out-of-the-next-person-who-so-much-as-breathes-to-loudly-in-my-direction sort of way. She looked quite intimidating and had Severus been the head of her house he would probably have given her points for some obscure thing. He hoped that someone had the bad luck to get in her way before tonight, he didn’t fancy being on the receiving end of her wrath.

As it so happened (and none too soon) he got his wish just before dinner was over. The Weasley boy had been talking very loudly about the fact that his new girlfriend (an airheaded little witch and therefore a perfect match for him, Severus thought) and he would be attending the yuletide ball together. He was just saying how sorry he felt for people who couldn’t get dates to things when with a loud exclamation of “Oh sod off you stupid, immature, little git!” Hermione jumped up from her seat and stalked through the doors to the great hall but not before leaving her mark on the ‘happy couple’. Ron’s face was now covered in large lipstick mark shaped boils and his airhead’s hair had been turned a vomit green shade.

Severus found himself having to skip dinner and retreat to the dungeons lest he do something completely out of the question and laugh hysterically in front of the entire student body. Oh yes, this was definitely a good day.

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A/N –

Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, they make me giggle like a school girl and the more I get the more I feel obligated to write.

I am sorry if there are any skinny blonde girls named Tiffany here. I needed a name and that was the best one I could think of. The character is based on my little sister who has always been much skinnier, prettier, and more popular than me; although of course I love my little sister and she doesn’t mean to do all of that and never (ok hardly ever) rubs it in.

50 points will be given to the house of the person who gets the reference for the title and why I used it for this chapter. Just send your answer in review form with the house you belong to and your praise for my story. The reviewer who is first with the right answer (or the best sucking-up ability) wins the points.

Love you all, until later,

-MA