Whiskey Colored Eyes

Minerva stood watching Hermione sob into her hands. Sighing she came out from around her desk. Reaching down, she gently grasped the girl's hand. "Come over here Hermione." She said softly. "Sit with me on the couch."

Hermione followed her to the couch and sat down next to her, tears still streaming down her face. "Come here." Minerva said, holding her arms out. Hermione collapsed gratefully into her embrace, crying loudly on the Headmistress' shoulder.

When Hermione seemed to be cried out, Minerva sat back and handed her a tissue. "I'm going to call the house elves for some tea and then I want you to tell me everything. Start from the beginning.

Hermione nodded her head, sniffing.

"I guess it all started the moment I saw him." Hermione said softly, the warm cup of tea clutched in her hands seemed to have calmed her for the moment. "He was just so impressive and larger then life."

"You came to me during your second year and requested my help to become an animagus."

"Yes. But that was just for me." Hermione insisted. "I was fascinated by the process and wanted to do it for myself."

"…..during my 5th year I realized I had a crush on him….."

"….when he survived the attack and I visited him in the hospital, I knew then that I had fallen in love with him…"

"…..just so intimidating, I didn't know how to approach him."

"But Hermione, when did you decide to use your animagus form?" Minerva asked.

"Well I was hoping that when I started my apprenticeship things would somehow be different. He would be able to open up to me more. But he would barely look at me; he hardly even spoke to me except to give me my assignments. I thought that maybe if I could find out how he really felt about me, then I would know and then one thing…."

"Just led to another." Minerva finished for her.

Hermione nodded her head. "When I watched him…." she hesitated, blushing furiously "…..well, you know." Minerva nodded her head quickly. "He cried out my name. He said he wanted me so badly it hurt. He told me how lonely he was."

"But Hermione he didn't tell YOU those things, he told….." Minerva stopped speaking and stood up suddenly, moving towards her desk. "Hermione, didn't you wonder why a man like Severus Snape would talk so opening and conversationally to an animal?"

Hermione watched as the older women, opened drawers and books around her desk, obviously searching for something. "It did seem a little odd and out of character for him." She agreed softly.

"Aw. Here it is." Minerva walked back to the couch, a picture in her hand. Sitting down, she handed the picture over solemnly. "Maybe this will help you understand."

Hermione stared down at the picture. It was a candid shot of an obviously younger Snape. Hermione recognized his desk in the dungeon. She watched as he leaned over a piece parchment writing, while a beautiful black cat batted playfully at his quill. Hermione gasped in shock as the photograph Snape pressed his forehead affectionately against the cat's head, allowing it to rub against his face and nip at his nose. The love radiating from the picture was palpable.

She turned to Minerva, curiosity in her eyes.

"Olie."

"Ollie?"

"No." Minerva laughed. "Oh lee, short for Oleander. He had some strange idea that he could brew a perfect pure love potion from Black Oleander flowers. Something he'd read somewhere."

"But Oleander is one of the most toxic plants." Hermione said, unable to tear her eyes away from the picture.

"He was eleven. What did he know? But she was the love of his life."