On the first day of Christmas

Hermione rushed into her bedroom, her heart thumping painfully in her chest as the tears almost streamed down her face. She collapsed onto the warm bed, her only solace for the moment.

Things were not going to plan. Not only had Snape been completely horrid to her for the entire week she had spent with him in detention, he still hadn\'t worn the cufflinks. She had only two weeks left until...

Her mind flitted briefly back to moments prior...Snape had been unnaturally rude to her, telling her to pay attention to what she was doing. Then, in a flurry of stumblings and tripping to get away from him, Hermione had knocked over the large cauldron they had been working on.

Snape had blanched slightly at the look of their nights work spilled all over the ground. Hermione had given a gasp of horror, and tried scooping remains into a small dish at her side.

\"GET OUT!\"he had bellowed looking at her with rage, as she did as she was told. She was halfway to the door when she had to look back, to apologize to him.

He had clutched in his right hand, a large jar of dried cockroaches, which he looked as if he were about to throw at her this very instant. Hermione let out a small cry, and he lowered the jar, placing it on the table beside him.

\"Get out.\" he had said lowly, looking at her repulsed.

And she did.

Now at this moment she was pacing in her room, having lifted herself from the bed. Not only was she completely failing in showing Snape Christmas could be good, and that she could be his friend...he now hated her! What a bloody waste of time.

A sharp clinking sound rang from her right and she looked to the window in surprise. On its window sill sat a large raven, looking at her with angry eyes...just like it\'s master she would soon muse.

Hermione opened the window and let the bird in. It shook off the snow that landed on it during its flight and held out it\'s leg, knowing the drill. Hermione took it and offered it a drink in a small water dish.

The raven took one presumedly disgusted glance at the dish before swooping out of the window and undoubtedly back to the chambers of it\'s disgruntled master.

Hermione unrolled the parchment, knowing full well what awaited her.

\'Miss Granger,

After your inexcusable actions tonight I have
no choice but to inform you that you will now
be serving detentions on weekends as well.

S.S.\'

Hermione looked at the parchment with anger and helpless fear. Why was this always happening to her? Why did he want to torment her like this? How could she even stand him when he was being this horrendous?

She threw the paper into the fire, and saw to her fury that it did\'t burn. Wizards. She ignored it and went over to her bookcase, determined to read herself into oblivion.

Another tap on the glass sounded as Hermione exasperatedly walked to the window, prepared to kill the damned bird if she was quick enough, and mail it back to Snape in pieces.

No. It was Hedwig, and Hermione felt a serene sort of thanks as it hooted gently and gave Hermione a quizzical look. Hermione opened the window gingerly and broughe coe cold bird inside. She crumbled some gingersnaps into a bowl and gave it to her.

Hedwig ate them thankfully, as Hermione untied the parchment from her leg. Her eyes filled with tears as she read the lettering.

\'Dear Mione,

Ron and I are coming to Hogwarts next Thursday. We
have a great surprise for you. Hope you\'re enjoying
yourself, see you then...-Harry\'

Hermione felt her heart fill with sudden happiness, Harry and Ron were coming out! Perhaps Christmas wouldn\'t be so bad. She\'d be away from Hogwarts...a thought occured to Hermione, perhaps Ron and Harry could help her with her plan for Snape!

Wait, she still hadn\'t gotten either of them a present! She\'d been so busy trying to get on Snape\'s good side that she hadn\'t had time for shopping! Except for the cufflinks...but they had been delivered. She needed to get Ron and Harry\'s presents specially.

After a gentle pet and goodbye to Hedwig, she lay down in her bed, knowing full well she had a busy day ahead of her.

______________________________

She walked to Dumbledore\'s office in the afternoon, knocking on his large door and stepped in when he opened the door to his office.

It was warm and cheery and Hermione instantly loved that the Headmaster was in such amiable spirits, it was a pleasant change from Snape the Scrooge.

\"Why hello Hermione.\" he said jovially, \"Do sit down. Are you having a pleasant Christmas vacation? I hear you\'ve been assisting Professor Snape?\"

Hermione was internally thankful that Snape hadn\'t told everyone it was a detention, that instead she was assisting him. Probably just a way of covering his own hide some way. The smile on her face still faltered a bit as she spoke. \"Yes I am. And how\'s your vacation been?\"

\"Just fine.\"

After w mow moments of platonic chatting, story sharing and tea drinking, Dumbledore finally asked, \"What brings you here this afternoon Hermione?\"

\"Well Headmaster.\" she said serenly, \"I was wondering if I could have a pass to go to Hogsmeade this weekend.\" After detention. she thought miserably. \"Since there aren\'t that many students here this vacation I\'ve noticed there aren\'t any Hogsmeade outings.\"

Dumbledore gave her a sad look over his halfmoon spectacles. He
sighed heavily and shook his aged head. Hermione frowned, wondering what he could be on about.

\"Hermione, even thought Voldemort is believed to be dead, which
we still can\'t prove, I can\'t let any student out of Hogwarts on their own.\"

\"He couldn\'t possibly come after me.\" Hermione protested, as Dumbledore gave her a peaked look.

\"You know full well he would, Hermione.\"

How typically unfair. She probably wouldn\'t be allowed outside in a week\'s time. She sighed heavily, rubbing her now throbbing temple.

\"But Harry\'s gone to the burrow.\" Hermione said with her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed. Dumbledore shifted uncomfortably in his seat, she had those piercing dark eyes that rivaled Snape at times, and when angry she greatly disturbed Dumbledore.

\"Yes. But Harry\'s been accompanied by Tonks and so forth.\"

\"Then I can\'t go at all?\"

Dumbledore shook his head once more, \"You may go if accompanied by one from the Order.\"

Hermione looked to him knowing full well that Snape was the only one left here at Hogwarts from the Order. There had to be another option. Getting Snape to be her friend was one thing, having her accompany her to Hogsmeade alone was another.

\"Couldn\'t you take me, Headmaster?\"

Dumbledore chuckled, \"Sadly child,\" he said standing and walking over to her, \"I\'m quite busy and am needed here more often than you think. Best to try your luck with Professor Snape.\"

Hermione frowned and made her way out of his office, thanking him for
his time.

\"Try my luck with Snape.\" Hermione muttered to herself,
\"Ha...that\'s a laugh.\"

_____________________________________________


A week passed and next Sunday came around and Hermione was back in Snape\'s dungeon. They weren\'t getting on much better, and in turn Hermione\'s plan was getting more and more bleak...she hated failing.

Plus, Harry and Ron would be at Hogwarts in less than a day and she still hadn\'t asked Snape for his accompaniment to Hogsmeade. Things had been rocky ever since the cockroach incident and she hadn\'t wanted to do anything to vex him.

She couldn\'t help but look at him through her heavy fringe, with a look of malcontent. He was hurriedly dropping something into the bubbling concoction, and she couldn\'t help but marvel at his constant precision. His lips pursed on occassion, as his glittering black orbs stared hypnotically into the creation while Hermione stirred it occassionally.

How could she appeal to him as a friend? How could she convince him, above all people that Christmas wasn\'t all that bad?

\"Stir slower.\" he ordered silkily, not looking at her as he said it, and Hermione obliged boredly. She looked up to the high window\'s of his chambers, wondering what was going on outside.

Here she was, while everyone else was out at Hogsmeade buying presents and she was here...stuck with the miserable git she\'d feared since the beggining of first year.

She suddenly recalled when she had lit his cloak on fire, and she suppressed a giggle. He caught her sudden grin though, and gave her a look of obvious displeasure.

\"What\'s so funny, Granger?\"

Hermione looked to him with a look of sudden surprise, she didn\'t know he had seen her. She shrugged, and offered a weak reply about being excited about Harry and Ron\'s upcoming visit. Snape rolled his eyes at that, and went back to his potion.

Hermione stirred the potion slower, making sure she got on his good side. There was no point in getting on his bad one. Suddenly Harry and Ron\'s note flashed into her mind...they were coming out tommorow. When would she have a chance to buy their gifts?

\"Professor?\"

He offered a grunt of a response and Hermione sighed heavily, this was not going to be an easy task. No, it would seem taking down all of Voldemort and his Deatheaters would be an easier task than asking Snape to accompany her to Hogsmeade.

\"Do you...well you see, Dumbledore said I had to ask...and well, I really want....Harry and Ron are coming...and-\"

\"Do stop your babbling, Granger.\" Snape said wincing at her
verbal wrongings. \"Think before you speak.\"

Hermione took a deep breath. No point in getting him angry. She saw his argus-eyed gaze trained on her as she shifted from foot to foot. Well...no time like the present.

\"I want to go to Hogsmeade tommorow, but Dumbledore says I can\'t go unless accompanied by someone from the Order...\"

Snape had his arms still crossed over his chest, looking at her as if he was waiting for her to go on. When she didn\'t he frowned, \"How does this affect me?\"

Hermione gave him a look of exasperation, knowing full well he knew how it affected him. \"You\'re the only one left here, from the Order.\"

The light went on in Snape\'s eyes, and she saw his lip curl.
\"Your proposing that I accompany you to Hogsmeade?\"

Hermione didn\'t like that malicious look in his eyes. Truth be told, before this she hadn\'t really spent all that much time with him alone. She still really didn\'t know much about him at all.

\"Yes.\"

Snape surveyed her, seeing exactly what her angle was. Was it all just a prank? A trick of getting him off Hogwarts ground and then pulling some horrendous prank on him? He\'d been wronged so many times in the past...

\"Why don\'t you just order something from town?\"

\"I can\'t.\" Hermione said shaking her head, \"I know
exactly what I want to get for Harry and they won\'t deliver it.\"

He looked to her warily, seeing her explination was appropriate. Many Hogsmeade merchants refused to deliver items from their stores.

\"Why must it be me? Why not the Headmaster?\" he said, still
looking at her, waiting for her to give herself away. Instead of crumbling, she too crossed her arms over her chest and looked him square in the eyes.

\"Because the Headmaster said he couldn\'t.\" Hermione
answered dejectedly. Seeing that Snape wasn\'t about to budge she
finally let out a defiant sigh and dropped her arms.

\"Please Professor.\"

Snape gave her a dyspeptic look, obviously not impressed with her vapid speech, and somehow took this as a portent, an omen of sorts. Something was going to happen, the question was, good or bad?

\"Fine Granger.\"

She gave him an obfuscate glance, and a small smile crept onto her face as she was about to thank him...when he broke in and spoke once more.

\"In return for my favor.\" he said looking to her with sadistic glee, \"You are to...\" he trailed off, seeing her worried gaze. He smirked, \"Actually. I\'ll come up with something later, do we have a deal?\"

Hermione looked to him with prudent speculation. What could he
possibly do to her? Nothing. She was a student and he a Professor. She had nothing to lose.

She nodded as Snape as Snape lifted his wand and said roughly,
\"Accio parchment.\" and a small, silver piece of parchment flew into his waiting hands. He wrote something hurriedly in it and then told Hermione to sign it. She did so, not being able to read his cramped handwriting.

\"There.\" he said, shoving the parchment into his robes and placing his wand beside him on the counter. \"Done.\"

Hermione nodded, when a creeping feeling entered her stomach as they went back to their potion. She on occasion that night glanced up to his face, something was different about his smirk now, it was harsher.

...what had she done?