Remember

CHAPTER 5: Softening







“Stop it, Hermione.” Severus said, frowning at his current partner for advanced potions. She was slowly stirring the cauldron with a pewter rod but her attention was on his hands as he prepared potions ingredients.







“I thought I was supposed to stir it continuously?” She said softly, watching the graceful movements of his hands as he chopped sprigs of lavender into perfectly even little bits.









“I don’t mean for you to stop stirring, just stop staring at my hands.” He said, the intensity of her interest was disconcerting.







“I’m sorry…I always did enjoy watching you brew.” She said softly.









“You are such a forward witch.” He said, shaking his head. “I don’t see why anyone would enjoy watching another person brew.”







“You have the most graceful hands. The way you handle the ingredients, preparing them….its almost like watching a dance. Each step is precise and choreographed perfectly. I have never seen another quite so brilliant.” She said, still stirring and watching the movements of his fingers.







“You need to get out more.” He grumbled. Hermione laughed at that.









“This from the boy who never socializes and speaks to no one but me?” She said.









“I have no choice but to speak to you, you are always there.” He said, sliding the lavender from his cutting board and into the cauldron. He dusted of his hands and took his seat on the stool beside her and waited for the potion to finish brewing. “Will you stop staring at my hands, please?” He said, taking the stirring rod from her hand. “Are you failing potions in your time?”







“No, though I think you would probably take great pleasure in failing me.” She said. “You would never let me get this close to you while you were brewing. You have a tendency to be very short with me.”









“I understand why if you spend all your time staring at my blasted hands instead of concentrating on your work.” He said. Hermione smiled, she liked him like this. Snarky and rude, yet somewhat friendly, at least as friendly as he could be. She annoyed him, but she also believed that he enjoyed her attention, enjoyed her friendship.







“I don’t spend all my time staring at them; if you caught me you’d take points.” She said. She reached for his hand lying on the table, holding onto it tightly when he tried to jerk it back. “Will you stop…I’m not going to hurt you.”







“Why are you always touching me? Do you touch every male you come in contact with so freely?” He asked, shifting on the stool uncomfortably as she ran her fingertips over his hand.









“No. But my best friends are both male, I suppose I’m so used to being with them that I don’t really think about it when I’m touching you….does it really bug you so much?” She asked, finally letting him pull back.







“People don’t touch me…I’m not accustomed to someone invading my personal space the way you do.” He said quietly. Hermione smiled, he didn’t say that he didn’t like it, he just wasn’t used to it.







“Well, by the time I leave you will be so accustomed to me invading your personal space you will be at a loss without me.” She said laughingly. Severus snorted softly.









“More likely I will celebrate things going back to normal.” He said.









“If you say so, but I think you will miss me.” She teased, watching him shift and readjust his robes as he continued stirring.







“Ms. Granger, may I have a word with you please?” Hermione winced at the oily voice coming from behind her. Severus raised one brow and continued stirring. She turned slowly on the stool and looked at Peter Pettigrew.







“How can I help you?” She asked, annoyed.









“Well, seeing as you are new….and that you haven’t really made any….decent….friends…..I thought I would do you a favor and take you to the Yule Ball.” He said, his beady little eyes staring at her breasts. Hermione heard Severus chuckle behind her and she glared at him over her shoulder. She nearly gagged when she turned back to Peter.









“Um….thank you…I think….but I already have a date for the ball.” She said, smiling.









“What? Wh….who?” Peter stammered, clearly affronted that she would turn him down. Though Hermione couldn’t for the life of her figure out why he would think she should be flattered.









“Severus is taking me to the ball.” She said, smiling when she heard the clink of the pewter rod hitting the side of the cauldron.









“Are you joking? You are going to go to a ball with Snape? Seen in public…..with him?” Peter asked incredulously. “You….surely you jest!”









“No, it is no joke. I am going to the ball with Severus and I will be proud to be seen on his arm and in his arms for that matter. Now if you will excuse me, I need to focus on my potion.” She said, turning back around and dismissing the piggish little oaf.









“I don’t recall asking you to the ball.” Severus said, his voice a low whisper.









“I’m sure you would have gotten around to it.” She said, grinning at him over the simmering cauldron.









“I don’t attend those things, Hermione. I don’t like them and I don’t socialize well….” The timer went off and interrupted him.









“Please?” She asked. “Will you take me to the ball? I will miss going in my own time and I would like to have a memory of going.”







Severus took the phial from her hand and ladled some of the calming potion into it. He put a cork stopper in the top and then set it on the table to look at her.







“Are you going to take no for an answer?” He asked.









“You can say no if you really don’t want to go with me, but I will spend the next two weeks desperately trying to change your mind.” She said, smiling prettily at him.









“So my choices are take you to the dance or be tormented by your ceaseless verbal attempts at coercion for two weeks?” He asked.







“Don’t sound so put out, Severus. Would it really be so bad to take me to a dance?” She asked.







“Not as bad as listening to you drone on and on about it for the next several days.” He groused. “Fine, I’ll go, but just so you know it is against my will, I am only doing this to preserve my sanity, what little I have left.”







Hermione stood and picked up the phial, then leaned in to kiss his cheek, laughing when he jerked away and glared at her. She smiled and made her way up to the professor’s desk to turn in their assignment, perfectly aware of the baffled wizard watching her. She was making headway, he was slowly softening towards her.







She stopped suddenly when she realized what had just happened; she had a date with Severus Snape.