Thank you, Miss Granger

Title : Thank you, Miss Granger
Disclaimer : See first chapter


Many thanks to Div for the beta-reading.



Chapter 6 : Out of the closet... and into trouble

Severus Snape had chosen her.

He had chosen her not only to meet his younger self, but to witness that scene: the day he was right against his father. However, she didn\'t know what his younger self thought, while he washed his hand at the tap. He may be convinced of having made a mistake and would change his conclusion later. If that was the case, she was not supposed to tell him. How she was supposed to hide that piece of information she didn\'t have a clue. There were so many questions her Potions Master had not answer... The headache was back. She felt tired and dizzy. She was not ready for the mission, she should have been in her bed, concerned about NEWTNEWTs and nothing else.

The door of the closet op. Sh. She stepped outside with difficulty, feeling a bit dazzled by the light, and froze as she caught his gaze. He was still kneeling in front of the tap and the water washing his hand was turning red. There was a moment suspended in time. She wanted to go and help him, but something in his attitude stopped her. No matter how she was feeling, he did not look like someone who wanted to be saved.

She didn\'t walk to him, didn\'t pass a cold hand on his forehead, didn\'t hold him tight whispering silly nonsense. Instead she coughnd snd started to brush meticulously the Slytherin uniform, more in order to move her stiff body than for a strictly cleaning necessity. The awkward moment vanished and he directed his attention back to his injury.

Once her uniform had been cleaned in any possible manner, she gave up the pretending and resumed her straight position. He didn\'t pay any attention to her. He was thin and pale with aristocratic hands. His body carried the promise of the man he would become, ta, st, stronger, once the flesh and muscles had thickened his lean members. He turned off the water and looked around as if she was invisible until he found a clean tissue. His mentments were self-assured as if the absence of his father made him somebody else, less confined.

The bird has escaped from his cage, she thought, and is not completely accustomed to freedom yet.

As a matter of fact, the clean tissue had been torn so violently his hand had started bleeding again. She was impressed by his professional ability as he was wrapping it and she felt ashamed of her own weakness. She was not the one who would go through Severus Snape\'s doomed destiny. Of course being close to Harry Potter had exposed her to a number of dangers and had left a few wounds, but she had a family, she had friends, she would never have to become a Death Eater and then a lonely spy. The headache was more and more present as she clenched her fists, willing to be worthy of her mission.

He had not said a word about her. He nevenever crossed his father\'s eyes during the confrontation, keeping his feelings and thoughts to himself. And now he was taking care of the injury as if it was a commonplace situation. She had faced many dangers while standing next to Harry and she d red recognize bravery when she saw it, he was not an enemy to underestimate. She focused her thoughts on him and the present situation, pushing away all the images of the future. The headache vanished as if by magic.

She walked straight to him and stopped three feet away. Their eyes mets wrs wrapped hand fell along his thin body. In this time, he was already taller than her but not full height yet, therefore she didn\'t have to look up. His dark eyes were glittering coldly in the vanishing light of the dungeon.

Legilimency had to do with emotional control, alike lies. Lying meant inventing things, spending energy to create a mental alternative reality. Half a lie, and one used half energy. When she had to lie to her parents, she had always used lies and truth in a subtle mixture, displaying the safe information to keep the most important secret. In a way, she had the feeling Severus had done the same with his father, presenting one truth to hide another one: her. But maybe she was just an idealistic foolish girl.

\'Hello again, Severus.\'

He frowned and gave her a very piercing glance. She remained focused on him, the only conscious thing in her mind being two black stars.

\'How do you know my name?\'

\'Because I was waiting for you.\'

She didn\'t even have to think, words had flowed out. She felt comfortable and detached although she could almost feel the tension emanating from him. Her mind was as peaceful as the surface of a lake by the moon and as opaque. It was even more gratifying to use his eyes - the most useful weapon in Legilimency - as a counter-weapon. If he actually managed to read his mind, the only thing he would see would be the fascinating beauty of his own gaze.

He broke the visual contact with a wince and she couldn\'t repress a smile. So that was it? Harry had made so much fuss about it, she felt almost deceived. Severus was looking away as if he wanted to avoid any direct visual contact, it was as if she had hurt him from a distance. He ultimately came back to her cautiously and studied her uniform. Hermione waited patiently during the examination, but he made no comment about it, choosing another counter-attack.

\'Waiting for me? And how can I beany any assistance?\'

He could already play with the intonations, although it had not reached the deepening of his older self. She forced the image of her Potions Master to fade away and focused on him. He was studying her again. She was conscious that her tendency to go on daydreams prejudiced her. In this mental fight, any moment of inattention was perilous, but he was so charming it was difficult to remain concentrate.

\'Well, you could help in many ways.\'

No reaction. Better to give up smiles and humour since he didn\'t seem very receptive. The impression was very different from her Potions Master, she could feel him wandering around, looking for a flaw to get inside. His mental presence was as real as his body, or maybe she just reacted in a stronger way. It was almost sensual. Her body had already been caressed by a boy, not her mind, which made the experience a very special one.

She relaxed and let her eyes rest on the thin boy. Despite his maturity and determination, he looked younger than he was. Somehow, she could tell he was impressed by the obvious age difference. It was nothing: two years, but considering the gap of maturity between boys and girls, it seemed much more. She sighed and brushed away a curl that rested on her cheek. Slow movements, closely watched. What would the next step be? Maybe she could make him answer her questions, for a change.

\'Do you know why it didn\'t work?\'

He gestured vaguely.

\'It doesn\'t matter.\'

\'It doesn\'t matter if you were right or wrong? If Miss Vance was lying or not?\'

\'She wasn\'t lying, I saw her healed hand.\'

\'Then why-\' she indicated his bandage.

He gave a short smirk that vanished immediately. \'Who cares?\'

\'I do\', she said, and mentally added: \'Just wondering if I\'m going through all this mess for a good reason\'. He was studying her with defiance.

\'You had nothing to do here.\'

Nothing o wio with this private scene, she mentally translated.

\'Well, I happened to be there.\'

\'I could have turned you in.\'

He had a merciless look on his face, not far from the one he had given Sirius. Apparently, the Marauders had good reasons to be afraid of being turned in. Where did this unpleasant habit of betraying everybody come from? she wondered with a touch of impatience. What\'s wrong with this boy?

\'Actually, I should have turned you in.\'

\'But you didn\'t.\'

Don\'t even try to play this kind of game with me, boy, I\'m not a stupid hormone-freak-teenager. She grinned as she realized her message had reached its destination, if not in a detailed way, at least the main thread.

\'You\'re not a Slytherin.\'

\'No\', she answered, not even bothering to hide the fact she was proud of it.

It was so easy to tease him, she could hardly resist. He studied her, distant, curious, calculating.

\'Who are you?\'

\'A Princess\', she answered boldly without thinking. Actually, considering her mission she was probably more of a Knight than a Princess but it didn\'t sound as good.

\'A Princess in a closet?\' he snapped, obviously considering it was a ridiculous attempt of humour. However, his distand and controlled tone had flickered in this last sentence, he wasn\'t comfortable talking with her. After all, he was a sixteen years old loner, and to her knowledge girls were not usually spying him in closets at the time.

Hermione was very pleased she was not the one to suffer of the age difference for once. Even if it was a small one, it made things more comfortable for her somehow. And she seemed to be able to keep him out of her thoughts rather efficiently. It was becoming very entertaining. She felt like pushing her chance.

\'Are you a real student? I never saw you.\'

\'You never noticed me, Severus.\'

He was still fixing her, she could feel his mind scanning hers, but she didn\'t flicker, since she was not exactly lying; as a matter of fact, Severus Snape had never noticed her. His mouth twisted bitterly as he was perfectly aware she was playing with him. The half-lie thing seemed efficient. So, who\'s the subtle one now? she thought.

\'What do you want?\'

The directness of question disturbed her but she decided to stick to the instructions. That was definitely the most weird mission she had ever been given.

\'Miss Vance\'s sample.\'

\'Who\'s sending you?\'

\'Professor Dumbledore.\'

His eyes narrowed. Had she left something slip?

\'The old fool cannot even deal with the task himself!\'

She startled at the harsh tone. Hold on, he was not supposed to answer that.

\'Why didn\'t he come himself? Why should I give it to you?!\'

This was almost a shout and Hermione felt a wave of panic as she quickly considered possible replies. She had the very unpleasant impression to be in a trap she had not anticipated. How far had all this been planned? She wondered if her Potions Master had not been blinded by the fact he had passed on the side of light afterwards, that the yoboy boy she had to deal with was the one who would soon join the Death Eaters; and that young Severus Snape did not picture himself on Dumbledore\'s side, or at least not yet.

\'Pointless!\' shouted the little voice inside. \'He is taking advantage of you. Don\'t start thinking and rambling, you\'re offering him a way inside!\' She recognize the truth in the statement and suddenly realized he was closer, although his body had not moved. He could smell her panic with a sheer satisfaction. No doubt the lack of control of her thoughts had given him a hint of her shortcomings.

What was she supposed to do now? Beg? She gave it a last try.

\'I need it.\'

Her weak tone was rewarded by a snort. There was no more traces of the touching boy she had seen througe sle slots of the closet.

\'What are you ready to give in exchange?\'

There was very little light in the classroom. His dark eyes were shining like two sparks amongst the shadows and suddenly she was scared. She could not tell why. After all, she was only facing a teenage boy who had not a clue who she was and what she was really up to. But now, for a reason she did not know, the advantage had switched side.

She swallowed but her mouth had gone dry. She tried to pretend she was still red, ed, which was stupid since he could see through her feelings, but she tried anyway.

\'What do you want?\' she heard herself answer.

He remained silent a little while, and then broke into a devilish smile. His next sentence was softly whispered, but cutting as a razor-blade.

\'I want to touch your breasts.\'


*End of chapter*

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