The death of a git, the rise of a hero...

Hermione\'s sobs lessened as she reached the portrait to the Gryffindor common room. Sadly her eyes were still watery and surely her face splotched as a tell tale sign to her distress. She breathed deeply, fanning her face desperately as she looked up to the Fat Lady.

\"Do I look okay?\"

The Fat Lady peered down at her, \"Aside from the splotchy face and watery eyes you look lovely dear.\"

Hermione frowned darkly muttering, \"Nettles.\" before swinging the portrait open and internally praying that no one would ask her what happened. Perhaps she could slink by few students still awake in the common room and ru-...

\"HERMIONE!\"

Hermione\'s foot stopped from landing on the step ahead of her as she sighed deeply, turning slightly to see where the call had come from. Ginny. Of course.

The younger girl rushed over, red hair flying as she looked up to Hermione in shock. Hermione always suspected that Ginny sort of admired her, for all she\'d been through, and the two did get along especially when Ginny had been sure Hermione would date her brother, (which she hadn\'t.) But at times such as this Hermione felt that feeling she could only assume Harry felt when dealing with Colin Creevy.

But now looking at the younger girl, Hermione was desperate for comfort and she couldn\'t see Ron or Harry anywhere. Most had gone to bed as it was quite late and Ginny was then concealing a yawn, having obviously been waiting up for Hermione.

\"What\'s the matter Hermione?\" Ginny asked again, peering into the girl\'s face. Hermione\'s face went neutral but with her lips trembling as she prepared to tell Ginny what had happened, if anything she desperately needed some comfort.

Suddenly Dumbledore\'s warning flashed into her mind, You shall not tell anyone about what transpired this evening. and she shook her head, dragging her eyes to the stairs in front of her. \"I\'m sorry Ginny.\" she breathed raggedly, \"I can\'t tell you.\"

With that she offered a small apologetic look to the girl and dragging herself up to her bed concealed the sobs that threatened to overtake her. She hated her life.

* * *

\"Bloody ridiculous.\" Snape thought sourly, looking around at his home as the girl ran off crying out his front door. What a ruddy baby. Not only had he explained that what he had said was mere falsehood, he\'d also tried in his small way to be kind. And what had she done? Rushed off with tears streaming down his face.

Shaking off his robe and pulling on silken pajama bottoms he climbed into his massive bed and contemplatively looked up to the ceiling. He couldn\'t hold back the oily smirk that crossed his face as he recalled Granger\'s horrified look when she thought they may have to sleep together.

I should have told her Dumbledore ordered us to. he thought wickedly, rolling over onto his side as he did.
He was trying to imagine actually going through the whole marriage ideal with the chit. He imaged she\'d cry at the ceremony, moaning about how much she\'d miss her lost gone childhood.

He imagined she\'d ask to read his books again and wondered if he should oblige. Probably not. Little brat might take full reign of his home. He made the decision right then and there that she wouldn\'t clutter up his office. He\'d hate to come home one night to mark papers just to have all her bloody essay\'s strewn about the desk.

Well, she wasn\'t going to use his desk, that was for sure.

Wait, would she move her things in here? His heart pounded unnaturally fast. Surely she wouldn\'t? She was petrified of him, wasn\'t she? She wouldn\'t have the gall to bring her horridly tacky things into his domain and expect him to go along with it.

It was then that Snape realized he was getting all worked up over something that may not even happen, and this thought brought him immense relief.

If I\'m lucky, perhaps this whole thing\'ll blow over.
Drifting off to sleep Severus couldn\'t help but wonder if perhaps Miss Granger wasn\'t the bookwork she always acted as. He\'d seen her do well in school, and she\'d been a dedicated friend to those two dunderheads.

But maybe, just maybe Hermione Granger was a randy little schoolgirl in need of a good spanking from a mysterious Professor? And another thought occurred to him, what if the little chit had planned all of this?

Get a hold of yourself Severus. his mind reeled, She did not plan to get captured by Voldemort. No one would voluntarily marry you Severus.

Snape had to agree with his rational thought. The girl was so naive about everything it was almost laughable. She probably wouldn\'t know what to do with a man if she had the chance. Book smarts could only take a person sr, ar, and when it came to things of intimacy, Snape doubted she even knew what the male form looked like.

He didn\'t know why he was even giving off thoughts pertaining to Miss Granger\'s sexual knowledge as he knew deep down he couldn\'t stand her, and that her mere presence was a bother.

He supposed this morbid curiosity stemmed from the fact that he might just have to marry her and was trying to come to terms with just who the little know-it-all was. Who was Hermione Granger?

This uncomfortable thought plagued the uneasy Professor into a dreamless sleep as a small frown crossed upon his lips.

_________________________________________

That Friday was the first of the meetings, and Hermione was so nervous she felt that she might throw up. She had managed to slip under Snape\'s radar so far. She\'d sat in the back of his classroom never helping Neville (even though he practically begged), had been sure to be in before curfew and never went to the dungeons.

But now she\'d be sitting across from him, having his glare on her for a good two hours as strangers to the situation tried to put in their two cents worth, not fully comprehending that Hermione and Snape\'s life hung in the balance.

This whole ordeal had proved to be a large strain on Hermione\'s relationships with Harry, Ron and Ginny. They didn\'t ignore her or do anything so childish, but Harry and Ron seemed a little more distant, surely worried they\'d slip up and let her secret out. Ginny had been colder, and Hermione suspected still angry for not telling her what had happened that night.

Classes were dull and long, and all Hermione could think of what would happen to her at the end of five months. Would they survive? Would she become Hermione Snape? The mere thought of that sent shivers down her spine and a sickness in her abdomen.

She had tried to push the kiss and grope from her mind, she had been terrified then and hearing his words in his flat that night had done nothing to settle her nerves. The mere thought of sharing a room with him? Perhaps he wasn\'t as respectable as Dumbledore believed? What if he was some sex starved maniac just counting down the days until she\'d become his property?

Don\'t be so stupid Hermione. she thought that day, walking to Dumbledore\'s office with her books still in her shaking clutch. He wouldn\'t do anything to be sent to Azkaban for.

She had received a note during breakfast, which was a stupid thing to do as Ginny had asked her whom it was from. Hermione, already feeling horrible for evading all prior questions pertaining to the night sheepishly shrugged in an apologetic way and said it was nothing important. Ginny had nodded and shifted her attention to Seamus as Harry and Ron were immersed in conversing about a new Firebolt, leaving Hermione surrounded by people and utterly alone.
Worst of all, neither Ginny nor Ron had asked her to stay at the Burrow that summer, she had heard Harry was going and she had felt the first prickles of indignation and offence.

The note from Dumbledore was currently in-between the pages of her Arithmacy book, and she realized just how much homework she was going to have to complete over the upcoming weekend. Her distractions over the perhaps marriage had proven to be a slight hindrance on her work, and things had backed up. This wasn\'t like her at all. He was ruining her life.

\"Hermione!\"

Hermione sighed internally, turning in the hallowed hall as Ginny rushed up to her, her hair sticking a bit to her neck with the oncoming summer\'s heat. She was panting, and looked to Hermione with large blue eyes that showed acceptance.

\"I know I was rude this morning.\" She breathed, walking up to Hermione, \"And I\'m really sorry...it\'s just that, my feelings were hurt.\"

Hermione\'s eyes filled with tears as Ginny went on, shuffling her feet a little embarrassed. \"...and if you can\'t tell me what\'s going on, I understand. Friend\'s shouldn\'t force friend\'s to talk about things they don\'t want to and I wanted to know if you wanted to stay at the Burrow with us this summer.\"

Hermione nodded, wiping her eyes with her appearing handkerchief a bit as Ginny smiled, looking better. \"Yes, thank you Ginny. I really do.\"

Ginny nodded, her eyes crinkling a bit as she did so nodding emphatically. \"Really?\"

\"Really.\"

Ginny nodded, \"I was really worried you\'d say no. Or that you\'d make up some lie about not wanting to come.\" Her eyes dropped ashamedly to the floor, \"Honestly, I thought you were mad at me.\"

\"No.\" Hermione rushed, feeling a weight lift from her chest as she said the words. Ginny wasn\'t mad at her! Perhaps life could go back to normal; perhaps everything would turn out all right in the end. \"No Ginny. It\'s not you at all. It\'s me.\"
Ginny nodded, \"Well I have to get going to my class, I\'ll see you in the common room later?\"

Hermione nodded emphatically, giving her friend a quick hug before heading off quickly to the Headmaster\'s office. Perhaps things would work out for the best after all.

* * *

Hermione was the last to arrive, and felt a blush of shame come over her cheeks at this realizn. Tn. The entire group of Professor’s were there, and she internally wished they weren\'t. She was humiliated that they knew of her ‘engagement’ to Snape and they probably thought she was a spoiled brat, showing up late for a cause they were trying to save her from.

They were all seated as McGonagall had guided her in from the door and to a seat, which happened to be across from the man she currently loathed, and whom she was sure hated her back.

She blushed despite her reservations to do just the opposite. She was still humiliated from her actions in his flat, and only wished she could take back what she had said about him scaring her. If anything, that was just more fuel to his sadistic fire.


He gave her a passing look of interest as she sat, fiddling with her hands as she looked around the table. It appeared that Albus had informed them of the task at hand as all of them had parchment, quills and sympathetic looks on their faces. Evidently they understood the perils of being engaged to Snape.

Snape had just noticed Hermione\'s embarassed blush and wondered if she was flustered for her past actions. She should be. For some reason the question that had plagued him some night ago arose, and he found himself subconciously watching her a moment before breaking from his reverie and looking over to a now standing Albus.

\"The meeting shall begin.\" Albus started as bowls of sweets appeared on the table and Hermione found herself relaxing a bit. She was safe.

All the good natured professor\'s began eating the sweets and just when things were starting to be a little normal there was a sweeping voice from one end of the table, dragging away everyone’s attention from Albus.

\"One of you will meet your death.\" Trelawny said with a yawn, her bug eyes rolling around lazily in their sockets. \"But-
\"

“Enough now Sybil.” McGonagall said with disdain, rolling her eyes as Trelawny shot her a dark look through her strange new spectacles.

For some strange reason, Hermione and Snape exchanged quizzical glances at that moment before looking back to Albus who looked not only embarrassed by this comment from a member of his staff, but also tired of the whole ordeal.

Hermione felt a pang of sympathy for him, he\'d evidently gone to all the trouble of saving them and Snape for his part was acting like a selfish git.

\"Were you able to slip away unnoticed?\" Dumbledore asked Hermione, in reference to Harry and Ron, \"I\'m aware that a note sent in the middle of breakfast wasn\'t the most inconspicuous.\"

At this he shot Filch -who stood at the doorway with Mrs. Norris- a severe glanc whi which he looked away ashamed. Hermione inwardly groaned, evidently Filch had wanted a part in this as well.

Hermione was about to tell Dumbledore that there hadn\'t been a problem when Snape from across from her spoke up, his arms folded confidently on his chest as Hermione marveled at the relaxation he exuded. She\'d been on bloody tenterhooks for the past week, and he looked like he was fully rested and above all, bored.

\"Or did Miss Granger inform her \'friends\' of the reason for her impromptu departure?\" he demanded, a bored look in his dark eyes as Hermione met them. She shook her head lightly, trying to use the desk as a shield between them both as she felt his cold gaze sliding over her face and resting on her eyes.

She was sure he was trying to get her in trouble, although she didn\'t see what point it would serve. They were both in this together.

\"No sir, I didn\'t.\"

\"I only inquire,\" Snape went on dramatically, making it sure to everyone in the room that he detested the young woman across from him. \"Because they may think you\'re...up to something.\"

Hermione glanced at him a moment before turning her attention back to Dumbledore and licking her lips nervously. \"Well there were no problems.\" she said tersely, \"And I\'m here to brainstorm some ideas to get us out of this mess.\"

At the word \'mess\', Hermione glanced towards Snape and in turn he assumed was mostly in reference to him although he couldn\'t place If If anything the little brat should be thanking him for her rescue. It was his life at stake as well.

Albus nodded, \"And so we shall begin.\"

* * *

The meeting went on for a good hour, where many ideas were brought forth, but all fell short of the crucial prospect of getting Hermione and Snape un-engaged.

How would they do it? How could they fool Voldemort? How did you pull the wool over evil\'s eyes?

\"Perhaps we claim that Hermione is already betrothed.\" Hooch had offered earnestly, tapping her quill on the smooth tabletop as she spoke, her light eyes illuminated from the many candles around them. \"Maybe to Weasley. We can-\"

Hermione had looked up from her messy parchment at this, the ink dried on her fingertips as she stopped writing. This sounded like a fine plan; why not say she was already betrothed? Perhaps Vol-

\"That won\'t stop the Dark Lord.\" Snape muttered darkly, \"Whatever he wants, he gets. Don\'t forget who you\'re dealing with.\"

Hermione scowled at the bitter old Professor darkly before returning to her parchment angrily. Here they all were offering suggestions whilst he sat near the end of the table shooting every idea down as he sulked. He wasn\'t doing anything to help the situation, more just being a pest.

She desperately wanted to yell at Snape and shout, \"Well what brilliant idea do you have?\" But one well placed glare from him caused her insides to go to nervous jelly and fear overrode her normally extremely overactive bravery.

Everyone had been at it a while, and as Hermione looked around the long table she saw that most of the bleary eyed Professor\'s were holding back yawns and rubbing their eyes as they tried to formulate a plan. She felt eternally grateful, and she herself was being to feel a bit weary as she placed her quill on her parchment and bit back a yawn.

Dumbledore seeing this decided to abruptly end the meeting as he informed the people present that they would meet again next Friday at the same time. There were mumbled agreements as they all began to pack up their quills and parchments, looking faintly like a bored group of first years in one of Flitwick\'s class.

\"Before you leave,\" Albus said standing as the others began to pack up their things and head out the door. \"I thought you should realize that we have a new place for the Order this upcoming summer.\"

Hermione didn\'t really listen to this, knowing full well she would be attending the burrow with Ginny, Ron and Harry. Perhaps they would get on better this summer away from the confines of this blasted institution and her \'fiancée\'.

\"I\'ll send you some port keys next week,\" Albus was continuing, \"Keep them safe until school\'s out.\"

Hermione hadn\'t been paying much attention to this, feeling quite exhausted herself and was only brought back to his words when McGonagall nudged her arm and whispered fiercely, \"Did you hear all that Miss Granger?\"

Hermione frowned slightly, looking to the older woman in confusion as she blinked back the fog of fatigue from her eyes. \"Yes, but I don\'t see of how it\'s any issue to me. I\'ll be spending my time at the Burrow this summer.\"

Minerva frowned a bit, looking to Albus who had overheard the whispered conversation. The poor girl. Most of the Professor\'s had left and all that remained were she, Albus, McGonagall and...him. Albus looked uneasily to all of them before resting his eyes on one of his most promising Gryffindors.

\"I\'m afraid, that\'s out of the question Miss Granger.\"

Hermione who suddenly felt familiar feeling of anger and panic swelling within her and she swiveled in her chair to look defiantly to Dumbledore who had spoken, ignoring Snape\'s glare in her direction.

\"Pardon me?\"

\"With this problem involving Voldemort we\'ll need you and Professor Snape close to us at all times. Having you in the Burrow will only prove to be an added stress upon those working to save you.\"

Hermione saw Snape begin to sit up even more in his seat, looking angrier than she\'d ever seen him before. Albus didn\'t seem to be noticing this as he went on talking dramatically.

\"What I\'m trying to explain to you Miss Granger, is that this means you\'ll be spending your time at the Headquarters this summer, with Professor Snape....Wait...Miss Granger!\"

Albus called out, but to no avail. Hermione had already pushed angrily from the table and rushed out the door. She had turned a deep shade of furious red and slammed the door behind her in the process.

Snape had watched the spectacle with hidden delight as the normally shy and reserved girl had rushed off in a passionate fit of fury. It was a welcome change to her normal boring persona.

Perhaps now Dumbledore would see why them both rooming together would be impossible. Perhaps this would prompt him to work just a little bit harder at dissolving their engagement.

Instead Dumbledore stood and prepared to go after the frantic girl when Snape himself stood lazily, shooting Albus a contemplative look accompanied with a raised eyebrow.

\"Don\'t bother Albus.\" he said with disdain, motioning with his eyes at the door. \"She won\'t listen to reason.\"

Suddenly McGonagall got a very cross look on her face as she whirled up from her seat to look Snape square in the eye. If you could say one thing about Minerva was that she had spirit, she was a perfect choice for the head of Gryffindor.

Right now the Gryffindor head was looking to the Head of Slytherin as if she\'d kill him and he knew exactly why she\'d do such a thing. Hermione was one of her own.

\"You listen here you little snob.\" McGonagall nearly growled in a very unflattering way as she leaned over the table to get his attention. Wasn\'t her animagnus form supposed to be a cat? Wait a moment. Snape stepped back from his side of the table with a look of shock on his face. Had she just called him a snob?

\"Hermione Granger has suffered a lot in the past week. She was at Voldemort\'s hands to save her friends, she\'s lost her chance at one last carefree summer and worst of all she just found out she\'d engaged to you! Now, stop being such a boorish git and have some sympathy for the poor girl!\"

It was then that Albus noticed the way Snape\'s nostril\'s were flaring, and the way his dark eyes had narrowed on his target; McGonagall. Red circled entered his cheekbones and Dumbledore actually winced for he knew what would happen next.

\"SYMPATHY?\" Snape roared, his hands curling into fists at his sides, but McGonagall ever the Gryffindor didn\'t even bat an eye at his overpowering dominance tryst.

\"In case you\'ve forgotten Minerva, I too am engaged. To the resident Know-it-all of Hogwarts no less! I too was at the hand of Voldemort for far too long, more than your precious student ever was.\"

At this Minerva\'s eyes softened, the baring of her teeth stopped and her breathing became regulated. But Snape was too far-gone, and still his angered tirade raged on as the elder members in the room looked to him with sympathy.

\"I gave up my life and got nothing in return. Hermione Granger is nothing but an insufferable baby, and she should be eternally grateful to me for getting her out when I did. Sympathy you ask? Sympathy? Who really deserves it? Perhaps you can see why sympathy isn\'t quite a priority for a person in my position. No one ever had it for me, did they?\"

There was silence a moment, more than to be qualified as a pregnant pause. The three parties stood staring at one another a long while as Snape rocked back and forth on his feet, almost exhausted at his angered speech.

McGonagall and Dumbledore shot each other meaningful looks before looking back to Snape with unreadable expressions on their face, and for the first time in a long time Snape felt like he was again a student. A pit dropped in his stomach as he realized just how far speespeech had taken him; into a path of lies and self-pity.

Snape stopped what he was about to say, the air letting out of his cheeks slowly as he looked offended at the two opposite from him at the table. He was furious that was for certain, but now as he\'d uttered those words beforehand he felt utterly humiliated.

How stupid of him to say that he had never recieved sympathy from anyone when it had been Albus and Minerva themselves who saved him from the Dark Army’s clutches? Who was it that had saved him from his own spiritual and physical demise? It was they. How idiotic of him to throw all their good deeds and selfless acts in their face.

But Severus Snape was a proud man, and had been his entire life. He wasn\'t going to let a little thing like facts work against his favor. Instead he did what he always did when he was wrong.

He sneered, brushed past the both of them angrily and in mass of billowing black robes, he slammed the door after him.

* * *

\"Pssssssst.\"

Hermione refused to look behind her.

\"Psssssssssst...Hermione.\"

The whispering was growing louder, and was having the effect of a bee buzzing past her ear. She frowned deeply and went back to writing down the steps from the board, careful not to confuse any ingredients. Hermione had been pretending to write for a good five minutes now, all in hopes to seem to busy to assist Neville.

Potion\'s class had turned out to be just what Hermione was hoping for. The same. Snape hadn\'t shown her any more or any less attention, and he wasn\'t overly malicious or cruel to her. He saved that honor for Neville, who at this moment was frantically trying to get Hermione\'s attention.

It had only been a few days since the horrible meeting debacle, and after extensive breathing exercises Hermione had gone back down to the Headmaster\'s office and apologized, agreeing with him that the plan was best for her safety.

The worst of it all was that she still hadn\'t told Ginny thhe whe wouldn\'t be coming to the burrow in the summer. Every time it was brought up in the common room or over meals Hermione would grasp at the chance to change the subject.

Now in Potion\'s class Hermione was determined not to get into trouble, but felt that familiar ache to help a fellow classmate. She couldn\'t help but feel satisfied when she ordered Neville to do things, she felt like she was his own private Potion\'s teacher and in doing so often felt a surge of power.

Many called her bossy, and she didn\'t really let that get to her, she simply liked things done her way and in that regard when it came to ordering about in Potion\'s, Neville was an excellent pupil.

But now she refused to help him, she wouldn\'t even turn around to aknowledge him. If Snape caught her even trying to assist him, she knew he wouldn\'t hold back the cruelty.

Knowing her luck he\'d slither over to them with that smirk on his face, and say in a loud voice, Now now Miss Granger, is that any way for a fiancée of mine to act? Ten points!

Moments earlier Snape had gone through the class list, boredly pairing up students with rapid mumblings coming from his lips. To her immense relief he had paired her up with Harry who along with Ron had started acting like their old selves around her again.

\"Ready Hermione?\" Harry asked with a smile as he motioned to the seat next to her. Hermione nodded brightly and gathered her ingredients on her desk and looked to Harry as he pulled the cauldron onto the tabletop.

After a few moments Hermione noticed that Neville was no longer calling her name, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Soon she and Harry were stirring and mixing and cutting. Everything was going splendidly, and judging by Neville\'s lack of annoying calls to her, he must be doing fairly well also.

Just to make sure Hermione looked behind her...and held in a piteous sigh. Neville had been paired up with Goyle who was currently laughing and joking along with Malfoy and Crabbe he ohe other side of the room. Hermione (Who was sure that due to Snape\'s enormous bias for his own house) saw that he didn\'t even look up from the article he was reading to tell Goyle to go back and assist Neville.

The said Gryffindor was holding back choked sobs as he looked into his empty cauldron, messily wiping his nose on the back of his arm and wiping the tears from his eyes. Hermione was about to whisper some directions when a cutting voice stopped her.

\"Problem, Longbottom?\"

Snape\'s voice cut through the air as Hermione looked up to see him smirking mercilessly at the near crying boy. Everyone in the classroom looked to see Neville sniffling once more, and blinking back the tear droplets still on his eyelashes. Snape gave him an oily smirk of contempt as he stood slowly, knowing this was agony for the dunderhead.

Hermione felt he heart go out for the poor boy, as it wasn\'t his fault he didn\'t understand potions. Perhaps if Snape had given him half a chance and worked with him, this wouldn\'t have ever been an issue. But of course, bid Snd Snape couldn\'t lower himself to doing such a thing, and now in turn was persecuting Neville for his own shoddy teaching skills!

\"N-no sir. No problem.\" Neville said shakily, having gone instantly pale the moment Snape even mentioned his name. Hermione prayed that this would be the end of it, Snape would have finished his fun for today. But it didn\'t stop.

\"It looks like a problem.\" Snape snapped, angrily standing and walking slowly up the aisle that separated Hermione and Neville\'s tables. Hermione and Harry watched the scene play out, along with the rest of the class who were pretending to work but in truth looking at Snape and Neville. “You haven’t even started on your potion.”
“No, please sir.” Neville pleaded, trying to whisper his plea. Snape although as the unfeeling bastard that he was ignored poor Neville’s whispered beg and and went on surveying the boy as he circled him, knowing that would only cause Neville to become more and more nervous.

Goyle chuckled loudly, along with the rest of the Slytherin’s as Neville looked to them embarrassed a moment before meeting Snape’s dark eyes again, trembling, much to the glee of one Malfoy.

Neville seemed to be a bit of amusement for the Slytherin\'s in the class, too often was he the butt of their jokes and entertainment. timetimes Draco would slip something into Neville\'s potion just to have it blow up and have Snape sm atm at the poor boy. Time and time again the Gryffindor\'s had defended Neville, but Snape with his usual bias ignored them and now, with a crushing smirk he went on patronizing the shaking boy.

\"In all my years teaching here I have never come across a more inept and more moronic boy than you...Stop your blubbering Longbottom, it\'s most unbecoming.\"

Hermionenchenched her teeth in anger as Snape said this, and with every tear that Neville choked back Hermione found herself growing more furious and more furious. Poor Neville was going to burst out sobbing in a moment, and she felt herself blinking back sympathetic tears as she viewed Neville’s tearstained face. Had Snape no sympathy for him? Did he not realize Neville’s hardships? Evidently not.

\"Your blatant lack of talent amazes me at times.\" Snape was going on, enjoying the chuckles from the Slytherin side of the room. \"I still wonder myself if you\'re not a squib.\"

Neville\'s lower lip was blinbling now and a feeling of pure black hate towards Snape sprouted within Hermione and before she could even stop herself, she saw red, her body shook and her hands curled into furious fists as she yelled out;

\"JUST SHUT UP!\"

Snape whirled around with black, bottomless eyes filled with sudden fury. His pale lips were twitching in anger anrmiormione felt a lump of fear form in her throat.

Harry looked to Hermione in shock, had his long time friend the bookworm just told a teacher, this teacher of all of them, to shut up? Hermione Granger? The girl who cried and nearly fainted when they spelled him that time in the shrieking shack?

Snape\'s eyes were narrowed on Hermione\'s and she felt herself growing faint but she still held firm. Poor Neville didn\'t deserve to be humiliated. When Snape finally spoke to her his voice was venomous and barely above a whisper.

\"What did you say to me Granger?\"

Now, this is the point in the horrid event where Hermione could have just pretended to have said something else. She could have pretended to faint, or even run out of the room screaming. In the end she did none of these.

Instead, with a well placed scowl on her face that rivaled that of Snape himself, she looked up at the tormenter of many and said in firm tone:

\"I said, Just. Shut. Up. You\'re being unnecessarily cruel and Neville\'s trying his hardest.\"

At this admonition one could have heard a pin drop in the dungeons. The Slytherin\'s were looking to Hermione in shock and even Snape looked close to sputtering as Hermione finally slumped back into her seat and began crushing some beets feeling the pulsing in her temples slowing. Snape was still glaring at her.

\"Excuse me?\"

Now after what Hermione had said and done she felt a sense of pride wash over her, and that small look of thanks in Neville\'s eyes had been all the payment she needed. But now that the heat of the moment was gone, and no more was she to play the valiant hero, she felt more scared than she had ever in her life.

What could she say?

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out and she saw a flicker of cruel amusement cross over in his bottomless eyes. Eyes that saw nothing but shades of gray in life.

\"I thought as much.\"

Hermione\'s cheeks burned with shame at the injustice of it all and she began to write on her parchment, trying to deflect the looks from all around the classroom. It had been a stupid thing to do, but it had to be done.

Snape was at the front of the class now, looking at Hermione with a strange look in his eyes. The class hung onto his every word, pretending to be working; they all knew what would happen next. The Punishment.

Snape himself was almoseecheechless. Almost. This didn’t happen very much, but at Granger’s outburst he had nearly gaped at her. Imagine that little brat yelling at him? To protect Longbottom? Honestly, there was house pride and then there was just being a nuisance.

He was deeply offended at the gall Granger had displayed in telling him to shut up, he couldn’t imagine and more out of character and ruhinghing to do when he was trying to strike fear into that dunderhead Longbottom and get him to listen. That was the only way to teach; intimidation.

She was obviously taking this ‘fiancée’ thing too far and thought she could walk all over him, in his own classroom! Well he’d show her.

Although he would have loved to personally deal with the little chit, his evenings were full, and to be perfectly honest he refused to deal with her longer than he had to. He knew he’d be seeing far too much of her this coming summer. He just hoped the little baby would learn her lesson with Filch.

\"I think detention for a week with Filch will change your attitude Miss Granger.\" Snape said tersely as Hermione hung her head defeated. Detention? Her? She blinked back humiliated tears as Snape continued venomously, making sure his point was made.

\"And if that doesn\'t work, I\'m sure expulsion will.\"

* * *

As the weeks dragged on Hermione\'s spirits soon began to dwindle. The trio had only a few more weeks until the summer break, and normally she would have been overjoyed at the chance to catch up on some new reading. But she now realized what was to become of her summer’s doom. She was doomed to a summer with Professor Snape.

The weather was warming up even more, and far too often Hermione fell prey to a mid afternoon slumber outside under the warm beam of the sun. Seemed sleep was the only way to escape what her life was slowly turning out to be; horrid.

After that afternoon in Potions class not only did the Gryffindor\'s come up after class and congratulate her on her outburst, even some of the Slytherin\'s hadn\'t been so bad. Malfoy had stopped calling her mudblood for a whole hour, and this had been a welcome commodity.

Neville himself had come up with a box of cookies (sent by his Gran), and giving Hermione a shy hug had handed them to her thanthanked her endlessly. She had been flattered by the attention by everyone at first, but by the end of two hours she was starting to understand how Harry felt every day.

Filch hadn\'t been so bad, her detention was only polishing trophies around the school, and believe it or not that had been a big job, although not as horrendous as washing bedpans by hand. Hermione suspected Filch was easy on her from pity and as a normally proud girl Hermione would have refused suchoffeoffer, but she couldn\'t help but welcome it now. Another part of her was sure Filch was pleased someone finally told Snape off.

Since then she\'d been near silent in class and Snape hadn\'t even given her a second glance. They\'d also not had any meetings since the last one, and Hermione wondered if it was because they wanted to give her a break or because they were at a loss. Both idea\'s unsettled her.

\"Hey \'Mione.\" Harry said catching her on one of her relaxing binges outside under the cooled confines of a tree. The shade bringing relief as she watched the lake glisten under the sunlight\'s watchful gaze. She had been reading a new updated version of \'Ponte\'s Potions.\'

\"Hey Harry.\" She said lazily, her eyes closed as the back of her head rested on the gnarled trunk of the tree. Harry looked around the nervously before looking back at Hermione.

\"Aren\'t you worried to be out here on your own?\" Harry asked a bit frightened and Hermione could only offer a saddened laugh as she shook her head.

\"Dumbledore assures me that Voldemort won\'t act again for some time, but just in case...\" she motioned with her head to her right of her as Harry turned to look.

McGonagall sat a few yards away under the confines of a black umbrella, reading some book intently. Harry looked back to Hermione\'s smiling face and sat next to her, much closer than normal and for a few moments they sat in contented silence. Hermione wondered how many days like this she would have.

\"How have you been?\" He asked leaning his head against the tree trunk as well, looking out to the lake as Hermione was before. She shrugged lightly, scratching her calf absently as the grass tickled it.

\"Fine. I try not to think too much about the future.\" she admitted sadly, looking to Harry\'s eyes a moment before breaking away. Harry nodded, looking to her peculiarly.

\"You look happier.\"

\"I am.\" she admitted with a small smile, \"The Headmaster assures me this whole thing won\'t ever happen...but you know me. I worry.\"

\"You won\'t have to marry that git Hermione, so don\'t even think about it.\" Harry said adamantly pounding his fist lightly onto the lush grass ground as Hermione laughed lightly at his boyish gesture.

It was then that Hermione noticed how Harry was staring at her, very intently and she looked to her hands a moment, not sure hat hat to say next as the air around them changed and became a bit awkward.

\"There\'s something I need to tell you Hermione.\" Harry said softly, thankful that Hermione wasn\'t turning around to face him as he spoke. He licked his lips a bit, looking nervously to the oblivious Hermione who said serenely in the grass.

Harry absently moved his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and prepared to speak when Hermione whirled around to look at him, her large brown eyes wide as she offered a quizzical look at the boy who lived to be humiliated.

\"What did you want to tell me Harry? Is it serious?\"

Harry shook his head, as he felt his stomach flip, stopping him from doing something he may regret later. He internally berated himself for being such a coward as Hermione looked back to him with a strange look on her face as Harry gradually met her gaze and began to blush a bit.

\"Are you alright Harry?\" she asked concerned, \"You look a bit flushed. Have you been in to see Pomfrey?\"

Harry sighed, shaking his head and assuring her that he\'d just gotten a little heated walking over to her. She nodded, accepting this excuse out of awkward obligation. As if to clear the air, Harry moved a bit away from her and cleared his throat.

\"What\'re you reading?\"

Hermione\'s face suddenly lit up, as she held up the copy of \"Ponte\'s Potions.\" from her lap for Harry to see. Harry wrinkled his nose in question at the offending novel and she shrugged good naturedly, smirking a bit at her friend\'s expression.

\"It\'s really a fascinating read.\" she explain whole heartedly, trying not to look too obvious. But Harry a perceptive male at times looked to her strangely, a small frown on his lips.

\"But, you usually don\'t read too much Potion\'s stuff.\" Harry said carefully, \"You\'re loads of chapter\'s ahead anyway.\"

\"Don\'t be sickened Harry.\" Hermione said softly, \"But I suppose I\'m just reading up on potions in case...\" Hermione trailed off, not completing her last thought. She didn\'t need to. Harry was already making a face at her expense and she felt her cheeks turning red. She was already humiliated enough.

\"...I just don\'t want him to hate me anymore Harry.\"

\"So you figure if you read up on Potions he\'s going to like you?\" Harry asked loudly, hands on his hips as he looked to her from his stance, standing a few inches away from her. \"You think that if you read a few books that when you two get married he\'ll be a prince?\"

Hermione was surprised to see that he looked furious and squinted into the sunlight to look closer at him. His lips were in a firm, thin line and she couldn\'t help but notice the way his green eyes were flashing .It figured though, if anyone hated Snape more than she did it had to be Harry.

\"But, Harry...\" Hermione delegated, \"You think I want to marry him?\"

\"That\'s what it sounds like to me.\"

\"That\'s ludicrous!\" Hermione squeaked in indignation, shaking her head in almost disbelief at the conversation they were having. \"I\'m just being prepared. If I\'m stuck married to Snape for the rest of my life I want us to be able to be at least civil to one another.\"

\"This is the stupidest thing I\'ve ever heard in my life.\" Harry said in a loud voice, gathering his belongings and standing angrily. Hermione too stood, brushing the grass from her skirt and glaring angrily at the boy she thought was her friend.

\"Who gave you the right to have say over my life?\" Hermione bellowed furiously. \"The only reason this whole thing is happening is because I tried to save your life!\"

\"Yeah well...\" Harry sputtered, screaming the first thing that came to mind. \"...I wish you hadn\'t!\"

Hermione suddenly exploded into an angry bout of tears, pushing Harry\'s shoulder as she rushed past him back into the school. McGonagall saw this and gathering her book and umbrella rushed after Hermione calling her name.

Harry watched after Hermione as she ran off in a huff, her books clutched to her chest as angry tears welled in her eyes. He angrily slammed his fist against the tree trunk, confused at the emotions stirred within him.

He\'d never be able to tell her the truth.