A Gift

The smell of bacon drifts up to her room, calling to her sleeping mind. Her eyes flutter for a moment before finally opening, a smile touching her lips. She sits up in bed, stretching her arms above her as she wakes up. She glances out the window, seeing the sun is up and the day is bright outside, her smile growing even more. \"What a beautiful day!\"
Her stomach reminding her of how little she ate the day before, she quickly dresses in jeans and a t-shirt and hurries down to the kitchen. She stops just before the door, composing herself for another trying breakfast. But when she opens the door, all she sees is a plate of bacon and another plate full of omlette at the table. She frowns, looking around the room for any sign that he had been there.
\"He has already been here and gone for a walk.\" Sarah drifts through the ceiling and settles next to the table.
\"Am I so horrible that he cannot have a civilized breakfast with me?\" She mutters, sitting at the table and heaping her plate with the steaming food.
Sarah laughs softly. \"No. I just think you made him more nervous than we thought.\" She waves at the food. \"Besides, he made this for you.\"
Hermione stops the fork before it hits her mouth and stares at it as if it might eat her first. \"He made breakfast?\"
\"He may be a solitary man and very volatile in his temper but he would never poison a student.\" She quickly sobers and gives Hermione a stern look. \"Now eat up! It is a beautiful day outside and I do not want to see you in here brooding!\"
Hermione sighs softly and eats the food before her. She nearly stops in surprise at the first bite, the thought of such delicous food being made by such a hateful man nearly incomprehensable. Instead she decides to eat up and enjoy it for he may not do it again and smiles at the thought of Harry and Ron never believing that Snape was nice enough to even cook for her. Once done, she washes up the dishes and steps out of a side door into the warm sun.
Her eyes scan the lush pastures and tall trees surrounding the small cottage, her smile growing as she ealizes how charming the place truly is. She remembers Sarah mentioning the south barn and she sets off to see what she can find. Her feet take her to a small fenced in pasture, a paddock and old style barn connected to it. Her eyebrow lifts in curiousity and she le wah wahtever tepidation she has behind to find out what is inside. The barn doors open quietly for their apparent age and she nearly gasps at the cleanliness of it inside. The smell of fresh cut hay greats her nose and she relaxes when she sees a calico cat chasing a moue from a small hole in the floor. She laughs softly, walking down the side of the barn and glancing into each stall. Suddenly the sound of a foot stamping stops her and she looks around. She quietly follows it to a stall that opens into the paddock and gazes warily inside. Her breath stops as she gazes into the eyes of a large black stallion. He steps closer, breathing in the scent of this new stranger. She slowly reaches out a hand, stroking his cheek as he lips at her arm.
\"You are such a beauty, aren\'t you?\" She whisper softly to him.
\"Do not give him too much praise. He is already very full of himself, Miss Granger.\" The silky tones of Snape\'s voice comes from out of the darkness behind the stallion, startling her into a small yelp.
\"I..I didn\'t know this was out here...\" She stammers, trying to not notice the relaxed way he walks up and strokes the stallions back. \"I\'m sorry. I will leave.\"
For one unguarded moment, Severus leans over the stallion\'s back and strokes its black sides. \"Dameon would be most upset if he was refused the attention he believes he deserves, Miss Granger.\"
She smiles again, leaning forward to kiss a soft black nose. \"Dameon is it? What a beautiful name for such a magnificent creature.\" She scratches his neck, gazing in wonder as he quietly accepts the attention.
Severus watches her intently, his eyes only showing the interest he has in her reaction to the horse. \"My family used to raise horses. Each one of us were given one of our own to train. Dameon is mine.\"
She blinks at him in shock. \"Yours? You ride?\"
One brow slowly lifts. \"Of course.\"
She looks back whistfully at the stallion. \"I always wanted a horse. My dad thought learning to ride was a waste of time.\"
He reaches out, grasping a brush from nearby and hands it to her. \"Then perhaps it is not too late to learn.\"
She stares down at the brush, at first not understanding the offer. \"You want to teach me to ride?\"
\"Perhaps\" He stare back a her, his face unreadable. \"That is if he accepts you. I will take you out with me first. Let him become accustomed to you and your weight.\"
Suddenly a brilliant smile flashes on her face. \"I\'d love that!\" She steps inside with him, watching the horse with new interest. \"What do I do first?\"

She listens intently as he guides her through properly grooming the stallion. Dameons eye close in pleasure, occasionally stomping a foot when the brushing ceases. When he is finally satisfied with her work, he leads her out of the stall and into a small tack room. She stares at all the older saddles lined along the wall, unsure of how she could ever learn to sit in one. Severus stops in front of one, making her frown in thought.
\"I\'ve never seen one like that before.\" She steps closer to him to get a better look.
\"It is a tandem saddle but made so the front rider can ride sidesaddle.\" He pulls it from the rack, brushing the dust from it.
\"Sidesaddle?\" She pales. \"I\'m not learning sidesaddle!\"
He turns to glare down at her, saddle drapped over one arm. \"If you wish me to teach you, you will learn in the saddle I pick for you. And as I wish you to learn the proper way to ride, you will learn to ride as a Lady would ride. In a sadisaddle! Is that clear?\"
She steps back for a moment, the desire to learn warring with the desire to run away. She finally sighs. \"Yes, Professor. I will learn to ride as you see fit.\"
\"Very good, Miss Granger.\" He turns on his heel, heading back to the stall.
\"Bugger!\" She mutters, following him a few paces behind.