It just...happened...

Hermione slammed the door of her chambers, muttering obscenities under her ragged breath. He was such a bloody annoying and most of all, scary prat.

She was in the midst of throwing pillows around and muttering furiously under her breath

“Hermione?” said a soft voice from the other side of her door. She answered it still fuming, to see Neville looking to her with wide and glossy eyes.

“Hello Neville.” She said shortly, beckoning him to enter her room fast. Neville nodded and was about to step into her quarters when a loud sound erupted all around them. Hermione sighed and covered her eyes with her hands…she had forgotten.

Neville looked to her in absolute fear and jumped back into the large hallway outside her door. He was breathing quickly, his puffy chest heaving and he finally said in that desperate tone of his.

“What did I do?”

Hermione shook her head slightly; “It’s nothing Neville. It’s just, boys aren’t allowed in the girl’s dormitory…and that includes the Head Girl’s room.”

Neville nodded, obviously very relieved. He lickis dis downturned lips a moment, trying to piece the sentence he was about to speak.

“Hermione?” he asked gently as Hermione looked to him with compassion. Poor Neville, he had been like this for who knew how long. Snape always picking on him, always telling him he was worthless when he really wasn’t. “I’m really sorry.”

Hermione offered a weak smile, “No matter Neville.” She pat him on his shaking shoulder and prepared to walk back into her room. Neville looked as if he was about to sob himself, and he spoke shakily.

“I’m just…so…I don’t know what…” Neville blubbered, looking positively shaken. Hermione gave him a consoling arm around his shoulders and embraced him tightly, like a mother to a son.

Neville had lost his parents a while ago, and he still needed to be nurtured. The presence of his Gram, was much too little as it was. Neville was constantly being belittled…not only by the bastard Snape.

Neville sniffled a bit, wiping his nose on Hermione’s suddenly appearing handkerchief. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.”

Hermione shook her head slightly, “No. I’m not going to see Filch. I have to assist the infamous Professor Snape.”

Neville looked to her with burning eyes, a bottomless look that she couldn’t really quite place. Hlledlled from her suddenly, and Hermione had to take a double take at the usual stock and bumbling Neville.

“Are you quite serious?”

Pause.

“Yes. And I have to meet him quite soon, so I’m trying to get some dinner so I can be on time for detention.”

Neville nodded, “I better go too. Filch’ll be in the worst of moods if I’m late.”

Hermione nodded, closing her door behind her as the two of them walked down to the great hall for dinner. Trying to ignore the fact that Harry ‘the boy who lived’ was lying comatose in the infirmary and Dumbledore was off gallivanting some place no one knew of.

McGonagal, Trelawny, Sprout, Hooch and all the rest were the only one’s left, how they could possibly save Hogwarts against Voldemort was beyond her. In essence, Snape was their only real means of protection.

And that was extremely worrisome.

* * *

“Good bye Neville.” Hermione said with a whisper of a smile on her lips, as she stalked off towards the Potion chamber. She was sure to be at least five minutes early, but she was sure she would have points taken off anyway. Bugger.

She knocked softly on the door, waiting to hear his booming voice telling her to enter. It didn’t come. With a pounding heart she opened the door and saw to her utter shock, Snape was asleep at his desk.

Snape? Asleep in the early afternoon? Not patrolling the halls and telling little children that they had lost points? How bizarre. She shut the door behind her, hoping the sound would wake him from his slumber…it didn’t.

She walked tentatively up to his looming desk, seeing the array of papers around him, and almost felt a pang of guilt for calling him such cruel names when she saw that he was clutching his forearm…the dark mark. Poor git.

His hair was all in his face, and she could faintly make out his fluttering eyelids. Hermione wanted desperately to shake him awake, this was almost perverse watching him sleep.

He muttered something in his sleep that Hermione could have sworn was her name…but she disregarded it immediately. Come on. Snape? Having dreams? About her? She almost laughed as she reached his desk, very slowly.

He didn’t stir at all but out of nowhere gave a small whimper in his sleep that immediately sent shocks through Hermione’s body. Snape was such an overbearing man in general…the mere thought of him having any vulnerability was…intriguing.

She coughed just then, to let him know she was there. He didn’t move at all and Hermione cleared her throat once more. Nothing.

“Professor?”

Still no movement…wait…nope…just mumbling something else. She walked up to his desk, her inhibitions behind her as she glanced to her watch. It was past five already, this meant he would be keeping her later than expected, and she had homework!

“Professor!” she said nudging him and was taken completely by surprise as he grasped her wrist and dragged her down to meet his suddenly open eyes.

His vision was blurred as he tried to see the figure in front of him, it was dark in his chambers and all he could feel was the warm, ragged breath of the intruder almost on his own lips.

“Lumos.” he said gruffly and lights shone down on the now recognizable figure, who looked like she were in complete shock and horror.

“Miss Granger…how dare you accost me.” He said in shock, letting go of her wrist the instant he realized it was she. Hermione backed away, rubbing her tender wrist and keeping a wary gaze upon her professor.

“You were asleep.” She said, “I didn’t accost you. I just didn’t want to be late for detention. You didn’t have to grab me like that.”

“I was not asleep.” He lied, with heavy eyes, blinking a moment as the world came into focus. “I was resting my eyes.”

Hermione sighed, walking a bit closer now…more comfortable. “What am I to do this evening? Scrub cauldrons without magic? Itemize supplies?”

Snape stood a bit shaky but still with that predatory dominance that coursed through him. “Do be silent a moment Miss Granger. You’re voice grates the nerves.”

“Sorry sir.” Hermione said as she ground her teeth, still a bit shaky from that awkward experience prior. She had been so close she could have kissed him. Bizarre…what a thought. Kissing Snape’s cold lips? That was a laugh…

He looked to her with a strange expression on his pale face, and he looked fully awake now. “Miss Granger, you will be going to the forest and fetching me some supplies.”

Hermione almost fell off the stool she was perched on, looking to him with wide eyes. “Are you quite serious?”

Snape gave her a disapproving look, “Ten points Granger, for rudeness.” He surveyed her frame in a way Hermione immediately and unfathomably found intrusive. “Why not? You have your cloak and scarf.”

Hermione nodded, “Yes sir, I am dressed for the weather.” She trailed off a moment, trying to understand his motivations…it made sense suddenly; no one else had called him a greasy git to his face…save for perhaps Harry. He was punishing her severely to show his power…bugger. “But,” she continued, “I didn’t know I was permitted to be quite so off grounds…at night.” She added, suppressing a nervous gulp.

Snape shrugged, “You are in seventh year are you not? Use your common sense.”

Hermione nodded, not quite sure how to approach the situation. If she were to tell him that she was afraid he would scoff at her, and she would never live it down. Gryffindor pride dammit!

“You’ll be acquiring some certain plants and fungi for further experiments that Mister Longbottom will invariably put to waste.” Snape suddenly approached her, closer than expected and handed her a small bucket. “You know the said items, you’ve seen them in class before, but I’ve run out and don’t feel the need to go scourging the forest for them.”

With that last bitter comment he handed her a list with scrawled black handwriting. She squinted and was able to make out the contents. He really wasn’t going to come with her? He was going to send her out into the forbidden forest all by herself? With Voldemort on the loose? He was mad!

“I advise you leave now Miss Granger. I expect the supplies by the end of your detention. Ten p.m.” Hermione stared after his pacing frame before he whirled around to look at her again and speak at his leisure.

“And if I find that your friend Hagrid has been of any assistance, you can well imagine the repercussions that shall follow.”

Hermione gave him a wide-eyed look and nodded, shaking as she made her way out the door. She looked back over her shoulder to make sure he was quite serious, and when she viewed his tall statuesque frame seated at his desk and writing something with a dark quill, she was certain he was.

Greasy git.

* * *

“No need to be afraid.” Hermione was saying, making her way to the edge of the forest. No matter at all.”

She had been walking several minutes, holding a large lantern in front of her shaking body and always looking over her shoulder, always certain she had heard something.

Always nothing.

The wind whipped around her as she pulled her cloak closer to her, trying her hardest not to cry. Stupid Snape, this wasn’t bloody fair!

She bet Neville was inside, warm and polishing something. Ruddy Neville…always getting her into trouble…that was the last time she was going to help him, that was for sure. She knew this was a lie, but it helped her get on anyhow.

She spied one of the items on the list and with burning cheeks she bent down, trying to swallow…but finding it increasingly difficult with her tears threatening to surface.

She bent down, the wind now howling as she placed the lantern next to her on the soil. The small crystal flower shone in the moonlight, and Hermione was sure she was going to cut herself. She looked to the list, perhaps she should just grasp the whole flower.

‘One ice petal. Do not waste.’

Figured. If she brought back the whole flower he’d berate her for being so wasteful. She had left her wand back in her room and she felt utterly idiotic for doing so. Well, she hadn’t been expecting this kind of detention!

She tried not to scream as the first icy petal bit into her fingers, tears swam into her eyes as she tried not to drop it. If it shattered inside the bucket she’d have to pick another one…and she wasn’t sure she could do it. She dragged the icy petal over to the bucket, and gingerly placed it inside.

She moved onto the next item, a small blue mushroom that lay almost hidden in the underbrush. She was freezing even more now! Damn petal.

She shivered harshly, trying not to fall down onto the cold ground below her. She suddenly straightened, furious at her predicament. She was going to march right back into Hogwarts and tell Snape off herself. The bastard wasn’t going to do this to her!

She had just come to that immediate and stubborn conclusion when a large hand grasped her shoulder, and she suddenly felt herself collapse into darkness.