an overwhelming desire to win...

Pansy was feeling pretty good about herself the next morning, the November sky was brightening to leave a beautiful glow on the light snow on the grounds of Hogwarts. She herself awoke feeling refreshed and so very excited at the day that lay ahead of her.

She wondered aloud what Hermione was going to say to Snape...She\'d had a most delicious dream with him as the star, and every part of her tingled with excitement at the mere seeing him at breakfast. Those fingers, that smirk...
After getting ready in an anticipated, mad dash she made her way down there to the Great Hall, humming happily to herself, the braid was gone, but the meek demeanor and the book still remained.

The strange looks appeared soon after she got into a busy hall, some children passed her, looking to her face strangely. Pansy sighed, evidently they were getting used to her no look of no make up. She frowned, she didn\'t know she had looked that bad.

Some Raveclaws came up next down the hall, only fifth years and as Pansy strolled past them with her pug nose in the air. They glanced at her face a moment and began bursting into laughter as Pansy furiously sped up.
Her heart was pounding and it felt as if her throat was closing, What was happening? Why were people laughing at her?

More students now were whispering as she passed, surreptitiously pointing at her. She felt her face grow hot as more and more students looked to her head strangely.

Suddenly a first year Slytherin came slinking over, his eyes alight as he smirked at her, \"Perhaps you should go to the loo.\"

Pansy lifted her head in pride and shoved the little bugger out of her way. He let out a loud stream of laughter along with some other twits as Pansy rushed down the hall now, waiting for the laughter to stop.

Where is the Lavatory? Where? Why do these blasted staircases have to move in th- Ahhh...there it is...

She rushed into the girl\'s lavatory, rushing past the students that milled about washing hands and doing hair. They took one look at the bewildered Slytherin and quietly left. When the last one had left, Pansy summoned up enough courage to go to the mirror and look to her forehead.

CHEATER

To Pansy\'s utter shock and horror, the word, \"CHEATER\" stared back at her, a glaringly red beacon from her forehead. How could it be that red?

She gasped, and grabbing a nearby paper towel, dipped it in water and began to furiously scrub at it...of course it didn\'t come off...of course it was because of that stupid know-it-all! She tried a few more attempts, even with magic to take it off...this only seemed to make it burn brighter.

She growled furiously, smashing the mirror into millions of pieces as she stepped out of the lavatory, looking like a mad woman.

She ran to the Great Hall, her once meek demeanor gone and the real, rage-filled Pansy Parkinson in full gear. She pushed open the doors roughly, not caring who saw. Her squinty eyes scanned the table until she saw who she wanted, covering the mark with her hand she ran.

\"GRANGER!\" She screeched, running down the long aisle of the Gryffindor table where Hermione sat looking rather sullen. At Pansy\'s sudden appearance she looked rather taken aback.

\"Good morning Pansy.\" she saidyingying to be polite and looking to Pansy\'s hand covered forehead confused. Pansy was in a fit hysterics.

\"GRANGER.HALL.NOW.\"

Pansy grasped her wrist with her free arm and practically dragged Hermione out the doors of the Great Hall. Harry and Ron shot each other quizzical looks. What the hell? Hermione and Pansy being...well could you call it civil?
Outside the hall Hermione and Pansy were in the middle of a rather whispered speech, save for Pansy\'s irrational wailing every now and then.

\"But Draco wasn\'t even assisting me.\" Pansy wailed, \"He was doing it out of his free will...you\'re the cheater!\"

Hermione sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. \"Just because he said it doesn\'t mean he meant it Pansy. The scroll can\'t be that easily fooled.\"
Pansy glared, her teeth bared now. \"Take this spell off of me Granger.\"

\"Not until you admit you\'re a cheater.\"

Pansy frowned, \"I am not a cheater. I’m a Slyther-\"

A large figure suddenly swooped up beside them, prior being hidden in the shadows that awaited every student when they went down the halls of the school.

\"Problem Granger? Parkinson?\"

The two girls\' eyes went wide as they jumped a bit and looked to Snape in mute horror. What the bloody fuck was he doing here? Hearts pounding wildly at the thought of almost being discovered they did the only thing they could do at a time like this. Lie.

\"No sir. No problem.\" Hermione said stammering, trying not to look guilty. This was a large obstacle to overcome as Snape stepped closer to them, looking down on them over his long nose and sneering.

\"I find that hard to believe, as Miss Parkinson appears to have quite a large message written on her head.\"

Hermione and Pansy blanched as Snape peered at Pansy\'s forehead, reading it and thenkingking back over to Hermione who shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot.

\"Anything to say for yourself, Miss Granger?\"

Hermione glared at him, \"And what makes you think it was me?\"

\"Five points for your cheek,\" Snape snapped, his dark eyes narrowing to capture her own,\"...After your abysmal behavior in the Library yesterday, Miss Granger,\" Pansy shot a look at Hermione about that comment but Snape didn\'t seem to notice.

\"I fully believe that you are the guilty party in all of this. So, either give me an explination or you shall suffer the consequences.\"

And so he stood then, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he glared down at Hermione, smirking then and almost daring her to say anything to incriminate her. Pansy didn\'t appear to be speaking up, and Hermione admitting to the contract would only prove to ruin three things:

1.) Her reputation about Gryffindor pride and bravery

2.) Any chance she had with the real Snape. (If there was any.)

3.) Her chances of getting into a good magical University after they found she had been expelled in her seventh year.

So, with Snape staring down at her boredly and Pansy frowning at the thought of expulsion Hermione did the only thing rational and fair to all parties involved.

She lied.

A big, horrible unbelievable lie.

\"You see sir...\" Hermione said looking to him in that familiar dodgy way. \"Pansy and I were...we were...you see we made a contract about...our marks. Yes, that\'s it.\"

Pansy nodded to Snape emphatically as he glanced at her to attest to this monstrosity of a falsehood. Hermione unnerved continued on, her face glowing at the prospect of getting off scot-free.

\"Pansy is always commenting on how she says that Slytherin are so much brighter than Gryffindors. And well, I disagreed evidently. So, I told Pansy that I would make a contract..\"

The lie became more and more elaborate as Hermione explained the outline of the academic bet, her eyes darting back and forth as if reading the line from a cue card in her brain. This was a look that reminded him foggily of her first year confession about trying to single-handedly defeat a mountain troll. He hadn\'t believed her then, and he certainly didn\'t believe the codswollop she was feeding him now.

\"And so then I thought Pansy cheated on her last test, and...well the rest is history.\"

Snape wasn\'t moving as Hermione finished with gusto, Pansy looking to Hermione in impressed awe. Hermione herself fiddled with her cloak as Snape continued boring his look down on her.

What am I to do?

Hermione decided he must be looking at her in that furious manner because he had embarassed one from his own house. So, with a flick of her wand pointed at Pansy\'s head the word describing her all too well was gone, but Snape\'s stance and glare remained.

\"Well, I\'d better be going.\" Pansy said awkwardly, making her way into the hall, stopped instantly at the silky purr that met her ears when Snape decided to grace them with a little speech of his own.

\"Stay right there, Miss Parkinson.\"

Pansy sighed and turned, nodding to her head of house emphatically. \"Yes sir.\"

\"I don\'t know what the two of you are up to,\" Snape said darkly, \"But I suggest it end right here and right now. I haven\'t time for these little rows and I doubt any of the other Professor\'s do either.\"

Hermione and Pansy nodded, heads bowed in shame but secret relief. He wasn\'t yelling...but that dark undertone to his voice seemed to be worse...almost like a jellyfish...you felt fine at first but sure enough, you\'d have that stinging feeling later.

\"So as seventh year role models I suggest this foolishness stop. Whatever it may be.\" a warning glance was shot at both of the hung heads, \"And the next time you decide to make a bet Miss Parkinson, I suggest you decide on a more easily won venture.\"

Did he just call her smart? Was that a compliment? No. Before Hermione could actually compute all of this Snape was glaring at her again and her body went numb as she looked up. Pansy darted out of his gaze and into the Great Hall, her legs feeling like jelly. Hermione made an attempt to follow her in, but was stopped by Snape\'s arm blocking her way.

\"A very entertaining story, Miss Granger.\" Snape sneered scathingly, \"But a very deplorable one indeed.\"

Hermione gulped softly, alarms going off in her head, telling her to run and to most certainly not look into those hypnotizing eyes of his, but nothing listened, not even her body which was growing more sensitive to his mere smell and almost touch. The body that felt the need to move closer, but thankfully did not.

Stop looking at me! her mind screamed, begging him to look anywhere but her increasingly reddening face. She couldn’t find the words to say…not that she could have anyway, as he mouth felt dry and filled to the brim with cotton balls.

Snape peered at her face then, finding her look to be quite uncharacteristic. What happened to the level headed girl that had been so quick to come up with answers? Who was this blushing mass of curls in front of him? He scanned her face for the first time. What was she wearing on her lips? Gloss? She didn’t make herself up for anyone. She didn’t care about her looks…at least she hadn’t unt-

His stomach lurched.

No.

It couldn’t be.

The blood rushed everywhere, and that meant everywhere much to his shock as she looked to him with a blush rising on her cheeks.

Gads…the little twit was blushing because…of him!?

She couldn’t be. She’d always been a know-it-all, always trying to out do everyone, he had been sure she was trying to show him up sometimes…not that she had. And now she was standing in front of him, much taller, much more reserved, and much more confident…

He was breathing rather heavily himself now, blinking a few times before standing upright and looking to her almost…nervously? Hermione could only focus on his chest as he did so. She willed herself not to look at his lips, or his eyes…those were her Achilles heel.

“Good evening.”

With those two words Snape swung around and strode off to his office, with Hermione watching after his tall, blackened frame. He was striding more quickly than usual, refusing to look back and meet her imploring eyes. Those eyes that were suddenly burned into his mind, surely never to be erased no matter how hard he tried.

And he intended to.