Once Upon a Potion's Class [Complete]

Once Upon a Potion's Class by Destiny M. Elkins

Chapter Seven - Fits Just Right

Summary: Hermione loves fairy tales. Ron likes Hermione. So, he decides to give her a enchanted book of Muggle fairy tales from Flourish and Blott's. An incident in potion's class sends her and Professor Snape into the book where they will have to follow the stories to get out. Will they survive each other? [For the Inspired by Cinderella prompt on Mission:Insane via LJ.]

Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class
Chapter: 7 - Fits Just Right
Author: MallowCakes
E-Mail:
Rating: R; HG/SS
Warnings: None so much.
Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.
Distribution: By appointment only.
AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^
AN2: Merry Christmas all! Here's another chapter! I just keep warning you guys, I'm trying to get these out weekly, but if some point I don't, I'm sorry. This is the last chapter I have beta'd right now. The next chapter is waiting to be beta'd and the next is almost done being written. That's what I'm looking at right now. ^_^ Enjoy! Also, thank you much to all my reviewers. I love them!

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Hermione stood alone in a dark room in hand-me-down, soot ridden clothes with a simple thread-bare matress in the corner. It was so cold in the room she began to shiver.

The next thing she knew, she heard movement behind the heavy wooden door and a doorknob twisted in protest somewhere behind her. Turning, she knew it was coming from up a set of stairs. When the door opened all she could see was a large female figure standing in the light.

She swallowed hard as an aged, bitter, angry voice called out to her, "Cinderella!"

She walked toward the stairs with a small, meek "Y-yes?"

"Cinderella! The ball is tomorrow night, as you know, I'll need you to get your sister's best dresses out of storage and help them try them on right now. Tomorrow, I will need you to help me with my own. "

"Yes, stepmother." Hermione said, her voice still small, "Right away." She had always been somewhat afraid of the stepmother, even just reading the story.

She heard a scoff as the door closed and she was left in darkness again.

With a sigh, Hermione went over to a lantern that she had found on a dresser and lit it. The room lit up, revealing that there was a storage closet in the corner of the room. As she pulled on the handle, the door creaked open and she stepped inside. Boxes were labeled with Anya, Nadya, and Lord & Lady Breckenridge. A small box in the corner held the word Cinderella.

With an annoyed sound, she grabbed the boxes which she found held her stepsister's dresses. She grabbed them and walked off to find the two of them.

It didn't take long as she heard to young, screechy voices coming from down the halls, bickering about some nonsense or other.

"Where is that nasty little girl? Doesn't she know we need to pick our dresses out? I need to match my jewelry to what I'll be wearing!" One voice said.

"Oh, Nadya. It doesn't matter, does it? The prince isn't even going to notice you once he sees my divine face. You could very well walk in there in a potato sack."

"Oh please, Anya. When he gets a look at the big honker of yours he'll think he's found the legendary dodo. Then, I'll have nothing to worry about."

This conversation was follwed by two screeching giggles that made Hermione almost drop the boxes in an attempt to save her ear drums.

After the laughter died down, she went to the entrance to the room they were in, that turned out to be their humongous bedroom, and coughed to get their attention. She put the boxes down on the floor.

"Finally," The voice she recognized as Nadya's said, "You better be glad you got here when you did, I was about to call Mother." She turned to see the source of the voice, a tall, skinny, freckle-faced red-head with a small pig nose lay across a couch, staring at her. Her eyebrows raised in defiant haugtyness.

"Don't be mean, Nadya." Anya's sweeter voice came, "At least we get to see the prince. You must be awfully jealous of the two of us. Right, Cinderella?"

Hermione looked over at the second girl in the room. Nadya was taller than her sister, but defintely more chubby. She was on the pretty side, but her nose was huge and her eyebrows looked like two, huge caterpillars sitting above her eyes. She was rubbing lotion her arms and looking at Hermione expectantly.

"Well?" She said after a few seconds had passed without an answer.

"Yes, Nadya." Hermione said, her voice quiet and dutiful.

"I didn't hear you." Nadya said, her caterpillar-brows lowering in anger.

"I said yes, Nadya. I'm awfully jealous."

"Good."

"That's as it should be." Anya finally added, "Now help us with our clothes."

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes as she went to help each of them out of their clothes and into each dress that she had brought. This went on for hours and hours. Helping them into the same dresses over and over again, they'd stop to argue over who necklaces or earrings belonged to, their mother would come in spouting some kind of nonsense or another, it was just horrible. Finally, they were done and she was excused and able to go to her bedroom to sleep.

She was reminded to not sleep in as she was supposed to clean the entire house while they were at the ball. Lady Breckenridge managed to throw the word insolent in there at least five times before she'd gotten to her room to close the door.

She laid down on the bed, thinking she was too angry to actually fall asleep, but it was only seconds before she did and the next thing she knew she was getting screamed at to wake up and help them to get ready for the ball. They had a long day ahead of them, going to the brunch at the cafe and then going to the salon before they even thought about actually arriving at the castle so, naturally they needed dressed already.

Hermione couldn't stand the three of them and she dressed them all as quickly as she could just to get them out of the house. Immediately after they had left, she started the chores. She was still going to be here for a few days after the ball had ended and she wanted the least attention put on her as she could get. She scrubbed each of the cold, brick floors one by one before washing the dirty clothes and hanging them up to dry. She tidied up the pantry, made all the beds, cleaned out all the nooks and crannys, wiped up the cobwebs, dusted, cleaned the fireplace, swept the floors, and a million other things that was just buzy work for her mind before the ball started.

A little while after she had done, she set on the floor by the fireplace and cried, "Oh, I do wish I could go to the ball!"

The very next minute, there was a bright light and standing before her was a lovely, old lady with a wand in her hand.

"Cinderella," She said, "I am your fairy godmother and I shall get you to that ball. But first you must get some things for me. I will need a pumpkin from your garden. I will also need six mice, a rat and some lizards. Can you bring me these things?"

Hermione nodded and went to fetch the things for the woman and brought them before her to lay on the ground in front of her.

The fairy godmother walked forward and touched them with her wand. The pumpking became a coach, the mice became horses, the rat became a coachman, and the lizards became footmen. They were very silly looking while they stood there waiting. Hermione giggled at them as the fairy godmother touched her with the wand next and the old, ratty, brown dress she was wearing became a stunning ball gown that matched the exact color of her necklace. Her feet held the most beautiful pair of glass slippers she had ever laid eyes on.

"Cinderella, you look beautiful, but you must listen." The fairy godmother announced gently, "You must leave the ball before the clock strikes midnight. At midnight, the magic ends and there's nothing more I can do for you."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Hermione was excited to be going to see Severus.

"You're welcome. Now be on your way." The fairy helped her into the coach and winked at her, disappearing instantly.

The ride to the ball was over quickly and Hermione could feel her heart racing as she got out of the coach and was escorted by her footmen to the castle entrance.

As she walked inside, she could feel everyone's eyes on her as they wondered who the dashing young girl in the beautiful dress was. Even her step-mother and the ugly step-sisters couldn't keep their eyes off of her, silently stewing because they knew that the beautiful girl would definitely take the attention away from them.

Severus had been fawning enthusiasm as he was talking to some of the ladies that had been swooning at him all night, but as soon as she walked in there was no mistaking that he no longer could hear anything that they had said.

As he stared at her from across the room the air around her seem to quiver and blur. He could hear nothing but white noise. He swallowed a lump in his throat.

'How ridiculous.' He thought to himself, 'Me and her are the only ones in the world right now? Something this clich actually happens?'

But he knew he was kidding himself as her eyes met his through the din. This was real. There would be no make-believe tonight.

Ignoring everything, they rushed to each other and met in the middle of the ball room. As if it was magic, the music started to play and they began to dance. No words. Nothing. Just the music and them.

"Miss Granger, you look beautiful tonight." Severus said.

Hermione blushed slightly, "Severus, do drop the 'Miss Granger' thing. I'd rather you call me Cinderella then that, really."

"Hermione, is that better? Hermione, you look lovely in that dress. That shade of green on your skin is quite nearly perfect."

Hermione's whole face turned red as he spoke. "Thank you." She said, her voice barely a whisper.

"You're welcome." He chuckled.

She smiled up at him and they continued to dance. He wouldn't dance with anyone else, of course. She was all he seen.

"Hermione." Severus said after a few hours of casual conversation.

"Yes?" Her head was on his chest, her face away from him to try to hide the wide grin that wouldn't leave her face.

"I just wanted to..."

"What is it?" She faced him then, her brows creased.

"Well, I just wanted to say that, well, I beleive we were intrupted a few stories back and..."

"And?"

"Well, I would be remiss if I didn't say that I'd like to..."

"Do you want to kiss me, Professor Snape?" She raised a brow in question.

Severus blushed, which was an akward sight indeed, before gaining his composure and replying silkily with "Professor Snape? Really? I do believe if I've dropped the niceity of 'Miss Granger', you could do me the honor of calling me Severus."

"Alright then." Hermione replied just as smoothly, "Severus... do you want me to kiss you?"

"I was, in point of fact, refering to me kissing you."

"Were you?" Hermione inclined her head as his lips came slowly towards hers.

"Definitely." Snape whispered, his sweet breath hitting her face, just before their lips met and she melted against his form.

Gasps could be heard around them as onlookers wondered what spell this small girl had put over their handsome prince.

'If they only knew.' Snape thought, 'If they only knew.'

His tongue darted between her lips and she sighed. It was the sweetest sound he'd ever heard. The Slytherin headmaster, thought to be hard, angry, and cunning was falling head-over-heels for the Gryffindor's smartest witch. Hell, Hogwart's smartest witch. This made him, he thought, none of these things. (Well, maybe that first one.)

As suddenly as it had started, it had to end as the next sound they heard was the clock striking midnight behind them.

One. Two. Three.

"You've got to go don't you?" Severus said, his voice somehow deeper.

Hermione could hardly stand but managed to gain a bit of footing before nodding and turning to run off.

Four. Five. Six.

As she ran down the palace steps one of her glass slippers fell off, just as planned.

Seven. Eight. Nine.

She ran on toward the golden coach.

Ten Eleven Twelve.

Then there was Hermione in her old, brown, ratty dress. The golden pumpkin lay at her feet and scampering down off down the road were six grey mice, a whiskered rat and four green lizards. So she had to walk home and by the time the ugly sisters returned home she was sitting quietly by the fire.

Back at the palace, Severus picked up the glass slipper and held it in his hand, staring off after where his stolen heart had fled.

"What is it, sire?" His butler said, standing beside him.

"I shall marry the beautiful girl whose foot fits this slipper and only her." He replied as he was instructed, but it came easily to his lips.

In the morning, as soon as the sun broke over the horizon, a full team was called to help the prince find the love of his life. What made it harder for him is he didn't know where Hermione was staying, but he did know exactly whoose slipper it was so as soon as he walked into the houses, the disappointment flooded his face.

At last he found the house where Hermione sat by the fireplace covered in ash and soot and he gave a small smile. He knew he'd have to let the two step-sisters try the shoe first so with the annoyance etched on his face he tried it on one first and then the other. They both tried hard, but neither of their huge feet fit the shoe.

"Can I try?" Hermione's small voice came from the corner.

"You didn't go to the ball." Nadya screeched.

"The shoe will never fit you, Cinderella." Anya said.

"I said ALL women must try on the shoe." Severus stood and spoke loudly, the two brats shut their trap quickly under his gaze. 'I still got it.' He thought with a smirk as Hermione took her place in the chair in front of him.

Her grabbed her small, bare foot in his hand and heard her breath stick in her throat. With a smile up at her he whispered, "You know after this we won't see each other for a while."

She nodded at him, her eyes boaring into his.

"I'll miss you." His voice was so low by that time she wasn't sure she even heard it right, but before she could ask he'd shoved the slipper on her foot and the scene faded before her as the smoke clouded her vision.

When she could see again she was standing on a desk, looking out at the moon and walnut shell stood beside her with a small pillow and blanket tucked away inside.

Oh, she couldn't go to sleep now, not after he had said that to her. Had he really said what she thought he said? Maybe her hearing was off. Oh, but she'd find out as soon as they met again. He'd tell her or else.

For now, the only way to get this fairy tale moving was going to sleep in her tiny walnut shell and waiting for her adventure to begin.