Dance With Me

*Insert standard disclaimer here* I own nothing. Just writing for fun, making no money, etc.

Response to Nesscafe\'s Valentine\'s BAH-HUM-BUG challenge. All will be made clear if you read those rules. Even if you don\'t, nothing really to explain. I think it pretty much stands on its own. So anyway, um...review please, but please be nice...my first time posting, and first-ever actual fic. Anyway, here goe

Hermione rolled her eyes at the couples gliding around the floor. It was the Valentine\'s Day Ball at Hogwart\'s and the Great Hall was positively dripping with hearts, red garlands, and other sappy decorations. \"Disgusting,\" she thought, glaring at the carved ice swans decorating the head table. Even Peeves was dressed as Cupid. As Hermione glanced around, it seemed that every Hogwart\'s student had a partner. Even the few people not dancing were huddled tightly in couples sitting at the tables lining the room. Harry and Ginny were gazing romantically into each other\'s eyes as they swayed rhythmically around the dance floor. Hermione threw her best scowl their way, but the effort was lost on the happy couple. She didn\'t begrudge them their happiness, she just hated the holiday in general, and they were the momentary manifestation of the whole cheesy affair. She hadn\'t understood earlier when they were getting ready why Ginny had made such a fuss about her preparations for the ball. The girl must\'ve spent three hours working to get her hair and makeup perfect. Hermione herself had only bothered to put on a dress, although she didn\'t care if it was flattering or not. Luckily, it was a simple black dress that was cut just low enough in the front to show a little cleavage and just low enough in the back to be suggestive. Ginny had convinced her to wear that one instead of the velvet \"frock\" that she had chosen, but she had not managed to persuade her that this was an occasion worthy of makeup or a new hairdo. So in short, Hermione looked presentable, but not stunning.

After having spent the entire evening sitting out the dance, she was beginning to rethink this decision. She surveyed the dance floor again. There was Ron with...Cho? Interesting. He had been eyeing her ever since Harry had chosen Ginny in favor of Cho. Apparently he had gotten his nerve up at the last minute. Hermione was sorry he hadn\'t mentioned this to her, but she decided that his near-constant nervous state had prevented it. She looked around again in disbelief. Absolutely everyone there was paired up. \"Even the fucking professors!\" she thought to herself, glancing up at the head table. Dumbledore and McGonagall were actually floating just above the dance floor in time with the music and me Hme Hooch was speaking in low tones to Professor Flitwick. Suddenly, she noticed the one person in the entire room aside from herself without a partner, and he happened to be looking at her, apparently noticing the same thing. Professor Snape was surveying the entire scene with a sour grimace. Apparently the professors were required to attend as chaperones, otherwise Hermione was sure that he would never have bothered to come to a Valentine\'s Day ball. She began to carefully consider the fact that there were only two un-paired people at the entire event. She had always nursed a tiny infatuation for her Potions professor, and it had been growing stronger in the past months. She found something attractive about his dark, mysterious exterior and found his searing glares fascinating. His voice was entrancing and she was even beginning to appreciate his greasy hair and pallid complexion. She suddenly made a decision and rose from her seat.

She approached the head table and headed for the punch bowl. \"Convenient location,\" she thought to herself. She poured herself a glass of punch and leaned back against the table, once again surveying the swirling mass that was the floor. She gathered all her nerve and turned around to face the unhappy face she was sure mirrored her own. She grinned slyly to herself and leaned over the table toward him.

\"I hate this holiday,\" she said to him, as though she was making a great confession. \"It\'s so corny and commercial, and I hate being made to feel guilty just because I don\'t happen to be seeing anyone.\" She was beginning to think that her loathing of this holiday was less about the commercialism and false romanticism of it, and more about the fact that no one had bothered toask her to dance, but she immediately pushed that thought aside as Professor Snape replied.

\"Disgusting, isn\'t it?\" he sneered in the direction of Dumbledore and McGonagall. Looking at the enraptured professors, her earlier idea was cemented.

\"What if we just shocked them all? We could at least temporarily throw them off, maybe even spoil their \'perfect\' day a little bit...\"

\"I\'m listening...\" he said, his lips curling up a bit at the corners at the very idea of spoiling the sickening mood.

\"Wouldn\'t it just scandalize everyone if we were suddenly to start acting as a couple? Couldn\'t you just imagine it? Gryffindor head girl dancing \'round with the head of Slytherin? If nothing else, it\'ll give \'em quite a shock...\"

A grin that could only be described as pure evil spread across his face. \"May I have this dance, Miss Granger?\" he asked, rounding the end of the table and holding out his hand to her.

\"Why, certainly, Professor Snape!\" she said, with an evil grin of her own. She took his hand and they entered the sea of couples.