an overwhelming desire to win...

“Watch it Mudblood.” Pansy said rudely, shoving Hermione harshly with her elbow. Hermione in the middle of a novel hadn’t even seen the upcoming confrontation until it elbowed her quite roughly in the ribs.

“Owww…what’s the hell is wrong with you?” Hermione said rubbing her ribs gently, looking to the Slytherin girl with pure, unadulterated disdain. Gods she was a mad cow, that one. Pig faced too.

“Ten points, Granger.”

Pansy smirked back, looking over Hermione’s shoulder as Hermione herself froze. Snape stood behind her, having just come out of the Library and been witness to Hermione’s outburst. Hermione looked to Pansy in mute shock as the Slytherin girl gave her a surreptitious smirk.

Hermione hated Pansy…this isn’t a harsh fact to realize. Lots of people hated Pansy. It was almost natural that she and Hermione should hate each other. They were at opposite sides of the spectrum, Pansy a rough and rude girl while Hermione was bright and reserved. The only thing they had in common? Perhaps their dark hair color.

Now, Hermione didn’t dislike Pansy just because she was Slytherin, and not only because she had all her schooling paid for, but because she was able to ndernder the constant attention of one Severus Snape .

Yes. She had a crush on Severus Snape. But what young schoolgirl didn’t have a slight fancy for a teacher? Especially at the age of eighteen when hormones raced, the spring of adulthood stood in the very near future, and any virgin, boy or girl wanted a taste of what was so often reveled in common rooms or in hushedsperspers in the Library.

Now he was waltzing up beside her, looking utterly disenchanted at the moment, and Hermione tried to regulate her breathing. It wasn’t that hard to cover up. She’d had plenty of practice as the whole thing had begun in the late June air of her sixth year. She could practically feel his breath on her face.

The thing was, it was hard to conceal the emotions he stirred within her. Because as much as she fancied him, she was certain of three things.

1.) He was insufferably sexy when he was angry with her.

2.) When angry at her, he made her more furious anyone she knew.

3.) Although she fancied him very much, she was absolutely frightened of him

She supposed it made sense…Love, Hate, Fear…all extremes in passion, all took much energy and so forth. So perhaps it was natural for Hermione to lust after him hate him and fear him all at the same time. She was mostly angry at how he made her feel…constantly she was doing something completely idiotic and he would catch her.

Overgrown bat.

See, there she went again. She wanted him desperately and yet at the same time she wanted to slap that smirk off her face. He stood looking down at her right then with that infamous smirk once more and she trembled nervously.

“Anything to say for yourself?”

Hermione went flushed a slight pink, from anger of flushed embarrassment? It was hard to tell yet she met his eyes, locking his gaze with her own. Pansy and her other Slytherin kin, Millicent and Blaise waited patiently a few yards away, looking from their house leader to the furious Gryffindor in front of him.

Snape waited for Hermione’s reply patiently, like a young child waiting for a chocolate. You knew what it was, you knew it would be good, but when would you receive it? The anticipation was all part of the fun he supposed.

Hermione Granger was a personal favorite torment for him. She had been the bane of his existence since her first year, and her seventh was no different. Gads, the questions and the hand raising…it was maddening. When these odd occasions did arise, when he found her doing something out of her character he was quick to snap up his opportunity. She was so meek at times it was almost laughable.

Her obvious intelligence wasn’t the only thing that infuriated him about her, it was those two she was always with. It was the-boy-who-lived-to-be-rich-and-famous-after-he-defeat-Voldemort-and-be-the-hero-to-all and his usually peaked accomplice the Weasel.

Speak of the devil, he thought bitterly as their voices came yammering down the hallway and breaking the delightful tension and staring between he and a very flustered young Gryffindor. She looked to the two of them, a grimace on her face as they walked slowly past, trying to hear what was going on.

“Move on.” He hissed darkly, “Or Filch’ll have his hands full for the next year.”

This was all boy wonder and his sidekick needed to hear, because after a solemn sorry look they made a beeline down the hall for the common room, the destination Hermione had been trying to reach when accosted by Pansy.

“I’m sorry Professor.” Hermione said gulping, Gods his eyes were dark. She couldn’t bear to look at them any longer and so her eyes dropped to the floor. Snape seemed satisfied with this, and was about to walk on when Pansy spoke.

“Sir. Hermione called me a pig face before you got here.”

Hermione’s eyes darted over to Pansy as her face screwed up into an angry scowl, “You know that’s not true!” she challenged, aghast that Pansy would lie so blatantly. “You’re a liar!”

Pansy strode over to her and in one sudden movement she was in front of her with Snape watching carefully from a few steps back. Pansy’s eyes narrowed as she leaned in, wanting some privacy Hermione suppos

“You better not be calling me a liar Mudblood.” Pansy growled, “Because you’ll live to regret it.” he hand raised then and was about to register itself across Hermione’s cheek when Snape grasped her wrist, pulling her back. Hermione felt relief well up in her, and she wanted to thank him…and then he spoke once more.

“Detention.” Snape said looking to an ashen Hermione, and then suddenly his eyes darted to Pansy, now standing with arms crossed. “Both of you.”

Pansy’s eyes widened, “But Professo-“

“Enough.” Snape said darkly, “I haven’t time for inadequate excu I h I have much more pressing matters at hand.” He looked to Hermione who looked utterly shattered. Served her right. Always parading around like she was some brilliant gift from above. “Seven o’clock. My classroom.”

“Your classroom?” Hermione blurted out, as Snape’s black eyes darted over to her, she blanched and immediately wished she hadn’t said a word. Snape peered at her dangerously quiet for a moment.

“Yes, my classroom.”

Hermione nodded, and noticed he was waiting for some kind of explanation of her strange need to blurt out the first thing that came to her mind. His eyebrow was raised as he awaited her reasoning.

“Oh…well, I just assumed we’d be stationed with Filch…is all…” Hermione stammered, trailing off and not meeting his eye.

Finally after a disgruntled, “Well, if no one else has any more brilliant affirmations pertaining to placement, I’ll see you sharply at seven.”

He strode off then, muttering about ‘silly little girls’ and ‘babysitting’…Pansy sighed looking after him with a wistful look. Blaise and Millicent, obviously disregarding Hermione as a person spoke swiftly.

“Still pining after him I assume?” Blaise said giggling, as Pansy shot her a dark look. She shrugged, looking after his diminishing and then vanished frame as she leaned against the wall, fanning herself dramatically.

“That voice! Can you blame me?” shed brd breathy as Millicent and Blaise giggled amongst themselves. They didn’t pay any attention to the fact that Hermione was still there…which was worse than if they had.

Ignoring her like this was just another way of saying, ‘you don’t really matter enough to even get angry at…you’re just that pathetic...’ And Hermione in a desperate attempt to be spoken to

“You like Snape?” Hermione admonished outlandishly, again wanting to slap herself. Why oh why do I speak in the first place? She tried to salvage her latest faux pas, “Err…I mean…”

Pansy shot her a dark look, “Evidently I like him you twit.”

Hermione nodded, embarassed and angry “Right…err…” she was blushing like mad now, it felt like her cheeks were on fire and she wanted desperately to stop it, they mustn’t ever-

“Ohhhh…” Millicent said, nudging Pansy in the side, “I think a certain little Gryffindor is all hot and bothered over a certain Professor herself.”

Hermione paled then, looking at the bemused lot of Slytherin tarts. “No…No I don’t.”

Pansy and the girls strode over to a book toting Hermione, whose boiling anger had given way to sudden distress. Were they going to beat her for fancying him? Pansy certainly wasn’t above it.

“I think you do.” Pansy said, and Hermione waited for the first swing to strike her face, and damage all the work her dentist parents had put into her teeth…but instead Pansy continued. “And why shouldn’t you?”

“But I don-“

“Cut it out Granger, you’re blushing right now just further proves it.”

Beaten by my own body… Hermione thought miserably, she was going to buy a book on that…how to control ones blushing when talking to certain girls about crushes on teachers…

“But if in the foolish recesses of your mind, you think you have any chance with him I suggest you give up right now.”

Was that…a challenge?

Hermione’s eyes met Pansy’s and she herself frowned. “What makes you say that?”

Pansy and the girls chuckled, and making sure they were completely alone in the hallway continued. “Granger, you’ve got the seduction talents of a dead ferret…and plus, he hates you. There’s no way in hell he’d ever voluntarily be in the same room with you, let alone get you in the sack.”

Hermione’s lip quivered with fury…that rude, little, cow- “And you think you could get him to go to bed with you?”

“Definitely.” Pansy smirked devilishly, “Compared to you I am the goddess of everything Slytherin, I see Snape all the time, and plus…I’m not some wayward little virgin Gryffindor whose probably never even seen a grown man naked.”

Hermione’s cheeks flushed at this…true…she most certainly did not have even half the experience Pansy did, she had spent her time reading, opting for fact and reliance rather than silly little emotions like lust and on the odd occasion she overheard, love.

“But Snape…” Hermione said dangerously, “He’s not an easy man to…for lack of better words, ‘conquer’…He wouldn’t let a student touch him, let alone bed him.”

Pansy smirked, “I know a lot more about the male species than you do Granger. And I also know our beloved Potions Master has not been ing ing any for a long time.”

Hermione shuffled a bit embarassed, this was Snape after all they were talking about. Hermione couldn’t honestly see him kissing or having sex with anyone…let alone a student.

“That doesn’t prove anything.” Hermione said resignedly, finally sighing, “It’s stupid to argue about this in the first place,” she wanted the awkwardness to end, “Especially about something we couldn’t possible prove.”

Her latest remark hung in the air, as Pansy smirked triumphantly.

“Or could I?”

“Sorry?”

“I bet I could bed Snape before you could.” Her eyes flashed, as Hermione looked to her in disbelief.

“You’re joking.”

The three girls rolled their eyes, and Hermione knew they were thinking she was hopeless.

“We’d be expelled!”

Pansy shook her head, “You think Snape would ever tell anyone he bedded a student? Are you mad?”

Hermione’s reason faltered. She did find Snape quite lust worthy…but was that enough?

“It’s all about house pride.” Millicent suddenly said dramatically, pressing her hand over her heart “Gryffindor versus Slytherin.”

Hermione’s heart began to pound, it was all about house pride. She was not about to let Gryffindor down…especially in something this stupid. Besides, like Snape would even fall victim to their ‘charms’…no ma how how experienced Pansy was, Snape was not an easy conquest…

She came to the realization that neither of them would be able to bed the Professor. But if she said she\'d compete, at least she\' look like she had some conviction and bravery. She was Gryffindor after all. Perfect. Her pride and her virginity would remain intact. Hmmmm...not so sure she liked the last part..

“Fine.” Hermione said loudly, causing them to look at her in disbelief. Was frigid Hermione Granger accepting their lurid deal? Yes….she was, willingly!. Hermione felt her breath go shaky…she had to remain strong…Gryffindor would win. Of that she was certain…plus she’d have bedded Snape! The object of her current affections.

Pansy nodded, “Is that a deal then Granger?”

There was a challenge in her tone, one that if Hermione backed down from she would have no pride at all. And so, in a deep breath of Gryffindor bravery she nodded and spoke aloud.

“Deal.” Hermione said stiffly, a little nervous now as she prepared to walk off. But suddenly with a small smirk that was all too Slytherin she added;


“I may just surprise you.”