Storing Up Trouble

Disclaimer: Not mine, but, hey I wish Snape and I were in the Store Cupboard...

The Start of Trouble

Hermione had enough, everytime she was left on her own in the Potions lab she heard noises come from the store cupboard, but everytime she went close enough to investigate either the noises stopped, or there was no one there. She had even checked the labels and they were correctly stored. So, she mused, what could possibly be happening here?

Professor Slughorn had decided to make Miss Granger his favourite student, especially now that he found out Harry Potter cheated the year before, and rather ironically, was using his OLD Potion’s Master methods and techniques. She was entrusted with the care of the ingredients and she was happy with that. Much better than Snape anyday, Hermione thought, at least Slughorn realises that she WAS capable of being left on her own in the lab.

It was getting towards Christmas, and she had brought all her friends presents all ready, all bar one! Ron was now more of an unofficial boyfriend than friend, only, Hermione sighed, he doesn’t seem to want to do anything further than the odd passionate kiss or two. She was also annoyed that whenever they were together they always ended up rowing about Quidditch, (he wanted to talk about it, and she didn’t!), in fact, Hermione thought, perhaps it’s best to call it a day. It was obvious that for them to get along at this stage was to break apart first, perhaps test other ‘fish,’ if you like.

She had just finished clearing up when she heard the noises again. The clinking of glass against glass, the subtle ‘pop’ sound as stoppers were being unleashed and then the gentle scrape of wooden ladder against stone flag flooring. Hermione had just about had it. Whoever was in there had better show themselves!

“Gotcha!” She exclaimed fiercely, as she opened the door. She was not expecting to see the person that was standing there. “P-Professor Snape?” she stammered.

He spun around. His hair was lankier than ever and his eyes held a fear, an open fear! Before Hermione knew what was happening, her hand had been taken and she was gruffly pulled into the storeroom and the door closed. He slammed her against the wall and closed her mouth with his hand. He looked into her eyes.

“Promise you won’t scream if I release that mouth of yours?” he asked. Hermione nodded.

As soon as his hand lifted from her mouth he turned around and she was just about to leave the store cupboard, and run like hell to her Head Girls Room. He sensed this and turned around holding his wand at the door, Hermione heard it click. She was locked in the Potions store cupboard with a murderer.

“Do you-I mean-what are you doing here?” Hermione stammered cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Ingredients,” he said. “Need them. War! It’s coming soon.”

Hermione knew that. She was tempted to ask what side he was planning on using them for.

“Is-is it possible that I could help?”

Snape spun around on his toes, his black robes swirled with him, and the hemline brushed against Hermione’s legs. She took a step back. The cupboard was not spacious, in fact, she realised that soon they would have no choice but to touch each other.

“You already have done,” he mumbled. “Thank you for keeping my cupboards in some semblance of order. Slughorn does sometimes have some good ideas.”

HIS store cupboards? Had he gone stark raving mad? They had not been his for well over a year. Hermione put a trembling hand on Snape’s shoulder.

“Are-are you alright?” she asked.

“Stop stammering at me, girl, of course I am alright! Now let me alone.”

Hermione sighed, and then she turned around, as she spun on her heel she grabbed her own wand to lift the spell on the door, but Snape grabbed her wrist so tightly that her hand involuntarily let go off the wand and it clattered on the floor.

“Let me go,” she said. “Look, sir, I promise I won’t tell anyone you’re here. I CAN keep secrets, sir.”

Snape looked back into her eyes.

“No,” he said. “You’ve seen me.”

“Sir,” Hermione said, “whatever it is you want I can sort some spare ingredients out and owl them to you.”

Snape chuckled.

“Become an accomplice to something you don’t know, Miss Granger, I thought you were supposed to be the brightest witch of your age.”

“Then what are you doing?” She asked. “Tell me, and I’ll help. Anything to get out of here.”

“Away from the most hunted man since Black escaped from Azkaban, come, Miss Granger, do you think I’m going to let you out of my sight now?”

Hermione gulped.

“Please, sir, let me go.”

“I was not aware that you suffered from Claustrophobia, Miss Granger, it seems strange to suffer that when you prefer to be in a library to pratting about with your friends by the lake.”

“I am not claustrophobic, sir, I just merely wish to be able to breathe. The air in here is rather stale, and musty.”

Snape glared at Hermione and laughed.

“You didn’t mind the confinements when you stole from me in your second year.”

“You knew?” Hermione gasped. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Snape chuckled again. Hermione noticed how deep and manly the chuckle was, and it sent shivers down her spine.

“I was short of proof, Miss Granger, now if you are as willing to help me out as you say you are, I need a Bezoar.”

Hermione coughed, she had slightly re-arranged the cupboard. She noticed Snape’s system was first sorted out into levels of danger, and then alphabetically. Hermione just stored the ingredients alphabetically.

“Top shelf,” she said. She pointed right at the top, to an obscure, shady corner.

“Do you mind getting it for me?” He asked. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and took her front robes off. She was wearing her school uniform underneath it. Snape found his eyes travelling down to her legs. Her surprisingly shapely curving legs, deliciously trapped by the sheer black tights she was wearing. She hooked her robe on a nail sticking out of a shelf and started walking up the ladder.

Snape was suddenly aware of how small the cupboard was, he held onto the bottom of the ladder and tried to look at anywhere but up her skirt. A sight which he didn’t mind. She rattled a few of the bottles and then she found it. She then turned to look down at Snape.

“Seen anything you like?” She snapped.

Snape blushed and then she walked down the ladder and handed him the Bezoar.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go to bed. Tomorrow I have a whole day of Defence Against The Dark Arts.”

“Who’s the unlucky bastard this time?” Snape asked.

“The real Mad Eye Moody,” Hermione answered promptly. Hermione narrowed her eyes, and she scrutinized Snape very carefully. “You didn’t want it, did you?” She asked.

“Want what?” Snape snapped back.

“The Defence Against The Dark Arts job, you didn’t want it, did you?”

“No,” Snape answered. “I didn’t. Damn Albus, he thought I’d be jumping through hoops when he informed me that I had done enough to prove my worth. He genuinely believed I wanted it.”

“But, all those times you applied for the job?” Hermione asked.

“Only to keep Senior Psychopath happy,” Snape mumbled. “Thank you.”

He said as he pocketed the Bezoar.

“Anything else?” Hermione asked.

“Um,” Snape said. “Not much at the moment. Except, well, a proper introduction might be nice.”

Hermione giggled.

“You know me,” she said.

“I know you as Miss Granger, a walking bloody encyclopaedia, I would like to have a proper introduction. I always work like that before I pass information on. I know things, and what I know will help you. Do you think I let myself get caught accidentally? No, I timed it just right. I wanted you to catch me. Now, please, an introduction.”

“All right,” Hermione said, her voice wavering. “I am Hermione Jane Granger, and my parents are Henry and Eileen, and they are dentists. I have a sort of boyfriend…”

“Not Weasley?” Snape asked.

Hermione felt herself blush.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am with Ron,” Hermione said.

“What about Potter?” Snape asked. “Is he still with Weaslette?”

“Are you going to introduce yourself properly, or are you going to be the snide git you always have been?”

Snape sighed impatiently. His attention kept hovering on her lips and mouth, he knew only one effective way to shut it up, and that was what he did. He moved forward. She moved back, not liking the predatory gaze that Snape had in his eyes. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him. Hermione’s heart was in her throat.

“I’ve always wanted to kiss the Head girl,” he whispered dangerously in her ear, his lips ghosted along her cheek, and then hovered a few millimetres away from her lips, and then, before Hermione could push him away from her, she found his lips had crashed on hers, they were demanding, and she found her mouth open wider, then he slid his tongue in her mouth.

“Sir,” she panted into his mouth. He only enforced the kiss. They were bumped against the wall and Snape could not help but see a spark of passion in those brown eyes, the same spark and light she held whenever she knew the answer to a question any idiot should have known the answer to.

He stopped and pulled away from her and brushed aside some of her hair and tucked it behind her ear.

“I am Severus Tobias Snape,” he murmured. “A self proclaimed disgrace to humanity, and am trying to correct certain mistakes I made in the past, this Bezoar is to cure a poisoned Order member by the name of Kingsley Shacklebolt.”

Hermione breathed a huge sigh of relief; at least she had not been fraternizing with the enemy. The relaxed atmosphere did not last very long when they heard sounds coming from the other side of the door.

“Nope, not here, Ron,” it was Harry.

“Where is she, Harry?” Ron asked. “She’s normally done about now, although, I can’t understand why she does it in the first place.”

Snape had a hand over Hermione’s mouth to prevent her from saying something stupid, or from screaming.

“Because for some unfathomable reason, she actually likes Potions, Ron, and she is training to become a Medi witch. Potions are a must in that.”

“Potions are a must in most jobs that are guided by the Ministry, I thought of becoming an Auror, but I’m not good enough for that I guess.”

“If Tonks can be one I don’t see why you can’t,” Harry said.

Snape had now removed his hand from her mouth but he pressed his body tighter to hers, it was all Hermione could do to control her burgeoning desire for the man she was trapped with.

“I also can’t understand why she’s still defending that greasy murdering son of a bitch!” Ron exclaimed.

Snape quirked an eyebrow at her, and she blushed. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It didn’t help her blood temperature very much.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “She’s doing so much research into his life I’m beginning to worry about her. Apparently she’s asked Remus all sorts of questions, and he answers them.”

“Remus say’s that he’s beginning to think that Hermione needs to see the truth about Snape before too long!”

Hermione’s eyes took on an indignant light. Snape caught the flicker in her orbs and smirked inwardly, smart girl.

“Well, she’s not here,” Harry said. “Hang on, she could be in the store cupboard.”

“Tell no one,” Snape whispered, as he placed a disillusionment charm on himself. She nodded and picked up her wand.

“Allohomora,” Harry said the other side, and he found Hermione looking a little dishevelled, but otherwise all right.

“Why didn’t you come out?” Harry asked.

“I wanted to test your seeking skills,” Hermione said. She unhooked her robe and walked out of the cupboard. Hmm, she thought, next time.


The next morning Hermione received a letter. Not that, that was unusual, but that the Slytherins seemed to know whom the letter was from and decided to show it by having smug expressions on their faces when Hermione looked up.

“Hermione,

I’m watching you. I am watching you now. I watched you kiss that boy and I am watching you eat your breakfast. Be careful, Hermione, be very careful.

I shall be in the store cupboard tonight at nine, please, come. Thank you for your help.

S.S.”

Hermione gulped down on a lump of her scrambled egg, and she immediately hid the letter in her bag. Harry had received a letter from Remus, and Ron had received his daily correspondence from his parents.

“I don’t know why they have to check that I’m alive every five minutes,” Ron mumbled on their way to D A D A. “It’s like they don’t trust me.”

“Hmm,” Harry said. “Let me see, Forbidden Forest, CHECK, Underground Caverns and Chambers, CHECK, Third Floor Corridor, CHECK. Being whacked on the head by giant chess pieces, CHECK.”

“Oh very funny, Harry,” Ron said sarcastically. “It’s not like -!”

“Like I have parents?” Harry asked coldly. “Thanks a bunch, mate.”

Harry stormed off. Hermione gave Ron a withering look.

“When are you going to learn to think before you speak, Ronald?”

She then stamped off to catch up with Harry. Ron had never wanted to kick himself so hard in the balls before.


The D A D A class was over, and it was dinnertime. Hermione looked at her watch, four hours before she could meet up with Snape, she wondered what he wanted from her this time. Her mind slipped back to that kiss. She licked her lips at the thought of it. She was just about to walk down the stairs when she felt a tug at her elbow, and she was dragged into a dark alcove.

“So,” a familiar voice said. “What does he have to say to you?”

“Malfoy?” She asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Spying,” Draco said. “What do you think?”

“Nothing,” Hermione said coldly. “Now let me go.”

“Snape is more of a father to me than my old man is, now, mark my words, Mudblood, if you hurt him, or give him away, just remember… I am watching you!”

Hermione shuddered and then Draco left, and Hermione walked down to the Great Hall shaking, what was it with those two anyway?

She ate her dinner, and then went to the library to keep herself occupied for the remaining three and a half hours. She had completed two essays and was about to start on the third when Ron slumped down on a seat beside her. He put his arm around her waist and started nuzzling and pecking at her neck.

“Ron,” she said, as she shrugged him off. “Haven’t you got homework to do?”

“After Quidditch practise? You got to be joking. I don’t have the energy.”

“If you have the energy to attempt seducing me in the library, you have the energy to do your Potions homework.” Hermione said. She then checked her watch and picked up her bag. “Besides, I’ve got to do my daily cleaning up after Slughorn, bit. See you.”

Hermione dashed out of the library before Ron could stop her. Ron sat there, his mouth open like a fish, and tried to work it out in his head where he had gone wrong.


Her heart was thumping, as she opened the store cupboard. True to his word, Snape was there. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

“What do you want?” She asked.

“Kingsley is fine,” Snape said. “Oh, and I’ve come to return the Bezoar.”

He took the stone out of his pocket and Hermione held out her hand, he put it in her palm and let his fingertips graze her skin, which made her shiver.

“Thank you,” she said. She took her outer robe off, as she did before and deposited the Bezoar back in its jar. She climbed down the ladder, and before she knew what was happening Snape had grabbed her around the waist, pulled her close to him and kissed her as he did the night before.

Hermione found herself enjoying his kiss, and his hands roved up and down her body. He settled a hand on her breast, which made her moan with excitement.

“Know this, Hermione, once I kiss a woman, that woman has no right to kiss another man, or in your case, boy, and I am extremely possessive,” he bent his head down and raised her head up, exposing some skin. He stroked the front of her throat with his long; rough, fingers and he started nibbling at a spot just below the earlobe. She screamed when he bit his teeth into the skin, and moaned when he sucked at the bite. “That bite shows that you belong to someone, I want everyone to see it.”

With that he cast another disillusionment charm leaving Hermione alone in the store cupboard, a seething puddle of hormones, and she felt where he bit her. She bowed her head in a little shame. How was she going to explain this to Harry and Ron?

A/N How many times can this pairing be brought together before Jo gets it???? Anyway what d'ya think?