No spoilers, per se
Jul. 23rd, 2007 01:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42I know a lot of you are complaining about emo!Snape, but you know what? I'm glad. It makes him so, SO much easier to write in a romantic setting. Whee! And it's not like he isn't a nasty git at all other times. ;-)
I've finished off the next chapter of SMHC, and have started on chapter 18 which is looking like it's going to be a long one. There's so much to get through.
And, well, I said there weren't any spoilers, but nowadays that applies only to DH, but...
Although Hermione was anxious about what the rumor mill would damn her and Severus with the next morning, she needn't have worried. It seemed that Blaise Zabini had given the mill more interesting fodder by being caught in a broom closet with a fifth year... Hufflepuff. Since that was obviously more exciting gossip than her and Severus getting along, she was left to attend classes and meals in peace.
She would have liked to see more of Severus, but it seemed the only time they had free for each other was immediately after dinner. Hence they began a nightly ritual of Severus walking Hermione to her quarters, although frequently there were detours involved, most of them involving a jaunt through the library.
Hermione was certain they would be the focus of the rumor mill once again on Thursday after she and Severus had been caught coming out of the restricted section Wednesday night rather flushed (and, in her case, mussed) by a group of third year Ravenclaws but, to her surprise, there was barely any mention of them because early the next morning Daphne Greengrass was seen kissing Neville – yes, Longbottom – in the Charms corridor.
So it was that Hermione managed to make it through an entire week in peace.
Friday dawned auspiciously enough and, besides some rather annoying twinkling by the Headmaster during her Potions lesson, the day proceeded much to her liking. She'd even received full marks on the essay he'd assigned about the Skele-Gro Potion with encouraging notes on her thought processes. It was a nice change from the usual acerbic comments left by Professor Snape.
As she made her way to Transfiguration after lunch, she was struck by how she was now automatically separating 'Severus' from 'Professor Snape' in her mind. She was exceedingly pleased that there really did seem to be a difference between the two, and now that they were getting past their professional relationship, it was becoming much, much easier to see him as a man, rather than just as the teacher.
The past week had been illuminating indeed, and she couldn't help but notice that whenever she thought of Severus, as now, a grin would pull at her lips.
“What's so funny?” Harry asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Hermione looked over at him and let the grin loose. “Severus.”
Harry made a face that she was pretty sure was more genuine than affected. “I'm sorry I asked!”
She swatted at him, although he dodged from reflex, laughing good-naturedly.
“So things are working out okay?” he asked with genuine interest.
She nodded. “Yes. He's been very... well, I want to call him 'sweet' but that doesn't exactly hit the mark with Severus, does it?” she asked Harry playfully, knowing it would elicit a moue of disgust.
“Erm...”
She laughed. “He's been sarcastic, inquisitive, comforting, insightful, caring, and... well... playful.” She sighed happily. “He's been wonderful, Harry.”
Harry nodded with a lopsided grin. “I'm glad to hear that.” He seemed to mean it.
“No protestations of the impossible?” Hermione asked in amazement.
Harry laughed and gave her a quick squeeze. “Hermione, even Goyle can see you're happier now than you have been for months. I can't tell you how... relieved I am.”
She looked at Harry intently, then smiled wryly. “I'm sorry if I've—”
“Don't!” Harry said harshly, though he softened his tone with a smile. “I won't have you crying in your pudding anymore.”
Hermione laughed, albeit ruefully. "Don't worry, Harry. I won't cry in my pudding unless it's a pudding worth crying over." She paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, "So I seem happier now?"
Harry laughed at that. "Hm... You've been smiling, laughing, joking around and you've got a glow about you that you haven't had in months. I think it's possible that you might be happier." He beamed at her, though the smile slipped into something less pleasant as he added in a mumble, "And to think all of that's thanks to Snape."
“You think I'm in love with Snape?” Hermione asked, bewildered at what she thought Harry had said.
Harry turned to her with a confused and incredulous expression. "Love?" he asked, just as bewildered as Hermione. A second went by when the two just stared at each other, and just as he opened his mouth to say something more, McGonagall opened the classroom door.
Looking thoughtful, Harry muttered, “Talk later?”
She nodded, and they headed into class.
I've finished off the next chapter of SMHC, and have started on chapter 18 which is looking like it's going to be a long one. There's so much to get through.
And, well, I said there weren't any spoilers, but nowadays that applies only to DH, but...
Although Hermione was anxious about what the rumor mill would damn her and Severus with the next morning, she needn't have worried. It seemed that Blaise Zabini had given the mill more interesting fodder by being caught in a broom closet with a fifth year... Hufflepuff. Since that was obviously more exciting gossip than her and Severus getting along, she was left to attend classes and meals in peace.
She would have liked to see more of Severus, but it seemed the only time they had free for each other was immediately after dinner. Hence they began a nightly ritual of Severus walking Hermione to her quarters, although frequently there were detours involved, most of them involving a jaunt through the library.
Hermione was certain they would be the focus of the rumor mill once again on Thursday after she and Severus had been caught coming out of the restricted section Wednesday night rather flushed (and, in her case, mussed) by a group of third year Ravenclaws but, to her surprise, there was barely any mention of them because early the next morning Daphne Greengrass was seen kissing Neville – yes, Longbottom – in the Charms corridor.
So it was that Hermione managed to make it through an entire week in peace.
Friday dawned auspiciously enough and, besides some rather annoying twinkling by the Headmaster during her Potions lesson, the day proceeded much to her liking. She'd even received full marks on the essay he'd assigned about the Skele-Gro Potion with encouraging notes on her thought processes. It was a nice change from the usual acerbic comments left by Professor Snape.
As she made her way to Transfiguration after lunch, she was struck by how she was now automatically separating 'Severus' from 'Professor Snape' in her mind. She was exceedingly pleased that there really did seem to be a difference between the two, and now that they were getting past their professional relationship, it was becoming much, much easier to see him as a man, rather than just as the teacher.
The past week had been illuminating indeed, and she couldn't help but notice that whenever she thought of Severus, as now, a grin would pull at her lips.
“What's so funny?” Harry asked, breaking into her thoughts.
Hermione looked over at him and let the grin loose. “Severus.”
Harry made a face that she was pretty sure was more genuine than affected. “I'm sorry I asked!”
She swatted at him, although he dodged from reflex, laughing good-naturedly.
“So things are working out okay?” he asked with genuine interest.
She nodded. “Yes. He's been very... well, I want to call him 'sweet' but that doesn't exactly hit the mark with Severus, does it?” she asked Harry playfully, knowing it would elicit a moue of disgust.
“Erm...”
She laughed. “He's been sarcastic, inquisitive, comforting, insightful, caring, and... well... playful.” She sighed happily. “He's been wonderful, Harry.”
Harry nodded with a lopsided grin. “I'm glad to hear that.” He seemed to mean it.
“No protestations of the impossible?” Hermione asked in amazement.
Harry laughed and gave her a quick squeeze. “Hermione, even Goyle can see you're happier now than you have been for months. I can't tell you how... relieved I am.”
She looked at Harry intently, then smiled wryly. “I'm sorry if I've—”
“Don't!” Harry said harshly, though he softened his tone with a smile. “I won't have you crying in your pudding anymore.”
Hermione laughed, albeit ruefully. "Don't worry, Harry. I won't cry in my pudding unless it's a pudding worth crying over." She paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, "So I seem happier now?"
Harry laughed at that. "Hm... You've been smiling, laughing, joking around and you've got a glow about you that you haven't had in months. I think it's possible that you might be happier." He beamed at her, though the smile slipped into something less pleasant as he added in a mumble, "And to think all of that's thanks to Snape."
“You think I'm in love with Snape?” Hermione asked, bewildered at what she thought Harry had said.
Harry turned to her with a confused and incredulous expression. "Love?" he asked, just as bewildered as Hermione. A second went by when the two just stared at each other, and just as he opened his mouth to say something more, McGonagall opened the classroom door.
Looking thoughtful, Harry muttered, “Talk later?”
She nodded, and they headed into class.
