Lessons In Love

Chapter 12: Breaking the Rules

"Look Professor!" Hermione pointed out of the high window in the potions classroom, behind him, "It's snowing!"

Snape rolled his eyes as he remained where he was, cleaning up after the messy potion that Hermione had just completed, "And how, might I ask, does that pertain to the lesson Miss Granger?"

They had been finishing off a Saturday lecture when Hermione had placed her newly finished bottled up potion, Sed Fiduciae, or Self Confidence, in the potions cabinet. It had been her first attempt since her mishap with the Amor Oblitus potion and she was quite proud with her success. Snape had been in a better mood ever since their argument and after her extremely long essay was turned in... even though it wasn't for a grade. He had taught her so many more things than she had learned over her seven years of going to school combined and she was overwhelmed but was enjoying her journey through the world that was advanced potions. She loved every minute of the lessons she was receiving and all the knowledge that Snape was passing down to her. She always looked forward to the weekends to learn more about the subject she was soon to teach.

"It means winter is here, isn't that exciting?" She returned back to his side.

He moaned sarcastically, "Of course, Miss Granger, now go wash out that cauldron before the left over residue on the bottom dries to it."

She ignored his disdain and took the cauldron happily over to the drain, "Aguamenti!" she called as she pointed her wand at the cauldron and water came spewing out, rinsing the liquid off the bottom of the pewter pot.

Ron and Harry were coming that day to visit with Ginny and Hermione and she couldn't have been more excited! Snape had even ended the lesson early for her to meet them and she rushed to clean everything up, running circles around the Potions Master. She hadn't seen Ron since he had visited her in the hospital wing and she could not wait to give him a big hug as well as Harry.

"Are you planning to trip on something?" Snape snapped at her as she bumped into him while scurrying about.

Hermione ignored him as she gathered up her notes in her bag and hurriedly swung it over her shoulder, "Goodbye Professor! Thank you for the lesson!" she called out as she ran out of the dungeons and up to the Great Hall.

After she had left, Snape locked the classroom doors and made his way towards his own living quarters, tired of the extremely high strung young witch that he had to deal with that day. He opened up the door to his room and threw his cloak across a chair and relaxed on the couch after grabbing an old book of spells that Minerva McGonagall had given to him. It had belonged to Dumbledore and was extremely old... pages had been falling out of the binding, but he had mothered it enough to keep it intact and Snape used it to read from when he needed to calm down. It had been a few weeks since that night that he had given Hermione a small dose of the excess steam from the Amor Oblitus Potion and things had calmed down... she had stopped arguing with him, she started paying more attention and had left him alone without all of the personal questions. She still had her same spitfire attitude but it was toned down because of her infatuation with Ron Weasley. Although he had to listen to her ramble on about him quite often, it did not bother Snape hardly at all compared to dealing with her ranting and raving about how he should act and her throwing her nasty tantrums.

He was finally left in peace... and while he did enjoy it, a part of him missed her caring about his well-being as she had in the past. He seemed to be alone now more than ever even though Hermione was still with him for the same amount of time each week. But now she was all about the Weasley boy and she couldn't see anything past him. Snape shook himself, he had to stop thinking about it... the last person that had truly cared about him was Lily and look where she ended up! He knew he had no romantic feelings towards Hermione, but the thought that his former student had cared enough to get herself into trouble to say the things that she wanted him to hear had left an impression that he could not easily forget. Snape opened up the tattered book and found his previous spot where he had ended the day before and resumed his reading about Legilimency.