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A PERFECT MATCH

Chapter 29: Heading for a fall

Snape returned late that evening. Hermione had waited up for him, to ask him about the poster-business. He looked tired, but pleased with himself.

“So, who was it this time ?” she asked.

“Detention you mean ? Davis, third year Ravenclaw. Managed to melt his cauldron before I had authorised them to start brewing. Clever enough, but thinks he knows better than his teacher. Come to think of it, he reminds me of someone …”

“No way ! I never thought I knew better than you !” she interrupted, but by the look on his face, he seemed to think otherwise.

“Anyway, did you HAVE to put an ugly troll on that poster ?”

Surprised by this change of subject, he let his guard down and curled his lips.

“You didn’t think I would let them get away with it that easy, did you ? I had to do it fast and I couldn’t come up with anything more suitable. Although the thought had crossed my mind to put a picture of you on it.”

“ME ?” the horror on her face made him laugh.

“Oh, it’s all right for me to be put on display like that, but not for you ?” he raised one eyebrow and she realised he was actually teasing her.

She smiled as she joined in: “I hope Teen Witch doesn’t get too many complaints about it.”

“Why should I care ?” his usual brute tone was back.

They spent a rather enjoyable evening together, until he noticed she was dozing off.

“Hermione, you look worn out. You should get some sleep.”

She was fighting to keep her eyes open and sighed.

“I don’t know what it is lately, I’m soooo tired.”

He got up and walked to his provision closet. “I could give you an energy-potion if you like.”

“No, I’ll be fine. I think it must be the worry about the article and stuff.”

She went to bed and fell asleep instantly. He joined her after a little while and took her into his arms, blowing a little kiss on her forehead. She did seem tired lately, he cursed himself for not noticing earlier. He had been too busy blaming her for everything that went wrong. Not that he wanted to, but so many things had irritated him over the past days and she always seemed to have something to do with them. Would they ever get any peace and quiet ?

~

Snape stood in front of the classroom. He had finished explaining to the seventh year Gryffindors and Slytherins how to brew their potion. They were gathering the ingredients, ready to start brewing. His face towards a Slytherin cauldron, he watched Elly Richards from the corner of his eye. The girl was shamelessly ogling him. That one would go after anything in pants !

“Richards, haven’t I told you to insert the ingredients BEFORE you boil the water ? Five points from Gryffindor for not paying attention. Start again.”

“But sir, the class has nearly finished.”

“You will stay until your potion is ready.”

Elly sighed, that meant skipping lunch.

Meanwhile, Snape saw Draco Malfoy had lost interest in his cauldron. The boy was grinning at someone. Weasley, no doubt.

“Weasley ! Five points from Gryffindor for distracting a fellow student !”

When the class finished, he saw Elly Richards was ready to leave with the others.

“Richards, didn’t I tell you to finish your potion ?”

“It is finished, sir” she told him with a little smile.

He walked over to her cauldron and had to admit she had spoken the truth. He tried to control his breath when he felt his anger taking over.

“You will stay and clean up the classroom.”

“What for ?” she asked him rebellious.

“In your haste to get out of here, you could have made a vital mistake. I feel you need to learn some respect for the delicate art of potion brewing.”

She looked at him with all the hate she felt inside.

“Start cleaning, miss Richards, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to loose any more House Points.” And he gave her a large bottle of bleach. She turned up her nose at the small brush he gave her, but saw no way out and started working, cursing that irritating, arrogant, cold-hearted devil. If only he wouldn’t be so damn hot !

 

Hermione would be teaching Charms all day. Professor Flitwick said he wanted to travel to exotic places once he had retired and needed a new wardrobe. He went on a shopping trip and told her he absolutely had to have some Hawaian shirts. She doubted he would find any in England during the winter, but she didn’t have the heart to spoil his enthusiasm.

After lunch, she had the seventh year Gryffindors. She saw Ginny and Elly talking to each other, both shooting glances at her. When the class had finished, they came up to her.

“Hermione, eh, professor Granger…” Ginny corrected. “Can we ask you something ?”

“Go ahead.” She thought it would be something about their lesson, but clearly she had been mistaken.

“Could you have a word to professor Snape ?” Ginny continued.

“About ?”

“Well, he’s really having a go at Gryffindor, for no reason and we were wondering … since you are living with him … maybe …”

“Maybe I can soften him up, you mean ?” When she saw the hopeful look in their eyes, she sighed.

“You both should know I cannot do that. Besides, professor Snape has always treated Gryffindor that way, I remember quite well.”

“Yes, but that was because of Harry. He was never this mean to the other years. Now … well, he just deducts points at will and Elly had to scrub the entire classroom, her hands still stink from all that bleach and she didn’t get time to eat anything at all !”

“No, Ginny. I will not interfere with his way of teaching. If you have any complaints, go see Dumbledore, It doesn’t involve me.”

But something happened that would change her mind.

With the Gryffindors gone, she only had to wait for the second year Huffelpufs, who just had finished their Potions class. When they came in, she noticed they were very silent. They went to their seats and she saw one student was missing.

“Where is Simon Carter ?” The little boy reminded her a lot of Colin Creevey and she knew he liked to sit in the front. No one answered, but just when she was about to ask again, she saw him appearing at the door. He was shaking all over and his sobs prevented him from speaking.

She went over to him, told the class to start reading on warming charms and took him with her into Flitwick’s office. She tried to calm him down with some chocolate.

“Tell me Simon, what’s wrong ?”

The boy looked up at her with fear in his eyes. He shook his head, didn’t want her to know.

“Come, you can tell me. Was it something in Potions ?” Only Snape could have this effect on a student, so she figured he was reluctant to tell her because of her relationship with Snape. The boy looked at her again and comforted by the understanding in her soft brown eyes, he started to talk.

“I lost 30 points in Potions today.”

She started. That was a lot of points. “What for …” she began.

“I … I’m not any good at it. I keep forgetting the dosage of the ingredients and what the ingredients are for. Professor Snape says I should have repeated my year.”

He started crying again and Hermione felt she needed to take him into her arms to soothe him. He was trembling all over and somehow she knew he hadn’t told her everything.

“Is there something else ?” she asked him gently.

“Yes, er… I have detention tonight and professor Snape said he will quiz me on all the ingredients from all the potions we’ve learned so far. If I cannot come up with the right answers, I’ll have detention until the end of term.” The despair in his voice was killing her and she held him tight.

“Don’t worry about it too much. Say, if you like, I will be present tonight. You’d like that ?” He nodded fiercely and dried his eyes.

“Now, come with me, we have some nice charms to learn today.” Together they went to the classroom, where his eyes constantly followed her in adoration.

~

During dinner, Hermione whispered: “I need to talk to you before you go back to your classroom.” He nodded, but didn’t ask what she needed to talk to him about.

When they entered his room, she decided not to beat around the bush.

“Severus. Did you have to be so hard on Simon Carter ?”

He turned around, his eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean with hard ? He is way behind his fellow students and I’m giving him the opportunity to catch up, that’s all.”

“But did you have to insult him like that ? It humiliates him in front of his classmates.”

He sighed, loosing his patience.

“Hermione, the boy is a total disaster, do you expect me to praise him for that ?”

“No, but some encouragement wouldn’t hurt, instead of putting him down.”

His eyes shot fire now and he raised his voice slightly when he said:

“I’m sacrificing my own free time in an attempt to get something into that empty brain of his. It is my experience you don’t get anywhere with children like that by being ‘nice’ to them.”

Hermione sighed deeply. She knew she should leave it here; but she couldn’t get that tearstained face out of her mind.

“Severus, why don’t you explain it to him like you just did to me ?”

“I don’t need you to tell me how I should talk to my students. Did he come whining to you ?”

“He was very upset in Charms today, and I sort of promised him I would be there in detention tonight.”

“What ?!” One moment she thought he would slap her in the face, but he only narrowed his lips to a fine line. “You will do no such thing. I’m the Potions Master !”

“Severus, don’t be mad, but he’s never going to be able to concentrate on anything if you’re watching him like a hawk.” She pleaded.

He clenched his fists, the anger taking over his entire being.

“I think I told you I don’t want you to interfere with my way of teaching. It is none of you business !” he bellowed.

“It is so when it disturbs my classes !” she yelled back.

 “Stay out of it.” He hissed.

“I will NOT ! I cannot.” She shouted.

They were facing each other, hate flickering in their eyes. Simultaneously they looked away, both at some other point in the distance. Hermione lowered her head when he spoke softly:

“It’s not working, is it ?”

“Not when we keep arguing like this. It’s killing me.”

“Hermione, you must understand I cannot have you criticising my way of teaching. Only Dumbledore can do that. By doing so, you make it seem like you are questioning me as a person. You ask too much if you want me to change my personality.”

“You ask the same of me if you want me to ignore you are bullying the students.”

Both sighed.

“Listen, think about it. I will go to detention now and if you still feel the same way by the time I return …”

“I understand.”

He went out and closed the door, leaving her alone in the cold room.

 

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