In an Alternate Universe

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 23 ~ A Change in Lodgings

Hermione sat picking at her morning meal when Albus swept by her, exiting the Great Hall through the teacher’s exit. No doubt he was going to wait for Severus in the Main Hall and tell him of his “new arrangements.”

As she was leaving her rooms this morning, Hermione heard the house elves busily working in the bedroom that Severus would occupy. She didn’t look in on them. She felt she would be too tempted to blast them out of there. Damn Albus and his ideas.

Now seated at the dais, the Potions mistress watched the Gryffindor eat his breakfast with hooded eyes. He was sitting between Harry Potter and the non-stop eating machine Ronald Weasley, who was masticating on a mouthful of biscuits and jam. Severus glanced toward her for a moment, a wistful look in his dark eyes. She scowled at him reflexively, then finished her breakfast and headed back to her office to prepare for her first class.

Hermione took out her lesson plan and sketched out a few notes, but found it very hard to focus knowing that the randy young wizard would be in her rooms before the day was out. Well, he’d better keep his hands to himself.

He’d find it hard to brew without any fingers.

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Severus had just finished his breakfast and was exiting the Great Hall with Harry and Ron when the Headmaster called to him.

”Mr. Snape, a word if you please,” the old wizard said with a bright smile.

Harry and Ron continued on to Gryffindor tower as Severus walked up to Albus, whose blue eyes were exceptionally twinkley.

”Yes sir?” Severus said politely.

”I wonder if you might come with me to my office, Severus. We have much to discuss, my boy. Professor Granger has told me about your brewing improvements and how she intends to test your methods. We would like to facilitate this, and that will require a certain change in your current situation,” the Headmaster said, leading Severus to the floo in the Main Hall.

Change in his situation? What kind of change?

The Gryffindor followed Albus into his office. The wizard offered him the comfy armchair in front of his desk as Fawkes trilled a welcome. Severus sat down and looked at the Headmaster curiously as he took a seat as well. After beaming for a full minute, Albus got down to it.

”Severus, you have done something exemplary. Improved brewing techniques that have been established for centuries. You are going to go down in the history books if you have accomplished what you say you have,” he said to the young wizard.

”I have sir,” Severus replied confidently.

”I believe you. However, showing your techniques will be difficult if you have to continuously run from Gryffindor tower down to the dungeons at all hours of the day and night. It will not only keep you hopping but most likely interfere with your studies. Therefore, I have made other arrangements for you in order to make your task easier. You will be occupying the spare room off the Potions mistress’ study until you complete the brewing. Your things are being moved at this moment,” Albus said to the wizard.

Severus stared at him in disbelief.

”Professor Granger’s rooms?” he said hollowly, the office around him seeming to bend and flex as if he were suddenly thrown into some kind of time warp.

Albus nodded, his brow furrowing slightly.

”Now, Professor Granger probably won’t be the ideal roommate, but if you stay in your own room and not disrupt her too much, you ought to be able to make out just fine,” Albus said to him. “Just give her plenty of space.”

Severus stared at the Headmaster blankly.

Albus blinked at the empty expression on the boy’s face.

”Severus? Severus? Are you all right, my boy?” he asked the young wizard. Severus’ eyes focused.

”Ah, yes sir. I’m fine. Just a bit shocked,” Severus replied, doing his best to keep the broad smile that was trying to get out in check.

“It is you who will be doing the shocking if you prove your techniques work,” Albus replied with a smile. “Now, I suggest you go to the dungeon area and retrieve your books for class. No doubt the house elves have been quick and thorough. Professor Granger will show you your room.”

Severus popped up out of the chair like a Jack-in-the-Box.

”Yes sir,” he said breathlessly, heading for the office door at top speed.

”Ah, Severus?” the Headmaster said.

Severus turned back to the wizard, his eyes bright.

”Yes sir?” he responded.

”Good luck, my boy,” Albus said to him as Fawkes let out yet another trill.

”Thank you sir,” Severus said with a nod and a smile. Then he exited the office.

Albus leaned back in his chair, folding his fingers together.

”What I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in those quarters,” he said, shaking his head.

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Severus took the stairs three at a time as he headed for the Main Floor. Ron and Harry spied him speeding toward the dungeons.

”Where’s Sev going?” Ron said to Harry. “Doesn’t he have Advanced Arithmancy? Why is he heading for the dungeons?”

Harry shrugged.

”He must have a reason,” the boy-who-lived replied.

“I wonder what Dumbledore wanted with him,” Ron said as the two reached the Main Floor and turned toward their next class.

”We’ll find out what’s going on at lunch,” Harry said. “Now let’s go.”

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Hermione had just finished compiling her notes when a heavy knock sounded on her door. She frowned. Who was at her door this early?

”Come in,” she snapped.

The door opened and a brightly smiling Severus entered her office. Obviously the wizard wasted no time hightailing it down here once Albus told him of his new arrangements.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Gryffindor. “Couldn’t you have least waited until the end of the day to encroach on my domain, Mr. Snape?”

”I came to get my books for class,” the wizard said, grinning at her.

”Your books?” Hermione repeated, her eyebrows lifted.

Severus nodded enthusiastically.

”Yes. The Headmaster said all my things have been transferred to my new room,” he said to her, his delight nauseatingly evident.

”It is not ‘your’ room, Mr. Snape . . . it is MY room, a room that you are merely occupying for a short period of time. Don’t you forget that,” she snapped at him.

Severus continued to smile at her.

”Wipe that damn smile off your face!” Hermione growled at him. “This is not a happy occasion! You are infringing on my privacy and disrupting my routine. I don’t appreciate this one bit, Mr. Snape.”

Severus tried to look less happy but failed miserably.

Hermione looked at him for several moments then stood up and walked from behind her desk to the wall that opened on her study.

”Watch me carefully. I’m only going to show you this once,” she said to the young wizard.

Severus watched as Hermione pressed a series of stones and memorized it instantly. He felt he wouldn’t forget that combination even if he was hit with an Obliviate spell. It was the key to all his randy little desires concerning the Potions mistress. The wall slid up and Hermione entered, followed by Severus. She pointed to a door on the right side of the study.

”That is your room for the time being. I expect you to stay in it when you aren’t going to and from the lab,” she said to him as Severus opened the door.

Two torches flared up and he saw he had a full sized bed, a wardrobe, dresser and several bookshelves. His bed was spread in Gryffindor colors, which made Hermione’s nose wrinkle with distaste as she looked in behind him. Damned elves. Did they have to try and make him feel so at home?

“There’s no writing desk,” he said as he walked up to the shelf and removed several books, sticking them into his knapsack. “I have no place to do my work.”

”I’ll have one put in,” Hermione replied, scowling at him as Severus experimentally bounced on the bed, then looked at her rather hotly, his eyes speaking for him.

“I know our agreement, Mr. Snape, and I warn you that if you attempt to ‘put any moves’ on me before you complete your brewing, you will be spending much of your time in the infirmary rather than this room. Do I make myself clear? Your being in my rooms is not a license to attempt to maul me every chance you get,” she snapped at him.

”I don’t want to maul you, Professor,” he said softly, “I just want to be with you.”

Hermione snorted.

”I already know what you want to do with me, Mr. Snape,” she replied, her eyes hard. “If you were a Slytherin I’d think you planned this entire situation.”

Severus smirked at her and stood up.

”But I didn’t. You did this, Professor, when you decided to try and get me thrown out of Hogwarts,” the young man replied. “I have to say I’m glad you did. It wouldn’t have worked out better if I did plan this. It makes things so much easier.”

Hermione frowned at him again before sighing in resignation. The boy had a one track mind, and that track specifically led to her.

“You have your books. Go to class,” she said to him, stepping out of the doorway and giving the young wizard ample room to pass without coming into contact with her.

Severus walked by her, his eyes triumphant. She felt like kicking him.

“After class this afternoon, you are to go into the lab and prepare your next project,” she directed him. “And I expect you to begin transcribing your notes in a legible manner.”

”Yes, Professor,” he said cheesily, his black eyes full of mirth.

”GET OUT!” Hermione yelled at him furiously. He was so damned smug it was unbearable.

Severus hurried through the wall into her office.

”See you tonight, Professor,” he called back, then hurriedly ran out, almost colliding with several Slytherins who were passing on their way to class.

“Completely insufferable,” Hermione hissed as she closed the wall to her private rooms and collected her notes for class.

In bad temper, she headed for her classroom.

Her students could count on a rough hour.

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”In her rooms?” Ron exclaimed in horror as Severus informed him and Harry why Dumbledore wanted to speak to him after breakfast. “What the hell is Dumbledore thinking? She’s going to kill you, Severus.”

”No she’s not, Ron. Gods, she’s a teacher. I’ll be fine,” Severus replied with a hint of exasperation.

“Fine dust,” Ron said, his brows furrowed as he looked up at the dais where Professor Granger sat, looking more sour than usual as she ate her lunch. Harry stared at Severus.

”How long are you going to be down there?” he asked Severus, who gave him a little smirk.

”Well, at first I planned to do several brewings at once to speed up the time, but then I decided to space them out instead,” the young wizard replied, spooning a bit of soup into his mouth.

Ron stopped chewing and looked at Severus as if this were the stupidest idea he had ever heard in his life.

”Why’d you change your mind, Sev? You should want to get out of there as soon as possible. The longer you stay down in the dungeons, the more likely you are to lose a body part,” Ron said to him around a mouthful of chicken.

Severus looked at him.

”I want to make sure I do everything properly, Ron. Too many cauldrons spoil the brew,” he replied sagely.

Harry frowned at him slightly. He didn’t believe his friend for one moment. Severus wanted to stay down in the dungeons with Professor Granger. He was still trying to shag her.

”Severus, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Harry asked him, not wanting to say what he was thinking because Ron would have conniptions, most likely loud ones.

”Of course I know what I’m doing Harry,” Severus replied, looking toward Hermione for a moment. The longer he was down there, the more he could work on breaking her down. Yes, it might be a little risky, but the Professor couldn’t really harm him too badly. She’d get in a world of trouble with the Headmaster.

“It’s your arse,” Ron said, shaking his head slowly, then looking at Harry. “I still think we ought to get an owl out to his next of kin.”

Harry laughed as Severus scowled at Ron.

”Shut up, Ron,” he snapped.

From the dais, Hermione watched the trio, her amber eyes narrowed. By the furtive glances Harry and Ron had thrown her way it was easy to tell that Severus had informed them of his change in lodgings. Soon it would be all over the school. From further down the table, Minerva McGonagall eyed the Potions mistress. She had a fit when Albus told her one of her Gryffindors would be in the Slytherin Head of House’s care for several weeks.

“Albus, it’s the perfect setup for Hermione to take an untold amount of house points from Gryffindor. She’s bad enough when she just has classroom contact with my students. She’s going to use him to put Slytherin ahead in gaining the House Cup,” the witch complained.

“Now, now Minerva. Hermione isn’t that bad. As long as Severus conducts himself properly, you have nothing to worry about,” he said to her placatingly.

Minerva harrumphed.

“She’s take points from him for breathing too hard, Albus,” the witch said. “Besides, it is unseemly for a witch of thirty-six years to have an eighteen-year-old male student in her rooms. It’s scandalous!”

Albus raised an eyebrow at Minerva.

”Are you suggesting that Professor Granger may have ‘designs’ on young Mr. Snape?” he asked the Transfiguration professor. “Professor Granger?”

Minerva fell silent for a moment. She knew as did everyone else at Hogwarts, that Hermione did not indulge with any male, and hadn’t for a number of years. To think she would go after Severus, a young, inexperienced wizard, who was a Gryffindor no less was absolutely ludicrous. Of course, it didn’t cross her mind that Severus might go for the Potions mistress. In Minerva’s eyes, all her students were ‘innocents.’ At least when it came to sex and older wizards and witches. She had no idea she had a young predator in her house. And Severus, despite his honest desire for Hermione, really was a predator and quite good at it for one so young.

”No, I suppose not,” she said with a sigh. “I just don’t like it, Albus.”

”You’ll like it fine when Gryffindor house gets the credit for producing the brightest Potions master in years,” he replied reassuringly, patting her hand. “Young Severus will be a credit to us all.”

Well, he might be a credit to the rest of Hogwarts, but to one Hermione Granger, he was a complete pain in the arse.

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A/N: Hi all. This is the first thing I’ve written since coming home from the hospital a week ago. I went in on Thanksgiving Day with strep and cellulites and spent my time as a pincushion for a student nurse. I am still treating the cellulites at home, although it is mostly gone. It took me two days to write this chapter, and not because of the pain. I have started Paxil and although it’s only been a week and a half, I think it might be affecting my creativity and drive. I’ve been reading about it, particularly blogs from those who have been on the drug and it really doesn’t seem that wonderful a drug for creative people, not to mention the side effects and withdrawal symptoms. I think I am going to ask for another med when I visit the counselor next week. I hope ya’ll enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading.