Three Point Match, No Doubling

Severus was disconcerted all throughout the next day


Severus was disconcerted all throughout the next day. 
It had been years since he had spent any kind of “genuine” time with
anyone.  Years since he was able to
let his guard down a bit with a living, breathing person. 
He wasn’t sure he remembered how it was to be Severus Snape, as he was
many years ago.  The fact that the
person who would be joining him tonight was a student didn’t help the feelings
of dread.  His fear-provoking
persona was most effective in the classroom and he was loathe to give up that
edge.
 


Nonetheless, that evening he found himself in his sitting
room, board set up, waiting for the arrival of Hermione Granger.
 


The knock came precisely at 7pm.
 


Severus waved his hand at the door, not bothering to rise. 
It swung on it’s hinges to reveal a Hermione Granger he saw very little
of.  She was dressed in Muggle
low-riders and a black (too tight fitting for Severus’ taste) t-shirt. 
She stepped into the room and looked around. 
When her eyes settled on the table in front of the fireplace she smiled
and made her way over to take her seat opposite the Potions Master.
 


He eyed her somewhat coldly, “I believe we should set up
a few rules before we commence with this game.”
 


Hermione looked at him timidly.  Severus had the feeling she was not the shy little thing that
she portrayed on her surface.  Hermione
was too intelligent for that. 
 


He cleared his throat and began.  “First of all, you can quit with the wilting daisy routine. 
I have observed you with your classmates, and shy and withdrawn does not
suit you.  You needn’t act
differently around me.  Contrary to
popular belief, I do not eat my students if they displease me.”
 


Hermione’s posture immediately relaxebsp;bsp;
“I never believed you did.  Neville
still lives, does he not?  I just
assumed that behaving respectfully around you is the best way to stay in your
‘good graces’ for want of a better term”
 


Severus allowed a not-too-often-seen smile break over his
face.  “Neville Longbottom has
been the only student I have even considered cannibalizing, and believe me, no
one would blame me.  As for your
demeanor, there is a difference between acting respectfully, and acting like a
dishrag.”
 


Hermione nodded, “Noted.”
 


“As I said in my message, I do not wish the rest of the
castle population to know of our games.  As
such, you may tell your friends, if they ask, that you are assisting me with a
Potions Project.”
 


Hermione smirked at him. 
“Wow, wouldn’t have thought that one up myself. 
Thank you for giving me such a believable story.”
 


An elegantly lifted eyebrow met her sarcasm, “Respect,
Miss Granger.”
 


“But of course, Professor Snape.  My deepest apologies for my behavior.”
 


Another rare smile and the Professor moved on. 
“Now, what type of match are you up for? 
Three point match?”
 


Hermione nodded and picked up her dice. 
A suspicious narrowing of the eyes precluded the next question,
“Doubling or no doubling?”
 


Severus decided to be gracious.  “That is up to you, Miss Granger.”
 


Hermione played with a pip on the board in front of her,
weighing her next words carefully.  “Well,
I have always viewed the doubling cube as a tool for cowards. 
I would rather play a good game and see it to the end, than have it cut
short as soon as one player gets ahead a bit.”
 


Severus nodded once.  “Ever
the Gryffindor bravery.”
 


“I’m sure that completely offends your Slytherin sense
of shrewdness.”
 


“Shrewd, that is a rather polite term for Slytherin. 
Especially for a Gryffindor.  No
doubling it is.  Gammons two points, backgammons three.”  Severus appeared to give in gracefully, but was inwardly
relieved at her dislike for the cube.  “Normally,
we would cast dice for the opening roll.  But,
I insist that it is, how do the muggles put it? 
Ladies before Gentlemen.”  He
was almost offended at the teasing smile that graced the young Gryffindor’s
face at the reference to a gentleman, but decided to let it go.
 


A roll of Hermione’s brown dice began the match.
 


They played long into the night, match after match.  
Severus was pleased to find that the young witch was a most accomplished
player and stayed neck-in-neck with him for wins.
 


Sometime during the matches they both found themselves
surprisingly at ease with the other and soon began lighthearted bantering back
and forth.  Just as the mantle clock
was striking midnight, Severus rolled a double six to drive home a gammon and
win the match.
 


Hermione’s dropped jaw brought a bubble of laughter to
Severus’ throat.  It was not the
first of such uncommon displays in the evening for him.
 


“You cheated.”
 


“What do you mean, I cheated?  How did I cheat?  It
was the luck of the dice.”
 


“You used magic, you had to.  No one is that lucky.”
 


Severus tried, in vain, to plaster an intimidating look on
his face.  “I assure you, Miss
Granger, that I did not cheat.  I
am… I am…,”  Severus struggled
here to keep his face straight.  “I
am appalled that you would even make such a suggestion. 
Perhaps you would like to continue this discussion of cheating another
night, as I am too offended to continue.”
 


Hermione was having such a fit of silent giggles by this
point that she was close to sliding out of her chair.
 


“Besides, I do believe it is after your curfew. 
You should head back up to Gryffindor.”
 


The laughter came to an end as a fleeting look of sadness
crossed Hermione’s face.  Still,
she didn’t argue, respectful ‘til the end. 
“Yes, Professor.”
 


They rose from their seats, but before Hermione got to the
door, Severus spoke.  “One moment,
Miss Granger.  There is one more
thing I need to do for you before you leave.”
 


Hermione turned, confused, and with the beginnings of
unknown little butterflies in her stomach. 
Professor Snape was bent over his small writing desk in the corner,
scribbling on a piece of parchment.  When
he finished, he walked across the room and handed the paper to her.  
“It’s a pass, in case you get stopped by Filch or one of the other
Professors.”
 


Hermione looked down at the pass and smiled faintly. 
“Thank you, Professor.”  As
she turned to open the door, she heard Severus clear his throat briefly.
 


“Sleep well, Miss Granger. 
If you have nothing to do tomorrow evening and would wish some more
competition, you are welcome to join me again.”
 


Hermione didn’t turn around, lest he see the smile that
she could not contain.  “Perhaps,
Professor.  Thank you. 
Sleep well.”
 


And she was gone.
 


No sooner had the door shut behind her, than Severus felt
the chill that always accompanied Salazar’s arrival to his chambers.
 


“Quite a little dish, isn’t she, Severus?”
 


Severus returned to the table and busied himself with
putting the board and pieces away.  “What
do you mean by that?”
 


The ghost’s voice floated about the room. 
“I mean, the little chit has certainly grown up. 
Oh, if only I had a corporeal body again. 
I would teach her things that would make her Gryffindor sense of honor
run screaming in terror.  Or at
least have her screaming one way or another.”
 


Severus placed the game on the bookshelf with a bang. 
“Salazar Slytherin, she is a student at this school. Surely you
understand that I can’t even begin to notice those things about her,
nevertheless do something about it.  You
are a founder of this school, you can certainly imagine the scandal.”
 


“Imagine the scandal? 
I created the scandal.  Worked
my way through all 4 houses before the three other insufferable
stick-up-their-asses decided to toss me out of here. 
Oh, yes, Salazar Slytherin left Hogwarts over the mudbloods. 
What a load of bullshit.  The
Chamber of Secrets was nothing more than my own little love nest. 
The only monster I unleashed down there was the one in my pants. 
It was that twit Riddle that brought in the basilisk and turned it to a
chamber of horrors, not I.  I had it
decked out in rich velvets, soft lights, and a huge bed.”
 


Not many things outright shocked Severus Snape. 
Right then, though he stood gape-mouthed and staring in the direction of
Salazar’s voice.  “You
disgusting lecher.”
 


“I may have been a lecher in my day, but I certainly
didn’t spend nights being intimate with my right hand like my current head of
house.  Boy, Sev, your face
certainly does turn red.”
 


The ghost heard the slam of the bedroom door in reply and
when he tried to pass through, was shocked to find the room warded against
ghosts.  “Well, there goes my fun
here for the night.  Guess I’ll
peek in on Hooch and that Hufflepuff seventh year she’s been entertaining. 
Always did enjoy the girl on girl action.”