an awfully big adventure...

Sirius Black merrily wandered down the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, humming to himself and grinning like a fool. He didn’t know why, but he had really wanted to see Severus.

“Severus…” he said absently to himself, “Severus Severus Severus…”

No. He hadn’t just wanted to see him, he had wanted to see all of him. He had wanted to pull Snape to him and do all a manner of things that were currently causing him to blush.

But he had seen that tremor of distaste and hatred pass his cross face and Black had for once been at a loss for words. He had left airily, his heart pounding as he imagined Snape alone in the Potions room, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he sighed wearily while marking test papers. It was all too delicious to imagine at leisure.

But now he was miserable and hurt that the famed Potions master had turned him away so quickly. Although it did make sense as he had been busy, and granted their history.

At this sudden moment he really wished James hadn’t done what he did to Snape, no matter what Snape had done he was still a vulnerable young boy, with his pride shattered as he hung upside down with his graying underwear for all to see.

He sighed as he recalled the many follies and idiotic things he and the others had done. At least Lupin had been above it, but now Sirius was willing to go back and time and erase what he had done.

“If only I hadn’t been such a prick.” Sirius said softly to no one in particular, “He wouldn’t hate me so much. He was all alone save for Lily on occasion, and all we could do was torment the poor boy.”

Suddenly Sirius got the feeling someone was watching him, and true to instincts a small figure of a girl emerged bathed in the moonlight shining from the random windows.

“Hello Hermione.” Black said sweetly smiling to her, “Out past curfew?”

“You’re taking points from me?” Hermione said in shock.

Hermione looked to Black worried, but his eyes went into half moons as he laughed uproariously. “Who do you think I am, Snape?”

“Snape? Who mentioned Snape?” Hermione said suspiciously, watching his face go ashen. He shrugged airily and continued walking with her alongside him.

“I just thought of the most bitter and evil person I could think of.” Black said hastily, although inside it killed him to utter those words. Funny, it hadn’t before.

“Then, it would be safe to assume you don’t really like him?” Hermione was saying slowly as to halt any confusion.

Black’s eyes widened as he shrugged, “I suppose. What is with this barrage of questioning?”

Hermione took this into careful consideration, perhaps the potion really hadn’t worked out at all! She smiled widely and shrugged, now wondering what to say in answer to his query.

“I suppose…I just don’t know why he hasn’t any friends. But if you say he’s as evil and mean spirited as you say, I suppose that explains it. I suppose I assumed he was rude just to students.”

There. Good enough. Sirius was nodding as if he believed her.

“Do you fancy him?” Black said suddenly, his dark eyes narrowing on Hermione. Jealously surged into his eyes and Hermione could most certainly tell. His stance was rigid and awaiting her answer. Damn, the Potion that was still coursing through him. All she wanted was for him to like HER. NOT SNAPE!

“Me? Fancy Snape?” Hermione said with a strange feeling in her abdomen, “Surely you must be joking.”
At this forced a heavy and false laugh. Why was it forced?

Black seemed to soften, and his gaze stopped being so penetrating. “Yes. I suppose it would be. The man’s old enough to be youtherther. Plus, what would you have to talk about? The man’s a genius.”

Hermione stopped, as Black trailed off as she glared openly at him. “What makes you think I couldn’t be at level with his intelligence. Rest assured I am no genius, but I am fairly educated.”

Black shrugged, “Why does it matter? You said you didn’t fancy him.”

Hermione nodded, her cheeks starting to pink as she walked faster, waving to Black and making her way to the Gryffindor Tower to her Head Girl room.

She collapsed onto the bed, her eyes shut tightly as she tried to stop her beating heart. She felt bad for being so cruel about Snape. Surely he couldn’t be that bad. Sure he was a miserable prick during classes, but there must be more to him.

She tried to think of erotic situations with her and Black, and almost succeeded, but at the most pivotal moments Snape’s face would appear. His eyes boring into her own.

“I don’t fancy him.” She repeated over and over, until she felt certain she was cured of this ailment of confusion. But…why did she need to convince herself in the first place?
_________________________________________

“Well I saw Professor k,” k,” He mimicked in a high pitched voice as he imitated hers, marking papers in his dark dungeon. “Should I help him as my detention?”

His voice lowered to its usual deep timber as he added, “Silly little girl.”

God he couldn’t stand it when she was like that. Stupid girl acting all giddy when moderately attractive man waltzes in. What absolute rubbish. She was so brilliant with everything but men. She was so naïve. Thinking she could win Black over with gentle smiles and absent compliments.

Black was a man who wanted a woman, a tough and demanding woman. All of a matter of things, small, young Hermione Granger was not. Only she didn’t seem to notice that. She didn’t see her innocent smile, her flashing eyes…her pursed lips during concentration.

No. No more. No more hungry thoughts for some stupid Gryffindor. No more no more no more. Lust was a common thing, but not easily remedied. Not for an ex Deatheater who had sex whenever the hell he had a hankering for it. Now he was stone, a man who did not follow simple and trivial wants. If he wanted release he could only trust himself to help it himself.

No one too close. He used to tell to himself, You are a miserable, old, ugly man who doesn’t need anyone but yourself. Hermione certainly would not be interested. Not that he cared anyway.

Snape continued marking the essays, his gaze locking on the scrawled paper in front of him that had made him think of her in the first place.

Hermione Granger’s paper, an A as usual. He looked around the empty classroom, the door still shut. He raised an eyebrow at his own consideration and gentle lifted the paper to his face and inhaled deeply.

He could smell her on it…that rose handcreme he well imagined. He smelled it when he passed her on rare occasions in the hall or his classroom. His eyes closed as he breathed more deeply.

His eyelids were fluttering as he took it all in and suddenly there was a loud cough from across the room. His eyes snapped open and his heart momentarily stopped it’s latest beat.

Snape pulled the paper down an inch and made it seem as if he were coughing into it, he hacked away a moment and lowered his hand to his desk, the paper still clutched in one pale hand.

“Minerva.” He said trying to be aloof, “What the cause of this interruption?”

Normally McGonagall would have frowned and given him a stern lecture on respect to which he would have rolled his eyes throughout, but he looked positively humiliated. She felt her thin lips curve into a small smile and she spoke gently.

“I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, Severus.” She said still grinning slightly and causing him to stare at her darkly, “But, there is a matter of Professor Black.”

Snape stiffened as he sat at his desk, his dark eyes sliding to McGonagall.

“What matter would that be?”

“Oh please, Severus.” Minerva said exasperatedly now, “You’ve been unnaturally cruel to him since he started in September. I suggest that you try to be at least a bit more civil.”

Snape’s oily glare didn’t move Minerva who raised a light eyebrow in response, finally through clenched teeth Severus spoke.

“Can you recall any time that I have been unnaturally rude to Professor Black?”

McGonagall rolled her eyes emphatically and nodded slightly, much to the chagrin of Snape.
“This evening at dinner? When Miss Granger and he were speaking and you immediately interrupted and he was left ignored? And when he did try to be kind and start a conversation all through dinner you were blatantly rude to him?”

Snape was leaning back in his chair, his face hidden in shadow, “You were spying on me?”

She didn’t answer this question, but continued, “And I just ran into him in the hallway just now. He says you were extremely rude to him.”

Snape sighed, his arms crossed in front of him. “Oh please Minerva, are you telling me a grown man can’t take a little discomfort? I told him to leave my chambers as I was busy marking papers.”

McGonagall smirked once more at this, her eyes vastly flicking from the paper still in his hand, and he dropped it soundly.

“Yes.” She said with eyes twinkling, “You seemed to be quite engrossed in your latest read.” She glanced at the name atop of the paper “A Miss Hermione Granger I see.”

Snape sneered angrily at her accusation, “If that is all, I request you leave. I am very busy.” He hissed venomously. McGonagall nodded and turned to leave.

“Oh, Severus?” she asked quietly, “Try to be a little kinder to Black.”

“You know I won’t be.” Snape answered sullenly, his hands busy as he continued to mark more papers. McGonagall nodded, and tried not to pointedly look at his rouging cheeks.

“I expected as much.”