13. Evasion
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When Hermione left the infirmary, three days later, she entered the Great Hall for breakfast quite alone. Ignoring curious looks sent at her from most of the inhabitants of the Gryffindor table, she sat in her usual place, and poured herself a goblet of orange juice.

Ron, she’d been told, was still at the Burrow with his family. On his visit, the previous day, Dumbledore had assured her that she was not to blame for his reaction, and that she should concentrate on getting herself back to her usual lessons and school life.

Surprisingly, Harry was nowhere to be seen either. She’d expected him to return from the Weasley’s, although Ron hadn’t. So, silently, she drank from the goblet and kept her eyes on the wizarding magazine that had arrived before she had.

The first lesson of the day, Arithmancy, was reasonably uneventful. Ernie MacMillan, her desk partner, barely said two words to her, except, “Did Vector say page 21, or 22?”

“22,” she’d replied quietly, before continuing with the translation, rather suspecting that he’d been warned not to ask her anything. Shame, really, Ernie was a good friend, although they didn’t see each other that much. He was tactful when he needed to be.

After lunch, her heart lightened considerably, when she realised it was Double Potions next. Carrying her books as she made her way down the dungeon steps, she shivered in the usual chill. She felt strangely conspicuous, in light of her ordeal and the fact that the only other two Gryffindors with her, Erica and Dean were throwing nervous looks at her and overcompensating smiles.

When a voice from inside the dungeons told them to ‘enter,’ Hermione suddenly felt more peaceful than she had all day. That voice…the one who’d sent her to sleep just days before, the voice that had calmed her. Abruptly, Hermione couldn’t imagine why she had ever feared it.

The class filed in and took their usual places. Bags opened and closed, parchment rustled and quills were placed on desks.

Professor Snape waited impatiently at the front as they sat down and took out their belongings. He threw a contemptuous look at Susan Bones when she opened the door and attempted to slip through and to her seat unnoticed.

“Miss. Bones…were you planning to explain your lateness? Or simply disrupt the lesson and forgo an apology?”

Susan looked everywhere but at him. “I left a book in the common room…I had to go back for it.”

“Five points for wasting my breath. Now sit down, girl.”

Susan walked to her seat quickly and exchanged a look with Erica, who sat next to her.

After glancing over the class, strangely avoiding Hermione’s eyes, she noticed, Snape began the lesson.

“Last week I outlined the making of Doxycide. Since I rather believe you’re inclined to forget it and cause damage to yourself and my classroom without refreshing your memories about it’s making, the process,” he gestured towards the blackboard with his wand, “Is listed here. Partner work is acceptable.”

Choosing to work on her own, Hermione began to gather the ingredients she needed. She didn’t need to look at the board for instruction; she’d read the making of it in her Potions textbook enough times. She perused the set of venoms left on the desk at the front thoughtfully Her first choice, an element Basilisk venom was obviously not available, and so she decided to try Amadán faerie blood. She poured a tiny amount into a cylinder and diluted it heavily. She noticed a few members of the class trying Wyvern talons. She watched sceptically, wondering if Snape has set a trap for them, as Wyvern talons were very similar to eagles.

She looked up at Snape for a minute. He was watching Dean, who was staring at the board in confusion, frowning. He then lowered his head, taking out a quill to write upon a sheet of parchment. Hermione could have sworn his eyes flickered to hers momentarily, but he gave no sign of noticing her.

She was confused. Surely after everything that had happened, he would give at least recognition to her, if nothing else. Her brow still furrowed, she turned to her cauldron and started the potion.


Severus watched her discreetly from his desk as she cleaned out her cauldron and put all her remaining ingredients away. Gods, why did she have to be so accurate and gracefully painstaking in her work? It would be so much easier to criticize her for carelessness. Not even Longbottom was in his classes anymore for her to assist, so he could chastise her for it.

Noting the time, he stood up. “If you have bottled your Doxycide, bring it to my desk for testing. If you haven’t, you know how your current status in my class stands. Evanesco,” he said, waving his wand quickly, causing the liquid in each cauldron to disappear. There was a muffled sound of protest at the back. Dominic Syelle was staring into his now empty cauldron, looking horrified.

“In future, Mr. Syelle, I suggest you spend more time checking the time than conversing,” the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs looked at each other gleefully. Although Snape still favoured his own house, it proved that when it came to N.E.W.T Potions classes, he wasn’t so lenient. “Besides, if you had finished, you would have failed anyway. If you had looked at your ‘Wyvern talons’ a little more carefully you would have noticed they weren’t what the label on the jar stated.” The sneaky grins on many faces dropped. Snape picked one up, and held it between his finger and thumb, studying it.

“A Wyvern talon is slightly more arched at the tip, while an eagle talon is rather tapered. There was one ingredient available to you which was genuine and effective.”

He lifted his head, sneering. “So if anyone feels they have actually used the correct ingredients, you may bring them to me to be tested.”

Only Hermione and Terry Boot approached Snape’s desk. Before addressing them, Snape spoke to the class. “For next lesson I want four feet of parchment on the reasons for the difference between Wyvern and eagle talons.” Dismissing them, he opened one of the desk drawers and pulled out a black bag from which came an angry buzzing sound.

“I am going to release one Doxy from this bag. Mr. Boot, if you squirt it once with your Doxycide and we shall see if it is effective. If not, I suggest you hurry to Madam Pomfrey.”

Terry nodded and gripped his spray bottle more tightly than necessary. Snape quickly opened the bag and pulled it shut again as a small Doxy flew straight at Terry. Terry pointed the bottle at him and a tiny jet of black, murky liquid shot at the buzzing creature. It dropped onto the desk, motionless. Snape noted something down.

“You may go, at least you’ve improved from last week’s performance.” Terry went slightly red at the memory of what Snape was referring to. Hermione frowned at Snape’s unfairness- Terry had done good work, what was the harm in telling him so without adding a mocking undertone?

Terry picked up his bag and left the room with the rest of the class, throwing a sympathetic glance at Hermione as he went.

“Have you got your spray bottle, Miss Granger?”

“Yes.”

“Again, I am releasing one Doxy.” She noticed that he was avoiding her eyes again, and found that she was quite annoyed with it.

Hermione easily passed his test and when he waved his hand for her to go, she remained by his desk.

Eventually, he did acknowledge her, but didn’t look at her. “What is it, Miss. Granger?” he said, while still writing.

“Why won’t you look at me?”

This seemed to jerk him out of his ignorance of her. He hadn’t expected her to be so outright. This time, he did raise his head, and meet her eyes. Her voice had been shaky but her eyes didn’t betray her intent to find out the answer.

“I was under the impression that this is, what one would call ‘looking.”

Disconcerted, she cast her eyes at the dungeon floor. “I just thought…thought after…”

“Please say what you intend to and don’t babble so.” He hated the words the instant they left his lips.

“I don’t understand. I thought after what happened…you’d be different.”

“I see,” he said, dropping the quill onto the desk and folding his arms. He suddenly laughed and she looked up, as though scared at the unexpected reaction.

“You think you’re different? You think that out of everything that has happened to me because of the position I was once in, you should stand out?”

Hermione looked like she wanted to run from the room. Why had she asked him? Why could she not have just left it, as it was, no matter how much was left unresolved?

“You were merely a hindrance and a dangerous one at that. I could have got myself killed, and if you had died because I felt it unwise to go to your side, all fingers would have been pointed at me!” He was standing now, his eyes glinting with anger. Hermione felt her eyes glisten. Snape sneered at her.

“Typical of a Gryffindor. Don’t you understand? I didn’t save you because I wanted you to live or because of some feeble ‘alliance’ you might have felt we had. I did it so the blame wouldn’t be placed on me yet again.”

He walked around the table and brought his face down so close to hers, they were nearly touching.

“You’re yet another annoyance in my already tedious life. Now, get out of my sight.”

Hermione didn’t need to hear any more from him. Her face stricken, with tears threatening to fall, she fled from the room.

Severus watched her go with a heavy heart. He hated himself for every unkind words, every cruel glance he’d given her. In frustration, he brought a fist down onto the desk, and in disgust realised he’d squashed an unfortunate, knocked-out Doxy.

But still, he knew it had to be done. By this time tomorrow, if he predicted correctly, she would hate him once again. And that was how it should be.


A/N: Thanks to Angel for beta-ing and to everyone who reviewed. I would dearly love to push RL aside, but I've tried that...ultimate chaos ensued.