Chapter 50: Civility Between Colleagues

The Great Hall, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

The Great Hall had been buzzing with the usual chatter from the first years asking any and every question they could about their classes and their Professors. Hermione found it strange to be in the hall and not sitting at the Gryffindor table. She found herself seated near Severus Snape and the teacher's exit which had always been to Snape's right when he came into The Great Hall. Lupin sat between Minerva McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore. Neville was squeezed between Pomona Sprout and Rolanda Hooch. After a good forty-five minutes of dining, Severus Snape arrived with a scowl on his face as he took his seat. Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled as he looked upon the dour young wizard.

Silence filled the hall as he made his way to his seat. The first years gasped in horror realizing that the wizard from the rumors had indeed been all too real and looked exactly as the other later year students described him to be. The Potions Professor sat down in his seat. His usual meal appeared before him in small portions, a habit left over from his youth and the lack of food in his household. Hermione had noted how strange this all had been as she never really remembered seeing the man eat when she had been a student. The distraction of her day to day and socializing with her friends during meal time averted her attention.

Snape looked up from his plate and his obsidian eyes fell on Hermione as a look of utter shock passed across his usually expressionless face. He had not expected her to have been watching him. Lupin looked down at his plate trying hard to keep the smile that threatened to file across his face at bay. He had wondered what it would be like with these two in close quarters again. Dumbledore appeared to have the same idea as he too watched them but from behind his goblet.

Minerva watched both Dumbledore and Lupin and turned her attention to Snape and Hermione as well.

"C-could you pass the salt?" asked Snape.

Hermione nearly dropped her fork when he spoke.

"I-I'm sorry what?" she asked.

Snape sighed hating that he had to repeat himself.

"Could you pass the salt, please?" he asked.

Hermione gave him an uneasy smile and handed him the salt.

"Thank you." he said taking it.

"You're welcome." she replied.

He went back to his meal without another word. Hermione did the same much to the disappointment of the spectators. Snape finished quickly and swept out of The Great Hall without a word to anyone else. Dumbledore sighed as he watched The Potions Professor's retreating form. Hermione finished her meal and left as well, but unlike Severus, she bid everyone a pleasant evening before she took her leave.

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The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts...

Snape had been furious as The Headmaster looked back at him with that unbearable stubborn gleam in his blue eyes. Dumbledore simply met The Potions Master's fury with indifference. He had invited Hermione Granger to teach at Hogwarts and he would do everything in his power to ensure that she stayed.

"You cannot be serious?" asked Snape annoyed.

"I will not negotiate with you, Severus." said Dumbledore. "My decision is final."

"The war is over old man I am no longer under any obligation to you." said Snape.

"I'm still your employer." replied Dumbledore. "And as such, I am well within my rights to ask this of you."

"You don't believe in asking, old man." replied Snape. "You twist people's arms until you get your way."

"You may arrange the wording any way you'd like Severus," said Dumbledore. "But the fact still remains that you will do what I ask of you."

Snape grumbled in reply something along the lines of "Insane, cocky old man."

Dumbledore appeared to pay him no mind.

"Miss Granger is new to the teaching aspect of Hogwarts and you are to show her how it's done." he replied. "Mentor her if necessary."

"Have you gone daft old man?" asked Snape. "Do you not recall what happened the last time I was in close proximity to Miss Granger?"

"Severus, just do as I ask." replied Dumbledore. "The young woman needs guidance, did Minerva not mentor you when you first arrived here?"

Snape rolled his eyes remembering how out of place he had been until Minerva gave him a few pointers. It had been how he picked-up a few of her tactics, over the years he put his own spin on them to the point where they became more associated with him than the Head of Gryffindor House.

"Alright." he said bitterly.

"Thank you." replied Dumbledore.

"Don't thank me old man." replied Snape still bitter. "We both know that I would not be doing this if I had any choice in the matter."

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly at him still seeming to ignore his attitude about the whole idea.

"None-the-less, I do appreciate this, Severus." he said in a pleasant

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Will that be all, Headmaster?" he asked anxious to get back to work.

Dumbledore sighed. It was really such a shame that The Potions Professor could not see Miss Granger as anything but a burden. She really had been quite an accomplished and lovely young witch.

"Yes, Severus that will be all." he replied.

Snape nodded one and dismissed himself in a swirl of billowing robes. The Headmaster turned his attention to his familiar, Fawkes.

"That boy is always so stubborn." remarked Dumbledore in amusement.

The phoenix let out a squawk in agreement.

The Headmaster chuckled in response.

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The Corridors, Hogwarts...

Hermione had been enjoying her morning up taking in the familiar morning air coming over the castle with the heat of the early morning sun warming her skin. It seemed a pleasant enough morning with the students running about. She had been enjoying her free period when suddenly someone pulled her from the main corridors into an abandoned part of the castle. A feeling of outrage coursed through her and she had been about to give whom ever it was a piece of her mind, when her amber eyes met obsidian.

"Severus?" she said in disbelief.

"Don't get excited, I simply have a matter to discuss with you and then you can be on your way." he said in a cool tone.

"I-I...W-What?" asked Hermione confused.

"It appears that The Headmaster saw fit to assign me to the task of babysitting you, until you come into your own as a professor." he said.

"Babysitting?" asked Hermione.

"I trust that we can keep things civil between you and I during this time." he continued ignoring her confusion.

"What do you mean babysitting me?" asked Hermione.

"It's quite simple really Miss Granger, I have been assigned to ensuring you become an effective Professor." he replied. "Being as I am the only one on staff that Dumbledore deems worthy of such a mundane task...you and I will be seeing a lot of each other of the course of this year."

Hermione could hardly believe what she was hearing. She would be working closely with Severus Snape. The very wizard that she had been intimate with as a student. Despite it being over five years since she and he actually engaged one another, it was still strange to be near him privately.

"I wanted you to know what is expected of you." said Snape. "I hope that we can maintain a civilized working relationship...if it is of your interest I have no intentions of having any designs upon your person...should we find ourselves alone during any aspect of our association...I only wish to get this over with as soon as possible."

Hermione said nothing as he continued.

"That having been said, I expect a copy of your syllabus on my desk come morning so we can go over how best to approach your students with the material." he said.

Hermione nodded.

"Okay." she said.

"Well, that is all I wish to say." he said. "Good day, Professor Granger."

Having finished what he came to say to her, Snape took his leave in a billow of ebony robes. Hermione had still been utterly confused but found that she had been glad to have at least some help adjusting to her new position, despite that help coming from her former lover. She didn't know for sure how she felt about being in close proximity to him after all these years but he had eased her mind when he told her that he had no designs upon her. He appeared to want to keep their association civil and she could appreciate that. She had only hoped that his temperament had some how improved over the last five years, thought she doubted that it would.

If anything the way things ended between them might have made him worse.

Hermione sighed and made her way back into the corridors.

Only time will tell.