Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, no matter how much I wish to.
Opposite Day
It seemed that everything had been normal for too long at Hogwarts, as Dumbledore had come up with another ridiculously far-fetched way to stir things up. At least that's how Severus Snape saw it. He had first overheard this ridiculous idea as he was escaping the Great Hall after dinner one evening.
"Well, this was definitely Albus' idea. Only he would come up with something so crazy." Turning discreetly to see who had said this, Severus saw Professor Hermione Granger, along with Minerva McGonagall standing in front of an obscenely large poster with bright glowing letters. He didn't know why he hadn't seen it before. He listened as the two professors talked some more. "Opposite day? That's definitely something new. I suppose we'll have to do and say everything we usually wouldn't on a regular day, right?" To this, Minerva added her own two cents.
"I think I'll be ok with it, but I wonder how poor Severus will deal with such a task. This will mean he has to be nice to all of the students, and actually wear a bit of color for once." Hearing this, Severus unnoticeably paled. Be nice to the students? Wear colors?
Not two minutes later, he was found to be knocking on the door of the Headmaster's office. He only knocked twice before barging in, intent on getting the crazy old man to change his mind. Dumbledore just blinked calmly at him, as if expecting this, and Severus knew he had already lost to the man. All he could do was sputter unintelligibly for a few seconds before plopping down gracelessly onto one of the armchairs in front of the desk. When he thought himself composed enough to say something easily understandable, he spoke. "Surely I won't have to participate in such a fiasco! You can't make me do this! This is inhumane!"
"Come on, Severus, lighten up! It's only one day, and then you can be as crabby as you want the rest of the year. Wouldn't you enjoy a classroom full of obedient, well-disciplined children for once? Surely you can do such miniscule things as a change of wardrobe and hold back your asperity for that?" As Dumbledore knew he would, Severus started to see the upside of the situation. Granger would give him peace from arguments and questions for one day, students would be good. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all. He'd certainly be entertained. Nodding grudgingly, Severus stomped back out of the office. Dumbledore looked at his watch. "Two minutes and forty seconds? A new record!"
As Dumbledore was celebrating his victory, Severus was trudging down the stairs. He made it to his chambers and warded them behind him, grabbing a random book and sitting by the fireplace, even though he had no intentions of reading.
Granger had become a professor two years back, after the war had ended and she had gotten two degrees at a prestigious wizarding university. She had, of course, graduated two years early from said university, and was back at Hogwarts. It had only been four years since she had been a student here.
At first, things had been fine, with them ignoring each other, but soon enough they were talking, and, mostly fighting. If anyone could get his goat, it was her. There was just something about her that made him ready to verbally fight with her every time she was in the vicinity. He became annoyed with himself because of this, especially when he didn't win the argument, but couldn't help himself. This was taboo for Severus, as he prided himself over his self-control.
Severus sat a few minutes more, just thinking about things, before deciding to call it a day and retire to his bed, as the next day would no doubt hold horrors unknown.
Severus woke up at seven, his usual time, and immediately headed toward his bathroom, taking a nice shower and shaving the stubble he had grown. He walked back into his bedroom and opened his wardrobe. To his surprise and anger, there was only one set of robes, and they were a dark green color. Attached to the robes was a note, which Severus snatched with a snarl.
Just a little something to help start the day off wrong. Have a bad day!
Subla Erodelbmud
Grumbling a complaint, Severus shrugged on the robes with ill grace. Only one day, he made sure to chant to himself. Albus, or Sulba, as he was today, would notice if he missed breakfast, as he usually did. This was opposite day though, so he had to go.
When he reached the Great Hall, there were many glances his way. No one had ever had the privilege of seeing Severus Snape in anything other than black. And they wouldn't ever again, if Severus had anything to say about it.
As he walked toward his seat at the staff table, he noticed it occupied by someone else. It seemed they were to sit opposite of where they usually sat today. That meant Severus had to sit in the middle, between…ugh…Hagrid and Granger. He was tempted to bolt, but managed to control himself enough to sit down.
"I hate your robes, Severus." Granger said next to him. He was about to reply snidely back when he realized Granger actually meant that she liked them. This day was going to confuse him.
"I agree." He replied, which meant that he really didn't agree with her. Granger smiled at this.
She leaned over to him after making sure that Dumbledore wasn't looking. "Do you think you can keep this up for the whole day?" She asked, breathing a bit in his ear. It made him feel a bit disoriented. He blamed it on the day.
With a glint in his eye, Severus looked directly in her eyes and said, "No." This reply was met with a grin.
"Touché."
Severus started his meal, making sure to eat the best things first, unlike what he usually did. He knew that people were watching to see if he would mess up. There were rumors going around that to mess up would bring about unwanted consequences. Severus intended to avoid anything that could embarrass him today more than what he had to endure.
When class started, he made sure to be there before all the students arrived, and actually told them that they were going to have a pop quiz on the things discussed in the lesson in the next week. The students were all quiet, and the potions were made more adequate than usual. There were no Hermione Grangers in this classroom. Severus almost grinned at how she would have reacted to being told that she had to purposely mess up her potion.
Unlike most days in his class, he did not assign any homework, nor give any detentions out, and he reluctantly took a few points from Slytherin. It was actually kind of fun.
All the classes turned out to be like this, with only a few where a student or two had to clean up a spoiled potion. By the time the last of the students escaped the classroom, Severus Snape was mentally exhausted and his face muscles were relaxed from not having to use them to frown a lot like he usually did.
He sat tiredly in his chair for a few minutes before he heard a knock on the door. Reluctantly, he called for the person to enter, and who would come in but Professor Granger? Severus rose to his feet and walked around his desk, eyes on her the whole time. He didn't want to show that he was a bit fatigued. To his surprise, Granger looked a bit nervous, which was unlike her. Well, of course it was opposite day, but still.
"Is there anything I can do to help you, Professor Granger?" Severus tried to be courteous, but it just came out impassive, if a bit curious. Yes, he could do curious.
"It's Hermione." Was all she said, before venturing further into the room and a bit closer to where he was standing in front of his desk.
"Hermione, then. Well?" He tried not to be brusque with her.
"I…I-I just wanted to say that…well…" She stammered, fidgeting with a loose piece of wood on a student's desk.
"Yes?" He prompted, actually a bit curious as to what she had to say, as she was so edgy and unlike herself, even if it were opposite day.
Before Severus realized it, she was right in front of him, and he blinked in bewilderment as to how she had snuck up so fast. When she spoke, her voice was a bit lower and huskier than usual. "I just wanted to say that I really really don't like you."
At this statement, Severus felt a bit hurt. He didn't know why, as he had never done anything to garner her affection, but Severus had hoped they were at least friends in some weird way. She seemed to notice his expression and smiled softly. "And that's why I don't want to do this." With that said, her hands were in his hair, pulling his head down to hers. He felt her lips brush his and couldn't help the sharp intake of breath at the shock of it. Severus' mind eventually caught up with him and reminded him that it was opposite day, and that Hermione Granger had just told him in a round-a-bout way that she really really liked him, and that she wanted to kiss him.
This revelation, of course, caused a heady explosion of feeling in Severus. "Me neither." He managed to say as he pulled her closer. Who knew that Hermione Granger was such an enthusiastic kisser?
When they broke the kiss for air, Severus continued to kiss her face and neck. He would be content if the day never ended. He'd make sure to tell Dumbledore that maybe Opposite day wasn't so bad after all. Well, maybe in a few more years.
The End
I hope you liked it! This was just an idea that popped out at me one night. I love to hear feedback, so please review! Thanks!