Hermione stepped in front of the large doors, hesitant to open them. The first week of school had passed and it was Friday; her study session was scheduled to begin in just a few minutes. She took a deep breath and pushed the door forward. As Hermione walked into the room, she noticed the front half of the class was occupied by students and took a seat in the last row. As she set her books down, she noticed that Professor Snape had not even looked at her once since she came in, let alone acknowledge her presence.

"Now for Monday's class," Snape said as he paced around his desk in front of them, "you must finish your reading of this chapter and bring a twelve inch essay outlining the three different Unforgivable Curses." He paused as they let out a collective groan. "None of that," he continued, "Just because it is the first week of class, do not expect me to go easy on you; you are dismissed."

With a wave of his cloak, he turned to his desk and sat down as the students filed out one by one. Hermione smiled as some of the younger Gryffindors walked past her and soon, it was just her and Snape alone in the room. She looked up at him as he sat at his desk, keeping his gaze focused on the various papers that lay in front of him and occasionally scribbling something.

"Can I help you, Ms. Granger?" he asked as he continued to stare down at the parchment.

She could only stare at the top of his head, as his greasy curtains of hair hid most of his face from her sight.

"Um…I'm here for the study session, sir."

"What did you say?" he asked as he crossed something out with his quill.

"The study session, sir," she said a bit louder.

For the first time since she walked in, Snape looked up at her.

"Ms. Granger, come forward, I can barely understand you with your unintelligible squeaking."

Hermione could feel the blood rush to her face as she piled all of her books together and walked towards him. She set her belongings down and took the seat directly in front of him.

She cleared her throat. "I am here for the study session, sir," she said with an obvious annoyance to her voice.

Snape quickly glanced at the clock above the door. "That's today?" he asked, sourly. Hermione nodded, which caused him to scowl.

Hermione looked around the room. "Is this it?"

"Apparently," Snape simply stated as he returned to his work.

"Is this just a private session? Or are there supposed to be other sixth years in here?"

"I was assigned twenty five students for this session, Ms. Granger."

Staring at his floppy hair and not being able to have a civil conversation started to irritate Hermione as she continued.

"Well, where is everyone?"

"Clearly not here."

"Clearly," Hermione said as she glared at him.

Snape rolled his eyes before looking up at her. She had her arms crossed and there was anger in her eyes as she stared at him from four feet away.

"Keep in mind that this is an optional session, Ms. Granger, and that no student, yourself included, was required to come. Furthermore, consider the fact that it is Friday evening: the end of a school week, let alone the first school week of the year. No one but incessant little know-it-all's would come to this, and Dumbledore granted me the greatest honor of having the biggest one of all in my assignment. Now, do you have any more questions, Ms. Granger, or have you finally decided to give me peace?"

The crimson color returned to Hermione's cheeks as she stared off into one of the room's newly added portraits. Snape took her silence as cue to resume his duties, but just as he was about to re-ink his quill, she spoke again.

"And is it possible to get out of your assignment, and go to another study session, Professor? I don't want to cause you any more…trouble."

"If you must go to another session, I insist you bring the matter up with Dumbledore and spare us both from future, tortuous Fridays together."

"Don't worry, I will," she said through clenched teeth.

At that moment, Dumbledore walked through the doors.

"Ah, hello Hermione, studying hard as always I see," he said as he gazed fondly at her through his half-moon spectacles.

Hermione gave a quick glance at Snape who stood up from his chair upon Dumbledore's arrival, and looked back at the headmaster.

"As always, sir," she said as she gave him a small smile.

He patted her gently on the shoulder. "Excellent, my dear," he said before walking over to Snape's desk. His dark blue robes flowed in a fluid like motion with every step he took. "Severus, I'd like a word with you if you're not too busy."

Severus simply nodded his head once and led Dumbledore up the stairwell to his office. Hermione sighed happily that she was finally alone and Dumbledore had saved her from talking to that wretched man any longer. I don't like to admit it, she thought, but maybe Harry isn't completely wrong for hating him; he's undoubtedly the most irritating person I've ever met. She had finally opened her books, laid out her parchment, and was about to ink her quill when she heard the hushed conversation coming from Snape's office. What could Dumbledore possibly need to talk with Snape for, she wondered as she looked up at the door at the top of the steps. She rose from her seat and quietly walked to the bottom of the staircase.

"Silencio," she whispered, pointing her wand at her feet.

Even with the use of the spell, Hermione slowly tiptoed up each step, trying very hard to avoid making the noise she knew she would not create; she could have stomped up the stairs and the room would have been just as silent. When she reached the top, she stood very still with her ear nearly against the wooden door, and listened.

"…we do, Severus?" she heard Dumbledore ask, "I need you to keep an eye on him and make sure he carries out his duties."

"I am bound to, sir. But you cannot expect me to perform them to the very end…"

"You must." There was a silence between the two before Dumbledore spoke again. "No matter, life will play out as it should." Hermione could picture an all-knowing smile on Dumbledore's face as he said this, though she found herself very confused. "As for the matter I came here to discuss…I understand you gave Harry detention on Saturday?"

He hesitated before speaking. "I did. Did you also manage to catch why I gave him detention?"

Hermione could hear Dumbledore's soft chuckles. "A very entertaining story, wouldn't you say?"

"Not exactly…but then again, the 'Chosen One' can get away with almost anything, I'm sure."

"Oh, come now, Severus, you mustn't let your emotions get in the way."

"Emotions? He has been nothing but trouble ever since he stepped foot in this school six years ago, and I have let many of his intolerable actions pass…emotions have nothing to do with it."

"Very well, you may give him detention another time, just not tomorrow night."

"And why is that?"

Hermione stepped as close to the door as she possibly could without touching it as continued to listen in on their conversation.

"Harry has some tasks to complete for me."

"Tasks?"

"You have yours and Harry has his."

Their voices were low and Hermione was having a hard time hearing and so she pressed her ear against the wood of the door ever so slightly.

"Excuse me, sir," Snape said at once, in a much louder voice than Hermione had been used to for the past few minutes, "But our conversation is no longer private."

As he said this, the door flung open as he stood at his desk, wand aloft. His beady eyes narrowed at the sight of Hermione whose wide eyes made her look like a deer caught in the headlights. She laughed nervously at being discovered.

"What do you want?" he asked, seething.

"Um…" she said, searching her mind for something…anything to use as an excuse. "I was just wondering when I was allowed to leave."

Snape slammed his wand against his desk. "For the last time, Ms. Granger, this was optional! You could have left the moment you walked in and it would have made no difference. Actually, it probably would have made me much more content and I urge you to consider this option in the future." He sat down in his chair and continued to glare. "Also, I shall take 50 points from Gryffindor for eavesdropping; you may see yourself out… Good. Night."

With a flick of his wand, he slammed the door shut in front of her.

"I'm telling you, Harry, that's all I heard," Hermione said once she returned to the Gryffindor common room.

"I don't get it," Ron said, "What task is Dumbledore having Snape do?"

"Maybe he listened to Harry's warnings about Malfoy and is having Snape make sure he doesn't do anything?" Hermione suggested.

"He didn't sound too pleased about it though, did he?" Ron said.

"Of course he wouldn't, not if he knew Dumbledore was on to them," Harry responded.

"Them meaning Snape and Malfoy?" Ron asked.

When Harry nodded, Hermione exhaled deeply. "Harry, you can't go on thinking that Snape and Malfoy are plotting to do something. Snape might be an annoying old git, but Dumbledore trusts him and I am sure Snape will watch over Malfoy just as Dumbledore requested."

"Yeah, watch over him to make sure he doesn't screw up Voldemort's plan," Harry muttered under his breath.

Hermione sighed, upset that everything she was saying was just going in one ear and out the other.

"I wonder what good stuff you'll hear next week," Ron said.

Hermione snapped her head towards him. "Next week? Oh no, no, no, this information train ends here; I am talking to Dumbledore and going to switch to a different professor. I trust in him because of Dumbledore, but other than that I can't stand him."

"But Hermione, you must keep going to his sessions, we have to find out as much information as we can," Harry stated.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she looked at Harry. "You only want me to find information because you think he is up to something. Well, sorry Harry, I can't be your little detective any longer! It is positively maddening being alone in the same room with him."

"Please, Hermione," Harry pleaded, "We need ears on him, especially if he is watching over Malfoy; he might talk about some of the activities Malfoy is up to. And plus, out of the three of us, he despises you the least."

"That makes me feel loads better about this," she said blandly. Her eyes darted between Harry and Ron, who were both eagerly waiting for her response. "Alright, alright, fine, I'll do it but you owe me."

Harry smiled at her and Ron reached forward to hug her. Hermione could feel her cheeks getting rosy as he wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "Sorry you have to deal with the bat yourself."

"I'll be fine," she said through her smile.