His cold eyes swept across the classroom, searching, and when he found her, he allowed his eyes to linger for a second before commanding in a brisk voice;

"Miss Granger I believe I asked you for a 2ft essay, not five. Stay behind. Class dismissed, now get out of here so i don't have to see your ugly faces anymore."

The class filed out and Harry sent Hermione a pitying look, which she replied to, with a resigned look of defeat. After the door shut behind her she turned around and smiled tentatively at snape while his smirk grew at her obvious discomfort.

His feelings had started at the beginning of her 7th year when he had noticed that she had not only come of age, but she had also matured greatly. Her bushy, uncontrollable hair was now the golden brown of honey and it fell in gentle waves down her back. Her teeth were straight, more evenly proportioned and her big brown doe eyes haunted him at night. He had tried to force her out of his mind - after all she was the gryffindor know it all head girl! - but she unknowingly persisted until he thought of her every waking moment and some of his sleeping ones too. Once or twice he thought that he had caught her staring at him, but he quickly dismissed the idea. After all even if his hair didn't deter her, the fact that he was a git to her for the last 6 years would definitely not score a point in his favour.

He sighed as all of these thoughts came crashing down on him at once in one very depresssing second, only for him to notice her walking closer to him, insead of quivering with fear at the back of the room.

"What was it you wanted me for professor?" she said, biting her lip.

'Fuck.' thought Severus.