Candy Cane

Hermione looked at the delicious, delectable, tasty sweets she held in her hands. Three inches of pure tasty perfect, she thought to herself. She loved the way the red and the white so perfectly twisted and turned in unison up the length of each cane. She loved the burst of the peppermint as she first laid it upon her tongue. She loved everything that candy canes meant. Christmas, family, happiness and the coming together of friends and loved ones in the tiding of the festive season.

Lucky for Hermione, Candy Canes were out many months before the actual season was upon her, and she loved it.

She practically danced down the halls of Hogwarts as she held her box close to her chest. She had just been owled her very first box and was on her way to her chamber to put them in a safe spot and sink her teeth into the very first one of the year.

Her taste buds were almost tingling in glee, in such a rush to get to her aforementioned task of finding a safe spot to keep the sweets, she felt herself collide with a, well she was not sure what it was. In a bid to save the candy canes she wrapped her arms tight around them as she began to fall. Hitting the ground hard with her ass, she looked making sure the candy was intact, she sighed/ relieved, they were fine. She looked up as she heard someone clear their throat, she knew who it was instantaneously.

"Professor... I... Am...Sorry?" She almost questioned him, her mind still on the sweets she clutched tight to her chest.

"Are you Miss Granger, are you?" He raised an eyebrow in response. He extended a hand out to her, she took it gladly as he pulled her off the hard stone floor. They looked into each others eyes for a moment before Hermione looked away and realised that their hands were still intertwined. Awkwardly she untangled her hand from his, a shrill silence hung over the two of them.

"Candy Cane?" She questioned, extending out the box for his perusal, trying to break the awkwardness. He almost looked disgusted at the offending candy in front of him.

"No Miss Granger." He bit out at her. She recoiled a touch nervously clearing her throat

"I...I have a class to teach and I suspect you do too." She gave him a nod and began to head off.
"It is Saturday, Miss Granger." He interjected, talking to her back.
"Yes, right, sure, silly me. I...I have to wash my hair." She took off at run. He intimidated her and she wanted to get out of there, pronto.

HG/SS

Who could not like candy canes? That was a question Hermione had been stewing on all day and she had taken it personally. She was going to give him one and that was that. He had no say in the matter and she would force it upon him if need be.

That night as she passed his seat at the head table to go to her own seat she dropped the candy cane on his plate. With a gentle clatter. Watching eagerly as he entered the room and sat down. He could only roll his eyes and let of a snort of derision as he eyed off the offending candy on his plate. Picking it up he marched straight up to her dropped it onto her plate without a word.
This meant war. Hermione was never one to give up or be told no, that was just not on in her books.

HG/SS

Severus gritted his teeth as he sat down at his desk that night and caught a glimpse of red and white from the corner of his eye. He could only shake his head as his gaze landed on the candy cane. Tentatively touching the outer wrapper of the sweet and fingered it gently, almost contemplating opening it and eating it. Snorting and shaking his head he recoiled his hand from the sweet as if it were dangerous. No, if it was a war she wanted, it was a war she was about to get.

HG/SS
Marching up the her chamber in a flurry of black robes he pounded hard on her door. Slowly she opened it, revealing a seething potions master. "Miss Granger it seems you miss placed this... This thing."

She held her hand out as he dropped it into her hand. Recoiling her hand she placed them both on her hips. "Would it kill you to eat it? It is just a bit of flavoured and coloured sugar it wont kill you."

"How do I know that, how do I not know you did not poison it." Rolling her eyes she shook her head.
"Yes, because I want to poison and kill the resident potions master. Heaven forbid I do that, I would be lumped as sub for your class." She said in a huff.

"Regardless Miss Granger, I do not wish to partake in the consumption of this, or any sweets like or identical to this one."

"Is it really the candy cane you Dislike, Severus? Or is it the meaning of the candy cane? Christmas and happiness. Heaven forbid you even feel some happiness in your life, you might not be able to be a snarky bastard the rest of your life. Oh and you can call me Hermione, we do work together and have done for the past two years, it is the least you can do." She snapped at him.

Now feeling irate at her attack on him and his reason for his hatred towards the peppermint treat, he snapped back.

"It has nothing to do with you and is none of your business, now if you are finished with you're childish antics I shall be off." With a turn of his feel and three large steps he was out of sight.

This only angered Hermione more, who was the childish one? If he just ate the damn stupid candy cane...

HG/SS
Monday morning came around quicker then she had anticipated. Stealing glances at the potions master between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs. Stupid man, who was he to deny her gift of a candy cane and bring it back all three times. Just who did he think he was. She chewed slowly as a glint of malice crossed her eyes and then vanished. She would get her way and he would eat the darn thing even if she had to force feed it to him.

HG/SS

"Get out your books and open them to pa..." He was walking past his desk when he spotted it, the god damn candy cane again. He felt like throwing it on the floor and stomping it into a pile of powered sugar.

"Turn to page 198 and I shall be back in a moment."

Snatching the long coloured stick from his desk once more he marched right on up to Hermione's class. Each step he grew closer the more he angered. Could she not take a damn hint that he did not want it. Was she stupid or was she doing it to piss him off? What ever it was he had enough.

In his tirade of blind anger he did not realise he had been standing out side of her classroom door for the past three minutes. Taking a deep breath he pushed open the door to Hermione's Transfiguration class. The entire class, Slytherin and Gryffindor third years turned to glare at him. Hermione turned around, noting his presence, she sighed.

"Professor Snape, how nice of you to join us," putting on a mock voice full of sincerity.
"Can I see you outside?," He questioned. She nodded and made her way to the outside of the classroom and shut the door.

"Take this back. I do not want to see it again."
She rolled her eyes like a teenager who was getting a talking to from her mother.

"Or what, you are going to put me in detention? I am not a student any more, Severus."

"You are being childish," He offered.

"No, you are being a prat," She countered.

"Oh name calling, real mature." He shook his head at her.

"Oh yeah well... At least I don't hate candy canes. " She retorted.

"That is not even a valid argument."

"Is to! You hate candy canes because they remind you of happiness. They remind you of Christmas and you hate it."

He snorted, "A bit of coloured sugar does not make me think of those things. Candy canes are so fake and generic, they have nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas. "

She placed a hand over her heart, as if hurt. "They are not fake and Generic. You are fake and Generic."

He let out a chuckle. "Now you are just taking what I am saying and twisting it into poorly thought out insults."

"You are poorly thought out," She threw back at him taking two steps towards him, now millimetres apart. He could feel her breath tickling his face.

"There you go again, Hermione."

She huffed, a burst of hot air covered his face. He cocked his head to the side, smirking. She had no come back and it was killing her.

"Fine, what ever." She backed away from him and stormed back into the class room.

HG/SS

For the entire day Severus Snape was happy, elated in fact. He had royally pissed off one Hermione Granger. He was almost floating on air. A small smile also almost made it's way to his lips, before he quickly turned it into a snarl.

He managed to tolerate his classes for the entire day, and by dinner time he was so happy he might just get up and do a jig on the table.

Entering the great hall he noticed Hermione was not in her chair. He shrugged, why should he care where she was.

As dinner progressed and it became apparent she was not showing up, he felt a tiny pang of guilt. Had he upset her enough for her not to come to dinner? Or was she so ashamed of her comebacks she did not want to show her face.

Feeling obliged to go and make sure she had not drowned herself in her bath tub he made the hike to her class room.

He reached the door and knocked on it lightly. He waited patiently as he heard the sound of footsteps slowly making their way to the door.

Opening it she narrowed her eyes at him. He could tell she had been crying. Eyes puffy and bloodshot, her cheeks tear stained.

"What do you want," she bit.
"I...I am sorry about before-I."
"Sure you are sorry," she was sarcastic.

"Oh for god sake, give me the damn candy cane and I will eat the blasted thing."
She shook her head. "Sorry, I am eating the last of it now."
"Fine, but I am going to have to do this."

He placed a hand on either of her cheeks. Drawing into her he pressed his lips to hers, ramming his tongue into her mouth he snatched the last of the candy cane from it.

Pulling back he studied her for a moment. She was confused and dazed. What the hell had just happened. Did he just kiss her? She was not sure whether to shudder or smile.

"I-" she was cut off by his lips on hers once again. This time they caressed her own slowly and tenderly. He had liked it so much the first time he had decided to go in again.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She was not sure how to respond so done what came first, snaked her arms around his waist.

HG/SS

"And that kids is the story of how me and your father formed a relationship."
She looked to her two Children sitting and listening intently. By the look on their faces she was not sure how they took the story.

"Now, who wants a candy cane?" She asked, shooting a look at Severus who in return quirked a brow.

A/N: Just a little something I had in my head for a while. Nothing like a fun one shot every now and then.

Aliasmel1