Warning: This is a Snape/Hermione fanfiction. If you do not like the pairing DO NOT read. Please do not read this and send reviews saying how it is disgusting. You were warned. Thank you.

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns everything. These words are just random musings put together off of her wonderful ideas.

Love may be unkind, but it is not unattainable...unless, of course, one never even attempts to reach for it. Hermione Granger knew that. She had experienced the unkindness of love by being with Ron for several months after the war. A love that was built on the fear and passion of never knowing which day would be one's last. Once the war was over, the love they thought they had found slowly faded. There were no more arguments that made them the loving couple they were, just arguments that led to hate and deceit.

Hermione had just finished getting the last of her things from her parents' old home and was walking back up to the Burrow, when she heard giggling in a nearby bush. She was not normally curious in such manners, and honestly figured it was just Ginny, but something pulled her towards the bush just to make sure. It was fortunate that she chose to look, she decided later, because if she had not then she would have continued to live a lie. There, lying on his back, in the grass was Ron. The only thing Hermione noticed though was the blonde girl straddling him with her shirt crooked and revealing a good amount of cleavage. She didn't even question him, just apparated on the spot straight to Hogsmeade.

That had been six months ago, and since then Hermione had taken her N.E.W.T.S. and, of course, passed brilliantly. Afterwards, she had been offered an apprenticeship under the one and only potions master, Severus Snape. After the war, when the grounds were being searched for survivors he was discovered where they had left him for dead with a still beating, although very faint, heart. It had taken more than a month for him to heal completely, but when he did he was back to the same Head of Slytherin potion's master they all knew, except as a recognized war hero and grudgingly admired by many. The need for an apprentice led to many rumors among students, including Snape retiring or getting the position for Defense Against Dark Arts professor. This in fact was quite wrong, Snape was not planning on going anywhere, but as the war taught so many, one never knew what time would bring and seeing as he was one of the only wizards that could brew certain potions a replacement needed to be trained immediately, just to be safe. This led to Hermione Granger being asked, rather grudgingly on Snape's behalf. It took all he could to swallow his pride to admit that the insufferable know-it-all was the only one capable of learning the potions she would need to know.

That is how it came to be that Hermione was sitting at her desk beside Professor Snape's own desk contemplating love and the risk it required, knowing in the end it would be worth it no matter which way the cards fell. Yes, Hermione Jean Granger had gotten caught up in love by that foolish organ humans call a heart. Sensible Hermione, who after discovering Ron's affair, decided to put all focus into her studies for the next couple of years. Sadly, it was becoming more and more difficult to focus when she was constantly thinking thoughts that she shouldn't be having.

Hermione didn't believe herself to be foolish and she most certainly did not jump man to man. She had had a small crush on Viktor Krum, mainly because he was the first boy who paid her any attention now that she thought about it. After that ended she was too caught up in the preludes of the war to notice any boys. She only fell for Ron because he was there, the war was going on, and he had been her best friend, besides Harry. It only seemed natural they would get together. Now though, her heart had chosen someone else, someone she deemed entirely inappropriate but what was she to do? Her heart had chosen for her with not a care for the arguments she had given it. For one, he was twice her age, she at nineteen he at thirty-eight, but this did not matter for her intelligence matched his own and she was extremely mature for her age. Another argument was, for goodness sake's, he was her teacher! Once again her heart made this not matter by arguing back that she was his apprentice, not necessarily a student, but an adult training to fill his position if the need arose. These were entirely different things. No, there was no arguing with her heart, it was just the problem of what to do about it now that it had won.

Confronting her feelings to him was where Hermione's nerves tried to get the best of her, but the thought that kept haunting her was being repeated; love is never unattainable, unless someone is unwilling to even try. This thought is what led Hermione to decide that she must confront him. What was the worst that could happen? He couldn't dismiss her apprenticeship, she was the only one that he would properly be able to train. No, the worst thing that could happen would be him not reciprocating her feelings, and honestly she assumed that this is what would happen. How many professors fall in love with, or even admire, someone they have taught since they were eleven? This she brushed off with the sad, reflective thought that the war made people admit to crazy things, and do stuff that they would have never done before. It left people with a sense of living for the moment and to hell with what people thought. It also caused them all to grow up so fast, Hermione for one felt years older than eighteen after witnessing so many deaths. Having to choose to help someone or to keep walking, it aged a person more than one could ever understand. So now, what would she do? Unfortunately, she didn't have long to think it over, Professor Snape decided at that moment it was time to barge in their shared office and throw a book on her desk.

Author's Note: This was originally planned to be a one-shot, but when I typed to this point I decided this was a great ending for a chapter. Also, I didn't want to rush the relationship, because as Hermione mused what are the chance of Snape instantly returning her feelings out of nowhere? Haha. Either way please review! I would love any constructive criticism or ideas for upcoming chapters. I will update as quickly as possible. Thanks!