Two Nerds in Love
Ok ok ok but Hermione and Severus being awkward nerds who are infatuated with each other but think it's unrequited.
Hermione babbling nervously at breakfast blushing and feeling like she's annoying him.
Severus being hyper aware of every. little. touch. As he passes her food.
So when she prompts him for an answer to her question that he obviously wasn't listening to he snaps at her.
.....
Severus suggesting that Hermione should "stay by him" at the Ministry Ball because of Rita Skeeter lurking.
Hermione not wanting to "scare off his prospects" lies and says she has a date.
Now she has to scramble to find a date and Severus is vacillating between jealousy and despair.
The only friend she can get to agree to go is Draco, who is still pining for Harry. When Severus finds this out, he is devastated and picks a random woman from the groupies that want to fix him.
The night of the ball, Draco has to flake on Hermione, so everyone is gossiping and pitying her. She thinks Severus will be able to hang out with her, but he arrives with a buxom red head.
Hermione had a horrible time and is incredibly jealous of the woman who is throwing herself at Snape.
Severus is suffering on multiple levels. His date has groped him more times than he can count, is annoyingly idiotic, and he misses Hermione.
Now both are sad.
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Draco comes to the castle to apologize. Sev sees him going into Hermione's quarters.
The redhead is actually a bit of a determined stalker and accosts Severus at the front doors. Cue an unwanted kiss just as Draco and Hermione make it to the doors as she sees Draco off.
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Now Hermione is just angry that Snape has turned out to be "just like every other man".
Snape is just mad about everything and everyone.
Two grumpy professors who keep shooting longing glances at each other when no one is looking.
And it stays this way for months.
Both of them awkward and not knowing how to react to each other in person while pining and heartbroken in private.
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Minerva and Draco playing cupid and creating scenarios.
Hermione ends up being bit by a carnivorous plant that will only release its jaws when encountering a specific potion. Cue snape to the rescue.
A prank results in Severus floating constantly 4 feet above the ground and hermione as the charms professor is the only one who can fix it but it takes awhile so they have to be around each other while she tries solutions.
Ginny asks Hermione to ask Snape for potion advice and she can't say 'no' to her. Cue an awkward conversation about potions that help with men "lasting longer".
The stalker coming back to visit Snape and in a panic he pulls Hermione into a kiss. This makes the ginger leave but Snape realizing his fauxpa disappears like a bat out of hell.
Determined Hermione tracks him down. He stutters an apology because he's also trying to get a hold of his "stiff" situation hoping she won't think him a lech.
Cue Hermione snogging Severus like a starved woman.
Speechless.