Disclaimer: I am not making any money from this fiction. JKR is the all omnipotent one of Potter verse. I own nothing. Just borrowing.
Chapter 1: Return to Hogwarts
Hermione Granger walked happily through the halls of Hogwarts. She was content with her possible new career as an intern for Professor Flitwick as she progressed through her studies to get her masters certs for both charms and potions.
Oh yes... Hermione thought with a grimace. I'm sure that I can talk to him about it...I mean, there can't be any harm in asking him to help further my education...is there? She chewed on the end of her sugar quill as she made her way to Headmistress McGonagall's office. She came to a halt in front of the gargoyle and straightened her papers. "Catnip..." She said absentmindedly.
Hermione made her way up the spiral staircase and raised her hand to knock on the door. "Come on in, Hermione." McGonagall's voice called out from the other side of the door. She smiled and opened the door.
"Hello Headmistress McGonagall..." Hermione said. She gently sat down across from the headmistress and waited.
"My child...what in the world are those papers for?" McGonagall said, looking at the rather large stack of papers in Hermione's lap.
"My credentials from University...Just in case." Hermione replied.
"My dear...You know I won't need them, but we may as well put them in your file just in case if the board of governor's gets curious."
" What do you mean my file...I haven't even gotten the job yet."
" Hermione...I taught you for seven years...If it's to help you continue your education, you're hired. I'm more than certain that Filius will be delighted."
" And Professor Snape?" Hermione asked timidly.
McGonagall sighed. "I'm sure that he could be persuaded, as long as he's given the right bait." she replied.
Hermione smiled immediately. "Oh thank you, thank you so much Professor McGonagall." Hermione said. She set her papers to the side and reached over to shake the elder woman's hand.
"Now, now Hermione...You are no longer my student. I'm going to insist that you either call me Minerva or Minnie...All my friends and colleagues do." the older woman said gently. She daintily shook the younger woman's hand and smiled warmly. " Now...We will need to speak with Filius and get you settled in before ether students get here for the term and get it worked out to how you will serve this internship...The university said two years yes?"
" For each subject yes...Unless Professors Flitwick and Snape decide I'm ready to take my masters cert before then." Hermione replied.
Minerva nodded. "I believe I can arrange it. How ever, you're only go to go one subject at a time. We'll start you off slow. Tell you what; we'll discuss this with Filius over dinner this evening. Severus should be there as well."
Hermione smiled and nodded. "I must admit...It feels great to be back." the young woman replied.
Hermione had spent the past four years at university. She had decided after the final battle that she would pursue as many subjects as she could and had set to it. She chose potions and charms first, only because they offered the chance to come up with something original in either department. If she didn't get the chance to pursue much of anything else, she would be happy either way.
Severus Snape lived for the summer holidays. It meant that the castle was void of students. To Severus, of course, it meant three months without the dunderheads that the rest of the staff called students. It also meant that Severus could get all of the research for potions making he wanted done. Right now he was stuck.
Very stuck.
Severus grumbled about not measuring the right amount of aconite and vanished the mess at his feet away. "Damn steel cauldrons...Can't even brew a proper draught in them these days. Give me a cast iron cauldron or a sturdy pewter and I'll be pleased." he said to no one. He heard a laugh out in the hallway and wondered who was down here during the summer. Minerva came to visit often, but that was not her laugh. It wasn't Poppy or Rolonda either.
Severus walked to the doorway and glanced out. "Oh dear god no..." he whispered. "Minerva...May I please inquire as to why Miss Granger is here in the dungeons during the summer. I thought that she was at university."
" If I may say Professor Snape. I'm actually here to do an internship with Professor Flitwick and I was also hoping to intern with you for potions." Hermione said with a great calm.
Severus scoffed. "Honestly...Me, intern one third of the golden pains in my arse...I think not." He said rather sarcastically.
"You'll be interested to know that I may have a breakthrough for you regarding your work on the lycanthropy cure. Potions is my major after all and charms my minor."
Severus eyebrow rose in the usual way it did when he was intrigued. "Really Miss Granger?" Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to intern her. Two bright minds working on the same project may yield better results... Severus thought. Besides...It looks as if her years away from Hogwarts have mellowed her out. " Minerva, why don't you go speak with Filius...I will speak with Miss Granger here about the possibility of her interning after she's finished with Filius. I'll escort her to dinner."
So that was the bait Hermione had in mind for him...Well she got him hook line and sinker. Minerva thought. "Very well Severus. Just floo me if either of you need anything..." she said.
"Of course. " said both Severus and Hermione.
"Miss Granger, if you'll please come with me to my lab." Severus said, moving aside from the doorway so that Hermione could enter.
Hermione was taken aback by the sheer size of Severus' lab and took an offered seat at one of the benches. It had the latest standard in cauldrons and every potions ingredient possible lined the shelves. She noticed one empty spot and read the label, ' Virgin's Blood'.
Severus was pleased to see that she was more than impressed with his lab. Wait a minute, when did I care about what anyone, especially her, thought about me or anything of mine? He thought.
"So...Have you made any breakthroughs with the lycanthropy cure?" Hermione asked.
"No unfortunately. I've tried to strengthen the doses and amount of Wolfsbane to see if it has any effect, but it doesn't. It's my rotten luck that today I forgot to take in the properties of using a steel cauldron and added too much aconite." Severus replied.
Hermione nodded. "What about a glass cauldron? It wouldn't contribute anything to the potion and you would be able to experiment as you like with the ingredients." she offered.
"As lovely as that idea sounds, Miss Granger..." Severus began.
"Hermione..."
" Excuse me?"
" Hermione...I'm a member of the staff now and I will be working with Filius. Please call me Hermione." she said, politely with just a touch of force behind it.
Severus looked at the young woman before him and found himself to be slightly intrigued by her. Gone were the days of her know it all attitude and her overly wild hair. He noticed that she had a more demure attitude about her now and it suited her justly. " Alright, Hermione..." he purred, and was delighted to see her squirm slightly. "...As lovely as the idea sounds, you know as well as I that glass cannot stand the temperatures that a lot of the potions need. It turns into a molten load of waste when it combines with the ruined potion."
" Actually Professor, I just might have an answer to your problems, but it would take me going into muggle London to get it. Minerva said I wouldn't have to move in for at least a week, so I may be able to get you what you need. Exactly what changes are you making to the Wolfsbane that causes a mess every time?" Hermione inquired. She had been taken aback by the sound of his voice as he said her given name. She wasn't looking for romance, but there was something about Severus that made her feel like a mouse in the serphents lair. Better to get this discussion done and regroup my thoughts...I feel the more I avoid him for now, probably the better... she thought.
Almost three hours later, Severus and Hermione were still talking in his labs. Severus had written down all her ideas and was interested to see how they worked. They had also worked several arithmancy formulas to see if he was using the right amount of everything and Severus was shocked to see he wasn't. Arithmancy and potions went hand in hand for most cases and it was proving to be rather useful here.
" What about using hellbore instead of the corkroot?" Hermione offered. She scratched the back of her head with the end of the quill in her hand as she looked over the figures.
" It helps to numb the transformations but would not have any practical use in the cure." Severus explained. " However, bringing up hellbore gave me an idea. Foxglove..."
Hermione thought this over for a moment. " Would react badly with the aconite?"
" Not if we also add in a little bit of crushed terrasinde."
" YES! That would aid in dissolving the animal's will and let the man be in control, but how did we rid the man of the animal?" Hermione said.
Severus was stumped there as well. " After much consideration Mi...Hermione, I feel that having you intern with me would be an interesting experience. And I say this now, if we do find a cure for lycanthropy while you're still here before you get your masters, I will be sure to make sure that your name is also accredited to the process and you would be entitled to residuals." Severus said.
Hermione didn't hear anything else he had said. She was so happy that he had accepted to let her intern with him that she did the first thing that came to mind.
A/N: YES! There is the first chappy to my very first SSHG pairing. woot! Please review and let me know what you think! I'll try to make sure that the next chappy is up sometime tomorrow. Also...I could really use a beta. Just drop an email or something by me if you're interested