Chapter 3

Please note- I do not own Harry Potter, just Elizabeth Cunnings

Also, Please review (I love my darlingest Katie for butchering this chapter)

Sorry por el delay in getting this out. No excuses just apologies.

Breakfast….

"Kindly pass the jam George," Elizabeth requested taking two slices of toast from the table.

"Sure," George responded; then under his breath, "anything for you sweet thing."

Elizabeth spun around a fire burning in her eyes, "Mr. Weasley, you will remain from such comments in the presence of ladies." She gestured to Tonks, Ginny, and Hermione seated to her right.

"I won't take it back," George said stubbornly with a smug expression on his face.

"Let us ensure you won't forget what I have said," She swished her wand and a needle and thread started stitching his lips closed.

"That will certainly quite things down a bit." Snape said as he entered the kitchen.

Upon the arrival of the teacher all the kids filed out of the room.

"How did you obtain the password?" Snape asked.

""I find persuasion of the tongue is stronger than the intent of the mind." Elizabeth answered, "Especially with old gossipers, let them have their fun and suddenly you're their best friend."

"How do you intend on talking Mrs. Black off the wall?"

"My tongue does the persuading, Professor Snape. My mind need not think about it in advance." She left the kitchen and headed towards the portrait.

"How are we this morning Mrs. Black?" Elizabeth greeted as she opened the curtain.

"Fine, just fine. Where is the tapestry?"

"I took it off the wall yesterday. The others insisted that they have it. I tried to no avail. I'm sorry." Elizabeth shook her head.

"You should see what they've done with your home, Mrs. Black. Such a shame."

"What've they done?" Mrs. Black perked up, very alarmed, "What have they done to my beautiful manor?"

"All the walls are striped and the valuables gone. I wouldn't be surprised if they were using them for personal gain."

"All my heirlooms gone!? What is left? You must let me see what is left!" Mrs. Black cried in desperation.

Elizabeth pretended to contemplate this, "Alright, I will take you."

"Release this marvelous portrait from the wall." Mrs. Black spoke the password and the portrait fell from the wall.

"Molly!" Elizabeth shouted as she vanished the portrait, "do you need help with anything?"

"Beth? Today I was hoping you might start with the portrait of Mrs. Black," Molly came into the parlor. "Good Heavens Beth! Several aurors tried to remove that portrait for months, to no avail. We give you two days and you have it down with time to spare."

"Umm.. well.. thanks," she replied modestly.

"It wasn't really fair. We all expected you to fail. With such a quick success, I'm willing to bet that you will be in the Order by the end of the week." Elizabeth tried to hide her pleasure.

Molly then added, "Oh, and could you help Severus today? I think he and Hermione could use a break from each other. While you're at it, send Hermione to the kitchen, I could use some assistance."

"Where are they?"

"In the second room on the left. Thanks Dearie." Mrs. Weasley left humming "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."

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Upon entering the second room on the left, as directed, Elizabeth knocked, "Professor Snape, Miss Granger? Sorry to bother you but Molly is in need of Miss Granger in the kitchen.

Hermione bolted so fast Elizabeth had done a double take to make sure she was gone.

"Are you going to stand there? I have work to do," he trailed off motioning to the door

"I've been asked to fill in where your assistant left off." She walked into the room.

"I am in no need of an assistant." Snape walked away from the mixture to chop up and herb.

"Don't even try that. You would not be working with Miss Granger unless it was absolutely necessary." Elizabeth walked over to the potion exanimation it. "You are making Lista Mauvre or trying to bring back the dead."

Snape's head shot up from his ingredients, not many people had that much common knowledge of potions. "The dead cannot be brought back surely you know that."

"I do, I just thought that a potion's master, who studied under Gregory Antony, would need any help making a simple liver-restoring potion."

"How did you know that?" He asked trying and failing to sound casual. "Not even my father knew that I apprenticed under him."

"Master Antony took two apprentices at that time. Was it not somewhat suspicious that you could only use his lab on certain days?"

"The potion is going to try to bring back a man who fell into the land of the dead, but is still living." Snape stated feeling defeated.

"I see." She looked over the multiple lists of ingredients, instructions, and notes.

"Who will go in after him?" She asked reading more of Hermione's notes.

"That is not for me to decide."

About an hour later….

Hermione walked back into the potions lab to see the two adults working harmoniously. It was as if they were speaking a language of their own. Neither one spoke, but still worked perfectly.

One would chop the ingredients then handed it off to the other, who would put it in the potion at exactly the right moment. She continued to stare in awe for another minute or so, before Snape spoke.

"Miss Granger, is there something you find interesting?" Snape asked annoyed with the young Gryffindor.

"I'm sorry sir. Its just you two work so.. so.. nevermind." Hermione stuttered.

"Miss Granger, I will no longer be requiring your assistance on the potion." Snape remarked coldly.

"Yes sir," She replied tearfully and ran out of the room. Neither adult seemed to care and conclusively continued on.

"Thank you Professor Snape," Elizabeth smiled. "I have needed something to do. Potions just happens to be the best pastime in the world."

Snape looked at her strangely and focused back on the potion.

"Tonks, will you get Beth and Severus for dinner? They haven't come out of that lab all day!" Mrs. Weasley asked politely.

"Lizzie? Professor Snape? You are being summoned for dinner." Tonks yelled as she knocked on the door.

"You can eat. I'm going to stay this is the most crucial stage of the potion," Snape mumbled.

"All righty then," Elizabeth said.

"Lizzie, Where is el bato?" Tonks joked.

"He has to watch the potion, so the acidity of the ginger root doesn't react with the chemical properties of the fairy wings."

"By react do you mean explode?"

Elizabeth turned to look at Tonks, "yes." As they entered the kitchen Beth said, "Molly, I hate to eat and run, so I'm going to run and eat."

Molly gave her a strange look and watched as she prepared to plates. "I was hoping that you would be able to eat with us Beth, but the potion is more important than diner."

"Mum, How come she can eat in the lab, but Hermione can't eat in her bedroom?" Ginny asked as Hermione gave Elizabeth an unusual glare.

Molly eyes were sharp towards her daughter, "Because Beth isn't wallowing about making sacrifices for the good of the order."

Hermione looked purely shocked.

"Well, Molly looks delicious." Elizabeth smiled trying to avoid the remainder of the tense moment. She walked to the lab and extended a plate to Snape.

"Eat up; you wouldn't want to run low on energy." Elizabeth explained.

He lifted an eyebrow but took the plate anyways. "Have you not seen tacos before?" She asked.

Snape did not respond.

After she was done eating, she put the Humplecraked mushroom into the potion while Snape continued eating.

"Thank you," Snape swallowed his last bite and vanished their plates. "I'm not used to people going out of their way to help me."

"Your welcome, but the kitchen was not really out of my way."

Snape turned away but Elizabeth could still see the blush of his cheeks.

"Who is this potion meant to rescue anyway?" She cleaned the crumbs off the table.

Snape barely hesitated, "Black, Sirius Black."