Chapter 3

Hermione and the rest of her friends, were gathered in a compartment together joking over their summer and how they would miss it once the term really got underway. They were not upset when Hermione told them that she would be posing as Professor Snape's apprentice for the school year so she could continue to help brew for the order. As of now, she was the only one of her friends officially working for the order and really contributing to the effort. As much as the rest wanted to they were simply not allowed to participate in any of the other events happening within the secret society.

She had butterflies over the whole prefect thing and the extra responsibility of brewing with getting all of her homework completed. She would loose some of her extra research time but she would be able to cope with a few less side projects. She knew that the secrets she needed to keep were going to be important to her and his safety but she hoped that someone would be kept in the loop about the situation. She knew that it would be risky for anyone else to know but she would like to flaunt that she had the relationship she wanted if everything went okay. Of course there was no way she would be able to participate in those conversations with Ginny about how wonderful her boyfriend was treating her when no one else would know that she even had a boyfriend to even treat her well.

She made it through the start of term prefects meeting where they were told what all they had to do for the year and even managed not to snap at Malfoy for his pureblooded bigotry. What she could not do was keep her eyes to herself as she entered the Great Hall for the start of term feast. She had to see him just to know that he was there and that he was safe. Hermione did not dare glance up at him the rest of the meal for fear that someone else might catch on to what her exact feelings were. Yet she knew that there would eventually come a time when they would no longer have to hide their relationship. She wondered what the general public would react to them being together if they lasted any length of time. She secretly wondered what her friends would say to them but she would cross that bridge when she got there.

Hermione noticed that Professor Dumbledore seemed to be watching her more than the rest and she was determined to find out what was on the old wizard's mind. He was usually more subtle in his attempts to pry into people's lives. But with him being so blatant tonight, she was a sure sign that something was indeed going on. When the feast had ended and everyone was being sent to their dormitories, she quickly caught up with him to ask him what was going on.

"Professor Dumbledore, is there anything that you would like to discuss with me? Sir I could not help but see how much you seem to have on your mind." She said hinting at the fact that she had caught him staring at her one too many times.

"Miss Granger, please come with me to my office. I was hoping not to have to tell you this for a few more weeks but since you are concerned, I will go ahead and start these new plans. Professor Snape is to be in this meeting and does not know that you will also be there. What I may say might shock you but there are some things that we all must do to help the greater good." He said. He did not even mention the password as the gargoyle leapt aside for him and his young charge to enter.



Hermione wondered what she was about to give up for the greater good and secretly she hoped that it had nothing to do with what precious bit of free time that she had left. Hermione took a seat in the wingback chair to the left of his old desk and waited for Professor Snape in silence. The headmaster had sat down to begin on what looked to be correspondences while they waited. She knew not to look at him directly in the eye or she would be caught and she really did not want her secrets to be revealed to the man in front of her just yet. She wanted to know just how omnipotent the man actually was.

Professor Snape came through the gargoyle and knocked on the door politely to which the headmaster bid him to enter.

"Severus, please have a seat. Since this meeting has something to do with the both of you I have called you both in. After some extensive searches for ways to improve the protection of our order members, I have found a potion to do just that. Seeing, as how Miss Granger meets all of the qualifications to brew this potion, I must as you Severus to supervise it carefully. The potion has the potential to save many lives including yours Severus. Here. I would like you to look over the instructions and to begin as soon as the two of you are available to do so." He said as he handed them each a copy of the instructions and ingredients list.

They each read over the instructions and when Hermione read the maiden brewing requirements she sent the headmaster a deathly glare to which he politely ignored.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir with all due respect there will come a time when I will not be

qualified to stay in this position. While I am not currently involved with anyone a this particular time there is someone in my life. Mr. Weasley can only be held off for so long before he will try to pressure me into something that I may or may not wish to do."

"Perhaps for now Miss Granger you will brew for us until you are no longer qualified to brew." Dumbledore said with a very mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"For now sir I will do my very best to help the order with everything that we need." She said smiling to herself.

"Severus are you willing to use your personal labs or would you prefer it if I gave you a bigger set of labs to handle the extra responsibilities? I will be increasing your ingredients budget for the order pay for the supplies needed. I am more than happy to help you with a new lab." He said trying to bribe him into allowing Miss Granger to brew with him more often.

"I do not require a whole new lab. I do however request that my lab be magically expanded to house the extra ingredients and to house the extra storage facilities needed for the extra potions. These can be charmed like the ones at Spinner's End to be linked directly to the ones at Headquarters."

"Very well Severus. Here is a list of the new potions you will be adding to the Order potions stock. It has a list of all of the ingredients as well as the exact recipes fro each of the potions. I trust that if you need any extra equipment for this brewing that you will give me a list and that I shall see that you have those added to your lab." Dumbledore said.



"Sir, if that is all, I still have to deliver my start of term speech to my first year Slytherin's." Severus said by way of asking to be released from the meeting.

"You may both go. I look forward to seeing these new potions in action." Dumbledore said.

They left together not speaking till they were in back at the turn where they needed to go their separate ways.

"Miss Granger, your first brewing will be tomorrow from 8pm until curfew. We shall be discussing our meeting with the headmaster then." He said hinting at the Weasley comment.

"Very well sir." She said and they went their separate ways.

If the old man wanted to interfere in her life would do a little interfering herself. She thought as she climbed into the portrait hole of Gryffindor tower.