Disclaimer: How I wish I owned Harry Potter et al. Then I would shock the world and get Hermione and Severus together in the 7th book. Mwa Ha Ha Ha!!

Chapter 7: Research

At twenty past seven that evening Severus Snape paced the potions classroom trying to calm down. 'An even footing!' He thought, 'Me! A Potions Master on an even footing with a bloody student. I've never worked on an even footing with anyone.'

It wasn't working. He needed to be calm when Miss Granger arrived.

'The good points, I need to think about her good points. Okay… She's never brewed a potion wrong… she knew the answer to every question I've ever asked her… she's well acquainted with books so the research won't phase her…'

A knock sounded at the door; reflexively he looked up at the clock. Seven, twenty nine and thirty seconds.

'She's punctual' He added to the list and crossed the classroom to let Hermione in. As he reached the door a deciding point seeped into his head 'She's not Potter! This situation could have been a lot worse.' He opened the door.

"Miss Granger you're late" He saw her eyes flash with anger and smirked inwardly at his victory, he wasn't expecting an answer.

"No. I was early. You just took five minutes to open the bloody door."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your insolence" His inner smirk died a death, something was wrong. He had taken points from her house and she was smiling.

"It won't work Sir; Professor McGonagall's removed your ability to take pints from me"

"WHAT?!!"

'Oh God,' she thought 'this isn't going well, thirty seconds in and we're already rowing again' In a much quieter tone she elaborated.

"Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore thought it wouldn't be easy for us to work as equals if you could deduct house points from me"

Dumbledore! He might have realised that the old coot had something to do with it

"Just tell me it's only you and not the whole of Gryffindor"

"It's just me Sir."

"Thank heavens for small mercies." He drawled sarcastically and pinched between his eyes.

"Why do we do this Professor?"

He dropped the sarcasm from his voice, and the hand from his face, in surprise "Do what Miss Granger?"

"Start arguing the minute we lay eyes on each other. We're both intelligent adults" a look in her eyes dared him to contradict that, "we should be able to behave in a civilized manner."

He was speechless. If he said anything it would either start another argument or sound like an apology. In the end, taking his silence for an admittance of defeat, Hermione changed the subject.

"What did you think of my research?"

Snape regarded the proffered 'olive branch' with a raised eyebrow and took it.

"I agree with your approach, the replacement of the ingredient responsible for paralysis is just what I would do, however, although your research is invaluable for your own knowledge, it does little to advance the project. And before you protest. I am not saying that to be cruel, I am saying it because I already know the properties of the ingredients which make up this potion and I know which one is responsible for paralysis"

Hermione had been about to object, her temper had flared when he had pronounced her notes useless, but on hearing why she was suitably chastised.

"Which is it?" She asked

"It's the Bezoar stone"

"Oh No!"

"Yes indeed" He was impressed she understood the implications, but he'd never show it. "The Bezoar stone while a restorative on its own in the draft of living death it not only paralyses the body but the heart and lungs preventing them being damaged irreparably by rest of the potion . The other ingredients take care of the body's needs while its organs are out of use but without the bezoar you would be poisoned instantly."

"So we need to find other ingredients to stop the heart and the lungs?"

"Exactly. There have been other potions over the ages that worked similarly to Living Death but weren't as effective."

"So if we could take parts of those and blend them together safely?"

"Then we may have a chance to save Black."

Hermione broke out into a huge grin, Snape scowled at her.

"Why are you so keen to save him anyway?"

To Hermione's horror she felt herself blush. Oh God! She was blushing and in front of Snape. She turned her head away quickly.

"It… It's for Harry and for Remus, they need Sirius back."

"Really" He drawled and Hermione turned to look at him. His eyebrow was raised and a smirk played on his lips. "I never understood how Black and Potter did that."

"Did what?"

"Got the girls crowding round them. In all the years I knew them only one girl ever said no to Sirius Black and she married James Potter"

"Sirius asked Lily out?"

"There wasn't a girl in sixth or seventh year that Black hadn't asked out. All he did was smile and he had them wrapped round his little finger" He looked pointedly at Hermione "It's sickening."

Hermione flushed again and walked into Snape's office. He followed her in and watched her pull books off his shelves, levitating them into a pile on the corner of his desk.

"What is so good about Black anyway?"

At this Hermione cracked. Snape had been jabbing at the same sore spot for the whole conversation.

"Okay!! I get it. I have really lousy taste in blokes, my record is abysmal. Do you really have to bring it up?"

"Miss Granger there is no need to lose your temper. Your love life is of no interest to me." On the outside his face was stone. Inwardly he smirked with triumph. If he couldn't take house points from her he was going to keep a running score of how long it took her to flare up at him. That one had taken four and a half minutes, he was aiming for two.

Hermione sent him a carbon copy of his own withering glare and carried the pile of books back to the classroom.

"So do you know the names of the other potions?" She asked.

"Look for McGlown's Draft first. It was developed as an alternative during a shortage of Bezoar stones in the mid-seventeen hundreds."

"Would that not make a better base potion then?"

"No it was unstable. It's only effective in seven out of ten cases. However it was reliable at stopping the lungs."

"Alright. Would there be anything to stop the heart in books on medical potions?"

"These days mediwitches use a charm but there might be something from before that." He retreated to the office and came back with a huge tome labelled Master Polikins Mediwizard Companion – St Mungo's training guide 1859-61. Snape sat back down and started to flick through it. Hermione started to look through the books in front of her, skim reading for any mention of McGlown's Draft or anything else that seemed useful.

After a while she spotted something and gave a small squeak. Snape looked up.

"I assume you've found it?"

"No but I've spotted this." She turned the book round so he could see it "It'll stop the digestive system."

He considered the potion if front of him. "The banshee hair would react unfavourably with Living Death but that could easily be replaced with mandrake root." He pointed his wand at the book and the recipe appeared on the black board behind him.

"You might have more luck if you look in the 1743 edition of Moste Potente Potions McGlown's Draft should be in that."

Hermione searched through the pile of books in front of her but it wasn't there. She went back to the office and heard Snape's voice follow through the doorway.

"Shelves on the left, top shelf closest to the fireplace."

Hermione looked where Snape had directed and pulled the book off the shelf very carefully. It was very fragile. With infinite care she carried the book back through to the classroom and set it down next to Snape.

"Are you sure you're okay with me looking through this book Sir?"

"Yes. Just be very careful turning the pages, that book's been passed down through my family for generations."

Thank you Professor. I will be." Hermione gently opened the book and began to turn the pages, lifting each one slowly by the corner. She was confused by him. One moment he was insulting her and trying to wind her up, the next he was letting her handle priceless Prince family heirlooms.

A couple of pages later she came to the Draft of Living Death, next to it were two other recipes, McGlown's Draft and another alternative Lynam's Draft. Neither of which involve the use of Bezoar stones.

"Found them."

"Them?"

"Yes. McGlown's and also one other, Lynam's."

"Oh yes Lynam's, marginally more effective than a knock on the head"

"So it won't be of use?"

"Lynam's was reasonable at shutting down most organs. The recipients had a habit of breathing again after five minutes though"

"So we might be able to use some parts I conjunction with McGlown's and some others?"

"Yes just find the ingredients with which it differs from Living Death. Then start looking for ways to shut down other organs."

Several trips to the office for more texts later Hermione moved round the table to fetch more parchment, glanced up at the clock and gasped at the time.

Snape followed her line of sight. It was a quarter to midnight.

"Is there a problem Miss Granger?" He sneered. He might as well have one last go at winding her up before she scuttled back off to Potter and Weasley.

Hermione was muddled. Should she point out the time? Or would that let him question her dedication? She felt sure he had seen the clock. Was this another attempt at starting a row or was he genuinely unaware of the time?

Her pride told her to go on until he called it a night. Her brain told her not to be so bloody stupid; going up against Snape wasn't something to be done lightly. As well as that she'd be exhausted tomorrow. Meh! Tomorrow was Saturday, she could lie in. Let's try and beat him at his own game.

"No. No problem Sir." For a fraction of a split second she was sure she'd seen surprise on his face 'Brilliant he is playing games' she thought 'well it won't work! I refuse to call an end first.'

'Bugger' He thought 'I should have known given the chance to study late she would' He glanced at her looking through a book. An unmistakable smirk turning up the corners of her mouth 'Bloody Gryffindor know-it-all she's figured out the plan too. Well if she wants to study late, we'll study late.'

So they studied. Each sifting through potions recipes cross checking ingredients to check for adverse reactions. The list of possible potions grew steadily longer.

As Hermione reached the final, vital ingredient for the parts of McGlown's Draft she wanted she cursed out loud. Snape looked up shocked.

"Miss Granger just because I can't remove house points from you there is no reason to resort to foul language"

"Oh shut up! There is plenty of reason to resort to even fouler language than I used."

"Miss Granger you forget yourself"

"Bollocks! If I'd forgotten myself I'd be calling you Severus. I'm just pissed off. All that research and it comes to nothing."

"Firstly you shall continue to address me as Professor. Secondly what on earth leads you to such drastic conclusions? Gryffindor dramatics no doubt."

"Must you sneer incessantly? I am not prone to dramatics and yes the conclusion is drastic unless you happen to have a spare Philosopher's Stone lying around?"

"A Philosopher's Stone?"

"Yes. Both alternatives need the Elixir of Life and as Dumbledore and Nicholas Flamel destroyed the last stone in existence I can't see us getting our hands on any, any time soon. Can you?"

"As you said. bollocks!!" He stood up, grabbed her arm and pulled her into the office. "Come with me."

"I don't seem to have a choice."

He glared at her and pulled her through the door to his own quarters.

"Nobody is to know about this, you hear? Only Dumbledore knew about this."

"What's here?"

Hermione was dragged into Snape's living room and up to a portrait frame.

"Potter's an idiot" he said by way of a password and the portrait swung forwards. It was Hermione's turn to glare.

Snape missed it entirely as he was busy opening a tiny cabinet. From it he produced a bottle.

"The last bottle of Elixir of Life in existence."

Hermione stared at the bottle, her eyes alight. "We can do it then"

"Typical isn't it? The most precious substance in the whole world and I have to use it to help Potter."

"It serves you right for the password."

Snape had been about to administer another scathing remark when the clock on the mantelpiece struck the hour. This time there was no ignoring it.

"Miss Granger are you prone to insomnia?"

"No Sir"

"Well in that case I suggest you get to bed. Four o'clock is sufficiently late enough."

"Very well Sir. When are you next free?"

"I have work to do tomorrow morning but I should be free after lunch if you can spare your friends for an afternoon."

"In that case I will see you tomorrow Sir." Hermione walked with Snape back through his rooms to the potions classroom.

"Good morning Miss Granger."

An evil thought flashed through her head as she left the room and she called over her shoulder "Sleep well Severus." Laughing she ran up the stairs and out of the dungeons.