AN: I know that Wikia and HBP states that Apparition classes take place after Christmas but I've taken the liberty of moving the date to after Easter to suit my timeline. Hermione's adjusted date of birth is now 19th September 1959 making her one of the oldest in the year, followed closely by Sirius and then Severus.
It was a fairly small group of students that gathered in the middle of the Quidditch pitch around half past twelve the next afternoon. The notice posted in all of the common rooms stated that only those that were of age were eligible to be offered a place on the intensive course, which meant that Peter along with most of the other Gryffindors would have to wait until their seventh year to participate. There hadn't been a large take up amongst the Slytherins that year, so Severus had elected to take his class with the Gryffindors rather than the pious looking Ravenclaws or simpering Hufflepuffs.
'Good afternoon students, my name is Gideon Prewett and I'll be your instructor for the next six weeks.' The Ministry appointed instructor pulled out a piece of parchment from within his robes and grinned at the group, the sunlight glinting off his strawberry blond hair. 'Now as I call your name, I'd like you to step up and place your wand against the parchment…This will enable me to catch anyone out that is trying to sneak themselves into class that isn't of age.' There were a few chuckles from the back of the group as one of the younger Gryffindors edged themselves away from the crowd and slinked back to the dormitory. 'Never fails, that one.' Gideon chuckled as he glanced around the smiling group. 'There isn't an age charm on the parchment, it just registers you on the Ministry database as part of this year's group.' Hermione laughed along with the rest of her housemates as she realised who the instructor reminded her of – it wasn't just the red hair or the familiar shade of blue eyes, although they were definite Weasley-esque traits; it was the mischievous twinkle that told her that the Weasley twins had obviously inherited their sense of fun from their mother's side of the family.
'Rightho…Hermione Granger.' Gideon called out the first name from the scroll and Hermione stepped forward to lightly touch the parchment with her wand. The paper lit up with a faint green glow and Gideon looked slightly puzzled for a moment before his brow smoothed out and he nodded to himself. 'Ah yes, the Headmaster informed me that we might have an issue with your registration…something to do with an incident with a time turner back in your third year, wasn't it?' Gideon's left eye lowered in an almost imperceptible wink and Hermione knew that Dumbledore must have filled him in on the situation, as Gideon and his brother Fabien had been part of the original Order of the Phoenix.
'Um, yes that's correct. I'll be eighteen in September but after using the time-turner for nearly a year; I'm actually nearer twenty in physicality.' Hermione lowered her voice so that only Gideon could hear and he nodded as he made a notation on the parchment.
'That's fine, I'll have your records updated accordingly.' Gideon looked at the next name and glanced around the group. 'Sirius Black.' Sirius nudged James and Remus aside to saunter up to the front, tapping his wand against the parchment, where it glowed yellow. Nodding and pointing to where Hermione was standing to one side, Gideon moved down the list calling out the rest of the names in age order; Severus, Lily, Remus and finally James. When they had all been registered, Gideon gathered them all around him and gave them a briefing.
'Okay, so you all probably know that ordinarily it is impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts.' Gideon glanced around and saw the students nod at his words and then he gave them a grin. 'Well, that all changes with your Apparation lessons; the Headmaster has temporarily lifted the enchantment for the purposes of your practise...only around this Quidditch pitch, I might add.' Gideon noticed the murmurs between Sirius and James and lifted his voice slightly. 'That means there'll be no sneaking off to Hogsmeade for a pint at the Broomsticks.' Sirius groaned at being caught out and James simply shrugged the gentle admonishment off, ignoring the scathing look sent his way by the rest of the group. 'Alright, now that's settled I suggest you get yourself into position so that you have at least five feet of clear space all around you…this will come in handy if anyone overshoots their mark, you don't want to find yourselves splinched with your closest neighbour.'
At this remark, Sirius shifted further away from his nearest counterpart, and Severus sent him a scowling look as he too shifted slightly further to one side. Gideon snapped his fingers for his broom, and rose himself up in the air a few feet, casting a sonorous charm to enable his voice to be heard over the whole pitch. 'In a moment you will see a wooden hoop appear on the ground in front of you, there are three important things when learning to apparate; Destination, Determination and Deliberation.' Severus glanced over to his right and saw Hermione mouthing Gideon's words under her breath as the hoops appeared at their feet. 'Step one, focus your gaze on your hoop; that will be your desired destination…no, Mr Black the idea is not to step into the hoop; kindly move back into position.' Gideon flicked his wand at Sirius' feet and Sirius let out a startled shriek as he started to hop back a few feet away from the hoop. Everyone chuckled at Sirius's grumblings and then waited patiently for Gideon to continue. 'Step two, you must focus your determination to occupy the space within your hoop, close your eyes for a second and visualise it with your whole being.' Gideon watched from above as the students obeyed his command, and he smiled to himself as he saw Hermione neatly Apparating into the wooden circle with barely a trace of displaced air. He sent a brief thought flitting into her mind.
Nicely done, Miss Granger…but you may wish to consider adding a little dramatic flair to your Apparition…I thought the idea was to hide your advanced skills from your classmates until the Headmaster deems them ready to know?
Hermione opened her eyes and gave Gideon a brief nod of acknowledgment before Disapparating back to her starting point just as silently. When everyone else opened their eyes, she was waiting quietly along with the others for their next instructions.
'Step three…when I give the order, I want you to turn on the spot; send yourself into nothingness and focus on your hoop with all your deliberation. You may hear a loud noise as you Apparate but that is perfectly normal and will ease with practise. Ready, one…two…NOW!' Gideon gave the command and watched from above as his students made their first attempt. Remus managed to move a short distance, but not without making a sound rather like a loud thunderclap that startled James into tumbling off his feet without moving an inch. Lily and Severus did a little better, both Apparating halfway between their starting point and wooden hoop with a loud crack of displaced air. Sirius got a little closer to his hoop but let out a muffled groan as he landed face first with a mouthful of grass for his troubles. Only Hermione was able to make it cleanly into her hoop, and mindful of Gideon's comments she allowed a little rumble to accompany her movements.
'Well done, that's not too bad for your first attempt. Ten points to Miss Granger for an almost faultless performance.' Gideon winked slyly at Hermione as she brushed off her robes and made her way back to the starting position, the eyes of her fellow students watching her every move. 'Let's try that again, shall we? Remember, Destination, Determination and then Deliberation….Again!'
This time, Severus and the others watched Hermione closely as she Apparated across to her hoop, noting the graceful way she moved and Severus also paid particular attention to the subtle flick of her wand just before she turned. Closing his eyes in concentration, Severus focused on the wooden ring in front of him and then opened them again, flicking his wand slightly to mimic Hermione's graceful movement as he turned on the spot.
'Oi! Watch where you're heading, Snivellus!' James yelled out crossly as Severus Apparated within a few inches of his own hoop. 'You could've splinched me clean in half!'
'I doubt that very much, Potter…you'd have to be Apparating for that to happen.' Severus sneered at his classmate who had yet to manage even a few feet of distance.
'If you hadn't have distracted me by falling into my hoop I might've had a decent chance!' James retorted angrily, and Gideon flew over to separate the bristling pair before things turned ugly.
'That's better than last time, Mr Snape but you need to be more focused on your destination otherwise you could overshoot your target by miles. Go again, and this time try to concentrate on your own hoop rather than admiring Miss Granger's form.' Gideon added the last part in a lower tone, meant only for Severus's ears alone and saw the younger man's shoulders stiffen slightly at the lightly chiding remark. 'You have the instincts for Apparition, you just need to focus a little more. Go back to your starting point and give it another go.'
Severus nodded silently and stalked away across the pitch to where he started from. He gathered his thoughts around him and shut out all of the distractions around him, concentrating all of his energy on reaching his hoop; there was a loud crack and then the sound of clapping from above.
'Well done indeed!' Gideon called down from his broom, and Severus glanced around to see that he had managed to successfully Apparate into his hoop without losing any extremities in the process. He let a satisfied smile flit across his face and glanced across to see Hermione smiling encouragingly back at him. 'The two of you can take a breather while I give your classmates a little additional advice.' Gideon flew across to where the others were struggling, leaving Severus and Hermione to enjoy the warm Spring afternoon as they sat watching the others practise.
'How did you learn so quickly?' Severus asked Hermione quietly and she glanced over to check the others were out of earshot.
'It's not my first time Apparating, it's a long story and the Headmaster told me not to tell anyone.'
'I won't say anything.' Severus promised, knowing that the Ministry frowned heavily on anyone performing Apparition skills unlicensed. 'Tell me something though, what was with the little wand wave thing? I tried it and nearly ended up splinched with Potter.'
'A little glamour for effect…' Hermione whispered back softly, 'Let's just say I was forced into developing my skills earlier than expected and it shows a little too much.' After spending so much time on the hunt for Horcruxes in her past, Hermione had learnt early on how to Apparate almost soundlessly and it was now as easy as breathing to her. 'I don't really have to even turn now, that's just how the Ministry likes people to learn.'
'So it is possible to Apparate without all of the hoopla then? You can do it soundlessly and without all the whirling around?' Severus liked the idea of Apparition but definitely wasn't a fan of the flare for dramatics that accompanied it.
'Yeah, it takes a bit of practise...but when you need to disappear quickly it soon becomes second nature.' Hermione rose to her feet when she heard a cry of pain coming from the pitch and hurried over to see Sirius writhing in agony as he clutched his arm to his side.
'Hold on, Mr Black.' Gideon called out as he flew directly to the young man's side; there was a puff of smoke accompanied by a loud bang and when the smoke cleared, Sirius was running his hand along his side where before there had been a long gash. 'Splinching, or the separation of body parts.' Gideon explained as he waved his wand above Sirius's body to check everything was in working order. He nodded in satisfaction before continuing; 'This occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continually upon your destination, and move, without haste, but with deliberation. Miss Granger, if you kindly demonstrate for Mr Black?'
'Certainly, sir.' Hermione gracefully stepped up to Sirius's side and gently touched his arm. In a flash she had moved them both to the centre of his hoop, steadying him with both hands as he wobbled on his feet.
'Bloody hell, woman! Give us a bit of warning next time, will you?' Sirius's face was pale and tiny beads of sweat appeared on his brow as he raised a slightly shaky hand to push his hair out of his eyes. He glanced down at the ground and noted the wooden ring at their feet. 'What happened to the whirling around and thunderclap?' Hermione merely winked at her fellow Gryffindor and sauntered out of the circle to rejoin the rest of the group, leaving Sirius to follow along behind her.
'What did it feel like, Sirius?' Remus asked as his friend slumped to the grass at his feet and Sirius just made a gagging noise at the back of his throat.
'Miss Granger has just achieved what we refer to as a 'Side-Along Apparition'. The sensation is rather like being pulled through a tight tube. Mr Black, perhaps you would care to share your feelings with the rest of the class.'
'Like you're being strangled by a bloody boa constrictor and then stretched lengthwise like a piece of elastic…not very pleasant when the elastic pings you back.' Sirius opened a bleary eye and glared at Gideon. 'If that's what normal Apparition feels like then I want my money back, think I'll stick to my broomstick if it's all the same to you.'
'Mr Snape?' Gideon raised his eyebrow at Severus who ran his finger across his narrow jaw and tilted his head to one side as he tried to collect his thoughts.
'It's like stepping off a precipice for a split second and then being jerked back onto solid ground. I honestly wasn't aware that I had been successful until I looked down and saw the hoop.'
'Exactly right.' Gideon confirmed with a nod and a smile. He glanced over at the clocktower in the distance and with a flick of his wrist, the hoops had vanished. 'Same time, on Friday. If the weather plays up we'll be in the Great Hall. Remember, you won't be able to practise once the enchantment's back in place so just concentrate on focusing your mind.' Gideon hopped back on his broom and with a cheerful wave, flew out of sight. The small group gathered up their discarded robes and jumpers and started walking slowly back up to the castle; Severus walking in between Lily and Hermione as the three of them conversed quietly about their potions classes. The sound of someone clearing their throat distracted them from their chat.
'Um…me and the lads were just wondering whether the two of you could spare an hour or so after charms on Thursday to help us out with focus.' Remus jerked his thumb over his shoulder where Sirius and James were looking on with eager expressions. 'They admit that they've been complete prats in the past…as have I, but we could really use your help.'
'Hmm…the great James Potter admitting he's wrong,' Lily grinned wickedly at Hermione and winked over at Severus. 'That ought to be good for a little emotional blackmail, don't you think Sev?'
'Indeed.' Severus drawled out slowly, and a little shiver went down Hermione's spine as the sound reminded her of the countless hours of being lectured in that slow melodious voice. 'Hermione?'
'Hmm?' Hermione blinked out of her daydream and glanced over at the hopeful expression on the face of the four Gryffindors, counting Lily who was also hoping for a little extra tuition. 'Oh, yeah…not a problem. How about the room of requirement about three o'clock?' At the blank expression on their faces, Hermione wracked her brain for what else the room had been called in the past. 'Err…the come and go room? It's on the seventh floor on the left corridor...? No?' Hermione glanced around at the puzzled looks and chuckled a little. 'Never mind, just meet me up there around three on Thursday afternoon.'
'I'll bring the refreshments then.' Sirius announced with a grin, he pushed past Remus to plant a wet kiss on Hermione's cheek. 'It's a date, love.'
'It is not a date!' Hermione replied crossly and Sirius just grinned in response, winking at her as he walked backwards to the castle.
'Play your cards right, and it soon might be.'
'He doesn't mean anything by it, Hermione.' Remus apologised with a sheepish expression, 'He's always been a bit of an extrovert and a natural flirt.'
'Don't worry about it Remus…I've come across his sort before.' Hermione smiled softly at Remus as he walked after his friend, James jogging lightly after him to catch up. Hermione continued to smile as she thought about how often Sirius had charmed his way into getting out of doing the dishes or preparing a meal when the Order had stayed at Grimmauld Place. He had to simply smile or wink at either Molly or Ginny and they had fallen over themselves to help him out…it seemed that the man had learnt his skills at an early age.
'Earth to Hermione…' Lily waved her hand in front of Hermione's face and she snapped back to attention. 'That's better, I thought you were lost in a lust filled fog for a second.'
'Lust? What for Sirius?' Hermione chuckled and shook her head wryly. 'Not my type at all, Lily. Far too charming for my tastes.'
'Ah, perhaps it is young Mr Lupin that has caught your gaze then?' Severus drawled slowly, his eyes following the trio back into the castle. 'He's the bashful type, I'm afraid…I've yet to see him offer to escort any witch into Hogsmeade.'
'Remus? He's lovely but a little too melancholic for my taste.' Hermione sighed wistfully at the thought of furthering her friendship with the lonely werewolf; but knew that his heart would be captured by the colourful Tonks in years to come. 'I'm content just to keep company with my books, I have no intention of setting my cap at any wizard for a few years yet.'
'Mmm…you say that now, but you can be sure that Sirius is bound to try and change your mind.' Lily smirked at the look on Hermione's face, and even Severus had to fight the grin from spreading across his face at Hermione's disgruntled expression.
'Come on, let's head into luncheon before Sirius decides to clear the tables of food completely.' Severus offered his arm gallantly to each lady, and they gave him a little curtsey as they accepted his offer and the three of them headed into the Great Hall; before Severus left them with a slight bow to head off to the Slytherin table.
