The Potions Master skirted the edge of the Forbidden forest, sneaking into the school making sure no one had seen him. A parcel clutched at his side. A weight left his shoulders as he stalked the well-known corridors. Hogwarts although a prison in some ways, was also a haven in others. Severus Snape was deep in thought, it was halfway through the holidays and the main body of the staff would be returning in two weeks, including Lupin. Elizabeth would need to be prepared by then and Severus was gambling heavily that she would be. You will have to tell her…about everything.
"I know."
Including your past, all the little details that you have wanted to keep secret.
He heard the sound of laughter echoing down the corridors. But it was too late to change his mind, the door to her classroom was open, the laughter vibrated down the stairwell. Severus walked across the room, silently climbing the stairwell.
"And do you know what he told me?" A familiar voice spoke.
He could here a faint whispering, followed by riotous laughter. The Potions Master felt lost as he vainly attempted to knock on the open door. Any sound was covered by the happiness in this room, he could smell her scent even on the stairwell. The sight that greeted him was not quite what he had expected. For the brief moments he had been in her chambers.
"Forgive me Mistress Oakleigh, Mistress Olwyn, I mean only to give you this," He delicately placed the small parcel on the table. His eyes immediately looking at the floor, he backed away retreating down the stairs before either of them could say anything.
He had seen enough.
When Hermione opened her eyes she was greeted by the familiar darkness. It felt endless but at the same time she knew that she was back in the stone room.
Now what?
At once a fire leapt into life adding warmth and light. She felt a presence behind her.
"Natus de due," the words whispered.
Who's there?
Hermione turned around, but she was alone.
"Natus de due."
Show yourself! ,
"Natus de due."
I do not understand.
Hermione felt very uneasy. Remember what he taught you. Ok, ok. Close your eyes and take slow breaths. Following her own instructions she ceased to panic. Blue flashed before her eyes, Calm.
Hermione woke with a pounding headache. The sun bathed her bed in coloured light that filtered through the stained glass. As she turned in bed a loud thud startled her.
Light reading, she had said. As Hermione needed both hands she picked up the battered copy of The Pureblood Rules of Etiquette and Standing and carried it over to the sofa. A sudden rush to the head made her sit down.
"Oh gods what happened to me?"
Well if you must know, you had a few too many glasses of red wine.
"Crookshanks how long have you been here?"
Crookshanks wandered over to the sofa, making himself comfortable.
Since very early this morning, but it was late enough to see you reading that book. I had to stop myself from laughing. You were reading it, but every few minutes you were yelling something about pureblood superiority.
Hermione groaned the headache was self-inflicted.
"That was it. I tried to read that, that biased degrading heap of pages called a book. After various attempts I gave up, but then I had an idea that maybe some wine might make the subject matter a little less offending."
Trust me it didn't work.
"Well at least I know where the Draco Malfoy gets it from, I just thought it was it father. But according to that heap of prejudiced twaddle. It's drummed into the little darlings since they are born."
And the irony is, you will have to act like that.
"Don't remind me. Anyway I need a coffee."
Hermione stood up too quickly; she had to pause while her head caught up with the rest of her body. Cautiously she edged her way to the kitchen door. Filling up an old fashioned kettle she placed it on a lit burner; while she fumbled for a mug and a jar of her favourite coffee. The kettle boiled in no time, so she made a rather strong coffee and walked back out into the living area.
Hermione settled on the sofa, she had no intention of moving anytime soon. Vague memories of the previous day kept sneaking into her mind.
"Oh gods!"
Now what do you remember?
The resident Potions Master at Hogwarts slept very soundly that night. When Severus eventually crawled out of bed, he felt refreshed and exceedingly calm. He showered and got dressed, knocking back a quick cup of coffee, as he had to skip breakfast.
With quill to parchment Severus wrote a quick note and gave it to a school owl. As Hermione's Fireplace had not been activated on the Hogwarts Floo system yet.
Elizabeth,
I will be calling upon you this morning to go through the lesson plans. Please be ready in an hour.
S.S
Hermione was still cocooned on her sofa; the coffee was taking the edge off but very slowly.
"You know I used to be able to drink a lot more wine than this and not be affected. Why all of a sudden has so little caused so much pain?"
Well I would imagine it's to do with your powers, not being able to handle your drink could be a side affect.
A tapping from the window caused Hermione to wince. She turned her head very slowly to look at the school owl that was tapping again at the window.
You know if I could open it…
Hermione walked passed her bed toward the window.
"I'm sure you would."
She relieved the school owl of his letter. Muttering a thank you as it flew away. Recognising the seal she opened the note.
Crookshanks sat back as his Mistress although recovering from an obvious hangover, let out a small scream and vanished into the bathroom. When she appeared half an hour later she had regained some semblance of dignity. Hermione felt better after the shower and a change of clothes, as she walked over to her shelves; pulling out her parchment lesson plans that she had worked over, since she had been back at Hogwarts, Hermione organised plans for each year.
"Please just let me get through today, I'll never drink again I promise."
When Severus Snape called upon Hermione, she looked every bit the part of a Professor.
"Good Morning Mistress Olwyn."
"Good Morning Professor Snape. Would you like some coffee?"
Severus joined her at the table pulling up a chair. "Thank you, but no. We have a lot to be getting on with." The more experience Professor quickly glanced at the piles of parchment. "You have put together plans for every year…how presumptuous of you."
"Since I had no idea which class I would be teaching. I thought I would do all of them."
His sarcasm raised its head. "How very Griffindor."
They began to trawl through the paperwork, perusing the ideas that Hermione had laid out. Severus pointed out weaknesses in her lesson plans, while Hermione defended her suggestions. But between them they formulated some plans for the each class. Although in a twisted way Severus was enjoying this exchange of ideas, he decided to drop his own little plan.
"You realise that you will be tutoring years four through to seven."
"What! But I do not have the training to teach those years. I could…"
"Elizabeth, when I took on the responsibility of Defence Against the Dark Arts. It was only to teach the elder years, so it would not be prudent to teach them again in Potions."
"I will have to teach my old class."
"And those years under them… It will be another way of enforcing your new persona. If you can fool them you can fool anybody… Speaking of which how did your day with Mistress Oakleigh go. I see that she has managed to show you some things that I could not."
Hermione stifled a blush. "Yesterday was very enlightening. I had no idea that in the Pureblood world everything could be so black and white."
"Indeed and what a better way to fool them all."
Hermione was curious by what he had meant, but stopped herself instead she changed the subject.
"So now that I am teaching the elder years, do you agree with what I have suggested?"
"What we have suggested. Between us I believe we have covered the O.W.L and N.E.W.T level classes. The dunderheads should be able to brew those potions easily enough."
"I have never heard you say that before."
"A term strictly reserved for the staff room or an empty class."
"Ah."
Severus then too changed the subject. "Well if that is what you are going to get them make. You had best put a list of ingredients together. As the Apothecary will need some time to gather the ingredients."
Hermione started to note down each ingredient. Devising a chart so she would know exactly how much would be needed for each potion and class.
The Potions Master watched his apprentice scribble on the parchment. She has a strange way of doing things. He glanced around the room to waste some time, noticing that the parcel he had brought up the day was missing.
"I trust you found the new wand."
Hermione tore herself away from her work. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"Your new wand."
"Oh that's what it was, to be truthful I have not even looked."
"Hermione you must become accustomed to it, to use it as you would a normal wand. Otherwise my time used to gain such an object has been put to waste, time which I do not have."
Hermione rubbed the ache in her temples, the hangover from earlier was still lingering.
"Don't tell me you have a headache…the work we have done has been purely theory."
Hermione had enough, through gritted teeth she let loose. "Its self induced. I was trying to read a book recommended by your friend. A Pureblood book of how to rule the world." Severus stifled a laugh. "It took all of my strength not to throw it out the window. So much so that it drove me to drink. Now I have a hangover from only two glasses of wine, my head feel like it's splitting in two. Food makes me feel ill and I'm sitting here doing this work with you for classes that do not start for at least a month."
Severus ignored the tirade. "Accio book."
As the tome flew across the room toward him, he caught it with both hands.
"The Pureblood Rules of Etiquette and Standing," Severus skimmed over some pages, recalling how his father instructed him. "This book would drive anyone to drink."
A distinct thud echoed around the room as he shut the book. The silence that followed lingered for all too long.
A distant sound of thunder rattled the pains of glass, distracting the pair of them from their work.
"Ow!"
Hermione started to suck her finger. Somehow she had managed to stab herself with her quill. After a few moments the blood ceased to flow, she pulled it out to have a look. Her finger had a small mark where the quill had pierced the skin the blood had clotted a little.
"And there I was thinking you were beyond these little mistakes."
"I am not used to people looking over my shoulder all the time while I work."
"I would have thought that with Potter and Weasley you could deal with that small pressure easily. Obviously I was incorrect in my assumption."
The Potions Master could sense the anger rising. I must stop baiting her; his thoughts disturbed by an owl tapping on the window.
"Not again," Hermione muttered. "Appertus fenestra."
All of a sudden all the windows opened in the room. The owl swooped in dropping a letter on Severus lap and then flew straight out again.
"Mail?"
"It does sometimes happen Miss Granger that a person such as myself receives letters…Anyway I think you had better shut all these windows."
"Claudere fenestra,"Hermione spoke half-heartedly.
All the windows slammed with such a force that the glass dropped out of the stained windows. Hermione could not believe her luck, dropping her head to her ink stained hands; she stifled a sob. Why me? Why now? And why does HE always see my mistakes.
Severus wanted to laugh but refrained from doing so by opening the letter. "I take it that you have been practicing the techniques like I showed you."
Professor Severus Snape and one guest is hereby invited to attend
The Albion Ball on the 18th August
To be held at Malfoy Manor
Severus shut the invitation, that time of year again. He looked over to Hermione who was wiping away the tears, leaving instead ink marks all over her face.
"Reparo Fenestra," Severus tucked his wand away as the glass in the windows repaired itself.
Pulling out a white handkerchief he handed it to Hermione, who gratefully accepted.
"I'm sorry. This has turned into such a bad day."
"Miss Granger there is no point crying over these little incidents. Life is much to short for that kind of behaviour."
"Your right. I'm sorry."
"And don't apologise. You're meant to be a pureblood. That means you should never have to apologise for mistakes."
Hermione had stopped snivelling. She opened her mouth to comment, but quickly shut it again.
"How long before the list is ready?"
"About half an hour."
"Good you will need to be ready to leave with me. So I can introduce you."
Severus stood up to leave. "I will meet you at the main entrance. Do not be late."
Hermione watched her old Potions Master disappear down the stairs. She had respected him so much during her time as a student and now there was something else, she could no way put her finger on it as she could a snitch. Strange. She noted the final items for the list and folded the parchment.
"Still have twenty minutes left. What shall I do?"
Cleaning your face would be a good start.
"What!"
Just look in the mirror. I'm sure you'll understand.
Crookshanks watched as Hermione vanished through the bathroom door in a flurry of robes.
Three. Two. One
"Argh!"