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Chapter 28: Xmas Brewing
It was no surprise to Hermione when she found that she encountered Headmaster Snape in the individual projects lab. At times she was jealous of the easy banter that all the Slytherins had with their former Head of House. Hermione was not allowed to brew alone and it seemed that Severus Snape was working on a number of Christmas projects.
Hermione was working with Neville Longbottom in the laboratory when Severus Snape entered. She could of killed him cause she had just gotten Neville confident enough and it appeared that he was going to complete this potion without any of the classic issues he had always had in Professor Snape's classroom. As soon as Professor Snape entered Neville dropped the ball and his potions confidence went right out the window.
Suddenly Neville's cauldron flame flared up and the next moment Severus shouted at them to duck as the potion exploded over them. The thick gloopy mixture that had splashed over them started to eat away at their skin and clothes.
"Argumenti" Severus shouted trying to wash them down. "You need to disrobe now the pair of you and we need to make sure we have washed every little bit of that corrosive solution off you" he told them before calling a team of house elves to get towels and help in the decontamination of the students and the laboratory.
Neville got a surprise to see Hermione stand up out of her wheelchair and take a number of steps using the wet bench as a supporting rail. Hermione quickly got rid of her robes dropping them to the lab floor. Under her robes she had been wearing a white polo shirt and navy yoga pants. The white T-shirt became a wet t-shirt under the continuous water charm of the Professor and Hermione's ample charms were on display to all present. It was after that interesting sight that Tinky had put up a screen while tutting the two males who had been gawking distractedly at the luscious sight of her pert full breasts contained in a captivating white lace and satin bra.
The witch had stripped out of her clothes and gratefully accepted the towel, fresh clothes and towelling bathrobe to deal with her cold drenched state. When Severus accioed the wet clothing he appreciated the witch's lacy under things and thought that it was a pity he did not get to see more of them. Hermione's chair had been soaked in the decontamination process. Fortunately her book bag was off the back handles of her chair and sitting on another bench but there was no way the seat was going to support the witch as some of the mixture had weakened the fabric in the upright back and the seat component. Looking at the chair damage in the bathrobe she was thankful that she was going to visit the QEH team on Friday. Although it meant that she only had to attend Harry's graduation ceremony first on Thursday night using her crutches.
As the clean up of the laboratory continued Severus explained to Neville what had gone wrong with his potion. It was a strange moment as it was the first time for Neville that this man had not shouted at him but rather gave a rational explanation that made sense to the student. "If you take your time and check twice all your measurements and ingredient selections you would be less likely to explode another cauldron".
"Neville actually was going quite well with that potion until you showed up. So this explosion is logically all your fault," advised Hermione with a slight smile on her face even though she was standing and leaning against another bench.
"Well Ms Granger I am sorry if I caused this incident, please forgive me" replied Severus realizing that the witch was trying to calm the room down and felt confortable after all most two weeks of regular association with her in the brewing laboratory seeing him at work and in discussion with his former students.
"In that case I require a boon sir knight," she purred. Neville did a double take watching the byplay between the two it seemed to him that Hermione was flirting with the dour dark man.
"Advise me of your wishes and maybe the genie while grant you them," Severus responded and at this point Neville was totally confused while Hermione let a rippling laugh out.
"Sir Genie I will only ask for one wish rather than the traditional three. I will need your assistance until Friday when I can get the chair seat replaced and this means you will need to escort me to Harry's Graduation tomorrow night," advised Hermione.
"Sneaky that is two wishes" informed the Headmaster before laughing at her beaming smile at him. It was an interesting sound to hear the man laugh and then he flashed a smirking smile that hinted at more dangerous mischief.
"I think we should close up shop here in the lab tonight and come back another day. Neville if you want help with your brewing please don't hesitate to ask for my assistance" advised the Headmaster as he picked up Hermione's book bag. "Gads woman what have you got in here the kitchen sink"
"Almost," she advised him while looking round her workspace to ensure that everything had been packed up and tidied way. "You know if I am going to do much brewing after my NEWTs I am going to invest in a saddle dentist stool. It will really help with my back. We should look into getting some of the adjustable stools for the lab as it would help poor mobility students and staff who are on their feet all day bending all day over the lab bench".
Severus had walked round to her lab station and put his arm out so he could escort her back to the staff wing. He did a flourished courtly bow before saying "My lady it would be my inordinate pleasure to escort you back to the staff wing and to Mr Potter's graduation ceremony tomorrow night."
As Hermione took the offered arm Neville had to pinch himself to assure that he was not in a dream or a hallucination. This playful side of the Headmaster was not something he had ever seen before in the last 8 years at Hogwarts as a student of the school.
Slowly walking down the corridor to the nearest lift Hermione leaned on Professor Snape's arm enjoying the warmth of his left hand holding her hand on his arm near his right elbow. After exiting the lift Professor Snape escorted Hermione into the Teachers lounge where he ordered Tinky to bring them some hot chocolate to help ward off the cold that she must be feeling.
Holding the warm cup in her hands Hermione glanced over to regard the Headmaster. It was a pity I did not know him like this before the accident. If I had, I would have made a play for him long ago she thought to herself. Now he would never be interested in a broken mudblood.
She fell asleep with the mug in her hand and it was still half full. After carefully removing the mug he picked her up and with Tinky's assistance headed off to put her to bed. It was strange to feel her snuggling up to him in her sleep. She was a completely different thing when she was asleep her face seemed to be peaceful. When the unlikely pair reached the corridor Remus appeared through the hallway entrance doors immediately going on the offensive.
"What is wrong with Mia?" he exclaimed but Tinky had thrown up a silencing charm on the werewolf.
"She fell asleep in the staff lounge so I was just going to get her into her apartment" advised Severus feeling like a dirty lecherous old man for his earlier thoughts and observations. He was reminded yet again he could be the witch's father he was certainly old enough to be so.
oOoOo
It had been a long day for Hermione and she wasn't even half way through the day. It was time to get her game face and slap on, so she could go to this ministry event. Thank goodness Tinky seemed to know some good charms that worked on her mane of hair. Luna had joined her to get dressed for the graduation ceremony. They had found their outfits quiet easily last Saturday with Tonks. Tonks and Remus were going to the event but were first dropping Teddy off with his grandmother, Andromeda Tonks.
Hermione had a sapphire halter neck dress on and had charmed the colour of her crutches to match the dress. It seemed to Luna that Hermione was feeling confident enough to go out with just the crutches. Hermione had just double checked for the umpteenth time that she had her pillbox of routine medication plus the back up tablets for break through pain that she had shrunken and placed into her dress robe inner hidden pocket.
Severus knocked on the door of the apartment in his formal dressed robes were the door was opened by Luna Lovegood. "Good evening Professor we are all ready to go. I will just get Hermione," advised the witch before she headed back into the sitting area and appeared to be handing calliper crutches over to Hermione.
After flooing from the Hogwarts Entrance Floo Fireplace to the Ministry Hermione felt that she was on display. The looks and whispers of the crowd as they were escorted to their seats before the start of the ceremony were hardly discrete. Never mind Hermione was going to make the best of it. She was here to help celebrate Harry's achievement and she was going to do so. Therefore the rest of the sheep could all keep munching on their grass and she was going to enjoy herself. Hermione had her camera there and she snapped photos of Harry being given his certificate, Auror badge and warrant card from the new Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Once each of the graduands had received their individual awards and were seated again the ceremony was closed and the families were able to give their congratulations. Harry found Hermione and Luna before turning to thank Professor Snape for bring the two witches to the ceremony. Tonks came up to the group in her uniform dress robes with Remus. They had been late in arriving and had ended up standing up the back to watch the ceremony.
"Congratulations Auror Potter", advised the Headmaster thinking about how his childhood friend would have been so proud of her son. There was a hitch in his heart when he thought about how much he still missed Lily.
"Thank you Professor. We have a reception now do you think you can escort Mia here over to the room," enquired Harry. The dark haired man deftly took the left hand crutch from Hermione and shrunk it so she could take his right arm easily. The crowds moved for the group and Hermione was not sure whether it was his infamy as the dreaded dungeon bat and former death eater or her fame as Harry Potter's best friend.
Finding a seat Severus settled Hermione carefully before taking the second crutch off her and shrinking it before putting it in his pocket with the other crutch he claimed from her earlier. Remus had brought some drinks over for the group and managed to make sure Tonks and Hermione were on the apple juice. The four were pleasantly conversing amongst themselves while Luna and Harry were mingling with the other graduands.
It seemed that Hermione and Professor Snape's small group were inflicted with toadies who were stopping by the four famous war heroes to make the customary suck up small talk. Hermione could see Kingsley across the room and he rolled his eyes at her to which she gave a small nod. Fortunately for Hermione she had the perfect weapon to deflect toadies very quickly with the presence of the delightfully aerobatic quick-witted tongue of Severus Snape. Even Remus was laughing at Severus' witticisms that many had not understood. Yes he could be so snarky that the person he was complaining about did not understand the implications of his terminology.
The two couples seemed to have a pleasant conversation with no major troubles although there were some interruptions by the toadies. It was when Rita Skeeter came up to Hermione's group did Hermione start to cringe under the scrutiny.
"Well Well Miss Granger! This is a remarkable recovery I thought you were now a quadriplegic", intoned the woman looking at the seated girl over the tops of her square shaped glasses lens.
"Well Well Rita Skeeter! Of course I should not be surprised that you haven't got your facts right" responded the witch " It is called an incomplete Spinal Cord Injury from L5 to the S5 region so get it right. I would not be able to use crutches or my manual chair if I was a quad. You certainly need to get your facts correct but you normally don't worry about something as important as the truth do you."
"There is no need for you to lash out your frustration about Ronald Weasley leaving you. He has obviously come to his senses and moved on to bigger and better things", simpered the reporter trying to get a rise out of the notoriously quick-tempered witch.
"It seems that we don't have the same goals and I wish him well in all his future endeavours," the witch politely informed the reporter not rising to the obvious bait but still hurt by the commentary.
Seeing the pain in the witch's eyes Rita went in for the kill, "Well since you won't have a useful life I can see why he has moved on. It is not like you could be a wife and future mother to the next generation of Weasleys thanks to your condition. Ta Ta now" she said leaving the heartache with the witch concerned to deal as the hurtful statements had cut Hermione to the quick. The brave lioness did not lash out or show any obvious outward sign of distress but her friends all knew she was upset.
Tonks asked for Hermione's crutches from Severus so they could go and powder their noses. The older woman had seen the tears being bravely held at bay and knew that it would be preferable for a moment out of the lime light to help pull herself together.
"What is it about women in packs going to the bathroom?" exclaimed Harry when he joined the rest of the party after Tonks and Hermione had passed him and Luna. It was then that the silver blonde haired witch decided to join the two other females in their search for a cloakroom.
"Ah the inner workings of a woman's mind were something that even your father knew was something way to complex for most mortal males to understand. You can only hope to go along with them and accept their mystical ways," advised Remus to which Severus promptly laughed. The sound caused a sudden stillness in the room since it was not an emotion associated with the strict potion master.
"It is good to hear you laugh Severus," advised Kingsley. "Have you all been stood up by your better halves"?
"Umm you could say that the fairer sex has decided to investigate the nearest cloak room and while there to have a good old gossip session," advised the sandy haired werewolf to his former comrades in arms.
"Remus! You should never give away the first rule of the ladies bathroom club. Don't talk about the bathroom club" smirked Tonks as she came up behind her husband.
Hermione laughed at the abused adaptation of the movie quote while the rest of the party were looking on confused. "Insider joke! Sorry!" she explained before quieting her chuckles.
"Hello Kings what brings you round to meet us plebs. I am sure you have to go and do some political smooching," advised Tonks with a wicked grin at her former partner.
"Please take pity and allow me to have a break from them. Hermione saw how bad it was earlier" implored the dark skinned man of his former Phoenix comrades.
"Here Kingsley you can take cover with us to get you away from the crawling lackeys" advised Hermione. It was then mentioned by Remus that Rita Skeeter had been by causing trouble with her poison tongue. Harry made an oblique comment that maybe it was time for the beetle to be squashed. After an hour at the reception the Lupin, Potter and Granger party managed to claim it was a school night to escape the rest of the official function.
The group flooed into Grimmauld Place were Kreacher and Winky were waiting for them with a large order of Chinese Takeaway under a stasis charm. It was an interesting supper group and the conversation topics were varied. It was almost midnight when Severus had to play the responsible adult and floo back to the school. Luna and the Lupins also headed back to the school as Remus had the 7th years first thing in the morning. Hermione was staying at her apartment overnight, as there were a few things she wanted to sort out on her Christmas shopping list before she headed up to QEH in Birmingham in the midmorning.
