Clinical Trials

Hermione looked up from her study of the potion before her as the grandfather clock in the hallway struck eleven. They had been working solidly on the potion since dawn on Saturday morning, only necessity dragging them to bed in the small hours but they were both up again as the sun rose on Sunday.

The memory potion had been tweaked and altered every time they had brewed it but the same issue always arose at the end, the potion too unstable and reacting violently when the final ingredient was added.

They had struggled to find the root cause, trying to counter it with both ingredients and charms but nothing seemed to prevail. They had both begun to lose faith in the theory that they had put so much hope in but they had agreed to try it once more, Severus deciding to suspend the root in a liquid solution rather than adding it in solid form as a way to counter the reaction.

"Ok, it's ready," said Hermione, stirring it once more as the surface shimmered with an opalescent purple hue, "Let's hope this works."

"Stand back," said Severus, holding the phial at arm's length, "I don't want to risk you getting hit, you were lucky the last time."

"You be careful too," said Hermione stepping back, her whole body stiffening in anticipation as he tipped the contents of the phial into the bubbling potion.

She took hold of his arm as he stepped back to her side, the two of them watching the potion as the surface roiled and leapt in the cauldron. It spat once, twice and Hermione felt hope leave her as Severus' hand came up to better cover her but they both paused as the potion settled rather than exploding violently as it had done before.

"Could it…?"

"Stay back," said Severus as Hermione made to step towards it, "I'll go."

"Be careful," said Hermione, loosening her hold on his arm as he headed towards the cauldron, "Severus?"

"It's stable," he said, peering down into the cauldron, "I can't believe it. It's stable. We did it."

"You did it," said Hermione, hurrying to his side and pressing a kiss to his cheek before she looked down at the potion, the surface smoking but stable, "I would have never have thought to do that with the root."

"A technique I developed long ago," he said, stirring the potion, "I should have remembered it sooner though. This will need to rest for a few hours before it can be bottled. I'll put a charm around it in case it flares up again but I'm confident it won't. You head up to bed and I'll clean up here."

"Quicker if we work together," said Hermione frowning as Severus shook his head.

"But you have to teach in the morning and you've worked hard all weekend on this," he said, "I won't be long; we're both too disciplined to make too much mess. By the time you're ready for bed I'll be on my way up too."

Hermione turned his face to hers, pressing a kiss to his lips before she stepped away from him, "Don't be too long," she said, "I want to fall asleep in your arms."

"That's reason enough for me to be swift," he said, "Don't wait up for me though. You need your rest, my love."

Hermione kissed him once more, leaving the lab and heading towards the stairs. Her body ached with the fatigue of the weekend as she climbed upwards, tempted to use her magic to apparate straight to their bedroom but she knew it would only exhaust her further.

She readied herself for bed as quickly as her tired body would allow, constantly straining her hearing for the sound of Severus coming up the stairs. She climbed into bed, reaching for the book on her nightstand in an effort to remain awake but the words blurred before her and she soon gave up, returning the book and sinking deeper into the bed.

She realised she had been dozing when warm arms wrapped around her from behind, a familiar long, lean body pressing against the length of her own.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said groggily, covering the hand that came to rest against her stomach with her own.

"I told you not to wait up for me," said Severus, pressing a kiss to her shoulder, "Go back to sleep angel."

"Is the potion still ok?" she said, hearing the small chuckle that escaped him before he spoke.

"The potion is fine," said Severus, "And hopefully it will prove useful."

"When will you take it to St Mungo's?" asked Hermione, rolling over in his arms and pushing him onto his back so she could lie against his chest, his skin warm beneath her cheek.

"A day or two," he replied, "I need to run some tests and write everything up tomorrow and then I'll go to the hospital unless you want me to wait until you can come along."

Hermione shook her head, pressing a kiss over his heart before she lay down against him once more, "The sooner you go, the sooner we know if it works. Keep me posted though."

"Of course," said Severus, around a yawn, "Now go to sleep. I intend to wake you early and send you off for the week in a good mood."

Hermione giggled, "Promises, promises," she said, his yawn inspiring one of her own, "Goodnight my darling."

A kiss to her hair was her answer, the last thing she felt before sleep claimed her and the man at her side.

xxxx

"Well?" said Hermione as Severus' face appeared in the flames before her.

"Hello to you too," he said with a familiar smirk, "If you're determined to be impolite Miss Granger then I shan't impart a jot of news."

"Oh Severus don't tease," said Hermione, shifting restlessly on the cushion she had settled on the floor beside the fire before she had called him through the floo, "How did it go at the hospital? Did it work?"

Severus smiled, "It worked," he said, "And the results are promising. They tested the potion on two individuals with mild damage from obliviates and both are showing promising signs of recovery. We should know by tomorrow if their memories and everything associated with them are restored. The doctors are happy that, if the results are good, we can move on to more complex cases. Gilderoy Lockhart's name has been mentioned. I'm confident that if we can work with him then we are more than certain to be able to help your parents. You might want to start making arrangements."

Hermione smiled, "You have no idea how desperate I am to kiss you right now," she said, "I can't believe you've managed this…"

"We've managed this," said Severus, "Your help and guidance in the development was vital and you're as much a part of this project as I am. I'm taking no credit for this without your name beside mine. I only wish you were here, watching it in action is fascinating."

"You sound like a kid at Christmas," said Hermione, "I so wish I could be there too. I can't wait to read all your notes on it."

"I promise they are numerous," said Severus, "I've been writing them up since I got in and I'm only about a quarter of the way through but I want to make sure everything is ready in case anyone wants to review them. Can I send them to you to read through? You are far better with words than I am. There are passages that are so dry I think even the most dedicated academic would fall asleep."

Hermione frowned, "Don't sell yourself short like that," she said, "Everything I've ever read of yours is factual and well written but if you want me to, I'll gladly read through and send you any amendments though. Do you really think I should start making arrangements to see Mum and Dad?"

"If you want to," said Severus, "I should be certain in the next week, so time frame is up to you."

Hermione bit her lip with a sigh, "I want to go as soon as possible but…Severus, what if they don't…they could refuse to take it," she said, "When I'm with them, they don't even seem to want to love me and it almost feels like we're forcing them to. I don't know if I can bear it if they refused."

"We can only know their response if we provide them with the question," said Severus, "But this decision is yours sweetheart. If you don't want to take the risk then the work stays at St Mungo's and we help those that we can. The question you must ask yourself though is whether you want to spend your life knowing that the solution is in your hands and you never tried it. I promise to be at your side if you do go though and I'll be there for you whatever the outcome."

"I know I will need you," said Hermione, "And I want them to meet you. You're my family too and I want them to know about you."

Severus frowned, "Perhaps I should only go in the capacity of having worked on the potion with you," he said, "I'm sure most fathers would not take kindly to a man twenty years his daughter's senior and her former teacher to boot when you tell him what we are to one another."

"Who I share my life with is my choice," said Hermione, "Once they get to know you, they will accept you…if they care enough to do so. I'm afraid, Severus."

"I know," he said, "But you're also ridiculously brave my little lioness. You don't need to make any decisions yet. Take some time to think about things. I will support you in whatever you decide to do."

"I love you," said Hermione, wanting nothing more than to speed her way through the flames to his side but she knew she did not have long until she needed to be in the hall for dinner, "I need to go now but can you let me know tomorrow as soon as you have any results. I don't think I can really make any big decisions until I'm sure we have one to make."

Severus nodded, "I'll write as soon as I know," he said, "Say hello to Minerva for me when you see her and remember the three AM rule ok? If you need me, come and wake me. I don't you fretting about this needlessly, understood?"

Hermione smiled, "Yes sir," she said, "Good luck tomorrow and if you do work with Professor Lockhart tell him the lesson with the Cornish pixies is now legend."

"I'll be sure to do so," said Severus, "Goodnight my love."

"Goodnight," said Hermione, sitting back as the flames receded before they returned to nothing more than a common blaze in the hearth.

She raised her gaze to the mantelpiece, the surface covered with framed photos. There were plenty from her school days and now a happy few with Severus that Ginny had managed to take when they were out in London. One though caught her attention more than all the others, the image a still Muggle photograph showing her as a bushy haired eleven year old sat between her parents. They had had it taken as a keepsake when they had learned she would be heading to Hogwarts, the pride on their faces apparent even in the still photograph.

She wanted nothing more to see that look on their faces again but she feared she never would, the prospect of them rejecting even the attempt to restore their full memories of her filling her with more dread than she could remember feeling for the longest time.

She turned her attention away from their picture, instead picking up her favourite in her collection. She couldn't recall the moment Ginny had taken it, neither her or Severus had been looking at the camera at the time but the image captured them far better than any posed picture could. They sat side by side at the table, Severus' hand resting on the chair behind her whilst his other had clasped hers on the tabletop. They were leant into one another, the smiles on their faces letting everyone know that their conversation was a happy one and Hermione was certain they were barely moments from a kiss even though she couldn't recall it.

She smiled as she returned the picture to the mantle, knowing that regardless of what happened with her parents, she had a family with Severus. Certain that his love would help her through the outcome of any decision she made.