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At ten minutes til 10 o'clock they had finished the Invisibility Antidote. Freddie placed a stasis spell on the cauldron and they left the classroom to go meet the photographer at the gate. They crossed the grounds together, neither of them speaking. Freddie was focused on her blank wall, focused on not thinking about all of the things she wanted to think about.

"I hope this doesn't take long," Snape muttered under his breath.

Freddie glanced up at him with a grin. He looked down at her then quickly looked away.

"Don't look at me like that," he hissed.

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

"Miss Gray," he said, clearing his throat as they approached the gate.

"Sorry Professor."

There was a middle-aged balding man waiting just outside the gate. He was dressed in light blue robes, had a camera hanging around his neck, and a brown satchel over one shoulder.

"Good morning!" he said brightly. "I'm David Creevey. And you must be Winifred!"

"Call me Freddie, please," she said, shaking his hand.

"Freddie Gray. How delightful!" he said enthusiastically. "And Professor Snape, I assume."

"Yes," he said with a curt nod, not offering his hand to shake.

"We, um, brewed the Invisibility Antidote in the Potions classroom," Freddie said. "If you want to take my picture there?"

"That sounds wonderful. Lead the way," Creevey said and they started off back across the grounds. "I have to say, it's absolutely remarkable, someone of your age developing an antidote to such a complex potion, and a new potion at that. Absolutely remarkable."

"Thank you," she said. "I had help of course. Professor Snape and I began working on the antidote together before the end of last semester. I'm his apprentice."

"Fascinating. But the final brew was your own concoction."

"Well yes, but I never would have gotten there on my own, not without all the work Professor Snape and I put in together."

"You would have," Snape said quietly, and they both looked up at him. He cleared his throat before containing. "Miss Gray is a brilliant, talented student. She has shown remarkable skill in Potions. In fact she will be competing in the upcoming Wizarding Schools Potions Championship this year."

"Oh fantastic! That's fantastic!" Creevey said, clapping his hands together. "Well I do hope if you win they'll send me out to take your picture. No doubt they'll do a write up in the Prophet if you win – I do photos for them as well."

"When she wins," Snape said firmly. "I am confident in my apprentice's skill."

Freddie beamed but was careful not to look at him. She kept her mind clear as they headed down the staircase into the dungeon. When they reached the classroom Freddie and Creevey followed Snape inside.

"So what should I do?" Freddie asked walking over to her desk.

"Just stand there a moment while I get the lighting right," Creevey said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a tripod. He set up his camera and took a few test shots while Freddie stood there, feeling awkward. She glanced at Snape who was sitting at his desk, looking bored by the whole ordeal.

"There we are," Creevey said finally. "I love your dress by the way, you look absolutely stunning!"

"Thank you," Freddie said, not missing the look of annoyance that crossed Snape's face briefly. Is he jealous? She wondered. "So what should I go, just stand here?"

"Hmm, maybe give it a bit of a stir?" Creevey suggested, looking through the lens of his camera.

"It will alter the potion if I stir it," she said, frowning. "It may make it unusable."

"That doesn't matter, we just need a good photo," he said reassuringly.

Freddie made a face. She didn't like the idea of wasting a potion for a photo op. She glanced at Snape who shrugged indifferently. She sighed and picked up the ladle and began to stir the potion slowly.

"Come on now, Freddie, give me a smile," Creevey encouraged.

She smiled but it felt forced, more like a grimace. The potion was changing as she stirred it and smoke began to come off in spirals.

"Hmm," Creevey said, snapping a few pictures. "Professor Snape why don't you come over here, get in the picture?"

"What?" he snapped irritably.

"Come get in the picture. She's your apprentice and like she said, she couldn't have done it without you," Creevey said. "Come on."

"Ridiculous," he muttered, but he pushed back from his desk and got up. He walked over and stood beside Freddie. She smirked, not looking at him, keeping her gaze on the flashbulb of the camera as Creevey took their picture.

Whatever gets him out of here faster, said Snape's voice in her head.

She smirked wider and Snape placed his hand on her shoulder. Creevey snapped a few more pictures then lowered his camera.

"Excellent," he said, clapping his hands together. "Really excellent. I'm sure these will turn out wonderful."

"Great," Freddie said, vanishing the ruined potion in the cauldron as Creevey packed up his equipment.

"We will walk you back to the gate, Mr Creevey," Snape said.

"Thank you for everything and good luck with your contest," Creevey said, shaking Freddie's hand as they reached the Gate.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

"I'll be sure you get an advanced copy of your issue," he said. "Have a good day."

"You too. Thanks."

Creevey Disapparated with a pop and Freddie let out a breath she felt like she'd been holding all morning. It was over and they hadn't run into Dumbledore or any other teachers. She glanced back at the castle then at Snape.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Well I do have work to do, schedules to make," he said slowly, looking back at the castle. Then he smiled, grabbed her arm, and Disapparated.