Severus Snape's door seemed bigger and darker than she remembered. Or maybe she was just feeling smaller, her mouth suddenly dry with nervousness. If she was lucky enough to get him to listen, there was a pretty good chance that he would mock her ridiculous idea and then it would be harder for him to take her seriously about anything else anymore. Was she willing to risk that? They hadn't even talked for a month, so why did it worry her so much what he thought of her now?
This isn't about you, her inner voice reminded her. It was right. This was above her petty insecurities. She took a deep breath and knocked on the dark wood.
"Miss Granger." Snape greeted her, throwing her an inquiring look when he noticed her messy hair and her irregular breathing. "What did it take you… a month, perhaps? That's a new record." he pointed out. His sneering voice made a great job concealing the sudden excitement he was feeling upon seeing her there again, after all that time.
"Sir..." she said, still catching her breath after the run down the stairs. "This is important."
"I don't have your exam results yet, obviously." he continued his sneering.
"Are you done, Sir?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Snape's eyes widened with surprise at her attitude, but then she adopted a pleading look. "Please. It's about a potion."
"I'm sure you have been properly informed, Miss Granger, that I am no longer on duty." Snape remarked.
"I have, and I wouldn't be asking for help if it wasn't extremely urgent… But it is, and you're the most brilliant Potions master I know." she said, well aware that it was a risky move. Professor Snape wasn't any susceptible to praising, in fact, he usually interpreted it as a sign of sucking up and reacted badly to it… But he was also a practical man, and not one for fake modesty, so he must knew she was right.
Snape rolled his eyes at her compliment, though something inside him took a small leap of joy when he heard those words coming out of her mouth. "And conveniently enough, it so happens that I'm also the only Potions master at hand." he said, arching an eyebrow.
"Well… yes." Hermione gave him a timid apologetic smile. "So… will you help me?"
He considered it for a long moment, and then he stepped aside to let her in.
"So..." Hermione began, guessing he would prefer if she cut to the chase. "Are you familiar with Miss Silvermoon's condition, Sir?"
Snape sighed, disgusted. So that was what this was about? Poppy had now sent her minion to insist on the poison?
"As I already informed Madame Pomfrey, I'm not in possession of the required ingredients for that sort of elaboration at the moment."
"What?" Hermione looked at him puzzled.
He narrowed his eyes. "Forget it. Continue." he ordered her.
"Ehm… alright. I had an idea that might help her. I don't know if it's even possible, but…"
Snape's curiosity was increasing. If this had been any other student, even one of the teachers, he wouldn't have found it probable that they had actually come up with something that neither the mediwitch nor himself had been able to think of… But this was Hermione Granger. "I'm listening." he said, taking a seat an inviting her to do the same with a gesture of his hand.
Hermione took a deep breath, relieved. At least he was giving her the benefit of the doubt. "So, I was just in the infirmary… and Madame Pomfrey said something that reminded me of something."
"How about you try to be more specific?" he invited, though his tone was barely harsh, mostly expectant.
"She said that her condition was worsening so quickly that it made her wish that they were still an hour ago. And then, it reminded me of something that Ha… that I read today." she decided that bringing up her friend's name wouldn't exactly put Snape in the most receptive mood. "Sir… what if we could somehow use the reverse – factor of a time-turner? What if we could use time as a potion ingredient? Backwards time?"
The man pressed his lips together, staring at her with a frown, slightly tilting his head as he pondered her words. Hermione was holding her breath waiting for his answer.
"How would you suggest we do that?" he inquired in a very quiet tone.
"I was hoping you would help me figure that out, Sir." Hermione answered truthfully. "But… maybe if we could grab something from the future… our present, that would be… and then go back in time and add it to a potion in it's early stage…"
"It would have to be the same potion. Add a more advanced elaboration to its own previous stage. That would bend the chronological line of elaboration backwards." Snape considered out loud, intrigued by the idea.
Hermione fought the urge to squeal and clap with excitement. He was going along with it! He didn't think it was complete nonsense!
"It is nonsense." Snape killed her enthusiasm immediately. "Even if it was to work, which is already a huge assumption given that nothing like that has been attempted before… what makes you think that it would reverse Miss Silvermoon's condition? There could be a thousand other disastrous consequences. Maybe the potion would send her back in time. Maybe it would make her skin grow in reverse, shrinking towards the inside of her body instead of the outside"
Hermione felt her chest deflating like a balloon. Of course, he was right. She lowered her gaze, disappointed. For a second it had felt so real…
"However..." Snape murmured, with an intelligent glow in his dark eyes that sparked her attention again. "Maybe there would be a way of narrowing the potion's properties to exactly what we expect from it. I believe you're familiar with the effects of the Polyjuice potion, Miss Granger?" he inquired, throwing her a meaningful look, and for a second she thought she saw a glimpse of humor in his eyes.
"I am." she nodded, trying to keep a steady face. "Are you suggesting we add a bit of her skin to the potion?"
"Not just any skin. We would have to take that bit from the future version of her… and then add it to the previous potion. That, combined with the reverse time, would indicate the potion where and what to return to."
"Would that work?" Hermione's eyes were bright and wide.
"Hypothetically." Snape remarked with a slow nod. "But in your eagerness you seem to be missing one crucial obstacle in all this."
"That there are no time-turners left." Hermione guessed.
"Precisely."
"But what if there are? It's a long shot, but after our third year, when I gave Professor McGonagall mine back…she said something about it being such a pity that it would be stored away back at the Ministry, with so many possibilities... what if she never returned it? What if it's still in the castle?"
"A long shot, indeed."
"Worth asking, wouldn't you say?" Hermione stared at him without blinking.
Snape held her gaze with an excruciatingly unreadable expression for a few seconds.
"Very well." He said at last. "Let's go see our Headmistress."
.
"No." Minerva McGonagall said firmly.
"No as in you no longer have it, or…?" Hermione said tentatively.
"No as in you're in no position to ask for any favors, Miss Granger." the Headmistress replied with a severe tone. "Need I remind you what happened the last time you asked for my trust?"
"That won't be necessary, Minerva." Snape intervened in a low tone.
"No, it won't, because I recall it perfectly, as well as I recall telling you that from now on, you would not receive any more special treatments, Miss Granger, as you have clearly proven that you don't have the necessary maturity to handle them."
"I understand, Professor." Hermione nodded, though her cheeks were already blushing with embarrassment. "But I'm not asking this for myself. You know how desperate the situation is. Selina Silvermoon is a student in Hogwarts, and you're the Headmistress. If you can do something to help her, wouldn't it be immoral not to?" she said, unable to look the witch in the face.
By her side, Snape couldn't help to be greatly surprised by her audacity. If someone had told him that he would witness Hermione Granger trying to guilt the Headmistress of Hogwarts into doing something, he would have laughed at their madness. Yet here she was, and though he could see her anxiously rubbing her hands under the desk, her tone had been firm. He felt a strange wave of admiration and pride towards the insufferable know-it-all.
McGonagall was so astonished by the girl's nerve that she remained speechless.
"Though I don't condone Miss Granger's ways of persuasion… she's got a valid point, Minerva." Severus pointed out calmly. "I was also very clear about my refusal to participate in any more brewing of any kind, yet I am willing to reconsider my decision in this particular case."
Hermione looked at him to give him a grateful smile, but his eyes were fixed upon the woman across the desk.
"Severus…" McGonagall's voice softened. "Even if I had a time-turner..." her eyes unconsciously lowered to the drawer in her desk. It was a fleeting glance, but it was enough for both of them to notice. Hermione's heart began to race inside her chest. "The Ministry forbid their use a while ago. What you're suggesting is not only dangerously experimental… it is straight up illegal."
"Funny, Minerva, but for one second there you just reminded me of another Headmistress our school enjoyed briefly, three years ago..." Snape commented casually.
The woman gasped horrified. "Have you lost your mind, Severus?" she asked in a high pitched, offended tone.
"I must have, clearly." Snape agreed, raising his eyebrows. "Since I seemed to recall that you were the one fighting that despicable Ministry pawn and her followers, yet now you sound well convinced of the need to respect the Ministry's criteria over the School's needs."
Hermione's eyes widened with the ruthless low blow, as she recalled that night when McGonagall had ended up in St Mungo due to the injuries sustained dueling Umbridge's helpers. However, his cruel remark had fulfilled its purpose, as Minerva's lips had become a thin white line and her eyes were filled with determination.
"Very well, Severus. If you're so committed to go through with this insane plan, I won't be the one to stop you. However, let me be very clear. All responsibility will be placed upon yourself." she slowly opened her drawer and took out a small garnet velvet bag. "No one must know. Not even Poppy. If anyone finds out about this, you will be the one facing the consequences. Are you willing to take that risk for Miss Granger's idea?"
There were a few seconds of silence, in which the two Professors stared at each other, evaluating their choices. Hermione was looking at them alternatively, holding her breath. At last, Snape extended his arm to take the bag from the Headmistress hand.
"I am."
A/N: This was a brief chapter just to get things ready for the next ;) As always, thank you all for the reviews, I hope you're enjoying the story and the characters as much as I'm enjoying writing them! It is always great to read your thoughts! :) How do you think working together like that will affect these two? we'll find out soon!