AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
Should I sit in the silver chair?
Hermione stared at the comfortable piece of furniture. She had come fifteen minutes early in order to claim that chair, but now she questioned her strategy. Perhaps it would be wiser to let him have it, if only to show him how grateful she was that he was working with him. Then again, it was a comfortable chair, and she had claimed it several times already. He may believe she was trying too hard to get in his good graces if she gave it up without so much as an argument.
No one could say she hadn't put in an effort for him. She was already wearing make up, which, if she was honest, itched worse than an itching spell. After two hours of painful mangling and products she swore would burn her scalp, her hair was perfectly straight. She had more than earned that chair.
She sat and opened the book she'd been carrying. Even if Ginny wanted her to wear a lower cut dress, this one was far more comfortable. It seemed to have enough of a shape, at least by her estimation. Then again, she was a horrendous judge of fashion, as evidenced by her inability to hold a man's interest for longer than a few moments. Perhaps she should take her friend up on a shopping trip…
"Eager as always, I see," Severus drawled.
"Better three hours too soon than a minute late." Hermione kept the book in front of her. She needed just the right moment to reveal her new look.
"You've been here for three hours?"
"No, but I've been preparing for this moment for some time."
"Have you been engaged in studying this problem all day?"
"You could say that." She lowered the book.
Her stomach sank as she noted the way he stared at her. There was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, not of desire. He choked back a breath, as if he was suppressing his laugher.
"Is there something amusing?" She wasn't sure she wanted the answer.
"Nothing," he answered. "I just never imagined you hair being so…straight."
"I wanted to try a new look." She flipped her hair.
"You certainly have a changed appearance anyway."
"Do you approve?"
"I thought we agreed I was in no position to judge anyone for their appearance."
"That would be true enough," Hermione said. "But a fair critique is always appreciated."
"You have changed your appearance. That is all I have to say on the matter."
"I see." Perhaps it was best to move the conversation away from her appearance. It had always been a source of embarrassment for her, and tonight was quickly proving to be no exception.
"We have more important matters to discuss anyway." He pulled out a small leather chair from his pocket and enlarged it.
"I see you brought your own chair," she noted.
"No, I brought you your own chair," he answered.
"That is quite kind of you, but wholly unnecessary. I quite like this one." She shifted position.
"As do I." He gestured towards his chair. "Which is why I would like it returned to me."
"Where is…"
"Your name tag, yes, yes, I know," Severus scowled. "Sadly, I still have not been able to clear it through Madame Pince, though I hope to remedy that soon."
"Well until you do, Severus, there is reason to be optimistic." She pointed to his chair. "That chair is unquestionably yours."
"Actually it is Lucius'," Severus answered. "He loaned it to me a few years ago while he had one of his sitting rooms renovated. He has yet to ask for it back."
"It's his loss. It looks comfortable."
"It looks so comfortable you won't sit on it."
"I prefer to sit on a chair I am familiar with."
"I feel the same way." Severus sat across from her. "But we didn't come here to discuss chairs."
Her expression grew serious. "No, we did not."
"How much have you researched?"
"Just enough to know that antibacterial potions focus solely on magically destroying the bacteria. The potions cause the bacteria to disappear, which is why they seem to be more effective than muggle medicine. They cannot force the bacteria to stop reproducing, nor do they inhibit its reproductive processes."
"Which means if the bacteria were ever to mutate to where magic was no longer effective against them, we could have serious problems in the future," Severus said.
"How likely do you think that is to occur?"
"More likely than anyone in the Wizarding World cares to admit."
They sat in silence, pondering the potential problem before them.
"If we used some of the science behind muggle antibiotics, we could strengthen our own antibacterial potions," she suggested.
"Wouldn't that put the potion at risk of failing if the bacteria were ever to mutate?" He asked.
"Not if the potion could still kill it."
"Then why alter it at all?"
"Because the bacteria will have to go through more mutations before it's ineffective," she said. "If we have two or three ways of combatting the bacteria…"
"Then if one way fails there are a few other ways, the potion could work, which at the least would buy potioneers time to create another potion."
"Exactly." She grinned.
"Intriguing." He scratched the arm of his chair.
"I was thinking about going into a muggle university to check out a book on how the internet works. Do you have any specific book you would like me to check out in order to help us?" She asked.
"There is nothing specific I have in mind, but I am curious about the antibiotics which inhibit reproduction and disrupt the bacteria's ability to reproduce."
"That narrows down very little."
He gave her a slight nod.
"I could get some general books on how they work. Surely the books they have are not going to be as elementary as the one at a public library," she said.
"I would like that, though focusing on a disease may help as well."
"Which one did you have in mind?"
"Let's start with something muggles treat better than wizards, such as scarlet fever."
"Scarlet fever is an issue for the Wizarding World?" She asked.
"Sadly yes," he replied. "There is a potion for strep throat, but if one develops scarlet fever then the potions lose their efficacy."
"Does this mean scarlet fever is fatal for a wizard?"
"It is not always fatal, but the mortality rate is higher for a wizard than a muggle," he answered. "A muggle can treat scarlet fever over the course of ten days. For a wizard, it can take up to three weeks. This gap in time can lead to muggles having a lower mortality rate for it."
"I had no idea."
"Very few people do, unless you've had to brew potions for the poor students affliction with the condition."
"Did you need to do that often?" She asked.
"Not necessarily. Most years, I didn't need to brew the potion, but a few years after I became the Head of the Slytherin House two of my students developed the illness. I was working on the potion while checking in with them." He snorted. "Merlin knows Albus had no interest in their welfare."
"It must have been hard to teach knowing that your students were ailing."
"I cannot say it was the most unpleasant semester I've ever endured given that I was not spying at that point in time, but it was not one I would wish to repeat."
"I wouldn't either."
A comfortable silence fell between them.
"Okay." She took a deep breath. "You want some books on scarlet fever. Are there any other conditions you would like to research?"
"Strep throat would be a natural other condition to examine, and I am curious about the treatment for E. coli."
"I can do that," she replied. "Though if you don't mind me asking about E. coli, there is a magical treatment for that, correct?"
"There is," he replied. "But more often than not it is not administered in a timely manner since the sufferer has been taking stomach settling potions. Usually this is not fatal, though the consequences can still be unpleasant."
"Could a new test prove helpful?"
"Perhaps."
"That test could be our next goal." She smiled.
"What makes you so certain you would care to work for me on any project, save this one?" His expression was neutral.
"I already enjoy working with you."
"You are the first person to ever accuse me of being a good work partner," Severus answered.
"That's rather unfortunate."
"Why would you be interested in working with me anyway?"
"Because you're brilliant."
He frowned at the unwelcome compliment.
"You're somebody who understand potions, and you understand almost everything there is to know about the field. It's been years since I've spoken with someone who knows potions, especially one as knowledgeable as you."
"If you wanted to know about potions, you could have majored in the field. They are always looking for female recruits."
"Perhaps, but then who would teach Muggle Studies?"
"Another muggleborn who was in desperate need of employment."
"Are you calling me a 'muggleborn who was in desperate need of employment'?" Her heart raced. How close was he to figuring out her situation? She hadn't let onto it, and Neville wouldn't say a word. Then again, Severus was a spy. Did he know more than he was letting on?
"I do not know what to call you," he admitted. "You elude any label I try to assign you."
"What a coincidence," she relaxed. "I could say the same about you."
"I would not go that far," he answered. "Snarky bastard seems to be a more than appropriate label for me."
"Is it, or do you just wish it was?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"I think there's more to you than you want anyone to admit," she continued. "You just hide behind a pissy attitude to avoid getting to know anyone else."
"Perhaps you should spend less time psychoanalyzing me and more time putting your course together."
"Can I not do both? I am quite the multitasker after all."
"No, you cannot."
"You underestimate me then."
"Or you overestimate yourself."
"I am quite capable of knowing my own strengths."
"Careful Ms, Granger. You would not want overconfidence to be your downfall."
"No doubt," She replied, growing more certain that she was making much more progress in building a friendship with Severus than he would ever care to admit.