The Wonder Witch Love Potion 69

by beaweasley2

Hermione has her hands full between work issues, private life issues, and her personal obligations. On top of everything else, she had offered to help George keep up with product production when he reopened his shop. However, so does Ron, and thanks to his brilliant bumbling, George and Hermione have a huge problem on their hands. Ironically, the answer is out there.

1. Chapter 1

The Wonder Witch Love Potion #69

Sometimes your life simply turns upside down when you least expect it to. Hermione thought her life was all mapped out and going according to plan. Nevertheless, one night at the opera and a mysterious romantic dream may have changed things for her forever.

As If Flying on Firebolts

Hermione stood with her head against the window, watching the rain as it pelted the paned glass panels, and looked out at the cloudy skies. The dark grey clouds over the oaks matched her mood perfectly. Below, her garden was taking a beating, the magical herbs and plants as well as her ordinary ones. She thought again about running downstairs and putting up a few tarps to protect her plants or casting a magical shield. But rain is supposed to be good for them, isn't it? Still, they were going to need fresh dragon dung and Stem-Strengthening Potions to revive them if she didn't go down and set some kind of protection. I'll entice Neville over for lunch in the garden, then make excuses. Besides, he's much better with them than I am. He'd have them right in a flick.

Her wedding gown hung on a hanger on her new wardrobe across the room. It was an old gown, an antique really, that she knew fit her perfectly. It was very flattering to her figure, but she hardly had the desire to look at it. Her wedding to Ron was only month and a half away, everything set, the invitations sent, and the reservation cards were already arriving. It's just wedding nerves, nothing else. But the ceremony is too grand, much more elaborate than I wanted, and there are so many invited… It's like a circus… Still, anyone who is anyone wants to attend. Two celebrated heroes of the wizarding world unite in holy matrimony—and all. Hermione sighed, turned and walked back to her writing desk.

She picked up her quill and finished the report she was writing. Her job at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had been taxing but rather enjoyable, and she felt like she was finally making a difference in the lives of the creatures she served. People wanted change. Minister Shacklebolt wanted changes. Unfortunately, those working under Hermione were afraid of what changes she would suggest, especially since Newt had been asked to return as interim department head. Newt Scamander had gladly come out of retirement temporarily, as a favor for Minister Shacklebolt, to help get the department back into shape. He'd appointed Hermione as his right-hand witch almost immediately upon meeting her.

It was devastating in the Ministry lately, after so many had been killed, injured, or ill after the war, and those released from Azkaban were still feeling the effects of their confinement. Too many of them needed Mind-Healers and potions just to function. Actually, when Hermione had been suggested as the new Assistant Head of the Department, she had been accepted unanimously, as long as several key persons retained their jobs. Cuthbert Mockingridge had been reinstated as Head of the Being Division with Mandy Wellright appointed as his assistant. Mark Pagett, who worked in the Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, requested that he be able to keep his post. Newt was amazed, and not the least bit amused, at the changes, subdivisions, and reorganization that had been created because of the new laws, which had been passed since his retirement. Thus, his first act as department head was to hold meetings with each division head and review what exactly the division did. However, it was Hermione that began to chart out the department structure, examine protocols, and create organizational flow charts that ultimately ended up looking like a pureblood family tree.

Newt discovered from her chart several conflictions of policy, many laws and by-laws creating protocols that made no sense, and many creatures falling into overlapping divisions. Hermione's report was to announce the new changes Newt wanted in the department. She knew that she and Newt were going to ruffle many feathers, but changes needed to be made. One of the biggest was to make the Being Division split into new categories: the Centaur Liaison Office, Goblin Liaison Office, House-elf Liaison Office, Vampire Liaison Office, Hag Liaison Office, and the Werewolf Liaison Office. All other creatures in the book Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them were now under a new Beast Division, which would have three subdivisions: the Dangerous Magical Creatures office, for creatures triple-x or higher, and a Common Magical Creatures office for all other classifications, which would have the Pest Advisory Board in the same office. The Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau and the Dangerous Creature Research and Restraint office was staying as the Dangerous Magical Creatures Division since they very effective and managed their own international interactions with other countries dragon preserves. Trolls and giants were now classified under the Dangerous Magical Creatures office, but Hermione figured it was a compromise of sorts for her other suggestions, especially the House-elf Liaison office. Many of the recent anti-creature laws were being suspended or rewritten.

The Committee of the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and the Creature Capture Unit both had to have strict new guidelines regarding creature termination, encouraging the preference of capturing over killing them, especially where the werewolves and vampires were concerned. It would give those beings, such as the werewolves, who agreed to registration and monthly confinement, a fighting chance for protection and help against some discrimination. She sighed knowing that Remus would now have a job again as a Werewolf Liaison officer and would be heading up the recruitment of getting the other werewolves to trust the Ministry and comply with the new rules. Hermione was hopeful it would make a big difference in their lives and cut down the number of new infections and casualties.

Hermione finished her report, the article announcing the new laws and departmental reorganizational changes and walked over to her new snowy owl to have them sent. "Merc, I need these to go to Newt for approval. Stick around until he either rejects the proposal or decides to make any changes and sends you back home—or approves them. If he approves, he will have to endorse my proposal and sign it, then I'll need you to take it to Kingsley. If Newt sends you to Kingsley, he will undoubtly have a response for me, so please wait for his reply."

Merc hooted softly, bobbed once, and held out his leg.

She cast a Warming Spell and Impervious Charm on her owl and then held up the twine, binding her proposal, report, and article for him, making sure he had a good grasp in the knot. "I know I'm asking a lot, but I'm really counting on you. I promise to save the chicken liver, gizzard, and heart for when you return." She gently stroked the soft plumes and whisked the window open with a wave of her hand. "Have a safe flight," she said as Merc flew out the window.

Hermione watched her owl soar away through the rain. Hagrid had given Harry a new snowy owl for his birthday the summer after he defeated Tom 'Voldemort' Riddle. The new female owl had been confused and hurt when Harry had just turned his head, tears falling down his cheeks when he'd unveiled her, and walked away. The gentle bird had tried everything to impress him, but Harry could hardly stand to look at her. Finally, Ginny had confessed to Hermione that the owl was becoming so depressed and admitted she was thinking of giving the owl to her. Instead, Hermione had tried another approach. She'd told the beautiful bird about Hedwig, with Ginny adding in her memories as well, and had showed the bird the pictures she had of Harry and his first owl. The owl had listened to every word, and several months later, the beautiful Hedwig-two laid five eggs. Harry gave Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville, and little Teddy Tonks each one hatchling. Ron had immediately named his owl Ohkool, when she knew he'd wanted to name it Asteros. Hermione was still waiting to hear how Ron had fumbled that one up.

Thinking of Ron, she wondered how he and Harry were faring on their S.E.C.E. maneuvers. She knew that the Auror Search Evasion and Capture Exercises could be really challenging and that, on occasion, fatalities and severe injuries happened. The thought made her uneasy. He would be gone for another three weeks of training, but having this time alone was rather nice. Besides, Ginny popped in frequently, often staying overnight, so she rarely got bored or lonely.

Hermione returned to her desk and pulled out her essay parchment on the blending of violet-leaf fern tinctures to asphiral spears sap and myrrh she'd been writing, after having finally found a way to make these three seemingly incompatible substances blend. She'd seen the article in the quarterly journal of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers about the infusion being impossible and felt the urge to disprove the statements. Minerva had been most accommodating when Hermione had asked to use the Hogwarts library for her research since she'd spent so much time helping the new librarian, Miss Penley, reorganize, restore, and repair all the books and rearrange the library in order to have it ready for the school year.

In her last year with him as her Potions professor, Snape had assigned homework regarding the introduction methods of either asphiral spears sap or myrrh with violet-fern oils, but none of the potions mixed the three together. She knew the three main constituents of asphiral spears, myrrh, and violet-fern were the resin, the gum, and the volatile oil, and all three did not normally mix well in potions. Due to the gummy nature of the products, combining them was tricky at best, but most potions only used two of the three mixed together and not all of them because they repelled many ingredients and reacted strongly against each other or combusted. During her sixth year, when they'd tried brewing three of these potions in class, nearly everyone had come close to melting their cauldron and half the class actually did. Hermione, Harry, and Draco alone had managed to keep their cauldrons intact.

Hermione had remembered reading about potions that combined asphiral spears or myrrh with other oily plant resins in her sixth year and could easily retrace her research on the decoction and analgesic she'd made in her seventh year after the war, using asphiral spears and myrrh under Professor Slughorn. So far, she'd only found references and potions that combined two of the three ingredients, not all three together, but she clearly remembered that she'd seen a potion that had combined all three—once.

Both asphiral spears and myrrh resins were used in medicinal decoction preparations for periodontal diseases, ulcerative canker and cold sores as a mouthwash, in combination with sage, peppermint oil, menthol, chamomile tincture, expressed juice from Echinacea, clove oil, and caraway oil. The volatile oils of these two plants were also combined with the same ingredients to make an analgesic potion and remedy for the common cold and sore throat. The resins of asphiral spears and myrrh were used in a making the thick liniments as a remedy for numerous infections, including leprosy and syphilis. She suspected that the key might be to add the violet-leaf fern tinctures to the potion's base before brewing, and if at all possible, it would strengthen these healing potions if the right formula could be determined.

Several days later, Hermione was back in the Hogwarts library, searching for the elusive Potion book. She knew that she had seen asphiral spears and myrrh combined with violet-leaf fern tinctures in at least two potions, which challenged the statements in the article. Actually, the project had another advantage. It gave her something to do while Harry, Ginny, and Ron were off in the Devonshire, watching a Chudley Canons game, again.

Finally, after hours of searching, she found a very thin book and two very obscure and dusty volumes in the Restricted Section that held the confirmation she needed.

—{}—

Severus relaxed in his sitting room enjoying a sniffer of fine elf brandy while reading the newest quarterly journal of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers. Salis Oldenburg had a ridiculous article the in the last issue regarding the impossibility and incompatibility of blending violet-leaf fern tinctures with the substances of asphiral spears and myrrh. He had wanted to write a contradictory article condemning the suppositions Oldenburg presented, but refrained. However, a very well written article had been submitted regarding the very question. The extremely well thought-out, well-researched, and well-supported response definitely piqued Severus' interest. He'd no idea who Jane Greenger was, but the woman had obviously attended Hogwarts, which also sparked his interest. He couldn't recall teaching a Jane Greenger, but the books she quoted in her article he knew well. Very well. Two of them had belonged to him and had been professionally copied, as per Dumbledore's request, for the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library.

Severus knew of the other source she'd quoted, a very old, very thin book that held the ancient Love-Drawing Potion that used all three of the ingredients as well as the Mooning-Dream Potion. Mooning-Dream Potion. Volatile to create, and particularly touchy in its timing. The potion had been forgotten ages ago—thankfully. Violet-leaf fern tinctures were generally infused with a natural, heavy mineral water base only found in the ancient springs in Pompeii or Bathe, occasionally with natural wells. The myrrh resin and asphiral spears oil were added with the Glumbumbles, and Streeler secretions, and if the measurements were not exactly precise, the potion was quite deadly. Lovage, bleeding heart, lavender, hellebore, larkspur, digitalis, cocoa bean,ginseng, and cyclemen tubers… the potion mixes both poisonous and love herbs.

Then there was the other one… It's base used Augurey and kelpie tears added to the violet-leaf fern tincture, which could then be mixed with asphiral spears oil and myrrh resin. Add asparagus root, ground cayenne peppers, lavender oil, myrrh oil, quince, yarrow and stevia root, cinnamon, clove, damiana, and the Ashwinder egg yolks… the ingredients of the Love-Drawing Potion, he recalled, if memory serves me, and you have a very powerful attraction potion.

The old potion had been used on several occasions to draw one's soul mate to the one who had taken the potion. However, the affections that occurred never lasted, unless there had been attraction before the potion's use. Bella had asked me to make the potion to make Lucius fall for her. The potion backfired, and she was betrothed to Rodolphus before the potion wore off. Still, both potions proved Salis Oldenburg wrong in his assumptions, Severus mused to himself. Only I hope that this Jane Greenger has better sense than to reintroduce this potion—either potion—back into common knowledge.

Severus had made sure the three books, which mentioned the methods of using the violet-leaf fern tinctures to the potion's base before brewing to strengthen the potions efficiency, had been placed in the most difficult and obscure hiding place he could conceal them, on the topmost shelf of the Potions section. Every year, he perused the card to see if anyone had requested to check out either of the books from the library. No one had since he'd donated the copies.

His own copies still stood in his own private bookcase, and only one other wizard that he knew of had copies of the books. Lucius Malfoy. Although, Severus doubted that his friend could understand the obscure ancient runes and complex arithmantic formulas necessary for the potions.

Severus called for Peeper, his house-elf and asked her to place the journal on his desk in the potions lab.

—{}—

Hermione checked the Love-Drawing Potion before she sat down to eat. It would be exactly twenty-three minutes before she added the shredded quince, then another two minutes before stirring the required seven times as she slowly blended in the ground cayenne peppers. Time enough for lunch. Ron still was away. He and Harry were spotted in the stands by the Seeker of the Chudley Cannons during the last match and had been invited to join the team in their practice—again. So, Hermione had the weekend to herself, again.

At precisely twenty-one minutes, she rose and waited, ready to add the quince. The potion frothed immediately from the substance, and she had to control the urge to stir quickly or too much to calm the foam down. Finally, the potion quieted somewhat, and she carefully added the next ingredient. The potion turned into a clear broth as she finished the last rotation of her spoon. She checked the copy of the potion directions. Assess again in five hours and dribble lavender essence oil by rolling down thy rod… Easy enough. She set the timer and headed to the loo to brush her teeth.

The next morning, Hermione checked her potion. The soft golden peach color was perfect. She carefully spooned in the myrrh oil and amber, waiting for the steam to begin to curl the other direction before she could add the stevia root. Once the myrrh and amber had fully blended, she would add more lavender oil and set the potion to the side.

The other sample sat on her worktable, finished ten days ago. The Ancient Runes and Arithmantic equations of that potion had been difficult, and the Augury tears and natural spring water from Pompeii to make both potions were expensive, but the potion had come out exactly as the book described, although she was finding it hard to translate the runes that made up the potion's name. Missing morning… or absent moon… new moon possibly. But the symbol of dream I know well enough, unless it's supposed to mean preoccupied. The first symbol was translated as preoccupied in later dictionaries…. Still, it meant nothing to her. Nevertheless, the swirling fumes of the pale, blush peach potion were delightful and smelled divine, filling her workspace with its incredible fragrance.

The third potion she found was a very complicated and difficult concoction that would make a thick analgesic liniment, which was great for severe joint pain. But because the potion was so dangerous to brew, even the more skilled brewers avoided making it, thus it was not readily available and almost completely unknown. The book Hermione had found the third potion in hadn't ever been checked out of the Hogwarts library. In fact, neither had the other two. Anyway, between the two potions she'd finished and the third she wanted to try, she now had proof that violet-leaf fern tinctures and asphiral spears and myrrh could be blended together in potions.

Hermione had woken up several times in the night for the last ten days or so, having erotic dreams of Severus Snape. In one of the recurring dreams, she saw him rise and walk out of the Shrieking Shack and seek her out to make love to her. In her most erotic dreams, he simply entered her home or her bedroom and began to make love to her in her own bed, or on her chaise lounge, the kitchen table, the drain board, the loo sink, her bathtub, or simply against the wall. In other dreams, she saw him open the door of a semi-detached house in an old industrial mill town, beckoning her inside and into his arms. But the room in the house was dark, and the only thing she could see were shelves of books, a fireplace, and Severus. And for some reason her mind couldn't stop imagining her one time professor standing before her in casual robes, or jeans and a shirt, or nude, his skin finally flushed with a bit of color with strong, lean muscle on his slender frame. But Merlin, he looked good, really good, in her dreams. So, unlike he had at school.

The hurtful retort by Salis Oldenburg was still tacked up on Hermione's corkboard along with her opera tickets. Master Oldenburg was still insisting on the impossibility and incompatibility of blending of the violet-leaf fern tinctures and asphiral spears and myrrh together, stating that her claims were preposterous. Well, she'd simply send him a vial of each potion with a copy of the directions for the third one, and go enjoy an evening with Luna at the opera. Besides, she was really looking forward to seeing Magicus Venenatum Noctis, Acredulae Cantionis, The Magical Enchanted Night of the Nightingale Song. Wizard opera was so fascinating to watch with the way the sets and costumes changed magically right before one's eyes. It was always amazing.

Luna was a due at her door at six-thirty sharp. She had been delighted when Hermione had asked to go with her, and her friend's enthusiasm completely made up for Ron's groaning when she'd purchased the tickets, especially since Ron would never have consented to go. So, she was going to the opera while he was off in Belfast to watch Quidditch.

By a quarter to six, Hermione ladled the shimmering pale amber potion into vials and carefully wiped some spillage off her worktable. Professor Snape would have been furious with me for being so careless in class, she laughed to herself. She carefully placed the sample potion in a box with the sample of her other potion and sealed it, addressing the package to Salis Oldenburg, care of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers quarterly journal. Crookshanks jumped up on her worktable to present her with his latest present, a freshly caught ground squirrel, accidently knocking one of the vials of her first potion to the floor. Hermione laughed, picked up her cat, and deposited him on the floor. Grabbing the same rag she'd used to clean up her worktable, she sopped up the potion, wrung the excess potion in the sink, and dropped the rag into the rubbish bin. Merc screeched on his stand when Hermione picked up the squirrel to deposit it into the rubbish. "Okay, you may have it," she replied, skinning and cleaning the animal deftly, and then tossing the squirrel to her owl, laughing as he caught it before it hit the ground. "Just don't eat it in the sitting room, eat it in the kitchen so you're easier to clean up after."

Hermione then carried her cauldron to the sink to clean it out. Her rubber gloves were on the floor again, obviously having been toyed with by her cat. "Crookshanks, you really must stop chewing up my gloves," she admonished her pet.

He just rubbed against her legs as she turned her attention to her cauldron.

Hermione turned to look at the clock, checking to see how much time she had to get ready for the opera, wondering if the Chudley Cannons had lost their game yet. Ginny was at the Harpies versus the Cannons game with the boys and was expected to come by later tonight. Hermione made a fortune betting against the Cannons Quidditch team and had a few rows with Ron about her winnings. Ron and Harry frequently had the same discussions, but Ron never yelled at Harry for supporting different teams or betting against the Cannons.

—{}—

So far, the Opera performance was breathtaking. The balcony seats she'd purchased were excellent. The costumes were incredible, and the singing performance completely enthralled her. The story was easy to follow because the music was so very powerful and the choreography was very well done. She and Luna were having a wonderful time. At intermission, Hermione and Luna sipped on a few flutes of champagne as they talked about the arias and the sets. She hadn't had so much fun in a long while. When the lights flashed, indicating that the second act was about to start, Hermione and Luna downed the last of their drinks and headed back to their seats. As the music started, Hermione felt a little lightheaded, as if she had become drunk on the champagne, but she closed her eyes and let the music sweep her away.

Hermione stumbled slightly as she exited her box, and she felt a strong hand reach out to steady her. The man in black pulled her to him in a warm and comfortable embrace, whisking her into the dark corner at the end of the corridor, instantly kissing her. Her head swam, and she felt like she was floating on air. His kiss was firm, demanding, and deeply passionate. His fingers seemed to glide over her body like the notes of the violins. In the background, the soft twitter of a nightingale's song mixed with soft sounds of the flute and soprano in perfect rhythm with his kisses and caresses. His cloak enveloped her, and his masculine scent carried to her senses, making her even more lightheaded with each breath she took.

The tenor began to sing, but Hermione hardly cared, completely giving into the man's sexual advances, desiring this more than anything she'd ever wanted before, feeling completely safe in the dark corner. Her gown parted and fell to the ground as his body pressed against hers, and she felt the searing heat of skin on skin as the obo played. He lifted her leg to rest at his hip and slid into her as the base drums and trumpets sounded, his penis thrusting into her as she tangled her fingers into silky hair, pulling him to her so she could kiss him. She swayed with the music, enraptured by the melody, moving in rhythm with the lean strong body in her arms. She could feel the music, feel it swell up inside her, and she wrapped herself tighter around the man holding her. Her breath caught and she groaned. The rolling building within her turned and seemed to pour from her core as if she were melting within his embrace. Soft, pleading cries issued from her, and his mouth claimed hers as she shattered into infinite pieces in her lover's arms.

He continued his lovemaking as the performers sang and the music surrounded them, feeling him thrust deeply into her with each plunge. She arched into him, trying to sink down onto him each time he pushed into her. She was insatiable, and he was incredible. She was reaching another peak as the soprano began her arias, gasping and grabbing onto him as her body reached another orgasmic release. He was pounding into her, pinning her roughly against the wall as he thrust in, murmuring her name in a deep throaty drawl as he came, filling her.

They stayed that way, pressed tightly together in the dark, languidly kissing, savoring the shared post climatic bliss, his softening penis still twitching inside her as she clung to him and willing the moment to last forever. He shifted, his penis slipping out, and he kissed her, tenderly and sensually. As if by magic, her dress covered her, her own cloak was wrapped around her body, and she leaned against the wall for support, her knees and entire body relaxed, weak, and spent as the last of the arias died into thunderous applause. And then, as though it were a dream, he was gone, lost in the crowd of faces, furs, and robes, filling the corridor.

"Hermione? Oh, there you are," Ginny said, touching her arm. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine, I think. Where am I?" she asked, looking around the living room in a dazed stupor. She was lying on the chaise by the window. Her favorite chair.

"You're home, in your lounge." Ginny looked at her curiously. "Are you all right? Boy, you missed a good game. Harry, Ron, and I got to fly the new Firebolt II's. Merlin, they're fast. I know we shouldn't have had those green drinks. I'm still feeling lightheaded myself… Hermione? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. Yes, I'm all right. I suppose I just fell asleep," she replied. "I think I'll go to bed. I must be really tired. Where's Ron?"

"The guys were invited to fly with the team tomorrow, so they stayed in Belfast. I've got to go back to the shop tomorrow… Hermione, are you sure you're okay? You look like you just woke from an erotic dream."

"I think I have—weird though," she said, trying to rise and feeling stiff and sore, especially her legs. "The dream was so surreal and yet it felt real… I'm just tired. You want to spend the night? I can go with you to Diagon Alley tomorrow. I need a few supplies."

"Sure, thanks," Ginny said sarcastically, still grinning. "I thought that was what we planned on doing. Geeze, some dream if you forgot I was coming over. Let me know if you have a repeat of your dream—or better yet, let me have some of the potion you used to have it."

Hermione looked at Ginny gobsmacked. "A Mooning or Preoccupation Potion… and Love Drawing Potion. I just finished them today."

"What do they do?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure," Hermione admitted sheepishly. "The Love-Drawing Potion is supposed to connect you with your soul mate so you can find each other. The other one I don't know anything about. I didn't make them to use, I made them to prove that certain ingredients could be used together in a potion. But I didn't take them…"

Ginny started laughing. "Hermione, you work too hard. Either that or you miss my brother. Good night. I'll see you in the morning. Thanks for letting me stay."

"No problem," Hermione said as she made her way to her own room. It was only a dream? A vivid exotic dream…? I didn't even see his face; it was too dark… but one thing is for sure, it wasn't Ron in my fantasy. Hermione froze, suddenly aghast. Merlin's balls! It wasn't Ron!

—{}—

Author's Notes:

This was the article I used for my owl facts: /animalbytes/t-owl

The number of eggs that are laid depends on the food supply. If prey is scarce, only two or three eggs may be laid; if food is easily available, then six or more eggs may be laid. Chicks generally hatch two days apart, with the oldest chicks getting the most food. This ensures survival of at least a few chicks if food is scarce.

I borrowed the ideas of the Ministry reorganization and Hermione's position in the department from 'The Potions Master's Amalthea' with permission of the author, as well as the moniker Tom 'Voldemort' Riddle, because I liked it.

I want to give a great big thank you hug to MadBrilliant for combing through this to point out my numerous errors and help me make this presentable for reading. You're the best, thank you!