Never Enough Time

Ch. 2: The Potion

Severus found himself jumping at every flash of red and gold searching for the Gryffindor girl from Monday evening. He knew all of the Seventh years from class so she was probably a sixth year, maybe fifth, but definitely not any younger. His gaze raked over the Griffendor table. Not many showed up for breakfast Sunday mornings, especially as the quiddich game lasted well into the night. He wondered idlely when she ate. She never seemed to be at the meals or at least not when he was. She didn't come to the game either and he looked through the Gryffindor crowd from his high vantage point several times. He felt strangely disappointed and elated that she wasn't there. Could she have meant what she said? That she didn't what to cheer for Griffendor if he was playing against them

After breakfast he headed to the library. He had taken to doing almost all of his studying there rather than in his room as he usually did. As had become routine over the past week he circle through the library checking all of the nooks and crannies before settling down at a table by the door. He chided himself for his almost inevitable disappointment. Sev you are obsessed. And she's a Gryffindor for Circe's sake!

He shook his head ruefully and buried himself in researching alternate ingredients for his potions project. He wasn't disturbed until hours later when Black and Pettigrew burst into the library with their typical Gryffindor bluster earning them a dirty look and deducted points from Mrs. Pince.

"Well, Well. If it isn't the Snakes' new seeker." Black said obnoxious and loud as always. "Enjoy your win while you can. That foul was a fluke."

"And what about the other six?" Severus asked. Potter, Gryffindor's chaser actually got caught by Madam Hooch last game messing up the Slytherin team. Not that Severus was above creative quiddich himself but at least he made sure he didn't get caught, or better yet get it blamed on Potter. Not that Potter actually needed any help in that area. Their usual mutual antipathy regularly got them both landed in detention but this was the first time they faced each other across the quiddich pitch and Potter couldn't behave so the captain had to bring in a reserve chaser. Regardless of what else Severus had to say about Potter, he was a good player and without him Gryffindor was doomed.

Black loomed over him and growled. Severus just leaned back in the chair and raised an eyebrow, trying not to grin at the other boy. He really should know better by now than to play mind games with a Slytherin. After a few moments of staring Black conceded the field and turned away with a huff. "It won't last we'll pound Revenclaw and Hufflepuff."

Severus just smirked at Black's retreating back and refrained from pointing out that neither team had a chance of defeating Slytherin either. Any further comment though would just invite Black to continue inflicting his presence on Severus. He watched at the two Gryffindors wandered into the stacks out of his sight before turning back to his research. However he found it harder to lose himself in his work, knowing Black was in the same room with him made him more than a little nervous.

He started flipping through books and notes, he needed…something. Restless he slammed the last book shut and stalked back to the potions section. He ran his fingers over the worn spines of books he know by heart. He was at the far end of Potions and about to head into Herbology when he heard it. A low, gruff voice that grated on his nerves, Black, and a soft feminine reply. They were speaking too low to be understood. His feet turned his towards the voices against his better sense. The last thing he wanted to see was some brainless chit of a girl making a fool of herself over Black, but he turned the corner and it was too late. His Gryffindor from Monday was standing against the wall talking to Black. Black had his hand against the wall by her head and was leaning into it. Severus could tell by the line of his body he must have just been oozing charisma. Pettigrew stood a few steps away watching but not saying or doing anything. Disgusting voyeur, probably watched Black shag them too.

Severus watched them despite the increasingly sick feeling in his stomach as the stupid fantasies he built over the past week shattered around him. Of course she wasn't interested in him when, as a Gryffindor, she had Black, Lupin and Potter handsome and available for female attention. Well, not so much Potter anymore Evans was possessive.

Black reached out to place his hand at the base of the girl's neck, running his thumb along her collarbone, but instead of leaning into the touch she stepped away. Or tried to, Pettigrew was blocking her exit. Apparently she hadn't been aware of his presence for when she turned her face to him from Black she flinched back violently and ended up right where she started. Severus was shocked by the panicked look on the girl's face and found himself re-evaluating Black even lower in his opinion.

"So, now you've taken to harassing members of your own House. That's low even for you Black." Severus' voice came out smooth and cold, betraying none of the turmoil of emotions that he just went through. Black turned to glare at him and the girl gave him a bright smile of relief. A smile that Black apparently missed completely.

"Belt it, Snape. You're just jealous 'cause no girl would want to spend time with you." Black turned back to the girl, wrapping one arm around her shoulders to her apparent discomfort. "Isn't that right Hermione? You wouldn't want to spent time with this beak-nosed git."

Hermione? Was that her name? He considered it a moment It suits her. "Well, she doesn't have much of a choice in the matter. The young lady you are pawing is supposed to be helping me with my potions project. Figg says I need an assistant." A blatant lie of course, but the girl- Hermione looked like she desperately needed to be extracted from the situation. And Black wouldn't know any better. He dropped his arm and gave her a look of pitying disgust. Hermione just shrugged at him and walked over to stand by Severus. With a parting glare at Black Severus walked back to the table to collect his books. Hermione followed.

"Um- thanks for the rescue." She stammered, clearly embarrassed.

"Forget it." Severus said dismissively, all the while feeling secretly proud of himself. "I mean it, if this gets out my reputation will be ruined."

She laughed, "Oh, come on. Who would believe it in the first place?" They walked aimlessly along the halls in silence before she asked "So what's this about a potion's assistant?"

"Oh." He clamped down on the blush that threatened at the prospect. "I don't really need any help. I just said that to get Black to back off."

"I could be a big help." She wheedled.

"No, definitely not."

"C'mon, everyone needs someone to do menial dicing and to provide a suitable target for verbal abuse." She said brightly.

He laughed and gave in "With an offer like that how can I refuse. Come along then."

The atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable if silent. Until they passed the potions classrooms at which point Hermione, looking confused, asked, "Um, where are we going?"

"Slytherin." He said and smirked as she froze. "The experiment is set up in my room. You can back out if you're afraid to go into the Serpent's Den. Like I said, I don't need the help." Oh, that was a low blow, Sev. He congratulated himself as he watched her face harden with determination.

"Are you going to tell me about this project of yours?"

"No." He said and grinned at her obvious irritation. "I want to see what you think going in cold."

She waited patiently around the corner for him to use the passwords and once inside stayed close to him. Some of the younger Slytherins gave them odd looks but no one said anything. Once they reached the safety of his room he watched as she poked around his mixtures and ingredients. He was grateful prefects got a private room for the millionth time that year as he was sure his ex-roommates would have several choice things to say about bringing a Gryffindor to the dorms.

"Well." She said. "Paint me yellow and call me Helga, but I have no idea what you are doing."

"Take a guess." He encouraged.

"Something…to do with…werewolves?" She asked holding up the crystal vial of werewolf saliva. "And…and vitality potions? I don't get it. Werewolf saliva, werewolf anything, is Dark Magic the curse contaminates everything it touches. I cannot believe Dumbledore approves of this research."

"Believe it. Who do you think gets me the wolf spit?" He finally decided to put her out of her misery and show her his notes. "I'm working on a lycanthrope vaccine."

"But the wolvesbane potion…" She murmured as she read through his work.

"Does next to nothing." He said. "It keeps the mind under human control but that is all. It doesn't keep the man from changing into a wolf or stop the disease from spreading to a scratched or bit human. And that's if you're lucky enough to find a potions master skilled enough to brew it every month in first place. With a vaccine one vial and you're inoculated for life."

He watched her ears perk s she shifted her attention more towards him then her reading, but she didn't look up. "Disease? Not…not a curse?"

"It is a curse, but the spell is on the virus not the person so it has all of the worse properties of both."

"And it's spread through the saliva? Or will any exchange of bodily fluid infect?" The both settled in front of his project that was spread across the two worktables he crammed into his room. She did have some new insight, remarking that lycanthrope, as a disease, seemed to act like something called 'rabies' only non-fatal. That was not a disease listed in Mungo's Magical Maladies and Malefections so he picked her brain on the matter for hours despite the distaste he felt once he understood that it was a Muggle disease. A Muggle animal disease.

After discussing the theoretical into the ground they turned to the more practical aspect of his research, finding a balanced vitality potion. Too much of the saliva and the whole thing was contaminated, infecting rather that protecting the patient. Too much of the purifying aspects in the potion and the curse would be completely wiped out doing absolutely nothing for the patient. By the time they had four cauldrons of variants gently simmering Hermione's eyes were starting to sag. She was using the wall to support her head upright but her fingers still cut the dried roots smoothly and evenly.

"That's enough now. You need a break." He ordered sternly.

"Yes, Professor."

"Don't be smart." He glanced over at her when she stiffened. She had a slightly confused and panicked look on her face. He was about to ask if she was all right when she seemed to recover and flashed him her bright smile and he wondered if he hadn't just imagined it.

"Would you rather I be stupid?" They both stood and stretched, careful not to knock over any of their work. She grimaced and rubbed her backside. "That chair is hard as a rock, my bum is killing me." She said before flopping down on his bed. "Much better."

He smirked and sat down next to her. She had a point, he was stiff and sore as well from hunching over potions ingredients but he wasn't about to admit to it. He watched the potions for a moment before asking. "So, do you think the dark moonflower will help any? I was hoping to find something more common…"

He trailed off when he felt her lean into him. He looked down at her in surprise, she has slumped over against him, fast asleep. Even in her sleep she had her bottom lip caught between her teeth. He smiled and gently leaned her back against the pillows. She must have been exhausted, it wasn't even dinner yet. He lifted her legs onto the bed and tried not to notice how very short the Hogwarts school uniform was and what the black robes didn't fully cover. He took off her shoes and placed them side-by-side next to the bed before tucking a green throw over her. Then he settled on the stool to watch the potions simmer.

... ... ...

Hermione woke up slowly. She could tell she fell asleep in her uniform yet again. She groaned and stretched and stretched and realized she wasn't in her bed. Her hand patted the empty side of the bed as her brain slowly started working again.

"Looking for someone?" A cold voice asked. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring up at an impassive Severus Snape. Finally she remembered where she was, when she was. She had come to the past after dinner and stayed much longer then she had planned. She blushed in embarrassment, he must think her very strange passing out like that even though she had been awake for well over twenty hours consecutively.

"Ah, something actually." She said as she sat up. "I'm afraid I take Father Scholarly's Lover rather to extremes and it was a little disconcerting to wake up without them."

"Father what?" he asked looking baffled "Them?"

"Father Scholarly's Lover." She said. "I take it you never heard the story then? Oh, well then, there was this priest, Father Scholarly, whose one luxury was a massive bed. The servants were terribly scandalized to find the impression of two bodies when the room was cleaned each morning. So one night they snuck into Father Scholarly's room to catch him in the act only to find him alone in the bed with a pile of books." She smiled "I find it rather useful, saves on having to get out of bed when I want to read something. Except for this one time, in my third year I think, I rolled over onto the Monster Book of Monsters and had to take a midnight trip to the Hospital Wing."

He seemed to relax and almost smiled. At that moment there came a loud insistent meow from the floor. Hermione looked down to see the biggest cat, outside of Crookshanks, she'd ever seen. It was a black so dark it had a sheen of blue highlights, and purple eyes.

"Hello, who's this?" Hermione got off the bed and knelt down next to the cat. "Part kneazle isn't he?"

"She, is yes. Nightshade is my familiar. How can you tell she's a kneazle, most people don't know them from regular cats."

"My cat, Crookshanks, is too. After a while you can just tell." She said holder her hand out for Nightshade to sniff. She pulled back sharply when Nightshade took a casual swipe at Hermione's fingers and growled her complaint. "She doesn't seem to like me."

"It only makes sense. Cats are intelligent, perceptive and very, very possessive." He said helping her to her feet.

"Of course they are. I've said as much about Crookshanks myself. But how does that explain her dislike of me?" She mentally braced herself for one of the multitude of cutting remarks that strait line invited.

"Quite simply that she doesn't like the idea of having to share her wizard with a witch."

"What?" Hermione looked up into Severus' dark eyes. She was keenly aware of the hands that helped her to stand and never released her arms. He was standing so close to her, yet their bodies barely brushed against each other. Slowly he lowered his head, she could feel his breath on her cheek, and he hesitated. She almost whimpered she wanted him to complete the motion so badly. He stood there holding her gently a breath away from kissing her but frozen and unmoving. Her face was tilted up to him, eyes half closed and a slight flush brightening her cheeks. And he was so very, very close. She just leaned forward slightly and her lips brushed softly against his sending a tingling sensation from their contact, down her throat, and down someplace deeper. She felt his mouth curve into a smile and his soft chuckle reverberated along the core of her being. She pulled back and looked up into his glittering black eyes.

"You are such a Gryffindor." He said. It was the first time she heard him say the word without making it sound like an insult. She frowned at him in confusion and started to pull away but his hold tightened and one hand came up to grip her hair gently but firmly.

"Wha-" She started to ask but then he was kissing her. His tongue was gently exploring her open mouth and his hands pressing her against him. She didn't know how long they stood there lost in each other, forever and not nearly long enough, when the sickly sweet smell of burning candy intruded on them. The broke apart with startle curses as the potions boiled over. Severus dove for the cauldrons with cooling charms and purified the overflow. She opened the windows and started fanning the smoke outside. The cool night air hit her overheated body like a slap and she looked out on the stars shining brightly in the night sky.

"Severus, how long was I asleep?" She asked.

He shrugged. "Long enough. I figured you must've needed it."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'll walk you back to Gryffindor."

... ... ...

Hermione gazed out the library's window and wished she were back in the past. She had to get her work done first and Arithmancy was the last thing on her mind with Severus around, and when he was not around as well for that matter. Lavender and Parvati were right about one thing. There was something to be said about Slytherin boys. Even Crabbe and Goyle were handsome in an American Footballer kind of way. The elder, that is, their son's were seriously lacking. She had got a good look at them when Severus escorted her back to Gryffindor tower. Lucius Malfoy and his two bodyguards caught up with them before they left Slytherin. She had to stand far enough away that she couldn't hear then but she also couldn't leave Severus' line of sight. So she stood at the far end of the room watching the four boys talk. It was mostly Malfoy doing the talking. He was drop-dead gorgeous, like a marble statue. And Severus was… how did her cousin put it again, oh yes, sexy-ugly. He was not cute, or handsome, or beautiful. Or, in fact, aesthetically pleasing in anyway. But, there was just some indescribable quality that made him very shag-worthy. And, dear God, could he kiss. She sighed happily.

"Hey, 'Mione." She looked up as Harry slid into the chair across from her. "I- um- don't take Ron too seriously. You know how he gets."

She blinked at him. She had almost forgot about the incident at the dinner table. Was that only a few days ago? It felt like forever. She smiled brightly, she'd been doing that a lot more recently. "It's okay, really. A couple of more days and he'll forget there was even a problem." Not to mention forget there was anything to apologize for.

"Yeah." Harry smiled weakly back at her but his smile faded and he looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Um… are you…okay?"

"Everything is fine." She smiled again. Everything was more then fine.

"Well, you've been acting a bit... strange." Harry said refusing to look her in the eye. "So, I was kind of…worried."

"Strange? How?" She demanded.

"Well, you seem distant, distracted. Like just now you were staring off into space with a smile on your face."

"I see, I'm smiling so something must be wrong."

"No, that's not how I mean it." Harry said, "You're just acting different, that's all. Usually you get so upset when Ron…"

"So, something's wrong because I'm not letting Ron get to me?" She crossed her arms and frowned, it felt distinctly uncomfortable after all those smiles.

"No!" Harry shouted, and then glanced around nervously but there was no one else in this section of the library. "Look, you're acting different and I don't know why. I feel like you're keeping something from me and that worries me."

She sighed, now she felt guilty. McGonagall had made her promise not to tell anyone about the time-turner and was very specific about that including Harry and Ron. So she couldn't very well tell him why she was so happy, regardless of how badly she wanted to.

"That's because I am." She said with brutal honestly. "But please don't ask because I would tell you if I could but I can't."

"I understand." He said. And cut to the heart of the matter with insight that startled even her, who should be used to it. "Does…does he treat you well?"

She nodded and her smile was blinding. "Yes, yes he does."

"Good, 'cause if he doesn't…" Harry slapped his fist into his open palm suggestively. "Well, I got divination, so I'll see you around Hermione."

"Right." Hermione tried to study for a few minutes more before giving it up as a lost cause and pulling out the time-turner and accompanying books, the ephemeris and a 1978 calendar. Since she was planning on going back regularly she thought it best to log when she went to avoid confusing either herself or Severus. She very carefully checked and re-checked her target destination. She threw off her first trip by confusing the astrological symbols for Virgo and Scorpio, which of course put Mercury in a very different area of the sky.

Over the next few weeks she found herself spending more and more time in the past. Usually she was with Severus but she would sometimes run into others, like the Marauders. The first time she saw James Potter she nearly had a heart attack thinking it was Harry. For the most part she avoided the other Gryffindors because they tended to ask awkward questions, like who was she and why didn't they know her. She was careful not to let Black corner her again. Thanks to Severus she managed to avoid answering those very same questions. She also avoided him because he was usually with Peter Pettigrew, knowing what she did about Wormtail he just made her skin crawl.

She spent a lot of time in 1978 sleeping in the library as well. The extra hours she was putting in with the time-turner would quickly become a drain if she didn't get extra sleep to balance it out. She went back during the hours when Severus was in classes to sleep in her favorite sun-warmed little nook in the library. Sometimes she woke up to find Severus sitting in the other chair studying or just watching her. Her favorite sleeping spot by far was Severus' room but that was really hard to arrange. She loved the smell of his room of sweet cloves and herbs and of him, and mostly she loved it because she got an entire bed to herself. She really needed to reshelve those books.

Back in her own time potions class was getting really uncomfortable. She kept wondering if he made the connection between her two selves. He never said anything though she sometimes caught him watching her out of the corner of her eye but when she looked strait at him he was looking elsewhere. Not that that was unusual for Snape, he was always looking crossways at her, Harry and Ron waiting for them to break the rules, but it had a whole new set of connotations now. She rarely went through an entire class without blushing at least once thinking about his kiss or his hands on her body not that he was ever anything less then a perfect gentleman. Despite the fact that they were usually alone in his room with a perfectly acceptable bed right there. It was frustrating and whenever she tried to push the matter he just chided her for being a Gryffindor and to be patient.

As December rolled in bringing bitter cold and a thick layer of snow she found herself very content with her life. Studies were going well, it even looked like the Gryffindor chasers were going to pass all their classes for another term. Harry was invited to spend Christmas at the Weasley's and Ron even extended an invitation to her, forgetting the entire incident of the hundred twenty-five points just as she predicted. She declined though and Harry gave her an inquiring look. "I'm going home, my parents are hosting a massive family to do and I get to help get everything ready."

Ron accepted her explanation but Harry cornered her after he left. "Not spending time with your boyfriend?"

"I'm not going to tell you who it is." She said answering the question he was really asking. "But thank you for not telling Ron."

"I figure it was the least I could do to ensure peace in Gryffindor tower." Harry said. "Course you know, once he finds out he is going to have a fit."

"I know, I wish he would get over that stupid crush from forever ago. The jealousies are annoying."

"I think he has." Harry said. She snorted. "No, really. I think he has firmly moved you into the 'family' category. He's just over-protective that's all."

"Oh, that's nice." She said, sarcasm thick in her voice. Defiantly spending too much time with Sev. "He doesn't want me so no one else can either."

Harry shrugged. "I didn't say it made sense, but that's Ron for you. If it helps he's the same way with Ginny."

"Does he know about you two yet?"

"Oh, it was great, you missed a scene. She told him at breakfast the morning after and threatened to break his kneecaps if he complained." Harry chuckled. "Did I ever thank you for Ginny's Muggle self-defense lessons?"

She chuckled and yawned covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Nap time as soon as she could get rid of Harry. The moment Harry said his goodbyes and was out of sight she had the time-turner out making the manual adjustments. She had gotten familiar enough with the planets' positions that she no longer needed to tote around the massive ephemeris, just a few notes on the faster moving planets. Within moments she was settling into her chair and was about to fall asleep when movement outside the window caught her attention. A dark figure was standing out alone in the dead gardens below. His dark cloak was a stark contrast to the white snow and gray walls. She couldn't see details clearly but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was Severus. She got up and dashed out of the library, down the stairs and out the door. She wasn't really dressed for going outside and her cloak was still in her room, but she didn't feel like going back just to change.

It took her a little while to find him. The gardens were a maze, literally, and not an easy one either. It wasn't helped that every time she worked out the formula used to plot it the thing changed, sometimes while she was still in it. She found him eventually in a small alcove. He was standing there, staring off into space with a blank, cold expression on his face. He didn't appear to notice her arrival. She frowned, he looked rather forbidding. He probably wouldn't be happy having his thoughts interrupted. She shoved her hands into her pockets and found her gloves where she placed them after the snowball fight this afternoon. She grinned, oh he would be brassed but she couldn't resist. She crammed her fingers into the gloves and packed a quick snowball together. The snow here was much heavier, better packing, here then back home. She took careful aim and threw. It nailed him, good and hard on the shoulder. He spun around and had his wand in hand the look on his face was priceless. She giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

He stared at her a moment before putting his wand away muttering "Gryffindors" like a curse.

"I'm sorry." She said "I saw you from the window and thought you might like some company."

"It's all right." He said giving her a small smile that still looked a little sad.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing important." He shrugged. "Do you have any plans for Christmas Break?"

She frowned at the change in subject but decided that he would tell her what was wrong when he was ready. She was about to tell him about her family's party plans when she remembered Harry's question from earlier. Maybe he was picking something up with all that Divination Dumbledore makes him take. "Why?"

He shrugged. Dismissive again, that means it's important. "I am taking the lycanthrope project home with me. Father has a full potions laboratory and he said I could use it since he and Mother won't be there for the holidays. I was wondering if you would want to continue helping me with it over the break."

"Sure." She said without thought or hesitation. "But wouldn't your Slytherin friends have something to say about taking a Gryffindor home with you?"

"I'm sure they would have several things to say about me taking a Gryffindor home with me. Probably crude and involving numerous slaps on the back." He grimaced. "How about your Gryffindor friends? Surely they won't look favorably on consorting with the enemy?"

"I can hear it now." She giggled and imitated Ron's whine. " 'Snape? That' insert insult of choice 'Snape? 'Mione, what were you thinking?'"

"And what will you tell them?"

"I dunno. I guess…" She shivered violently in the cold air and Severus narrowed his eyes studying her.

"Where is your cloak?" he demanded, sounding exactly like his older self asking some hapless student about her homework.

"I – ah – I forgot it?" She stifled a giggle, she sounded exactly like aforementioned hapless student for the first time in her life.

"Gryffindors, don't have the sense to get in out of the rain." He growled and unbuttoned his cloak to swing it around her shoulders. The warmth that settled around her smelled just like him.

"But won't you get cold." She protested although she didn't want to give it back.

"I'll be fine." He said before turning her around by the shoulders "Now, let's both get inside before we freeze."

... ... ...

AN: Here we have the second SS/HG cliché that I couldn't manage to avoid, the potions project. Ah, well I tried. As always, please drop a review and tell me what you think of it.