Black Rider
Mae and Ducky
Disclaimer -- See my stuff? Neither do I. Even the plot belongs to my friend - I am just this baby's surrogate mother.
A.N. Oh! This is becoming one of my favorite ficcies to write! Which means they will come out faster then my other fics... reviews make stories my favorite, btw! *cough*pleasereview!!*cough*
Ah! Reviewers, I LOVE you!
~4 -- Potter and Potions-- 4~
Hermione wrapped the cloak tighter around herself as the sharp wind stung her face, and whipped her hair around. She approached the tall brick building steadily, and brought her wand out of her pocket.
She tapped a brick to her right, and a large archway formed. Harry had an odd fascination with making brick archways.
With a step inside the archway the wind stopped instantly, and Hermione looked around to see a large courtyard, full of beautiful trees and shrubs.
A man with messy black hair spun his head around to see who had come into his home, and after seeing the guest, turned his chair around to face her.
"Ah! Hermione! How are you? Nice to see a friendly face," He said in a jolly tone, putting down a book. He immediately stood and walked towards her. "You wouldn't believe how busy I've -" He stopped talking and walking after he realized she was standing in the same spot she had been, the same look on her face.
She just stared, and could feel it turning into a glare.
Harry coughed nervously, and said with a laugh, "What's got you now, Hermione?"
"Has this been what's taking up your schedule?" She said airily, looking around and plucking a leaf off the nearest tree. "I can see why you are so stressed - stressed enough to skive out on spending time with your friends," She turned her wandering gaze back to Harry, willing herself to shoot daggers.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Now, Hermione, see here - I wouldn't just skip out on anything. You know I have things to do - and I was asked to be at an important meeting last night, and I couldn't skive out of that, so I had to postpone our time." He folded his arms across his chest. "Besides, Herm, you know I wouldn't trade time with you guys for anything else,"
Hermione felt a twinge of guilt nagging at the back of her mind, but she ignored it, and continued on. "Harry! How can you magically have to leave, (important things usually are given out in advance) and I magically get stuck with Ron for the entire night?"
"Ah, yes," Harry said with a slight cough, and Hermione's eyes narrowed. "About that. that was a complete coincidence, and Ron's asking me to leave the two of you alone had nothing to do with my decision to go to the meeting." Harry couldn't hold back a sly grin.
"And just what was this meeting about?" Hermione demanded, feeling angrier every moment.
"That's not important," He said slowly, turning back to his chair. "I came to tell you all this in person, you know, but you were mysteriously not home, again. Things will always surprise you when you aren't ready." He gave her an odd look, which she ignored. "Where are you always disappearing off to anyway? Ron talked with me last night - and apart from some nasty things, said that you were always off to see the unicorn races." Harry grinned.
Hermione coughed slightly, looking away.
"Is it true then?" He asked, his grin widening.
"Ah, well," Hermione sputtered, continuing to study the ground.
"So all that stuff you said about how the 'Unicorn games were pointless, used-to-exploit-women, abusive to the unicorns, pointless, stupid, another thing for the wizarding people to loose all their galleons on and obsess over' was bull? Everything you said against the unicorn races was a cover for you to get in without feeling ashamed?" Harry rambled on, and Hermione felt her face reddening.
"No! I still believe every word I said against the Unicorn races - they do intentionally exploit women (Stupid, stupid women), the gambling problems have increased insanely because of the races, Unicorns are hurt, and everything else." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Harry! What you are thinking is wrong, I am telling you. Don't nose in my buisiness, just get over it. You will never know."
Harry's eyebrows were raised further, and after narrowing his eyes for an intense stare out, he finally gave and said, "All right, so we go on to Ron's second theory, that you are seeing someone."
Hermione sighed loudly, and thrust her face into her hands.
"Oh, Hermione, Hermione - I am just joking!" He laughed. "Not about him saying it. of course he mentioned something like that - but I am joking about my believing him. I would be more likely to believe you were competing in the Unicorn races yourself before believing you were seeing someone without telling me!" He laughed again, and Hermione chuckled nervously.
Harry finally ceased, and had to remove his glasses to wipe away the tears of mirth forming at the corners of his eyes. Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"But - Herm - seriously - last night couldn't've been that bad," He looked up at her, one eyebrow arched.
Hermione sighed. "Yes, Harry, it was. And I don't want you to try pulling any stunts like that again. I am a grown woman, damnit! I can handle my own love life - on my own," She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head up a tad.
Harry sighed. "Hermione, you don't have a love life, and I was just. nudging you a bit. and you know he's liked you since forever."
Hermione stared. "And why? WHY is it that he does? He's always acting like I'm a pain in the ass - he is such an idiot - he is always arguing with me, can't keep his mouth shut, is a complete nut case - I don't think I'd be with him that way for a million galleons!"
"Hermione," Harry said slowly. "I'm just saying."
"No!" She yelled, stirring a few birds in the near trees. "Just - leave me alone. One prod in the direction of my love life, Harry Potter, and you will pay!" She had inched closer to him throughout the conversation, and with her last word she smacked her wand over his head.
He looked up, bringing his hand to his head and eyeing her with distaste.
" 'Would you like to stay for some milk and cookies' wouldn't be the right thing to say now, would it?" He sighed and stood. "Well, fine, Hermione. Deal with your own problems, I give up trying to push you two together anyway."
"Yes, well, I would love some cookies, but I am going to be late for work-"
"Hermione, its Sunday. You can't seriously expect me to fall for that," He lifted an eyebrow again.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, this time I'm telling the truth. I-" She stopped herself, and added, "Not that I was lying any of those other times, mind you." Harry raised his eyebrows. "But this time the Ministry needs me for a whipping up a very important newly discovered potion, and you can come see for yourself later on."
Harry nodded. "Ah, well, don't worry, I believe you good enough. I am going to go back to my day of relaxation, before another emergency call comes in for another meeting. Good day, see you some time later,"
Hermione nodded to him, and left out the archway. She quickly apparated home, put on her new work robe, and left for the ministry.
~*~
Hermione dashed through the Ministry's, passing friendly faces as she went, and came to a complete stop before turning down the hall of the Department of Potions Affairs.
She smoothed out her dark green robes, which she had set out especially for her new job assignment.
In an instant she had knocked on the Head of Departments offices' door, and was entering swiftly, hoping that she hadn't been off time too much.
"Ah! Hermione," Phillip Dunkerbee said loudly, ushering the young woman into the room. "Right on time! Now, if you will take a seat, we will wait another few minutes for your partner to arrive, and during the mean time you can look over these notes-" He stuffed a neat stack of parchments into Hermione's hands, and went to shut the door behind her, and came back around to push her into the nearest chair.
"My - my partner?" She looked down at her notes and then back up at her new boss. She had been told this would be an individual assignment.
"Yes! Damn good Potions expert, this one, and we can't have you mixing up such an important potion without a Potions Master at your side," He was digging through his desk now, pulling out random objects. "Now, I know we told you that you wouldn't be needing a partner, but when reviewing the assignment I decided that, gifted as you may be," Hermione blushed slightly, "That you need some help. This is a very tough potion - and very, very important - can't have any slight blunders on this one."
Hermione nodded, looking over her notes.
"Sir," She said quickly, looking up from her notes. "Might I ask who my partner will-"
But at that moment her partner had arrived.
The door had been wrenched open, and then shut again with a loud slam, and there stood in the doorway a tall man dressed completely in long, black robes and cloak -
Hermione couldn't keep herself from gasping.
"Professor Snape!" She said, a bit too loudly, and immediately wished she hadn't.
"Now, I hardly think you'd be needing to call him 'Professor' anymore!" Mr. Dunkerbee laughed behind her, and ushered Snape into the other seat in front of his desk.
Snape was eyeing Hermione silently, looking a bit shocked himself, but turned back to Mr. Dunkerbee without so much as a second glance back at her.
She, however, could not keep herself from staring.
Mr. Dunkerbee cleared his throat, and began;
"Now, nice to see I don't have to introduce both of you," He eyed Hermione, who was just now regaining her composure. "We may skip to the briefing.
"Now. This potion," He handed Snape his own stack of parchments, to be looked over during the briefing. "Has been in development for some time now. The muggles have been having problems with this ailment since before we now know, but it hadn't been an issue so much for our own culture, with the kinds of preventions we've had at hand. But an alarming rate of wizards and witches are coming down with this sickness, and nothing seems to be even a remote help to it but muggle radiation therapies and European diet therapies. So we have been forced to step in and come up with a treatment of our own.
"Cancer. Each type is specifically different from the next, in each location of the body, in each person, and it is almost impossible to be eradicated by the muggles gadgets today. But we have now found a concoction that, in theory, should break down the mutated cell growth for each type of cancer when taken orally, at specified intervals, for a specified time period. You have already been briefed, I am sure, on the muggles notes on Cancer," Both Hermione and Snape nodded. It had taken Hermione five days straight to read those notes, and ended up missing the previous Thursday's race. "So. we, naturally, have struck an agreement with the muggle prime minister, and this potion shall be put into the muggles hop-sitals-"
"'Hospitals'," Hermione automatically corrected.
"Hospitals.. yes, hospitals - and the muggles are to think this is a normal muggle remedy - and we are never to be bothered. The only thing we'll have out on the muggle market - the only thing we will ever have had out on the muggle market - and," He sighed, as if disappointed. "We have agreed to hand over the potion rights to a team of witch-doctors, who will be making this potion day and night for a while now, and all of the money is to go straight to muggle remedy funding, which we will personally make sure is going to muggle remedies (so that they can come up with their own cure), and not the doctors' salaries.
"You are to begin work on stewing this potion immediately - it should take, oh, I forget how long, it's there on your notes somewhere-" He pointed to the top of Hermione's parchment. "And I've already given you your times for work, and, now, you may leave to the room three doors down the hall, to the right, labeled 'potions testing', and begin work immediately.
"Oh! But first, any questions?" He looked eagerly out at Hermione and Snape, who where both currently looking down at their notes.
Hermione looked up, trying to formulate anything she might have questions on. "Um, Sir -" She started, looking down at her weekly work schedule. "It doesn't say anything about Saturday's work-"
"Ah, well!" Mr. Dunkerbee said, looking out oddly at the two of them, as they had both snapped their eyes up at him after Hermione's question. "Well, since you both specifically asked for Saturday afternoon and nights off from work - and Thursday nights too, I do believe, we have scheduled it - but, I'm afraid, that you will be needing to come in a bit early and stay a bit late on Wednesday's and Sunday's."
Hermione slumped back in her chair, mulling over the facts.
After a minute Mr. Dunkerbee stood, taking a few of his stray objects with him. "Well, if that is all. I am going to be visiting another of the heads of departments, to discuss the muggle marketing, you know how to contact me if anything is a trouble."
He began walking out of the room, ushering the two of them out with him, and said good day and pointed them to their new workroom.
She and Snape walked silently into the room, a good deal of distance between them. Snape automatically began to ready the enormous cauldron the moment he entered the room, and so Hermione took that moment to look back over the ingredients and directions notes.
The Potion was unbelievably complex - unmeasureable to the ones she completed during Hogwarts, and other minor jobs at the ministry. It was compromised of not only normal and other elusive plants and objects, but of other potions, all added after perfect intervals of stirring and simmering. She furrowed her eyebrows, and her mind began to race at the thought of such a challenge.
Hermione turned to Snape, and watched for a minute as he prepared the vinegar-and-water based potion above the fire, and walked over.
She picked up the long ladle-looking stick, and prepared to begin stirring up the base, until it was brought to a boil. But as she walked over to stand beside the cauldron, Snape flung out his hand, to stop her.
"It isn't ready to stir yet," He said quietly, with a bit of impatience in his voice.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am fully aware of that - but I am allowed to be as close to the cauldron as you are," She said, a bit snippily, as she pushed his hand down and walked over to the side of the cauldron.
He merely gave her his usual venomous stare, and Hermione couldn't help but notice that he looked as though he was going to respond with 'Ten points from Gryffindor' or something along that line. As she finally began to stir he fell back and began to read his notes.
Once she had finished stirring, Hermione went back to a large set of cabinets on the wall, and began to pull out the necessary ingredients for a minor potion she would have to be adding later on.
Snape was beside her, working on a different table, pulling out ingredients and another cauldron.
Suddenly realizing that he had all the same ingredients out that she did, she called out, "Prof - erm, Snape - um- Severus - um - Sir -"
He turned around, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm already brewing the potion you got out, I think-" She held up the notes for that particular potion, and he sighed in frustration.
"Very well," He came over to her table, and put down his notes, and took out a quill. "I think we should each choose a part to do, and then mark it off - so that we do not end up making two of the same potion, and ruin our initial one,"
"I think," Hermione said, moving over away from him. "That we should make a sort of checklist, and when each part needs to be done, we take alternate turns making each batch, and-"
"Just. Choose. A damn. Part." He threw her the quill. "I don't want to keep referring to you and what you've done - I just want to get the potions done and over with and stored-"
"But some of these need to be made on the spot," Hermione said quickly.
"Well, obviously, we will have to make those then, won't we? But the rest we can get done now - so we have more time to get the rest done when it's needed."
He narrowed his eyes further, and pointed his finger at the parchments. "Be quick, I want to get something done today."
She glared and grabbed his quill quickly, and they set about separating all of the potions work.
He finally left her side, and retreated to a corner of the room to work on his potions alone.
Hermione, after a certain amount of time, walked back over to the large cauldron in the middle of the room, and sprinkled five milliliters of crushed insect wings over the surface of the boiling base solution, and continued stirring, all as Severus turned to watch her every move.
Finally, after Severus nearly ruined his potion as he made sure she was not destroying their own potion, Hermione said impatiently, "You know, I am an adult now, out of Hogwarts, and just because I am not a potions master yet that doesn't mean I have no clue how to brew a potion."
He narrowed his eyes, and went back to his small potion.
"In fact, I think it was Professor Dumbledore himself that told me, after I brewed that potion for him (when you were off somewhere) that I could replace you as soon as I got out of Hogwarts, if I made it my mission." She said this, mostly to herself, but Severus turned around sharply.
"When was this?" He said suspiciously, a vial tight in his hand.
She shrugged. "I assume one of the nights you were off spying for him. You were gone a lot, I do not know when exactly."
This seemed to send him thinking, and back to his quiet state, leaving Hermione free to breathe.
Hermione's mind wandered instantly as she sat down, to the one thing that could make her feel exited - the upcoming unicorn race.
Thursday's Unicorn Race - a nice race, with normal rules.
She suddenly remembered that Ron had asked her to go with him on next Thursday's race. She involuntarily shuddered.
No - she enjoyed the Thursday's races, though they weren't as unexpected and challenging as Saturdays, a lot more riders turned up - a lot more people too, because they weren't so late at night as Saturdays races. A lot more families, and a lot less skimpy pro riders.
She sat and wondered to herself what this Saturday's Special would be, while mixing up her mini-potion.
Again she was struck by an important thought - Severus had asked for Thursday's and Saturday's off too. Severus had been there last Saturday. and now that she thought about it, she remembered that black figure leaning over the railing out of the corner of her eye in almost every other race that she could remember. And, she had a sinking feeling that he had delivered some of the spells that had saved her butt that last race.
She snuck a look over her shoulder at him, wondering to herself why he would be so ardent a Unicorn Race fan. surely he didn't come there for the skimpily dressed women falling off their Unicorns all over the place, as most of the assholes in the crowd were.
Severus suddenly looked back over his shoulder, and raised an eyebrow as she stared, gaze unfocused as she was lost in thought.
She focused her gaze and realized what she was doing, and turned back to her potion, feeling a bit stupid.
Hermione turned her thoughts back to the Unicorn races, and tried to wonder among herself if she had ever sat back and watched a Race before. the only time she could think of was way back when, when she was first starting, and she had actually been kicked off before the race had started, and watched almost the entire race from the entry way.
Before she knew it, her mini-potion was complete, and the main potion was stowed away, and Severus was leaving.
She sighed to herself and collected her notes and such, and went out into the hall, to the lift.
Instead of apparating home immediately, she walked along the streets, mulling thoughts over in her head. Like how Harry had been trying to push her and Ron together. and Severus being her partner for the most important job of her life so far. and Severus watching the races.
Only after an old scrubby man began to slightly follow Hermione, winking whenever she turned back, did she swing into an alley and aparate to her house.
She threw off her green dress robe, neglecting to stow it away properly, and read through her notes a bit more before retiring for the night, purposely forgetting to check her answering machine.
~*~
Yes, yes, yes - I know, I made up a department for the ministry, but hell if I care.
Ah. 'pro' is a 'prostitute' . just in case anyone didn't know. funny story about my class to go along with that. won't bring it up now, though, don't want to bore you.
So... how do you like? What would you like to see happen? TELL ME your ideas for 'Saturday Special' Rules, and I will probably use them! (I've only got a so-so list so far)
Ok. I've been questioned about the ages. well, I've thought about it, and Sev and James were in the same year. James and Lily ran off and married right out of Hogwarts, I've decided, and had Harry at 18 years old. Hermione is now 23. So that means Sev is. Sev is 41 years old. O_O I don't like the sound of that. See, everyone, this is why I've refrained from writing Sev/Herm fics! That age difference REALLY bugs me! What if Lily had Harry at 25, like a normal person? That would mean Sev would be 50 when Hermione was 25! How can the normal person deal with that? That is wrong! That is sick! That is. just odd! BUT I am going to mentally drop that age difference, so that I can write this fic with a clear conscience, so from now on Sev is only 28. Anyone who dares oppose me.
Is this not the most original plot in the world?! *shines* Ducky told me I could have it, since she was really busy, and I had already written chapter one... so woo hoo! Here I am, with chapter four! Praise Ducky, my mighty muse.
Mae and Ducky
Disclaimer -- See my stuff? Neither do I. Even the plot belongs to my friend - I am just this baby's surrogate mother.
A.N. Oh! This is becoming one of my favorite ficcies to write! Which means they will come out faster then my other fics... reviews make stories my favorite, btw! *cough*pleasereview!!*cough*
Ah! Reviewers, I LOVE you!
~4 -- Potter and Potions-- 4~
Hermione wrapped the cloak tighter around herself as the sharp wind stung her face, and whipped her hair around. She approached the tall brick building steadily, and brought her wand out of her pocket.
She tapped a brick to her right, and a large archway formed. Harry had an odd fascination with making brick archways.
With a step inside the archway the wind stopped instantly, and Hermione looked around to see a large courtyard, full of beautiful trees and shrubs.
A man with messy black hair spun his head around to see who had come into his home, and after seeing the guest, turned his chair around to face her.
"Ah! Hermione! How are you? Nice to see a friendly face," He said in a jolly tone, putting down a book. He immediately stood and walked towards her. "You wouldn't believe how busy I've -" He stopped talking and walking after he realized she was standing in the same spot she had been, the same look on her face.
She just stared, and could feel it turning into a glare.
Harry coughed nervously, and said with a laugh, "What's got you now, Hermione?"
"Has this been what's taking up your schedule?" She said airily, looking around and plucking a leaf off the nearest tree. "I can see why you are so stressed - stressed enough to skive out on spending time with your friends," She turned her wandering gaze back to Harry, willing herself to shoot daggers.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Now, Hermione, see here - I wouldn't just skip out on anything. You know I have things to do - and I was asked to be at an important meeting last night, and I couldn't skive out of that, so I had to postpone our time." He folded his arms across his chest. "Besides, Herm, you know I wouldn't trade time with you guys for anything else,"
Hermione felt a twinge of guilt nagging at the back of her mind, but she ignored it, and continued on. "Harry! How can you magically have to leave, (important things usually are given out in advance) and I magically get stuck with Ron for the entire night?"
"Ah, yes," Harry said with a slight cough, and Hermione's eyes narrowed. "About that. that was a complete coincidence, and Ron's asking me to leave the two of you alone had nothing to do with my decision to go to the meeting." Harry couldn't hold back a sly grin.
"And just what was this meeting about?" Hermione demanded, feeling angrier every moment.
"That's not important," He said slowly, turning back to his chair. "I came to tell you all this in person, you know, but you were mysteriously not home, again. Things will always surprise you when you aren't ready." He gave her an odd look, which she ignored. "Where are you always disappearing off to anyway? Ron talked with me last night - and apart from some nasty things, said that you were always off to see the unicorn races." Harry grinned.
Hermione coughed slightly, looking away.
"Is it true then?" He asked, his grin widening.
"Ah, well," Hermione sputtered, continuing to study the ground.
"So all that stuff you said about how the 'Unicorn games were pointless, used-to-exploit-women, abusive to the unicorns, pointless, stupid, another thing for the wizarding people to loose all their galleons on and obsess over' was bull? Everything you said against the unicorn races was a cover for you to get in without feeling ashamed?" Harry rambled on, and Hermione felt her face reddening.
"No! I still believe every word I said against the Unicorn races - they do intentionally exploit women (Stupid, stupid women), the gambling problems have increased insanely because of the races, Unicorns are hurt, and everything else." Harry raised his eyebrows. "Harry! What you are thinking is wrong, I am telling you. Don't nose in my buisiness, just get over it. You will never know."
Harry's eyebrows were raised further, and after narrowing his eyes for an intense stare out, he finally gave and said, "All right, so we go on to Ron's second theory, that you are seeing someone."
Hermione sighed loudly, and thrust her face into her hands.
"Oh, Hermione, Hermione - I am just joking!" He laughed. "Not about him saying it. of course he mentioned something like that - but I am joking about my believing him. I would be more likely to believe you were competing in the Unicorn races yourself before believing you were seeing someone without telling me!" He laughed again, and Hermione chuckled nervously.
Harry finally ceased, and had to remove his glasses to wipe away the tears of mirth forming at the corners of his eyes. Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"But - Herm - seriously - last night couldn't've been that bad," He looked up at her, one eyebrow arched.
Hermione sighed. "Yes, Harry, it was. And I don't want you to try pulling any stunts like that again. I am a grown woman, damnit! I can handle my own love life - on my own," She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head up a tad.
Harry sighed. "Hermione, you don't have a love life, and I was just. nudging you a bit. and you know he's liked you since forever."
Hermione stared. "And why? WHY is it that he does? He's always acting like I'm a pain in the ass - he is such an idiot - he is always arguing with me, can't keep his mouth shut, is a complete nut case - I don't think I'd be with him that way for a million galleons!"
"Hermione," Harry said slowly. "I'm just saying."
"No!" She yelled, stirring a few birds in the near trees. "Just - leave me alone. One prod in the direction of my love life, Harry Potter, and you will pay!" She had inched closer to him throughout the conversation, and with her last word she smacked her wand over his head.
He looked up, bringing his hand to his head and eyeing her with distaste.
" 'Would you like to stay for some milk and cookies' wouldn't be the right thing to say now, would it?" He sighed and stood. "Well, fine, Hermione. Deal with your own problems, I give up trying to push you two together anyway."
"Yes, well, I would love some cookies, but I am going to be late for work-"
"Hermione, its Sunday. You can't seriously expect me to fall for that," He lifted an eyebrow again.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, this time I'm telling the truth. I-" She stopped herself, and added, "Not that I was lying any of those other times, mind you." Harry raised his eyebrows. "But this time the Ministry needs me for a whipping up a very important newly discovered potion, and you can come see for yourself later on."
Harry nodded. "Ah, well, don't worry, I believe you good enough. I am going to go back to my day of relaxation, before another emergency call comes in for another meeting. Good day, see you some time later,"
Hermione nodded to him, and left out the archway. She quickly apparated home, put on her new work robe, and left for the ministry.
~*~
Hermione dashed through the Ministry's, passing friendly faces as she went, and came to a complete stop before turning down the hall of the Department of Potions Affairs.
She smoothed out her dark green robes, which she had set out especially for her new job assignment.
In an instant she had knocked on the Head of Departments offices' door, and was entering swiftly, hoping that she hadn't been off time too much.
"Ah! Hermione," Phillip Dunkerbee said loudly, ushering the young woman into the room. "Right on time! Now, if you will take a seat, we will wait another few minutes for your partner to arrive, and during the mean time you can look over these notes-" He stuffed a neat stack of parchments into Hermione's hands, and went to shut the door behind her, and came back around to push her into the nearest chair.
"My - my partner?" She looked down at her notes and then back up at her new boss. She had been told this would be an individual assignment.
"Yes! Damn good Potions expert, this one, and we can't have you mixing up such an important potion without a Potions Master at your side," He was digging through his desk now, pulling out random objects. "Now, I know we told you that you wouldn't be needing a partner, but when reviewing the assignment I decided that, gifted as you may be," Hermione blushed slightly, "That you need some help. This is a very tough potion - and very, very important - can't have any slight blunders on this one."
Hermione nodded, looking over her notes.
"Sir," She said quickly, looking up from her notes. "Might I ask who my partner will-"
But at that moment her partner had arrived.
The door had been wrenched open, and then shut again with a loud slam, and there stood in the doorway a tall man dressed completely in long, black robes and cloak -
Hermione couldn't keep herself from gasping.
"Professor Snape!" She said, a bit too loudly, and immediately wished she hadn't.
"Now, I hardly think you'd be needing to call him 'Professor' anymore!" Mr. Dunkerbee laughed behind her, and ushered Snape into the other seat in front of his desk.
Snape was eyeing Hermione silently, looking a bit shocked himself, but turned back to Mr. Dunkerbee without so much as a second glance back at her.
She, however, could not keep herself from staring.
Mr. Dunkerbee cleared his throat, and began;
"Now, nice to see I don't have to introduce both of you," He eyed Hermione, who was just now regaining her composure. "We may skip to the briefing.
"Now. This potion," He handed Snape his own stack of parchments, to be looked over during the briefing. "Has been in development for some time now. The muggles have been having problems with this ailment since before we now know, but it hadn't been an issue so much for our own culture, with the kinds of preventions we've had at hand. But an alarming rate of wizards and witches are coming down with this sickness, and nothing seems to be even a remote help to it but muggle radiation therapies and European diet therapies. So we have been forced to step in and come up with a treatment of our own.
"Cancer. Each type is specifically different from the next, in each location of the body, in each person, and it is almost impossible to be eradicated by the muggles gadgets today. But we have now found a concoction that, in theory, should break down the mutated cell growth for each type of cancer when taken orally, at specified intervals, for a specified time period. You have already been briefed, I am sure, on the muggles notes on Cancer," Both Hermione and Snape nodded. It had taken Hermione five days straight to read those notes, and ended up missing the previous Thursday's race. "So. we, naturally, have struck an agreement with the muggle prime minister, and this potion shall be put into the muggles hop-sitals-"
"'Hospitals'," Hermione automatically corrected.
"Hospitals.. yes, hospitals - and the muggles are to think this is a normal muggle remedy - and we are never to be bothered. The only thing we'll have out on the muggle market - the only thing we will ever have had out on the muggle market - and," He sighed, as if disappointed. "We have agreed to hand over the potion rights to a team of witch-doctors, who will be making this potion day and night for a while now, and all of the money is to go straight to muggle remedy funding, which we will personally make sure is going to muggle remedies (so that they can come up with their own cure), and not the doctors' salaries.
"You are to begin work on stewing this potion immediately - it should take, oh, I forget how long, it's there on your notes somewhere-" He pointed to the top of Hermione's parchment. "And I've already given you your times for work, and, now, you may leave to the room three doors down the hall, to the right, labeled 'potions testing', and begin work immediately.
"Oh! But first, any questions?" He looked eagerly out at Hermione and Snape, who where both currently looking down at their notes.
Hermione looked up, trying to formulate anything she might have questions on. "Um, Sir -" She started, looking down at her weekly work schedule. "It doesn't say anything about Saturday's work-"
"Ah, well!" Mr. Dunkerbee said, looking out oddly at the two of them, as they had both snapped their eyes up at him after Hermione's question. "Well, since you both specifically asked for Saturday afternoon and nights off from work - and Thursday nights too, I do believe, we have scheduled it - but, I'm afraid, that you will be needing to come in a bit early and stay a bit late on Wednesday's and Sunday's."
Hermione slumped back in her chair, mulling over the facts.
After a minute Mr. Dunkerbee stood, taking a few of his stray objects with him. "Well, if that is all. I am going to be visiting another of the heads of departments, to discuss the muggle marketing, you know how to contact me if anything is a trouble."
He began walking out of the room, ushering the two of them out with him, and said good day and pointed them to their new workroom.
She and Snape walked silently into the room, a good deal of distance between them. Snape automatically began to ready the enormous cauldron the moment he entered the room, and so Hermione took that moment to look back over the ingredients and directions notes.
The Potion was unbelievably complex - unmeasureable to the ones she completed during Hogwarts, and other minor jobs at the ministry. It was compromised of not only normal and other elusive plants and objects, but of other potions, all added after perfect intervals of stirring and simmering. She furrowed her eyebrows, and her mind began to race at the thought of such a challenge.
Hermione turned to Snape, and watched for a minute as he prepared the vinegar-and-water based potion above the fire, and walked over.
She picked up the long ladle-looking stick, and prepared to begin stirring up the base, until it was brought to a boil. But as she walked over to stand beside the cauldron, Snape flung out his hand, to stop her.
"It isn't ready to stir yet," He said quietly, with a bit of impatience in his voice.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I am fully aware of that - but I am allowed to be as close to the cauldron as you are," She said, a bit snippily, as she pushed his hand down and walked over to the side of the cauldron.
He merely gave her his usual venomous stare, and Hermione couldn't help but notice that he looked as though he was going to respond with 'Ten points from Gryffindor' or something along that line. As she finally began to stir he fell back and began to read his notes.
Once she had finished stirring, Hermione went back to a large set of cabinets on the wall, and began to pull out the necessary ingredients for a minor potion she would have to be adding later on.
Snape was beside her, working on a different table, pulling out ingredients and another cauldron.
Suddenly realizing that he had all the same ingredients out that she did, she called out, "Prof - erm, Snape - um- Severus - um - Sir -"
He turned around, narrowing his eyes.
"I'm already brewing the potion you got out, I think-" She held up the notes for that particular potion, and he sighed in frustration.
"Very well," He came over to her table, and put down his notes, and took out a quill. "I think we should each choose a part to do, and then mark it off - so that we do not end up making two of the same potion, and ruin our initial one,"
"I think," Hermione said, moving over away from him. "That we should make a sort of checklist, and when each part needs to be done, we take alternate turns making each batch, and-"
"Just. Choose. A damn. Part." He threw her the quill. "I don't want to keep referring to you and what you've done - I just want to get the potions done and over with and stored-"
"But some of these need to be made on the spot," Hermione said quickly.
"Well, obviously, we will have to make those then, won't we? But the rest we can get done now - so we have more time to get the rest done when it's needed."
He narrowed his eyes further, and pointed his finger at the parchments. "Be quick, I want to get something done today."
She glared and grabbed his quill quickly, and they set about separating all of the potions work.
He finally left her side, and retreated to a corner of the room to work on his potions alone.
Hermione, after a certain amount of time, walked back over to the large cauldron in the middle of the room, and sprinkled five milliliters of crushed insect wings over the surface of the boiling base solution, and continued stirring, all as Severus turned to watch her every move.
Finally, after Severus nearly ruined his potion as he made sure she was not destroying their own potion, Hermione said impatiently, "You know, I am an adult now, out of Hogwarts, and just because I am not a potions master yet that doesn't mean I have no clue how to brew a potion."
He narrowed his eyes, and went back to his small potion.
"In fact, I think it was Professor Dumbledore himself that told me, after I brewed that potion for him (when you were off somewhere) that I could replace you as soon as I got out of Hogwarts, if I made it my mission." She said this, mostly to herself, but Severus turned around sharply.
"When was this?" He said suspiciously, a vial tight in his hand.
She shrugged. "I assume one of the nights you were off spying for him. You were gone a lot, I do not know when exactly."
This seemed to send him thinking, and back to his quiet state, leaving Hermione free to breathe.
Hermione's mind wandered instantly as she sat down, to the one thing that could make her feel exited - the upcoming unicorn race.
Thursday's Unicorn Race - a nice race, with normal rules.
She suddenly remembered that Ron had asked her to go with him on next Thursday's race. She involuntarily shuddered.
No - she enjoyed the Thursday's races, though they weren't as unexpected and challenging as Saturdays, a lot more riders turned up - a lot more people too, because they weren't so late at night as Saturdays races. A lot more families, and a lot less skimpy pro riders.
She sat and wondered to herself what this Saturday's Special would be, while mixing up her mini-potion.
Again she was struck by an important thought - Severus had asked for Thursday's and Saturday's off too. Severus had been there last Saturday. and now that she thought about it, she remembered that black figure leaning over the railing out of the corner of her eye in almost every other race that she could remember. And, she had a sinking feeling that he had delivered some of the spells that had saved her butt that last race.
She snuck a look over her shoulder at him, wondering to herself why he would be so ardent a Unicorn Race fan. surely he didn't come there for the skimpily dressed women falling off their Unicorns all over the place, as most of the assholes in the crowd were.
Severus suddenly looked back over his shoulder, and raised an eyebrow as she stared, gaze unfocused as she was lost in thought.
She focused her gaze and realized what she was doing, and turned back to her potion, feeling a bit stupid.
Hermione turned her thoughts back to the Unicorn races, and tried to wonder among herself if she had ever sat back and watched a Race before. the only time she could think of was way back when, when she was first starting, and she had actually been kicked off before the race had started, and watched almost the entire race from the entry way.
Before she knew it, her mini-potion was complete, and the main potion was stowed away, and Severus was leaving.
She sighed to herself and collected her notes and such, and went out into the hall, to the lift.
Instead of apparating home immediately, she walked along the streets, mulling thoughts over in her head. Like how Harry had been trying to push her and Ron together. and Severus being her partner for the most important job of her life so far. and Severus watching the races.
Only after an old scrubby man began to slightly follow Hermione, winking whenever she turned back, did she swing into an alley and aparate to her house.
She threw off her green dress robe, neglecting to stow it away properly, and read through her notes a bit more before retiring for the night, purposely forgetting to check her answering machine.
~*~
Yes, yes, yes - I know, I made up a department for the ministry, but hell if I care.
Ah. 'pro' is a 'prostitute' . just in case anyone didn't know. funny story about my class to go along with that. won't bring it up now, though, don't want to bore you.
So... how do you like? What would you like to see happen? TELL ME your ideas for 'Saturday Special' Rules, and I will probably use them! (I've only got a so-so list so far)
Ok. I've been questioned about the ages. well, I've thought about it, and Sev and James were in the same year. James and Lily ran off and married right out of Hogwarts, I've decided, and had Harry at 18 years old. Hermione is now 23. So that means Sev is. Sev is 41 years old. O_O I don't like the sound of that. See, everyone, this is why I've refrained from writing Sev/Herm fics! That age difference REALLY bugs me! What if Lily had Harry at 25, like a normal person? That would mean Sev would be 50 when Hermione was 25! How can the normal person deal with that? That is wrong! That is sick! That is. just odd! BUT I am going to mentally drop that age difference, so that I can write this fic with a clear conscience, so from now on Sev is only 28. Anyone who dares oppose me.
Is this not the most original plot in the world?! *shines* Ducky told me I could have it, since she was really busy, and I had already written chapter one... so woo hoo! Here I am, with chapter four! Praise Ducky, my mighty muse.