Disclaimer: See chapter 1. A/N at end.

Some Scars Never Fade

WendyNat

Chapter 3

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The next morning, Susan looked at her husband across their kitchen table and grinned. "Well, I think dinner last night wasn't what you expected, was it?"

Neville just shrugged and sat back, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "You're right about that, love."

"Mmmm. I love it when you say that," Susan murmured.

"When I call you love?"

Susan's eyes gleamed mischievously. "No, when you tell me I'm right." Laughing, Neville leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "Speaking of last night, don't forget Crookshanks when you leave this morning."

"I won't. It would rather defeat the purpose of sitting through dinner with Severus."

Susan smiled and raised her eyebrows mockingly. "Did I just hear you call the feared Potions Master of Hogwarts 'Severus'?" Neville just rolled his eyes and she continued, a little more seriously, "It did feel kind of weird at first, didn't it? I kept expecting him to snap or take House points in the beginning, but when everyone got to talking… it was nice. He really is a lot different than I thought. Oh, still snarky as ever, but witty, too. I guess Hermione was onto something there."

Neville nodded. "I know. He's the same... but different, somehow. First of all, he smiled at us." Susan chuckled at that. "Then, when you and Hermione split off to gossip – er, talk –" he amended quickly, seeing Susan's expression. "Anyway, I – I had a good time talking with him. A really good time. It was like… talking to an equal."

"I noticed. By the way, what did you tell him to do at the end there? The whole 'Don't be an idiot, Longbottom, that won't work' thing."

Neville smirked. "Can't tell you. Secret."

Susan scowled. "Come on, spill." Neville shook his head emphatically, still smirking. She sighed. She recognized that look, and knew it was pointless to press him further. There was one surefire way to get him to tell, but a glance at the clock told her that she didn't have that kind of time. Maybe later. "Well, if you're not going to tell me, then I guess I'll just head into the office. It's getting close to time."

Neville also glanced at the clock, and jumped up. "You're right. I need to be in early today, too. See you later, love." He leaned down for a quick kiss, and then headed for the study to search for Crookshanks. He stopped when he heard his wife's voice behind him.

"I love it when you say that."

Neville turned his head to face her. "When I say you're right?"

"No, when you call me love."

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Hestia sat at a corner table of the Three Broomsticks, tapping her foot impatiently beneath the table. She had had a trying morning at the Ministry's Potions Department, and was consequently not in the best of moods. Taking another look at her watch, she tried to calm herself. Hermione wasn't late yet. Relax, woman, she scolded herself silently. Don't let Fudge get to you so easily.

Her mood brightened a bit when she saw her friend come through the door. Waving Hermione over, she smiled as the other woman approached. "Thanks for meeting me here for lunch, Hermione. Fudge has been all over my back about these Manere requests. I never should have told him I was going to help you with the adjustments!"

Hermione slid into the booth and frowned. "But Fudge knows that we won't start on any other potions until after the lycanthropy adjustments are made."

Hestia rolled her eyes. "Right. When has that ever stopped him? Another election is coming up, and he's trying to get on everyone's good side – you know that. Anyway, I'm glad you met me today. Wait just a second –" Hestia leaned down beside the table, fumbling with her bag. In a few moments, she sat back up with a sardonic grin on her face and a large sheaf of parchments in her hand. Hermione groaned. "Oh, yes, my dear. It is as bad as it looks. I'm giving you half of them. Read them tonight when you're done shagging that black-haired beast of yours."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and gave her a half-smile. "I think Remus fits the 'beast' description more than Severus," she said absently, thumbing through the requests. "I'll look these over… what does Fudge want, exactly?"

Hestia sighed and sat back, rubbing her eyes. "The world. But I told him he couldn't have it." Lowering her hands, she looked at Hermione. "I pushed back, you'll be happy to know. It's a good thing you weren't around - you're too soft. Never want to say 'No' to anyone when it involves work." Seeing Hermione's lips purse in annoyance, Hestia smirked and continued, "Kidding. Sort of. Anyway, I told him we'd go through these and let him know the next couple of potions we'll be working on. He wants us to run the top contenders by him so he can prioritize them for us."

Hermione leaned back in the booth and fixed her gaze on the ceiling. "That man can't prioritize whether to put his shoes or socks on first in the morning, and he wants to tell us which potions are more urgent than the others?" Hestia snorted in agreement. "Well, I guess we'll just have to go through and list out the top contenders and hope he picks the right one."

Hestia snorted again. "You Gryffindors are so simple. I think this calls for Slytherin tactics."

Hermione sat up, eyeing her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"We decide the most urgent potion, and then give him a list of that one plus a few absolutely useless ones that even he would realize aren't a priority."

"You're a devil, Hestia."

Hestia grinned, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Thank you, my dear."

Hermione shuffled through the parchments, occasionally shaking her head in disgust. "Really – people actually think a glamour potion is an urgent matter?"

"Well, for some people it may be. Believe me, you don't want to see some of these older witches without their glamours on." Hestia shuddered dramatically, and Hermione laughed. Seeing Rosmerta approach, Hestia said, "Okay, put those away. Time to eat."

The two women talked about various mundane subjects until after the food arrived. When Rosmerta left, Hestia finished chewing her mouthful and looked pointedly at Hermione. "So – how's it going? With Severus, before you ask."

"Very well."

"Good. Now, how's it going with Viktor? Have you spoken to him since that night?"

Hermione sighed and sat back. "Not really. An owl here or there. I'm supposed to meet him tomorrow afternoon at the house, to divide things up. As far as the house… I think we both just want to sell the place – I certainly don't want to live there, and I imagine he feels the same."

Hestia shrugged. "That makes sense. Lots of memories, I'm sure. Tonks tells me he's staying with Harry right now." Hestia eyed the other woman closely to see her reaction.

Hermione smiled. "So Tonks and Viktor are talking?"

"A bit. Not as much as she'd like, I'd wager." Hestia looked down, fiddling with her fork and debating the next question. "Listen, I'm… you know Viktor – is he a good man? He wouldn't… take advantage of her, would he?"

Hermione looked confused. "I – I don't think so. What-"

Hestia tossed the fork onto her plate with a clatter. "I'm worried about her. She's got a monstrous crush on the guy. I don't want to see her hurt again – the whole thing with Harry really tore her up. She just…" Hestia sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know why she's like this. She's great looking, funny, good personality, but she has this major doormat mentality. The kind of mentality that seems to attract guys who use a woman and toss her aside without a thought."

Hermione sat for a moment, trying to digest it all. "The thing with Harry… but I thought she was just helping him out after Hannah-"

Hestia interrupted her. "Yeah. That's his version of things. She really liked him, Hermione."

"Oh." Hermione wasn't sure what to do with this information. "Harry did say they tried to make a go of it…" Suddenly a thought seemed to occur to her and she frowned.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't think it was as serious on his part as it was on hers, though." Hestia looked at her. "She fell for him. Hard. Took a long time for her to get over it. She hasn't even been interested in seeing anyone since. Well, until now." Seeing the expression on Hermione's face, she laughed suddenly. "Listen, don't worry – I think I know what you might be thinking. The thing with Severus was just to help you guys out, she had no feelings whatsoever in the romance department for him."

Hermione's face cleared. "Thanks for that. Anyway, I don't think Viktor would take advantage of her… like that. I wouldn't worry. He is a good person, Hestia." She smiled slightly. "Are you this protective of all your friends?"

"Only Tonks. She projects out this tough air, like she can handle anything, but the truth is she's… inexperienced, I suppose. Naïve, as far as romance and men are concerned. Puts her heart out on her sleeve. You'd think she'd be more careful after the whole Harry fiasco, but I can see her doing the same thing with Viktor."

"I think Harry assumed she was more experienced. I did, too." Hermione looked thoughtful. "I'll see if I can have Neville or somebody casually mention that she hasn't dated much. But either way, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Viktor's a bit more perceptive than Harry."

"Okay. I'll trust your opinion on him." Hestia's eyes glinted wickedly. "And if he does hurt her, I'll be waiting."

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Later that evening, Hermione was sprawled on the rug in Severus' study, poring over the parchments Hestia had given her. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous, she thought as she tossed aside a request for the hair sleeking potion. Having bought a bottle or two herself, she was aware that the shelf life was already five years – just how long did they think people left the stuff on the shelf?

The "ridiculous" pile was growing. She also had a pile of "important but not urgent" and a much smaller pile of "truly urgent." And there were still quite a few to go through. With a groan, Hermione rolled over, putting her hands over her face and rubbing her eyes, wishing Severus were there. He had gone to the greenhouses to speak with Professor Sprout and he still hadn't returned.

Staring at the ceiling, Hermione pondered the mysterious substance. She and Severus had begun analyzing a sample of the potion, and it was surprisingly complex. In order to investigate further they had decided to break it down into its components using the Scindo potion, which she had begun brewing in the lab. Two drops of Scindo into any potion and you could then use an incantation to discover the ingredients. Of course, the Scindo couldn't tell the user the quantities of each ingredient, or how they were prepared – but it was a start.

The true question was: Why? Why would someone want to develop a potion that would denature magical plants? Could it be a competing greenhouse, attempting to sabotage their biggest rival? The potion appeared to be too complex for a casual brewer to create – that ruled out the teenage prankster theory. Something of this nature – if produced on a wide scale - could bring the wizarding world to its knees. That scared her. Actually, it horrified her.

Shaking her head, she sighed and sat up. If she was really determined to get through the adjustment requests that evening, she had better get back on track.

~~~

A couple of hours later, Severus found her sitting on the rug with parchments scattered around her. There appeared to be a couple of orderly piles, but most of the parchments were flung around her with abandon. Raising an eyebrow in inquiry, he waited until she noticed him.

Finally she sensing his presence she turned. Instead of the smile he was expecting, she scowled ferociously. Of course, her version of a ferocious scowl was rather laughable – she simply succeeded in looking… pouty. Not that I would ever tell her that, he thought, smiling inwardly. Before he could ask what the problem was, she stood up and began pacing, giving him a quick rundown of the situation with Fudge and the Manere requests.

"This is utterly ridiculous!" she raged, shaking some parchments in his direction. He smiled slightly. He did so enjoy when she was in one of her tempers. It reminded him fondly of the argument seven years ago in the basement lab of 12 Grimmauld Place, when all of this began. His musing was interrupted when she let out an inarticulate growl. Raising one eyebrow, he waited. "Look at this one! This idiot thinks a glamour potion is urgent! And look at this one – Polyjuice? Who, by Merlin, would need an extended shelf life for Polyjuice? The base lasts an eternity – it's just once the hair – or whatever – is added that it begins to break down. And look at THIS," she growled, flinging a parchment in his direction. Nimbly he plucked it from the air and as he read, he began to smirk. Her scowl grew and she spat out, "That's right – a love potion. An illegal love potion!"

He walked over to her and laid the parchment down in what she had indicated to be the 'ridiculous' pile. It was actually a lust potion, but he wasn't insane enough to correct her when she was in this kind of mood. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he looked at her and smiled. "Relax."

"I am relaxed!"

"Relax more, then," he ordered, pulling her with him onto the thick rug. He took the sheaf of parchments from her hands and moved behind her to rub her shoulders.

She let out a long breath and leaned back against him. "Thanks." She enjoyed the feel of his warm hands on her for a few moments before asking, "So, what did Sprout say?" His hands stilled, and she turned to face him. "What is it?"

"Professor Sprout has also received some plants with the substance on them. However, not all had the essence stripped."

Hermione frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Could it just be a coincidence?"

Severus shook his head. "I don't believe so. The plants she received came from Ireland, not France. She did receive a smaller shipment from the same greenhouse as Neville and those plants were stripped. She assumed, as Neville did originally, that it was teenage pranksters. She had simply set them aside, but she investigated further at my urging. There were traces of the potion on those as well." He watched her closely and saw when she reached the same conclusion that he had.

"Do you think the potion needs some sort of catalyst that wasn't present in the Irish greenhouse?" Hermione thought, chewing her bottom lip. "Or… maybe it comes down to the shelf-life thing."

Severus nodded. "That was more my reasoning. Either the Irish potion was older and already denatured when it was applied, or there may be some other explanation."

"Well, I'll be able to talk to Neville about it tomorrow. He sent me an owl after dinner – the whole shipment was bad, as we had guessed. He wants to return Crookshanks, and we decided to make an event of it. We're going to meet the boys at the Leaky Cauldron for lunch before I go to the house." Seeing his slightly confused look, she laughed. "Harry and Ron."

"Hmm. Well, then, the term 'boys' is eminently accurate." Seeing her expression tighten, he quickly changed the subject, asking, "How long before the Scindo is prepared?"

Glancing up at the clock, she answered, "A few hours." She smiled as he gently turned her so that her back was against him once more, and sighed when she felt his hands return to kneading her shoulders.

"Hmm. That may be just enough time," he whispered into her ear, delighting in the little shiver he received as a response. Moving in front of her, he pushed her back against the rug, ignoring the crumpling sound from the parchments, and covered her mouth with his.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Now, feed the hungry muses and review! (PS – a more "adult version" by popular request is available – see my author's page for details.)

Scindo – Latin. Rough translation: divide/split

K80 - :). Now, why would you think that we haven't told all there is to it? innocent grin Neville's advice will show up in a future chapter.

Queen Li – Thanks!

Klyn – Thanks – glad you enjoyed it ;). Working on the Viktor aspect – it'll take some time!

Electryone – Thanks for the review – I thought it would be a nice twist to have them as friends. On the chapter question – it depends on how long each chapter ends up. I have everything outlined, but sometimes conversations between the characters gets away from me and scenes end up longer/shorter than I expected – I'm thinking about 12 more chapters, possibly a few more or less. So, approximately the same length as Time Does Not Heal All Wounds.

The great and masterful Yoda – Thanks for the review! The next chapter should be out shortly.

Trish – Glad you liked that line ;). Thanks!

Lizzie – heehee. Wait and find out what the advice was… you're on the right track, though!

Louise Luvgood – Thanks for the review – I will hold back from answering any plot-type guesses/questions/statements so I don't give anything away ;).