For What It's Worth : Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue

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"For Merlin's Sake Miss Granger, let me down!"

Hermione paused for a moment, thinking. It'd been only a mere ten seconds since Snape had been lifted into the air, and he was in a bad mood already. And to think that Hermione wanted to break the minute mark.

Snape reached into his left robe sleeve for his wand, only to see Hermione smile and point to the desk, on which was not only all the wands he had had Hermione use, but his wand as well. Snape's face darkened.

"Miss Granger." He finally sighed. Reasonably.

"You know Professor, I always thought it was common knowledge to always have your wand within reach."

Gods. She was taunting him. A bloody seventh year taunting the infamous Potion's Master. Snape bit back a cold remark, reminding himself that he was floating off the ground because of a wand she was holding. "It was within reach."

A silent minute and a half later, Hermione finally let Severus Snape's feet touch ground again.

"Wow. Keeping someone up in the air is tiring."

Snape raised an eyebrow. Sneered. Still didn't say anything.

Hermione ignored him. She knew that perhaps provoking Snape wasn't the cleverest thing to do, but it sure was a hell of a lot of fun.

"Professor? Where's my wand?"

"You know Miss Granger, I always thought it was common knowledge to always have your wand within reach." Snape mimicked.

"But it's different with me, Professor. I don't need MY wand in particular. You just proved I could use any wand. And I've one right here." Hermione lifted the black Dragon Claw wand.

Snape reached for the desk and picked up the first one his hand touched. "Expelliamus."

The Dragon Claw wand was now in Snape's hand.

Hermione looked on surprised. Then she looked at the wand Snape had used to rid her of her wand.

"That's not your wand Professor."

Snape nodded. "I know that Miss Granger."

"Which means… you can use any wand as well?"

Snape nodded again, smirking. "I guess you've just been stripped of your special-ness, Miss Granger."

"It's a common ability then?"

"No. Not common enough. That's why I was surprised to see you had it."

Hermione nodded and looked thoughtful, staring at the hourglass clock and watching the time slip slowly away. She noted they had only six minutes before the last of the Wolf's Blood was added. Looking up, she saw that Snape had sat down at the desk, flipping through a folder. Numerous wands still lay on the table before him.

"Professor?"

The man lifted his head. "Yes?"

"Why do you have so many wands?"

"They were confiscated from obnoxious students."

Hermione frowned. Wasn't it against the law for any being to take another's wand, teacher or not? "Really?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "No, Miss Granger. Of course not. They are my own."

"You, yourself, have over six wands?" Hermione stared in disbelief.

Snape refrained from rolling his eyes again. "Miss Granger. Have you not realized that if one is able to use any wand, it means that more than wand will 'select' him or her. Hermione, this ability means you are able to use any wand out in the Wizarding World, provided it has not been tampered with."

Hermione opened her mouth, then bit her lip. "Then that would mean I would be able to walk into, say, Ollivander's in Diagon Alley and purchase as many wands as I pleased?" Even she looked doubtful.

"No, Miss Granger. Because you are still in school, and therefore still considered underage, you are only allowed to buy one wand. The only time you are able to purchase another would be if it was damaged or did not work in some way or another." Snape breathed. "Though I personally cannot see any reason why it would be wrong to have more than one wand."

"What if it was given?" Hermione bit her lip again as she said those words.

"What are you implying, Miss Granger,"

"Could I have one of your wands Professor?" And Hermione nearly choked on the spot as the words tumbled out of her mouth. What a thing to ask of someone!

Snape looked at her straight in the eye and did not say anything.

How much Hermione wished that the matter could be dropped! So imagine how pleased Hermione was to see the clock said there was only a minute and a half left before Snape's alarming charm went off. Turning so that her back was to Snape, and so that she would not have to look at him, Hermione waited half a minute, took the Wolf's Blood and slowly poured it all in.

Snape was on her in an instant, immediately becoming the awful Potion's Professor once again.

Brushing past her, pushing her to the side and not even noticing that she hit a table, he saw that she had poured the Wolf's Blood in. "Foolish, insolent girl. The timing has to be precise or the Potion is rendered useless." He growled. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for your idiocy." He said, throwing her a glare that would've terrified any first year into tears.

But Hermione remained calm, quietly watching the liquid inside the cauldron turn into the silver Wolfsbane Potion was supposed to be. When it did, Hermione went to the door and picked up her bag.

Her voice was soft. "I'm sorry Professor, for my insolence. But I had to compensate for the minute that passed when I had frozen the hourglass." Hermione opened the door. "And I guess since the Wolfsbane is finished, I will not have to bother you with my idiocy again."

Hermione paused, then even softer: "Good night Professor." She stepped outside and the door closed with a soft click behind her.

Snape stared after her in stunned silence, though the feeling of a guilt he doubt he had felt many times before, was slowly trickling through his veins. Picking up a flask, he emptied the cauldron's Wolfsbane into it.

He sighed, and under his breath he added: "A hundred points to Gryffindor Miss Granger."

And deep down, he wished Hermione could hear the tinkling of a hundred rubies falling. At least fifty of which were an apology.

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Author's Notes:

Well, I'm not sure about Snape being in character or not in this story, so does anyone there's anything I can change?

Also, again, I am seriously sorry for the length of the chapter. And how long it took to post as well. I promise next chapter will be at least twice this length okay?

Please review!

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Thanks to: LovinEggRoll, evil purple cliffie bunny, EnsignAbby, Master of Sarcasm, Crookshanks Girl, someone28, Aindel S. Druida, HunnySnowBunny, JoeBob1379, Kyra Invictus Black, Atiannala, chris, ano, Hawklaw, stargurl, amazonsummons, Anarane Anwamane, Lucyferina, Renton and Guard_Gurl.

Thanks so much!

And, evil purple cliffie bunny, I'm pretty sure Hermione's Patronus is an otter from Order of the Phoenix. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!)