The time it takes

All Potion Ingredients found on www.wicca.com

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Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

Helen Keller ..............................

Confusion, the root of fear, true or not true

Is confusion and fear two different things, or are they combined, joined, the core.

Hermione sat thinking about everything, the through the whole time trying to forget her feeling, when trying to hide from something you seem to become in plain view.

The attraction was there and undeniable, when she looked at him she was sure the emotions were written on her face for all to see, she wished she could stop the butterflies when ever she saw him, she wished most of all that she wasn't falling in love with him, or maybe more than that she wished he loved her back.

What was she doing, falling in love with her potions Professor?

A guaranteed death warrant

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"Ms Granger" a sharp, quick witted voice awoke her from her thoughts.

"Professor?" she asked as her rubbed her eyes.

She stood up from her chair and turned to face him.

"How is Solana?" she inquired biting her lip.

His face soften

"As good as to be expected, Ms Granger"

Before she could stop herself she said,

"She is your weakness"

He looked at her shocked at her outburst

Hermione actually thought he wasn't going to answer when "Yes Ms Granger, through I have more weaknesses than one"

"Everyone does Professor"

The world seemed to be silent for a moment then

"How can I help you Professor?"

"The Potion I am going to start making it today"

"The potions going to do what?"

"It will hopefully kill Voldemort"

She sucked in a breathe "Okay"

He looked for a second like he was going to hold out his hand, but changed his mind, he suddenly turned stiffly round, and snapped "we don't have all day Ms Granger move"

She shook her head and left the room.

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"Where are we?"

"Well Ms Granger you see I am the Potion Master at Hogwarts school of Witch craft and Wizardry and Merlin know why the Head Master decided I might need some Labs to work"

Hermione narrowed her eyes

"Understandable" Hermione Granger answered shortly

And some might say Severus Snape smiled

But that would probably be too much.

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"Pass the 'Sandalwood' Ms Granger"

"Yes, Professor"

"Ms Granger the properties of 'Sandalwood'"

"Purification, protection and healing"

"True"

"So you're using it for it's, purification!"

"Very good, now chop the 'Thyme' very carefully and place them in the cauldron while I stir and the properties of 'Thyme'"

"Sleep, psychic energy, courage, healing, cleaning, the cleaning part were use"

"Add the 'Valerian' and tell...."

"The properties, love, calming, sleep, it could be the calming"

"Very good Ms Granger, maybe the madman will be easier to deal with if he's calm"

Hermione stopped mid-cut puzzled, did Snape just make a joke? She must be sleepy.

"Now Ms Granger add the 'Witch Hazel'"

Hermione pause and said as she was standing over the cauldron waiting to drop the 'Witch Hazel' "Professor 'Witch Hazel' is used to heal the heart...."

"Ms Granger, Voldemort was an Orphan that was really the base of the problems he had, well in a way, and if you grew up an orphan that nobody wanted and nobody cared about wouldn't it hurt, wouldn't it break your heart"

She smiled and said while letting the 'Witch Hazel' drop into the cauldron "I agree........"

'BOOM!'

The cauldron exploded, Hermione was right in clear view for the attack, that is until Severus pushed her out of the way and took the full force of the explosion.

The air in the Lab hidden in the dungeon was dusty and seemed to be covered in fog Hermione could not see a thing.

It was like that for a few minutes before it finally cleared, and it took a few minutes more before Hermione got over her shock, when she did she saw the Potion Master lying on the ground a few feet away, not moving.

It took all her will-power not to scream.

She ran over to him and saw his chest lay visible covered in burns, she couldn't look away, his face was coved in multiple bruises, and one pant leg had come off up to his knee, the leg looked like someone had poured buckets of blood on to it, and his wrist was broken

He was not awake luckily she thought as she envisioned the pain he would be in.

She checked his pulse he was alive, but barely

She didn't know what to do until she remembered the obvious she was in a Potion's lab, healing ingredients galore; she set about gathering everything she needed.

She sat down beside the man she was now indeed in love with.

She dipped her hands in the jar of 'Aloe' she had found, and flinched at the coldness; she carefully rubbed it into his burns and watched in wonder as they disappeared into next to nothing.

On to his face, she had mixed some 'Clove oil' and dabbed it on to his face, and sighed in relief as the bruising disappeared, well most disappeared but it still left a cut right beside his eyebrow.

Then she moved onto his wrist, she applied 'Amica' to it and tried not to flinch when she heard the bone click back into place.

She placed a cleaning spell on his leg, and her eyes widen in horror as she saw the huge cut trailing knee to ankle, she put 'Clove oil' on the cut and crossed her fingers and shut her eyes wishing the cut would disappear.

As she opened her eyes and uncrossed her fingers she hit the floor with her hand in sadness it wasn't completely visible but if you knew it was there you could easily see it.

He stirred

As he awoke, she sighed relived and when she saw the pain on his face quickly gave him some 'Analgesic' but nothing should be wrong she thought as she looked at his pain covered face, but what if, no it couldn't be, she quickly got up and got some 'Hemostatic' and poured it down his throat, and finally let the tears flow as she saw the pain fading from his face, she then buried her face in his chest, and smiled slightly as she felt his hand rubbing her back.

'Hemostatic' stops internal bleeding.

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That was how Albus Dumbledore found the two, he was shocked and upset as he took in his surrounding wrecked Lab, ripped clothes, he slowly levitated the two, while pretending to miss the sound of fight from one, and the sound of outrage from the other.

He walked towards the fire, took some Floo dust and threw it into the fire shouting 'Hospital wing'.

The next part was a blur for Hermione, Madam Promfey rushed over as soon as they entered the room, and quickly placed Severus into one of the beds, and quickly check him over, and then some time later came to check on Hermione after seeing Hermione was fine kindly allowed Hermione to sit with him.

She would never know it was on Dumbledore request.

As she sat holding his hand,

His words kept running through her head 'I'd die for the people I love'.

'Carino'

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Okay so Hermione would have used the Floo but hey this way better.

CARINO/love (affection)

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