"Hermione! Hermione! "
"Hello, both of you. It's nice to be together again, we haven't seen each other for ages! ", Hermione hugged both men. "How are you?
"We are fine", answered the Boy-Who-Lived "What about you?"
"Oh, I'm fine"
"We've got so much to tell you, Hermione," Ron Weasley interrupted, "But first things first, where is your luggage?"?"
"In my pocket, of course, developing new potions didn't make me forget simple reduction spells!", the beautiful 22-year-old answered with a smile.
The sun was shining and planes were taking off or landing in the background. The three friends went over to a nearby café.
"So, tell us everything. Africa, wow, you didn't choose just anywhere to do your research. It is quite a big and wild continent, though. Can you say how that country you lived in is called one more time? "
"You are unbelievable, Ron, you wrote more than hundred letters to me and you still can't remember such a simple name as Ghana? Your knowledge of geography hasn't improved a bit, I see".
"Hey, I'm an Auror, not a Know-It-All scientist. I need to now how to catch offending wizards, and knowing where Ghana is wouldn't help me in my job at all."
"Sometimes it does ..." Hermione started to object, but Harry interrupted her.
"Hey, stop that, we are not children anymore and we haven't seen Hermione for too long to argue with her the minute she comes back. So, are you going to tell us what exactly you were doing these last two years, or it's a big secret? You wrote us about the surrounding nature, some of your colleagues, but nothing about what were you doing.We were worried until we got the letter where you explained why you had left and where you were going. But you really shouldn't have gone without saying a word to any of us! We got quite upset when we found out you were missing.
"It is a secret, actually. All I can tell is what you already know – I was doing a research in potions and about some other things. Scientific work, even if I tell you it wouldn't mean anything to you. It's too confusing." She smiled and changed the subject. "So, you said you had lots of things to tell me?"
"Well yes, I've stolen Luna from Harry", Ron said, laughing." We're engaged now. I didn't think an owl would be appropriate to tell you about that, so... ".
"Hold your horses. What did you do exactly?" Hermione's eyes went wide. Then she turned to Harry, "And you didn't kill him for that. I thought you and Luna were in love and crazy about each other".
"Crazy but not in love. I didn't love her, and she didn't love me. Ron was drunk at Fred and George's party and kissed her, she kissed him back and the morning after they found each other in Ron's bed." Harry was trying to tell that seriously, but a grin was playing on his lips.
"And you don't mind? You are freaky. "
"Yes, we've always been, haven't we?"
When they finished their coffee, Harry and Hermione said goodbye to Ron and went to Harry's place – a huge manor in the countryside. Ron was living with Luna in a small apartment in London, but Harry, being a Quidditch team captain and co-owner of the team, had decided to buy a big house where he could live with his wife and a number of children when he eventually got married, so as to give them everything he didn't have as a child.
"Dumbledore said you are going to work at Hogwarts, but he hasn't told me what you were going to do there. All positions are already taken."
"I'm not going to work with students, but I'm going to help guarantee safety. After those deaths and new attacks against Muggle - born students Dumbledore decided to hire me as a guard .I will also be able to continue my research. Most of the job will be for the Order. After last month's events, Dumbledore wrote me and asked me to come. Really Harry, I don't want to lie you, and I really can't tell you everything so don't ask me anything else about it, ok? "
"All right. Ron did tell me about those deaths but I don't want to hear anything about the new Dark Lord. Voldemort was enough for me. It's time the wizarding world found a new hero" Harry answered with a nod, "So how was the weather there? "
Hermione understood him very well, one Dark Lord has been enough for her as well, but she couldn't act like Harry, pretending that nothing was happening. She knew that Harry didn't have a life of his own while Voldemort was alive, but she was with him, had helped and supported him, and she knew she would never leave the magical world, the fascination she had for it was just too strong. Even if Harry refused to do any more than what he had already done to save it, she would do all she could to further their cause, even if it included fighting. she'll never leave the magical world to fight without her . Hermione didn't comment on anything but answered to his question instead.
"Hot and half of the year wet as well."
They went on talking about other matters, school days, Hermione's articles in "Potions today", "Mediwizard "and "Defense arts", Auror work, Ginny Weasley.
"So now you're a couple? "Hermione asked.
"Well, yes. I think our relationship can work out. I love her, you know."
"She's a nice girl, and after all she's been in love with you for years."
"Hope you are right", smiled Harry. "Night 'Mione . And since I'll be gone by the time you'll wake up, good luck and don't forget to write ". They hugged each other.
"Night, Harry."
They said before going to their bedrooms. She liked Harry's place, she had stayed there for a summer before leaving England and since her parents were on a holiday-conference in Australia, it was a good opportunity to stay here again, Harry had made this place feel similar to Hogwarts in some ways and Hogwarts was the only place on Earth she felt safe in.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hermione woke up really early the morning after, and after an hour of jogging in Harry's large park she came back, ate breakfast and, after writing a small Good-bye note to Harry, apparated to Hogsmeade. Twenty minutes later she was standing at the gates of Hogwarts. "Merlin," she thought, "It hasn't changed since I was seventeen, as impressive and huge as ever". She went through the gates towards the castle. "Home again", she murmured to herself as she entered.
Hermione went straight to the Headmaster's office.
"Chocolate pumpkins juice", she said, as this was the password. "Merlin, the man is weird", she thought.
"Hermione, dear, it's so nice to see you here again. How are you?" the Headmaster welcomed.
"Good morning, Headmaster, I'm very well, thank you."
"Would you like some tea?" he asked, handing a teacup to Hermione.
"So, you wrote me that you would tell me everything about my work here when I come. I'm all ears."
"Yes yes, my dear, don't be so impatient. We are waiting for someone else", Albus Dumbledore answered "and I think he's almost here". The door opened and Severus Snape entered.
"Albus I really have no time to..." then he stopped talking. Hermione could swear that she saw some strange expression on Snape's face, but it was gone before she could be absolutely sure.
"Ahh. Now I think you remember the best ex-student we have, Hermione Granger. And please, sit down," he pointed to an armchair near Hermione's. Severus did as told and stared at the Headmaster
"Now I will talk about your work, both of you." Dumbledore started with his famous twinkle in his eyes as he smiled, while Hermione and Severus stared at him in a not-so-friendly manner." Severus, as you know Hermione is doing research with Unforgivables, cures and resistance potions. What you don't know is her secret research for the WPO. Could you tell us what it does in a few words, my dear? ", the Headmaster was speaking seriously now.
Hermione looked at both men, Severus and Albus, suspiciously and started," Well several years ago the WPO, or World Potions Organization, has asked me to work for them, when they heard about my antidotes research, I guess. So they let me go on with my research, which involved Unforgivables after I started to work at the WPO, but mostly antidotes against all kind of poisons. I also had to do different kinds of work with a small group of scientists. We were creating poisons. As a part of a new experiment, we were asked to prepare special kinds of new poisons. After Harry defeated Voldemort, the WPO persevered in its task, but with new team. As I think you both know, one needs to make poisons to know how to create antidotes, but our group was creating poisons to know what kind of poisons could be produced in the future... Well, everything was running pretty smoothly when, two months ago, the Cruciatus poison, a poison we had been working on for almost half of a year disappeared. A Month later, St. Mungo's got a patient with symptoms that indicated he was under a non-stopping Cruciatus curse, and after seven days of agony he died. There were four more patients with the same symptoms, and, as I think you know, all are dead by now. And I'm almost sure that our Cruciatus poison is the one that caused these symptoms and these deaths. The problem is that we couldn't and still can't create the antidote. And this is the point from which I'm going to continue my job here, I think.
"Our job", murmured Severus Snape, looking paler than usual and a bit angry.
"What?" asked Hermione.
"What you do not know, Miss Granger, ", started Dumbledore, "is that Severus was the first one to create the Cruciatus poison, twenty years ago (Hermione is supposed to be the same age as Harry, and she is twenty-two. That would mean Severus created the Cruciatus potion when Harry was two – he had already defeated Voldemort for the first time by then, and Severus is supposed to have joined the Light... Does it make sense with the rest of your story?), and that he is searching for the antidote as well since those events.
Hermione was looking at Severus in disbelief.
"But it was never used, was it?" she asked.
"No, almost all information about the poison was gone just a week before I left Voldemort. I used it once only and it was on a laboratory rat. I'm afraid that it worked all too well. After I left I forgot about it until last month, because..."
"It needs African water dragon day-old egg's shells, which are extremely rare."interrupted Hermione. "That's the reason our laboratory was in Ghana"
Snape nodded.
"So Headmaster, what were you about to say ?" Hermione asked.
"You are going to work with Severus".
"I thought I would work alone?"
"If it helps you, I thought so too," said Snape calmly.
"Hermione, Severus" Albus Dumbledore said, "You are both two of the best scientists in today's wizarding world, and I want you to work together. Severus there is only a week left until the school year starts and you have lessons to teach, so you won't be able to find the antidote very quickly. Hermione, even if you are a really good scientist, you don't have as much experience as Severus. Well now, Severus, I want you to show Hermione the main labs and her quarters, I'm sure you know where they are."There was a twinkle in his eyes again.
Snape gestured for Hermione to go after him.
"We need to decide when we are going to work, to show each other all the notes we have, to buy all supplies we need and..."
"Miss Granger, I can't talk to you about that right now, I have some other assignments to do, and you need to settle down." , he stopped near the torch in the dungeons. "Serpentum lumos ", a snake of fire flew from his wand and straight to the torch. Suddenly the wall opened and the door to her quarters appeared.
"You can change the wards and password and whatever you want here." Then he walked to the wall in the other end of the corridor and murmured something to the wall. It parted and Snape walked in. "This is our main laboratory, you have a small one in your quarters. Now I'll be leaving you. Good day, Miss Granger."
"Good day Professor.", Snape was gone and Hermione looked around in a huge laboratory. It was even bigger and better furnished than WPO's. She went back to her rooms and, after changing the wards and passwords, unpacked. Several hours later she went to the Great hall for lunch. All professors were there, except Snape and Lupin – the DADA teacher for six years already. The Headmaster stood up and made an announcement:
"Dear colleagues, as I think you all noticed, we have new face here. Miss Hermione Granger will be doing research here, help with our safety and will fill-in as a professor if needed."
After the applause they started their meal. Once she had finished her lunch Hermione went to the lab and found Severus working.
"So maybe now you can spare some of your precious time for me?" she asked.
Severus finished what he was doing and turned around.
"If you can't live without it.", he sneered. That's my old professor smiled Hermione.
"No, actually I can't", answered Hermione.
"Then what time is good for you?"
"Any time, actually. I'm going to be either in this lab or in the other almost all day anyway."
"I can be here until afternoon lessons on Mondays and any day of the week from four p.m on."
"That's all right to me. I brought my notes with me, I thought they would be interesting for you to read, and I would love to read yours as well." Hermione gave her notes to her Professor, he ran an eye over them, and then murmured.
"Accio notes," he levitated a huge stack of parchments, papers and notebooks towards Hermione. "This is the main information". Hermione's brown eyes were as wide as possible. "We don't need to buy anything, as we already have more then we need. We can talk about each other's notes tomorrow at, lets say, ten a.m.?"
"Yes sir ".
"Silly girl", murmured Snape to himself.
"Sorry sir?"
"A respected scientist that still acts like a scared school girl with me . If you want to work as an equal with me, you will have to act like one, Hermione."
"Does this means I can sneer and joke at you ?"
"Not quite" he turned on his heels and marched out of the lab.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"My my, how sweet of you Professor." Hermione said to herself when she was left alone in the lab. "Now, where should I start from?"
She went through every single potions cupboard, and bookshelf heavily stacked with books, then sat in the black armchair at the far corner of laboratory. She noticed now that it was slightly depressing: rush light, dark stone, dark equipment and, of course, the darkest laboratory partner in the world. "That will be fun ", thought Hermione as she changed the walls to various colors," I think I'll leave this one," she said when she had decorated all the laboratory in Gryffindor red and gold, "Oh, his face expression will be just wonderful", she thought .
So she started to scan Snape's notes. "This man is a genius ", she pondered. Well, of course, she had understood that he was intelligent when she was a student, but the job he'd done was unbelievable and no matter how much of a greasy git he might be, she was beginning to regard him much more. When she looked at her wristwatch it was almost midnight, she decided to finish tomorrow and left for her rooms in order to get her beauty sleep; after all, she needed to be in a good shape the day after.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"All right, the girl must be really smart if she managed to create that poison.", thought Severus as he sat in his armchair at the hearth, "but not smart enough to understand what a hell she was creating. Clever and so devoid of experience. "He took a sip of his whiskey and started to read a "A 1000 uses of human blood" book, when he heard a knock .
"Come in, Albus". Severus grinned, new wards were working just perfectly.
"Well, my boy, you have learnt something from me.", the Headmaster said with a smile.
"Yes, to set wards as strong as possible." Severus answered. Dumbledore only laughed.
Severus scowled. "You are not here to talk about my wards."
"So smart of you. Yes, Severus, I'm here because of Hermione ."
"What about that irritating Know-It-All?"
"Do you know who created that poison?", the Headmaster was very serious now.
"She said it was a team work? But if you're asking me this, it' means that she'd done that? ", Snape said, surprised .
The Headmaster nodded.
"You know that she doesn't need any sarcastic comments about it.", Severus nodded, oh yes, he goddamn knew that all too well.. "She did a stupid thing, Albus, you know that", Snape said in a whisper.
"Everyone do mistakes, Severus. She's young and a really good scientist, don't push her too hard, she understands what she has created, there is no need to remind her about it.", Albus said with a smile." Goodnight, Severus."
"Goodnight, Headmaster".