'Just one more lesson,' Severus told himself as he began setting up the classroom for his last lesson of the day. 'Then I finally have some peace and quiet from those damn students.'

Of course it wasn't just any lesson. It was possible the most troublesome lesson of the week, seventh year potions with Gryffindor and Slytherin. True the number of potions accidents had reduced considerable due to the fact that only the best students were admitted at this level. This meant that he had finally gotten rid of Longbottom who, despite doing much better than anticipated in his O.W.Ls didn't achieve the grade required. However he still could not fathom how both Potter and Weasley had managed to achieve the O.W.Ls necessary to progress to his advanced class or indeed why they had wanted to. He suspected it had something to do with their ambition of becoming Aurors.

"I'm here. Straight after break as you requested?" came Samuel's voice from the doorway.

Severus didn't look up. "It's in my office," he said as he placed a jar of powdered Graphorn, from his private stores, on the front desk.

Samuel followed his brother through to his office. Whilst Severus was busy looking through his cupboard, where he stocked various potions. Samuel decided to have a little look around the office see if his brother was doing anything remotely interesting for a change. He went over to the workbench on the right side of the room where there was a cauldron issuing a faint amount of steam from underneath it's lid.

BOOM

Severus whirled around quickly to see his brother covered from top to bottom in the cauldrons contents. "Lucky for you it was only a Wit-Sharpening potion. Something you obviously need. I thought by now that even you would have the intelligence necessary to realise taking the lid off an unknown potion is a very bad idea."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Enter."

"Professor Snape I ... oh ... er ... is this a bad time?" she asked trying to suppress a smile at the sight of Samuel who was still covered in the potion.

"No it's all right Miss Granger. Don't mind my brother he's just making a fool out of himself, again," Severus sighed.

"Just entertaining my brother with my many amusing gags Hermione." He winked at her. "What do you think?"

"Ah it's the yeti," she said sarcastically, giving him a slightly patronising look before giving him a genuine smile. "I see what you mean," she added, this time turning to speak to Severus.

Samuel cleaned himself with a flick of his wand.

"Can I help you with something?" Severus coolly asked.

"Professor McGonagall asked me to give you this," she said, handing Severus the piece of parchment she held in her hand.

"Thank you. You had better go to the classroom and set up. I'll be through in a moment."

Samuel watched as Hermione nodded and exited his office. "Polite and a good sense of humour, you sure you don't like her?"

"I assure you I have no more feelings towards her, than I do any other student in this school," he responded, returning to searching his potions store cupboard.

"If you're sure then," he told Severus although his tone made it clear that he wasn't convinced.

Severus ignored him and pulled out a bottle containing a green solution, which Severus handed to his brother. "One dose after every meal till healing is complete."

"Thank you very much. You're a lifesaver," Samuel replied gratefully as he retreated from the office.

OooOooOooOooOooOooOooOoo

Harry, Ron and Hermione were on their way back up the castle for lunch after their Care of Magical Creatures lesson when they were stopped by a familiar sounding voice. "Miss Granger just the person I wanted to talk to."

The trio turned their heads to see Samuel a little way in front of them. They had been so immersed in their discussion of the lesson that they hadn't spotted him.

"Would you do me the great pleasure of accompanying me for a walk on the grounds?" he asked.

Hermione looked slightly surprised but politely accepted his invitation. "Of course Professor. I'll see you both later," she added to Harry and Ron who turned and disappeared up the stone steps and into the castle.

They set off together in the direction of the forbidden forest. "I was just wondering if you'd be interested in helping out with a plan of mine." Samuel gave her a hopeful look.

"That would depend. What is this plan of yours?" she asked slightly suspiciously.

"I'm glad you asked Hermione. You don't mind me calling you that do you?"

"It's my name," she shrugged.

"Well it involves my dear brother Severus. He's been terribly cranky since I arrived," he started but paused and smiled at the look on Hermione's face. "Well more so than usual."

"He doesn't seem any different in class," she said.

"That's because it's me he's upset with," laughed Samuel.

"Well I don't see how I can help you. If you haven't heard I'm not exactly one of his favourite people," she looked at him doubtfully pushing a strand of hair from the front of her face.

They were now walking toward the paddocks next to the forbidden forest, which was thankfully providing them with a little more shelter from the cold wind, where Hermione had first been introduced to Hippogriffs in her third year.

"I'm sure that's not true," he told her, his eyes twinkling.

She looked at him quizzically but Samuel seemed not to notice as he leant casually against the fence. "Hermione I ... oumpphhhh."

There was a streak of silver and without warning Samuel was sent flying into the air with great force. Landing in a crumpled heap a few metres away. Hermione rushed to help her Professor at once. "Professor, are you badly hurt?"

"What was that?" he groaned pulling himself up into sitting position and rubbing his lower back.

"A unicorn. Hagrid must have caught it for one of his other classes and, well, they're not very trusting of males," she looked at him with concern. "Perhaps you should go to the hospital wing."

"Sure. Do you mind giving me a hand?"

Hermione helped pull him to his feet and they set off to the hospital wing. They had barely walked through the entrance to the castle when Severus appeared at the top of the stairs that led to the dungeons. "What happened?"

"Got too close to a unicorn," Hermione explained.

A look of amusement crossed her Potions Masters face. "Oh dear another accident Artemis," Severus mocked.

"Great Merlin's underpants save me," Samuel gave an exaggerated whimper ruined slightly by the spark in his eyes as he tried to suppress a smile.

"Is he always like this?" Hermione asked Severus.

"Oh no. He's usually much worse. Ever the drama queen, aren't you Artemis?" He gave his brother a patronising look.

"Will you please stop calling me that," frowned Samuel. "Now are you going to help me to the hospital wing or leave poor Hermione here to drag me up there all by herself."

Severus rolled him eyes but decided to help anyway. He took hold of his brothers other arm and steered him in the direction of the infirmary.

A.N.

Just what is Samuel's ingenious plan and why did he need a healing potion? I'll let you all know as soon as I've found out. Sorry not much happened in this chapter. I'm building up for future chapters which will be posted the minute I have finished writing them. Again thank you to my reviewers I'm incredibly grateful for all your comments and help.