What I Learned in 7th Year
Disclaimer: I still sadly don't own any of these wonderful characters. I know, it's depressing, but it the sad truth. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go find the nearest corner and cry about it.
Chapter 14- Alone"Professor?" Hermione said in shock.
"Yes Miss Granger," came the deep silky voice of the Hogwarts' one and only Professor Snape. He looked at her with the sneer of disgust that she and her friends had grown accustom to over the multiple years of potion classes.
"What are you doing here?" She asked coolly once the initial shock of seeing her Potions Master in her living room.
"It seems that I have been forced to come and baby sit the poor Gryffindor that can't watch herself," he said with a smirk.
"Now, now children, play nice," Remus said with a laugh, earning glares from the two.
"Oh do save us from your smugness Lupin. I have no care to endure your…wit. Just show me were I am to set up my equipment and I will leave you two to say your… good byes," Severus replied smirking as he said 'good byes'.
"Right through that hall Severus. It's a large room and at the end of the hall. There should be plenty of room for your potions," Remus said, good naturally. Hermione shook her head slightly as Snape swept down the hallway. How Remus could stand that man she would never know. "Well I guess its time for me to be leaving. No matter what you think Severus will watch out for you. And I'm sure if you bother him enough he will let you assist him in, whatever potions he brought to work on while he's here."
Hermione laughed at that. "And how long do you think that this… bothering will take?"
"Knowing Severus… I would say a day or two," Remus said, laughing. The clock gave a loud chime and Remus cursed softly. "I'm sorry Hermione but I really have to go."
"I know, just one more thing though," she said moving in a little closer to him.
"And what might that be?" Remus replied with a smirk that reminded her horribly of Professor Snape himself. She leaned up and kissed him gently. He responded to her quickly and pulled her body closer to him. When air became critical he broke away and whispered shakily in her ear. "Hermione, do that again and I'll never be able to leave."
"All the more reason to," she said back, caressing his ear with her breath. He shuddered slightly and gave her a quick kiss.
"I do hope that my staying here does not interrupt the… fun," drawled the, quite unwelcome, voice of Snape.
"Of course not Severus, I'm leaving right now anyway," Remus said as he disentangled himself from Hermione's arms, a flush rising gently to his face. Hermione was beet red and only seemed to grow redder when Remus gave her a chaste kiss and left calling, "You two be nice. Go easy on Snape, Hermione."
"Damn wolf," Snape muttered under his breath.
"If you knew how much pain he has to go through every month because of his lycanthropy than I seriously doubt that even you would be so cruel as to call him a damn wolf," Hermione hissed, turning on him.
"Excuse me Granger, but I, more than you would know something about pain. Or have you forgotten this little fact?" He asked pulling his sleeve up to show the mark tattooed on his arm. Hermione stared at the spot on his arm, speechless.
"I-I-I'm sorry. I … forgot," Hermione stammered.
"Never mind you insufferable wretched know-it-all. Next time use the brain that you insist on showing off every lesson," he hissed and swept down the hall and into the room, slamming his door behind him.
"This is going to be along week," Hermione muttered, sitting down to read.
XXXX
The day passed by very slowly. Snape had not come out of his makeshift lab all day and Hermione had ended up wandered bored outside. As the sun disappeared behind the trees she knocked on his door carrying a small plate of food. "Professor," she called.
A sharp "enter" came and se opened the door tentatively.
He was working at and large oak desk that was cluttered with notes and books. A few cauldrons sat bubbling around him and ingredient jars littered the desk. "Yes Miss Granger?" He asked, obviously upset at her interruption in his work.
"I just thought you might want something to eat. What are you working on sir?" She asked in awe.
"Thank you Miss Granger," he said taking the plate from her and laying it forgotten on the desk. "Those to pewter cauldrons are various potions for the Infirmary, the gold cauldron is Wolfsbane for your wolf, and then this silver cauldron is an experiment I'm working on," he said pointing to the various scattered cauldrons.
She stood watching him as he added ingredients to one potion while stirring another and pouring over his notes at the same time. "Do you want something Miss Granger?" He asked.
"Well, I was hoping that maybe I could assist you on one of your potions since I've missed so much class time, sir." She suggested hopefully. "I mean it just looks like you've got your hands full, not that you couldn't handle them all, and I've missed almost all my N.E.W.T.S potions except for the ones Remus has been able to teach me, which really hasn't been-"
"Miss Granger if you stop that incessant babbling you may assist me with one of the potions for the Infirmary," He said softly.
Hermione smiled brightly. "Thank you sir!" She said and sat down next to the pewter cauldrons. "What do I need to do?"
The evening passed by in silence except for the quiet sizzling of the potions and orders and comments coming from Snape.
Hermione went to her room late that night. Instead of falling straight into bed like her exhausted body begged her to, she went over and sat on the window bench, starring out at the full moon. A soft howl sounded and sent shivers down her skin. "Merlin," she whispered. "Remus Lupin you better come back to me or you're in for some serious trouble." Hours later, just before sunrise she fell asleep, knowing she would wake up to a very sore neck.
Her day passed in silence, working on potions once again, and the night left her with no sleep out of worry. By three nights of this she was feeling very cranky and had dark circles under her eyes. Grabbing a large cup of strong coffee she went to work on the potions. Only the day didn't go like normal.
XXXX
"Miss Granger I have finished the potions Poppy need so you may pick one of the potions you missed out on to learn," Snape told her, stressing the word 'one.'
"Thank you sir," she said then after thinking over each potion she had read, "I think I would like to learn the Contraceptive potion." The professor gave her a confused look that made her roll her eyes. "It will definitely be the most effective potion professor. Preventing someone from getting pregnant is surely more important than having a little more hold over keeping a person from lying or the very simple engorgement potion. It's also the most difficult potion to make, one that with the slightest mistake it could be fatal," she said coolly, having thought of all the pros and cons on each potion earlier.
Snape just rolled his eyes. Of course the know-it-all girl would have an essay worthy reason. She did have a point to her though he would never admit it. "Miss Granger, if you so not stop your needless ramblings then we will not make this 'oh so important' potion," he drawled.
"Sorry professor, but you asked me why so I told went and told you and it would now seem that my needless ramblings as you put it are not so needless after all," she snapped. Then as it suddenly dawned on her what she had just said her eyes grew wide and she put a hand up to her mouth. "Oh Merlin! I am so sorry professor! I shouldn't have said that."
Snape smirked at her. "No you shouldn't have. That's ten points Miss Granger, and if you speak out like that again I can promise it will much more points and as many detentions as I can fit into the rest of this miserable term."
She nodded and went to get the cauldron and ingredients. While the water heated in the heavy pewter cauldron she began to carefully chop the Bellweed roots they needed to start it off. When she was satisfied with their thickness and consistency she pushed them aside and made to grind up half a pint of dried black rose petals. Before her hand even touched the pestle a baritone voice broke the calm silence of the room.
"Miss Granger, is you would like to ruin this potion then by all means, leave your Bellweed roots as they are and go onto the petal," he said, sneering at her 'sloppy' job.
"Pardon me professor, but what exactly is wrong with my roots?" She asked, looking back and forth curiously from the open book, to her roots, and back to her instructions. "They're just like it says. 'When through cutting the roots should be a neat and even one centimeter in thickness.'"
"The roots are a centimeter thick Miss Granger, in most parts. Most of your roots are cut wavy and jagged along the sides."
Hermione almost exploded at him again. How dare he criticize her over something as stupid and non-existent as jagged cuts! She took a deep breath before replying coldly, "Sorry professor," then fixing the roots. When they were finally satisfactory she began grinding the petals furiously. She moved on preparing each ingredient getting angrier and more frustrated at each one. Each time she was done and about to move on Snape always found something to criticize. Finally she was allowed to add the first ingredient. As she stirred in the rose petal dust and Foxwood pollen he interrupted her again.
"Miss Granger, do use more fluid movements when you are stirring. I hate to think just how horribly you would make this potion without assistance."
That was final straw, and she turned to where he was standing, glaring over her shoulder. She brandished her spoon at him furiously. "There is nothing bloody wrong with my stirring movements Snape, just like there was nothing wrong with every damn ingredient you made me prepare twice now. I'm bloody sick of you being such a bloody bastard about everything I do, especially when we both know it's right! I don't know how Dumbledore even got the bloody dungeon bat to leave his precious dungeons in the first place! Now if you would so kindly bugger off I would be very much obliged." Hermione screamed, the anger radiating off of her.
Snape stood starring wide eyed at her. He watched in a rare shocked silence as she kicked his cauldron, making the contents slosh, and then as she went briskly and moodily outside. She went to the rock she and Remus had sat on not a full week back. Her breathing slowed and her heart rate returned to normal as she sat in the pouring rain. Somehow the warm shower had an opposite effect on her. Instead of depressing her and making her feel tired, it energized while calming her down, making her feel completely and utterly alive.
XXXXX
A/N: Hello! Only one more chapter to go! It will be very long and school is being a piece of shit right now. I have auditions for band next year coming up to so I'm not sure when I will be able to get the next chapter up, but I promise it will be as soon as possible! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys are AWESOME, AMAZING, AND JUST PLAING COOL! Cookies, Jellybeans, and Chocolate to you alll!
