I don't own Harry Potter, am making no money from this and no infringement is intended.
Chapter 2: Conflict
Even the best of friends face conflicts, but that needn't mean the end of the relationship – Anon.
Hermione hugged herself with unexpected happiness as she fled from Snape's dungeon office. She had expected, despite her thorough research and preparation, a flat-out refusal to her request. The conversation had taken a slightly surreal turn, it was true, and he had given her a decidedly backhanded compliment in saying that he couldn't refuse her, but the fact remained that however unwillingly, he was going to take her on as his apprentice.
Emerging at the top of the steps and stepping into the entrance hall, Hermione briefly appraised the 4 house hourglasses set into the wall, and satisfied that Gryffindor still led the race for the House Cup she continued on her way, crossing through the rectangle of late afternoon sun that shone brightly through the open double door at the far end of the hall. The hall itself was deserted of students; it was halfway between dinner and curfew and judging by the far away voices carried to her on the grass-scented breeze, most were outside enjoying the sunshine.
The summer term of Hermione's seventh year at Hogwarts was coming to an end.
Her NEWTS had been completed almost a week ago, and less than a week remained before she would travel home on the Hogwarts express along with the rest of the school. The thought of returning less than a month later pleased her enormously, because whilst not her true home it was certainly her spiritual one. It was within the halls and rooms and dorms of this magnificent castle that she really belonged; she had grown into a powerful and resourceful young witch, optimistic about her future, although not half an hour ago she had been sure that a denial of a Hogwarts-based apprenticeship would be sending her to some far flung corner of Europe. She did not relish the prospect of four years with Snape, but rather the opportunity he had afforded her.
Walking from the entrance hall to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Hermione encountered no one and her greeting to the portrait and the password ("Toothflossing Stringmints!") was decidedly high-spirited.
Stepping through the portrait hole, she stepped smartly sideways and had almost reached the door leading up to the dormitories when a loud voice from the far side of the room demanded her attention.
"Oi Hermione! Over here!"
Ron Weasley was waving enthusiastically at her as if his voice was not noticeable enough, and Hermione reluctantly turned away from the door and crossed the common room to where Ron and Harry were settled in armchairs in front of a flung open window, a chess set on the table between them. She examined her two friends' faces carefully, relieved to see that they looked relaxed and happy despite, in Harry's case, the fact that he still wore a bandage on his wrist and a square of gauze over his scar.
The battle with Voldemort had been won less than six weeks previously, and although her own wounds had healed quickly and she bore no sign of any injury, Harry had been slower to mend. Madame Pomfrey had said that it was perfectly normal considering the seriousness of some of his injuries, and Harry himself had been in excellent spirits since his release from the Hospital wing. The wizarding world had seemed a much brighter place recently, and not without reason.
Flopping down into a third armchair, Hermione grinned at her friends.
"Hi Ron, hi Harry," she said casually, watching as Ron's almost serene expression rearranged itself into one of suspicion.
"Where have you been? And what are you so happy about?" he asked in what he thought was a casual voice, but Hermione knew better.
"Snape's office," she lifted a shoulder in a shrug but was inwardly wincing.
"Urgh, that's not something to be happy about, Hermione," Harry interjected with a smile. "What did he want you for? House points or detention?"
"Neither." Hermione was prim; and decided not to tell them about the small matter of the 20 points that Snape had deducted. "I went to ask him about a potions apprenticeship."
It was unfortunate that the other occupants of the room all chose that particular moment to fall silent, and Hermione abruptly found herself on the receiving end of several disbelieving stares, which she returned with a defiant look of her own. Turning back to Ron and Harry, she saw that both looked rather shocked and dismayed; Ron had gone very red in the face and it clashed horribly with his bright red hair.
"Are you insane, Hermione? Why the bloody hell would you want to do that?" He blurted, and seeing Harry nodding along with him, Hermione's good spirits evaporated. It was true that Snape had been horrible to all three of them in the past, more than horrible if you were Harry, but he had been invaluable in the fight against Voldemort and Hermione had hoped that her friends would have softened in their attitude towards him. This did not appear to be the case. She opened her mouth to reply, but Ron continued his furious tirade.
"Four years…four more years with Snape? You must be off your rocker!"
Watching Harry trying unsuccessfully not to smile at this made Hermione furious.
"I am not 'off my rocker', Ron!" She told him shrilly. "How dare you insult me like that? Since when did I need your say so about my career choices?"
Ron looked sulky, and pressed his chin down into his chest, staring holes in the rug beneath his feet. He said nothing.
"Come on, Hermione," Harry spoke quietly. "We all hate Snape, and Ron does have a point. I'm looking forward to having nothing more to do with him when I leave here. It just seems…mad that you'd choose to stay here and work for him."
"The greasy bat," Ron muttered.
"But you did only ask, right Hermione? He didn't say yes or anything?" Harry leaned towards her, and behind his glasses she could see that his green eyes were intent. She hesitated.
"He agreed, actually," she said quietly. "I'm sorry!" Their faces were a picture; at any other time she might have found it funny. "I was really surprised too, honestly!"
There was a strained silence, during which they all avoided looking at each other.
"See, Hermione, the thing is…we thought you wanted to be an auror, like us," Harry said lamely. "I never knew that you wanted…potions…with Snape…"
"I never said I wanted to be an auror though, did I? Please understand: if I want to be an experimental potions brewer then I have to do this. The Ministry won't even let me through the door without a letter of recommendation from a Potions Master!"
"Why Snape, though?" Harry persisted, but gently.
Ron was breathing heavily through his nose, and it made an irritating whistling noise. Hermione sat on her hands and fought down the urge to physically slap him.
"Harry, whatever you might think about him, he's one of the best at what he does. I owe it to myself to learn from the best, and what better place to do it than here?"
"I don't know, Hermione," Harry shook his head. "He's going to turn you into his potions slave…"
"Oh don't be silly," Hermione scoffed. "There are rules about apprenticeships, he can't just make me do whatever he wants!"
"You say that now!" Ron suddenly blurted. "But wait until he makes you disembowel a barrel full of horned toads, or clean all of the classroom cauldrons without magic!"
Hermione laughed.
"Oh Ron! I'm not a child any more! Snape doesn't frighten me, and besides, why would he make me do those things when there are always plenty of cauldron-melting first years that he can give detention to?"
"Humph," said Ron.
"I'm never going to be an even halfway decent auror, Ron," Hermione told him gently. "I think you know that."
"How d'you know that, if you're not even going to try?" Ron rose to his feet and stared down at her from a gangly height.
"Ron…"
"Forget it, Hermione. Just forget it." He turned and walked away, disappearing through the portrait hole as Hermione watched him open-mouthed. She turned to Harry, whose expression was rueful.
"We can't be joined at the hip forever," she was cross again and it showed. "He doesn't stop to think about what I want, my dreams, my ambitions…"
"But Ron thinks you're treading on his dreams to get to yours!" Harry explained. "I don't agree with what you're doing, Hermione, and Snape is the last person that I'd want to spend any amount of time with, but I understand that you have to make your own choices…and even your own mistakes. Ron doesn't."
Hermione knew exactly what he meant. A short-lived relationship with Ron at the beginning of the school year had been a fraught, argument filled disaster and Hermione had been very relieved when they had mutually decided to 'just be friends' again. Ron, however, had recently and none too subtly suggested that they give things another go and Hermione's continued resistance to the idea was causing some very obvious tension between them.
"I can't be with him, Harry. Not in the way that he wants," she muttered. "I just can't."
"I know, Hermione." Harry had silently risen to his feet, displaying his admirable quidditch reflexes in the process. "I'd better go and make sure that he's all right, ok?"
"Fine," Hermione said faintly. "I'm sorry Harry."
Harry shook his head.
"Don't be. Ron'll get over it. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes for the next few years, though."
And with that ominous warning, Harry turned and ambled after Ron.
Hermione sighed. Her decision to become an apprentice, and Snape's agreement to it, seemed as though it was going to be problematic to them all.
To be continued...
A/N: I can't seem to write Ron or (especially) Harry particularly well no matter how hard I try! Never mind – they're only peripheral to the story from here on in.
'Off your rocker' is an English idiom. It simply means 'mad' or 'crazy'.
I'm probably going to rotate the perspective between Hermione and Severus chapter by chapter as it keeps everything fresh and is certainly more interesting for me to write!
Thanks so much for all the very kind reviews. The meaning of the title of this story will become clearer in due course, and it's very important to the story as a whole!