Disclaimer: These get really annoying, ya know? Anyways, y'all ought to know by now that Harry Potter and Co. belong to J. K. Rowling and Co. so no suing the poor college student!
A/N: Hey everyone, glad to see you don't hate me (doges flying vegetables)…uh, much that is…after taking two weeks to update! Let me just say thanks sooooo much for reviewing, it's always appreciated greatly. I'm also glad to see that everyone liked Ginny's little part. And just to comment- Severus isn't really that obvious, but Ginny's had tons of experience watching her brother's crush on girls, so she happened to see the signs he was exhibiting. Anyways, on to what y'all really want; the chappie!
Take Time to Smell the Roses
Chapter Thirteen: Diagon Alley
Severus woke up with a start. Why? Well first of all, he had actually been asleep, in his bed, of his own free will. Usually he needed a potion to sleep, or he caught a few hours at his desk or in one of the armchairs near the fireplace. Secondly, someone was jumping on his bed.
"Finally, you're up!" Hermione stopped.
"What the hell are you doing bouncing on my bed at…" he looked over at his clock. "Half past seven in the morning? You're usually asleep another hour yet."
"And you've normally been up for at least two hours already," Hermione retorted, flopping down next to him on her stomach. "I did feel bad waking you since I know how little sleep you seem to get, but Molly told me to come get you. We're going to Diagon Alley today to gather our school supplies, and Molly wants you to make up a list of things you need so I can pick them up. She said something about how since I'm your apprentice, I'm keyed into your accounts?"
"That's correct," Severus nodded. "It's so that if I need you to purchase additional potions ingredients, or if you need any supplies, the bill will be charged to me. Especially since you are my apprentice, and I am in charge of adequately preparing you for Potion's Mistress qualifying exams."
"Oh, I didn't know that," she looked thoughtful as he let out a short, biting laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You actually admitted that you don't know something," he smirked at her.
"Why you…!" Hermione was flabbergasted.
She grabbed the pillow in front of her and smacked him in the face with it, much to his surprise. Hermione burst out giggling at the look of incredulity on his face, but she soon took on that same look when he returned the favor, grabbing his pillow and hitting her upside the head with it. Soon, they were involved in an all-out pillow fight.
"Ahem," someone clearing their throat finally brought them back to the real world.
"Hey Ginny," Hermione panted, trying to regain control of her breathing after laughing so hard.
"Hey Mione, Professor," Ginny nodded, looking slightly shocked at the scene she had walked in on. "Were you just having a pillow fight?"
"Yes, why? Are you surprised I have a soul?" Severus said snidely, still not sure how to act around her, especially after what she had said last night to him.
"No, just surprised you're letting me see it," she replied chirpily, setting the breakfast tray down on the desk. "Mum wanted me to bring you some food. Mione, we're leaving in a minute or two, so you better come on down."
"All right Gin, I'll be down in a just a sec," she nodded.
"Have a nice day Professor," Ginny smiled brightly at the man before leaving the room.
"I don't like her," Severus said, almost childishly.
"And why not?" Hermione looked at him, utterly confused.
"Because I don't understand her."
"Not a good enough reason," Hermione smiled at his whiny tone. "Now hurry up and write down what I need to pick up for you, and for my apprenticeship too, for that matter."
"All right, here you are," Severus held out a list a few moment later. Along with the paper, he handed her a fist-sized, square, velvet box. "And take this too."
"What is it?" she gasped as she opened the box. She took out a silver medallion about two inches across, threaded onto a long braided silver chain. It had intricate detailing on it, although Hermione wasn't sure what it said or showed exactly.
"It's yours, first and foremost," he replied, taking it from her and clasping it around her neck. "This shows that you are apprenticed to a Potions Master. This insignia is my personal crest of Mastery, and will allow you to purchase any of the ingredients I need, no questions asked. This also acts as the proof that you have unlimited access to my account at Gringotts. I am giving you unlimited use of the money for whatever you like, but please don't go overboard. Also, this can not be broken or falsified in any way, and can only be taken off by me, as it is keyed to me because I am your teacher. Clear?"
"Yes Severus," Hermione rolled her eyes, then threw her arms around him in a hug. "Thanks, I can't wait to go spend your money!"
"Yes, I thought you might," he sneered, but Hermione could see the mirth in his eyes. "Now off with you, before Molly suspects me of bewitching you."
"I'm going," she kissed his cheek quickly, much like she would to any of her male friends, before hopping off and leaving him to eat his breakfast.
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled down the hall, just as Hermione was coming into the kitchen.
"Ouch! Ron," she glared at him, looking eerily like Snape in his opinion, and he told her so.
"Don't do that!" He cried. "You look way to much like Snape, it's bloody scary! And sorry about yelling, but it's time to go. Everyone else has already flooed."
"Well then what are you still standing here for?" Hermione gave him an all-too-sweet smile, before grabbing some floo powder and stepping in, saying, "Diagon Alley."
"Careful there Mione," Harry caught her around the waist as she fell out of the grate, coughing from the soot.
"Thanks Harry," she gave him a smile as she got her footing and brushed off her robe.
"All right," Molly said a moment later after Ron appeared. "Everyone here? Good. We'll split up for now so you can get any personal items you need, and meet at Madame Malkin's in an hour to get robes. Harry, Ron, you two stick together please. Ginny, please come with me, and Hermione, I trust you'll be all right on your own?"
"Yes Mrs. Weasley," she nodded, giving the older woman a reassuring smile. "I'll just be in the bookstore, apothecary, and pet store."
"All right, well be sure to take care then," Molly nodded. "Now don't forget everyone, one hour, meet at Madame Malkin's, or so help me Merlin."
"Yes mum!" Ron was quick to assure before dragging Harry away, most likely to Quality Quidditch Supplies.
Hermione watched them go, shaking her head at their excited antics. Ginny, Molly, and her all shared a smile that clearly said 'boys will be boys.' With one last promise to be careful, Hermione made her way down the street to the apothecary to gather the things on Severus' list. Walking inside, she took a deep breath, loving the rich smells that invaded her senses. Walking around, she gathered some of the pre-measured and pre-packaged ingredients on the list; crushed snake fangs, stewed horn slugs, porcupine quills, and armadillo bile, to name a few. Collecting them, she brought them up to the counter warily. The reason being that the clerk was a pimply-faced, barely graduated boy, who had been leering after her the entire time she was walking around the small store.
"Hallo thar bute-t-full," his accented voice immediately grated on her nerves. "Wot can I do fur ya?"
"I need to speak with one of the owners of the store," her words were clipped and precise, not at all portraying her feelings.
"Ah now, is tha' really nes'sary?" He gave her what she guessed was supposed to be a charming look and flirtatious smile. "Ya don wanta talk wif ol' Slug or Jigga wen ya got meh, do ya?"
"Yes, I would rather," Hermione's politeness was now sounding rather forced, even to the few other customers in the store, and one or two were wondering when she would blow up at the dumb boy.
"I don think ya really-" the boy started again, but Hermione was quick to interrupt him.
"By my right as the apprentice to the esteemed Potions Master Severus Snape, I demand an audience with Mr. Slug, or Mr. Jiggers," her tone of voice just oozed power.
"Yessum, yessum, justa minute," the now pale and trembling boy was quick to step back and straighten up. He disappeared through a door behind the counter, and in his place returned an older man. He was rather Snapish, Hermione thought, with his dark hair and suspicious eyes.
"I am Logan Jiggers, one of the proprietors of this establishment. You requested my presence Mademoiselle-?" he trailed off, looking at her.
"Hermione Granger," she supplied her name.
"Mademoiselle Granger, how may I help you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"I need a standard measure of Antipodean Opaleye dragon eggshells, quarter inch size please," Hermione began reading off the list. "Two frozen ashwinder eggs, standard measure of Erumpent horn and Erumpent exploding fluid, and a half measure of ground Graphorn horn."
"I need a token of mastery before I may sell you such ingredients," he replied.
"All right," Hermione pulled the medallion from beneath her robes and held it out for him to examine, which he did carefully.
"Everything seems to be in order," he said straightening up as she tucked it back into her robes. "If I may beg a half hour to assemble and package the items you requested?"
"That's fine," Hermione gave him a short smile, having already expected the wait. The ingredients were rare ones, and needed to be packaged in accordance with strict specifications. That was the reason she had gone there first, so that she would be able to run her other errands before gathering the ingredients and meeting up with everyone. "I will pay for them when I pick them up in a half hour's time."
"Good day Mademoiselle Granger," he nodded her out the door.
Hermione's next stop was Flourish and Blotts. She made quick work of finding and gathering together her textbooks for the coming year, depositing them into one of the charmed boxes that followed her through the store, once she signaled the clerk that she needed it. The next twenty minutes were spent browsing, looking at the books longingly, sometimes skimming through a few pages of one or another that particularly caught her eye. She limited herself to buying only a few other books, mostly dealing with potions, before dictating the box to set itself down on the counter. She quickly charged the books to Severus' account, and had them shrunk so she could carry them around more easily in the small shoulder-bag she was carrying. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was about time to be heading back to Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, just in time to meet Mr. Jiggers coming out from the back with a carefully wrapped and charmed un-botherable parcel in his gnarled hands. She paid for them quickly, and also had them shrunk so they could be put into her bag. Due to the unbotherable charm, things like shrinkage and jostling would no longer bother the individual ingredients. Her last stop before meeting back up with everyone was the Magical Menagerie.
"G'day miss," the petite blonde clerk said softly as Hermione entered. "Welcome, and if you've need of any assistance, I'll be up here."
"Thank you," Hermione smiled back, letting her eyes adjust to the dim lighting.
Crookshanks had been killed by the deatheaters along with her parents. It seems they wanted to eliminated as much of her family as they could, her pet included. She had missed having that warm, comforting presence in her bed at night, especially when she had bouts of homesickness. Severus had encouraged her to choose another pet, and of course charge it to his account. She had decided she would too, and told him so. Looking around now though, she browsed a bit, looking at the frogs, kneazles, puffskeins, rats, a few hounds who looked to be from the same family as Fang was, and then finally, she came to the cats. There was a good deal of cages, most holding solitary cats, some with whole litters of kittens, and others with two or three. Hermione smiled as she watched the lazy and regal looking cats, but she moved on to the kittens. As her eyes skimmed over the cages, her heart melted as she watched the various kittens scamper and play with each other, or try to bite her finger when she reached one in. In one of the last cages though, she knew she had found her new pet.
"Excuse me," she said, walking back up to the counter.
"Yes?" the girl looked up.
"I would like to see a kitten please," she replied, and then followed the clerk back to the cages and pointed out the cage she needed opened.
"They're cute ones," the clerk smiled. "Brother and sister, only two months old. They were the runt of the litter, and their mother abandoned them."
"Oh you poor dears," Hermione laughed as the two kittens pushed their heads against her hand.
She had been captivated by the kittens. The female cat (the clerk pointed out which was which) was white, with a black smudge on her nose, looking as if she had rubbed her nose against some wet ink. Her brother was the exact opposite; all black, with a white smudge that made him look as if he had been sniffing flour or some such thing. Hermione didn't want two cats, only one, but she couldn't split them up. As she gently picked up the girl cat, Hermione was struck with an idea.
"I'll take them both please," Hermione smiled, picking up the black one also.
"Wonderful," the clerk led her back up to the counter and drew up the bill.
Hermione paid for the cats, and also bought a carrier for them to be transported around in. She also bought some food, collars (silver for the boy, red for the girl), and a few toys. Putting the items in her bag, after they were shrunk of course, she carefully lifted the carrier off the counter and making sure she didn't jostle them too much, headed to Madame Malkins.
"Hello Mrs. Weasley," Hermione greeted as she walked in. "Hey guys."
"Hey Mione," Harry and Ron chorused together, already on stands, having their robes fitted.
"Ooh, what'd you get Mione?" Ginny asked, seeing the carrier. She was waiting for her turn on a stand.
"Two kittens," she carefully opened the box so Ginny could see. "The white one's name is Phaedra, which is from Greek mythology and means light. The black one's name is Itzal, which is Basque for shadow. Rather fitting I thought."
"Oh they're adorable!" Ginny exclaimed, petting them gently with a finger.
"Oi Gin, Mione!" Ron's voice carried over. "Your turn."
"Watch the kittens and my things," Hermione instructed as she stepped onto the stand.
"What'll it be dears?" Madame Malkin asked, slightly weary sounding.
"Standard set of school robes please for mine," Molly instructed.
"Same for me, as well as two robes appropriate for a potion's apprentice, please," Hermione smiled.
The tape measures flit about measuring everything till Madame Malkin finally motioned for them to stop. She then began muttering spells, and pointing her wand at the standard cloth for school robes. Ginny was finished up a few minutes later, but Hermione took a bit longer. Madame Malkin sent her assistant into the back to retrieve the specific fabric for her apprentice robes. It was charmed to resist stains, minor corroding potions, as well as being fire and water resistant. The robes were also styled differently. They had fitted sleeves that came down to her wrists, snug against her skin. Also, the robes were slightly form fitting to the ground, so as to prevent them from brushing against ingredients, or disturbing cauldrons of anything.
Once again, she gleefully charged her robes to Severus' account. She was definitely enjoying this perk of being his apprentice. Everyone gathered their things together, and made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron and flooed back to Grimmauld place. Hermione immediately went to her rooms to deposit her things on her bed, before grabbing the carrier. She pulled out the collars and put them on the cats, before scooping them both up in her arms and heading back downstairs. Walking to Severus' rooms, she knocked on the door before opening it at his command. He was lying in bed, his reading glasses on, reading a potions magazine he subscribed to. Walking over, she promptly set Itzal on his chest, giggling at the look on his face.
"What on earth is that?" He stared at the cat who was wavering on unsteady legs on Severus' rumbling, moving chest.
"That, Sevvie," Hermione smiled as he glared at her for the nickname. "Is your new pet."
A/N: Hey everyone, hope you liked it. I thought that was a fun note to end the chapter on. Just to let you know- this will be the last update till mid-June. I have finals coming up this week, then I'm going to Ireland for three weeks on vacation, then I want a little time to re-gather myself, and write up the next chapter. So I'm sorry it'll be a while. Don't worry though, I won't leave the story unfinished! It will be completed, I promise. Now, all that's left to say is…REVIEW!