Chapter 5

After several more weeks of no new information being found Harry had decided to call off the task of trying to figure out who could ever hold a special place in Snape's heart. Hermione, however, had become far to involved with the task at hand. And, even though, she promised Harry she would relent she did not. It was unlike her to start something and not see it through to the end. So, one night, after both Ron and Harry had fallen asleep she snuck into their dormitory and borrowed the invisibility cloak.

The corridors of the dungeon floor seemed far colder than ever before when she has walked them. Perhaps because this was the fist time she had ever made a journey, like this one, alone. She quietly made her way towards Snape's office walking carefully so she wouldn't make a sound. Hermione stopped outside the old wooden door to listen for any sounds that would indicate that her potions teacher was in this room. There were none so she moved on down the hallway towards their classroom where she again listened for someone and again found nothing.

She kept going and soon realized she was walking down a passageway she had never been in previously. She stopped outside of a small room with the door partially opened. Hermione leaned a bit closer to the door and heard two people speaking inside. One voice belonged to the man she came down here to find, Snape, and the other, well she was unsure to whom it belonged.

"I still need more time. Tell him that." The voice Hermione had decided belonged to Snape said.

"He is getting impatient. He doesn't think you are even trying to get the formula correct." The other voice replied.

"Then take him some of my work if he is that concerned. He will understand that I am trying." Snape said.

"He wants it finished by the end of the week, Severus. You have four days. Good luck." This remark was met by a frustrated sigh and the sound of footsteps heading towards the door where Hermione stood. She quickly yet quietly moved off to the side hoping she was not discovered.

The man that had been talking to Snape exited and took off the other way down the hall. Hermione let out a small sigh as Snape stepped out into view.

"I should have figured you would be down here." Snape said to then empty corridor. "You always seem to be here when he shows up."

Hermione was afraid to speak not knowing if it were her he was talking to or someone else.

The dark haired man sighed, "Perhaps I should enlist some help with this potion."

This shocked the young girl. Snape…needs…help? She thought to herself. "I'm unaware if you are talking to me or think I might be someone else but what is it you need help with?" She said hoping not to find herself in the hospital wing shortly.

"Oh…" Snape frowned. "It's you. I thought you were Potter." He turned and headed down towards his office. And, being the type of person she is, Hermione followed.

After safely inside the small dimly lit room she removed the cloak. "I don't know if I can be any help, but, if you need it, I'll do what I can."

"That's very kind of you to offer but…" He stopped and thought for a moment. "Actually you might e able to help. As much as I hate to admit it, you are one of the most talented students in the school."

Hermione smiled at this compliment knowing she would probably never hear another one as long as she was in the castle. "What can I do for you, Sir?"

"As you heard, I have four days to complete this potion which I have been working on for nearly three months now. I'm missing something and I can't quite figure out what it is. If you want to look it over there…" He pointed to a large stack of pages on his desk. "..is all the work I have done on it."

Hermione picked up a few of the papers and began reading over them. "He wants you to make a potion that will take the mind of one person and put it into the body of another?"

"Basically, yes." He said not even turning to look at her.

"Who do you think he wants to use it on?" The girl said as she looked up from the pages in her hands.

At this question he slowly turned around to look at her. He had never put that much thought into it before. "I don't know. I don't think he's use it on Potter."

Hermione could see and expression that resembled fear and concern in his eyes. "Professor, can I take some of this back to my room to look at it's getting rather late and I should get to bed."

"Of course, I trust you won't let Weasley or Potter see them nor will you lose them?" The potions master replied.

"Of course I won't. and I won't tell Harry I was down here." She said with a all knowing smile on her face.

"Why would I care if he knew you were down here?" Snape questioned as he once more turned away from the girl.

"Don't worry, your secret is completely safe with me. Both of them." She said as she took off out of the room towards Gryffindor tower.