Disclaimer: I don't own it. JK Rowling is the Harry Potter goddess.

7/21/05 I fixed some mistakes that my beta, Katie, found. Here's the slightly changed chapter! Enjoy! Please leave a review!

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The next morning Hermione woke up with tearstains on her face and a slightly damp pillowcase. She knew that her parents said that they would be happier this way, but that didn't stop her from being upset. Her parents had always seemed so happy. If they had ever fought Hermione might have had an easier time accepting the divorce. As it was, it seemed too sudden. She was still having difficulty believing that they weren't happy together.

Hermione walked into the Common Room, after a long shower, feeling usually irritable. As soon as she descended the staircase Harry and Ron were at her side.

"How do you feel, Hermione?" They asked in unison.

"As well as can be expected," she sighed.

"Do you… do you want to take a walk?" Ron asked. He seemed somewhat unsure of himself this morning.

"I suppose." All Hermione really wanted to do was curl up and read, but shutting her boyfriend out didn't seem like a great idea at the moment. Harry shrugged and headed down to breakfast alone.

Ron and Hermione walked to the lake and found a shady place to sit down.

"I'm really sorry this had to happen Hermione," Ron began. "I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you."

Hermione hadn't heard a word of Ron's sweet sentiment. She was staring out at the lake, just feeling sorry for herself.

"Hermione, would you at least listen to me when I'm trying to talk to you?" Ron said exasperatedly. He ran a hand through his red hair, willing himself to calm down. Now was not the time for the famous Weasley temper that his mother, Molly, oftened demonstrated. "What I think I'm trying to say, is that I understand."

"Like hell you do!" Ron's eyebrows shot up. Hermione never swore! "You don't understand! Not with that 'perfect' family of yours! You're parents are so in love that they almost seem intent on populating an entire country!" Forget shutting out her boyfriend! She was going to kick him out!

"Well fine! If you don't want me to try and help, then I won't." Ron stood up and began to stalk towards the castle. "I'll see you in Potions."

Hermione felt horrible. She knew that she shouldn't have said that to Ron. He really was only trying to help. He just didn't understand at all what she was going through. His parents had always been happy together. And since divorce was uncommon in the Wizarding world, she doubted she would find anyone at school who understood. With a sigh, Hermione stood up and walked to the dungeons.

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"Silence!" Professor Snape hissed as he swept into his classroom. "Take your seats. Today we will be brewing a simple antidote to some of the more common poisons. Even Longbottom should be able to complete this potion without too much difficulty. The only reason that I'm wasting a class period on this is that Madame Pomfrey has found that her stores are dwindling. The directions are on the board. Begin."

As one the class began setting up their cauldrons and gathering ingredients. A half hour later everyone's cauldrons were bubbling gently. Hermione hadn't been paying much attention, but up until now she hadn't reached a stage in the potion that was very combustible. She added in the fourth ingredient. Her potion turned from a light green to a bright fiery red. Purple bubbles began to pour from her cauldron. Everyone in the class backed away.

"Get out! All of you get out before it explodes!" Snape barked. The class turned and fled. Hermione was the last out the door, with the exception of Snape. The door was left open so that the class could witness the explosion. Snape placed an invisible barrier where the door should be, so that no one would get hurt. The bubbles grew to about ten feet high. Suddenly the cauldron exploded. Red and purple, liquid and bubbles, flew everywhere. The entire classroom was covered. The red liquid seemed to solidify slightly after a few minutes, to turn into a jello like substance. What was worse was that everywhere the jello touched was sprouting. Moss, ferns, and mold grew in every corner of the dungeon classroom.

"Granger, what the hell did you put in that cauldron?" Snape roared.

"Sir, I don't understand why it did that! I only added St. John's Wort, and from my research I was led to believe that it wouldn't have any effect such as that!" Hermione explained, her eyes wide.

"It must have been contaminated." Snape said. Hermione wondered if that was as close to agreeing with someone that Snape had ever been. Snape only then seemed to notice that the class was still there.

"Go back to you're Common Rooms! Class is dismissed for the day." Snape waved his hand at him and every student began fleeing from him. "Granger. You will report back here at precisely eight o'clock for detention. You will not be even one minute late. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Hermione inwardly groaned. Just what she needed, a night with Snape. He was the last person she wanted to spend time with right now. She really wanted someone to talk to, someone who would understand. Right now she would even prefer Filch to Snape. At least Filch showed some emotion. Hermione overlooked the fact that the emotions Filch showed were vengeance and blood lust. Snape had such a cool exterior. He showed no emotion. His eyes remained cold and calculated at every moment.

"Now get out of my sight you silly girl!" Snape sneered. Hermione shot him a dirty look before running off.

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That night, Hermione entered the Potions classroom at 7:59. Snape looked up at her and gave an approving nod at her punctuality.

"You will be grading first and second year papers, Miss Granger. There is a stack on the far table. I will allow you to leave at exactly ten o'clock and not a moment sooner. Please begin." Hermione sat down and tried to focus on the papers. By 9:50, she had only made it through three papers, as she kept losing her focus and thinking about her parents or her fight with Ron. Currently she was leaning her head on her elbow and chewing on the end of her quill. Lottie Jones' paper sat in front of her with a rather large ink stain across it. Snape chose this moment to check up on her.

"What are you doing?" Snape shouted, jolting Hermione out of her reverie. She glanced up at Snape. She was struck by how imposing he looked. He looked almost handsome, standing over her like that. Hold on a second. Had she just been thinking that her Potions master looked handsome? Her rude, inconsiderate, greasy Potions master? No, she must still be somewhat in her trance.

"And what, Miss Granger, was so fascinating that you spent the last two hours daydreaming about?" Snape drawled. "Were you reliving one of your garish love affairs with Potter or Weasley?"

"How dare you?" Hermione questioned. "How dare you insinuate such a thing! I have never had a "garish love affair" with anyone! I am a virgin, thank you very much!" Hermione turned bright red and clapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe that she had just let that very personal detail slip out like that. And to her Potions master no less.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger. I shouldn't have suggested that." Snape said, bowing his head slightly in apology. "Please tell me what has captured your attention so." It was then that Hermione burst into tears. She told her story to Snape, hiccupping every now and then. When she was done with her tale she expected him to give her some scathing remark. However, what he said next left her shocked.

"Miss Granger would you consent to being my new apprentice?"

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AN: They keep getting longer! Once again, a big thanks to my reviewers. VampiressXxXWriter, KatzRKool, and Blinkey.

KatzRKool: Thank you for making me an exception! Yes, my parents did get a divorce, but not like Hermione's. Neither of my parents were dating anyone else, they fought all the time, and only just recently did my dad get remarried (it's been six years since the divorce.)

Keep reviewing! I really appreciate it!

Thank you to my beta, Katie!