Chapter 8: "McGonagall Is Not Happy"

In the next few days, Snape was up more and napped less. Slowly his strength was being rebuilt. He grew more tolerant of Hermione in the same room when he took a potion bath. She thought it was the legilimency practice that was desensitizing him to her presence. Some times, they could go as long as an hour per session. He started preparing her for N.E.W.T.S in potions. He surveyed the bookshelf for an appropriate manual.

"Here, we go," he commented as he removed Advanced Potions from the shelf. He stopped and smirked, "Tell Potter I found my old book more or less where he left it!"

Hermione chuckled, "He said that you called yourself the 'Half Blood Prince.'"

"Mmm. I knew he had to have been using something. He just is not as good as you when it comes to potions brewing," Snape continued. "How did he come by the book, Hermione?"

"Professor Slughorn loaned him a book and one to Ron, too. They had not planned on Advanced Potions before the start of the year. They figured you would not take them," she remarked.

"They were right in that assumption," he sniggered. "I guess I left it in a cupboard in the classroom. I haven't seen it in years. I do wish that it had been you who had found it. You've got talent for potions, if only you'd relax and try new things."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"To be a real Potions Mistress, you need to be able to go beyond what is in textbooks, Hermione. You have to invent," he explained.

"Yes. As I recall, you invented curses, too," she chided him.

"Indeed I did," he softly responded. "And some have even saved my unworthy life."

"That's not what I meant, Severus," she defended herself.

He smirked a little, "Very well, Hermione. Let's show you how to be more creative in your potions."

McGonagall found them at work in the small lab area the Room of Requirement had afforded them. Snape was showing Hermione some more effective ways of preparing the ingredients as McGonagall approached.

"Ah, I see Poppy has put you back to work," she smiled broadly.

"Minerva," began Snape, "How many times need I beg you to give me some warning. Don't sneak up on me!"

"Well, so long as you are wandless, I suppose I'm safe," she teased him.

"That's not funny!" he snapped back.

Hermione was concerned that too much excitement might be bad for her patient, but she simply did not know how to intervene without offended one or both of them. So she tried a distraction technique instead.

"So has the Minister reinstated him?" she asked McGonagall.

"Not yet," McGonagall offered, "He's still mulling it over."

"At this rate, the Dark Lord will be gone by the time I get out of this prison!" he scolded.

"Well, I would not complain about your jailer, if I were you," McGonagall shot back. "If you do, I leave you up here with Dobby or Hagrid."

Snape's eyes narrowed, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Don't push your luck, Severus!" McGonagall icily replied.

Snape decided on a different tactic, charm, "So Minerva, what brings you to our little corner of the universe?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing? If either of you had killed the other, yet," she smirked.

"Why would we want to do that, Headmistress?" Hermione looked shocked.

Snape began to look apprehensive, as if McGonagall was going to divulge some great secret.

So he jumped in, "Right, Minerva. We get along just fine."

"Well that hasn't always been the case, now has it?" McGonagall gave Snape a piercing stare. "Poppy says that you have not been compliant with her directions as administered by Miss Granger, here."

"Oh that…" he smoothed his hands in the air, "That was just a little misunderstanding about bath water. That's all over and has been for days now. Hasn't it Hermione?" He looked at her with imploring eyes.

"All solved, yes," Hermione chimed in. "We're working quite well together. In fact, we've found a way to train Harry in occlumency after all," she said with some pride.

Snape gave an interior wince. He knew what was coming next.

"How is that, Severus? I thought you and Mr. Potter were at loggerheads on occlumency training," McGonagall demanded to know.

"I'm the bridge between them," Hermione said triumphantly.

"What!" McGonagall exclaimed. "Severus, what are you doing up here?"

Before Snape could answer, Hermione jumped on in, "He and I are working in legilimency and I will then work with Harry on his occlumency. It's perfect."

McGonagall was less than pleased, "Hermione, dear, could you give Severus and me a moment?"

Hermione looked mystified but agreed. McGonagall erected a silencio charm around them. Snape took the verbal assault in stride.

"Have you lost what little bit of mind you have left, Severus?" she demanded. "You are playing with fire up here and are going to burn us all down!"

"Minerva," he began in a near whisper, "It's not what you think. I'm not being inappropriate with the girl. I have not touched her at all."

"No, you've just been waltzing around in that girl's mind," she was exasperated. "You and I both know that legilimency is far more intimate with the opposite sex than having sex itself. And you say you're not being inappropriate with her. Severus, she is young enough to be your daughter!"

"Minerva," he begged, "I have done nothing wrong. Take her back to your office and ask her yourself. I would never harm one of our students…even if I'm not on faculty any longer."

She just shook her head, "I can't believe this of you, of all people! Severus Snape, you should know better than this. You be ashamed of yourself! Can you manage by yourself for a little while?"

He stood up to his full height and crossed his arms across his chest, "Certainly, I can manage. I am, after all, a fully grown wizard!"

She glared at him then broke the muffling spell, "Hermione, please come with me, dear."

"What about…"

"Now!" she bit.

Hermione looked at Snape who motioned her to follow the Headmistress. Hermione trailed along after McGonagall who was steaming back to her office at a very swift pace. Snape attempted to continue with the potion that he and Hermione were brewing, but his mind and heart just were not in it.

"Is there something wrong, Professor?" Hermione implored as she raced after McGonagall.