Sugar and Spice
Chapter Four
(Disclaimer: I own no Harry Potter titles.)
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Hermione let out an exhausted sigh as she entered the potions' dungeon, greeted by the fumes of the potion, which Professor Snape had been brewing.
"Miss Granger, take a seat." Snape said, setting a vile down on his desk. "Tonight you'll be grading papers. Make a separate pile for ones you've questions about. I do not wish to be disturbed."
"But isn't this work for a Teachers' Aid-"
"Get to work, Miss Granger." Snape commanded, roughly setting down a pile of parchment.
Hermione found herself grading essays of sixth years on the history of Anglin Drought. Many had poor grammar and incorrect facts, but she graded mercifully. When she neared getting finished, her hand was cramping up.
"I'm done, Professor." Hermione announced, setting aside the last essay.
"Busy yourself for the time being, then." Snape replied, not looking up from his potion.
Hermione didn't reply, but took out a book on Transfiguration and began reading. She began getting bored with the book, however, and continued to lose focus. Her eyes strayed from the table to her Professor, studying the ingredients and order he was adding them in.
Gowan's Remedy… Hermione thought to herself, recognizing the color of the potion and the vapors.
"What do you need Gowan's Remedy for, Professor?" She asked, getting up from her seat and walking over slowly, keeping her eyes on the potion.
"That's none of your-"
"I know it's none of my concern, but could you answer just one question?" Hermione asked. Snape was silent. "Who shoved a pinecone up your-"
"Miss Granger!"
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"You really just can't keep your mouth shut, can you?" Harry asked with a sigh as they made their way towards Dumbledore's office for another meeting. When they arrived, however, they found themselves to be not the only ones expected.
"Professor Snape will be accompanying you, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said as Harry and Hermione took their seats, Snape hovering behind them.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione asked incredulously.
"Yes." The headmaster replied. "He is the best trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts and is most suitable for protecting you against Voldemort, seeing as no one trustworthy enough knows the Dark Lord better than he."
"But why can't you accompany me?" The flustered girl questioned. "Does Voldemort really expect Snape to be running around with, well, someone like me?"
"Having someone as old as I am would only slow you down. Voldemort can track high amounts of magic like I have. Severus is still the best option, Hermione." Dumbledore said calmly.
"But-"
"Can you not just accept it, Granger?" Snape spat out. "Do you think that I want to do it any more than you do?"
This silenced Hermione temporarily.
"So what can I do?" asked Harry.
"Wait with the Order at the Department of Mysteries for Hermione and Snape to arrive. Then, soon, the Death Eaters and, hopefully, Voldemort himself will arrive and you can jump to everyone's defense." Dumbledore paused. "Then we'd already would have the Mirror set up, so whomever we pick will look into the mirror and be switched out with Sirius."
"But we haven't picked anyone to take Sirius' place yet." Hermione spoke up.
"Severus and I will converse about that in the latter." The headmaster replied. "Your job, Hermione, is to become a spy- similar to how Severus is currently."
"What?"
"You're very talented in occulemency, and you could play the part out perfectly. Voldemort couldn't turn down someone like you. Feed him fake plans, which Severus will second. Then you can lure him into the Department of Mysteries where Harry can attack with the element of surprise to our advantage."
Hermione was silent.
"Dumbledore insisted. I hated the idea, but it was the most logical one we could think of." Snape said sulkily.
"Hermione, you don't have to." Harry said.
"No, I need to. For Sirius." She said. "I'll do it."
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"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked as Hermione took her seat next to him at breakfast the next day.
"Hmm?" Hermione looked up at her redheaded companion with dark circles under her eyes from lack-of-sleep.
"What did that old bat do to you last night?" Harry asked.
"Snape made me clean every inch of the dungeons with a toothbrush. It took me four and a half hours and when I finally drifted to sleep, my alarm went off to wake me up." She explained tiredly.
"Ouch."
"I might just take today off. I'll run in later tonight and get my work that I missed so if I have extra time I can do it." Hermione said, her eyelids drooping.
"Yeah, you deserve a day off, 'Mione. Go back to bed and then get in the bath. Pamper yourself- you deserve it." Harry said.
"Thanks, Harry." She said, standing up from the Gryffindor table. "I'll do that."
After giving Harry and Ron both hugs, Hermione walked tiredly up to Gryffindor tower and plopped into her bed, falling asleep almost on impact.
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Oh, my gosh, I'm SOOO sorry for the long update. I'm such a horrible person and this chapter is so short, too. I'll try to get the next one out sooner, but I've been horribly busy. I just got home from my All-Region concert that I made 5th chair out of 40 people in. Anyway, reviews love.