Authors Note: Hi all. Thanks for the reviews, they help keep me going. Would love to see more from my faithful readers.

"Let us open our leaves like a flower

And be passive and receptive"

-Keats

Hermione stared, waiting for him to begin, she tried to remain calm and passive, but his smoldering agitation made her senses tingle.

"It was when I realized Tom was a madman." Hermione flinched; Voldemort's real name always caused her more dread. The reality that all this had sprung from a boy named Tom made her feel sick.

He saw her reaction and for a moment sat back, exhausted from the years of cruelty and remorse. He felt selfish drawing her in but he was compelled; the missing package worried him, Dumbledore's interest in her research worried him, and he knew that there was no better way to build trust with someone than to bring them into a confidence. There was one more reason he feared the most, it was that some small part of him wanted her to know him better. He glanced at the reply note he had lifted when he went to the back of the Apothecary; it had simply stated that she had received her order number and that the ingredients should be sent to Hogwarts. Thankfully she was thorough, for she included the name of her purchase; Belladona.

"I had just been recruited, not a master yet, working on it, but my abilities and ingenuity had given me a sort of notoriety. Tom wanted someone to brew for him. I had hid my lineage thus far and yearned for all associations pureblood. Lucius was nominated to lure me in, he convinced me it would be a safe, that my talents would be appreciated and cultivated, that people would not bully me for being well…different. We were roommates and he knew me like a brother, fears as well as dreams and he used them like a true Slytherin. We rarely do anything for just one reason.

The particulars of the "business association" was vague, ridiculous now that I think back on it, there was no reason Tom needed a brewer, not for anything legal anyway, but my judgment was clouded by their acceptance of me and so I chose to remain more or less oblivious.

I was half a year into my " position" when Tom approached me with an idea for a potion that would help to sustain the Imperius curse indefinitely."

Hermione turned pale, thinking back to when the fake Moody had tortured the spiders with the Imperius in her Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

" I became wary, but the idea sparked my potions obsession and I began work forthwith. I tried different ingredient combinations many times on my journey and so was in Hogsmead at Betrand's regularly. I had met him when I was in my 5th year at Hogwarts, I had exhausted the curriculum and was starting my own research in earnest. At first he thought it odd that I was coming in on my own so often but I was a paying customer and being the excellent shopkeeper that he is he treated me with respect and courtesy, needless to say I was in sore need of such a friendship.

He had a son, George, that was 2 years my junior…he was…well…I think the muggles call it handicapped, not in the physical sense but with numbers and reading…poor, very poor, low magic, not a squib but weak on power and focus. He was however an excellent gardener, behind the shop laid an extensive herb and flower garden with a small patio in the center for sitting.

When I had time George would invite me back and show me the garden and exactly what the plants looked like at every part of the growing season. Bertrand never knew I was brewing for Voldemort, he thought it was all for private research.

As I was getting closer to a sustained Imperius Tom was becoming impatient, and suspicious of me and began to question whether I was delaying or sabotaging my own research. Tom's behavior grew more irrational and the enormity of what I was mixed up in was coming into blinding focus. I did begin to stall and deceive, trying to bide time to think of how to extricate myself and at the same time prevent injury from my potion. At that time he had Lucius following me, but the only place I ever went on a regular basis was Hogsmead….he must have seen my friendship with Bertrand and George."

Snape paused for a moment and looked as though he was admonishing himself for having anything so selfish as a friend. Hermione wanted to reach out to him but knew it was impossible, he'd never accept it.

"You see Miss Granger what I hadn't realized was that Tom's hatred extended well past Muggles…it included all of humanity. My delay tactics and my hesitation were punished most severely. Bertrand found George running through the garden, manically eating handfuls of poisonous herbs…he was dead before I could get there."

"Sustained Imperius?" Hermione whispered.

Snape bowed his head and his voice lowered to an almost inhuman baritone, "…they called it a suicide, no one questioned it because it was well known in the village that he was considered…" Snape searched for the right words. "…different."

"But why did he say then that his son was the one that had caused my package to go missing and your ingredients to be off?" Hermione forced herself to remember exactly how Bertrand looked when he came out from the back room.

"I don't know Miss Granger, but he was lying…or he is telling the truth."

"But how could he be telling the truth…" she lowered her voice and leaned in, "…his son is dead." She stared at Snape as if he had forgotten the entire story he had just recounted.

"It may be the truth in his mind." Snape was thinking as he spoke and stared down at his mug.

"A memory spell or charm? But why?" She was talking to Snape and herself at the same time. "Who was watching the store if it wasn't his son and who sent me the note?"

"I must talk to Albus, we need to move on this quickly, I'm concerned for Bertrand but also for Hogwarts." It was Snape's turn to think aloud.

"Professor I just had a terrible thought! What if your ingredient's have been tampered with?" Hermione asked imploringly.

Snape blinked in response.

"I had not thought of that Miss Granger. Come we must get back to Hogwarts at once." He rose swiftly throwing some money on the table. "Many of those ingredients have been used to brew medicinal potions for Poppy. They must all be checked." He ushered Hermione out of the pub and once out on the street grabbed her hand and disapparated to the front entrance"

"Yes of course."

"I will go to Albus and explain what has happened. We may go down to the apothecary straight away?"

"Don't worry, I will start the tests on the potions for you."

"Agreed." Snape nodded in the affirmative, trying to regain some composure but his eyes betrayed him, they lingered on Hermione and if looks could be translated to words it would have said, "I am grateful that you are here."

Hermione closed her eyes and nodded in the affirmative and then she started running towards the castle.

Note: I was going for the evening primrose in the last chapter, I believe it does say that, I have the burgundy variety and they are burgundy both times they bloom, not just the fall but of course in Dragonflowers they are magical because they are not supposed to be cultivated. Good research Duj! Unfortunately, I must take license due to time constraints.