Chapter 14

Hermione positioned herself behind a dark mahogany desk in her office as Sylvester exited the room. She randomly shuffled papers and fussed with her hair. She wasn't used to dressing this way, or fixing her hair for that matter, but she felt it was necessary for today's meeting. No matter how hard she tried growing up within the halls of Hogwarts, she was always unable to elicit even a 'Well done' from her potions master. Through seven years she tried to gain his approval and was always unable to measure up. Even as an adult, sitting in her own office, offering up a position to her former professor, she felt like a child.

The door across the room opened and she felt her heart quicken in her chest. Her nerves were frayed and she fidgeted as she watched him enter.

He had not changed. His skin was pale, his hair was a little longer, but still lank and stringy. His scowl was the same too. His eyes were hard and his lip was curled in the hint of a sneer.

Sylvester closed the door behind him and was gone.

They were alone.

For a moment, it flashed in Hermione's mind that this was indeed a mistake. As once, long ago, she had come to him for help and she regretted it, she felt it again now. But it was fleeting. She steeled herself and sat straighter in her chair as she motioned for him to sit.

Severus looked hard at her for a moment and slowly made his way to the nearest chair. He sat rigid and his eyes were searching her face. Hermione sat on for a moment longer and then felt herself relax.

"Professor Snape, thank you for coming. I am happy that you did." Hermione attempted a smile, but failed. His face was neither warm nor caring as she continued. "Do you want some tea?"

His eyes were reduced to slits as he spoke.

"I have had three cups already while waiting for you. I do not appreciate being left waiting when it was you that summoned me." His voice was deep and threatening as he reduced her to the school girl she once was. Hermione fought a silent battle within her self as she stared at him. She was once his student, not any longer.

"Yes Professor, I do regret having you wait. However, It was unavoidable. I assume you have questions for me before we begin?" She tried her very best to remain calm and professional. All except the shaking hands.

"No. You seem to have a question for me. That is why you brought me here, isn't it? You need something from me. Information?" She almost leaned in to hear him before she realized that would be giving up her position of authority. However meager her position was, she refused to allow him to torment her and use his weapons of manipulation.

"Yes, I have come to a cross roads, so to speak, in my research. I am in need of help in identifying a potion. However, before we go any further," here she flicked her wand and produced a small pile of papers. "I need your signature on these papers." Hermione pushed them across the table. However, she did not push them far enough and the gesture was not lost on the professor. She hand placed them just far enough, but he still had to reach for them.

The war was silent, but going strong. The quest for power and superiority was raging in the room. Two formidable minds were locked in battle.

Severus flicked his wand and summoned the papers into his hand. Hermione silently seethed as he reviewed them. He sat back in his chair and crossed his foot over his knee and read. He read slowly.

Hermione could do nothing but sit and wait. The retched slug. He was playing his own hand at this moment, and playing it well. As he read, small smirks and looks of disgust flashed across his face.

Seconds seemed like hours as Hermione waited. She glanced out of the window and saw a small amount of rain falling from the gray sky. Her attention shifted back to the man across from her. That is what he was after all, nothing more than a man.

After a few more agonizing moments, Severus placed the papers carefully on the desk and locked his black eyes onto her own brown eyes. It was here that Hermione found a wonderful sensation creeping up her spine. The sensation of besting the best. It was slight, but the Potions Master had defeat written on his face. Hermione smiled and passed a quill and ink toward him. This time, placing it within his reach as his hand reached for it and he sighed.

He signed a contract with both MagiCall and Hermione to keep any and all information he gains about any and all developments a tight secret. Hermione was very good with written contracts. Whoa betide anyone who broke a written contract with her.

As the papers were signed and finalized with a flick of Hermione's wand, they disappeared into the air.

"Professor, I am in need of information about a potion that I can not identify. Here," she slid another paper towards him. "are the properties of said potion. I have researched this with the whole of my library. However…"

"It doesn't exist. There is no such potion. Is that all? I will collect my fees now and be off." Severus stood to leave and Hermione's face paled.

"No…no that isn't all. I have to find this potion. I know that…" Hermione's voice softened. "Professor Snape, you are the most brilliant Potions master alive today. What is more, I trust you. I went to you once with a secret and you helped me and never broke my confidence. I need your expertise now. I need your confidence now more than then. I can't do this alone. This is so very important. It isn't for some silly new invention. It is for the other project. The one I told you about long ago." Hermione had stood while speaking to him and her eyes pleaded with him. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of compassion in his eyes. But when she blinked, it was no more.

"Have you been working on this project all this time?" His voice was soft and void of emotion.

"Yes. I have actually been able to….oh Professor, let me show you! I have not shared this with anyone, other than Sylvester. It would be wonderful for you to see it and then…then you can see how much this other potion means to me. To all of us…" Hermione's face had taken on the glow of excitement that was once her appearance in potions class. He saw an older model of who she was years ago. Her desire to learn and grasp things beyond her reach was there, just as strong now as it was years ago.

"Let me see then." Severus backed away from his chair and followed Hermione through another door and into a long hallway. Severus noted the doors they passed and finally they reached the last open door on the right. Hermione entered and he noticed how at ease she looked. The young witch actually had done very well for herself. He assumed that they had passed her private chambers and that the room across the hall was her library.

She handed him a lab coat, but he tossed it to the side with a sneer. Hermione busied herself placing a snake on the table beneath a heat lamp.

"Shut the door please." she said and Severus was unnerved at how she so easily became bossy. Reluctantly he closed the door and he watched as she silently cast a spell around the room.

"What was that?" He asked her.

"A containment spell. So that I can cast an Unforgivable and no one can sense it. Not the Ministry, not any Ministry."

"They can not track them…" his vice faltered at the look on her face. Potter. Her best friend ran the Department of Aurors in England. He would know and in turn, she would as well. But…

"But there is no such spell…Even the Death Eaters tried…" His voice faltered again as she gave him an extremely annoying look of haughtiness. Ah…of course, little miss know-it-all was able to create one.

"OK Professor, here we go…" Hermione's face went from smug to serious. She pointed her wand at the snake and said, "IMPERIO!" The snake coiled itself into a knot and untied itself again. She then had it balance itself on the tip of its nose and had its tail straight up in the air. She then made the snake drink a bit of liquid from a small bowl. After a moment of two , Hermione released the snake from the curse.

"Congratulations." The sarcasm oozed from him as Hermione busied herself with the snake. She shot daggers with her look the next time she glanced up.

"It would be useful if you didn't speak anymore." Her words were not a request, but a command. Severus had a hard time containing himself. Before he could retort, Hermione gave him another scathing look and pointed her wand at the snake for a second time. "IMPERIO!"

Hermione's hand stung, slightly from the kickback of the potion. The snake lay still beneath the heat lamp. Severus took a cautious step forward.

"Perhaps you wish to try? I warn you that there is a little pain…" Severus pointed his wand at the snake and silently cast the imperious curse.

His hand was stung by what felt like a whip or a small flame. But the snake remanded unmoving. He tried it again aloud.

"IMPERIO!" His hand again was assaulted and he rubbed his wrist where the burning sensation was. Hermione looked triumphant and smiled. Severus couldn't believe what he had just seen.

She had done it. He cast the curse himself and watched her do the same. The snake was not even affected by it at all. This meant so much…

"Professor?" he was brought from his reverie by her small, quiet voice.

"Congratulations Ms. Granger."

This time there was no sarcasm. His voice, instead, was full of wonder and awe. Severus felt like he could not grasp the enormity of the moment. He was here, right in the middle of it as it was unfolding. He knew, that he wanted to do this work with her. For no other reason than to absolve himself from all of the horrible crimes he had committed in the past. If he were to work for her, work on this project with her, he could atone for his past mistakes and gain the redemption he so longed for. And perhaps a pretty penny too.

"When can we get to work Ms. Granger?"

Hermione smiled with relief.