Chapter 27

They sat together in the library sharing theories and thoughts on all areas of Magic. They got into a rather heated debate over the harvesting of certain Potions ingredients. Severus, being from an old school frame of mind thought that the old and tried ways were the only way. Hermione, being younger and well read on recent developments argued that not all practices were better the old way. The clash of the generation gap continued as they concluded to agree to disagree.

They both were happy and animated in their discussions. Hermione missed having someone to bounce her ideas off of. Severus, never had anyone who was as learned as she to talk to. Most of the time he was surrounded by people he either didn't like or simply surrounded by stupid Death Eaters. Albus had been a wonderful friend, but never had the time to spend with him that they both had longed for.

Both witch and wizard picked each others brains for the latest and greatest ideas, concepts and theories in the Magical World. Severus was once again intrigued by Hermione's mind as she told him a little of muggle science and how she used that to aid her in some of her experiments. Chemistry, Biology and Physics all were hobbies of hers that she had never told anyone about. Severus actually borrowed a few of her books from her library so that he could read more on them and continue the debate at a later time.

They were both flushed and happy. Each of them not wanting the moment to end that they had longed for, for so long. Someone that was an intellectual equal. Severus was obviously stronger in Potions and it's theories. Hermione was stronger in Spell creation and its implications on the magical world. Together, they were unstoppable.

"Professor…it's after midnight. Should we…" she gestured towards the door and Severus ran a hand through his silken hair.

"I suppose we should." They both stood and he stepped aside for her to exit the library first and they walked across the hall to the closed laboratory doors.

For a moment, she hesitated. Caught between elation and dread. She just stared at the closed door and frowned.

Severus saw her thoughts. He couldn't help it. He was not above slipping into people's minds every once in a while. He had just had one of the best conversations he could ever have hoped for and he wanted to know if she felt the same. He was unsure of how to go about an change in their relationship and wondered if she even thought of it herself. So he poked in and saw her excitement for this project. Yes, that was normal. However, she was also dreading the moment it was over. She would miss him. He felt oddly satisfied by her trepidation and it filled him with a warmth that he was coming to expect while being in her presence.

He decided that he would cross the line. Well, maybe slip a toe over it first and see how she reacted.

He reached out to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He felt her lean against his hand. He looked down at her small face as she turned to look at him. There was no revulsion to his touch. No questioning as to why he did it. She smiled and he felt his cold heart melt beneath her brown eyes. He stood staring down a her and he felt her small warm hand move to his arm on her shoulder.

"Professor..' her voice was almost a whisper. He took his hand from her shoulder and placed her hand in his.

"Not yet. Let's go in first and see." He gestured for her to enter. However she stopped short and laced her arm in his. She wanted there to be no question about who was superior or who was an assistant. They were in it together. They would see it together and know the outcome, together.

The door opened and they stepped in side by side. Severus could feel her excitement and he had to fight to keep his eyes off of her face and actually look at the potion. The lights came on and they stared.

A fine mint green mist slowly rose towards the heavens.

He felt her hand tighten around his arm and he clasped his other hand over hers to show his support. They stood still for a moment, both wanting to savor the moment, for many reasons.

"Let's try it!" Her face was all aglow as she turned to face him. Her entire self so close to him. He couldn't help it. He smiled down at her. There was so much in the smile that stopped Hermine's heart and made her flush. However, she didn't look away.

"Thank you Professor. For everything." Severus nodded, noting as he did so the softness of her hand. She turned awkwardly away from him and took a tentative step towards the cauldron and breathed in the sweet fragrance.

"I think it's time we went to work." Hermione nodded. She turned to face her Professor and flicked her wand. A notebook and quill appeared.

"Alright. Let's get our recorder in here and we can start." Hermione summoned Sylvester and he appeared looking a little tired.

"Yes mistress? Everything going as it should?' His eyes were drooping and he rubbed them as he spoke.

"Sylvester…look.' she pointed to the cauldron and his eyes went wide when he saw it. He jumped up and down clapping his hands and yelling "Hooray!" Hermione smiled.

"Sylvester will be ready in a flash.' he snapped his fingers and a small white lab coat appeared on his little body and he grabbed the quill and ink as he settled down in a chair. Severus and Hermone readied the lab for the first test.

Severus selected one plant, snake and bug to test on. Hermione closed and warded the doors and cast the containment spell on the room. They were ready.

Sylvester sat, with a look of expectation on his face as Hermione and Severus leaned over the table and decided what they would test first. They selected plant number 4. Sylvester floated a vial of the potion to them and Hermione clasped it in her hands and poured it in the base of the plant.

With a stopwatch handy, they waited a full thirty seconds, that seemed like eternity, before casting the spell. Hermione looked at Severeus and he looked at her.

"Ms. Granger, you do the honors.' Hermione shook her head.

"No thank you. I…I have a hard time doing this. Could you" Severus nodded his head and stepped back from the plant. He pointed his and contemplated his most wrathful thoughts. Then he spoke.

"CRUCIO!"

A jet of light left his wand and hit the plant. Hermione watched as it was engulfed in light. It swayed like a light breeze was blowing. After applying the curse for a full ten seconds, Severus released the connection.

They stood still and stared.

The plant had survived unscathed.

There was silence in the room. No joyous yell was good enough for this moment. Severus felt the room spin for an instant and he looked down at his feet before returning his gaze to the plant. Then he looked over at Hermione and saw tears falling silently down her cheeks. He knew they were tears for every reason imaginable.

Hermione was crying for their success. She was crying for her happiness. She was crying for sadness for not having this potion sooner. She was crying for the people she knew who suffered needlessly under this curse. She was crying for herself. She was crying for Severus.

Severus crossed the distance between them and placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. But she surprised him by flinging her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek to his shoulder. He stood for a moment not knowing what to do. He glanced embarrassingly at the elf who motioned his hand towards his mistress telling Severus to hold her back. Severus wrapped his arms lightly around the witch and saw, just before he closed his eyes in blissful peace, the elf smiling broadly.

They tested the potion well into the night. Over and over again on plants, bugs and snakes. But the moment came that they had to test it on a human. Severus and Hermione argued loudly over this one. Neither one wanting to cast the curse on the other for fear of it not working.

In the end, Severus won. He had won by yelling at the tired witch and telling her he suffered under the Curse cast by the Dark Lord many times. A curse cast by her would do him little harm. She slowly relented and was sick as he drank the potion. Knowing she could really hurt him if she wanted She tried to concentrate on the horrors she witnessed over the years and focused on a few moments in time that she wished she could have used an Unforgivable Curse. Severus stood in an open area and dictated to Sylvester how the potion tasted, felt and any side effects he was experiencing. There were none, of course, except a feeling of peace and happiness. Not altogether foreign to him, but much stronger than he had felt those feelings in a long time. But the Love Potion did not affect him as pure Love Potion would. There was very little in it to make him swoon. Though he couldn't help smiling.

"Professor! If you continue to smile at me, I can not be angry with you." Hermione tried to keep a straight face, but they had been working continuously for hours on end and it was beginning to show.

"You will have to do your best Hermione." she stopped and saw his eyes blazing across the room and her heart clenched in her chest as she heard her name roll from his deep baritone voice. She nodded and he smirked at her.

"Are you ready?" He rolled his eyes and looked impatient. The truth was, he wasn't scared at all. He knew the potion would work. But they needed the human experiment to wrap up the testing phase. Not that they could tell the Ministries they have been casting Unforgivables to test it. No way. They had to prove their potion worked in theory, and the "first' test done in the confines of the Ministry.

"CRUCIO!" Severus was taken back by the ferocity of her curse. He rightly guessed there as more to Hermione than he really ever knew. The things she saw being Potter's little friend. The people they had lost.

He felt the warmth radiate through his body and he felt a strong breeze whip his hair around him. He closed his eyes. Lovely. It almost felt like he was wrapped under a warm blanket in a cold room. After ten seconds, Hermione lifted the spell and looked at him. He smiled.

"Severus? How do you feel?' she asked him.

How could he describe it? joyful. Exhilarated. Protected. Warm. Satisfied. None of those could compare.

"I feel fine, Hermione." She smiled at him and Sylvester giggled from his post at the table.

A/N: Oh...Did he use her proper name there? Hmmm...things are changing a bit. Thanks for the reviews guys! I love it! But...a note to all of ou posting a review that says: "Post more soon!" Erm...I am posting two chapters a day. everyday.