This focuses more on the growing friendship between Severus and Hermione, NOT a romance, just a friendship. So I won't go into anything about the Liquid Memory much.
Don't own anything in this story except the plot and all characters that you don't recognize from the HP series.
Chapter 18
Shaken Trust
Dumbledore was very tempted to lift up that little bottle and hide it away to never be seen again, but he knew he couldn't do that. He let his fingertips gently brush the glass bottle, his only sign of hesitation; being the uncertainty in his movements and the doubt in his once-dancing eyes. He hated admitting it, as much as he said to the blonde-haired stranger that he trusted Severus, but that wasn't true. In the back of his mine, hidden where even Dumbledore did not want to venture, was the smallest chance that Snape was guilty. His trust, it seemed, was shaken after all.
………
"It is done my lady," Tal bowed slowly, "though it shames me to do so,"
The beautiful woman smiled, "don't worry, my loyal servant. He will come back to us, as long as what we have done remains secret, but…you would not tell him would you, Tal?"
"No my lady, even if I did, I do not think he would believe me,"
………
As nervous as she was, soon after the thought popped into her head, she found herself walking towards the dungeons a fake excuse to speak with him already in her mind.
Hello Professor, I found the lecture you gave today very interesting and I was wondering if you had any other information on the subject…
Very smooth work Granger, he would see right through that.
Before she could think of a proper excuse Hermione was standing in front of Professor Snape's classroom door. She found herself raising her hand to knock and then letting it fall again, Ron's accusations instantly came to mind.
"You don't fancy him, do you?"
She shook her head, no she didn't, nothing even close. She just….trusted him…and as weird as it said, she wanted to get to know him like she did the other teachers. On a number of occasions she went to all of her teachers at some point for extra help (not that she needed it) but to learn more about the subject…all of her teachers except Professor Snape.
So she knocked.
For a long hopeful moment she thought there was going to be no answer, but her hopes were dashed when a muffled voice granted her answers.
She slowly walked in and was met by a tantalizing smell. Looking around, the classroom was empty. Following her noise she was led to a closed door in the back of the classroom. Again she knocked softly.
Another less muffled 'come-in' was his only response.
She timidly opened the door and was surprised by the sight.
She was in, what looked like, a giant library except, instead of books, bottles and bottles of potions filled the numerous shelves. Three giant bookcases to her right were labeled completed, two in the middle were labeled 'in-progress- and the last ten or so were labeled, 'ingredients.' To the left were cauldrons of all shapes and sizes, spoons, graduated cylinders for measuring, and other random things for potions. Looking behind her there were hundreds upon thousands of books. In short, this place was her wonderland.
"Ms. Granger?" a smooth voice interrupted her baffling, "I suggest you close your mouth, one might think you were speechless, Lord knows that would a shock," her jaw snapped shut and she looked to were he was carefully stirring the source of the tantalizing smell, "what can I do for you Ms. Granger?"
"I…uh…actually…I had a….hmm…" she was caught in a dark gaze of annoyance and what looked like sadistic amusement.
"Out with it, Granger," he hissed, "I don't have time for your incoherent babbling,"
She jumped, "I was wondering if you had any books on the subject you talked about today," she said that all very fast in a voice that betrayed her nervousness.
"Ms. Granger, as long as I have been a Professor here, and aloud to use this room for my potion books, I have never once been able to get them organized," he said this as he walked past her over to the shelves and up a ladder, "these shelves were magicked by Salazar Slytherin with a Spell of Catastrophe, never will I be able to actually find a book that I am actually looking for, but in this particular occasions," he spoke as the ladder magically moved and he walked up and down, "I happen to know where this particular spell likes to hide this type of book," he slipped out four books and they fell into Hermione's outstretched arms, "right there,"
"Thank you," she said, in slight amazement.
He obviously expected her to leave because he gave a slight nod and walked back to his potion where he continued to mix and add, then mix again. When he realized she hadn't left yet he said to her, "Is there anything else, Ms. Granger?"
"Well, uh…yes sir, Spell of Catastrophe, what is that?"
He looked back down to his potions, "it's a Dark Magic spell that is very hard to break, and very time consuming. It takes years of practice to cast, it causes total chaos, and in this case, a bookshelf is an inanimate object so it clutters to say the least."
"Oh…and Professor…what are you making, exactly?" she took in a deep breath, the smell was so delicious.
"Tempting, isn't it?" he asked bottling the potion slowly so purple smoke rose out of the liquid and twirled around him, the smell was tempting.
"Yes," she answered.
"It's called a Liquid Imperious, a dark potion."
"Why-," she cut herself short; she didn't need to know why he was making it, or who he was making it for.
"A wise choice, Ms. Granger, is there anything else?" he magicked the cauldron away and brought another one over to the open flame on the stained table.
"What are you making now, sir?" Hermione placed the books on the ground next to her, and ventured a step closer.
"Just bubbling with curiosity, aren't you?" he shot sarcastically, he had no idea why he hadn't thrown her out yet except for the regretful thought that he liked the company, "Wolfs bane, for dear old Lupin," another sarcastic remark. He walked over to the shelves of ingredients and began pulling bottles.
"Can I help?" his hand faltered, and they both froze, "that is, if you don't mind, sir,"
"You seem to have an interest in the subject, don't you Granger?" she automatically noticed that he lost the 'Ms." Some where in that sentence as he continued to pull bottles of ingredients.
"Yes, it's an art in it's own I think," she said, she was really risking his temper, now.
"Then what are you standing there for, if you are going to help, help,"
A huge grin broke out on her face, "thank you, sir," she practically could see him roll her eyes at her back as she ran to get another cauldron of equal size.
………
"Where is she?" Ron threw a pillow on the ground, "she was supposed to be here an hour ago so we could go meet Hagrid,"
"Ron, relax, let's just go down to Hagrid's, she's probably in the library," Ron was so typical when it came to Hermione. Get all worked up about her missing, get all worried, and then as soon as she is in line of sight, act as if he didn't notice her missing.
The two made there way down to Hagrid's, Ron still ranting, and Harry periodically rolling his eyes.
"'Ello you two!" Hagrid said letting them into the cabin, "'Mione told me she couldn't come, said something about talking to Professor Snape…"
"I KNEW IT!"
"Ron!" Harry hissed.
"She is totally in love with him, I'm telling you…" he continued to rave.
Hagrid looked at Harry with a questioning stare and Harry just shrugged and let Ron rant it out.
………
"Slowly, Ms. Granger," he said watching her carefully.
He had to admit, she didn't show talent in potions and an extraordinary interest.
She measured the next ingredient carefully, and then slowly dumped the contents. A painful howl emitted from the potion and she jumped, "is that normal?"
"A little high," he said, referring to the pitch, "which means you probably added a little to much, Ginseng root, but nothing fatal, it takes practice," she wanted to add the comment , 'and a natural talent' but bit her tongue, she already had a headache from the concentration this took, but she was happy he was teaching her.
They fell back into a silence; she was soon startled out of it by breaking glass. Her head shot up, the vile that Snape was holding had crashed to the ground and he was holding onto his left fore-arm tightly, eyes clenched shut in pain.
"Professor?"
His head shot up, "I have to go," he waved his hand and his cauldron seemed to freeze, the fire was frozen in time along with the movement of the liquid in side, "I trust you can finish this up on your own?" he asked then without waiting for an answer made his way to the door, grabbing the Liquid Imperious as he went, "clean up when you're finished, and please, just don't…blow anything up…" he trailed off and disappeared out the door. She couldn't help but notice the slight tremble in his hand or the anger in his dark eyes when he looked at the Liquid Imperious, angry at Voldemort for the request or angry at himself for fulfilling it, she didn't know.
End Chapter 18
TBC
Hope everyone liked, I worked hard on that chapter, but I am still not sure if I like how it runs. Not sure if it runs very smoothly, I will update in the next couple of days. I think I hit four pages on Microsoft Word with this chapter so I am very proud of this length.
