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Chapter 6
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After Hermione had wrapped up in his blanket and settled herself onto his couch, Severus sat and watched her for a moment. He knew she would be in bad shape when she woke up, but did not expect mutism. Satisfied she was alright for the time being, he stood up.
"I need to start another batch of PT brew, since Molly will need another delivery tomorrow. I'll leave the door open if you need me."
Hermione nodded but made no move to get up and assist. Her eyes never left the fireplace, watching the flames dance around on the stone. The popping of sparks, the darkness, the chill of the dungeon quarters…. It was all exactly what she needed.
Her emotions seemed to oscillate between numbness and terror. She struggled to remember what she had learned about the Imperius curse. Barty Crouch Jr, posing as MadEye Moody, had demonstrated it for their DADA class her fourth year. The idea that she had been little more than a puppet on Bellatrix's string was horrifying.
Eyeing the Potion Master's extensive book collection, she stood up and began searching the titles for a book with the information she wanted.
High up on a shelf was one titled Dark Magic and Unforgivable Curses. It was just high enough to be out of her reach. From where he'd propped the door open, Severus noticed her trying to stretch to it and retrieved it for her. He handed it to her without a word, understanding why she wanted it.
Several minutes later, he appeared next to her with a vial of the PT brew and a cup of tea.
"Take half now and half later tonight."
Hermione accepted both and swallowed half the vial as instructed. She took a sip of the tea and recognized it as the lavender and chamomile blend he'd given her previously.
She turned her attention to the book in front of her.
"The Imperius Curse presumably causes a magically induced partial paralysis of the neocortex and the prefrontal cortex, the parts of the brain which, respectively, control conscious thought/logic and decision making. This, in turn, would reduce the victim's capacity for independent thought and make them more receptive to outside influence."*
The memories started to come back into the forefront of her mind again and she started to shake. She put down the tea and the book so nothing would be damaged, and wrapped herself up in the blanket. It all came back to her again like a bludger to the head. In her mind, she was back at the Manor and they were all surrounding her, and she started to scream.
The PT brew was on a four hour simmer as a scream came through the propped open doorway between the office and the dungeon quarters. Severus grabbed a vial of dreamless sleep and one of PT brew and hurried into his sitting room. Hermione lay on his couch screaming and thrashing under another flashback. The blanket was discarded on the floor, flung aside by her frantic movements.
"Hermione. Hermione."
He knew better than to try to touch her. When she didn't respond to his voice, he spelled the two potions into her. After a few minutes, the screaming quieted to sobs and the thrashing stopped. He covered her with the green blanket again, knowing she would want it over her.
Before long, the only sound was her regular breathing. Satisfied she was resting peacefully and would be for several more hours, he returned to his office with the door propped open. He left the candles burning in the wall sconces so it wouldn't be very dark when she awoke. More dreamless sleep needed to be brewed, so he started on that.
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Up in Gryffindor tower, Ginny was still adjusting to Harry being gone and now imprisoned. She had managed to not get badly injured in the violence that had erupted all over her school, but because she was Harry's girlfriend, she'd been screamed at by a few Slytherins on more than one occasion. These incidents resulted in the offenders being hit with her bat bogey hex and levicorpus.
Unfortunately, now she found it hard to find the motivation to do anything but sleep. Her marks had begun to drop, and more than once she'd received a T on returned assignments. Every meal, she found herself alone but glancing at the Hall entrance hoping her bespectacled boyfriend would somehow miraculously walk through.
She wondered if Harry thought about her much. Did he miss her? Was he alright? He was imprisoned for killing a Death Eater, surrounded by more of the same at Azkaban. Was he safe? Was her brother safe?
The thought that she may never see Harry again was almost too much to bear. She was so overwhelmed by her grief and depression, she didn't notice her period was late.
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When Hermione woke up, it was dark outside the window. Severus was snoozing in his chair, but opened his eyes when she sat up.
She cast a warming charm on her tea and drank it, relishing the flavors of lavender and chamomile.
"Have you been practicing the breathing technique I taught you?" Severus had gotten up from his chair and was sitting on the end of the couch. She could see the concern in his eyes.
Hermione looked down at the tea. She hadn't done it enough, so she shook her head and made a motion with her fingers to signify a small amount.
"Work on it now. In through the nose and out through the mouth."
She closed her eyes and remembered the morning that she'd visited the Black lake. She'd committed every detail to memory and she pulled it forth now. The mist over the lake, the sun reflecting off the water, the cattails, the sound of the birds…. As she held the scene in her mind and breathed, she felt a calming peace wash over her. She could feel the early morning chill and the dew from the ground on her feet.
Finally opening her eyes, she saw Severus watching her. She wished she could tell him about picturing the lake and the peace it gave her, but she still was unable to speak.
"You looked incredibly peaceful. Whatever you're doing, keep it up and maybe if you choose you can explain it to me one day."
She nodded, then made a motion as if drinking a vial.
"PT brew? It's in the storeroom. Maybe until this passes, you should take a whole one twice a day." He put the book back on the shelf. "And maybe don't read about it. Not yet."
She nodded in understanding and fetched two vials of sapphire liquid. She swallowed one and placed one in her robe pocket where it clinked against the blasted contraceptive potion she still hadn't taken out of her pocket.
After eating a little breakfast and taking a long hot shower in which she tried for the nth time to scrub off her rapists' touch, Hermione was back under the blanket.
Feeling the panic rising again and Bellatrix's voice in her ear, she closed her eyes and revisited the lake scene as she controlled her breathing. She cleared her mind of everything but that scene and slowly breathed in and out. It took several minutes but she finally felt the panic leave and the shaking stopped that she'd been feeling.
Opening her eyes, she saw Severus watching her from the office doorway.
"Are you alright?"
Still unable to speak, she nodded.
"Do you want to come with me to the Burrow? I should tell you that Arthur and Molly know what happened. Harry and Ron told them before they got arrested."
Hermione thought on it for a moment and then shook her head. She was in no mood to have Molly fuss over her or try to feed her, although it sounded as if the Weasley matriarch was not herself lately.
"I'll be flooing there shortly. Will you be alright while I'm gone or do you want to go up to the infirmary until I get back?"
She shook her head adamantly and pointed to the fireplace and couch.
"Okay, you can stay here. Just don't do anything crazy, alright? No trying to jump off towers or anything."
She nodded and covered herself with the blanket as she laid down and focused on the fire. The crackles and pops soon soothed her to sleep.
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Ginny stared at the Mediwitch's wand glowing pink.
"That can't be right. Do it again." She shook her head vigorously, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.
"I already did it twice, Miss Weasley. You are definitely pregnant."
Tears spilled down her cheeks as she thought of Harry sitting in a cell in Azkaban while she was carrying his child. The Mediwitch saw her distress and guided her to sit down on a cot.
"Would you like to talk about it, Dear?" She pulled up a chair next to the weeping girl.
"I can't believe this is happening. Harry's in prison and I'm having his baby. We were supposed to get married. Why did he have to go and attack Draco like he did? Now I'm alone, because he had to get some kind of revenge."
The Mediwitch placed a supportive hand on her arm.
"Do you have any friends who can be there for you?"
Ginny shook her head. "I've all but severed ties with Hermione. I apologized for ruining her things, but I was so upset about Harry's expulsion that I didn't fully mean it at the time. I don't think she believed me. I guess there's Luna, but I don't really know her all that well. Neville is always with her or in the greenhouse."
"Maybe you could try apologizing to Miss Granger again. You do know she likely will understand some of what you're facing."
Ginny nodded and wiped her cheeks. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."
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Visions of Igor Karakoff's trial rolled through Harry's mind as he sat in a cage in the middle of the Wizengamot. Ron was in a similar cage next to him. They were both charged with Draco Malfoy's murder.
This is a circumstance he never thought to find himself in. It was surreal. He wished it were all a nightmare that he could simply wake up from and then forget about.
The night before, he had been jumped by several Death Eaters that he shared a cell block with. Apparently, they had been enlightened as to the nature of his crime and sought to exact their own punishment. Having been allowed out of his cell to take a shower, he had not suspected any kind of nefarious plot even though he had just been allowed one that morning.
Because Azkaban prisoners are unable to use magic, he had endured repeated punches and kicks but no hexes or curses. The inmates are also unable to kill each other due to the wards permeating throughout the buildings. So that meant he endured hours of beatings until they grew tired of him and he was tossed back in his cell.
Now as he sat in the middle of the people who would decide his fate, he could only hope they accepted his plea of retribution for the rape of his best friend.
The Minister of Magic read a statement written by the Mediwitch regarding the nature of Draco's poisoning, injuries and death. Then he read a statement written by the Hogwarts Headmistress regarding Harry's and Ron's own admission of their actions.
Finally, Kingsley Shacklebolt recounted what Hermione Granger had told him regarding being gang raped at Malfoy Manor.
Harry and Ron were given a chance to speak in their own defence. Ron recounted how they were locked in the dungeon while Hermione was kept upstairs. He described hearing her screams and the laughter of Bellatrix and her partners. Harry relayed how he had seen Draco present before and after Hermione's attack.
As Harry scrutinized the faces in the crowd around him, he spotted Arthur and Ginny Weasley. His girlfriend looked pale, worn and sad. There were dark circles under her eyes and he noticed a steady stream of tears were spilling onto her cheeks.
As she made eye contact with him, she mouthed the words "I love you" and he mouthed them back. Then she mouthed something else, three syllables, but he couldn't make out what. She repeated it twice more and the last time, he thought he made out the words "I'm pregnant".
Desperation filled him and it was at that moment that he heard Kingsley Shacklebolt proclaim "Guilty! I hereby sentence Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley to ten years in Azkaban."
Gasps were heard around the room. Apparently, he had not been the only one hoping the murder would be seen as retribution or that his status as The Boy Who Lived would set him free. As the reality set in, he felt a lump of lead form in his gut. Ten years.
He stared at Ginny, who was sobbing on her father's shoulder. Had he read her lips right? Was she really pregnant? He remembered that the night he had been expelled, they had been together. That must have been when it happened. Every other time, they'd used a contraceptive from the Common Room cabinet. Before he had time to think about it more, he was being pulled out of the cage by Aurors and disapparated back to prison.
The last thing he saw was Rita Skeeter being obliviated by the Minister.
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After her father escorted her back to the Hogwarts gate by apparation, Ginny had hugged him goodbye and started walking to the castle. She wondered if Harry had understood what she'd mouthed to him and then wondered if she should have told him if he did. There was absolutely nothing he could do to help her or the baby.
Ten years! For ten years Harry would be incarcerated. The baby would be over nine before it even got to meet its father. Single mothers were not looked upon favorably in the wizarding world. It was frowned on to have a child out of wedlock, even as the Ministry was encouraging childbearing to increase the magical population.
She was about 10 steps in when she made up her mind. Seeing no one else was around, she turned and started walking towards Hogsmeade.
A short while later, Ginny entered the Jigger's family owned apothecary. It was darkened, with only a few wall sconces lighting the store. Jars of creepy looking ingredients lined the shelves.
The wizened looking woman behind the counter looked older than the former Headmaster and she glared at Ginny as she approached her.
"Can I help you?"
No one else was in the shop to hear her. "I need a potion for… I need to get rid of…" Ginny's eyes dropped. She didn't want to say "my baby" out loud, lest she start thinking about Harry again. "I'm…" She took a deep breath and wiped a tear from her cheek.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Got yourself sprogged up, did you? Wait here."
A moment later, she handed the redhead a vial containing a clear red liquid. "Fifteen galleons, please."
"I don't have that. I only have ten. Please, I need to do this."
"Well, I guess I'll take ten. This time, since you're so pathetic. Next time keep your legs shut, you little slag." The woman let out an exasperated sigh as Ginny put the money in her hand. The red head exited out the door muttering under her breath.
"Stupid bitch."
Realizing she had no instructions but not willing to return when she'd just been called a whore, she set off down the trail leading to the castle. After a quick glance around, she poured all the liquid into her mouth and pocketed the empty vial.
Deciding to fly away her sorrows, she grabbed her broom from her dorm and set off towards the Quidditch pitch.
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Hermione had been in Professor Snape's dungeon quarters for five days. Only just in the last day had she started brewing potions with him again. The other four had been spent in front of the fire under a blanket, breathing her way through panic attacks and using her meditation skills to get through flashbacks without meltdowns. He hadn't needed to spell any Dreamless Sleep into her in two days. She took a full vial of PT brew twice a day still.
She was contemplating returning to her dorm when he returned from teaching and asked her if she wanted to go outside with him to collect Dragon's Tail flowers and leaves from the Forbidden Forest. Thinking the change of scenery and a walk in fresh air would do her good, she nodded. Her speech still had not returned and it was worrying her. Perhaps communing with nature would help.
The red, orange and gold leaves on the trees were beautiful and Hermione smiled when she caught sight of the forest. Sprinkled with autumn foliage, the forest did not look so intimidating right now. The bright colors contrasted the grey sky. They walked in the forest in silence, both taking in the nature around them.
The Dragon's Tail bushes were about half a kilometer into the forest. They had red and orange flowers that were long and resembled flames. The leaves were dark green and shaped like the tail of a dragon. The texture was even slightly scaly.
Hermione had never seen this kind of bush before, not even when she had deceived Delores Umbridge into following herself and Harry into the forest.
When she was about three meters away from the bush, Severus put a hand up for her to stop.
"It's highly poisonous, even if you inhale it. Cast a bubble charm around your head. I'll do the cutting. You watch carefully how I do it."
Hermione nodded, cast the charm and watched as her mentor donned leather gloves and withdrew a knife from a leather pouch.
"This pouch and knife are dedicated to this plant and a few others. It is vital that they are not used for anything else."
Sensing her unasked question, he continued. "It's use is for a potion that treats heart disease. When brewed properly, it actually reverses the damage done by a heart attack. The muggles are starting to learn of its properties, but they are still working on adapting it for their use. This will be for St. Mungo's. They always keep a supply on hand."
He grabbed a branch close to him, several centimeters below the flower, and sliced it off. "Do not under any circumstance slice, cut or crush the flower. It goes into the silver plated cauldron whole. The juice is caustic and will eat through skin or fabric easily and damages wood, steel and marble."
Suddenly, the former spy stood straight up and looked around, a strange look on his face. Hermione looked around also, but heard or saw nothing amiss. He quickly stowed the knife and flowers in the leather pouch, shrunk it down and put it in his pocket.
"Let's go. I don't know what that crash was, but it came from the direction of the Quidditch pitch. We'll have to finish our collection later."
The two quickly hurried out of the woods and in the direction of the sports arena.
When they arrived at their destination a few minutes later, his hunches were proven correct. Ginny Weasley lay unconscious on the ground, her broom discarded nearby. She was blood soaked below her waist.
Without hesitation, he scooped her up and yelled at the brunette to apparate to the infirmary, then disapparated with her classmate.
With a pop, they appeared and Severus immediately yelled for Poppy as he placed her on a cot. Visions from fifteen years previous came to his mind, of another bleeding, unconscious teenage girl.
"Not again, not again." The professor shook his head. He'd done everything he could to prevent this scenario. Hadn't he?
The Mediwitch magically removed the girl's clothing as Hermione popped in. Then she sent a patronus to Luna and the Headmistress.
"Check all her pockets, maybe she took something." As the brunette followed orders, Severus accioed blood builder and rescue.
Upon finding the empty vial, Hermione handed it to him. He opened it, sniffed it and grimaced. "Black cohosh and motherwort. She gave herself an abortion, probably with something improperly brewed from that blasted Jigger's. There's a reason I don't patronize them."
Her cot was already filling with blood. Luna arrived and immediately began running vitals.
"Max, Poppy?"
"Aye." Her eyes never left her patient.
He turned to Hermione. "Let's go."
As they flooed to his office, she heard the Mediwitch accio more blood builder and rescue.
As soon as they stepped into the potions office, he quickly entered the storeroom and returned with Blue Cohosh, Lady's Mantle, Evening Primrose, Angelica and Capsicum.
"Four cauldrons of bloodbuilder, Granger. I'll brew the Max."
She got to work on dicing the spleens and marrow while Severus expertly prepared the ingredients for the Max brew. It was like Maternus Rescue, but more potent and used for a life threatening uterine hemorrhage.
"She's bleeding out. I smelled the vial in her pocket. It wasn't mine and it's unlikely she went to the Alleys. That leaves Jigger's. She must have been pregnant with Harry's baby and became desperate. Must not have wanted anyone to know or she would have come to us. I've been wanting to get them shut down for years. Their potions are inferior."
Thirty five minutes later, he bottled a yellow green potion into vials and flooed up with it.
As quickly as he stepped in and handed the vials to Madame Pomfrey, she spelled them in to the deathly pale youngest Weasley. The Headmistress was spelling in bloodbuilder, strengthener and rescue while Luna continuously monitored her vitals.
"More, Severus."
"On my way."
"Granger, four more after that batch. Get four of strengthener and four of rescue going."
As the Potions Master brewed another cauldron of Maternus Rescue Maximus, he thought about the Weasley family. In less than six months, they had lost Fred and watched Ron be arrested for Draco's murder. Another death in the family would be more than they could handle. Molly already hardly ate or got out of bed as it was.
"I'm going to send a patronus to Hagrid. I need him to go to the Alleys for us."
A silvery doe danced across the office and out the window.
Hermione glanced up from her twelve cauldrons, but only long enough to wonder how the half giant was so good at getting vital ingredients so quickly.
A short time later, he appeared in the office doorway. Severus handed him a list that he'd rapidly penned, and he left through the office floo.
"I don't know exactly how he manages to always get the ingredients I need and so quickly, but he does and I don't ask questions."
Hermione nodded and wondered how he'd known she wanted to ask. She was almost sure Hagrid could find cannabis for her, but could not afford to think about that as she rounded on her cauldrons.
Severus flooed up with more Max and returned shortly after to start another batch. The girl's hemorrhaging still wasn't slowing down, so he prepared twice the amount of ingredients to make it more concentrated.
"This Rescue Max can only be brewed one cauldron at a time, and it has to be taken or spelled in immediately. She's still bleeding heavily, so I'm making it twice as strong. We're losing her, Hermione."
Fifteen minutes after he returned from delivering the concentrated Max, Hermione delivered her vials. She felt an ache in her gut as she observed the deathly pale redhead laying motionless on the cot.
"Granger, she's finally slowing down. Tell him to make this his last batch of Max. We'll need bloodbuilder, strengthener, pain reliever, double stomach soother. It's gonna be a long night."
"Got it." It was the first words she'd spoken in five days.
Stepping out of the floo back into the office, she turned to Severus.
"She said to make that your last batch. The bleeding is finally slowing down. She needs bloodbuilder, strengthener, pain reliever and double stomach soother."
Her mentor glanced up in surprise to hear her voice. He only nodded, saying nothing about her speaking ability returning.
"Rescue Maximus is a last resort for a reason. It causes severe vomiting, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. When the resulting dehydration is coupled with blood loss, it's dangerous."
"That must be why she said it was going to be a long night."
Hagrid arrived with their ingredients. He set them on the desk, along with a bottle of whiskey for the professor and a large packet of chocolate frogs for Hermione.
"That there's gifts for working so hard to save our Ginny. I know you don't have time for them now, but you will later."
The brunette smiled and thanked him.
She got to work preparing the newly delivered spleens and marrow. Soon, four cauldrons of bloodbuilder, four of strengthener and four of double stomach soother were bubbling.
When those were completed two hours later, Hermione brought them up to Madame Pomfrey.
Ginny was awake and sitting up with a bucket in front of her. She gratefully accepted a vial of double stomach soother from the Mediwitch.
"Thank you, Hermione." She smiled at the brunette. "I know you made these."
The apprentice smiled back. "You're welcome, Ginny."
When she returned to the office, she started on the pain reliever. As the smell of pineapple, mint and banana permeated the office, she shared a smirk with the professor.
"I bet you the pack of chocolate frogs she'll be down here in fifteen minutes."
"I say seven minutes and I get to take a shot of your whiskey."
Severus looked surprised at her wager, but set a timing charm.
Six minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
"Ha!" exclaimed Hermione. "I won."
Severus actually laughed as he waved the door open.
"What's so funny, Professor? Hello, Miss Granger."
"We placed bets on how long it would take for you to come down here. She won."
The Headmistress smiled at seeing her most melancholy staff member and her most struggling student sharing a laugh. She was pleased they were able to enjoy a mirthful moment.
"Well, I am glad to have provided you two with some amusement. It has been a stressful day. Miss Weasley does appear to be almost out of the woods, thanks to the two of you."
"I believe she got the abortifacient from Jigger's. It certainly wasn't my brew, and it was unlikely that she went to either of the Alleys. It smelled like it contained high concentrations of Motherwort and Black Cohosh. I do put the second in mine, but only in a small amount and never with Motherwort. Those two ingredients should never be mixed."
The Headmistress looked thoughtful. "Perhaps a bit of undercover work is needed. Miss Granger, are you up for some espionage?"
"Me?" She felt unsure, not having been herself for the last week or for the last two months really.
"If you are not able to do it, I can see if Miss Lovegood is up to the task."
"What is it you want her to do?" Severus looked a bit protective, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Headmistress.
"Oh, just go to Jigger's and pretend to be pregnant and tell them you need a potion to take care of it and ask what's in it just to be curious."
"Perhaps both myself and Luna could go. We could tell them I don't want anyone here to know."
The Headmistress nodded in agreement.
"Hermione, could you go up to the infirmary and check on Miss Weasley? I need to speak with Professor Snape for a moment."
Hermione looked baffled and a little concerned, but agreed.
After the green flames of the floo had disappeared, the bespectacled witch sat down in the professor's chair and sighed.
The potioneer glanced at her but continued tending to the many bubbling cauldrons.
"Now that you've sent away my apprentice, I'm sure you'll forgive me for continuing to work while we speak. Now what's on your mind?"
"Mr. Weasley's and Mr. Potter's trials were today. They were both found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. Ginny went with her father to the Wizengamot. I'm certain that their successful prosecution is what prompted her to seek out Jigger's."
"Likely so. I just wish she had come to me, or to Poppy. This could have gone so differently." He shook his head as he stirred a cauldron.
"Miss Granger is not aware of the trial or its outcome. I am concerned that telling her may cause her to go in a tailspin again. That is why I sent her upstairs. You know her better than anyone else and she seems to trust you."
The potioneer nodded and grimaced. "Two steps forward, three steps back it seems. Progress and setbacks is the way it goes when recovering from any physical or mental trauma. I'll tell her about the trial, but I may wait."
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Hermione flooed up to the infirmary. Ginny was bent over a bucket, perched on the side of the bed. She barely was able to greet the brunette between bouts of vomiting and dry heaving. She'd been moved to a cot next to the loo and was in there more than not. Hermione helped her former roommate back and forth several times.
In a rare use of Muggle healing, Madame Pomfrey had placed an intravenous line in her hand to continually drip electrolyte rich fluids into her body to combat the dehydration and salt loss. She was receiving frequent doses of the double stomach soother, which only diminished the vomiting and diarrhea a small amount.
The professor and Headmistress joined her in the infirmary after a while, and brought up the rest of the potions. After seeing Ginny's digestive distress, he pulled Hermione into the hallway.
"I've never seen the effects of doubling the Max. If the bleeding doesn't kill her, this might. Remember the little bit of research you did on cannabis?"
His apprentice nodded. "Do you think it might help her?"
"I do. Which means we'll have to send Hagrid out again." He conjured a patronus and the doe bounded out the window.
The pair flooed back to the potions office and the half giant met them there soon after. He was surprised that Professor Snape wanted cannabis but agreeable as long as he wasn't required to reveal his sources.
"I don't ask questions, Hagrid, you know that."
The bearded man gave a nod and was gone. It was after midnight when he returned.
Hermione watched as her mentor crushed the leaves and set them to boil in a small amount of water. For two hours, they watched it simmer. After it was cooled, Hermione helped bottle the yellowish green liquid.
After completely banishing the contents of the cauldron, he brought it up and gave her the potion himself.
"What was that?"
"Something to settle your gut down, that's all you need to know, Miss Weasley."
The red head gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Sir."
He nodded at her, nodded at the Mediwitch and returned to his office.
"It's time to get some rest. I'm going to sleep in my chair by the fireplace in case we're needed again. I assume you'll crash on my couch again?"
Hermione nodded, finally feeling the stress of the day wearing on her and pulled the green blanket around herself. Soon after closing her eyes, she fell asleep and dreamed about chopping and brewing ingredients.
The sun was just coming up when she awakened. After eating a breakfast delivered by house elves, Hermione decided to go check on Ginny.
Her mentor stood in front of the floo. "Before you go, there's something you need to know."
"Can't it wait?"
"No, it really can't. I would rather you hear it from me. Sit down."
A lump forming in her gut, the brunette sat down on the couch. Severus sat down next to her.
"The Wizengamot held Mr. Weasley's and Mr. Potter's trial yesterday. They were both found guilty and sentenced to ten years in Azkaban."
"Ten years?"
The potioneer nodded.
Hermione took a deep breath as the news sunk in.
"Is that what the Headmistress wanted to talk to you about yesterday?"
"Yes. She wanted me to tell you about it since I know you better. I wanted to tell you before you visited Miss Weasley again, in case she brought it up. I did not want you to be caught off guard."
"Ten years," she repeated to herself. "That's a long time, but actually as far as sentences for murder go, it's rather short isn't it?"
"Yes, it is. Potter's fame and status as a war hero did not get him off completely, but it did buy the two of them light sentences."
"They were my two best friends all through my years here. When we were on the run in the forest, we kept each other going. Nearly every day, at least one of us wanted to call it quits. When Ron came back, I was so angry with him for leaving, I wanted to hex him. Harry had my wand and I practically chased him up a tree trying to get it back." Despite her sadness, the apprentice managed a smile at the memory.
Severus laughed at the image of the powerful, headstrong witch next to him chasing the Boy Who Lived up a tree.
"Are you still planning to visit Ginny?"
"Yes. If she's awake, that is."
"I'm going to come with you. I want to see how the potion last night worked for her."
After stepping through the floo, the two of them walked to Ginny's bed. She was awake, and although there was a bucket near her, she wasn't holding on to it.
Professor Snape approached her and pulled up a chair to sit down.
"How are you feeling this morning, Miss Weasley?"
"I haven't thrown up in two hours and I've stayed out of the loo for three. Considering it was every five minutes for hours, that's amazing. Madame Pomfrey said she'll take this intravenous line out of my arm after I eat lunch." Ginny held up her arm and smiled. "Whatever that last potion was you gave me, Sir, it worked. Thank you!"
"I am glad it worked." The professor looked pleased. "Any side effects?"
"I've just been a little sleepy and actually kind of hungry. I already ate breakfast."
"That's a side effect of it that's beneficial. I will ask you not to mention that potion to anybody, however. It was brewed with an illegal ingredient."
Ginny's eyes widened. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."
"Thank you. I'm going to return to my office and leave you to visit with Miss Granger."
"Thank you again, Professor!"
He nodded at the red head and exited through the floo.
Hermione took his chair and pulled it closer to Ginny's bed.
"So you really are doing alright?" Concern was obvious in the brunette's eyes. She knew the decision to have an abortion is not an easy one.
"I'm tired. Exhausted, really. I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of hippogriffs." Ginny sighed and pulled the covers up over her shoulders. "I'm also cold, but I suppose that's the blood loss."
"If you ever need to talk, you know I'm usually either in Professor Snape's office or in my dorm. Or sleeping on his couch." Ginny raised her eyebrows at the last sentence but said nothing. "I know our situations are different, but you also know I've been here."
"I owe you another apology, a real apology. I am so sorry for destroying your things. I understand why Harry initiated it. He was trying to protect you. I just wish he had told us sooner."
"Same here. I blamed myself for months. You know there's a good chance it wasn't Harry's, right?"
Ginny nodded, surprised Hermione had volunteered that. "Did they tell you about their trial?"
"Yes, Sev- I mean, Professor Snape told me before we came up here." Hermione hoped her friend wouldn't notice the slip up.
"On a first name basis, huh?" The red head raised her eyebrows.
"Only because I'm his apprentice. There's nothing going on between us. But yes, I'm aware of the trial. Is that why you went to Jigger's?"
"Yes, I didn't want anyone else to know, besides the Mediwitch. The hag behind the counter was so incredibly rude. She called me a slag and told me to keep my legs shut. I should have just gone to Professor Snape like you did."
"Well, you can't change it now. What's done is done."
"Do you think I made the right choice, 'Mione?"
"Only you can determine that, Ginny."
"Do you regret it?"
"No, and that's where our situations are incredibly different. Carrying and raising the child of one of those men…." The brunette's voice trailed off as her breakfast nearly made a reappearance. She shut her eyes and brought forth the image of the lake at dawn. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In her mind, she was looking out over the foggy lake at the trees and the cattails. Pull it together, she told herself. Feeling the nausea and panic subside, she opened her eyes.
Ginny decided to change the subject. "So how is your potions apprenticeship going? Learn anything interesting?"
"Yes. I learned yesterday about a plant in the Forbidden Forest that will eat through your skin if you touch it but can heal heart disease when properly brewed."
After the girls had eaten a brunch of sorts together, Madame Pomfrey handed the younger witch four vials; bloodbuilder, strengthener, rescue and pain reliever. After she swallowed those, she was given a few drops of Dreamless Sleep and her IV was removed.
"It's time for you to rest, Miss Weasley. You've been awake since yesterday and now that you're not constantly expelling out one way or the other, you need to sleep. Miss Granger, you may visit with her when she wakes up."
Hermione nodded and took her leave after saying goodbye to Ginny.
Upon flooing down to the office, she found her mentor doing inventory in the storeroom. She started on the other end of the shelves and they were done quickly.
"Would you like to try again to get the Dragon's Tail with me? St. Mungo's will be expecting that potion tomorrow."
"Yes! Definitely."
"Did you take your PT brew today yet?"
"Yes, I did. It seems to be helping keep the flashbacks and nightmares away, as long as I keep taking it."
They started walking towards the main entrance.
"Keep taking the full vial twice a day for another two weeks, then go back to half doses. Then we'll see how things go."
The sun was shining as they stepped outside. Hermione smiled and closed her eyes as she felt the warmth on her face. It felt good to be alive.
She opened her eyes and noticed the sun was reflecting off the Black lake. The sky was bright blue, a rare sight for November.
"Severus, did I ever thank you for saving my life that night on the astronomy tower?"
Her mentor stopped and looked at her in surprise.
"I would not be here were it not for you. Thank you!"
"You are welcome, Hermione." His dark eyes briefly shone with something she had seen a few other rare times, like when she had hugged him after he had made her scar disappear. She stepped up and hugged him again, savoring the smell of herbs on his robe, and felt him briefly press his lips onto the top of her head as he wrapped his arms around her.
Remembering that anyone could be watching, she stepped away reluctantly, eyeing his lips as she did so. The last time she had considered kissing him, she had thrown herself into a panic attack.
They walked the rest of the way to the forest in comfortable silence. The sound of birds and the breeze blowing through the trees greeted them. Leaves had begun to fall, so the forest floor was dotted with orange, yellow and red.
When they reached the Dragon's Tail, Hermione applied the bubble charm. Severus handed her the knife and gloves and pointed to where to grab the plant and where to cut. Several times their hands accidentally touched and she felt a jolt of electricity each time.
After a sufficient amount of leaves and flowers had been obtained, they started walking back to the castle.
Severus dumped the leaves and flowers directly into a silver plated cauldron. After adding water, he cast a bubble around it and set it to brew with a few other ingredients. Centaur's Clover, pine sap and willow bark.
"It needs eight hours. It's important we do not inhale the vapors for the first half." He opened his potions manual and gestured for his apprentice to look at the page he had turned to. "You won't find this particular potion in yours. You should write it in, along with the Rescue Max, the double Rescue Max and the double Stomach Soother. There's blank pages at the end of each section."
Hermione sat down on a stool at an empty section of counter and copied down the potions into her own manual as instructed. Then she wrote in the recipe for the PT brew. Having completed that, she watched her mentor as he watched the Dragon's Tail brew through the containment bubble. She realized that he'd developed nearly all the potions she'd just copied down and probably many more.
Severus Snape was a highly skilled potioneer and she was going to learn under him for the next three years. Hermione smiled as she realized just how fortunate she was to have landed this apprenticeship and vowed never to let anything get in the way of it. Even her feelings for him.
"Something on your mind, Hermione?" Severus had sensed her looking at him and turned towards her.
"I'm looking forward to learning from you and I wanted to tell you thank you for taking me on as your apprentice."
He nodded at her. "They don't call you the brightest witch of your age for nothing. It will be my pleasure to train you." He knew his feelings for her would have to stay on the back burner, as he did not want anything to get in the way of her training.
"Thank you for letting me fall apart on your couch so many times. It meant a lot to me."
He stared at the contents of the cauldron for a moment before answering. "I couldn't protect you. I feel like it is the least I can do. I understand better than anyone else the damage those people could inflict and what dark magic can do to a person."
"I'm going to try going back to my dorm tonight. I'll take a vial of PT brew before I go to sleep and again when I wake up. If I wake up with a bad nightmare…"
Severus turned to her. "You are always welcome to come down here. I've set my wards to allow you in to the office and my quarters. If you enter my quarters at night, just knock a few times first so I know you're coming. I'm a light sleeper and can be easily startled. I don't want to hex you."
"Thank you."
After four hours, the bubble was removed from over the cauldron. The steam was light green in color and the potion was dark green.
"Now we watch it for bubbles and lumps. Any that appear have to be stirred out immediately in a diagonal pattern."
An elf delivered supper and they took turns eating while the other watched the potion. After it was done, they bottled it and Hermione headed back to her dorm for the first time in a week. She smiled to herself as she realized that Severus' quarters were becoming a second home to her.
* harrypotter. / wiki/ Imperius_Curse