Chapter 5
That night Hermione hardly slept, but this time it wasn't because of the nightmares. She tossed and turned, thoughts of her new position racing through her mind. Worst case scenarios that became increasingly more bizarre as the night dragged on played on an endless loop. A carousel of dread and anxiety. What would happen if she couldn't do the job? What if she talked too much and Snape fired her for being annoying. What if she messed up and Snape got hurt. The memory of Hermione's bloody hands applying pressure to Snape's neck played on repeat. Each time she became increasingly more panicked as she recited every spell she could think of, but nothing working. A blue orb passing from her went into his chest, defeat landing a chilling blow. She rocked back onto her heels, her hands dropping to her sides, there was nothing more she could do.
What if something happened and she couldn't save him? She wasn't sure if she could go through that pain again. Last time she thought he had died he was still thought to be the enemy. This time he would be a...a what? Friend? No, he wasn't a friend and probably never would be. A colleague. This time he would be a colleague, someone that depended on her. She couldn't mess up this time. She wasn't able to save him before, Merlin knows how he survived, but she could make up for that now. She would do everything in her power to be of service to him.
Rays of light began to creep their way across the stone floors and Hermione gave up trying to fall asleep. Kicking aside the blankets, she got out of bed and headed to the restroom. She stood in front of her wardrobe wrapped in a towel. What was she supposed to wear? She had her old school uniform, but she was no longer a student and the thought seemed a little silly. But wearing her muggle clothing did not seem right either. She couldn't imagine Snape wearing muggle clothing, relaxed fit jeans and a baggy t-shirt didn't seem his style, but would he still be wearing his teaching robes? She supposed he would be since he had continued to wear them around the school even though he was no longer a professor. Sweeping down the corridors with his cloak billowing behind him.
She laid out her old school uniform and began to transfigure them. The skirt grew in length and then split down the middle. The two sides created new seams to transform the skirt into a pair of pants. The white shirt she steamed with her wand to rid any wrinkles. Instead of a tie she added short ruffles to the front of the shirt. Cute, but still practical and wouldn't get in the way of making potions. She dressed and tied her hair back in a plait. Placing a glamour on the bags under her eyes did little to hide the tiredness evident in her eyes, but the effort made her feel better.
Grabbing a Wide Eye Potion along with her Calming Draught she stuck them in her pockets to have with her breakfast. This was her first day on the job, and she couldn't mess things up. She wouldn't. If all things went well she could turn this apprenticeship into a career. She could become a Potions Mistress.
It wasn't until Hermione was walking down the hallway of the dungeons that she realized that she wasn't completely certain that Snape's office would be in the same place as when he was a professor. The sound of her shoes hitting the ground resounded around her. She approached the Potions Professors office door, but before she could raise her hand to knock a voice called, "come in!" It was not the voice she was expecting. This voice was cheerful and airy, and very feminine. Definitely not Snape.
Pushing open the door revealed a woman in her mid 30s. Box braids were piled into a large bun atop her head and a warm smile with perfectly white teeth greeted Hermione as she entered the room. A book lay open in front of the woman.
"I'm sorry to intrude. I was looking for…" Hermione began.
"Master Snape?" The woman finished, followed by a breathy laugh. "You're not the first to come looking for him. His office has been moved to the end of the hall. I'm Amanda Cook, by the way, the new Potion's Professor."
Hermione found herself smiling at the woman. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I'm Hermione Granger...the new Potion's Assistant." A sense of pride filled Hermione's chest as she uttered her new title. "I'm sure we will be seeing plenty of each other. I look forward to working with you." As Hermione turned to leave, she stopped herself and added, "Hogwarts a History, it's one of my favorites. It's been immensely informative and helpful throughout the years."
The woman placed her hand on the text. "I'm hoping it will help me navigate this place a bit better. I've come from The States. Everything is so new...and different here." A timid edge entered her voice as she continued, "Maybe we could have coffee..or rather tea together sometime? I haven't figured out how to make a proper cup of tea yet."
Hermione was a bit surprised by the invitation. She hadn't sat down with someone for a cup of tea since before the war. "I'd like that."
With a wave good-bye Hermione exited the office and continued down the hall. The corridor seemed endless; the far side of the hall was shrouded in shadows. She had never been this far into the dungeons before. She doubted even the Slytherins ventured this far. The hallway dead ended into a tapestry depicting a large oak. Birds were perched in the branches and a couple of foxes chased each other around the base of the tree. The artwork seemed out of place in the dungeons. Too colorful, too lively.
"You're late." Snape's voice drawled from the other side of the tapestry. Hermione waved it aside with a flick of her wand and entered the room. "I expect you to be prompt and ready to work by the time given."
"Yes, Sir. My apologies. I was not informed of your change of office." Her hands clenched at her sides and her knees locked. She refused to appear nervous by fidgeting or bouncing on her toes, both of which were a common habit of hers. Instead, she looked about the room. A deep mahogany colored desk stood in the middle of the room. Papers, books, and quills covered the surface. A couch that looked quite comfy sat in the corner. Overstuffed floor to ceiling bookshelves composed three of the four walls. The fourth wall was completely made of glass creating a window into the depths of the Black Lake. Fish swam by and although she wasn't certain, she believed she might have seen a tentacle of the giant squid moving in the shadows.
"Very well. Come. I'll show you the rest of the chambers."
There were only two doors. The one she came through and one to the right of the desk. Through this door was a small corridor that had three additional doors. The first of which led into the lab. It was simple, but efficient. Several cauldrons sat atop burners on a table in the middle of the room. Cabinets and shelves lined the walls where potion ingredients were likely to go, but the collection was sparse. Snape commented on several of the features about the room. He stopped often to clear his throat.
"I have already spoken with Professor Sprout, Madam Pompfrey, and Professor Cook to ascertain which potions are of the highest importance and which ingredients can be grown or acquired at the school. From which I have curated a list of ingredients we must gather, and potions we must brew before the start of term. I have listed them in order of importance." Snape gestured towards a journal that sat atop a table along the wall. Inside was the list he spoke of. His handwriting: neat and precise. This list was extensive, but it only made Hermione more determined. This would keep her busy for quite some time.
Back in the corridor Snape gestured to one door explaining that it led to his private quarters. "And this door leads to your own rooms. You shall find it satisfactory to fill your needs. A house elf shall be transporting your belongings momentarily. I will leave you to become settled." Snape either did not notice, or chose to ignore Hermione's look of surprise. The thought had not occurred to her until now, but it made perfect sense that she would be staying near the lab. She had been residing in the Gryffindore dorm rooms the past few months, but with term beginning soon she would no longer be able to stay there as the students would then be occupying the space.
She pushed open the door to reveal a lavishly furnitured room. A four poster bed dominated the room. Hermione ran her hands along the bedding to be met with the softest material she had ever felt. It must have been made of unicorn hair or had extensive charm work done to it. An overstuffed chair sat beside the bed with a small table accompanying it. Similar to the study, the far wall was completely made of glass and looked into the Black Lake. Long, thick curtains framed the glass. A door led to a private bathroom and closet rivaling the size of her childhood bedroom.
A popping noise alerted her to the arrival of a house elf. Its ears flopped past its shoulders and a clean, wrinkle free pillowcase adorned its body. The elf bowed low to the ground, its ears grazing the floor, "Pip has brought Miss her belongings. Pip can put them away if Miss likes?" The house elf looked up at Hermione expectantly, most likely wanting to be as much help as possible, but Hermione preferred to put her things away herself. Not to mention she still felt uncomfortable with being served by a being with no free-will.
"That's okay Pip. I'll be putting it away myself. Thank you."
The house elf looked disappointed. "Okay Miss. Pip will be seeing Miss soon. Pip is only a call away." and without another word the elf disappeared with a pop.
Hermione spent the next hour or so putting away her clothes and other belongings. She had to cram her books onto a shelf that wasn't nearly big enough to properly store half of her collection. The vials of potions, which she noted were running a bit too low for her liking, were tucked into a dresser drawer containing her "unmentionables."
Not knowing whether Snape expected her to find him once she was unpacked or not she decided that he would call her if needed. So to pass the time she curled up into the armchair and began reading Potion Ingredients and Where to FInd Them. It was far from being advanced reading, but she felt she could use the refresher and rereading books had a meditative property to her.