A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters
This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Auction Day 8 Wolfsbane Potion
Word Count: 562
Hermione ignored the shaking in her hands. They only did that when she was nervous, a twitch she'd picked up from the war somehow. She shouldn't be nervous. She was decent at brewing, despite all the set backs she'd had in school. The whole thing about Professor Snape's book was just one giant mess. That was the only reason Harry had done better than her. This potion wasn't even as difficult as some others she had managed to brew correctly. The only difference was how important this one was.
"Hermione? What are you doing up?" Tonks asked, looking at Hermione, who was currently standing over a bubbling cauldron. Hermione looked up, seeing Tonks' signature pink hair and smiled slightly.
"Just working on something," Hermione answered. It wasn't a lie. She didn't want Tonks to know the truth just yet, if there was even anything to tell. She hated the idea of possibly giving her false hope. Everything had changed since the war. Professor Snape was dead. The war was won. It seemed that way at least. Things after the war had become confusing, chaotic.
Hermione had left Ron and Harry standing in the rubble to go help save the lives of Remus and Tonks. She knew Ron would never forgive her for leaving him, for not following him where ever he went. She'd never loved him like that, like he'd loved her. She knew he'd never understand. Hermione had her own reasons. Reasons she hadn't felt like sharing at the time, reasons Ron had never pursued, leaving her to her own life while he chased his own dreams.
"It's late, Teddy's in bed asleep finally. You might think about doing the same?" Tonks stated, tilting her head and watching Hermione.
"I will, after I finish this," Hermione replied, giving Tonks a strained smile. Tonks returned it with a smile of her own, this one much more playful. Hermione felt her lip twitch upward.
"Remus wouldn't be happy if we were having fun without him," Hermione commented, keeping a careful eye on her potion. Tonks sniffed the air and looked at Hermione. Her eyes widened.
"You're brewing wolfsbane?"
"Yes, well, I'm attempting to. I found the notes Professor Snape left, I was hoping, that if I got it right, at least we wouldn't have to..."
"Chain him up like that?" Tonks finished, translating the look on Hermione's face correctly.
"Yes. I hate having to do that. I know it's to keep everyone safe, but it breaks my heart every time."
"Mine too, Hermione, mine too. Oh, I think I hear Teddy crying. Finish up and come to bed. It's lonely on his moon nights," she added. Hermione slowly scooped the potion into a vial. It looked the right color, it smelled right. She filled the vials she had, setting them aside to study further in the morning.
"I'm going to go check on Teddy, come up when you're done, alright?" Tonks asked.
"I will," Hermione promised, finishing emptying the cauldron into vials. She placed the cauldron in the sink to be cleaned later. Leaving it for now wouldn't harm anything. She took one last look at the lab before starting on the stairs leading to the main house, to Tonks. She sighed, only time would tell if she'd gotten it right. She was fairly certain she had, but still, only time would tell.