Author's Note: Thanks, everybody, for your responses last chapter! I'm glad I didn't write Ted in; I just couldn't remember for sure about him. So, crazy thing, here's my 3rd update this week, and it's a nice long chapter. The story seems to be flowing really well at the moment, so hopefully I'll be able to keep up a chapter a week or so. I am planning on doing NaNoWriMo this year; I've got an inkling of a story idea. Is anybody else? I had to skip it last year.
I also had my blog name wrong in my last chapter. It's HiIMakeStuff, but it's at WordPress, not Blogspot.
I hope you enjoy this! It was a bit of a pain to write, but I'm pretty happy with the result. When I'm on a roll like this and the chapters keep coming, would you rather keep having them right away, or would you rather me start stockpiling them so I can keep releasing one a week (or something) even when the creative juices aren't flowing?
Chapter 19: Signatures
Draco was exhausted and ached all over. His back, his arms, his legs. Who would have thought that coating the walls in such a thin substance was such a work out? He'd had to squat to reach the lower parts, and stand on a chair to reach the highest part. The roller had splattered him with paint, but the brush took forever and still dripped. It was a nightmare.
When he was resting on the plastic covered floor he looked at Hermione. "Surely all Muggles don't put up with this nonsense?"
"Well, the ones that can afford it hire someone else do it," she said cheerfully. "But that's not you."
He groaned. "What do I have to do to get a job where I can afford to pay someone to take care of all these tasks?"
"More education. More work experience," she said off-handedly.
The walls still looked splotchy and uneven where paint had dried in some areas already but not others. He had to admit though, that the bits where it had dried certainly looked much better than the sterile walls that had been there before. It was just the thought of moving the furniture and laying out the plastic and actually painting everything that was preventing him from suggesting they go ahead and do the other rooms. Even in a flat this small, it sounded like a lot of work.
"We may as well do the kitchen," Hermione said, conversationally.
"What?"
"Well, your bedroom and bathroom are off that way, separate rooms. But your kitchen and living room kind of merge together. It's not that much more wall space to cover, and it looks half-finished this way."
Draco rolled himself over on the plastic matting with as much dignity as he could muster, which wasn't much. "It does look terrible, doesn't it?"
Hermione nodded. "It does. It won't take long to finish."
By the time the kitchen was done, Draco has a splotch of paint on one cheek, and there was a little in the end of Hermione's hair, and they were both worn out. Neither was up for cooking or the energy it would take to change into something not splattered in paint.
"We still have to clean the brushes," Hermione pointed out wearily, wishing she hadn't suggested painting the kitchen.
"Why?"
She rolled her eyes. "The paint hardens on the walls when it dries, doesn't it? It'll harden on the brush and rollers too if you don't wash them. If we wash them, we can reuse them again, otherwise they'll just have to get thrown out."
At this moment, there was no desire farther from Draco's mind than painting. He'd be thrilled if he never had to paint again. Unfortunately the thought of having to pay for new brushes and rollers if he changed his mind in a week or two didn't appeal either. "What do I have to do?" he asked, absolutely resigned.
It seemed like the rollers and brushes were never going to come clean, but with enough water, they eventually did, and they set them out to dry. "I'll worry about the plastic matting later. Order in?"
They called in a dinner order and went to Hermione's flat to wait for it, leaving the window in Draco's living room open to let the fumes escape.
Monday morning, Hermione received a strange letter. The envelope was unadorned, except for her name. She opened it over her coffee and noted that it had just been written that morning.
Nov. 24
If you remain interested in increasing your knowledge of potions, elixirs, droughts, and the properties of various herbs, fungi, roots, and insects, please report promptly to Shady Elm, via your nearest Floo connection.
She could hardly make out the signature below the last line, but she thought the first letters of each word might have been a D and a B. There was really no one else she could think of who would have sent this letter. Admittedly, she supposed it could be some sort of trap, but the person would have had to know where to find her first and that she wanted to pursue further studies in potions.
She pursed her lips. There was no time listed, so evidently she was supposed to appear as soon as she'd seen it. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? A chance to further her potions knowledge so that she could help people? Belby had certainly taken his time getting back to her. It was only a few minutes' work to change out of her pajamas and into a serviceable set of robes. As an after thought, she put a set of basic potions tools into her handbag, to make sure Belby knew she was prepared for anything. She was ready. She lit the grate with her wand and threw a pinch of powder in. "Shady Elm," she said clearly. And she was off, elbows tucked in closely to her sides.
She emerged in a dim, stone floor room, with wooden walls. She stood for a moment to try to get her bearings before calling out. "Hello?"
"Hermione Granger? Well, you took your time, that letter had to have reached you fifteen minutes ago."
She stared frankly at the speaker. He was a short, well dressed man, with a large mole on one cheek. The words spilled out before she could stop herself, "I took my time? You've had my application for months."
He grinned, his lips forming themselves around a brilliantly white but rather crooked smile. "I don't hold with celebrity. I wanted to make sure you were serious. This way for the interview."
"Interview?" Hermione asked, following him to the other end of the room, where there was a stout table, and it was slightly less dim.
"Of course. You can't honestly imagine I'd agree to teach someone without meeting them first, do you?" He settled himself onto a chair with two cushions on it, and opened a file in front of him. "I see that you did well on your Potions NEWT, even as a self-study. What do you think you will benefit by by having me teach you? Clearly you can learn well out of books."
Hermione settled herself in the chair and found she was still taller than him, even with two cushions beneath him. "Book learning isn't everything, sir. You can duplicate other people's methodologies out of books, but for cutting edge work, you really need to understand what's behind the potions. The whys and hows, rather than just the whats. To go ahead and develop new potions you really need a more thorough understanding of the ingredients you're working with."
"And you would like to work with me to increase the range of products you can create for Weasleys Wizard Wheezes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "The Forever Sucks, are quite brilliant by the way."
"Thank you, sir."
"Call me Dam."
"Dam," she said, awkwardly. "And no. That was…more just a means for getting your attention since letters and exam scores didn't seem to be doing the trick."
"You could have tried sending me a poisoned cookie tin, or the like. I believe that's how one of my previous students got my attention. Admittedly, he didn't fare well in the practical final exam." He chuckled.
"You poisoned him?" she asked, aghast. What sort of lunatic was she volunteering to work with?
"Oh no. He poisoned himself. He made a very successful poison, but the antidote he developed was far less successful." He frowned, as though thinking. "I did manage to get a bezoar into him and get him to St. Mungo's but he rather lost his appetite for potions experimentation after that. I think he's working at a third rate apothecary these days."
Hermione took a breath. She was here. She didn't have to work with him, but she may as well tell him why she wanted to. "As I said, working with Weasleys Wizard Wheezes was mostly to get your attention—"
"—and because you have a longtime association with the Weasley family," he interrupted, consulting his notes.
She was beginning to lose her temper. "I do. What I'm really hoping to accomplish by broadening my potions horizons is mostly medical. I'm very keen on your work with the Wolfsbane potion, and while I can do a variety of minor healing potions, I'd like to expand my range, and maybe even find a cure for Lycanthropy, some day." There, she'd said it. Her biggest ambition.
For the first time, he appeared genuinely interested. And then he dismissed her. "I've thought that problem through sideways, diagonal, and upside down. The Wolfsbane potion is the only workable solution, for as much of a solution as it is."
"I think I could do better. Some day. But I don't know all of the things I need to know." She decided it was time to take control. If this was an interview, it was her as much deciding if she wanted to work with him, as whether or not he wanted to work with her, after all. Wasn't it? "I know you don't hold with celebrity. Well, I don't like to be jerked around. I have a good mind with an excellent sense of logic, and I remember most everything I read. I've been making advanced potions since I was too young to be allowed to read the recipes. As thorough as that file of yours looks, I'm sure you have every suspicion Professor Snape ever made against me. On the other hand, I'd like to also think he was fair enough to acknowledge good work when he saw it. I'm smart and I'm dedicated. I'd like to use that to help others who need it."
"Hero complex."
"I've been accused of that before."
"Oh, it wasn't an accusation." He smiled pleasantly.
Hermione took a slow breath and opened her handbag, pulling out an everlasting quill and a sheet of parchment. "Now, as you seem to know all about me, I think it's fair that you tell me a bit about yourself."
He chuckled. "You didn't do your research about me before applying? Surely something must have stood out. Go on, tell me." He leaned across the table on his elbows.
If that's the way he wants to do this, she thought sourly. She pasted a sweet smile onto her face. "Well, I've been told that you're extremely eccentric, and difficult to work with. I had a number of people suggest I might want to find another Potions master to work with. However, those same people also told me that you are the best at what you do, and if I could stand working with you, I'd learn the things I want to know. I am pleased to know that you were keeping enough of an eye out to notice my involvement with Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. We have several other projects in the works at the moment; some potions related, others more charms or transfiguration oriented. It means you are paying attention, which is something."
There was a short pause, during which Hermione started to wonder if she'd stepped over the line. If she had, there was no help for it. She held her ground and looked at Damocles Belby, waiting for him to make the next move.
"I'm sorry about Remus Lupin," he finally said. The words sounded sincere.
She looked up sharply. "Did you know him?"
"Not directly. He was at Hogwarts after my time. But I heard of him. Albus told me when he was admitting him and suggested it might be a good challenge for me to see if I could find something that would assist him. Not that he told me his name—I worked it out later. My nephew was of an age with him. I never met him myself. I never had the potion anywhere near good enough to be willing to test it on a student while he was at Hogwarts."
"He was one of the best teachers I have ever had. And he was a good man. He didn't deserve to live with the hardships he'd lived with. There's no reason why someone who has lycanthropy and isn't a threat to anyone—who takes pains not to be a threat to anyone—should be denied employment or otherwise discriminated against." Remus Lupin. Tonks. Colin Creevy. Fred. Ron. She bit her lip. She was not going to do this. Not now. She could cry all she want when she got back to the flat. She was sure her eyes were dry, but there must have been something in her expression, something fierce, based on the look on Belby's face.
"You've got big dreams. And I think they're worth fighting for." He set a roll of parchment on the table.
"I don't know how I'm going to pull them off yet. But you can damn sure bet I'm going to figure it out."
He pushed the parchment roll toward her. "You don't need to open this now. This is my standard contract terms for an apprentice. Amend it as you see fit, and I'll either accept it, or I won't and we'll have to negotiate. I'm not getting any younger. I wasn't sure I'd take anyone else on. But you might just be the right one."
She took the parchment in her hand and gathered her other things into her handbag. "When do I need to bring this back?"
"Take time to think about it. I'd like it back by Wednesday, with whatever amendments you see as necessary. And I'd like to have the final copy hammered out by Friday."
She nodded and placed it in her handbag. She turned to show herself out and started walking toward the fireplace. She was three quarters of the way there when a fire flared in the grate.
He called out, "Floo powder is third jar from your left on the mantle. And say hello to Narcissa for me."
Hermione said nothing as she took the powder, clutched her handbag to her, and stepped into the flames, calling out her flat as she did.
Hermione had read over the terms of her contract half a dozen times since getting back to her flat. Belby had said that this was his standard contract, but he'd also made it sound like he expected her to make changes to it.
Damocles Belby, hereafter referred to as the Potions Master does hereby enter into an agreement with Hermione Granger, hereafter referred to as the Potions Apprentice on the date of _.
This contract is to ensure an acceptable working partnership for both parties, with acknowledged responsibilities, liabilities, and financial obligations.
The Potions Master is responsible for:
1. Appropriately training the Potions Apprentice in a wide range of potions
2. Ensuring the Potions Apprentice receives adequate training on the hazards of potion making and proper laboratory care
3. Providing 40 hours of tutelage each week, for up to 3 years
4. Providing medical care, should an accident occur in the laboratory
5. Determining at the end of the tutelage whether the Potions Apprentice has qualified as a Potions Master, and if so, sponsoring the Potions Apprentice's membership in the guild of Potions Masters, if the Potions Apprentice wishes to join
The Potions Apprentice is responsible for:
1. Assisting in all research the Potions Master chooses to conduct
2. Completing any assigned projects, reading, potions outside the designated hours
3. Maintaining the orderliness of the lab and equipment; providing their own equipment as instructed by the Potions Master
4. Following instructions in the laboratory to ensure safe working conditions
5. Keeping secret any potions developed by the Potions Master to which the Potions Apprentice is made privy which have not been released publicly
Tutelage Fees:
Under the terms of this apprenticeship, 40% of the profits of any potion brewed and sold by the Potions Apprentice is to be given to the Potions Master. Any new potion created by the Potions Apprentice, during the apprenticeship period will list the Potions Master as co-creator, and the Potions Master will be entitled to 50% of the profits. Any new potions created by the Potions Apprentice after the end of the apprenticeship will still be subject to providing 10% of the profits to the Potions Master. The Potions Master can sell brews made by the Potions Apprentice during lessons, so long as they are of high enough quality, and can request additional brews as practice work, that will be sold by the Potions Master as part of the tutelage fee.
Termination:
The termination of this apprenticeship may occur at any time, and the Potions Master will discontinue any further instruction of the Potions Apprentice. Should the Potions Apprentice choose to discontinue the apprenticeship, the above tutelage fees still apply for services rendered. Should the Potions Master determine that the Potions Apprentice is an unfit candidate, not putting forth the necessary effort, or otherwise unteachable, he or she may end the apprenticeship at a time of his or her choosing. If this occurs, the Potions Apprentice must agree not to commercially produce any further potions, for his or her own safety and the safety of the public.
Frowning at the paper she took it across the hall to Draco's flat and knocked on the door. She had to say, it looked much better with the living room and kitchen painted green. She had only a moment to wait before Draco opened the door.
"Hermione."
"Draco."
"I knocked earlier."
"I finally got a response from Damocles Belby. Strange, strange man. But I left with an apprenticeship contract. Can you tell me if this looks at all normal to you?" she asked, hefting it in one hand.
"Of course." He led the way to the couch and they sat side by side reading over the contract together. Draco unrolled the contract and began reading it closely for several minutes. It did seem more or less standard to him, though there were one or two bits that he imagined was just Belby being Belby. "It mostly looks pretty standard. Admittedly, I have never signed one of these, but Masters of any sort of magical field tend to like to keep a tight rein on the knowledge they're passing down so it doesn't become less valuable."
"He intends to collect a percentage of the sales on anything I make. What happens if I don't intend to sell it? What if I intend to give it away, or sell it at cost of ingredients? Would he charge a percentage based on the estimated value I could have sold it at, since it still builds on his knowledge?"
"I don't know. What are you planning?"
She shifted on the sofa. "It's still only about half-baked right now, but I'm working on it. I want to do something to help people with lycanthropy. I don't think most of them are like Greyback. And I think a lot of the ones who are like him thought they didn't have anywhere else to go. I want to make the Wolfsbane potion widely available, and I want to see what I can do to decriminalize having lycanthropy. It's not technically against the law, but it's so hard for someone with lycanthropy to get a job, to keep it once people know what he or she has, regardless of their qualifications. Remus Lupin should never have been chased out of Hogwarts," she said firmly.
Draco let out a low whistle. "Well, that's a tall order. You just want to change the entire cultural mindset of the wizarding world?"
"I didn't say it was going to be easy."
"It's not going to happen overnight."
She nodded. "It won't. But it will happen."
Draco resisted the urge to tell her she might just be absolutely crazy. After all, while he may have told Vince and Greg at the time that he'd always suspected Professor Lupin was no good and that something had been wrong with him, he'd never actually suspected the man was a werewolf. He'd certainly been a better professor than Lockhart or Quirrel. And maybe, just maybe, Hermione was right. If there was an alternative, and if becoming a werewolf wasn't an automatic one-way ticket out of wizarding society…maybe there wouldn't be another Greyback. He shivered uncomfortably. The Dark Lord had threatened him with Greyback, more than once. He could still almost smell the man's foul breath.
Hermione noticed that Draco had gone quiet and wondered what she had stirred up. She put a reassuring hand on his and squeezed it, just once, as she had often done for Harry and Ron in darker days.
He came back to the present and looked down at his hand in surprise. He didn't pull his hand away. He took a breath and let it out again before asking, "You really think there might be a solution?"
"I do. First step, make the Wolfsbane potion available to anyone who wants it. Then…everything else." She let out a weak laugh. It did sound impossible when put that way, but she didn't think it was. Not really. This could happen.
Neither of them moved or said anything for a while. At last, Hermione rolled up the parchment with the apprenticeship terms on it, and stood up. "I guess I'd better get started on editing this. Would you mind looking it over when I've finished? I'm not sure what's standard, but I don't intend to let him take advantage of the terms either, or leave anything ambiguous."
"Of course," Draco said, watching her cross the room and leave. He heard the door shut, but remained seated on the couch. Hermione's dream—there wasn't enough of it to call it a plan—sounded crazy. But if it worked, wouldn't they all be the better for it? His mind started to churn as he wondered what would be needed to make that happen. His hand still felt a little warm from where she'd touched it. Unfortunately, he didn't have any clear plan before it was time to get ready to leave for the restaurant, but the wheels in his mind kept turning. He'd been taught to despise werewolves as predators. To fear them as predators. To pity them as something less than human. There was a lot of work to be done.
Hermione read over the final draft of the contract three times before putting her signature to it. She'd sent her edited copy back to Belby on Tuesday and he'd countered with another version Wednesday. They had hammered out the final version at a meeting together Thursday, with the agreement to sleep on it. Now, Friday morning, she put her name to the page, signing her own copy as well as one for Belby to keep, and one to register with the Potions Guild.
Damocles Belby, hereafter referred to as the Potions Master does hereby enter into an agreement with Hermione Granger, hereafter referred to as the Potions Apprentice on the date of November 28, 1998.
This contract is to ensure an acceptable working partnership for both parties, with acknowledged responsibilities, liabilities, expectations, and financial obligations.
The Potions Master is responsible for:
1. Appropriately training the Potions Apprentice in a wide range of potions; specific brews to be taught must include major and minor healing potions, the Wolfsbane Potion, and warding draughts
2. Ensuring the Potions Apprentice receives adequate training on the hazards of potion making and proper laboratory care
3. Providing 25 hours of tutelage each week, for up to 5 years; if any of the conditions in the Termination Clause occur, it may be terminated early, though it may also end earlier if the Potions Apprentice has exceeded expectations and demonstrated proficient knowledge in all necessary areas in less than 5 years
4. Providing prompt medical care, should an accident occur in the laboratory; addendum: poisoning the Potions Apprentice should not be used as a means of testing their skill
5. Providing all ingredients necessary for potions making; addendum: the Potions Apprentice may be asked to assist in gathering exotic supplies as part of the training process
6. Determining at the end of the tutelage whether the Potions Apprentice has qualified as a Potions Master, and if so, sponsoring the Potions Apprentice's membership in the guild of Potions Masters, if the Potions Apprentice wishes to join
The Potions Apprentice is responsible for:
1. Assisting in all research the Potions Master chooses to conduct, barring any moral obligation to the research in question
2. Completing any assigned projects, reading, potions outside the designated hours
3. Maintaining the orderliness of the lab and equipment; providing their own equipment as instructed by the Potions Master
4. Helping obtain exotic ingredients as directed by the Potions Master
5. Following instructions in the laboratory to ensure safe working conditions
6. Keeping secret any potions developed by the Potions Master to which the Potions Apprentice is made privy which have not been released publicly
Tutelage Fees:
Under the terms of this apprenticeship, 30% of the profits of any potion brewed and sold by the Potions Apprentice is to be given to the Potions Master, excluding any Potions or related products sold by/for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. New potions created by the Potions Apprentice, during the apprenticeship period will list the Potions Master as co-creator, and the Potions Master will be entitled to 35% of the profits only if created in conjunction with the Potions Master. Potions created through collaboration with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes will only be subject to these terms if the Potions Master, Potions Apprentice, and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes all collaborate together. Any new potions created by the Potions Apprentice after the end of the apprenticeship will still be subject to providing 25% of the profits to the Potions Master, providing it is not part of a collaboration with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes; if it is part of such a collaboration, then 15% of the Potions Apprentice's share of the profits will go to the Potions Master. If the Potions Apprentice is donating or otherwise giving away at cost of ingredients the potions he or she is creating or brewing, the Potions Master is not owed any money, as there is no profit. The Potions Master can sell brews made by the Potions Apprentice during lessons, so long as they are of high enough quality, and can request additional brews as practice work, that will be sold by the Potions Master as part of the tutelage fee. The preparation time for additional brews to be done by the Potions Apprentice specifically for the purpose of sale by the Potions Master should not exceed more than 4 hours of solo preparation time per week.
Termination:
The termination of this apprenticeship may occur at any time, and at such a time the Potions Master will discontinue any further instruction of the Potions Apprentice. Should the Potions Apprentice choose to discontinue the apprenticeship, the above tutelage fees still apply for services rendered. Should the Potions Master determine that the Potions Apprentice is an unfit candidate, not putting forth the necessary effort, or otherwise unteachable, he or she may end the apprenticeship at a time of his or her choosing. If this occurs, the Potions Apprentice must agree not to commercially produce any further potions, for his or her own safety and the safety of the public. If the Potions Master chooses to terminate the apprenticeship due to his or her own poor health and no shortcoming of the Potions Apprentice, the Potions Master must find another acceptable teacher for the Potions Apprentice.
"You're a poor deal for me financially," Belby said, putting his name to the page, though he didn't sound like he meant it.
Hermione shrugged and gave him a level look. "I don't have any formal agreement with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. While I can't swear that I won't continue to do work with them—I probably will—it's not my place to agree to give up a share of their profits. It would be unethical. Besides, while I do have non-profit work in mind, I have raised the percentage you'll get on anything I do independently that is for-profit." It had seemed a reasonable compromise. She tilted her head. "Besides, I think you're hoping I come up with something absolutely brilliant while we're working together. After all, wouldn't you like to be the man who cured lycanthropy?"
He changed the subject. "Now, here is a list of the tools and equipment you'll need. I have a calendar here with some upcoming dates when I'll need assistance in gathering exotic ingredients." He pushed the papers towards her as if expecting her to take them and go.
"I think we ought to draw up a schedule, shouldn't we? Which do you prefer, mornings, or afternoons? I tend to find myself most clear headed in the mornings."
He gave her a level look, as though he could already see that this was going to be an exhausting enterprise. "Before I can draw up a schedule for what hours and what day of the week you and I will meet, I need to re-write my syllabus and adapt it to your 25 hours a week down from 40, and see how you progress. But let's start at 9:30 on Monday. Bring all of the tools and equipment listed on the page, mind you."
This time, Hermione did take the parchments and go, as well as her copy of the signed contract. Belby did seem as though he was going to be as difficult as Narcissa and McGonagall had hinted, but the important thing was, he was going to teach her, and she was going to learn. She Flooed to shop to let George know.
Author's Note: I'm going to try to bring Draco back into a bit of focus in the next chapter. Somehow Hermione keeps trying to hijack the story. I tried to tell her the story was about Draco learning to live like a Muggle, but she never listens to me. And seriously, Hermione and her werewolves. I know a lot of you who've read my other work might be rolling their eyes at Hermione's werewolf work coming up again...but it's practically canon in my head at this point. Hermione would go out and try to do good, and I think the werewolves would be a more likely target for that for her than house-elves.