Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. I am only playing around with them for a little while.
Hermione was waiting patiently at Minerva's office door the next morning after breakfast. She had bags under her eyes and her hair was frizzier than it had been in years – since the time turner had taken over her life. Despite this, Hermione had a smile on her face and a stack of parchment in her hand.
"Minerva! Oh, look, I've done it, I know, I think that I can –" she started rambling the moment she saw Minerva round the corner near her office.
"Hermione, please. I've had one cup of tea and no coffee. Come sit, let me pour us some coffee because it looks like you need some too. Then you can tell me." Minerva had stayed up late pondering what Hermione could do, before working on reconstruction plans for Hogwarts and plans on how to accommodate the onslaught of students she expected in the fall. With Voldemort gone, she suspected that parents who had previously homeschooled their children would feel comfortable in sending them off to school again. Thus, she'd have to remodel the dormitories, expand the Great Hall, and perhaps hire more staff members. Even thinking about it now started to give her a headache.
Hermione did her best to wait patiently while Minerva poured them coffee and slowly drank her cup. Hermione had downed hers almost immediately when it was cooled enough, and was now bouncing slightly in her seat as she waited to tell Minerva what she had come up with.
Minerva savored her coffee, but she also savored the moment of watching Hermione excited about whatever she'd written on the parchments. She hadn't seen Hermione like this since she'd found the key to defeating Voldemort and expected big things from her star pupil. Finally she couldn't take the suspense any longer, awake or not, and had to hear Hermione's thoughts.
"Okay, child. What is it that has you acting like Tigger before nine in the morning?"
Hermione was speechless for a moment. The Headmistress knew what Tigger was? Then she realized that she had the clear to talk about her plans, and began speaking as fast as she could.
"I've done it! I came up with a way to do my own research to help people, that I would enjoy, that would cover all of my passions and still leave endless room for development for the rest of my life, if I can do it! And I won't be in the Department of Mysteries or at St. Mungo's or teaching!" Her enthusiasm was infectious, as Minerva leaned slightly forward as Hermione was speaking, eager to hear more. Hermione took a deep breath and continued, more slowly this time. "I want to help people, right? Well, there are plenty of witches and wizards not powerful enough to cast certain charms and spells, we figured out just how many during the war. I was thinking, what if I could come up with a way to let those people cast more complex spells? I know there's no realistic way to enhance their power, but why couldn't we somehow make the charms and spells easier to cast? I did some research yesterday, and I think it might be possible. I don't want to re-engineer the spells, though. No matter how much easier I make them, there will still always be some people who aren't able to cast them, like Filch, for example, or some of the people who barely qualify as wizards rather than squibs."
Minerva had stopped drinking her coffee, her interest completely focused on Hermione. She wasn't sure if this were possible, to make charms and spells available to squibs, but Hermione looked like she was onto something. Minerva decided not to comment until Hermione was done. She wanted to hear the whole idea before forming an opinion.
"Minerva, what's the one thing that isn't "silly wand waving," that even squibs can do with the right training and supplies? Potions. Everyone can take or use potions! Why can we "brew fame, bottle glory, and even put a stopper in death," but not develop potions that work precisely the same as some of our most common spells? Or even more difficult spells, for that matter? Why can't there be a way to make a potion that produces a Patronus? Or a lotion that acts as a protego shield? Or a cream that allows transfiguration of one object into another? Why can't charms be transferred to liquids or powders or gels? What if I did my own research, trained under a Potions' Master, opened my own business developing potions for the magically challenged?"
The Headmistress' mind was working quickly. Theoretically, her idea had merit. As a Transfiguration specialist, though, she had no idea whether or not these ideas had been tried before in the Potions field. She wandlessly summoned Severus to her office, still thinking silently. Hermione would have to run her idea past Severus to find out details such as this, but Minerva thought that if anyone could pull this off, Hermione could. She smiled.
"My dear, I think it sounds perfect for you! All of your favorite subjects combined into one, only having to do apprentice work in one field, helping people, research..." She trailed off. Severus was probably on his way, by now. "I just called Severus here, I think he'd be a big help in discussing this. I hope you don't mind."
Hermione shifted in her chair. She wasn't sure she was quite ready to share her speculations with the snarky Potions Master. After all, it wasn't fully researched, she didn't know if anyone had tried to do this before and failed, she was considering different options... But it was too late. Severus walked through the door looking irritated at being called to the Headmistress' office without explanation.
"Well?" He sneered, looking between a madly grinning Minerva and a fidgeting Granger. This should be interesting, he thought.
"Hermione?" Minerva said sweetly.
Inside, Hermione groaned. She'd come up with the answer to protect Snape from Nagini's bite, and ever since, he'd been doubly rude to her if not ignoring her completely. Outwardly, she took a deep breath and concisely summarized her idea and thoughts about the potential of the products she might develop. Not once did she look Snape in the eye. Instead she stared at the portraits on the walls, blushing slightly. She knew he would think her an idiot.
When she finished outlining her ideas, she risked a glance up at Snape, who was frowning in thought. Finally, he spoke.
"You know, I do believe that someone has tried this before."
Hermione's heart dropped. Damn. She thought she'd come up with something new that could do some good. Back to the drawing board...
"But," he continued, "he was an idiot. Godine. Have you read his work before? Shoddy, if anything. I'll find you the article in Potions Quarterly. If that is all, Minerva?" Snape began to turn towards the door.
"Sir!" Hermione's voice brought him back around to face her. "Do you think this is at all possible, or do you think that I would be working on something that would never come to fruition?"
Snape paused. "You'd need work in Potions. With enough ingenuity, you might be able to pull some of those things off. Patroni – absolutely no way. Simpler spells may be possible."
Hermione took a very – VERY – deep breath for her next question. "Would you be willing to help me train on this, sir? Might you consider taking me on as an apprentice for this?"
Snape smirked. "Absolutely not. I'm retiring."