Hermione was so excited at the prospect of studying under two of the Potions world's greats that she dashed right down to Snape's office. When she got there, though, she realized that she didn't quite know what to say. Taking a moment to compose herself, lest this turn into a shouting match again, Hermione knocked calmly on Snape's door.
--
Severus was preparing to leave for dinner when he heard a knock on his office door. Smirking, he called, "Come in, Miss Granger."
Hermione looked somewhat startled as she opened the door, but hesitantly smiled.
"Sir, I just received a letter from Mr. MacDonald. He suggested I come talk to you about –"
"About the ridiculous notion that I might continue to teach the students at Hogwarts, just so you could have the privilege of both our tutoring?" he sneered, as usual. "Yes, James did seem to think that I would go for that, didn't he?" Hermione's jaw dropped, and her hope along with it. Snape obviously hadn't meant to give the impression that he would agree to this plan, and Hermione realized that she never should have believed that Severus would willingly take up teaching again. Crap.
"I'm sorry that he misunderstood you, sir. Is there any way that we can make this work? I would be willing to take over some of the classes myself, if I had to..."
Snape stopped. He paused, and looked at her thoughtfully. "I don't trust you to teach the practical portions of the class. You'd get someone killed." Hermione sighed and opened her mouth to apologize, but he cut her off before she could say anything. "Quiet, you foolish girl. I'm not done. Since you are Hogwarts' resident know-it-all, you might not do too badly lecturing... In fact, if you were to do lecturing for, say, the fifth, sixth and seventh years, and grade the written assignments, I might agree to teaching the practical lessons and grading the potions themselves." Snape smirked. He had told James that he'd be willing to take on the upper three years, knowing that Hermione was desperate enough for this apprenticeship that she would offer to take on some of the work herself. Perfect...
"Would I be using your lesson plans, or my own?" Three years of classes and an apprenticeship with both Masters? Does the man still think I have a Time Turner? Hermione seethed.
"Mine, of course. I know you wouldn't have enough time to create the lesson plans and attend to your apprenticeships. That, and, of course, the fact that you'd probably kill the children with the ridiculous amount of information you'd give them, if left to your lesson plans."
Hermione was angry, but she was beginning to learn that the best way to handle Snape was not yelling and screaming, but a return of his own dry wit. "And how much work does this actually leave you doing, Professor?" she asked coldly. "Me teaching most classes of yours, you teaching only those lessons once a week that involve brewing, Mr. MacDonald teaching everything else, and my every other waking moment devoted to research and work on my apprenticeship, of which you are only partially involved?"
Snape smiled. He actually smiled. He still looked a little evil, but Hermione was sure it was a smile nonetheless. "You're right, Miss Granger. Thank you for taking the time to care about my boredom levels. I think I'll take on another apprentice." With that, he drew his robes around himself, and swept out of the room, leaving Hermione standing there in shock and anger. Another apprentice? After she had to fight and plead for him to take her on in the first place, he was going to take on another apprentice? She growled. She was beginning to think that an apprenticeship with the man would merely drive her insane, instead of teaching her the skills she'd need to succeed in Potions. Damn the man for his wit, Hermione thought. Suddenly, she smiled. Snape isn't the only one who can play at that game... Hermione followed him out the door, but rather than heading to the Great Hall for dinner, she went directly to the Headmistress' office.
--
After hearing about her Potions Master's exploits, Minerva simply shook her head.
"I have written to James MacDonald, but I haven't even received a reply from him yet. You apparently know more about that than I do. Severus, on the other hand, has no right forcing you to take over his classes, and I'll speak to him about that."
"Minerva, I don't mind teaching the classes. I'd rather you not speak to him about it, really. Unless you can get him to take over lecturing for the fifth years – I don't want to deal with that many students. I'd rather deal with a few who know what they're talking about. I think that if you talked to him, he might get angry and back out on the whole thing..." Hermione sighed. She didn't see a way around teaching those classes. "What really gets me is that he's just decided to take on another apprentice, after all that I've fought through to get him to take me on."
"Severus is right, though, you know. You'd have a research partner, someone else to help you teach classes, and someone to distract Severus when you don't feel like dealing with him." Minerva knew that Severus would need something else to do to keep him busy. After all these years of constant teaching and spying, Severus (although he didn't know it yet) would be bored without the constant work he used to have.
Hermione thought about this for a moment, then nodded slowly. "The other apprentice can take the sixth years. Severus will teach fifth. I'll teach seventh, considering that I've just finished my own NEWTs, and can help them prepare for it." She glanced at Minerva for approval, and when she saw the older woman nodding, continued. "That will leave me time to work with both Professors and still give everyone enough time to get research done. Could you ask Professor Snape if this is appealing to him?"
"Of course! Is there anything else I can help with?" Minerva was delighted that it seemed everything would work out perfectly between both Potions Masters and Hermione.
"If you could have the house elves prepare a room for Professor MacDonald, he said he'd be here within the week. I have a date, and then I have to start preparing for my apprenticeship. Thank you for everything, Minerva." Hermione smiled, finally, and stood up to leave. She waved goodbye to the Headmistress and raced off to the Head Girl's room. She had thirty minutes before she was supposed to meet Brendon in Hogsmeade.
--
After a fast shower, a change of clothes and some quick makeup, Hermione hurried off, and was only five minutes late in getting to Hogsmeade. Brendon wasn't waiting for her though – he was rushing towards her, too. Hermione was relieved that she wasn't the only one running late, but she was a little annoyed about it too. Wasn't the girl the one supposed to be late?
"Hi!" she called out brightly when she saw Brendon walking towards her.
"Hey! I hope you weren't waiting long. I got some wonderful news and it distracted me from the time." Brendon looked slightly apologetic, but also extremely excited.
"That's wonderful! No, I was just getting here myself. It's been a hectic afternoon. Let's go eat, and you can tell me about your news." Hermione linked her arm through his, and walked with him to Dino's, a new Italian restaurant that had just opened here at the end of the war.
The maitre'd smiled widely as he saw who his newest guests were. Realizing that he could get some nice publicity out of Miss Granger's appearance at his restaurant, he was excruciatingly polite.
"Miss Granger! Welcome to Dino's! My name is Claudio, and I'll take you and your date right to your table!" He bowed low and shook her hand, a rather odd combination in Hermione's eyes, but she smiled.
"Thank you, Claudio, but we don't have reservations –" she began.
"Nonsense! We just had a reservation cancel; you can have their table. Right this way, if you please." Claudio led them through the beautiful Italian restaurant, and placed them at a nice table near the windows. "If you need anything else, please just let me know," he said as he handed them menus and wine lists. "Your waiter will be right over."
--
A short while later, Hermione and Brendon were sipping on white wine while Hermione told Brendon about her apprenticeships. She hadn't gotten around to mentioning whom they were with yet, but Brendon broke in, smiling.
"Actually, that's my news as well! I got a letter from Professor Snape at your school, asking me if I'd be interested in having an apprenticeship with him! Isn't that wonderful? I hear he's one of the best." Brendon was smiling so proudly and was so excited that Hermione almost hated to tell him anything about Snape.
"Yes, actually, Brendon that's wonderful. You see, one of my tutors will be Professor Snape, and the other will be James MacDonald. We'll be working together," she explained. If anything, Brendon smiled more.
"Even better, Hermione! I'll get to see you every day!"
Hermione bit back a sigh. Brendon was nice, but she didn't want a boyfriend. His enthusiasm made him a nice friend, someone to hang out with outside of school, work, and research, but she didn't think she could handle it if he were mooning around her like a love-sick puppy all the time. She decided to tell a tiny white lie.
"That's wonderful, Brendon. It will be so nice to have someone personable to work with. You'll understand what I mean when you actually meet Snape. He's a genius, but mean. My boyfriend," Hermione winced slightly, "thinks I'm insane for wanting to apprentice with him and Professor MacDonald."
"Oh. Well, he can't be that bad." Brendon looked disappointed, but was trying obviously not to show it.
"We'll see. Why don't you come up to the school with me after the meal and you can meet him?" Hermione didn't want his romantic attention, but she didn't want to hurt the poor man, either. Then why are you introducing him to Snape after your meal? Hermione forced a smile, and then changed the subject. The rest of the meal was much better, talking about different Potions theories and their goals after their apprenticeship. By the end of the meal, Hermione hoped that Snape didn't scare Brendon off after their initial meeting. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about intelligent things – like not Quiddich.