Chapter Seven: The Room of Requirement

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, twiddling his thumbs, and waiting for Hermione and Severus to show up in his office. When he heard the gargoyle leap aside, he knew to open the door for his visitors.

"What is it you need us for, Albus?" Severus said, Hermione close behind him.

"I was wondering when you two would show up. Perhaps I should have placed the message I left you in the Potions Lab instead of the lavatory." His eyes twinkled spectacularly.

"We really do have work to do. Is there a reason why you wanted us here?" Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"I know you both have to work to do. Young Charlie depends upon the cure, but you are not going to be able to get anything done with classes. As Hogwarts rules require, a teaching position must be cleared before it can be filled again. I need you to agree to a temporary resignation."

"Have you already found people to replace us?" Severus looked somewhat distressed that he could be replaced so easily.

"Yes. A ministry auror will be assigned to the Defense against the Dark Arts classes, and a young potions master from Spain will be teaching your classes, Severus."

"Is he capable?"

"I have no reason to doubt him, but seeing as you will be working very diligently, it is required that your post be filled by another."

"We understand." Hermione nudged Severus slightly with her elbow. Albus picked up a bowl of yellow candies.

"Lemon drop?" They both declined friendly. "I'll need you both to sign a few papers regarding your resignation, and then you can be off." He waved his wand and to sheets of parchment appeared along with magical quills. Hermione signed her quickly and glanced up at Severus who had already handed his over.

"Albus? Severus and I have a lot of research that needs to be done and we don't know where we could find the right materials or location. Do you have any suggestions?" He appeared to be deep in thought.

"Ah, yes. I believe I have the perfect idea. I haven't personally used it for instances like this, so I don't know if it will work, but you should try to get the Room of Requirement to suit your needs." It looked as though a light bulb had gone off in Hermione's head. "Now, children," Severus scoffed, "I believe you have plenty to do." They nodded their heads and walked down the stairs and through the entrance.

Instead of walking to the dungeons, they both let their feet lead them to the Room of Requirement to test the Headmaster's theory. When they reached where the doors should be, Hermione looked up towards Severus.

"What should we want the room to become?"

"A place we can live and work until we find a cure." He stated simply.

"Okay. A place with a Potions library and lab, two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a fully stocked kitchen?"

"Yes, and all the ingredients that could be used in a Potions lab. If this works, then we could save a significant amount of money."

They both paced three times around where the door should be, and thought about the place they described to each other. When they stopped, before them was a large door. Hermione gripped the steel handle and pulled it open, stepping into the dimly lit room. Upon entrance, it lit up spectacularly.

Inside was a large living room with a fire place that had floo powder just to the right of it, a large kitchen complete with food adjacent to the living room, two bedrooms, one of green and silver, the other of maroon and gold, a great library stacked with books, a large potions lab filled with cauldrons, and the largest supply room Severus had ever seen.

"Wow. Why haven't I ever thought to use this room like this before?" Hermione was looking around in amazement.

"The same reason you never thought to shrink your schoolbooks." He said simply.

"Why didn't I ever think to do that?" She looked at him strangely.

"Because." He bit his tongue before continuing with what he was going to say.

"Well?"

"You, being a Gryffindor, probably took pride in having so many classes and wanted to flaunt it by carrying around mounds of books." She glared at him.

"Okay, I realize I walked into that one, but if we are going to work together we are going to have to try and get along. None of your silly Gryffindor biases."

"If I agree to that, you have to agree to explain the letter you gave me for Christmas."

"What is it you want me to explain?" He looked at her thoughtfully remembering the first time he read the piece of parchment.

Dear Severus,

I don't know how to explain what I feel towards you, but I think that you understand,

Love

Hermione Granger

"Do you remember what you wrote?" He asked curiously.

"Yes."

"'I think that you understand'." He paused, "What do you think I understand? I have read the letter thousands of times, but I still don't get it."

"Okay, so my memory is a little sketchy." She grimaced slightly, remembering that she wrote a little more than a sentence.

"Yes, I daresay." He chuckled lightly.

"What I meant to say is that I feel like I owe you something for saving me that night." She said seriously. "Now that I am over hating you and blaming you, I feel like I am supposed to repay you somehow, but I don't know how." He frowned slightly.

"You owe me nothing." She refused to make eye contact with him. "I think you are confusing the way you feel about me saving you and the way I felt towards Harry's father for saving me. I felt I owed him something because he saved me even though he hated me."

"Well, I was under the impression that you hated me up until the night I woke up from that nightmare."

"Why?" He looked at her questioningly and a tear escaped her eye.

"Because I was a 'Gryffindor know-it-all' and friends with Harry."

He walked over to her, imagining what he would have felt and then he turned her gently around to look at him.

"I didn't hate Harry, nor did I hate you. There are very few people that I have ever hated. I didn't save you that night because I hated you." She stepped away from him.

"Why did you save me?" She was shivering. Severus knew she wasn't ready for the whole truth. He thought quickly for the correct substitute. He steadied himself and looked away briefly.

"I saved you because I admire you." She looked him curiously, thinking to herself that she wished he had admired someone else. This was as good an answer as she expected to get from him, so she had to reason to argue.

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes. We need to start working… and fast." She looked at her watch. "We've been here twenty minutes and haven't started anything." Severus blinked and started to head towards the lab where they would start the preliminary notes.

AN: My story keeps shifting from where I thought it would be, to where it is now; but I like it. I have a lot to do this weekend, but I hope to update soon. Smiles.