Chapter Eight: Fearing Werewolves
Hermione finally gave up on finding out why Severus saved her. She knew that Charlie was at the top of her list. They had been researching books in the Room of Requirement for nearly two straight weeks, stopping only to sleep, eat and use the bathroom. But, as expected, they weren't progressing. They hadn't got much further than any other experimenters, and they had so many resources they didn't have. Worst of all, Charlie's condition was worsening as
They both knew not to give up. They would spend less and less time sleeping and use more and more energy restoratives. When Severus noticed Hermione was leaning over her book, apparently asleep, he knew that it was indeed taking a toll on her. She was physically weaker. He could basically assume he was as well, but Charlie was top priority.
He stood from his desk across the room from her and walked over to where she was. Her hair was tangled up in her quill, and drenched in black ink. She looked positively gruesome, even for her. When he gently shook her, she still didn't move. He decidedly picked her up and moved her to her bedroom so she could sleep a little longer.
He went back to clean the ink off of her workspace. He glanced at the pages of her book and strangely enough found that the ink surrounding a single paragraph. He picked the book up and read it.
"The creation of the Wolfsbane potion came from the combination of the ingredients aconite and an a hair from a werewolf. As it is in their nature to be especially nasty during the full stages of moon, the hair is collected a week after the transformation. To brew a better batch, the hair from the werewolf that is to digest the potion is required."
Snape looked at this curiously. He had no idea that the potion would be stronger if the werewolves' own hair was added instead of any werewolves' hair. He had always bought this highly expensive ingredient from the apothecary. He couldn't help but stare on at the page, wondering what else he didn't know.
He read through the entire book, not learning anything else new. But this little bit of information lead him on a research spree to find out more. He tore through the book selection on the properties of werewolf parts.
Hermione roused from her sleep hours later and walked out into the living room to question Severus why she was covered in black ink and inside of her bedroom when she found him slouched against the couch with a book hanging over his knee and his head bowed in his hands. He was breathing heavily and she questioned whether or not he was awake.
"Severus?" He stirred lightly and looked up at her. "Are you okay?" She stared at his unusually pale face. He was sweaty and crying lightly.
"Blood."
"What? Where?" She looked around carefully. "Severus, what is it?"
"We need werewolves' blood to find the cure. Specifically non-wolfsbane blood, and Remus' blood." He was shivering. She knelt down next to him, completely forgetting how terrible she looked and felt.
"How are we going to get it?"
"I have to."
"Is that going to be a problem?" She felt absolutely stupid. Of course it was going to be a problem. He feared werewolves more than anything else. He only faced the werewolf her third year to save their life. "No, Severus. I understand. If you want I can do it."
"No!" He said angrily. "You may be a bloody Gryffindor, but you aren't putting yourself in danger."
"It's your biggest fear!" She looked at him in defiance. "I will be just fine."
"I will do it."
"I still don't understand. How did you stumble upon this, and how long have I been sleeping?" She was now sitting on the floor next to him.
"I put you in your bedroom about eight hours ago. I went to clean up your workplace because you spilt your ink," he grabbed her hair, causing her to blush lightly, "and I looked at the book and noticed a paragraph surrounded by the ink. I read it and there it was. It told me about the use of the personal werewolves' hair. I was intrigued by the discovery and went on a rampage to find more, when I stumbled on this." He handed her the book and she looked at it.
"It has long been believed that the blood of a full werewolf, on the night of a full moon, could hold the cure for lycanthropy. Unfortunately, such a substance has never been retrieved. A mixture between the blood of a werewolf and aconite, often known as wolf's bane, could be a possible solution."
"I get it." She said quietly, letting it all sink in. "So, we know a werewolf."
"And we will have to find a way to retrieve his blood." Severus continued.
"While he isn't under the influence of the Wolfsbane potion." She felt herself trembling with each word.
"During the full moon." He looked directly at Hermione, tears in his eyes, her eyes mirroring his own.
"Before it is too late for Charlie." And owl flew in at her words. She flinched slightly. She could feel her arm resting against his. He reached out and the owl landed on his leg. He pulled the letter from his talon and it flew away.
He read the note carefully, taking in every single word.
He looked at Hermione sadly.
"Charlie is going faster than expected."
"How long do we have?" She said, feeling something horrid rising in her throat.
"Three months at the longest. They predicted sixth months when they cast the charm, but the ailment is obviously having a strange affect on him. They think that his wolf instincts are fighting the homeostasis affect."
"That gives us a month to gather the blood, and a month for preliminary tests to run on Remus."
"Yes. And that is going to be difficult. Adding the blood to aconite isn't going to be easy. Aconite combusts with certain levels of iron. Adding too much blood to it could easily destroy all of Hogwarts, but not adding enough blood could label the potion ineffective. We still have to find an acceptable ingredient to counteract the iron in the blood, otherwise it is useless."
"How are we going to do this?" She felt herself getting sicker and sicker. Tears were falling helplessly down her face.
"We will find a way. I have a colleague who has studied the properties of blood and the levels of iron in it. If he can't help, we can do it, Hermione. We have to believe." Tears fell from his eyes too. "For Remus and Nymphadora, and all of their children." She smiled half-heartedly, feeling her stomach start to rest a little. "For Charlie."
AN: Methinks that this chapter is one of my favorites. Even Severus Snape has fears and hopefully you all caught the little flicker of love... I hope you all enjoy it. There should be more on the way later this week. I can't wait for it to snow!