-1The Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Two

Hermione groaned as her alarm went off- even though she knew that she didn't set it the night before. Her enchantment on the Muggle object was faulty. Ron was right; she should just buy a wizard one. She opened her eyes just enough to see the hour the clock told. 9:56.

She rolled over and scrunched up. She was not a morning person. 'I wonder how the potion went last night… though my notes didn't seem to help at all…'

Frowning, she remembered why she was so irritated.

Groaning again, she pulled her covers off and ignored the rush of cold air that flooded over her bed-warm body. Ginny woke her up an hour before to tell she had heard from Neville, who heard from Harry, who heard from Ron that Snape wanted to speak with her 'once she woke.'

She worked as his assistant every night and a few hours on Saturday. Never on Sundays, however. She wondered what it was about as she gathered clothes to take a shower. It must be important if he summoned her on her day off. At least, it better be.

She showered and dressed quickly. She didn't dress in her uniform, but in jeans and a t-shirt, as it was the weekend. After a hasty comb through her curls and a quick once-over in the mirror, she headed out of her room and downstairs.

Hermione met up with Harry and Ron on the way down, to her displeasure. It wasn't that she didn't like them anymore, but they were always finding something to nag her about. How ironic.

"Hey 'Mione, where are you going?" Ron asked, not even looking up from the chessboard as his bishop crushed on of Harry's pawns. Harry didn't mind; he was more absorbed in Ginny than the game, as she stroked his face and giggled.

"Professor Snape's office," she answered airily, picking up an apple from the tray Ron had obviously been eating off of and bit into it heartily.

Ron looked up now and glared, but quickly forgot about the apple and said, "Merlin, Hermione, you're always there. Can't you take a break from him? For two seconds?"

"Oh please," she snorted and replied coolly, "I haven't seen him in hours."

She walked away; satisfied at the way Ron's ears turned red, and exited the Gryffindor Common Room.

She never minded working with Snape. They could carry on intelligent conversations, and that was a far-cry from how she could talk with Harry and Ron. If it wasn't about Quidditch, it was about girls. And if it wasn't about girls, it was most likely Quidditch. She and Snape also had no problems working productively. And according to others, it had loosened him up.

Hermione tried not thinking the rest of the way down to the dungeons. She was sure Snape would find something to complain about. Presumably, her tardiness.

She found his door and knocked on it.

X

While Snape waited for Hermione, he was experimenting with the potion once again. It was easy to start, but after you added the Healing potion to the Aging potion, that's when it got complicated.

He sighed in frustration.

When a soft knock finally came to his door, he left his lab room and went to his classroom door. "Miss Granger, what kept you so long? I believe I summoned you over an hour ago," Snape snapped, almost before the door was even open.

She smiled sweetly and replied, "Ginny Weasley told me to see you 'later'. 'Later' is an unspecified time in the future. Besides, I was tired from writing those forty pages of notes you only wanted a page of." She added in an annoyed tone.

He let his lips curl slightly and said, "I made that up to you already."

"Oh yes, five whole points," Hermione said with feigned enthusiasm. She followed him into his lab room and sat down in her usual seat in front of a table that leaned into the wall it was set against.

He summoned a pot of tea and two cups and handed her a cup of the steaming beverage before pouring his own.

"Miss Granger," He said putting the pot of tea down, "I know you have been wondering what I am trying to make. This potion is...Well, it would change the world, I suppose you could say."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Okay..." She said slowly.

He cleared his throat several times before he said, "I need someone's opinion." He paused.

He was asking her opinion? Asking her assistance was surprising enough.

"You see, no one else would understand this, I presumed." He said awkwardly.

She nodded, subconsciously telling him to continue. It was weird hearing him talk like this. The Big Bad Snape, revealing secrets, like his mask was off. Although, from what she understood, he stopped going to Death Eater meetings altogether. Dumbledore wasn't pleased, but understood. He wasn't exactly on Voldemort's 'good side,' if such a thing existed.

"All right, this potion...It is to- the purpose is to... Bring back the dead." He finished quickly, picking up his teacup to take a long swallow.

Hermione's eyes took on the size of galleons and she slowly sat back with her cup, looking at him expectantly.

"Just give it a chance," He said, setting his cup down, "I almost have it. If it works...it would be...I would be..." He struggled for the right words.

"Famous?" She suggested, sipping her tea.

"No, no, I am not looking for fame." He sighed, shaking his head. He shouldn't have summoned her in the first place. He should have known... No one would understand this, which is precisely why he never told her, or even Dumbledore.

"I apologize, Miss Granger. You wouldn't understand, it was idiotic of me to-"

"No, Professor, I understand." She interjected. She lowered her head and added quietly, "I understand perfectly why you'd want to... With my parents and all."

The previous summer, Death Eaters had raided her house. They killed her father and raped and beat her mother until she was nearly dead. However, Mrs. Granger died a few days after. Hermione now lived with her aunt in London. She was still in shock from it all.

Snape shifted awkwardly in his chair, "Miss Granger, I am sor-"

"No, don't be sorry." She shook her head and tossed his apology aside.

There was an awkward silence that seemed to hum trough the entire dungeon.

Would it work? Could it? Hermione had read horror stories about that sort of thing. Wizards bringing corpses back from the dead, but they were always like zombies, their bodies were not restored, or even their memories, and they had a particular lust and jealousy for killing those who were still alive.

And yet, if they found a way around that…

Hermione cleared her throat. "So, what's in the potion?" She asked, trying to break the silence.

"Well, to do this, I add Healing Potion to Aging Potion, but I estimated it must be a certain amount, however old you want the person to age to. Because of the fact that the person would be dead, they need to heal and be born again, technically speaking." He paused for a second to take another drink and then continued, "I've been trying to add properties to make this bring essence to the dead. But, I have not been able to get the right combination."

She thought for a moment. If you add healing ingredients to dark ingredients, wouldn't they cancel out? She frowned, that was probably what the Aging potion was for, to add to the Healing. This was a toughie...

She shrugged, "Maybe you should try to add some Vampire blood. It would add lifelessness to the potion which should go into the favor of Healing and Aging."

He considered this. "That... might work." He said, finding nothing wrong with the idea. He supposed it was worth a try.

He moved to his private stores and searched his shelves for Vampire blood. However, he came out empty-handed. He was out of stock.

"I think I will need to take a trip to Diagon Alley," he said as he walked back to the lab, "I am out of Vampire blood."

"I saw some at the Apothecary." Hermione chimed in.

He put on his traveling cloak, "I will have to make a trip, then."

"Professor, may I come with? I also need to go there, and I just can't wait another month…"

He looked for a moment as if he was about to say no.

"All right Miss Granger. Go get a cloak. But don't dawdle." He called after her as she tore the dungeon floor to get to her room.

'At least she's not dawdling...' He thought amusedly.

X

Hermione, thankfully, didn't meet Ron or Harry in the common room. She didn't fancy trying to explain this to them at the moment. She grabbed a black coat and a pile of sickles she kept in her drawer.

A minute later, she re-entered Snape's office, out of breath and red in the face from running. "Sorry," she muttered.

He didn't answer, "Come on."

She followed him into his lab room, but he kept going. They approached a tall oak door she had never been through. He murmured a password, in Latin or Italian; she wasn't sure, and the door opened.

Snape turned around. "You aren't to say a word," he warned.

"My lips are sealed," she assured him with a smile, "As if I could understand that anyway."

She followed him in and he walked over to a big fireplace, trying not to look around too much; she didn't want to seem nosy did she? He got out a small pot of Floo powder, put his hand in and said, "Go on." She entered, he followed.

"Why are we going at the same time?" She asked, eying him skeptically

He finally settled on, "If we get separated, I would be held responsible."

She made room for him in the small fireplace and then Snape spoke firmly and clearly, "Diagon Alley."

While she was whirling in green smoke, she could've sworn his arms were around her waist.

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