Downside of Aging Potions - Chapter Twenty-Two
"There's a rumor going round
Gotta clear outta town."
-Queen, Stone Cold Crazy
"Headmaster, Miss Granger and I were just discussing a matter I thought we should bring to your attention."
"I see. Well, then I suggest we take a seat, as I have some important issues to bring up as well."
Dumbledore sat in the middle of the long couch, and Severus and Hermione on either side of him.
"A little while ago," Hermione started with a look at Snape, "Professor Snape and I were in the Library looking up reversal potions for the spell placed on him."
"Yes, and we found a very interesting one." Snape added, "The De-Aging Potion. But, it said the exact instructions were unknown and that Nicholas Flamel had written them."
"And we were wondering..." Hermione trailed off.
"That is, if you knew-"
"You were wondering if I knew where it was? Well, I must say you two have been working very hard to find the De-Aging Potion. But unfortunately, I don't know the whereabouts of this potion either." Dumbledore said sadly.
Snape frowned thoughtfully and Hermione sunk back into the sofa.
Then how would they do it?
"You had something to discuss with us, Professor?" Snape asked him curiously.
"Yes..." Dumbledore's voice was heavy with something that Snape seldom heard on the Headmaster's tongue: regret. "You see, it was brought to my attention by an anonymous student that he had witnessed the two of you engaging in... erm, sexual intercourse."
Hermione's mouth dropped, eyes bulged, and she sunk back into the couch further, the whole nine yards, while Snape's mouth became thin, his eyes narrowed and he sat up straight, and he asked, "Who the fuck made up that lie?"
"Please watch your language, Severus." Dumbledore said courteously.
"I apologize, Headmaster, but I must know who told you that."
Hermione scoffed, "Do you have to know? It was Malfoy."
"The informer is to remain anonymous." Dumbledore said clearly.
"It doesn't matter, Headmaster, Malfoy was lying."
"We would never... engage..." Hermione trailed off again.
Dumbledore sighed, "Well, Mr. Malfoy seemed very serious and gave me very... graphic details."
Hermione definitely felt her anger building at that, and Snape stood up, "Graphic? Did he tell you-"
"Um, Professor, I think it's wise to stop there." Hermione cut him off.
Snape started pacing across the room, anger practically radiating from his body.
"Professor, I don't know what Malfoy said; if he said where, how, whatever... but, we never did anything like that with each other. Ever." Hermione added.
"Am I sure I can trust you two?"
"Trust us? Malfoy's the one in line to be a Death Eater after he gets out of school." Snape said hotly.
"I understand that, Severus, but if you had heard his accounts, it might help you understand while I'm skeptical. He also told me you cast a curse on him."
"That's incorrect-"
"That's bullshit! I cast a curse on his curse that he was going to throw at Hermione. I mean, Granger. Whatever." Severus' nostrils were flared and Hermione saw him clenching and unclenching his hands, trying to calm down.
"Severus-"
"Albus, if you think she and I had sex just because Malfoy told you it was the truth, perhaps you should consider resigning." And with that, Snape left.
Hermione was left sitting there with Dumbledore, her mouth dropped.
"Sir, I'm so sorry..." Was all she could think of to say.
Dumbledore looked stunned as well, but he shook his head, "No, I should have known. Professor Snape is right. What was I thinking? Perhaps I am losing my touch..."
Hermione couldn't think of anything to say. She racked her brain for something comforting to say, but couldn't come up with anything.
"I am sorry to have bothered you two, Miss Granger. Excuse me, I must have a word with Mr. Malfoy."
Dumbledore left and Hermione sighed.
She should probably go look for Snape...
!
"Master, I told you I don't-" Lucius Malfoy was hit with another round of Crucio, cutting off his sentence.
Voldemort walked over, and crouched down clamping onto Lucius' chin, "Who's my right-hand Death Eater, Lucius?"
"I am." He hissed, the pain from the curse still coursing through his veins.
"Good. Yes, you are. Which means, that you will do what I tell you to."
Voldemort stood up, and waked over to his seat.
"But, My Lord, I'm just saying that if I turn up in Hogwarts again, certain persons might start getting suspicious."
"I don't care, get an Invisibility Cloak, but get Potter and that girl."
Lucius sighed and forced himself to stand, brushing off his cloaks, "Yes, Master..."
He left the dungeon room of the Malfoy Manor, where Voldemort was now staying, and once out of his earshot, he cursed so colorfully, he would put a sailor to shame.
Now, to find Potter and Granger...
!
"Severus?" Hermione whispered when she found him sitting in one of the back tables in the Library.
"I'm going to kill that little bastard. Then his father. I know it was him who put him up to it."
Hermione took a seat by him and reached out to touch his arm, but again found nothing to say even though she wanted to say something.
He sighed, "We need to find that potion. I am putting you into way too much danger, Hermione."
"Danger? He told on both of us, not just you."
"But he might not have, had this potion incident never happened."
"Nonsense." Hermione tried to convince him.
Snape just looked at her with a look that said plainly, "Get real."
"Severus... but if you hadn't been in that incident... where would... we be?" Hermione asked quietly, taking her hand off his arm.
He looked at her meaningfully, and leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips.
!