9. Stubborness, Courage And Love
Hermione arrived at Snape's office for her detention when what sounded like muffled crying floated through the cracked open door, drawing her wand Hermione hesitantly entered "Professor… Professor are you In here?" and then she saw him a crumbled figure on the floor blood running down the side of his head, trembling from the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. His head snapped up "GET OUT!"
"But professor,"
"I SAID OUT!" he bellowed
Hermione shrunk back a step before returning to her full size "No"
"What!"
"I said no, you can give me as many detentions as you want after I've helped you"
"Miss Granger if you take another STEP towards me it will be an automatic month's detention"
'For someone who's in obvious pain he sure is stubborn' Hermione thought
'For a Gryffindor she is awfully stubborn' Snape thought wandering how much longer his waning strength could last for as he pulled himself up and rested against his desk
Hermione stepped forward "That Miss Granger is a month's detention"
"And that Professor is a very bad head wound" cringing at the thought of detention for a month with anyone taking another step forward
"That" he started
Hermione snapped "Yes I know a month's detention! Will you stop being a stubborn, immature man, drop your Slytherin pride, and let, me, help, you!"
Her sudden outburst stunned Snape into silence in which time she managed to cross the room his eyes locked on her the whole time and mumble a spell "Mederi uulneribus, remove dolor otia mentem Spiritu et anima, si pax" which was 'Heal the wounds, take away the pain, ease the mind, spirit and soul, be at peace' in Latin, their eyes met and shock, surprise and… and a tiny amount of thankfulness, so tiny it was almost undetectable shone through his steely exterior of his eyes
"Miss Granger why were you here anyway?"
"For my detention sir"
"Ah, let's get to it then" he said almost…. Civilly he had gained respect for this girl most people even fully grown adults would have fled at the sight of him especially with him being so stubborn, he was… thankful
"Professor, I don't mind rescheduling, if your, you know not up to it"
"Miss Granger I, don't, reschedule" He growled "I assure you im fine" he lied and she didn't believe him for a second "Do not look at me like that" He growled a hint of pain coming through in his voice
"Like what?"
"Like you pity me"
"I do not pity you, I respect you"
"You… Respect me?"
"Yes I respect you, I think you are an incredibly brave man and I would happily admit it in front of anyone and will stand up to anyone that says otherwise, I am proud to say I know you and I will tell my children about the 'dreaded Slytherin potions master' who was a hero not begging to be recognized but always having a place in my heart no matter how much of a stubborn ass he could be"
He opened his mouth and then closed it again "Why are you being nice to me?"
"Because I know how it feels to be misunderstood, I know how bad the nightmares can be, I know what it feels like to have secrets resting on your shoulders, secrets that could end a life within seconds if they got out, I know how hard it is when you have no sleep, I know how you just want to give up, I understand why you hate Harry, I know how it feels when you have no one to go to, I know how much you can wish it was all over with every fibre of your being, I know how you can feel the will to live slipping through your fingers, I know how hard you can cry, I know what lengths you can go to to find a realise from everything, the pain, the longing, the loneliness, the hate, the overwhelming grief and darkness, how the days that it hurts so much you are numb are so much better than the days when you can feel…"
"How?"
"I have my own secrets, secrets that not even Dumbledore knows"
"Follow me" he said and Hermione was about to argue when she realised he was heading to a door she had never seen before and her curiosity got the better of her she came level with him just as he spoke "Cor clamat animus moritur meus esse sit dolore" to the door her automatic translation system kicking in 'My heart is crying, my soul is dying, my existence is agony' the door swung inwards and Snape stepped to the side gesturing Hermione inside before following her in flicking his wand so the room was filled with dim light and the fire lit the room suddenly flooded with warmth
"Close the door" Snape asked but it sounded more like an order that Hermione happily obeyed taking in the dark wood as she did so before turning and observing the rather homey living room the walls which you could see under the towering bookcases were black and the floors were royal mahogany dark wood, he had two arm chairs that were dark green with plush pillows facing a black marble fireplace, next to the armchairs there were two dark wood tea tables a book with a weathered black leather cover, golden words on the front in ruins she had never seen before, with a red ribbon holding his page resting on the table next to the chair Snape obviously always sat in, at the foot of the fireplace was a dark rug embroidered with golden majestic swirls that looked like those that surrounded a patronus, the arched dark wood windows lit up the emerald green chandelier as it glinted in the moonlight, dark wood double French doors leading to a balcony that over looked the lake and rugged landscape before the dark shadow of the forbidden forest, the room wasn't big but it wasn't small it was just right by Hermione's standards, it had a homey feel
"Sit" Snape said gesturing to the opposite chair which Hermione settled into nervously as he headed through another door nestled between two bookcases, returning with a tray with two teas on hovering the tea to Hermione, he vanished the tray, settled into the sofa with the tea held close to his heart warming him
"Don't look so scared I haven't poisoned it"
"Why did you bring me here?"
Snape sighed "Because I sense there are many things you want to talk about but you have no one to go to. Whether that is with me or not is your choice, just enjoy the company of an old mature man while he's here, instead of that lot of buffoons until you decide"
"Oh" was all she said before staring deeply in to the fire taking a sip of her tea every now and then, like Snape holding the cup close to her heart as if it could warm her soul
"Now for your detention, since it's the beginning of term and I have no cauldrons to scrub, the only thing you can do is help me with my potions for the hospital wing" he saw her immediately become interested
"Really?"
"Yes really Miss Granger" he chucked inwardly his eyes smiling ever so slightly, if she noticed she said nothing
"Great! When can we start?" she was almost jumping out of her chair Snape vanished her cup and drained the last drops from his before vanishing it and standing "This way" he lead her to a bookcase and whispered "Tenebris finis nobis decertandum est"
'Darkness will be the end of us, fight it'
Hermione's curiosity got the better of her "Why Latin?"
"It's a dead language, therefore no one expects it to be used" Snape said leading her down a stone corridor burning torches casting flickering shadows on the walls
"And I suppose you expect no one to understand it?"
"Exactly… Why do you know someone who does?"
"I do"
"Well, that's no surprise is it Miss Granger, is there anything you don't know?"
"There are a lot of things I don't know!"
"But you intend to learn?"
"Exactly" she said distracted by the room at the end, the walls were covered in bookcases while a door was open leading to his store room the walls of which were covered in shelves, the shelves were cram packed full of ingredients with no identifiable order but there most defiantly was one knowing Snape. There were four tables set up in a square each with identical cauldrons and scales on, presumably so he could work on more than one potion at a time; the silver knives glinted in the torch light where they were laid next to the black marble chopping boards.
"What are we brewing?"
"A batch of Pepper up potion, then we will move on to Blood replenishing Potion, then burn healing paste"
"Okay, how many is in a batch?" Hermione asked pushing up her sleeves
"12"
"If you're going to help me you need to know what is needed, where it is and how to make it, so go and get the needed ingredients from the store cupboard"
Hermione came back after about 10 minutes of searching with Borage, fennel, geranium and peppermint
"Why are these ingredients used? Do you know Miss Granger?"
"The Borage is usually classified as a diuretic, so it is used for colds, fevers and lung complaints. The Fennel seeds or roots are used for a fever and pain reducer. Fennel is also known known to attack a fever faster than any other herb. It can also be used to calm and soothe aches in your muscles. The Geranium can help clear the mind and body of bad spirits, while another quality is it can stabilize emotions and helps to calm the weary and the Peppermint has long been used in healing lotions and potions. For a long period in history, it was used in protection spells, wards and as an aid to sleep and is excellent for upset stomachs."
"You never fail to prove how much of an insufferable know it all you are" Snape said setting a black weathered but well used looking hand written book in front of her flicking through it until he got to on the said:
Making Pepper Up Potion
All ingredients are set on our work table.
We must use about a 2 tablespoons of dried, thin little blue flowers from the Borage. The flowers need to be crushed into a powder.
Our cauldron, with 2 cups of water, needs to have a low flame allowing a slow simmer for our ingredients.
One tablespoon of Fennel seeds are crushed and grounded into a powder.
Next about one teaspoon of dried pink Geranium flowers need be crushed and ground into a powder.
Our last ingredient is Peppermint. Five dried green leaves must be ground into a powder, making about one teaspoon full.
All the ingredient must be added together to the low simmering water, stirring occasionally over 3 hours time.
The fire must be removed from under the cauldron and the contents poured through a strainer into a large mug.
Finally the Pepper-up Potion should be drunk while it is still hot. (Not boiling)
"Begin"
"This is only for one potion though?"
"Times everything by 12 then" he snapped
So Hermione set off filling two cups of water and emptying them into the cauldron before setting it to simmer, doing the calculations in her head she gathered the right amount of ingredients and crushed what needed to be crushed before grinding everything to a fine powder before adding them together, casting a spell on the cauldron she set it so the spoon would stir occasionally for the next three hours and an alarm would go off when it was done, turning to find Snape she blushed slightly when she realised he had been watching her the whole time.
"You didn't have to watch me you know?"
"My detention, my rules, come over here and help me with the blood replenishing potion" he had already set out all the ingredients
"Why are these ingredients used?" he queried forever testing her somehow unfathomable wealth of knowledge
"By using the leaves and root of the Five-Finger Grass, and making it into a tea, this herb can help stop nosebleeds almost instantly. For internal bleeding the bark is to be used, but must be ingested without adding any other substances. By using the branches or the twigs of the Cinnamon Twig it helps promote the circulation of the blood for better brain power. The Echinacea roots can be placed in potions, which can help prevent infections and boost the immune system and the Rosemary can be used in cleaning and purifying potions. Rosemary can rid someone or something of negativity or dark magic. Excellent when used in healing and sleeping draughts. Also the Yellow Gentian is used in blood replenishing potions and potions for liver problems.
Making Blood-Replenishing Potions
All the ingredients have been placed on our work table.
The cauldrons fire must be high and the water boiling (about 2 cups of water).
The Five-Finger Grass bark needs to be stripped, chopped and crushed into a power. One teaspoon must then be placed in a tea strainer and needs to brew in boiling water for 10 minutes. (Part 1 of this potion)
A half dozen Cinnamon twigs must be grounded into a fine powder. One table spoon needs to be added to the cauldrons boiling water.
The handful of the needle shape Rosemary must be dropped into our cauldron and stirred slowly.
Echinacea roots are next and need to be sliced into small pieces and stirred quickly into the now forming potion.
A dozen of the thin bright yellow leaves of the Yellow Gentian must be crushed and folded into the boiling water.
The fire under the cauldron must be reduced to a very low simmer for one hour.
Removed cauldron from the fire and allow the potion to cool.
Finally the liquid contents of the cauldron must be strained into a large mug. (Part 2 of this potion)
* Remember the Five-Finger Grass tea (Part 1) which has been brewed MUST be cooled and drank FIRST from a shot glass. Fifteen minutes later our Blood-Replenishing Potion (Part 2) needs to be warm and swallowed down quickly.
Hermione, know fully aware that Snape was monitoring her, became rather nervous, out of all her professor's he seemed to be the only one who wasn't impressed with her academic achievements, so naturally she wanted to prove them, all it took was for her hand to get a little too close to the flame and that was it, she bit her lip to hold back the tears as her knuckles on her right hand turned instantly raw, and Snape hissed "You silly little girl" from next to her as his knife dropped and he grabbed some burn-healing paste from the side, before taking her hand, straightening out her fingers and applying it liberally. Reducing the potion to a very low simmer they moved on to the next, which was burn-healing paste
"Get the ingredients and tell me what they are made for as you do"
"Apple (Golden): The Apple plant's properties are love, healing, garden magic and immortality. It can be used as an anti-inflammatory agent in healing potions.
Elderberry: You can use the young shoots, bark, root, leaves, flowers and its fruit as an edible plant. This plant highly promotes speedy healing in injuries.
Mandarin: The fruit can be used in the treatment of dyspepsia, hernias, lumbago, pain and swelling. The skin can be used as a colouring agent.
Psyllium: This plant can help to thicken potions."
Making Burn-Healing Pastes
All ingredients have been placed on the table.
The Cauldron needs to have a very low flame, to simmer gently.
The golden apple must be peeled, sliced in cubes and smashed into a pulp.
The apple pulp needs to be placed in the simmering cauldron.
The leaves of the Elderberry plant, about a half dozen, can now be chopped up and crushed into a fine powder. A table spoon of the powder needs to be added to the cauldron.
Slowly this powder must be stirred into the now hot apple pulp.
The Mandarin pulp needs to be removed leaving the outer skin, for later use.
Only the fruit pulp is used! The thin, clear, skin covering of the fruit must be removed and thrown away, while the fruit pulp needs to be folded into the simmering ingredients.
Our last ingredient, Psyllium, has to be added to thicken the paste.
Everything must now be stirred slowly and mixed together thoroughly.
Cooking slowly, it will take one half hour for the paste to set.
The fire is removed and the contents are poured and cooled in a small non breakable dish.
The final step is to create the orange colour for the paste. Taking the skin of the Mandarin small bits must be scraped into the paste stirring slowly until the desired orange colour is obtained.
The paste can be kept in a covered jar, at room temperature, but must be used within 6 months.
The paste was finished faster than the others, probably because after Hermione's burn incident Snape took the lead and Hermione mostly watched continuing while he tended to the other potions
After everything was bottled Hermione helped Snape levitate it all to the hospital wing neither of them realising the time until filch came round the corner and saw only Hermione
"You shouldn't be out of bed at this time of night, tut, tut, tut, what will Professor Snape say about this?" a devilish grin on his face until he heard Snape
"I would say, she is with me, and I do not appreciate the use of my name as a threat to someone who has done no wrong, it's a waste of my time when you bring them to me"
"Yes, of course, sorry Professor" he said bowing slightly as he backed away Miss Norris tight as his heels Snape glaring at him the whole time
"Foolish man, I cannot stand him" Snape muttered to himself more than anyone else as he stepped to Hermione's side and aided her with her load
"Why what has he done to you?"
"Forever wasting my time" was all he said, it was more than most people would get but not enough to quench Hermione's burning curiosity but she wouldn't push the matter "I do believe your detention is over"
"Don't you want me to help you clean up?"
"Why are you offering?"
"…because I made the mess" but her eyes told a different story
"Hmmm, okay" Snape said eyeing her warily before turning his cloak turning menacingly but to Hermione's surprise she didn't feel the usual chill of terror run down her spine and fell into step next to him as easily as he was her friend for years, Snape glanced over and had to take another look at the expression of pain on her face, this girl… young lady really did puzzle him, from what he had seen she was like a castle during battle, her walls were strong but when you glanced inside the window, all hell was running loose… hell he could relate to, hell he could help heal, but would Severus Tobias Snape, dreaded potions master… really lend a helping hand…
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS GOOD OR NOT :S PLEASE R&R AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK :) CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME BUT PLEASE NO OUTRIGHT HATING, ALSO SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING OR GRAMMAR MISTAKES THERE MAY BE THAT I HAVEN'T PICKED UP! :)