Chapter 6:

Brewing Potions

She knocked on the door to his quarters softly, nervously awaiting the reply she wasn't sure was going to come. After all the random stuff that had happened between the two of them, she was just as nervous now as she was before the final battle. She took a step back when the door squeaked open, looking cautiously up at the man in front of her.

"Professor Snape," Hermione said composing herself and messing with a strand of her hair, "would you help me brew a potion? I don't have the ingredients for it on hand; I'll pay you for the use of your supplies."

"What, pray tell, is this potion that you desperately need to make before your next day off?" Snape growled at the girl that he wanted to stay as far away from as he could. He leaned up against the door frame and looked down his nose at the young witch.

Hermione placed her hands on her hips, not knowing what had gotten into him since yesterday, he wasn't being civil anymore. "If you must know," she said, her voice laced with distain, "I have been having nightmares, I want a potion for a dreamless sleep."

"Very well," the man stepped back and ushered her in, "The potion doesn't take too long to make, however it will take both of us to prepare it." He went to his store room and gathered the potion ingredients, planning on keeping half of the potion for himself. Soon he will get rid of this horrible girl haunting his dreams, even if he had to put up with her in every day life.

They gathered the supplies and started the potion, only single words floating on the air between them. "Knife," Snape growled holding out his hand before wrapping his hand around the handle and chopping up some roots. The potion was nearly finished when they had to work together; two of the ingredients had to be added at the same time, at separate ends of the cauldron while being stirred.

They bumped arms several times, earning Hermione death glares from Severus. He pulled away finally and watched as she stirred the boiling mixture. "At the end stir it counterclockwise three times, the potion becomes more potent," he instructed, venom dripping from his voice.

As they were filling vials, Hermione was stealing glances at the man behind the potion. He wasn't handsome in the physical sense of the word, but his mind drew her to him. When they had finished Hermione smiled brightly at the Potions Master and took her leave from the room, "Thanks Professor, see you tomorrow."

Severus shut the door behind the bushy haired girl, grabbed a vial off the counter and downed the thick substance. Tonight he would be getting a dreamless sleep. His fire was roaring and his book called to him, a soothing time before bed.

Hermione, on the other hand, went up to her room and started grading papers. The children didn't seem to pay attention enough in her class; it wasn't something that made her happy to think that they thought her class so easy. She would have to make some changes in her curriculum.

She set the papers aside at midnight and crawled into bed, the heat enveloped her and she fell into a deep slumber. Dreaming of nothing, victorious in her endeavor.

Neither person awoke until the alarms sounded at seven in the morning, both relaxed and content after their dreamless sleep.

AN: I'm back! Woot! Ok, I'm probably the only one that is excited about this story anymore. If someone does read this, thank you for sticking by me through my absence… I was slowly going insane from school.

Dedication: To those people that are planning/playing at our Yule Ball, you are amazing! I wouldn't be able to live without you!