Chapter 3

Severus gathered his books and the stack of papers he was grading and went to his rooms. He felt tired and all he wanted to do was take a long hot bath and then go to sleep. Maybe veritaserum the first day wasn't one of my more spectacular ideas. He thought to himself as he started a fire. He took off his teaching robes, leaving him in his black button down vest, white collared shirt, black slacks and his shiny black shoes. He began wondering how his living quarters would differ when there was another person sharing them. He set to cleaning his lab and finishing the potions he'd been working on for Madam Pomfrey.

A knock on the door caused Severus to whip his head in the direction of the door, momentarily rendering him nauseas. "Come in." he demanded harshly as he waved his wand to disable the wards. When no one entered Severus marched to the door, leaving his vial uncorked, and threw it open with a glare.

Minerva McGonagall stood in the doorway, her mouth pursed. "Severus," she started in a warning tone. "I must inquire as to why Miss Granger has been seen running down the halls to the dungeons every hour or so. Have you given her any time to readjust to her schedule?"

Severus stood aside, allowing Minerva to enter. He motioned to her to sit in his chair, although she decided instead to transfigure one of his books into a chair and sit there. Severus nodded, took his chair and scrutinized her. "Miss Granger is at liberty to take this position seriously or not. I require her assistance before each of my classes, and she is my assistant, Minerva. Therefore, the fact that she cannot simply walk fast enough to be on time is none of my concern."

Feeling her glare on him as he looked her up and down in a challenging fashion, Severus stood. "Now, if you have no further questions, Poppy requires potions, and they are not going to gather and cork themselves." He turned on his heel and strode with purpose back into his lab. Minerva sat, watching him leave.

After a few moments to gather her thoughts, she made her way into his lab as well. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she squared off to him, though his back was facing her. "Be careful with Hermione, you diabolical serpent. She can achieve great things if you don't kill her first." Severus glared as Minerva left without another word. If she's not broken, you fool, she will never achieve to her full potential.

Returning to his work, Severus allowed his mind to yet again go to his new assistant. It was then that he realized he wanted Hermione to succeed. He wanted someone to share the glorious world of potions with, even if she was a Gryffindor. Potions have always been underappreciated due to their scientific nature, but they were Severus' life. He yearned to share that life with someone.

Two and a half hours later Severus found himself back in the potions classroom which was already occupied by his assistant. Having unwarded her cauldron, Hermione was preparing to finish her veritaserum. She was chopping dittany roots and hadn't heard Severus come in, immersed wholly in her work. Muttering to herself, she moved on to crushing essence of gooseberries.

Severus observed her from just inside the doorway, sure to keep silent so he could see if her heart was really in her work. When it was finally time, Hermione added the dittany and liquid from the berries, stirring with a bronze stirring rod. She stirred exactly fifty times with even strokes, causing the milky white concoction to turn the desired clear color. Satisfied with her potion's transformation, Hermione allowed herself a small smile as she prepared the final ingredients. She ignited a burner under her cauldron and allowed the contents to simmer.

Content with having viewed her success, Severus walked silently towards the front left bench. "I see you swept the floor before continuing your brewing." He announced, louder than he normally would have spoken in his classroom. Hermione jumped slightly and then turned to Snape with a nod. "Yes sir." She replied hastily, then returned to her now bubbling cauldron. Adding the final Australian viper scale to the cauldron and stirring seven more times, Hermione watched as Snape approached her bench from the front, leaning over the potion. Severus wafted the vapor to his prominent nose.

"I suspect veritaserum is not very much of a challenge for you, Miss Granger?" he questioned, his face expressionless.

Unsure of her mentor's intent, Hermione merely shook her head slightly as she bottled a flask of her clear potion and labeled it.

"Perhaps wolfsbane would provide a more formidable intellectual challenge, then." Severus allowed himself to smirk. Having created the wolfsbane potion himself, he knew only two other potioneers capable of brewing wolfsbane successfully.

Anticipation and excitement formed on Hermione's easily read face, though her words were interrupted when a seventh year Slytherin entered the lab to finish his own potion. Severus took the flask from her hands and took it to the head bench. "Mr. Freyhl, here to attempt to salvage some portion of that serum?" The Slytherin pursed his lips but said nothing. Hermione walked to the student's bench to view his progress. It was clear to her that he had neglected to stir properly, and likely added a stray ingredient. In her mind she went through the procedure he should follow to fix it.

"Looking at something, Granger?" the boy sneered. He was at least six feet tall and was muscular. Brunette hair covered his forehead, and his plain brown eyes locked with hers in a glare. Hermione smirked.

"No, Andrew," Her voice was one of clear superiority. "I am merely aware that you will likely render your potion unsalvageable is all."

Hermione returned to her usual place in the back corner of the room as students from her class began filing in. Quickly the room held the aroma of dittany and burning wood as burners were lit and potions were finished. Neville completed his veritaserum, though he had missed three stirs. It was still mostly clear though, better than some of the others Hermione observed. A rush of pride flowed through her at Neville's success. He may make it through NEWT level potions afterall. As students came and went, Hermione found herself alone with Professor Snape yet again.

"Shall we clean up here and then move to my chambers?" Severus offered, motioning to the storage closet holding the broom.

"Yes sir, I will sweep." She said respectfully as she walked to the storage closet.

Half an hour later the Gryffindor Head Girl and the Head of Slytherin were in the latter's chambers sitting in the private laboratory reading over Severus' research notes. Finding herself intellectually stimulated, Hermione began to read faster, sucking up as much of his knowledge as she could. The book they read contained detailed trial and error steps of how the wolfsbane potion had come into existence.

"The key to excellent research is to write everything down." Severus stated in a manner suitable to his stature as a professor. "That way, there are no questions when it comes to remembering something. Even the greatest minds can forget the details, and a skilled Ligimens is not always available in a timely fashion to help you remember. Experiments that do not work, minute details of every ingredient, reasons for doing things, everything must be recorded in a research notebook. Do you understand, Miss Granger? Everything." He brought his fist down lightly on the bench to emphasize his point.

"I do understand, sir. I will write detailed notes of my research activities, reasoning, and findings." Hermione nodded seriously.

"Excellent," Severus smirked. "Shall we take a break and then give that attitude a test? I believe I have some tea that I could prepare for us, if you would be so inclined."

"Tea sounds delightful, sir, thank you."

Severus and Hermione got up from their stools by the lab bench and relocated to the main room. Hermione transfigured two pieces of firewood into a table and a second chair while Severus set a kettle on a burner and ignited the flame. He accio'd two plain black mugs from a cabinet and set them on the table.

"Would you like some milk in your tea?" he inquired of his guest.

Hermione nodded and smiled. She was not used to the ornery Potions Professor's manners. She turned towards his bookshelves, examining the titles that were present. "You read classic American literature?" Her voice gave away her surprise. Among the texts and European fiction she found several of her favorite American pieces of literature, clearly having been read.

"You will find, Miss Granger, that you are not the only bookworm here at Hogwarts."

Feeling a twinge of excitement, Hermione continued to take mental note of the titles for further examination. She also noticed that he had no pictures or personal belongings of any kind in the room with the exception of his reading material. A momentary thought of pity flooded her mind, though she was careful not to let it reach her eyes.

When the tea was ready the pair sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the warm liquid. The silence felt right to Hermione, and she was surprised when he broke it.

"I know that you haven't had much time to consider it, but are you glad to have returned to Hogwarts after the war? Do you feel as though you made the right decision?" Severus' voice was quiet, but his words still surprised her.

"Truly, Professor, I thrive in an academic atmosphere." She considered the question further before she broadened her response. "I cannot imagine pursuing a career without having taken my NEWTs. After the war I got plenty of offers, but I knew that doing my seventh year properly was the right thing to do. I could benefit a lot of people through teaching." Taking another sip of her tea, Hermione awaited his response.

Severus wished that he could simply probe her mind and see her reasons for returning and the emotions she felt. Seeing them on her face simply wasn't enough. "Is teaching truly you ambition? I could make a magnificent Potions Master of you, if you were interested." The ice now broken, Severus decided to lay his cards straight out on the table. Having thought about it earlier in the day, Severus realized that with Voldemort gone and his double agent role terminated he wanted nothing more than to take on a potions apprentice. From the time that he was sixteen his life among the Death Eaters had been laid out for him by Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort. Dumbledore had allowed him an out after Lily's most unfortunate demise, but he could never have risked a mentor/apprentice relationship with anyone. The five year apprenticeship inevitably resulted in a close bond, too close for anyone in Severus' case. Now free of his burdens he was now able to fill the role of mentor to his first apprentice. He intended to pounce at the opportunity. Miss Granger had the intelligence, determination, and skill in potions necessary, all he had to do was make the offer.

"I…I don't know what to say, sir." Hermione gazed into her Professor's eyes, gauging his seriousness. Deciding that he was, in fact, offering to mentor her, she considered the possibilities he offered. "Potions are a passion I hold dearly, though I do wonder how then I would be a professor myself. Hogwarts has one Potions Master, what could it possibly need with another?"

Severus allowed himself a small chuckle. "As a Potions Master you would be qualified for a professorship in Arithmancy, surely. Hogwarts has a constant need of potions for the Hospital Wing. Also, I believe you will find that the amount of research one can conduct here is formidable. You will not be able to start your apprenticeship until after you graduate, though. I require spectacular NEWT results of whoever my future apprentice may be. As my assistant currently, however, I don't see any reason why you can't help me with my research."

Hermione nodded, his words finally getting to her. She thought of herself by his side, brewing together in silence, creating new potions and developing advances on existing ones. She imagined learning so much from her mentor, never satiating her hunger for knowledge, but continually feeding it as their mentor/apprentice relationship grew. Finally she thought about the possibility of then being her mentor's co-worker, teaching Arithmancy by day and doing research in the evenings. She knew that happiness was the only outcome possible in the situation presented.

"I truly look forward to being your apprentice, sir." She smiled widely. "And I am so pleased that I can be of assistance this year in your classes and especially your research."

Severus gave her a genuine smile as he held up his hand. Hermione took it and they shook, a bond being formed, not of magic, but of respect.

Author's Note: I am going to Canada this weekend and will be unable to write again until Sunday night. I will keep this story in my mind, though and will anticipate updating on Sunday or Monday. Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and receiving alerts. I appreciate that people are actually enjoying my story. As a chemist, Snape appeals to me as a character, and Hermione as an intellectual is his clear match. I love reading work on this pairing and am enjoying writing my own. Also, I apologize that this chapter is not as long as the others.