Summary:
Many responsibilities have been delegated to the unlikely Granger-Zabini pair, and many more have been taken up in the spirit rather than letter of the law. Blaise and Hermione make a stand for their version of progress, rather than the Ministry's campaign. Severus escapes the cursed bed. Flume sees opportunity as any good entrepreneur does.
Beta read thanks to Tanguera!
Note: This is a rather long chapter compared to the initial three. I have tried to keep up momentum without a rushed feeling, please let me know if I did or didn't succeed. Reviews are very much appreciated!
Hagrid and Grawp stood at the treeline, waiting patiently as Luna softly murmured the last of her instructions to the last squadron of pixies and gnomes. The blonde sat astride a restless thestral with her hair freely fluttering in the light breeze.
"A'right, Luna. We better get started, the centaurs shouldnae be kept waiting. They said the human camp isnae far." Luna patted the thestral's neck, carefully shifting the bag holding her updating planner.
"Ready Hagrid. Remember, Blaise didn't just want population numbers."
Neville watched the blue lights of Luna's pixies fly off, the Forbidden Forest Census was now underway, he made his way down the path towards Hogsmeade where Adrian Pucey was waiting to conduct the first town hall meeting. The magical solicitor stiffly stood at the entrance of the Three Broomsticks, politely holding off questions from the more rabid residents and shopkeepers.
"Pucey."
"Longbottom, about time. I was not expecting this as part of my responsibilities. Can we get this over with?" Neville smiled and held the door open for the Slytherin.
"Relax Pucey, you knew your retainer would ask the unusual. We're just asking them to hold an election. Nothing more than getting them organized."
Blaise watched the pages of his planner impatiently, while tapping an antique ink pen against the maps and notations he had just finished. His desk shifted with a moan. Theo didn't bother lifting his head from the italian's chest.
"I thought we finished. What are you still doing up?" Blaise smirked as he stroked the tanned shoulder, before tangling his fingers in the dark hair growing a touch too long. Theo playfully nipped at his hip watching the smirk fade, Blaise carefully shifted aside his notes, a large tome of the Hogwarts Constitution, and the three grimoires from the Abbott, Nott and Longbottom vaults.
"No, tesoro, we're not finished." Zabini rolled them over and swallowed Nott's moan as he grinded down in a practised rhythm, guaranteed to leave Nott exhausted enough to sleep dreamlessly.
The dittany and strengthening potion lozenges were easy enough to mock up, the concentration was slowly ramped up until Hermione and Ambrosius were able to determine their arthritic nogtails were more stoned than comfortable. The nogtail circulatory system was the most similar to humans, and the crystallised candy had proven to amplify the dittany effects. With great delight and mental hand rubbing on Flume's part, Hermione had determined their crystalline structure nearly tripled intensity with an acting rate equal to lozenge dissolution time. Their product could not come at a better time with the astronomical rise in price of dittany essence, providing relief to war victims and those still fighting Death Eater vestiges at the continent's outskirts; the greenhouse section Neville had dedicated to the plant was bringing in a tidy profit. Severus coined the name of the lozenges, Inner Balm. Little did he know, Ambrosius was using the title when the product debuted at St. Mungo's and select apothecaries Wednesday morning. After much arguing, Hermione gave in to the ironic marketing scheme.
"Sir, it's a ridiculous name." Like all Slytherins, Flume had clearly received instruction in eyebrow raising. "No self-serving Pureblood wo - "
"That's the point. No self-serving Pureblood would know. My dear, what better way to thumb your nose at them. It's a wonderful play on words. By the time they realize it, we will be too instrumental to boycott."
"There are plenty of half-bloods or muggleborns that might explain it."
"It is benign enough to be a harmless giggle. Madam Garner's Spoonful of Sugar. Close enough in meaning yet far enough in actuality from your own name. Medicinal and candy-making properties indicated, it's perfect!" Flume's wand flicked to roll up the banner he had been admiring and Hermione ogling in horror. It was the new line's title in large red-rimmed white font, the last R's tail crossed with a spoon holding a sugar cube
"Surely, we're impinging on copyright laws somewhere." Ambrosius corralled his young pupil with a friendly arm about her shoulders, gently guiding her back to her laboratory in the expanded flat upstairs. "It's so blatant."
"It's legitimate, trademark and registration complete. Now, I predict an influx of orders, and have thought to enlist another potioneer. Would you object to another working on the line with you?" Hermione paused. She had learned quite a bit of the ruthless environment she was now firmly entrenched in, by rights Ambrosius could simply order another body into the lab without her sayso. He was demonstrating respect by even asking her consideration. Another person might also mean competition and perhaps increased correspondence to ensure her entitlement to patents. "Of course, continued monitoring of the laboratory will determine proportion of residuals with the usual pre-product launch negotiation. As stipulated in our last contract amendment." Fair.
"Yes, Sir, that will suffice. Though I hope a good working relationship can be accomplished." Flume closed the thick door with an incline of his head. He turned towards his office. His missive to a fellow Slytherin potions enthusiast already sat folded on his desk, waiting for a wax seal. It was a bother that his new addition's full attention couldn't be garnered until that pesky Ministry mandate was complete. It was enough of a headache to receive permission for Honeydukes production to be eligible for a portion of the brewing mandate, without giving away their product launch, it had to be hidden as a general vendor request for any serving such sentences to help in community revival. Nothing like romantic inclinations to prevent the usual cutthroat competition seen in development potions labs. Ambrosius Flume sat back with content after he sent along the letter with his wife's tiny owl. His wife loved weddings, absolutely adored Hermione. While the Flumes were achingly childless, Cariana Flume was already hoping to god-parent a dark, curly haired child with expressive eyebrows. Now for Snape to merely sign, and his wife's vision would fall into place. The Honeydukes proprietor tapped his wand briskly at the ballot, Aberforth Dumbledore only smiled at his goats but he had a good head on his shoulders.
Severus carefully levered himself into the wheelchair, grunting with the effort and wincing when his shin barked awkwardly against a metal bar. Hermione hovered, but kept enough distance to allow him this act of independence. The nostrils of his hooked nose flared as he tried to catch his breath. She arranged a blanket onto his lap, then pressed his ever present lozenges into the less clenched left hand. He smiled and caught the corner of her lips in a kiss before she could straighten. Almost laughing when her eyes widened and the tremulous smile that resulted.
"Thank you, Hermione. I thought our walk could include the lake today." The brunette quickly turned the chair towards the door, excited at the burst of energy and good mood in the potions master.
"Of course, Severus." Their routine was slowly changing, now that he had a steady stream of potions rather than stop-gap measures. Physical therapy had become more intensive but he was finally out of that cursed bed. It was a brisk day and the cold misting rain would have been a bother without warming and water repelling charms. Snape reflected that it was a relief that he could finally wheel himself into the baths, it was humiliating enough depending on the magical bed pans. The potions they had weaned him off of had suppressed his libido, and it returned with a roaring vengeance. The past week he was back on his regular daily shower and wank schedule. It made his slow seduction a little easier without the threat of embarrassing random erections, especially when he inhaled too much of her scent.
Severus took her small calloused hand in his, noting the locations coincided with a stirring rod, while they watched the sunset and the Giant Squid attempt to catch a gull. "I want to take you to dinner. Once I get out of this chair." Hermione gently squeezed.
"I would love that, even with the chair." She leaned in and brushed her lips against his shyly. Snape deepened the kiss and tasted her eagerly. But stopped with a grunt of dismay when the chair arm dug into his side. With a smile, Hermione pecked his cheek. "Okay, it would be slightly more enjoyable without the chair. For now, dinner with Blaise and Theo?" Snape nodded with a ragged breath against her cheek.
They entered the sitting room she shared with the other two Slytherins. The moment they crossed the threshold, a wall of sound assaulted them.
"You think that you can just keep her from us!"
"I don't keep her from anything! Listen to yourself, when does anyone keep Hermione fucking Granger from doing what she damn pleases."
"She wouldn't stay here! Just ignoring what's happening out there. She would act!"
"What good is getting your NEWTs if there are Death Eaters still out there? When the Ministry is rebuilding the real world, instead of this ruddy castle!"
Hermione viewed the scene dispassionately, Ginny had indeed warned that Harry and Ron were being stoked into a blaze by her conniving mother. It left a bitter taste knowing how short Fred's mourning period was before Molly returned to her old tricks again. She had shared many a laugh with Blaise, keeping up with the chasing antics pulled by her former housemates, skirmish after skirmish dutifully reported yet they asked nothing of her work at Hogwarts. Realised nothing of the foothold being made at Hogwarts, nothing of the foundations being poured. Nothing of economics and the potion market strangling the entire Wizarding World, the result after Voldemort assassinated four fifths of the leaders in potioneering. They had no idea of her apprenticeship. There had been no point in disclosing her new career, when every letter they wrote requested her to join them as Aurors. Hermione had read every letter and envisioned the possible future every time, only left with the certainty that her research and skills would merely relegate her to servitude for their exploits of glory. It was shock that the respect Blaise afforded her as an equal outweighed anything received from the two boys in front of her, two lost and self-important boys led astray by Ministry propaganda. And judging from the ring on Harry's finger, possibly the repopulation aspect as well.
"Hermione! There you are! We've come to bring you back to the Burrow." She could feel Severus' steady gaze on her, feel her hot rage suddenly implode into ice, feel her eyebrow raise. More drivel poured out of their mouths, and she waited. Finally, a break in the nonsense.
"Aren't you going to say anything?" A flick of her wrist and Hermione tossed floo powder into the fire with a clipped.
"The Burrow." Then she pointed at the fire, her gesture clear enough to bring the two interlopers up short.
"We just want to talk to you. See reason, Mione!" Ron's face was a shade off, yet so oddly close to his hair colour it clashed magnificently.
"I do see reason. My work here is just that. Reason, logic and results. I do not care a whit for whatever misogynistic reasoning why I must accompany you in every venture. You may leave as I have my work to do." Ron's eyebrows unattractively faded when his face reached the same shade as his hair. It was rather unappealing.
"You self-important bitch! Nothing but a jumped-up twat who knows nothing about what's really out there! Precious studying won't make the world right ag-" Harry instead watched Hermione's face harden. He deftly pushed Ron into the green flames, then tossed his own handful into the fire. Hermione wondered if Ginny was indeed succeeding at training her husband.
"Until we can manage a civil exchange, we are done." Harry didn't look surprised, he swallowed resignedly, nodded and stepped in.
Hermione took refuge in the brewing lab the day her first product hit the shelves, complete with full-page newspaper ads. She was monitoring a giant cauldron in the simmering stage, considering whether to burn her next project outline. The mini jawbreaker amalgamating a bezoar and charcoal had been scrapped. It drew out poisons, and would be applicable in deactivating potions damage. The fouled water sources in the rest of Scotland would surely benefit. Yet the initial discussion she had with Flume worried her greatly. The man's domed head had started sweating.
"And do you trust the current Ministry? Do you know all the aurors or unspeakables? If a version of this was in a person's system and they were to drink veritaserum…" Hermione had been disappointed in herself for not considering the possible misuse. They had settled on a potential drink mix which filtered contaminants in the water, becoming a juice or tea. However, a niggling feeling caused Hermione to wonder if she was missing a deadlier aspect of abuse. A polite owl tap on the door. She opened it to find a kneazle almost bowed over by a teeny owl perched on its back. The piece of parchment had Flume's spiky writing
Sold out. Preorders have exceeded initial planned capacity. Mass production begins tomorrow. Congratulations.
Hermione recognized Cariana's owl, and the kneazle as a resident of the astronomy tower. This one had chirped at her when she had inspected the cubby holes, and introduced the assigned house elf to care for the abandoned pets. It seemed to have adopted her, and was a steadfast companion with the owl, following her and ferrying her messages. Crookshanks likely would have scoffed at the energy of this younger counterpart, but he had disappeared shortly after the battle. With an owl treat and a cheek scratch, she excitedly finished her brewing, packaged the vials for shipment and trotted to Severus' rooms.
She knocked and entered at his drawl. Snape looked up from his lists and schedules with surprise. Surely she hadn't found out about his agreement, he had just sent off the hand-cramping signed contracts. No, he leaned back in his chair and let her chatter wash over him. His healing progress with the crystallized ginger amplifying regenerative, pain and anti-inflammatory potions. Her success and how Harry and Ron knowing nothing made it more satisfying and how the next product he had test-trialed would be hitting the shelves in two months. His dark eyes followed her as she paced and spoke, letting her good mood take possession of him. His physical therapy had improved his muscle control enough to start brewing next week, yet while his magical strength and immune system had recovered, his legs still couldn't support his own weight. Despite Hermione's best efforts, the leg muscles had atrophied with the lengthy bed rest.
Her arms came about him and Severus turned his head to meet her lips with his instead of his cheek. He deepened the kiss, then hoisted her onto his lap, enjoying the tiny squeak and her fingers twining in his hair. When she had to catch her breath, he murmured, "If not for these blasted legs, I'd show you how satisfied you can be." She blushed when he squeezed her rear with one hand and brushed the side of her breast with the other. Hmm, there may be benefits to the chair if it served as a good mobile base to fuck on. Already, Snape could think of various dark locations they could utilize with a good silencing charm. Hell, he could flip up her skirt and just enter her if people were used to seeing Hermione in his lap. Merlin, he was horny. A throat cleared. Well, bollocks.
Blaise leaned against the doorframe, as he watched his former potions master snog the breath out of Hermione firmly perched on his lap. "I see Granger's experimentation on you has paid off." Hermione jolted then stood, shifting with care away from the hard length against her thigh. Snape merely huffed irritably his former student. What could be so important to interrupt them? This was a clear violation of the Slytherin's unwritten gentlemen's code. Blaise handed Hermione a sheet of parchment.
"Aberforth has been elected as predicted. These are the latest numbers of Forbidden Forest inhabitants and current resources available." Hermione's squinted.
"These numbers can't be right."
"They are Granger. Word of mouth has been surprisingly effective. Hogwarts currently has the largest refugee camp squatting in our forest." Hermione called a house-elf, and Neefa's grand-niece arrived with a clipboard. She started listing off essential needs to be tended to by a branch group of house-elves of firstly the children and wounded, later females, then the male refugees.
"I've already sent word to Hogsmeade to begin shoring up magical strongholds and supplies of their own, portioning off what they can spare, and bartering for more. Neville thought ahead and gave all the years but Seventh a foraging schedule. Seventh years are done first planting and the last storage bin is complete. We need to start installing the wards we have planned." Severus frowned. What in blazes was he talking about? Portioning? Foraging?
"Mr. Zabini. The Hogwarts Constitution prohibits additional wards unless -" Zabini waved a hand dismissively.
"Approved by the Minister of Magic, or according to the statute added after Grindelwald in 1946 by great danger to students. The rescindment order has never been received after the Battle, and the students we have added to the register who live in the forest are in danger without the wards." Understanding started to dawn on the elder Slytherin. He knew the two before him were intelligent, that they had taken on responsibilities more far-reaching than their peers dared conceptualize, but he couldn't help wonder at the paranoia he was witnessing. Hermione finished her orders, jotted several notes that nearly tore the page in her planner, and smoothed the paper into the pocket of the leather cover. She had clutched at it so hard there were several wrinkles. Severus tried again, still processing.
"McGonagall will not like this." Surely the Gryffindor wouldn't forget her head of house. But Hermione nodded,
"We know. But she has been road blocked at every turn by a nonexistent board and an interfering Ministry. She has officially delegated to Madam Pomfrey, who in turn has delegated to us."
"Blaise, Hermione… what you're proposing, if I'm making the right assumptions, it's beyond what is needed." The twin gazes of determination stopped him from further protest.
"No, Sir. It's exactly what we need. We have been preparing Hogwarts for siege. Tonight, the gates close."
klo, ndavis77, Wolness: Thank you very much for your reviews! I'm glad my efforts have caught your attention. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it.