Assisting

***4 September, 1976***

Severus knocked tentatively on Dr O'Conner's office door. He almost did not come. Severus had not spoken to Lucy since the night he stupidly ran from her innocent question. He thought for certain that Lucy would have told her parents and thus, he had been waiting anxiously for an owl-sent message informing him that his assistantship had been revoked.

When an owl did finally deliver a note earlier that day at lunch, he saw it was addressed from Dr O'Conner. Severus had to leave for fear that he naused-up his chances and would break down in front of the entire school. To Severus' astonishment, it was a reminder to wear old clothes when he showed up that night to begin his assistantship.

With the exception of lessons, Severus had only seen Lucy once in the past two days and that was at breakfast the day before. She hadn't even shown up in the common room. Sinistra was one of Lucy's dorm-mates, and Severus had overheard her and her friends, gossip to anyone in the common room who would listen, that Lucy had scarcely spoken two words to the girls since her arrival. She thought Lucy was a bit strange as all she seemed interested in doing was reading and writing whilst sitting in bed. Even when Lucy had finished her homework, she continued to read and write.

"She's literally reading two books a once, and not even normal books." Lucy's other dorm-mate, Janice Higgs, had commented. "O'Conner seems to be a bit of a swot, if you ask me."

"I think one of those books wasn't even in English," Sinistra had added.

Severus didn't find that strange at all. It was one way of learning foreign languages.

"Well nobody asked you, Higgs," Regulus interjected. "At least O'Conner studies and manages to keep out of other people's business, unlike a couple of harpies I could name."

By lunchtime, Lucy hadn't showed up and the girls said she had disappeared from the dorm. Severus felt bad for leaving her the way he did. He wouldn't blame Lucy if she hated him now. But the least he could do was apologise and he was determined to do it next time he saw her, even if he had to risk passing a note in class.

Severus waited for what seemed like an eternity, but was more likely only a minute. His heart fell and he was beginning to turn away when the door finally opened to a darkened lab.

The sconces from the corridor barely shone enough light in the room for Severus to discern the shadows of the lab desks. Towards the back, it was so dark Severus doubted a cat could find its way through the inky blackness.

"Sorry about that, Mr Snape," said Dr O'Conner's voice from the general direction of his office. "Lumos."

The sconces lighting the inside of the classroom came to life. Severus couldn't help but notice that in its presently abandoned state, the shadows played eerily off the desks and storage cupboards in the room.

"I tend to forget about the lamps on the weekend," Dr O'Conner explained. "I don't have papers to grade yet, so I was just working on some revisions to my Second Year lesson plans until you came."

The doctor was dressed in tan twill trousers and a solid brown waistcoat over a white dress shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Severus could see the professor's robe hanging on a hook just inside his open office.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Dr O'Conner," Severus said, doing his best not to sound nervous but failing miserably as his voice trembled. "I'll just come back some other…"

"No. Not at all, my boy. I'm glad you could make it," the doctor said, encouraging Severus with a wave of his hand to step beyond the doorway. "I have a project I wasn't able to complete over the summer, and to be quite honest with you, it would get done much faster with a healthy pair of eyes."

Severus blinked at the Professor's bold reference to his infirmity. He thought Dr O'Conner would have wanted to make reference to his blindness as little as possible, but instead the doctor had no trouble speaking of it with complete candour.

Dr O'Conner then turned and made towards the large school-storage cupboard. Severus assumed he was supposed to follow and he hurried across the room to catch up.

"It seems that Horace didn't take the time to properly inventory the school stores before he left," Dr O'Conner said as he opened the wooden door that led to a small room. "I need your help to catalogue what's in here and purge any expired potions."

Dr O'Conner reached up and waved his arm about until his fingers found a string dangling from the ceiling. The bare Muggle-looking light bulb illuminated the small, cramped space and Severus could tell that he and the professor really had a task ahead of them.

"Hmm…I see what you mean," Severus said dryly. The doctor was right. This was grunt work, but it was work that desperately needed done, nonetheless.

Knowing that the work would be hot and dirty, Severus removed last year's school robe in order to work more comfortably in a black Wings tee shirt that Lily had given him for Christmas just the year before. For some reason, the shirt didn't seem quite so sacred anymore.

"Let's start by getting rid of the expired potions, and then we can see what we have left to work with," the doctor suggested.

"I'm just going to throw my robe over a chair and I'll be ready to start," Severus said.

From behind him, Severus heard the tall ladder slide down its rail to the front of the room and Dr O'Conner said, "We'll start from the top and work our way down one wall at a time."

Almost three and a half hours later, Severus and Dr O'Conner were nearly done with their task. They had worked diligently, keeping their focus on their work. Severus would look into the shelves and find any phials or bottles that contained liquids that were either off-colour or the consistency had broken down, and Dr O'Conner would double check the phials Severus handed him by wafting the contents and then logging what was being discarded. Thus far, he hadn't contradicted any of Severus' findings. They were over half-way done with the last wall when Dr O'Conner changed the topic to more personal matters.

"Mr Snape, how long have you had an interest in potions?"

The question startled Severus at first, but it was an innocent enough query, so he answered without much hesitation. "As long as I can remember, actually. My mother is a housewife, but she is brilliant with potions. Some of my fondest memories as a child are of watching her brew."

Severus felt comfortable enough with that answer. He did acquire his love of Potions from his mum. She rarely brewed anymore, but when she did, it was when she was at her most lucid. But of course, Dr O'Conner needn't know that. The less anyone knew about his parents the better.

Fortunately, the good doctor chose to keep his focus on Severus. "I began to experiment own my own when I was your age," the Professor said. "How about you? Have you managed to come up with any potions of your own?"

"A fair few," Severus said absently as he scrutinised a dusty bottle of potion. "I even managed to get one patented. I actually made a little money selling it over the summer."

Severus unstoppered the bottle then immediately stoppered it again. He turned his head away when his olfactory senses were accosted by the sickly-sweet odour of mouldering citrus. "Ugh…I think it's safe to say that this Wiggenweld Potion is well past its 'use by' date."

The professor had an odd clipboard. It had a hinged slate that lay across the thick parchment. The doctor used a small stylus to create a pattern of indentations that Severus could only assume that he interpreted as writing. This was how the professor recorded inventory. On occasion, he would use the blunt end of his stylus to rub out a raised dot in order to correct a mistake. Severus though the process looked very tedious, but Dr O'Conner seemed to view it as second nature as he did this very quickly and made it look easier than Severus knew it had to be.

Dr O'Conner chuckled, seemingly at Severus' reaction to the ripe Wiggenweld Potion. Then in a slightly more serious tone he asked, "You weren't selling anything illegally, were you?

"Oh, not at all, Sir," Severus exclaimed then called out ten Wit-Sharpening and thirteen Wound-Healing Potions. "I have patent and the valid licence to sell my potion."

"Is that so?" Dr O'Conner said as he punched out a pattern that Severus could only assume represented ten Wit Sharpening Potions. "Then you would have had to send in your research to be validated. What kind of potion did you create?"

Severus heart jumped into his throat. "Nothing all that important," he said as he tried to quell his rising panic at having stupidly bragged about is success. Of course, the professor would want to hear more about his potion. "That's the last of this cupboard," Severus added hurriedly as he made his way down the ladder.

"Hold on there, Sport," Dr O'Conner said good naturedly. "If it's not illegal, why the secrecy? You do have a patent, after all."

Severus felt as if he would rather have someone pull out his fingernails one at a time. "No Sir. I promise it's nothing illegal. It's just …well…sensitive, I suppose would be a good way to put it," he said nervously.

Dr O'Conner moved to the side so Severus could exit the cupboard. "First lesson, my boy, be prepared to speak to other professionals about your work. Did you publish your findings?"

"Only the brewing process," Severus admitted. "Only enough to satisfy the patent board."

Severus suddenly felt a surge of pride as he realised that the professor had just called him a professional. He followed Dr O'Conner into his office and a tea service for two and some biscuits popped onto the professor's desk.

Dr O'Conner invited Severus to sit in the dimly lit office. Severus supposed the professor had the sconces lit for Severus' benefit, but wasn't certain exactly how bright to light them.

Severus sat in the guest's chair and the professor told him to help himself.

Dr O'Conner sat in his own chair and leaned back—steepling his fingers as he sat contemplatively. "Well, since you were granted a license to sell, your potion must work. If you want to be taken seriously in the professional community, you ought to consider writing up a formal paper- sharing your methods and highlighting your empirical evidence. I can look it over and if it's any good, recommend it to the right people for publication. You were wise to go ahead and obtain a patent. That way no one can copy your work and claim it as their own."

Severus finished pouring his cup of tea. He took the cup and saucer in hand and stirred in a teaspoon of sugar. "It's not that I wouldn't appreciate the help, but…" Severus hesitated. He really didn't want to talk about it. "But it's a bit…embarrassing if you want to know the truth." Severus had no idea why he was trying to hide himself behind his teacup. It wasn't as if the professor could see him blush.

"Embarrassing?" the professor asked with suspicious tone. "What did you invent—an aphrodisiac?"

Severus was flushing to the point he felt as if he were running a fever. He went to loosen his tie when he realised he wasn't wearing one. The teen couldn't remember the last time he was this uncomfortable. "Not exactly, sir."

From the Cheshire grin that found its way on the professor's face, he seemed to find some sadistic amusement in Severus' discomfort. "Oh, now you have my curiosity aroused. I just can't let you leave until you tell me what it is."

Funny…the professor's choice of words.

"Well…,"Severus began—trying to find a delicate way to explain things, "it's an enhancement potion," he finally blurted ineloquently.

"An enhancement potion," Dr O'Conner repeated. "Exactly what does this potion of yours enhance?"

Severus crossed his legs tightly. The tremor in his hand was causing his teacup to shake as he brought it to his lips. "Um…Wizards," he said into his cup as his voice raised another octave, making his statement almost sound like a question.

Dr O'Conner's brow creased as he apparently tried to figure out Severus' enigmatic replies. "Wizard enhancement? What exactly are you enhance…."

The professor stopped in mid-sentence and is face slackened as it finally occurred to him what Severus was trying to say. Severus sat as still as a statue waiting for Dr O'Conner to throw him out of his office—or worse—have him expelled. True, Severus couldn't think of any rules he had broken, but he was certain that the professor could come up with something imaginative.

Dr O'Conner's chest began to heave with silent convulsions, and for second, Severus wondered if he should run and get the school matron. Anyway, running seemed like a viable option, but then a slow deep chuckle that began almost like a hiccup, began to emit from the Potions Master. Before Severus realised what was happening next, Dr O'Conner was slapping his desk, in what Severus could only describe as a full-blown laughing jag.

Severus had never liked being laughed at. He was used to it from the Marauders by now, but he didn't think he could stand being laughed at by someone he held in such high esteem. "I'm sorry, sir," Severus said trying to hide his disappointment as he gingerly sat his teacup on the professor's desk and began to rise from his seat. "If that is all, I'll just be going now," he said stiflly.

"No, no…," Dr O'Conner said through his stifled giggle as he wiped his thumb under his dark glasses. "Please stay. I didn't mean to offend you," with obvious humour still in his voice.

With a tight grip on the arms of the wingback chair, Severus slowly began to sit back down as he unabashedly stared at his now- mad professor.

"I'm sorry," Severus said with a note of confusion. "I thought it was I who offended you."

Dr O'Conner shook his head and waved off Severus' concern. "Not at all," he said in a more conversational tone as he resumed drinking his tea. "Actually, I think it is a stroke of genius, especially in one so young. If it's not too personal, however did you come up with the idea?"

Severus thanked whoever was up there to listen that he had no personal problem. That was a problem for old men…like…thirty. "I was trying to think of a way to make money." He then said somewhat guiltily, "I…uh…overheard some of my dad's friends talking about…um…personal matters, and that's when the idea came to me."

Severus left out the part that he had visited the local pub to lay a bet for his dad. The punter was taking the mickey out of some poor bloke whose wife had left him for a younger man. Somehow, in the midst of all of the off-colour jokes and dirty limericks, Severus was struck with inspiration.

He just thanked Circe that since he wasn't a Potions Master yet, it was up to the Patent Board to test his potion to ensure that it worked. A cold chill shuddered up Severus' spine when he thought about the testing process if he had to conduct it. He knew that if he wanted his Mastery one day, he would have to conduct such testing himself, but right now he didn't want to think about that. He was quite sure he would have died from mortification during the first test subject interview.

"Now that I think of it, I'm surprised that no one has thought about such a potion until now. I'm even more astonished that I haven't heard of it."

Severus was struck by how at ease the professor was speaking about a topic of such a sensitive nature. Unlike his first reaction, once Dr O'Conner was over his temporary lunacy, he spoke to Severus in a completely professional manner. It somehow made Severus more at ease. It was odd, being spoken to as an adult from a real adult.

"Frankly, I was rather surprised when I was granted the patent," Severus admitted. "I mean…it's not exactly a cure for werewolves." Severus winced as he thought about his suspicion of Lupin. "And I never really thought about publishing and I've only been selling it through Owl order."

"Not every potion invented can be as lofty as a cure for Lycanthropy, but that doesn't mean that yours isn't clever. Loathe though I am to admit it that the vanity of many wizards would compel them to use such a potion, this has the potential of making you a very rich man. Unfortunately, more wizards are worried about their….Well—let's just say that a cure for Lycanthropy isn't as high on most men's priority list."

Severus only hoped that someday he could create a potion that would change the world for the better. But for now he had Professor Happiee's Magical Enhancement Elixir. It might not cure Dragon Pox, but it could put a smile on the faces of once cantankerous old men and their no longer harridan wives the world over. In a sense, Severus was bringing peace on Earth one household at a time. Wasn't that a noble goal to aspire to?

Severus realised his potion had potential when the galleons started rolling in over the summer. But he was in school now. He didn't have the time to keep up with the business, and he said as much to the professor.

"I can see your point," Dr O'Conner said. "But frankly, one man is limited to how much product he can produce and how much money there is to be made through Owl posts. The real money comes from manufacturing."

"Manufacturing?" Severus asked sceptically. "I don't like the idea of having to sell my patent."

"Of course not," Dr O'Conner said in agreement as he reached directly for a biscuit. "You could simply grant permission for the company to brew your potion for a percentage of the profit. It just so happens that I have had a professional correspondence with Rubens Winikus III going on a decade now. He might be very interested in marketing your potion."

Severus blinked in astonishment. "Rubens Winikus? You mean the Skele-Gro Rubens Winikus? Why…his family has been the world's largest potions manufacturer for nearly a century. "

Honestly, he was just going to wait until the following summer to resume selling his potion, that is, if he hadn't joined the Death Eaters by then. What Dr O'Conner was proposing was beyond anything Severus had imagined happening to him at such a young age.

"The very same," Dr O'Conner said. "I can't make any promises though. Just don't count you chickens before they're hatched."

Severus didn't know a damn thing about hatching chickens, but he did know enough not to get his hopes up. If he was used to anything in life, it was disappointment.

Severus chose to pick a non-existent piece of lint from his robe since he no longer had his tea to occupy him. "No— I won't get my hopes up," he said thickly, "but it's nice to know that someone has faith in my abilities."

Severus wished he hadn't said that last. It revealed too much and sounded as emotionally desperate as he all-too-often felt.

Dr O'Conner gave a warm smile and said, "Of course I have faith in your abilities. If I didn't, you wouldn't be sitting here right now, now would you?"

Severus gave a slight nod. When he remembered that the professor couldn't see his silent agreement, he said softly, "Thank you, sir. I never thought I would get a chance like this."

"You have a brilliant mind, Mr Snape," Dr O'Conner said pointedly, "and have the potential to be the most celebrated Potions Master of your generation. I've reviewed your work and I can't understand why Horace didn't see that potential," he added, shaking his head in apparent disbelief. "You deserve this chance and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thank you, sir."

"You already said that."

"Sorry," Severus said sheepishly.

"Don't be," Dr O'Conner replied assuredly. "So about that potion of yours…"

"Do you honestly think Rubens Winikins would be interested in it?" Severus asked hopefully.

Dr O'Conner wiped his fingers on a napkin after finishing his digestive. "You won't know if you don't ask. And the fact that you have already made a profit off of it from an Owl order business run out of your house shouldn't hurt your chances. So, I take it you are interested?"

Severus never dreamed an opportunity like this would ever present itself to him and he answered determinedly, "I'd be a fool if I wasn't."

Dr O'Conner arose from his chair. "I wouldn't put it in such harsh terms, but I do agree that you should try."

Severus rose also. The professor was making his way towards the door, indicating to Severus that it was time to return to his common room. "If you want, I could ask Albus to recommend a reputable attorney that can represent your interests to the company," Dr O'Conner said as he opened the door.

Severus nodded his agreement, though he doubted anything the professor suggested would actually happen. "That would be fine, sir. Thank you, again."

Severus was about to turn and leave when Dr O'Conner called to him again.

"Mr Snape."

"Yes, sir."

"Have you seen my daughter today?"

Severus closed his eyes and breathed deeply as he held back his sigh. "Um…no, sir. If I see her in the common room, do you want me to tell her you want to see her?"

"No—she's in our family quarters doing homework. But I am aware that something happened between you two over the past couple of days."

Severus felt his gut twist as he thought that he had just lost any chance at an apprenticeship; but that didn't make any sense. If his chances were at risk, why did Dr O'Conner just take the last thirty minutes praising Severus' talent and offering to help him market his potion?

But Severus was still nervous. He still felt like such a coward for running away from Lucy the other night. He just didn't know how to apologise. Severus was never any good at saying he was sorry. It was just—when it came to Lily Evans, he was never capable of thinking straight, any coherent thoughts he had just flew out the window. He felt rather ashamed of himself now that he thought of it.

"I…I don't know what to say, sir. But with the exception of classes, I haven't seen Lucy so I can explain my behaviour." As soon as he said it, Severus wished he hadn't. What if the professor thought that Severus had made some sort of improper advance towards his daughter?

"I'm not going to ask you what happened between you and my daughter, Mr Snape. But from what Lucy had told me, she was the one in the wrong. Lucy said she asked you a personal question she apparently had no business asking. Her mother and I have been trying to talk her into seeking you out and apologising, but she is too embarrassed. I don't condone her avoiding you, but I think if you were to approach her first, she might find her courage."

Severus was wrapping his brain around what Dr O'Conner had just told him. He—Severus—was the one who ran away from Lucy like a rat startled by a cat…and she felt she needed to apologise. Why did she tell her parents that she was wrong? Was she trying to keep Severus from losing face with her father so he wouldn't lose his chance at his apprenticeship? If that was the case, Severus was too stunned for words. Why would she do that?

"Her question wasn't that personal," Severus admitted miserably. "If truth be told, it was a rather innocent question. I totally overreacted. I should be the one to apologise."

Dr O'Conner patted Severus on the shoulder sympathetically. "I'll leave the details of who need to apologise to whom between you and my daughter."

Severus looked down at his shoes and nodded. "I'll try to find her tomorrow and talk to her," he promised.

"Good fellow," Dr O'Conner said gladly. "But if you don't mind me changing the subject, I'd like to ask a small favour of you tomorrow. Do you mind very much going down to the village for me after lunch? Abe has some fresh Bezoars for my lessons this week and it would be a great help if you could fetch them for me."

Severus' heart began to swell with excitement, "You mean go to Hogsmeade? Alone? I don't mind going in the least, but it isn't even a student weekend yet. Won't I get in trouble?"

"Not if I allow you a pass," the professor said with an air of unconcern.

With a flick of his wand, the professor's desk drawer screeched open with the sound of wood rubbing on wood and a piece of parchment gracefully landed on top of his desk. His quill dipped itself into the inkpot then began to scratch out instructions onto the thick paper. With another flick of Dr O'Conner's wand the parchment floated towards the door and into Severus's hand.

"Just make sure you go straight to the Hog's Head and back—no side trips," the doctor emphasised.

Severus couldn't believe his luck. His housemates were going to be as green as Pettigrew dissecting a toad. His heart raced with excitement. Not only was he going to the village on a forbidden weekend, he was going to see the inside of the infamous Hog's Head Tavern. Now Severus would get the chance to see what the fuss was all about. He knew he would the centre of attention of his House—if not the entire school, for the next week.

Lucy had said that the mysterious Mr D was her great grandfather. Severus and his housemates had always heard the old man and his wife referred to as Old Aberforth and Miss Ellie or Mr and Mrs D. They had always assumed that 'D' had actually meant 'Dee'—meaning that the tavern owner was probably descended from the famous Dr John Dee, Queen Elizabeth the First's wizard advisor. It was a prestigious name in its own right. But Lucy had actually told him that the 'D' actually stood for Dumbledore. Severus was still trying to wrap his brain around the fact that the old man was none other than the younger brother of the venerable headmaster. Maybe he could find some clue behind all the secrecy.

Dr O'Conner gave Severus directions to his family quarters in case he wasn't in his office by the time Severus came back from the village. Severus gave his thanks and said his farewell then returned to his common room. He still had some Runes he needed to translate in order to finish up his homework. Hopefully, Lucy would be back in the common room. The promise he made to find Lucy was the truth. Severus still intended to apologise for acting like such a coward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry for the delay in the update, everyone and I'm sorry if I did not get a chance to respond to your reviews. I appreciate every one of them and they are what keep me motivated to write. Thank you, all.

Also a special thanks to my beta, Tambrathegreat, who not only has been an awesome beta, but a good friend and councilor.

Not only was I cursed with a bad case of writer's block, I am having to deal with the eventual passing of my brother. He has Stage 4 Melanoma and the other night he slipped into a comma for the third time since January. I can't promise the upcoming chapters with any great speed, but I promise not to abandon the story. After all, writing is one of the things that helps me to maintain my sanity at this time.

~Missyann