Harry sighed after he left his new room and went to explore. He already knew that Hermione had probably gone to meet Snape, reading a few things before seeing him. If it weren't for the fact that Hermione loved learning so much he would have thought it was the worst thing in the world. However her – their parents seemed extremely happy for her.

He took notice of a few family paintings, found more than five bathrooms, a library, an office, and decided he would explore more later and went to find the kitchen.

Abagail was sitting, sipping her morning tea, while her husband sipped coffee. The older woman smiled when she saw Harry's messy hair.

"Good morning, darling. Thimi has already made breakfast, it's still warm."

Harry smiled back at her and went to grab his plate. It was unusual for him, but it was a nice different.

"Hermione is with her master," she said, sipping her tea.

A grimace graced the young adult's face.

"How…" he licked his lips self-consciously, "How are you okay with Hermione apprenticing Snape, and calling him master?" he asked.

Abagail scrunched up her face whereas Leeroy just pursed his lips.

"An apprenticeship is an honor in the wizarding world. They're hard to come by and are usually only given to purebloods. And even then, only those with an actual talent in those fields. Every professor at Hogwarts was an apprentice, it's how they became a master."

He nodded understanding the logic, "But how are you okay with Snape being her master. Or even her just calling him that?"

Abagail sighed, "I'm not quite comfortable with her calling him master, but I am proud of her. I respect their new relationship. Professor Snape has always been strict, but Hermione loves that. He challenges her in ways that the other professors don't. He makes her work harder. Hermione has always been bright, but because of that a lot of her teachers in the past, and I guess a few at Hogwarts too, stopped challenging her. They just accept that she knows the material they've given and leave her be."

Harry frowned thinking about her words.

He had never thought of it like that. His sister loved to learn, and she was most definitely brilliant, but after showing the professors that she knew the material they left her alone. They asked her to demonstrate occasionally, and then she'd sit in class and read, if she wasn't trying to help him or Ron. It was completely different with Snape. He was a git to all Gryffindors, and a few of them got angry for Hermione when he didn't accept that she was just brilliant.

Thinking about it, Hermione never got mad about it, but her eyes would turn darker and her jaw would set in a specific way. When Hermione was angry, she knew how to express herself, so it wasn't as though she was hiding her anger. She always respected him, even out of the classroom. Snape never said anything other than 'acceptable' when it came to perfect potions. From Hermione's perspective he guessed it would just make her want to work harder.

"Don't think too hard about it, Harry. I get a good feeling about Professor Snape when it comes to our spitfire," Leeroy said.

"He's actually the only guy he's had a good feeling about concerning Hermione since she was born," Abagail threw in.

Wide green eyes looked at Leeroy.

"I have a warm feeling concerning you, son. Almost the same as Hermione. That was never an issue. Your redheaded friend however…" he took a drink from his cup, "Just remember she's daddy's favorite hellion, so while I learn to love you, I'll always love her just a little bit more. The more I get to learn about you son, the more I'll be able to love you for you. Not what Hermione says, not what your mum over there says, but on your own merits. I'll never hate you, I may occasionally be disappointed in you, but I will eventually love you as my own blood son."

Harry teared up a bit overcome with emotion, never expecting the man that helped Hermione exist, to love him; and rubbed his eyes, "Morning sand," he mumbled as he gathered himself, "So what about her calling him master? I think it's just weird…" the young wizard said, bringing the topic back to hand, while also avoiding emotional territory.

"It rubs me the wrong way, but that's the title that comes with the apprenticeship," Abagail said.

"I think it's fitting. If it were any other man there would be an issue, but Professor Snape… there's just something about him," Leeroy said, staring into his coffee like it would give him the answer.

"Their ceremony was beautiful though. It was almost like witnessing a marriage. She was so happy she was glowing," the Duchess sighed dreamily.

Leeroy's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of his daughter getting married. Who would be worthy enough for his daughter's hand? Any boy her age wouldn't be half as worthy. Any older lady killer wouldn't make it to their front step. Any girl she wanted would have to be smart to keep up with her. Actually anybody she brought home would at least have to be able to have a conversation with her where she wouldn't have to dumb herself down. As much as he detested the idea of Hermione marrying someone who wasn't worthy of her, he also didn't want her to be unhappy. Being a spinster wasn't something he wanted for his little warrior. He may fight off many of her suitors, but only those willing to fight back would have a chance.

Disliking the way his thoughts were turning, he took another sip of his coffee savoring the drink.

'Bad for my teeth, but oh so worth it.'

"The best way to get juice from a sopophorous bean, or any bean, isn't to cut it like the books say. And when you cut it, you lose more juice. So for every two beans, you only need one."

Hermione watched as her master crushed a bean with the flat side of his knife. The dark wizard had decided that demonstrating ingredient preparations instead of just explaining it to her would work better. The crunch sound demonstrated all by itself how thick and hard the bean's shell was despite being so small.

"Most people struggle with cutting beans because of how small and hard the shells are. So most people waste time trying to grip the small bean that just slides from under the knife like a piece of ice."

"What about with a leech or a slug? When we juice it from the tail to the front we also get some of the mucus that covers its body in the potion. Wouldn't it keep the juice from being contaminated? Or would it be better to wash them first, as a way to prep them?"

Severus looked up at his apprentice who was staring keenly at what he was doing.

"I admit that I haven't tried it in practice, but it has crossed my mind. With the assumption that the mucus is too slippery for a knife, or any surface to properly squish it, it hasn't been done. But with having people cut up beans that prove to have the same problem, it's something to look into… After you pass your NEWTS we can test that theory together. It can be something that you discover that will help you obtain your mastery."

The witch beamed, pleased with the future project. Normally she would have been frustrated but since Master Severus was having her take her potions OWL and NEWT before the rest of her classmates so she would have time to dedicate to her mastery while in the castle and make use of the library.

"After I put the sopophorus bean juice in a vial, you can get started on your calming draught. If that is satisfactory then you will make a strengthening solution."

"What about the draught of peace?"

Severus scoffed, "If it was up to me that would be something you teach to Fourth Years. But since most of your classmates are bumbling buffoons they wouldn't be able to handle the process without being in the proper frame of mind that it might be important for them to learn that year."

"But what if it's the one I have to make for my OWL?" she asked.

"Hermione, from a professional standpoint they hardly ever have a student make that potion for their OWL since it's too easy. Besides they will give you the recipe and ingredients, so it won't be as though you're going in blind. It won't be until NEWTS that they'll try to add or remove an ingredient from the recipe to see if you actually know the recipe. But you should already know I don't accept anything lower than an Outstanding on a potions OWL to even set foot into my classroom for Sixth and Seventh years."

The curly haired witch paled at the prospect of getting anything less than an O on her OWLs.

"Master Snape, I'm not prepared!"

"Hush, girl! If I felt you were not prepared I wouldn't have offered you the apprenticeship to begin with!"

Hermione flinched as though she were slapped. He snapped at her as he would have Harry or Ron. His tone was harsh, but his words weren't and she nodded.

He sighed, "Now grab a cauldron and begin. I will give you two hours. You only get the extra hour because you are unused to my potion stores."

"Thank you, sir," she replied with a small pleased smile.

Normally she would have cried at being yelled at. However despite his tone, his words were an enormous compliment. Something she had craved for years from the acerbic man. He had faith in her, and she would live up to it. She wouldn't let him down.

Once she had finished and decanted her potion into a vial, Severus had put a stasis charm over her caldron.

"Should your potion be up to par, I will bring the rest to the Hospital Wing. It has a two year shelf life. OWL and NEWT students tend to need them closer to the test dates. There are always a few that burn themselves out. You will not be one of them, I will see to it."

Handing over her vial she looked at her master in the eye before saying, "Thank you. I hope I don't disappoint you."

He nodded in response before looking at her vial carefully. As it was the right color, which he expected no less, he decided to grade it in front of her. Holding it up he looked at it to see its opacity, then swirled it to test its consistency. Finding those satisfactory he opened it and gently wafted the fumes to his nose.

"Acceptable."

The witch nodded solemnly hoping to have received something better than acceptable. Still her eyes glinted and her jaw set she looked hard at her potion.

'I will do better. I'm apprenticing to be better than acceptable, I will earn that satisfactory.'

"It will pass for your OWL. We will use it for the Hospital Wing so we don't waste ingredients. It's acceptable where it won't poison or cause any harm to your fellow students."

"What did I do that wasn't satisfactory, master?" she asked quietly.

Severus looked at her in the corner of his eye. He saw the same face she made while she was in class, but this time she had the benefit of being alone to ask him how she could improve.

"The lavender sprigs," he said simply.

"I ground them up in the mortar until they were a fine dust like the recipe said," her eyebrows furrowed.

"And like the beans, the ingredient could have been improved differently. With an extra lavender sprig, you could have taken the lavender off the sprigs, and just ground up the lavender."

Hermione scrunched up her face, "It's so simple. But what about the rest of the sprig? Wouldn't that also affect the potion?"

Severus nodded in approval. "It's used for consistency, but with a few counter-clockwise turns every third turn, the consistency is the same with a better potency."

Hermione smiled at her first real private lesson with her master. She actually learned a few things that she hadn't found in her personal studies. It filled her with a sense of accomplishment to learn something that wasn't in a book. It was the same with her wards, but having a master to guide her was better.

"You will take this one with you and drink it promptly at seven tomorrow morning. We shall meet at 9 at your home in London. Inform your elf so you won't. Be. Late."

The curly haired witch felt her heart flutter at his annunciation, dragging out some of the words longer than necessary.

"Of course, master."

"Now I will either bring you to my living room where you can call your elf, or I can bring you back to your home in London."

"Before I leave, would you mind… do you have a potion that could cause terrifying hallucinations? But a dosage where it won't cause the drinker to go insane?"

The dark wizard stared at her with mild shock, his eyes widening a fraction before he composed himself.

"For what purpose? And for whom?" he asked delicately.

With such a question it gave him more of a glimpse to his apprentice's darkness. Even knowing she kept that foul pest in a jar in her home, he wasn't sure how dark she was willing to go. Being with him, it would be better for her to have a sense of morals, but also to know when to bend them or ignore them entirely. She knew she was going to war, she knew she would be Potter's bodyguard. So with her intelligence she should also know what that would entail.

It wasn't something that was to be taken lightly, mostly because some of the actions that needed to be taken weren't always light. They were gray, bordering more on dark. At some point he was afraid she would have to touch the darkness to protect the light.

She blushed and averted her eyes from her master, not really wanting her to see the darker side of her personality, but also wanting to go through with her plan.

"I want to dose Rita with it, by putting it on the twig I gave her to stand on. The other night I had blue bell flames lit under her jar. I've had Elara, my owl, and Crookshanks watch over her. I can tell they scare her and make it hard for her to sleep. When I go back this term, I want her to know that it won't do well for her to cross me and mine. When she looks at me I want her to have flashbacks of how horrible it was to be in my… care. I want her to think twice before ever writing anything about me and mine again."

Severus felt his abdomen flutter at her words. His apprentice was so vindictive that he couldn't help but be attracted to her. She had the perfect mask for the world to see, but inside she was fiercer than he thought possible. And that was with knowing she was a secret brawler and after training with him physically.

"I believe I do have something, you would be able to give your guest," he replied, walking over to a cabinet above the lab sink.

He opened it to show rows of potion vials, and plucked one from among them. Turning around and walking towards her with a darker look in his eyes, he handed her a light transparent fuchsia colored potion. The look in his eyes caused a dampness in her knickers. She took the vial from him with a flushed face.

"Formido Dormabilis. It's a poison, but not illegal. It's a mastery level potion, simple to make, but the ingredients must be exact and precisely timed. Much like the wolfsbane potion. A minute too early could cause nauseas gas that will knock the brewer and any other person to inhale it unconscious, while giving them horrible hallucinatory dreams that affect them asleep and awake. The gas only lasts for five minutes, the effects at least a week. A drop of this can cause a day's nightmare. A vial a month or three, depending on the victim's defense against such poisons. Take care while using it. A drop should last three days for that trash journalist."

Her eyes glimmered brightly, "Thank you, master."

"The pleasure is all mine, Hermione. Now then. Your place or mine?" he asked.

The witch flushed more at the innocent innuendo, her breathing becoming slightly labored.

"Yours," she whispered.

Severus felt his member twitch, quickly becoming somewhat hard.

'Fucking chub,' he internally growled to himself.

"Shall we then?" he asked instead, keeping his face clear.

The young witch nodded and turned around to go up the stairs. The potions master followed two steps away, unknowingly putting himself at level height with her butt. She was far away enough for it to be polite, but close enough for him to still smell her. He couldn't hold back the dark blush that bloomed across his face. Thankfully she walked through the portal allowing him a moment to collect himself.

'Merlin, help me,' he whispered in his mind.

With that he stepped through with his neutral face and nodded at his apprentice.

"Thimi."

The elf popped in and knelt quickly before standing up.

"You called, Mistress?"

"Yes. My lesson is over until tomorrow. I have to take this potion tomorrow at seven in the morning sharp. We have to stop by the house in London first though so I may give our guest a drop of this in her jar," she said, holding the potions in different hands before putting them back in her cloak.

"Yes, Mistress," Thimi said before grabbing her hand and popping out.

"Merlin! She's going to be the death of me!" he said as soon as they left.

He went to his fireplace to floo call the only witch he could talk to about these things: Hooch.

After the bright grey haired witch sprawled across his couch, putting her leg up around the back, she leaned her head backwards looked at him with her hands behind her head.

"You called me over with such a groan I had to wonder if you were having an orgasm," she said bluntly.

Severus covered his face with his hands. He needed more friends he could talk to.

"No," he dragged his hands down his face, "I've made the decision to take an apprentice –"

There was a loud squeal from his couch, the witch there couldn't keep her eyes from shimmering with happiness. Her hands were in balled up under her chin.

"It's about time! With your brains it was almost a waste to keep them locked up! I know you keep your trade secrets from you students and teach them the standard ways, but none of them know how fucking brilliant you are! Who's the lucky worm?"

The wizard's face twisted in a semblance of a pout as he crossed his arms over his chest and avoided her eyes, "Granger. Hermione Granger is my apprentice."

The golden-eyed witch gasped, "Did Albus make you –?"

"No. No one made me. This was my decision. I am happy with it, and I haven't told Minerva yet. I wanted to tell you both at the same time, especially since you'll be seeing more of her. But you know those instances I was having this last year…?"

"With how fit you find her?"

"… yes," he mumbled.

Hooch grinned wildly, "So?"

He sent a small glare to the witch, "So I had her here to start her lessons. The lesson went well. Her potion came out textbook perfect. But then I accidentally made an innuendo –"

"Wait! What innuendo?"

"Well I was trying to see how she wanted to get home. So I was asking her if she wanted me to apparate her home or have an elf take her from here."

"That's not an innuendo, Severus. What were the exact words?"

A light blush found its way to his cheeks, "I said: 'The pleasure is all mine. Now, then. Your place or mine?'"

A loud whistled came from the couch, the witch reassembling herself, putting her hands back behind her head.

"That's suave. So what'd she say."

"Well that's the thing! She obviously recognized the innuendo and it obviously made her a little hot because she was decently breathless and said 'Yours'."

"Wait wait wait! It made her breathless? Sev! You made her hot!?"

His blush got darker and he glared at the floor, his face turning petulant.

"I suppose so."

"Then what happened?'

"Then I got chub and I ignored it like a gentleman," he sniffed, "And walked her up the stairs."

Hooch made a face.

"But I obviously wasn't thinking much since I only left two steps between us. Normally that's fine. But I forget how tall I am, and my face was basically level with her arse."

The grin made its way back onto the witch's face.

"And?"

"And she was most definitely 'hot'… I smelled it. I smelled her. Merlin help me, Hooch!"

"Well now this is interesting, but it's not weird."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well obviously masters taking on apprentices is a big deal. But most of them wait until they're old or married or bonded first or whatever."

"What? Why?" he asked, "Minerva's master wasn't bonded until after she gained her mastery."

He was taken as an apprentice, but his master was a wizard. Minvera's master was a wizard, but he acknowledged that he was about 50 years older than her, and bonded.

"Yeah, but he was also betrothed and courting his witch at the same time."

Severus gave her a look that told her to stop being deliberately stupid.

Hooch's wild smile turned into a genuine one.

"Sev. A master usually forms a special bond with their apprentice. Everyone knows that."

He nodded, knowing that much.

"Usually the first apprentice is the same gender, or opposite if they chase for the same team. If not… they usually end up bonded. The relationship is so special, on a whole different level that it almost always happens. That's also why they're so rare. That's also why they're usually with purebloods."

The wizard's eyes widened, "Because most of them are betrothed."

"Bingo!"

He put his face back in his hands, "Sweet Merlin, what have I done?"

Hooch smiled sympathetically, especially since she was never in an apprenticeship herself.

"Well tall, dark, and handsome, you've put yourself on a one way track to deserved happiness."

"… but what about Lily?"

The witch frowned, "Lily married Potter, and she would have wanted for you to be happy too. I know you loved her… she knew you loved her… even Potter knew you loved her. But after their spawn was hatched, you made up, and she was happy to have you back in her life. She was happy wasn't she?" Hooch asked gently.

Severus nodded, "She was so happy that if it wasn't for Potter, she said that I would have been made Godfather… But I just feel like it would be betraying her…"

"How?"

"I don't know. I just feel like..." he stopped to gather his thoughts properly, and his friend waited patiently knowing this was important. Especially if she wanted him happy, they had to have this talk. It would have been better if Minerva was there, but he was also… self-conscious talking about Lily, and apparently any witch he fancied, in front of her.

"I feel like I'm betraying her by not having her there. She wanted to meet any girl that I brought home, so to speak, so she could meet them and see if they were up to snuff. It was something that I… that I was honestly looking forward to. It feels wrong to not have her there, even after all these years. I have you and Minerva, but…"

"But we're not Lily. It's alright to say it, Sev. She was your best friend. Sure you had the outs, but in the end she was your best friend. We're your friends, extremely good friends, but we're not Lily. I'm sure Minnie comes a close second, but she's still too prim to be the loose fun loving Lily we knew."

Severus nodded.

"… how would I ever be able to go ahead with it, if it were to happen? I'd want Lily to be there to meet her… to show her who might make me happy like Potter did for her."

A curved smile twisted on Hooch's face, "Tell you what. We're not Lily, but I know a small séance where she can talk to us. It only lasts for a few minutes, mostly because if they're already reincarnated it could hurt who she is now. Would that help?"

Severus looked up and stared at Hooch in a way that he never had before. His eyes, they were lighter, they had… hope.

"I would love that," he said choked up.

"Anything to see you happy, Sev."

He gave her a small shaky smile.

"NOW THEN! I think we should go and tell Minnie about this apprentice business!"

Severus grinned, appreciating Hooch's change of direction. She wasn't for tears any more than he was.

"Not just yet. I have yet to get her the official badge from the Ministry."

It was Hooch's turn to screw her face up with distaste.

"But you did the ceremony?"

"Yes."

"Then why!?"

"Because I'm also having her take her potions OWL. We're going to get the official badge after that. Then I'll go back and badger Marchbanks for her score."

He was greeted with a loud cackle from his couch.

"What!?"

"She always did have a sweet spot for you. You'll walk out there with your apprentice and her OWL in hand."

Severus turned his head away from the witch, but smiled. He knew it was a good idea to floo Hooch.