Chapter Twelve: A Potion To Remember

Iris rubbed the exhaust from her eyes; it was New Year's Eve, and she was in the potions classroom working on a potion for Mr. Weasley. Her hair was thrown back into a greasy ponytail. She loved potions, but at the same time, working with them did nothing good for her hair—it would be either frizzy or greasy. She sighed as she dumped out yet another failed batch.

She only had some of Mr. Weasley's blood to work with. What she really needed was pure venom, that would make finding a cure much easier. She sighed, this would be the last attempt of the night.

Her thoughts drifted back to her parents as she worked on a new potion. This time of year they would be celebrating the ball drop in Time Square. Last year they got to see Salt-N-Pepa. New York was filled to the brim with people, confetti, and lots of alcohol. It was a fun filled night spent bringing in the new year with the people she loved the most in the world.

Iris was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear the classroom door open, nor did she realize she added too much Locust bean. The cauldron bubbled over and crack! It exploded, Iris only had time to cover her face before the force of it had knocked her back.

She collided with something soft before they were both on the floor. She could feel the potion dripping from her face and clothes sticking to her. Well that was a failure. It's what she gets for being distracted. She took off her goggles, not her first failed potion, and finally saw that she was under a black clothed body.

Her eyes met the cool black of Snape. "Sorry, thanks for the catch." She peeled herself off of him and held out her hand, "Accio wand." It came flying into her hand. "Tergeo." She cleaned them both off and turned to what was left of the cauldron, "evancesco."

She turned her attention back to the stoic potions professor and cocked her head to the side, "what are you doing down here?"

"Making sure you don't blow my classroom to bits, guess I'm too late for that." He replied smoothly.

She rolled her eyes, "Ha ha so funny." She sighed, "I'm done for the night, anyway. I don't know how much more I can do. If I had a pure sample of the venom, I think I could devise an anti-venom." She stifled a yawn, "doesn't matter, I can't very well walk into the evil lord's lair and get some."

She made to move past Snape, when his hand was suddenly in hers turning her to him. "I can." He said.

She snatched her hand back, ignoring the warmth it spread up her arm. "You can…what?" What were they talking about again?

His hand disappeared into this cape-like robes. "I can acquire a sample of venom."

Her eyebrow quirked down in confusion, "how can you…" a little light bulb went off in her head. How could she forget Snape was a Death Eater. He never acted like one around her. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, "oh yeah…"

"Why is this so important to you?" He asked.

"This isn't the first time good old Voldemort…" Iris didn't miss the twitch Snape tried to hide at his master's name. "…used his little pet to attack someone. I'm betting it won't be the last either. I would rather be prepared for an attack like that. If his evil lordship wanted I'm sure Mr. Weasley would be dead, not just hospitalized. An anti venom could save lives. I don't know about you but I don't wanna die by a giant ass snake. I rather go out in a duel, like a bad-ass ya know."

He gave a stiff nod and said no more. Why did he offer, could he really do it? Did he always jump at Voldemort's name? Maybe she should refrain from using it around him, though the twitching was kind of funny. .

"Thank you," did she call him Snape or Severus. Neither, "I appreciate it." She was out the door before she could create any more awkwardness between them.

The holiday was passing by so fast, another three days had passed when Snape brought her the venom. She held up a vial of yellow-reddish liquid, her eyes big in amazement. What the hell did he have to do to get this? She'll probably never know. Her eyes shifted to him, she didn't want to know. Whatever it was Voldemort must have trusted Snape explicitly. How had he earned that trust? Dumbledore also trusted him, how did he earn that? Her head spun with confusion.

Iris cleared her throat, trying to clear the awkward silence. "This is rad, thanks. Mind if I start now?"

"Mind if I join you?"

Join? He wanted to help her? "Uh- n-no…of course now." Why was he making her feel so awkward? Was it just in her head? Had to be. She smiled, "honestly could probably use a master potion maker. Wouldn't wanna blow up your precious classroom. Then again," she said stifling a giggle, "I bet the students would love me for that. I can even tell them you lost your hair in the explosion and are wearing a wig."

He gave her a look that screamed, 'try it and see what happens.'

She put her hands up in surrender, "I'm only fooling. Like anyone would believe that gorgeous hair of yours is a wig."

Iris turned to her ingredients and potion utensils. It was time to get serious. She had the venom, she had a potion encyclopedia helping her, and a vague idea of where to start. "I think I was getting somewhere with the Locust Bean…"

"You need to crush them, the juice would be more potent than the bean."

"That…actually makes much more sense. I've also been thinking of Flobberworm mucus. I think that the venom acts as a blood thinner. When I tested Mr. Weasleys blood against my own, his platelets were significantly lower. That could be a contributing factor as to why the wounds continue to bleed."

"You could mix Octopus powder as well to strengthen it."

"I feel like we're missing a binder. Or something…this might sound crazy…I was thinking of Bloodroot."

"That's poisonous."

"Yes, but it can be used to kill animal cells, perhaps that could negate the snake venom."

Snape said nothing but looked thoughtful, "perhaps…it would be quite the risk."

"The higher the risk, the higher the reward." She pointed out.

"What is the use of reward if you are dead," He replied quickly back.

She shrugged, "killjoy. Fine, we won't fight poison with poison."

"I didn't say no."

"Well let's get to work." She said excitedly

Next to Snape, Iris felt like a child. Her knowledge on potions and ingredients were pathetic compared to his. She spent the most time trying to perfect their potion, while Snape came and went, leaving her head dizzy with information. It had been five days and she had failed too many times. She threw the lastest failure against the blackboard; it shattered in a puff of purple smoke while she let out a long string of obscenities.

Iris put her head on her work station, it was hopeless. She was hopeless, and useless. Term was about to start and she had accomplished nothing.

"I do hope your childish antics are at an end," a smooth silky voice broke the quiet of her wallowing.

She looked up to the amused expression of the dark potions master. She pouted, "no they are not. This one was close. The stupid rat was cured but then dropped dead." She let out a sigh, "I was sure the Bloodroot was the answer."

Snape looked through her scattered notes. He had been so busy with his Order and Death Eater work that he hadn't much time to assist her. The few hours he found to come down, he gave information then insight. After a few minutes he found that she was close, closer than she realized. Just A few tweaks were needed to utilize the ingredients to their maximum potential.

"The flobberworm mucus should be fresh-"

"-when you say fresh, you don't mean like…"

"Yes, harvest from a live flobberworm."

Iris gagged, "fantastic."

"I see you've only used either the juice or fresh bloodroot."

"Yes."

The juice is the most potent, so it would be wiser to use dried bloodroot."

Iris opened her mouth then closed it, damn she hadn't thought of that. "Well Professor, anything else?

"Your brewing time should take longer."

"I hate you." She deadpanned. With a dramatic sigh she got up and started getting the supplies.

Together she and Snape got to work on the potion with his recommendations. Everything was going smoothly, until it was time to add the flobberworm mucus. Snape held a live ten-inch toothless fat brown worm between his fingers, he was demonstrating the correct way to excrete fresh mucus straight into the potion. He handed her a worm, she held it lightly between her fingers, a queasy feeling settling in her stomach. "Ummm…"

"Just squeeze and pull." He said mildly irritated.

Iris closed her eyes and tried doing it fast, the flobberworm slipped from her fingers. She popped her eyes open just in time to feel it land in her hair. She let out a scream and started running around. "Ew, ew…get it off…get it off…ewww…Severus get it…get it..get it off me!! Severussss…arrrgh.."

Iris ran right into Snapes chest. She felt his arm wrap around her, keeping her still, as the other calmly picked the flobberworm from her hair. Her breaths came in quick short sessions. "There it's gone." Snape said calmly.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. She felt him go rigid under her touch but she didn't let go, trying to calm her breathing down. As her breathing started to calm, Snape relaxed under her grip. "What happened?" He asked softly.

Iris lifted her head up to look at those obsidian orbs. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "It's stupid."

"Tell me," his deep voice purred.

She found his order hard to resist. "It's a tradition at my school for the seventh years to haze slash torture first years the first week of term. If you're a legacy or have an older sibling then you were pretty much safe." She took a small breath and continued. "It was the last day of hazing, I stupidly thought I was safe. I was getting ready for bed when they came, three seniors, wearing black cloaks and bird- like masks. They dragged me out to the forest, where they had dug a hole. Inside was a coffin, crawling with worms, magical and non. They threw me in and closed the lid. I screamed for hours and hours, until my throat was so raw and weak all I could do was cough up blood. It wasn't until late morning when I was rescued by some fifth years' I think."

She stepped away, the loss of contact leaving her cold and wrapped her arms around herself. "Told you it was stupid. Ever since then live worms, of any kind, just freak me out. Dead ones I can manage, but alive…" she shuddered, "I'm in a hole in the ground, with worms slithering over me and some even bit."

Severus didn't know what to say, comforting people wasn't exactly in his repertoire. She looked so much younger, her weepy eyes pulling him in as she recalled a horrible memory. He felt the need to gather her in his arms again, to feel the warmth that escaped him when she stepped away. He suddenly saw her small 11 year old frame banging on the box screaming and crying for help that would never come. One question did burn in his mind.

"Did you follow tradition?"

Her deep eyes flicked to him, coming alive with fire, "No," she replied forcefully. She scoffed, "In fact my classmates hated me. I stalked the halls the first week making sure no one got to any of the first years. Lotta late night fights that ended up with bullying morons in the hospital wing." She shook her head, "I don't understand why the strong pick on the weak. It's disgusting."

Of course she bloody protected the first years. It was such a Gryffindor thing for her to do. For some reason he didn't seem to mind much. This little witch certainly seemed to have been through hard times, so how was it she could keep smiling and acting like not a thing was wrong. What other secrets lay inside her head?

He approached their potion, "I'll put the mucus in."

Her red painted lips curved slightly in a small smile, "thanks."

He made no comment and squeezed the fresh mucus in, the potion turned green, he stirred counterclockwise until it was a pale blue. "It's time for the bloodroot."

She appeared at his side with the dried crushed flower. "On it."

The top of her ruby colored head just reached his shoulders. Her sweet and heady scent washed over him. He found himself breathing in slightly deeper to savor it. Merlin's beard, what was wrong with him? It's just because she reminds you of Lily. He thought. Though Lily never smelled like that. Or painted her lips red. Or cursed so much. Or was bullied. Everyone loved Lily, who had seen the best in everyone. Iris was loud, rude, and didn't believe the good in people. He has seen enough of her memories to know she was a bit of a loner like him.

The potion changed colors once more turning pink. Severus lowered the temperature of the fire. "It would be best to brew on low for a long while.

"I'll clean up the classroom," she said.

Severus watched Morgan from the corner of his eyes, as he pretended to check their notes. She casted her cleaning charms, and went about putting the odds and ends away. When it came to the worms her face turned a delicate shade of green as she floated it back to the crate he kept them in. Once the classroom was all cleaned up all that was left to do was let the potion sit. She sat down on the empty workbench next to the one that held their potion, her head resting on her arms. She really was clever, with potions and ingredients. No one could match his own wit of course but she came close.

He could see her breathing start to slow and even out. The dark circles under her eyes had been evident when he arrived. Her time was spent down here in the coldest of the dungeons as she valiantly searched for a cure for the Weasley patriarch. As far as he knew she had only met the man once and already she had spent her holiday trying to help him. Her words did resonate with him, it would be very wise for the Dark Lord to use Nagini as a weapon. Unfortunately he was already on that particular task. In order to obtain the venom, he had convinced his master that he wanted to weaponize her venom into a poison. One that would slowly torture the victim, driving them into a madness so intense they would kill themselves to end the suffering. He argued that that type of poisoning could be beneficial when he wanted the death to be non suspicious. The Dark Lord graciously let him experiment. Making a comment about how Severus enjoyed potions more than people.

Severus did not understand this witch. Why would she come all this way just to stick her nose into a war she didn't belong in. So she was born here and could have lived here and went to Hogwarts when the time came. She got out and seemed to have been adopted by loving parents, if the talk he overheard on Christmas was anything to believe. She could be free from all this trouble. He remembered back to their first meeting. She said the Dark Lord murdered her real family and that's why she wanted to come back. If Severus had been adopted by loving parents he wouldn't care less what happened to his real ones. Why was it so important to her?

He gritted his teeth; he needed to leave to get away from this foreigner. Why the bloody hell did he care what she did or thought? It was maddening. He already knew that she wasn't Lily, yes the resemblance was there, but no one would come close to his flower. Her striking green almond eyes, upturned freckled nose, and thick shoulder-length auburn hair was quite different than this round-eyed, button-nosed, ruby-headed witch. The only thing they had in common were the bright green of their eyes. This girl was hot then cold, serious then childish. She held secrets and kept her emotions in check, while Lily wore her heart on her sleeve and could cry for even the ugliest of creatures, finding pity for fiendish mortals such as himself. This one had a heart of stone.

Her eyes opened, and they seemed to stare straight into his soul. "How long have you been watching me sleep, you fucking pervert?"

There it was, anything Severus had thought he felt died. "I was curious how much drool would pool around that insufferable gob, before you drowned." He replied smoothly.

Morgan sat up and wiped her hand across her mouth before looking down. She sent him a death glare, "God, you're such a basket of kittens; it's a wonder some lucky witch hasn't snatched you off the market." Her sarcastic tone was not lost on him. With a roll of her eyes, she returned her head to its resting position, "You can watch me drool, perv, until the potion is done."

His mouth pressed into a thin line. His thoughts earlier were chalked up to the stress of being a double agent once again. He felt nothing for this guileless witch. She was a cumbersome yank who would high tail it out of here when the real war began. An arrogant little girl who knew nothing of real world problems. Who thought playing hero was fun and easy.

Severus checked the potion after three hours had passed. It had turned into a deep red color. He put the fire out.

"Tss almost done?" The groggy voice of Morgan , the would-be hero witch spoke. She had lifted her head up and was looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"It needs to cool before we can test."

She got up to stretch and yawn. Severus watched her from the corner of his eye. She wore muggle clothing - a short, tight green plaid dress with a black shirt underneath. It fell mid-thigh and rose dangerously high as her arms stretched above. Her ankle-length black boots held many buckles. She took a black leather jacket off the chair; he recognized the muggle British flag on the back. He had seen muggle clothing before, but she wore the strangest things. Everything was dark, ripped, plaid, or held together by metal fasteners. He saw her wave her wand, casting a warming charm onto herself. He had vaguely wondered why she was never bundled up like many others found the dungeons to be cold.

She walked over to him and opened her mouth to speak, but her stomach interrupted growling in hunger. "Whoops, guess I forgot to eat." She looked around, "what time is it anyway?"

"10pm." He replied.

"Aw," she pouted, "I missed dinner, why didn't you wake me?"

"It is not my job to nanny after you."

"Hmph," she grumbled, "whatever, it's weird eating alone in the Great Hall anyway." Her stomach growled once more. "Guess I'll starve; and when I die of starvation, I'll be sure to haunt you every day."

She made "ghostly" noises and hovered around him. "If you stop that ridiculous adolescent behavior…" he squeezed the bridge of his nose between his fingers, sighing, "I will go to the kitchens and get substance."

She stopped at once, "see that wasn't so hard was it." Her cheeky smile annoying him further.

Severus sent her an unamused expression and walked out to the kitchens.

Iris waited patiently for Snapes return. Boy he was easily annoyed and it amused her endlessly. She had always enjoying pushing people to their limits, one of the many reasons she got in trouble at school. Snape was no different, he never took her words without firing his own back. She found his range of emotion's fascinating. Somber, quiet, angry, annoyed, gentle and soft. That man was a brooding mystery.

She thought back to the summer when they first met, she had expected a stone cold killer, sneers and jeers. Never did she think he had a softer side. She looked down at her scarred hand, he had helped her without question. She was sure his half dead zombie look from the beginning of vacation was due to her long slumber. He had been worried, plus he had been putting up with her antics these last weeks. They hadn't insulted each other it was more like light teasing. It was weird. Maybe he would return to normal when the pressure of teaching children returned as well.

Snape came back shortly, she thought empty handed but behind him was floating a mini feast of lamb chops, chicken legs, mashed potatoes, peas, carrots, gravy, custard tart, chocolate eclairs, egg nog, pumpkin juice, and hot chocolate.

Iris whistled impressed, "wooow, Professor I should have been sending you out sooner for food."

His face remained blank, voice void of emotion. "The house elves tend to get overzealous at even the smallest request."

"Don't lie," she teased him, "you just wanted to make sure I wouldn't haunt you for the rest of your days."

Snape set the food down on two workbenches that were pulled together. As the food floated down they sat across each other. Iris was suddenly aware that she was about to eat an intimate dinner with Severus Snape. She sat up pencil straight, years of proper training coming back. What would they talk about, would they talk. She much preferred their banter. Slowly she put food on her plate. Her eyes peeked over to him. His face was looking down at his plate, hair obscuring it.

Iris was struggling to break the silence, unsure of what to say when Snapes' quiet voice spoke first.

"What family did you belong to?"

"What?"

He looked up from his plate, hair falling back. "You said the Dark Lord killed your family, who were they?"

"Why do you care?"

She saw this mouth go thin, something he does when he's upset. He kept his voice even, "I was just trying to figure out why a reckless yank such as yourself would come back to avenge a family you never knew."

The man never could ask anything without insult first. She did not owe him any explanation, though she had told Dumbledore. She knew it seemed stupid, she had a nice life back home. But there was always this piece missing, a hole that couldn't quite be filled. If her family hadn't been killed, she would have grown up here, Snape would have been her teacher, Hogwarts would have been her home.

"If the Emperor of All Evil hadn't slaughtered my entire family, I would have been born a McKinnon." A look of recognition crossed Snapes face. "Did you know them?"

"Marlene McKinnon was in my year, a Ravenclaw."

"My mother was Mary McKinnon, her older sister. According to old copies of the Prophet, in 1981 all the Mckinnons had gathered to celebrate the wedding of my uncle Matthew McKinnon. Before it could even happen, they were murdered, wiped out personally by that bastard. He didn't even spare the children, just killed an entire bloodline. I was 10 years old and safe in America. My mother gave me away to keep me safe. I owe it to her, to an older brother, and father I will never know to help kill the wizard responsible."

"You could die, making her sacrifice in vain."

Despite herself, Iris smiled. Most people would offer their condolences. "Yeah I could die. But I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try. What about you, what was your family like?"

His jaw clenched, "what do you care?"

"Turnabout is fair play, you dig into my past I will dig into yours."

"My mother was a witch, my father a muggle."

She pouted, "Aw that's all I get?"

"What else is there to know?"

"I have this theory, that you came from a broken home and turned to those who would accept you, unfortunately their ideals weren't who you really were. Which is why you find yourself now playing both sides of the field."

His eyes narrowed to slits, "you know nothing about me." He hissed angrily.

"I know plenty. You're rude, arrogant, kinda mean, kids are terrified of you. You're also highly intelligent, very powerful, you keep everyone at arm's length with your snarky impossible to deal with attitude. You hide your pain and feelings so deep that you probably can't even find them at times. Something obviously significant happened to you to switch sides." She ran her fingers over her scar, her voice softening, "you also have the capacity to be kind, caring, and thoughtful. To help a stubborn witch who would rather bleed to death than admit she needed help."

She met his eyes. His face was stone, how could he make his face so unreadable. But those dark pools swirled with emotions that she couldn't read. What was he thinking?

"The potion should be done shall we test it."

She nodded. The talk of their past was over. She had unsettled him. But now she was curious about the brooding wizard. He was all those things she said, it was easy to recognize the traits they shared. What she never would have guess was how gentle and kind he could be. He never showed it though, he just wore this mask committed to playing the villain that Harry and his friends believed him to be. Though his bad attitude did give them reasonable cause to hate him.

Iris put the enigma of Severus Snape in the back of her mind as they tested the potion they had created together. She held her breath to the point of almost passing out afraid it would not work. Finally it hadZ the wounds stopped bleeding and after a second dose they started to close.

"Do you think you can get this to Mr. Weasley then?" She asked Snape as he began to fill up vials.

"Yes, I have a plan."

Iris filled up her own vials, having her own stock would probably come in handy in the future. The clock was reaching midnight. "Well then it was a pleasure working with you, Professor. Catch you on the flip side." She walked back in the quiet castle the day playing on repeat in her head.

Okay so this chapter kinda got away from me a bit lol, I just couldn't stop. Slowly i feel like they are starting to under stand each other a bit. Iris is her own person very different from the lost love Severus can't let go off I want their relationship to show that.

Thank you all for the follows it honestly gives me motivation to keep writing. I have future chapters written even ones for the next story but missing a lot of the middle it's hard getting there but you guys keep me going :) :) :)