*knock knock*

'Enter.'

No matter how many times she had heard it, the smooth- yet prickly- voice of Severus Snape gave Hermione goosebumps every time.

Tonight was the first night of her apprentice classes, and she was more than nervous. She knew that the potions part of the class wasn't going to be hard, it was the Snape part of the class that was going to do her in.

She pushed opened the door to the potions lab and quietly walked to the first desk that Snape had set up for her to work at. She set her belongings down, attempting not to disrupt him from his work, but found his eyes watching her carefully. She allowed a faint blush to creep onto her cheeks and took note of the instructions he had written on the blackboard in front of her:

Turn to page 587 in your 'Guide to Masters' Potions' textbook.

Read the instructions and begin brewing the potion.

Hermione cocked her head slightly and frowned. How are these lessons going to help me if I'm to brew the potions alone? I don't even know what it is! Her visible annoyance didn't go unnoticed by the dark teacher sitting in front of her, but she sat down and began to read despite her unanswered questions.

Severus was trying very hard not to chuckle at the site before him: Miss Granger, a book, a board with two simple instructions, and the most confused face he had ever seen. Clearly she didn't think that these classes were going to be simple did she? No, he wanted to see just how far her intelligence could be stretched, after all a potions master was just that- a master.

He continued to create plans for her, which included some of the most advanced potions available to the wizarding world and incorporated some of the hardest to find and most dangerous ingredients. The potion she was brewing now was to counter the effects one might get having consumed an incredibly large dosage of Dreamless Sleep. It was relatively easy to brew, but required perfect technique that would make or break the effectiveness of the potion. He was also curious as to whether or not she could tell what a potion was by its ingredients- something that was required for any successful Potions Master.

Add the final drop of spearmint extract and stir counterclockwise for four complete stirs.

Hermione was a mess. Her hair, no longer tamable from the heat of the potion and her own sweat, was now piled on top of her head, her outer robes completely off, leaving only her uniform and her dress tie unknotted and lying flat against her shirt- courtesy of a sticking charm.

It wasn't a hard potion, not at all, but it required specific attention and detail that could not be messed with or the entire potion would be ruined. So far she had performed perfectly and had achieved the results necessary, now she just had to finish the last step.

All throughout the process she noted every detail and color, every stir and measurement in her gifted notebook. She had felt Snape's eyes on her numerous times, and wanted to seem prepared to answer any questions that he might ask her later on. As she carefully added the last ingredient into the potion and completed the stirs, she removed her stirrer and monitored the color with her notebook in hand. She looked at the beautiful gift and smiled to herself. While he hadn't acknowledged her note, she made sure that she expressed her gratitude the very next day after her birthday. His graciousness was completely unexpected and not at all necessary, but a big part of her was glad that he had showed interest in her birthing holiday. Maybe that was the first step in proving that he wasn't the big git that everyone pegged him as? She already knew that he wasn't a horrible person and was looking forward to getting to know more about him, so the silence that enveloped her the entire evening left her a bit perturbed. She should have expected some nights of hard work, but the first night? She had imagined all the heart-to-hearts that they would have flowing deep into the latest hours of the night, and now found herself laughing bitterly at those preposterous daydreams. She sighed and turned back down to her potion. It was a pale pink, exactly as it should be. She turned off her burner, bottled it carefully, and walked up to Snape's desk.

She reached out confidently, 'Sir, I'm all finished.'

Snape looked at her blankly before responding.

'Miss Granger would you ever accept a potion that you had no idea what it was for or what it contained?'

That sentence brought back the initial blush from the beginning of the evening to Hermione's cheeks and she spoke again.

'I'm sorry sir. Here is a remedy for the Dreamless Sleep potion. It is composed of everything that would be required in a normal awakening draught, but the spearmint extract makes it more potent and therefore useful for those who have taken too much Dreamless.' She paused and looked up at her mentor, waiting to either be chastised or praised.

Within seconds, Snape whipped out a second vial- one filled with a deep pink liquid.

'Miss Granger, I should assume correctly that you know what this is?'

'Yes, Headmaster. That is Dreamless Sleep, and a rather large dosage if I'm not mistaken.' Hermione looked worried at first, and then quickly put the facts together. 'Sir, please you shouldn't take that much! It's dangerous!' She reached out for the second vial, but wasn't quick enough and watched Snape down its contents in one easy swipe.

'Miss Granger, first lesson of the evening is as follows: Never underestimate your work. That is the most dangerous thing you can do. If you are not confident in your brew, how do you expect an innocent person to be?'

Hermione interrupted, 'But sir! It was my first time- I didn't even know what I was making at first!'

She didn't expect the smile that crept onto his sharp features, 'Hermione, you know as well as I that you were fully aware of the fact that you had properly brewed this potion.'

Hermione didn't say anything, but she just stood there dumbfounded and let him continue.

'Now I suspect this will go into effect in a few minutes, so take the remedy and please follow me.'

Hermione took the first vial from his hands and followed him through the door that was situated in the front of his classroom. For years, everyone always wondered what Snape's private quarters were like and gossiped that they were probably dark, dirty, and horribly decorated. She was about to find out that each of their suppositions was incredibly incorrect.

Hermione entered a cozy and, ironically, bright sitting room area. The walls were painted a deep emerald green with faint silver vertical pinstripes. To her right was large fireplace set in gunmetal caging with a large portrait of the Syltherin seal hanging above it. To her left was an entire wall of books and in front of the shelves was a rather comfortable looking black leather couch. Straight ahead she could make out two other doors, but decided against inquiring after their uses.

'Hermione?' His voice brought her back to reality. 'You don't need to stand there. My wards recognize you now. Come in.'

She walked through the corridor and followed him to the couch.

'Normally I would never bring a student here during teaching hours, but I'm afraid you wouldn't have been able to carry me had I passed out on the classroom floor. This is much safer. The larger the dosage of Dreamless the more it works as a sleeping aid, so eventually I will fall into a deep sleep and you will administer your remedy. Understood?'

Hermione responded, 'Of course sir, but what happens if it doesn't work?' She started bite her bottom lip and look around nervously.

'I am perfectly confident in the abilities of my apprentice. Is there anything I can get you?' Snape turned to look towards the fire.

'No sir, I'm perfect actually' She blushed a little again and turned to look at his collection of books. 'Your library is absolutely amazing, sir.'

Snape chuckled a little before responded, 'I'm not sure whether to be happy that your love of books might possibly rival that of mine, or be insulted that you consider that my library.'

With a swift wave of his hand, her look of confusion turned into one of absolute wonder. One by one, the shelves folded in towards the wall that 'held' them revealing a hallway lined with hundreds of bookshelves.

'That. Is. Incredible.' Hermione couldn't help herself and she jumped up and walked towards the new hallway. She lightly touched the frame of the new doorway that had just been revealed.

'You are welcome to borrow what you would like. I mean that. I believe, aside from their original owners, I have been the only person to read them. I'm sure they are just dying to fill your mind.' Hermione turned to face a very sincere Severus Snape.

At that moment she felt an odd sense of security with the man. She always felt safe around him, but this feeling rendered more absolute than before. She walked back to where he was on the couch.

'Sir, may I say something?'

He looked at her curiously, 'Of course. I think by now you know that you're always welcome to speak your mind with me.'

She sat down and took a few minutes before she spoke.

'I feel so safe with you. Not in the sense that you'd protect me because I'm a student and that's your job, but safe in the way that…ugh… I can't explain it. It's almost as if there is no one else who could protect me- like it's exactly what you're supposed to do. And after everything I've ever had to do, it makes me feel so incredibly happy to know that I really am safe now. At least, I feel safe.' She turned away and stared into the fire.

'Hermione,' he started, 'you are safe. I promise you that. I have to admit that I am incredibly honored that you feel that way, and will do whatever it takes to make sure that you always feel that way. I will never let anything happen to you. As long as you are in my life you will be protected to the best of my ability.'

'Thank you, sir,' she whispered, 'that really means more than you could ever imagine. But, you have to promise me that nothing will happen to you either. Losing you frightens me more than you could ever imagine. Please don't go.' To Hermione's surprise, no tears threatened to escape her eyes this time after that declaration, and she realized that it was because she meant every word not just emotionally, but physically, spiritually, mentally- everything. Her entire being was attuned to what her life would be like without him, and did whatever it could to prevent that from becoming a reality.

In a friendly gesture, Snape reached out to her and stroked her cheek, 'I will not leave until you order me to.'

Hermione looked into his eyes, 'That will never happen. I promise you.' She started to see his eyes become glossy, and anticipated for sleep to take him, but was surprised when he spoke again.

'Your parents must be so proud, Miss Granger.'

Those words caused Hermione to freeze, and anyone in a normal state of consciousness would have been able to see the clear emotional change on her face, but that escaped Snape.

'I hope they realize how lucky they are to have such a talented and beautiful daughter. Do they?' Hermione couldn't even focus on the fact that he had just called her beautiful, she could only picture the empty house she had come home to after the war. She took a deep breath and responded.

'I don't have parents anymore, sir. I obliviated them before the war started and when I returned to my house to reverse the curse, they had moved out. I don't know where they are. I don't even know if I would be able to return them to their right states of mind.' She pulled her face out of his grasp and turned back to the fire. She didn't want to see his pity.

'Hermione, I –I had no idea. Forgive me, I never would have asked if I knew that.' He forcefully, yet gently, pulled her face back to his, 'May I ask why you never sought the help of anyone? You know I would have helped you.' He was prepared for her tears, but was surprised when a monotone reply left her mouth.

'I know, sir, but it's my fault I had to obliviate them in the first place. They deserve to be happy, and they can't be happy in my world.'

'Surely you don't believe that?' Snape couldn't believe that the fearless Gryffindor princess would give up so easily.

'I do, sir. This is my punishment for my selfish involvement in the war. Please,' she sniffed, 'I'd rather not talk about it.' She placed her hand on his cheek now, 'I do believe that any minute you will be fast asleep, so we best get ready.'

Snape watched her unstopper the vial, and as if by magic he fell asleep moments after she finished her sentence.

Please, gods, let this work. He's really all I have left.

Hermione poured the liquid down Snape's throat, gently kissed his forehead, and waited.