In an Alternate Universe

Chapter 22 ~ A Disturbing Change of Circumstances

“Now, just a minute, Mr. Snape,” Hermione said to the approaching wizard.

”That’s Severus, Professor,” Severus said in a low voice as he inched closer to her.

”Fine. Wait a minute, Severus,” Hermione repeated, holding up her hands.

Severus stopped, but the eager look in his eyes said he intended to keep coming.

”I proved my techniques work,” he said to her. “You took an Oath I could keep you company.”

Hermione gave him a rather crooked little smirk.

”You’ve proven ONE technique works, Severus. I need to know they ALL work before we go any further. And I need them presented in a legible manner. I can’t very well give Albus that dragon-scratch you have scrawled in the margins of your potions book,” she said to him evenly.

Take that, smart boy.

”What? But that’s not fair!” Severus said to her, frowning.

”It is perfectly fair. I’m not going to fall flat on my back for you then discover only one technique works. You’re going to have to demonstrate them all for me,” she said to him, her eyes glinting.

”Some of those brews take three weeks to complete!” Severus complained, a slight whine in his voice.

“Then I suggest you start on those first. Tomorrow I will set up a separate work area for you and after class you can come down and start,” Hermione said to him, turning and walking out of the lab.

Severus stared after her for a moment, then dropped his head. He should have known she had something up her robes sleeve. It had been too easy. Now she was going to put him off for several more weeks, and he still had to brew. Damn it!

Hermione grinned to herself as she walked back into the Potions classroom. Severus put his robes back on, put his potions book in his pocket and followed her back into the classroom, dragging his feet.

She turned to him with a smug little smile.

”Never try to out-Slytherin a Slytherin, Severus,” she said to him. “At least not this Slytherin. Now, you may go.”

”Go? But, I did brew one potion. That should be worth something. A kiss? A caress? Something, Professor,” Severus said to her, looking extremely put out.

Hermione considered him.

”All right. Close your eyes,” she said to him.

Severus did so, pursing his lips. He felt the witch’s hands lightly rest on the sides of his head and tilt it downward. She was shorter than he was and he quickly licked his lips for extra softness.

Hermione kissed him, right in the middle of his forehead.

”That’s for trying so hard,” she said as the wizard opened his eyes, looking at her in shock. “Now, get going. I have parchments to mark.”

“But . . . but,” Severus protested.

”Five points from Gryffindor,” Hermione said to him, frowning.

Severus sighed.

“All right,” but I’ll be here right after supper tomorrow,” he said to the witch.

”I’m sure you will be, Mr. Snape,” Hermione said, reverting to proper address.

Severus turned toward the door, opening it slowly, hoping to put the witch off guard so he could steal another kiss then run like hell before she hexed him. He opened it wider, stepped forward a bit, then suddenly spun . . . only to find Hermione’s wand pointed directly between his eyes.

The Potions mistress cocked her head at him.

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice and you get a new appendage growing out the top of your head. Goodbye, Mr. Snape,” she said.

Severus smiled.

”Goodbye, Professor,” the Gryffindor replied. Then he left.

Hermione let out a sigh and closed her door. After a moment, she warded it too. Just in case. She walked back to her desk and collected the day’s work she had to mark. She shook her head slowly as she thought about the brilliant young wizard.

He really should have been sorted into Slytherin.

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Severus was feeling quite a bit better by the time he reached the corridor leading to Gryffindor tower, and that was because he realized some of those brews would require him to enter Hermione’s domain at all hours of the night.

And that had possibilities.

He gave the Fat Lady the password and entered the Common Room. Ron was in there, chatting up one of the Patil sisters. He jumped up the moment he saw Severus enter. He hurried up to him as Parvati frowned.

“Severus! You survived!” he said, overjoyed, then made a big production of looking him over for damages.

”What did the old bat want?” he asked the pale wizard, who scowled at him but didn’t say anything. This was Classic Ron.

Severus sat down on the sofa.

“She found out about my altering of brewing techniques,” he said.

Ron’s eyes went round with horror.

”Oh no! What did she say?” he asked, sitting down on the edge of the seat.

”Well, she was going to try and get me expelled, but I told her that I’d fight to stay because the changes I made to the brewing processes worked,” the wizard said.

”You told her you’d fight her?” Ron asked in amazement.

Severus nodded.

”You really don’t like your life, do you Severus?” Ron said, shaking his head, truly amazed the wizard made it back to Gryffindor tower in one piece. “So what happened then?”

Severus wasn’t about to tell Ron he manipulated the situation so the Professor agreed he could “keep her company.”

”Well, I showed her one of the brews. The Draught of Living Death. I made it perfectly. Now I have to show her all the other potions work,” he told the red-head.

”But in order to do that, you’re going to have to be down in the dungeons constantly, Severus,” Ron said to him.

”I know,” Severus replied, trying not to smile.

”But . . . you’ll be down there with . . . with her,” Ron said as if this were the most horrible thing in the world.

”I know,” Severus said.

Ron looked at Severus with a furrowed brow. He didn’t seem at all upset about being sequestered alone with Professor Granger, a situation Ron equated with being caged with an underfed and salivating Manticore.

”Severus, you aren’t still going to try and shag her, are you?” he asked the wizard.

“No Ron. I’m not going to try,” Severus replied.

He was going to do it. Again. Eventually.

Ron let out a sigh of relief.

”That’s good Sev. I was worried about you there for a moment. Anyone who’d want to tangle with Granger like that would have to have a few loose bolts in his broom. She’s awful,” the wizard said.

Severus didn’t reply to this. He stood up.

”I have homework to do before I go on my rounds, Ron. I’ll see you later,” he said to the wizard.

”All right,” Ron said, looking around for Parvati, who had left when Ron so rudely jumped up and talked to Severus without so much as an “Excuse me, Parvati.”

”Where’d she go?” Ron wondered, perplexed.

Poor Ron. At this rate, he was never going to get laid.

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After she finished marking parchments, Hermione visited Albus to apprise him of the situation with Severus.

”He actually improved brewing techniques, Hermione? At his age? That’s amazing,” Dumbledore said, “Imagine, one of our students making strides in the field of Potions before even graduating. This is absolutely wonderful! I must contact the Ministry at once!”

Hermione shook her head.

”Headmaster, I think we should wait to find out if all the new techniques work. I need to get a special dispensation so Mr. Snape will be allow out after rounds in order to tend to the brewing. Some potions will require him to go to the lab in the middle of the night. If Argus holds him up, then the potions could be ruined,” she said to the old wizard.

“Hm,” Albus said thoughtfully, drumming his fingers on his desk.

Behind him, Fawkes let out a trill.

”You know, Professor Granger, this is quite important. Extremely so. We really need to make sure we facilitate young Severus’ success in this matter. Give him every opportunity to handle his brewing properly without disrupting his ability to study and keep his marks up. Traveling back and forth between Gryffindor tower and the dungeons will be draining on the boy. I believe he should be sequestered in your rooms for the duration,” Albus said firmly.

”My rooms? Albus, you can’t be serious!” Hermione sputtered.

”You do have an extra room off your study. He could use that,” the Headmaster said, totally oblivious to Hermione’s horror. “This way he would have easier access to the labs and not have to move through the castle at all hours of the night.”

”That’s insane, Albus! I can’t have an eighteen year old wizard domiciled in my rooms with me! What will people say?” Hermione said, flustered.

”Since when have you ever cared what people have to say about you, Hermione?” Albus replied, “Severus has done something amazing, something he will be revered and honored for, and he is your student . . . your protégé. You need to do everything you can to assist him. You will be receiving credit as well, Hermione for your splendid teaching methods that no doubt inspired him. I do believe a bit of a pay raise will be in order.”

Hermione blinked at Albus. It was going just as Severus said it would. But the randy wizard locked in her private rooms with her? Hermione groaned as Albus went over the details. He would notify Minerva immediately and have the House Elves move the boy’s things as soon as possible.

”It will only be for a few weeks, Hermione. It will all be worth it in the end,” Albus said to her encouragingly. “Now would you like to tell him, or should I?”

Hermione looked up at Albus, imagining what Severus’ reaction would be if she told him. He’d probably break something.

”You tell him, Headmaster,” she replied, then dropped her head and pinched her nose, shaking her head ruefully.

She should have never opened that damned book.

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A/N: Oh man. Poor Hermione. :::shakes head::: Thanks for reading.