Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and...Thistle?

Summary: Hermione seeks an elusive cure for the lasting effects of a curse Bellatrix Lestrange managed to hit her with during the Battle of Hogwarts. Her life has been lost to endless bouts of pain and despair that have plagued her these last two years. But her luck may finally be changing. A reference to a Dark potion in an obscure book may hold the key to her cure. But where will she find a Potions master knowledgeable enough to brew it? Written for Warded_Portal for the SSHG Winter 2007 exchange.

Prompt: AU, EWE: Hurt/comfort. Years after the final battle, Hermione struggles daily with the after effects of Bellatrix Lestrange's special brand of Crucio. St. Mungo's advises treating the symptoms, but Hermione wants to live her life. She goes to the oldest center of Wizarding population, Alexandria, Egypt, chasing a rumour: a Potions master with a dual expertise in Legilimency. For some reason, he doesn't want to help her. Without knowing his true identity, Hermione must persuade him she is worth his time. Romance, happy ending please. (Bonuses include: archaeology, magical artifacts, history, dusty libraries, and moments of crazy stupid in love).

Disclaimer: Not mine. All characters and settings belong to JKR, et al. I promise to return them when I finish playing with them.

.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Chapter Four – Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and...Thistle?

"You'll make the potion?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Did you hear what I said? If the process of removing Lestrange from her mind doesn't kill her, it could rob her of her magic entirely."

"She can't go on like this, Snape."

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. Potter should come with a warning, he thought: Approach with caution: Headaches may occur on contact. "The potion alone will not cure Miss Granger. It will merely weaken Bellatrix's attachment to her mind. I will need to go in and remove the soul fragment."

"But you can do that, right?"

Damn Gryffindors. Nothing is ever as black and white as they make it out to be. Albus could have told Potter that. "I suppose I could. She may need care after. I don't know how debilitating the potion will be or what long-term side effects Miss Granger will suffer." Providing she lives, he added silently. Severus gazed at the young witch lying on his couch. Her eyes no longer moved franticly; a lone tear slid from the corner of one eye. He would guess the witch had taken back control of her mind; at least he hoped she had. He would not proceed without speaking with her. "Miss Granger, I'm going to allow you to speak. I need you to understand what is involved before I go any further." His voice took on a definite sneer. "And I warn you, Bellatrix, I will know if it's you trying to fool me." Casually, Severus waved his wand.

Hermione tried to blink away her tears. He had released her head, but her body still remained immobile. "Professor?"

"Hermione?" Harry took a step forward only to be stopped by Severus' outstretched hand.

"Miss Granger, can you recite the twelve uses of dragon's blood?" Severus crossed his arms and waited, one brow arched questioningly. While Bellatrix had excelled at wand work, dueling her true strength, she was never that good at potions and would not have bothered to memorize such trivial information. Granger, on the other hand, used to annoyingly regurgitate facts regularly in class. The twelve uses of dragon's blood would have been something she had committed to memory early on in her schooling.

Hermione gave him a weak smile. "The twelve uses of dragon's blood. One, as an ingredient in cleaning products; two, to enhance and add clarity to a Wit-Sharpening potion; three..."

Severus listened as the witch listed the uses without hesitation. He was fairly sure it was Hermione Granger and not Bella he was listening to. "How is Polyjuice Potion made?"

"You must first stew lacewing flies for twenty-one days in a steel cauldron over a low flame. Various ingredients are added during this process. Diced leeches and powdered bicorn horn are added after the first seven days of brewing. Knotgrass should be added after ten days, but will still create a useful potion if added after day twelve. At seventeen days, you add finely chopped fluxweed picked at the full moon. On day twenty, you add the shredded boomslang skin. When the potion is finished, you will need to add a bit of the person you wish to turn into, such as a piece of their fingernail or a hair."

The Potions master smiled; yes, it was definitely Granger. "And what would happen if you added a hair that was not from a human being?"

Even in her frozen, bound state, Hermione had the grace to blush. "As you well know, the hair of an animal, even something as harmless as a cat, only transforms part of the person. Adding on the base characteristics of the animal to the human form but not allowing for full transformation. Medical attention is required to return the person to normal."

"Miss Granger, I assume you heard what I said to Potter? I can try to remove Lestrange from your mind, but the cost may be dear to you. The best we can hope for is your recovery with your magic intact, but there exists a real possibility that you will lose your magic, if not your life."

"I do understand, Professor. I also know I can't take much more of this. It's not just the episodes of pain; it's her, whispering to me all the time. Whatever happens, it has to be better than this."

"And if you lose your magic?"

"There will still be quite a bit I can do, research, for one. Whatever the outcome, I can't do this anymore. It's becoming harder and harder to stay in control. She's only slipped out twice before, but I'm afraid she seems to be getting stronger. I won't let her have me. Do whatever you have to."

Wearily, Severus nodded. "I need to finish the base before the full moon two nights from now. It will take another seven days after that to complete the potion."

Harry nodded. "That's fine. Hermione can stay with Ginny and me. I'll bring her back when you're ready. Unbind her, and we can go."

"Have you actually listened to the conversation, Potter? She no longer has full control over Lestrange. Care to tell me what will happen if she turns into Bellatrix and decides to kill you and Mrs Potter in the middle of the night?"

While he knew Hermione would never harm him, the scene at Snape's door was still fresh enough to worry him. "So, what do we do until you're ready for her?"

"She will remain here. There are several potions I will need to administer over the week's time to strengthen her body and spirit. I can induce a magical coma with the Draught of Living Death; it should allow her body to recharge itself without her mind's interference. Toddy," he called.

A small elf, dressed in a gaudy tea towel appeared in the doorway. "Yes, Master Snape, sir?"

"See that the back bedroom across from mine is cleaned and aired. Miss Granger will be staying here for a few days."

Harry nodded. "Okay, I'll need to Floo home and pick up a few things. I can be back in an hour."

Severus turned to stare at the young man. "Whatever for?"

"If she's staying, I'm staying. You don't think I'm going to leave Hermione alone here with you?"

Severus sighed. "There is nothing you can do for her. The magical coma should stop Bellatrix from advancing on her mind; in any event, she will be unconscious the entire time. I will see that she gets the proper potions and care, but until the potion is complete, there is nothing more to do."

"She's not staying here alone."

"It's okay, Harry. I trust Professor Snape."

"It's no longer 'Professor,' Miss Granger."

Harry stepped closer to the couch, his hand resting on Hermione's unmoving arm. "I'm not leaving you alone here. I just need to pick up a few things and tell Gi..."

"Ooooh, isn't that sweet. Wittle bitty Potty and Snapey playing nice nice with the Mudblood." Hermione's head whipped back and forth as she tried to reach out and bite Harry's hand.

"Petrificus Totalus." Severus had turned just in time to see Hermione trying to bite Harry. Quickly, he recast a Full-Body Bind Spell, breathing a sigh of relief as the possessed witch fell back against the couch cushions. "That is what I was talking about. I shall return momentarily."

Harry tried to still the trembling in his hands. How had he not noticed what was going on with Hermione all this time? While he still questioned where Snape's true loyalties lay, regardless of his actions during the final battle, he had no such doubts in the man's abilities. Still, to leave her here, alone, with him.

The Potions master in question emerged from his basement lab holding a small green bottle. With great care, Severus administered a dose of Living Death to the troubled witch. The effect was almost instantaneous. Her eyes slipped closed; the tense set to her body changed as she relaxed into the couch, her limbs resting bonelessly against the cushions. Even her breathing had evened out to a calm, steady pace.

"Toddy, is Miss Granger's room ready?"

Once again the little elf appeared. "Yes, Master Snape. Shall I take the Miss upstairs?"

"See that she is comfortable. I will need you to monitor her while she is here. There is a series of potions that must be given to her over the next week. I'll draw up a schedule for you to follow."

"Yes, Master Snape."

Harry watched as the elf guided his friend's body up the stairs. "She'll be all right, won't she?"

"I can assure you, no harm will come to her here. I cannot say the same will be true after I try to remove Lestrange. Not that I particularly care, but where is Mr Weasley through all this? I would think that for Miss Granger's sake, he would be shadowing my steps like a lost puppy dog."

"It's not like that. Ron's on the road with the Chudley Cannons. He stops in to see Hermione or me when he's in town. But they're just friends now." Harry hesitated. "Snape, I'd like to bring Ginny here to see Hermione. I know she'll be worried about her."

Severus passed a weary hand across his face. "Fine. Bring whomever you wish. I will reset my wards to recognize you so can visit Miss Granger. Though might I remind you, this is my home and not the Gryffindor common room? Please keep that in mind when you bring the masses through here to visit. You can see yourself out. I need to get started on the base. The Ginseng root must be added two days from now when the moon is at its peak, or I'll have to wait until next month and try to brew the potion again."

"It's not that I'm not grateful for your help. But I know you never liked any of us. So, why are you doing this?"

Severus stopped in the open door and looked into Lily's eyes. "Because maybe this time I can actually make a difference." Without a backward glance, he disappeared down the stairway.

.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

With an economy of movement, Severus finished chopping the daisy petals and added them to the bubbling cauldron to his left. The potion changed from a warm goldenrod to a sunny yellow as the petals dissolved. Selecting a glass rod, he counted out twelve clockwise stirs, followed by thirteen anticlockwise turns, and three full figure eights. Tomorrow night the potion would be ready. Potter and Miss Weasley, Mrs Potter, he mentally corrected himself, would be on hand in case something went wrong.

Severus shook his head. Potter. While Granger in her frozen state was tolerable, the young wizard had stopped in daily to check on the witch. Mindful of Severus' comment, he only brought his wife and Weasley to visit the first night. Often, he could hear Potter talking to the young woman, assuring her that everything would be fine.

The Dark man snorted. Everything will be fine? Potter's optimism was more than he could bear. This was not some fairy tale where Granger's fairy godmother would appear and put things to rights. Even magic had its limits.

There was no handsome prince waiting in the wings to place a chaste kiss on the fair maiden's lips to wake her from her enchanted sleep. He was the only prince that would be attending her, and even he could not guarantee what the outcome would be. Happily ever after was the stuff of childhood stories and held no place here.

With a weary sigh he checked the potion's progress. He only hoped both he and Granger survived the exorcism of Lestrange from her mind tomorrow night.

.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

A stone basin, odd runes and other symbols carved along the edge, sat on the nightstand. An etched ribbon of leaves, their flat broad images mingling with the runes and interspersed with the image of a small flower indicated that the Pensieve may have been designed to contain something more than just memories. A Scottish thistle, its thorns arcing toward the bowl's edges, was etched into the bottom of the receptacle.

Harry studied the stone basin. He'd had previous experience with both Snape's and Dumbledore's Pensieves before, but this one looked different from those.

"Is that a thistle on the bottom?" Ginny watched mesmerized as the swirling liquid, at least she thought it was liquid, formed random patterns across the surface of the bowl.

Severus looked up from the potion phials he'd been lining up on top of the other nightstand. "The thistle represents protection. It is believed that evil will become trapped in the thorns of the flower and stay ensnared there. Do you remember any of the history Binns taught you? It's said that an invading Viking trod upon a magic thistle and alerted the Scottish wizards to his presence. It was fast work to turn the intruders back once they were identified."

His eyes softened as he looked at the 'sleeping' witch in the bed. "I'm sure Miss Granger would tell you, if she could speak, about a group known as The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Their motto loosely translates to 'no one attacks me and gets away with it.'"

"And the leaves around the edge? The Pensieves that I've seen only had runes on them. They didn't look like this." Harry gestured to the edging of the basin.

"That's because it's not a Pensieve; it's a containment vessel. That's rosemary along the edge. A spell is woven into the leaves to contain the soul I intend to trap within it."

"You're creating a Horcrux?"

"No, Potter, not a Horcrux. If it were a Horcrux, Lestrange could conceivably be brought back from the dead. I intend to permanently seal her soul in the vessel. Once her soul fragment is in the basin, the leaves will come together and seal the top. I have no desire to ever see Bellatrix walk this earth again. I'm quite certain Miss Granger would agree with me."

"What do you want us to do?" Ginny's quiet voice cut through the tension mounting in the small room.

Severus held up a clear cut-glass phial, the liquid inside sparkled bright yellow as though lit with an inner glow. A second phial appeared in his hand; this one showed a deep, rich ruby color in the room's candlelight. "If all goes well, there'll be nothing for you two to do. This potion," he swirled the yellow liquid the color of trapped sunshine, "should weaken Lestrange's hold on her mind. I'm going to draw the fragment forward to the front of her mind and try to draw it into the basin."

"And the other potion?"

"I'd rather not have Lestrange take up residence in my mind. Consider this Occlumency in liquid form. It should block any attempt she tries to cross over into me."

Harry looked at Severus in horror. He remembered entering Snape's mind when he'd tried to teach him Occlumency in his fifth year. "Lestrange could end up possessing you?"

"It's not likely, but there is a possibility. The connection into her mind will open a small gap into mine. Fortunately, Lestrange was not a skilled Legilimens. I have enough ghosts to haunt me without her madness in my head, too."

"Why didn't you mention this before?"

"And what difference would it have made if I had? Would you prefer to pack Miss Granger up and commit her St Mungo's right now? Or would you rather wait until she tries to attack you again? I suggest you focus on the here and now so that we may begin."

Ginny's soft touch to his shoulder stilled his anger. "Forgive my husband, Professor. He can be an idiot at times. Words alone cannot express our gratitude for your help. Just tell me what to do, what I should watch for, and we can get started."

Severus smiled tiredly at the young woman. She was a force to be reckoned with all on her own: strong willed, level headed, and a powerful witch. Potter was lucky to have her, as she would balance his recklessness when all else failed. "I'll remove the hex, but Miss Granger will have to remain bound. I don't know that Lestrange won't try taking over her body again. She may thrash or yell out. My estimation is that the process will be painful as well as physically debilitating. I shall attempt to draw the spirit out much the same as you would a memory. If all goes well, only the soul fragment will be removed."

"And if things... don't go well?" Ginny asked softly.

Severus ran a hand through his hair. "Some memory may be lost. I'm hoping to leave her magic intact. I imagine it will be more of a metaphysical duel, but I hope to sever Lestrange's hold on Miss Granger's magic before removing the fragment from her mind. It's most likely been the source of her continued pain these last two years."

"What should we watch for?"

"See that she doesn't harm herself. If I'm... not conscious when this is through, make damn sure it's Miss Granger you're talking to when she wakes up and not Lestrange. If she stops breathing while I'm still connected to her, separate us, and cast Rennervate. You should still be able to save Miss Granger's life if you act quickly enough." From a side pocket, Severus drew a third phial, the potion inside blacker than midnight. "The fragment should glow red when I drop it into the basin. Pour that potion over it immediately. The leaves will grow over the top and seal the vessel."

Harry smiled lopsidedly at Severus. "Whatever else you may be, Snape, I do trust your abilities. I know you can do this."

Gryffindor optimism, he thought irritably, just what he needed.

TBS