The First Trial

A/N: Hello everyone :) A nice early update for you - I really hope you enjoy it, I have a feeling it's what you've been waiting for.

Just to let you all know - this story is complete, I'm just being cruel by drip-feeding the Friday updates. I will update every Friday where I can, but no sooner and definitly not more than one chapter at a time. Thanks xx

NB: I mention crisps in this chapter. For my U.S.readers they are what you call 'chips', but of course, Severus is English so - they're Crisps!

Trust is to human relationships what faith is to gospel living. It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where trust is, love can flourish. ~Barbara Smith

There was something off putting about waking into his old quarters and as he looked around, Severus realised that it was because nothing really had changed. The only thing different was the desk in the corner, the fact that Granger hadn't amassed anywhere near the same amount of books as he had kept here, and that there seemed to be a sleeping mound of ginger fur on the couch.

'Take a seat Professor; I just need to grab some parchment so I can document the trial from the beginning.'

He watched as Granger set down the flasks of Polyjuice potion on the mahogany desk and then took his usual seat beside the fire. He closed his eyes momentarily as memories of other nights sat in this very chair threatened to overwhelm him. None of the memories were pleasant. Waiting for a summons from the Dark Lord, or recovering from one, sprang most immediately to mind. But the memory he fought down the most was sitting here with Dumbledore, a glass of Ogden's in his hand, planning strategy or just listening to the old man waffling on. He had irritated Severus beyond measure, but he had been a constant in his life for what had seemed like forever, and Severus missed him, regardless. He sighed and forced himself to focus as Granger came over to him. He hid a smirk as she headed, unseeing, to sit in the chair he occupied. She noticed not a moment too late, changing direction swiftly to take the chair opposite. She had almost landed in his lap; he mused, and tried to ignore the errant thought that he wouldn't have minded all that much. She was no longer his irritating student but a grown, very womanly, witch. He would have to be a blind idiot not to have noticed.

'I hope you're going to remove that?' He pointed at the sleeping kneazle with a look of distaste on his face. 'Don't want any little accidents.' He smirked at the glare she gave him.

'Don't worry Professor, I've already cast a protection charm around him just in case he sheds any hairs.' She squinted and turned her face to the side. 'I don't think ginger would suit you anyway. Shall we?'

Granger handed him one of the flasks and he eyed it carefully. It was the colour of mud, but thankfully the witch had become an expert in brewing and he had no doubt it was perfect. He had taken Polyjuice before on a few occasions, and even once had used it to circumvent a particularly harsh punishment from the Dark Lord himself early in his servitude. Looking back, he couldn't believe his own audacity, but he had been young and desperate to get away. It had worked, too.

'I don't suppose you have anything to wash this down with?' he murmured as he eyed the thick, muddy potion with distaste.

***

Of all the people she could trust and yet be suspicious of, Severus Snape would be suspect number one, but Hermione knew that she was prone to allow her paranoia to rule her head. She had silently unwarded her desk, turning her body to discreetly hide the drawer that was usually concealed, and then she had withdrawn the contract from the Ministry. Tapping once with her wand to signify the start of the trial, she then spelled a sheaf of parchment to duplicate all of her notes and recordings. She shuddered as the enormity of her undertaking threatened to overwhelm her, but she couldn't show weakness in front of Professor Snape, of all people. She shook her head, wondering yet again what had happened to Hermione Granger the War Hero, scared of nothing and no-one and willing to dive headlong into a battle with no thought for her own mortality. She hoped there was still a glimmer of her somewhere.

'I'm sorry, Professor, only water at this stage. We need to take the potion simultaneously, and I can't risk anything contaminating the effects on your system. Not even the finest Ogden's,' she said with a small smile.

Professor Snape looked at her blankly, but not before she caught the slight look of surprise on his face.

'I found a bottle in the secret cupboard in the bookcase. I had intended to give it back to you sooner, but...'

'But I wasn't exactly approachable,' he said, finishing her sentence.

Hermione nodded and shrugged. She wasn't going to pretend that things had always been cordial between them when they both knew the truth. That he acknowledged it, however, was something she hadn't expected.

'I imagine having the Gryffindor know-it-all as a colleague wasn't the best surprise for you,' she said quietly. She stood and placed another log on the fire. Her statement was likely the truth, but she didn't particularly want to see it written on his face now that things had improved.

'Never the less,' he said, 'I have not behaved well towards you since you joined the staff and no matter how irritating I found you as a student, there is no excuse. I hope you can accept my apology.' His voice was soft and low, and imbued with a sincerity she had never heard from him. She found herself blushing and hoped that he assumed her pink cheeks were the result of standing closer to the fire.

'I imagine it's a once only offer, so I'll accept your apology, Professor,' she replied with a smile.

'Thank Merlin for that. You have no idea how that almost choked me,' he said with a smirk. Hermione laughed out loud, and was graced by the briefest of smiles from her colleague. His face softened, his eyes sparked with amusement, and Hermione felt very glad that he had agreed to assist her. Her thoughts were immediately taken up again by the task at hand, and she lifted her flask of Polyjuice Potion and uncorked it.

'In order for the trial to work, we will have to transform in front of each other. It was either that or have two witnesses, and I rather thought you would value your privacy during transformation.' Hermione didn't wait for an answer but pulled two of her recently shampooed hairs briskly from her scalp. She then watched as a slight breeze ruffled the Professor's hair and she realised he had cast a silent cleaning charm. He looked a little uncomfortable, so Hermione said nothing. Personal hygiene hadn't come up in previous conversations and she certainly didn't plan to start now. The Professor pulled a few of his own hairs and they leaned across to exchange them. Their fingers brushed slightly, and Hermione was pleased to note that Professor Snape was a warm-bloodied creature and not a vampire, as some of the first years had asked her.

'I have foreseen a problem,' he said, quirking an eyebrow, and she paused with the hairs above her flask.

'Already?' Hermione's heart sank. She should have known it was going too well.

'There is a distinct difference in our height and body shape, and I don't see any spare clothing. I don't fancy seeing my body forced into those Muggle clothes you're wearing. They'll only fit where they touch.' He actually grinned at her, and Hermione blushed. The thought of Professor Snape in her underwear wasn't so amusing now that he was sitting here in front of her.

'I have it covered,' she said, wincing at her unintended pun and blushing even harder. The fact that Professor Snape started to laugh meant he had also picked up on her unfortunate phrasing, but it broke the ice at least, and she smiled at him.

'I'm glad you find this amusing Professor. Next time I'll be sure to wear something slightly more revealing so that you can fully embrace the female form,' she said with amusement.

Professor Snape's face fell. 'You wouldn't.'

'That depends on you. Now, do you trust me enough to give this a go?' She stared into his eyes, and they widened slightly before she saw them relax.

'I've always trusted you, Granger.'

The Professor dropped Hermione's hairs into the flask and they both watched as the potion started to bubble and steam. After a few moments, the mixture became almost translucent, with a faint shade of pale blue. Hermione then put the Professor's hair into her own flask, and the process repeated itself. It took longer for the potion to settle, and when it did, the result was an opaque liquid, almost dark purple with flecks of silver through it. It was quite beautiful, and Hermione stared at it in awe.

'Wow,' she said softly. She glanced up at his face briefly and smiled. 'Your Polyjuice is beautiful, Professor.'

He held her gaze, a look of disbelief on his face, and Hermione looked away quickly and grabbed her quill and parchment. She wrote down the colours of each potion and the time each took to be drinkable, and then she put down her quill and sat up straight.

'Together, then?' she asked him. He nodded and raised his flask to her as if toasting her honour, and they watched each other as they took the first mouthfuls. Hermione tasted the potion, noting that it wasn't sweet, but had a woody, slightly smoky taste. She tipped her head back and downed the rest of the potion, then filled the glass with water and drank that too. She looked over at the Professor and noticed that his flask was already empty, and a small smile played around his lips.

They waited for a few moments for the potion to take effect, and it was Professor Snape who started to change first. His hair started to kink at the roots and turned a shade of chestnut, and at the same time his face melted and melded. His nose shrank before her eyes, and his body twisted and bent until he was a mirror image of her, albeit drowned in his own robes. At that moment, Hermione started to feel a little strange, and pain shot through her arms and legs as they lengthened. Her consciousness was drifting, but she still had enough about her to wave her hand briefly and suddenly, she was wearing Snape's clothes, and he was wearing hers. Hermione wanted to laugh at the look of surprise on the Professor's face as he looked down at himself, but her own body was still morphing into his form. She could feel his hair hanging loosely around her face now, her bushy locks no longer there, and then her nose lengthened, completing the jigsaw. They looked at each other, and Hermione smiled.

'Well, how did it taste?' For some reason Hermione was hoping that her potion wasn't disgusting to him, but by the look on his face it hadn't been too unpleasant. He did smirk at the sound of her voice coming from his body, and the sight of the familiar twist of lips on her own face was fascinating to Hermione.

'Bubblegum is the nearest thing I can compare it to. Sweet, almost fruity,' he stated, his smooth, low voice seeming off kilter with he feminine frame. This would be dealt with later, with the Charms she planned to use, but for now it helped her to remember who they really were. Hermione smiled, quickly noting down the information he had given her, relieved that she hadn't tasted too bad after all.

'Yours was a little like smoky bacon,' she said quietly as she wrote.

'My favourite crisps,' he said flatly.

'You're joking?' Hermione flicked her eyes to him quickly, and saw the tell tale quirk of her mouth before he schooled her features into a typically blank Snape face.

Hermione glared at him, and smirked to herself when she saw her mirror image recoil and her eyes widen. He had obviously never been on the receiving end of his own ire, and Hermione resolved to have a lot of fun with that later.

'Watch it Professor, or I might have the sudden urge to take a shower,' she said firmly.

The realisation of what that would reveal to her while she was Polyjuiced brought a distinct blush to his cheeks, and Hermione started to laugh. Agreeing to the Professor's help had suddenly become a lot more fun.

***

Severus felt more than a bit ridiculous. He was wearing a pink, fluffy jumper, for one thing, and a pair of skin tight denim jeans that were far too clingy to be comfortable. What worried him most of all was that he was wearing Granger's underwear. He felt a perverted frisson of pleasure at the sensation of lace over his nipples and silk between his thighs, and couldn't look at her for a moment, certain his face would give him away. Once he had he gathered himself he stared at Granger, sitting in front of him in his own body, and eyed the transformation with a typically critical eye. He had let himself go, it seemed. His stomach was slightly more obvious than he remembered it, and his face had an unhealthy, almost sickly pallor to it. Some of that was due to Nagini's venom and his subsequent overuse of Blood Replenishing serum, but the lines and dark shadows beneath his eyes were more telling. When had he started to look so old? His hands were thin and wiry where he had once thought them slim and dexterous, and his hair... Well, there was the evidence of the Greasy Git he still heard the first years moaning about.

Severus had never been a 'catch', as his Grandmother would have termed it, and his past obsession with Lily Evans was doomed from the start because she had never seen him as anything other than a fair-weather friend. But he had mused once that some day in the future, if he was lucky enough to have a future, that perhaps there might be a witch for him.

He looked resignedly at the saggy, greasy and sallow looking man before him, and felt another dream turn to dust.