Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione stood tentatively outside Severus' door. Her arm was lifted and her hand formed a fist, ready to knock. Now that she was here, she was wondering if this was a good idea. Severus had been a dear friend to her in her reality. She'd even held a secret crush on him for years. However, this was not the Severus she knew, and her first encounter with him had not been pleasant.

She wavered as her hand sat poised in front of the door. Frowning to herself, she shook her head. She was not acting as herself. Hermione Granger did not shy away from possible confrontation. Besides, if she were to be holed up in this castle, she wanted her good friend to be there for her.

Gathering her courage, she knocked on the door.

"Enter!" came the voice from the other side.

Hermione stepped through and shut the door behind her. When she turned back, she found Severus' black eyes glinting at her.

"I hope Madam Pomfrey was able to give you something for your hallucinations," he remarked dryly from his seat behind his desk.

Hermione frowned to herself. This wasn't going to be easy. She walked to the desk.

"May I sit?" she asked as she pulled a chair to the desk.

"It seems you are already about to do so."

She settled herself in. "Severus, there's something I need to tell you."

Severus sat back and folded his arms in front of him. He huffed in exasperation. "You do realize that I have a mountain of essays to grade, Professor?"

She sighed. "I can imagine," she commiserated. "Severus, I'm not the person you think I am."

"You mean to say that you're not the insufferable know-it-all that everyone else fawns all over?"

Hermione was taken aback by the sting of his words. How could a man she regarded as her friend be so... caustic?

She cleared her throat before continuing. "When I went to see Poppy, she summoned Albus. He related a request he made of me to go back in time and try to change Lucius Malfoy. I'm not the person he sent back in time. I'm her counterpart from another universe."

Severus arched an eyebrow at her. "You are saying that Albus hoped to change the future by altering the past?"

She nodded. "He thinks that things were changed so much that the other Hermione stayed in my reality, forcing me into this one."

Severus unfolded his arms and leaned forward, studying her intensely. "What does this have to do with me?"

"Well, you are a member of the faculty. Everyone will need to be told eventually."

"So, you just ran down here excitedly to tell me first?"

Hermione's shoulders sagged. "In my reality, Severus, you are one of my closest friends."

Severus scoffed. Then he sputtered. "Friends? You and I?"

"Yes. That's why I came down this morning. You wanted me to start the Wolfsbane."

"I don't believe that I would request a novice to start Wolfsbane no matter what the timeline would be," he snorted.

"I am a Potions mistress."

Severus laughed. He sobered as he realized she was being serious.

"How did that happen?"

Hermione glared at Severus. "You suggested it! You mentored me. You were my master. You told me that I learned quickly. It took two years instead of three, and I've been by your side brewing with you ever since!"

Severus raised an eyebrow at her again. "You have always been a quick study. However, if you wish to work as a mistress with me, you will have to prove yourself."

"Surely, having studied under you would ensure..."

"I know nothing of this other me! How am I to know that he is as exacting as I?"

"He's you, for Merlin's sake! He's a Potions master just like you are!"

"Nonetheless... I find it hard to believe that you are capable of what is needful in a mistress."

Hermione stood. She didn't look at Severus, but turned and went into the lab, her fists clenched at her sides. Storming over to the cauldron shelf, she pulled one down and set it on the table. Severus had meandered in after her, his arms folded behind his back. He watched her as she gathered ingredients, prepped them, and created a potion that was worthy of a Potions mistress.

She worked in silence, not even glancing at Severus. She put everything out of her mind as she concentrated. After half an hour, she looked up at Severus.

"It is ready"

Severus walked over to the cauldron and looked in. He sniffed lightly. "What is this?" he sneered.

Hermione looked to him in pride. "It is a potion of my own making."

"You created this? What does it do? Have you named it?"

"You suggested that I name it the Fortunata Draught."

Severus scoffed. "You mean to say that it predicts the future?"

She nodded. "It is supposed to. I have yet to test it for long term futures. It depends upon the amount of Billywig that's added as to how far into the future it will take you. I have only gone a week ahead thus far."

"And this particular batch?"

Hermione gazed into the cauldron. "I have added more of the Billywig. According to my calculations, this will give the drinker a glimpse of approximately two months into the future."

Severus stepped closer to the cauldron. "How does it work?"

"When you drink it, your mind's eye will see the future for up to a minute."

"In your reality are Professor Trelawney and you... friends?"

"Very funny," Hermione said tartly. She looked up worriedly at Severus. "You were joking, right? I can't stand her in my reality. I would expect the same from any other me that existed."

"You are not her favorite person, nor do you have any warm feelings for her."

Hermione sighed. "Thank heavens!"

Severus got back to the topic at hand. "The previous experiments have worked thus far?"

Hermione nodded.

Severus looked up at her. His eyes narrowed. "Might I try it?"

"I usually don't test it on anyone but myself, that way I know if the future has come to pass as predicted or not."

"Surely, Granger, I would tell you one way or the other."

Hermione pursed her lips. "All right."

She ladled a little into a vial and handed it to Severus. He gazed at the red color before drinking it. Immediately a vision appeared in his head. He was standing in front of Hermione, staring at her intensely. Suddenly, he pulled her to him and kissed her.

"Is this what you want?" he demanded after breaking away from her lips. "Is this who you want in your life? I am not the man you grew up with!"

"Severus! I don't want him. I want you!" she cried and pulled him to her, kissing him passionately.

Severus dropped the vial and it shattered on the floor.

"What have you done?" he spat.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked nervously. "What did you see?"

"You have set some sort of love potion on me, witch! How dare you?"

"I assure you, Severus, that's not the intent of this potion."

"Silence! You will get out! Now!"

"Severus, please, you have to tell me what you saw!"

He was next to her in a second, his nose touched hers as he glowered at her.

"I want nothing to do with you, Granger. Get out. I will not condone you making a fool of me!"

"Severus, I would never..."

"Get. Out. Now."

Hermione backed up, then spun around and rushed out of the room. Severus glared after her. He turned to the cauldron and angrily lifted a ladle full of the potion. He poured it slowly back into the cauldron, examining it intensely as he did. He repeated the act, this time getting closer so he could sniff the ingredients.

"Nothing in here is related to love potions," he whispered. "What on earth did I just see? If I tested the potion again, would I see the same thing?"

Bringing the ladle to his mouth, he took another sip. His mind became foggy, and once again Hermione Granger was in his arms.

"I would not have dreamed it possible that you could forget him and love me."

Hermione kissed him again. "But I did. And I do."

"Hermione, I am not..."

Her finger came up and silenced him by carefully touching his lips. "I know what you're not. I love you as you are."

The room came back into focus, and he was back in the present. His heart was beating so forcefully, he thought it might explode in his chest. The vision... if that's what you could call it, had been short, but intense. He could still feel her closeness, and the ecstasy that had gone through his body.

"All those nights of secretly longing after her... maybe they weren't a waste after all?"

Severus shook his head. Utter nonsense. The woman will never see me as anything more than a grumpy, snide, pain in her arse.

He shook his head again and left the room and the potion behind, along with his dreams of a possible future with Hermione Granger.