Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hermione knocked on Severus' door after dinner. The days had flown by, and it was Wednesday, the day the other Hermione helped Severus brew. She hoped that through this simple exercise she'd be able to get Severus to warm up to her.

He appeared in his doorway and frowned intensely. "I thought with the disappearance of your counterpart that I would be saved these infernal visits."

Hermione was shocked at his greeting. He hadn't said a word to her all week, even though she'd sat right next to him for meals. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she'd grilled the faculty on his mannerisms and behaviors. She should have been expecting his greeting, but still, it jarred her.

Buck up, Hermione. This isn't the friend you used to know. He's probably very suspicious of you. Don't let him get to you, or he'll win.

She squared her shoulders and strode past him, not letting on how he'd disturbed her.

"Really, Severus, there's no need to be rude. When I found out that we brewed together, I thought it would be a good way for us to become reacquainted. Besides, as a Potions mistress, I can brew more complex things and help you even more."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Perhaps I don't want to become reacquainted with you."

She turned and looked him straight in the eye. "You need help brewing. I am a Potions mistress. It seems you're stuck with me. Now, what would you like me to get started on?"

"Burn paste," Severus answered distastefully.

"Really, Severus, I can..."

"If you want to help, you will need to prove yourself."

"I thought I did that the other day."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "That display meant nothing."

She turned to him, her hands on her hips. "The fact that I created that potion means nothing to you? Do you have some complex about giving out compliments? Can't you just say that I did a good job?"

Severus took three large steps and was now within inches of Hermione. "You are the same kudos-seeking harpy that your counterpart was."

Hermione's insides knotted up. The man was intolerable. Why was she even here?

She looked into his eyes. Severus' eyes. Her Severus' eyes. A pang of loneliness ran through her. She missed him so. She felt the tears coming, but fought them back. Her response to him was spoken softly.

"Severus, I know that deep down in you there is someone who does not need to scream, rant, and rave at every turn. You can't be so very different from the man I knew. I just would like to be friends."

Fury ran through Severus' face. Hermione took a step back.

"You don't know me. You know nothing of me! I am not that soft idiot you called a friend."

"He is not an idiot! He's the bravest, kindest man I know!"

"Kind? How can he be me and be kind in the same breath?"

"He didn't let the war control him. He controlled the war. And this thing you had for Lily... he didn't."

"How dare you! You go behind my back and dig up all sorts of things about me? You say you want to be my friend, yet you dig up all the dirt you can on me?"

"Severus, I just wanted to know more about you! You certainly weren't forthcoming!"

"Get out."

"No."

"I said get out."

She folded her arms and looked directly into his eyes. Defiance showed in her face. "Why do you insist on throwing someone out when you can't think of anything rational to say?"

"Leave. Now."

"I am here to help you, Severus. That's what I will do." She turned from him, removed a cauldron from the shelf, and collected the ingredients for Burn Paste. In a few minutes she'd set to brewing.

Severus glared at her while she got ready. Hermione ignored him. She went about her tasks and was soon stirring. She'd always found stirring to be incredibly comforting. After a little while, her anger diminished and she looked up. Severus had removed himself to the corner of the lab and was brewing himself. She caught him raising his head and glowering at her. She shook her head. The man was a menace.

---

Severus stared at Granger as she readied herself for brewing. His anger roiled within him.

How dare she! Stupid chit of a girl. Who does she think she is, storming in here and going about as if this were her lab?

It took him a while to control the urge to stalk over to her and strangle her right where she stood. He glared at her, but she didn't look up at him. Finally, he wheeled around and went to the corner of the lab, where he had started his own brew. Luckily, it was just the right time for a long stirring session. It was also lucky that he only needed to set a timer, and not count the number of stirs for this particular wound healer. With a wave of his wand, a timer appeared, set for ten minutes. He lifted his stirrer and dipped it into the yellow liquid. He began to stir as his mind went back to the scene that had just unfolded.

Digging things up about me. Who does she think she is?

He glanced up at her and frowned as he saw her stare and shake her head. He turned back to staring into the cauldron as he fumed more. Peeking up through his hair, he found she was still looking at him. The look in her eyes caught him by surprise. If he were to describe it, he could only call it concern.

Why would she ever be concerned about me? She doesn't even know me.

Another peek from under his hair found Hermione now looking sad. She ducked her head and stirred her Burn Paste vigorously.

I am the biggest git there ever was. She comes down here to help me, and I rip her bloody head off. It's a miracle she didn't just hex me where I stood. What is my problem, anyway?

A sudden flash from the vision he'd seen several days before came before his eyes.

Despite how nice that would be, it is impossible.

He glanced back at her. She was chopping fluxweed furiously. He feared she would mutilate it if she weren't careful.

"Granger, for a Potions mistress, your chopping technique is quite erratic," he murmured.

She glared at him. Grasping the knife a little harder, she carefully sliced the rest of the fluxweed before looking up at him smugly as she dropped it into the brew. Severus arched an eyebrow at her. Immediately her look softened, and then hardened again.

I wonder what she just thought of. Him probably. Mr. Perfect-me. Well, I'm not him. Never will be. She'll just have to learn to deal with me.

The time elapsed, and Severus removed his rod from the cauldron. Hermione also finished and removed her stirrer. She began to pour the paste into containers.

"What else would you have me do, Severus?"

"You may make a Boil-cure potion."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Come now, that's a first-year potion, for Merlin's sake."

Severus' head snapped up. "Did you want to help me or not, Granger?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I do want to help, Severus, it's just that I'd thought you'd might like to use my expertise and brewing capabilities to brew something more challenging. Please, call me Hermione."

He stalked over to her. "Granger, this is my lab. Your counterpart understood that. Why can't you? You think that because you consider yourself some sort of Potions master that you can run willy-nilly creating whatever you'd like? You must first prove yourself before I let you roam free in here."

She motioned to her Burn Paste. "Did you want to examine my work, Severus?"

He glared at her before looking into her cauldron. The remaining dregs of paste clung to the sides and bottom of it. He dipped his finger into it and rubbed it between his fingers. He brought it to his nose and sniffed it.

"Satisfactory," he muttered.

"My Severus always said my Burn paste was better than his."

"Well, I'm not your Severus, am I?" he sneered.

Her face fell. Severus felt a twinge in his heart. He chased it away.

"No... no, you're not," she said finally, tears welling up in her eyes.

Wonderful, Git, you've made her cry.

His look softened. "Granger... Hermione..." He paused for a long while, just looking into her sad eyes. Clearing his throat, he finally found his voice. "Thank you for your help."

Turning, he stalked back to his cauldron without another word. He added chopped salamander parts and took his stirrer and began once again to stir. He was so absorbed, he didn't notice Hermione come up right beside him.

"Where did you get that stirrer?" she asked.

He started at her closeness and turned to glare at her. He then looked to his stirrer. It was made of crystal, the end carved into a cobra's head. He smirked at it.

"A friend gave it to me."

"Who?"

"No one you know..."

"My Severus would never tell me who gave me his either. It was someone special, though. I could tell. I wonder if it was the same person."

Severus regarded her carefully. She seemed to be sincere.

"You said he didn't have a thing for Lily."

Hermione met his eyes. "No, he didn't."

"Then his probably came from someone else."

"Lily gave that to you?" Hermione asked, looking slightly amazed. "I thought you two had a falling out."

"She gave this to me right afterward. She said she'd bought it for my birthday, but since we were no longer friends, she just gave it to me. It has always brought mixed feelings when I think about its origins."

"Does it make you sad when you use it?"

Severus gave Hermione a sideways glance before his gaze returned to the rod.

"Sometimes," he sighed. "I wish it had come to me under different circumstances, but the thought that Lily once cared for me enough to give me such a gift is... comforting."

Realizing he'd said more than he'd wished, he placed the rod down on the table. The silly thing was making him sentimental and loosening his lips. He turned to Hermione.

"I suppose that you could brew a transfiguring antidote, if you'd like."

He immediately regretted his words because the smile on Hermione's face was too much for him to bear. His heart leapt uncontrollably that she could bestow him with such a look. Then he regretted that she didn't look at him like that all the time. He watched her as she scurried over to the supplies closet and got what she needed. He was going soft, that was the only reasonable answer. Why else would a smile from that woman make his heart leap into his throat?