Repaying The Life Debt Chapter 9: Her Eighth Week

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Her Eighth Week

Chapter 9 of 21

Hermione makes an assumption regarding Severus’ potion directions based on certain elements, and tries an unexpected experiment in his lab that produces a surprising result, which truly impresses him.

This is my response for the Dictionary Drabbles Fun Challenge for May 17.

General Drabble/100-Word Alternate Universe Epilogue What Epilogue? Potions Under Duress 24,381 Words 21 Chapters Complete

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May 17

He'd always prided himself on his acumen ability to determine others' motives and predict what their reactions would be. It was a talent that had saved his life countless of times. However, Ms. Granger frequently stumped him, frequently doing or saying the exact opposite of what he expected. "I truly hate to cavil about a single omission in your research, but I truly expected better coming from you," Severus sneered, thrusting the parchment back at her.

"Please don't take umbrage with me!" Hermione pleaded, obviously feeling ashamed at the results of her potion. "I resent the implication that I have not followed your every direction, your every annotation to the upmost of my ability! I just thought that this would work." She looked completely contrite, and her remorse of her actions was genuine, still the results could have been disastrous.

"It is my job as your master to fetter you and to oversee your work and research," Severus stated firmly, reminding her of her position as his apprentice, watching her shoulders sag slightly under his chastisement. "If you wish to be an apprentice to me, expect to be exposed to that which you lacked in school. And believe me, your education was lacking since I could not set individual assignments based upon individual levels of abilities."

"I never felt that your instruction was lacking," she said earnestly.

Severus chose to ignore the compliment, even though he knew she truly meant it. Still he knew that she had been insignificantly challenged under his instruction simply because most of her classmates were complete incompetents, Longbottom being a prime example, not to mention Potter. "So without becoming truly latitudinarian about your experimentation, would you please explain to me why in Merlin's name you chose to exchange the cauldrons?" he asked.

"I just thought, however obviously erroneously, that by choosing a silver cauldron over a pewter one, it would enhance the mercury in the potion and thus concoct a stronger protective material for the... Whatever you intend to do with this," Hermione explained as she picked up his quill. "My father uses a mercury and silver based alloy in dental fillings. So I just assumed with the similar elements in your mixture it might have worked out the same." She wrote a quick chemical formula on the margin of her parchment and handed it back to him. "He was a dentist, sir, and he had explained to me how fillings were made and told me about the alloy. I think he expected me to follow in his footsteps... However, the elements in your potion are the same, minus the silver."

Severus knew what fillings were. He had four since his father had insisted on taking him to a dentist rather than allow his mum to take him to a Healer to check his teeth when he'd had a toothache. Yes, the elements were the same, but the subtle interaction of the ingredients in a cauldron reacted differently than in test tubes, or so he'd thought. He hated to admit it, but the error opened up a range of questions and ideas he hadn't thought of before. "This potion is supposed to be subfusc at this point, not a light, iridescent hue of white!"

Hermione had placed his quill down in his quill cup and turned to face him again. "If I had used a pewter cauldron it would have, I suppose! This particular mixture, however, is reacting to the silver in the cauldron..."

The complete supplication in her eyes hit him like a banshee wail. "Do not expect me to paean your praise for ignoring my directions especially when you nearly melted my size six silver cauldron," he admonished her.

"Please, sir, I'm sorry," Hermione apologized.

Severus bit back the retort he wanted to say, instead staring at her eyes, captivated by the openness he saw in them. I suppose I could fall back on the standard punishment for misconduct or wrongdoing, although knowing Ms. Granger, she'll like doing the extra research. "I expect a full summary regarding your reasoning, substantiated by evidentiary support. I also want a thorough explanation as to why the potion failed and a logical analytical rationale in regards to the reactions of your extermination. You are dismissed. I will see you again on Monday. Have your essay ready by then."

"Yes, sir," she replied, trying to fight back a smile.

Yes, of course the girl actually likes the assignment. When she'd left, Severus looked at the sample of her potion he'd scooped out earlier, noticing that the substance had thickening to a hard yet pliable shell as it cooled. She might actually be onto something here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~x~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May18

Being a spy gave Severus a sharp acumen into others' ulterior motives that few of his rivals possessed, acquired, he would say, by observation of their actions, expressions and what they said. However, the actions and mannerisms of his apprentice baffled him. Hermione continuously did far more than was required, stayed at his home longer than was necessary, and yet she displayed such a comfortable, nonchalant demeanor toward him whenever they are outside the lab. Nevertheless, her habitude toward him was almost flirtatious, if her attire was any indication.

He simply couldn't understand her choices of evening wear. The light cotton nightshirt with that deep plunging neckline did nothing to conceal her breasts, not to mention that the hemline bordered on indecent! It was barely a hand span longer than her bum, and the side slits exposed her knickers when she sat down! The damn thing was even more enticing than her silky negligee!

And then the disastrous suggestion that she should wear her school uniforms while working with him instead of her jeans and T-shirts. The uniform obviously didn't fit her anymore, but the places where it stretched... When had she developed such a figure? The damn thing was giving me ideas no student had ever elicited since I was a randy teen, and I'd managed to suppress those compunctions for the female students, successfully, for over sixteen years!

But the low riding jeans and T-shirts she seemed to prefer were always too snug, and her T-shirts exposed her midriff every time she reached or something. If he was going to maintain his sanity, he was simply going to have to insist that she wear properly fitting, modest attire when downstairs, especially when they were together in the lab and sitting room!

If it weren't for the exemplary results of her potions, her proficient attention to detail, her ability of following his directions exactly and the fact that she was starting to extend herself into the realms of experimentation, he'd have terminated this arrangement weeks ago. But the girl was finally showing the promise of the true scope of her intelligence and just beginning to trust in her instincts rather than blindly follow the directions of every insipid book. She was finally becoming the witch he knew she could be, and the realization daunted him on those rare occasions when he was lying in bed contemplating the continuation of her apprenticeship. The truth was, he was loath to let her go, but he was losing sleep thinking about her. In fact, Hermione no, Ms. Granger was becoming an enigma he just couldn't get out of his head.

~TBC~

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Authors Notes:

Thank you, Southern_Witch_69, for not only agreeing to beta each one of my drabbles in this saga, but for also giving us the list of vocabulary words so I can play with them! I'm really having a fun time seeing just how creative I can be with this!

The word list (swiped from the past week's list from dictonary.com):

1. acumen

2. cavil

3. umbrage

4. fetter

5. paean

6. subfusc

7. latitudinarian

-------- Words with definitions -----------

acumen \uh-KYOO-muhn; AK-yuh-muhn\ , noun:

Quickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight.

------------ ---

cavil \KAV-uhl\, intransitive verb:

1. To raise trivial or frivolous objections; to find fault without good reason.

2. To raise trivial objections to.

3. A trivial or frivolous objection.

------------ -----

umbrage \UHM-brij\, noun:

1. Shade; shadow; hence, something that affords a shade, as a screen of trees or foliage.

2. A vague or indistinct indication or suggestion; a hint.

3. Reason for doubt; suspicion.

4. Suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment.

------------ ----

fetter \FET-uhr\, noun:

1. A chain or shackle for the feet; a bond; a shackle.

2. Anything that confines or restrains; a restraint.

3. To put fetters upon; to shackle or confine.

4. To restrain from progress or action; to impose restraints on; to confine.

------------ ------

paean \PEE-uhn\, noun:

1. A joyous song of praise, triumph, or thanksgiving.

2. An expression of praise or joy.

------------ --------

subfusc \sub-FUHSK\, adjective:

Dark or dull in color; drab, dusky.

------------ -

latitudinarian \lat-uh-too- din-AIR-ee- un; -tyoo-\, adjective:

1. Having or expressing broad and tolerant views, especially in religious matters.

2. A person who is broad-minded and tolerant; one who displays freedom in thinking, especially in religious matters.

3. [Often capitalized] A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II, who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed.

Check in the reveiws. I have a prezzie for the first one I answer!

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Latest 25 Reviews for Repaying The Life Debt

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Shadow

I really enjoyed this story. You have a real gift for taking those words and weaving them into your plot seamlessly. Well done.