WARNING: This story will contain Themes and Topics of a Sensitive Nature! If you are not 18 or older, this Fan-Fiction is not for you! You have been warned!
Hermione fought back tears as she hugged her two best friends, Harry and Ron, goodbye. The three of them had grown very close to one another through their years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They were, in fact, so close that they had made a blood bond with each other the night of their graduation, to always stay friends. No matter what.
They had spent the next year closed up in the library at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place looking over journals and Pensieve memories that Dumbledore had left Harry to help him in his search for the remaining four Horcruxes. Now finally, after painstakingly putting together the pieces that Dumbledore had left them, they had a vague idea of where the last pieces of Voldemort's soul were hidden. Once they were confident that they knew where to look, they called together an Order meeting to discuss their departure. Right away it was deemed important that Hermione stay behind, as much as all three of them wanted her to go. But the research was done, and Hermione was needed at Headquarters.
It was important for her to stay, much to someone else's utter annoyance, so that she could be trained efficiently in the art of potion making. Severus Snape was the only person who currently provided all the important potions that kept the Order itself going, the Wolfsbane potion for Remus Lupin, their resident werewolf, being the most important. They all knew that with her skill and drive she was the best person for the job. Though Severus Snape wouldn't admit it, she had a gift with the "subtle art of potion making". It was just the smart thing to do to have two well-mastered potion experts, instead of just one who, at that, could very easily be killed by his own "job" for the Order. He was their only spy—their "in" with the Death Eater ranks—and, more importantly, one of Voldemort's top men. One of only three who Voldemort trusted without fail.
So it was with heavy hearts that Hermione, Ron, and Harry parted on this night. It was decided that for their safety on the journey, they would send only brief, non-descript notes each time they found a Horcrux; just a simple word to let those who remained behind know things were going well.
VICTORY.
They were only to contact the Order or come home if they were found by the Death Eaters, or severely hurt. They were now well trained in basic Healer spells, so they could take care of themselves if their injuries were not life-threatening. Hermione held her two blood brothers, her two best friends, in a fierce grip; they hugged her just as strongly.
"You guys remember all your Healing spells? Do you have all your supplies? You promise to be careful, right? Promise you won't do anything stupid! Please?" she asked them, with a notable tremble in her voice. Ron and Harry grinned lightly at each other over her shoulders.
"'Mione, I promise we'll be careful. We do realise how serious this is. It's not one of those dangerous adventures from our school days. You helped us plan this carefully—how could we possible do something stupid when it's all laid out for us?" Ron replied, trying to keep the tears from overcoming his own eyes. He never talked about it, but he still had feelings for her, deeper feelings than their blood bond. He, like Harry, had been afraid to "get into" anything with the doom of the war hanging over their heads, circling ever closer. He promised himself that if they lived through the final battle, he would throw caution and fear to the wind and pursue her. But for now he kept his feelings to himself. He didn't even know if she felt the same, but that was something he could worry about later.
"Ron's right, Hermione. You planned this whole thing; this isn't like those other 'adventures' we had. We know what we're getting into, at least in a general sense. We've trained for this. We'll be careful, I promise," Harry said as they dropped their arms from the hug and looked at each other. They were all silent for a moment; then, knowing they had to leave, they held out their right hands, the ones they had used to seal their blood bond, and shook in an awkward three-handed shake. After giving each other one last rather watery look, Harry tapped his wand on the Muggle soda can and said, "Portus!" and once Ron placed his own finger on the can, they were gone.
Three long months later, after having just received a note—the first—that stated a simple "Victory", Hermione found herself smiling as she made her way into the room that was their HQ potions lab. It was a very secure room, accessed through a hidden door in the library. Hermione knew that Severus Snape was there at the moment, and she looked forward to a hopefully uninterrupted lesson. Often he left her suddenly, when his Dark Mark burned, leaving her frustrated at the interrupted lesson but understanding of the reason. As she came into the room, quietly as previously instructed, she went straight to her very own desk. She grabbed the hair clip that was placed next to her ink bottle, and started with the arduous task of pulling her very full (often described as bushy) and curly hair into a bun so that it was out of the way. She slipped the protective Dragonhide apron on, pocketing the matching gloves.
Severus Snape didn't look up when he heard her enter the room. He knew she would not dare disturb him until she was properly ready to begin her lesson. The first, very awkward day of her Apprenticeship, he had lectured her thoroughly but simply on what he expected of her. Ever the diligent and eager student, she remembered his words immediately. Honestly, though, coming from Severus Snape, who could forget his words?
Miss Granger, I want you to know that it pains me to have to suffer your presence, when I was under the impression that I was rid of you in a teacher-student capacity. Though I admit it is important to have someone else taught the mastery of potions for the Order, do not flatter yourself by thinking you are my first choice for my Apprentice. You are simply the only person who is trustworthy and available. So listen closely, because I will tolerate nothing less than perfection and obedience. When you come into this lab, you will do so without noise. You will find a way to keep that bushy nonsense you call hair out of your face. We don't want it contaminating anything. You will put on the proper protective gear—this Dragonhide apron and these gloves. Once you are sure you are ready, you may approach me. But don't speak until I acknowledge your presence. Do you understand and agree to these terms? He had said all of that with a glare in his eyes, and the occasional smirk thrown in for good measure whenever he was happily able to insult her in some way.
She had been aching to reach into her robes for her wand and hex his oversized nose off, but she restrained herself. So, with a personal goal of not letting his words of insult "hit home", she diligently followed his rules and his teachings. He was secretly excited about teaching someone who actually wanted to learn; someone who had that special spark in their eye as they learned something new about potion making. And even though she had perfected every potion she had been taught thus far, on the first try every time no less, he refused to let it go to her "already big head", as he saw it. The hardest part for most people, when it came to potions, was that they never took the time to learn about each individual herb or ingredient. That was where the painstaking mastery of potions took place. You had to really know the ingredients inside out, and how they reacted with each other. You had to know their properties, how they worked, so that you would know when to add them together in the perfect sequence, and what ingredients together would achieve the effect you sought. This detailed part of potions was something his students had barely tapped into in their N.E.W.T year, but Hermione dove into the subject with happy abandon.
On her off-time she could be found with her nose in extensive potions books like Intricacies of Potion Properties. She would read each book at least twice, determined to remember them word for word, to make sure that she truly understood them. She of course wanted that knowledge to be second nature to her, like it was for Severus Snape. Deep down, she vowed to outdo him one day, just to spite him for his "inaugural" speech.
So Hermione stood there patiently for nearly twenty minutes before Severus finally decided to acknowledge her presence. With a very brief glance, ignoring her irritating smile, he said, "I'm afraid there will be no normal lesson today. I'm due to be called away any time now. I wish for you to make these batches of the basic Healing potions, as we're running low on them," he stated as he handed her a list. He continued, "After you're finished I want you to take stock of the stores. We're running low on several ingredients and you'll need to stock up at the apothecary before I return. You know which ingredients to put on my own list. I'll harvest those as soon as I return, if I'm able. I'm not sure what sort of 'mission' I'll be on after this meeting. You'll have to make do with what's there as far as those ingredients go. Though I'm sure you won't need them, since they're generally only used in potions that you are not skilled enough to master as yet," he explained. Turning on his heel, he strode over to his desk to continue with his work.
She followed him, curiosity finally taking hold of her. "Pro—Severus, when are you going to tell me your locations for those types of ingredients? Surely a vital lesson in potion making is to learn how to correctly harvest and collect the ingredients. You've mentioned briefly that you would teach me these techniques. I know you can't do so tonight, but I feel it's important for me to learn this. I believe I'm learning quite fast, and I should think very soon I would be brewing those complicated potions. Shouldn't we start the harvesting lessons, then?" she inquired cautiously.
Severus was tempted to whip his wand out with a hasty "Silencio," but thought better of it. Turning to face her, he replied stiffly, "Do not presume to imagine yourself capable of such tasks just yet, Miss Granger. You still have a lot to learn before I consider wasting my time teaching you those steps. I also don't have time to traipse about the countryside and the mountains with you at present, for it will take a considerable amount of time. I will have to arrange the timing carefully so that we are not followed and I won't be killed for being absent from the Dark Lord's presence when he summons me. It's very dangerous and will have to be planned down to the finest detail. Now kindly turn around and get to work!" He ended his speech with a deadly glare that had her obeying, at least for the moment. Hermione knew that he was right, about the dangerous part of it anyway. She was ready for this step, though; he knew it too. Severus went back to work at his desk, unaware of the plan forming in her determined mind.
Hermione's "responsible" side kicked in as she started working on the basic Healing potions he had requested. She knew it would be difficult to make time for the harvesting lessons, but she also knew—as did he—that it was important for her to learn everything she could as quickly and thoroughly as possible. It was an unspoken fear of everyone at HQ that whenever Severus left the house, it was very possible that he might not return. As she was thinking this over in her head, she wondered what she could do to learn the harvesting techniques on her own. It would be smart to have a plan ready if the worst did happen and he didn't return. She contemplated her options as she worked, brewing the potions on his list. The most difficult part of harvesting is actually finding the ingredients in the wild. Generally, Masters comb the countryside for their "spots" where a particular climate is known for certain ingredients. That would take too much time; I need to find some places soon, she thought as she stirred the required number of times for her burn-healing paste. If I could find out the locations he goes to, it would save me all that time! But he would never tell me, or let me go alone, she thought, frustrated. Part of her frustration with Severus Snape was due to his treatment of her. He wasn't any more cruel or harsh then he had been as her professor. That was the problem; they were not merely student and teacher any more. Usually when one took an apprenticeship it was important for master and apprentice to view each other as equals, but Severus refused to take that step of trust and civility with her. Suddenly she heard the tell-tale hiss from Severus as he clutched his left arm.
His Dark "Master" was calling.
She watched him as he gathered himself together, slipping his Death Eater robe on and pocketing his mask. As he swept past her he glanced at her briefly to acknowledge her usual "Good luck," and with a nod, he left the lab. Hermione had almost called out to him because he forgot to give her his usual last-minute instructions. She sighed and let it go, though, figuring he must not have anything major he needed her to accomplish if he hadn't said anything. She finished the list of basic potions he had set her, took off her Dragonhide apron and gloves, and retrieved the two ingredient lists so she could take stock of their stores. She carefully measured those that appeared low to estimate how long they would last. It was important, in case the apothecary himself was low on any of the needed supplies, to know what was most urgently needed.
When she was done with her list and Severus's "special" list, she approached his desk to place his list in the tray. She was about to walk away when his journal caught her eye. She knew from brief, unnoticed glances she had stolen out of curiosity, that this book contained recipes for potions he had created himself and for those he was still researching. She had asked him about it once and been told to "mind her own bloody business". Now, in Severus's absence, her curiosity got the better of her. Usually he never failed to properly store and ward his journal, but he had been so distracted by this summons that for once he'd actually forgot. For a moment she felt a tremor of fear pass through her, wondering whether his state of mind could be ready for this meeting if he had forgot such a simple task.
Shaking away the feeling, she reasoned that he was well versed in his role as Death Eater and would not be so careless when in the face of real danger. She picked up the journal cautiously as she sat down in his chair to peek at it. She told herself that a quick peek would cause no harm, that after she had accomplished much of her training as his apprentice he would bring her into the fold of these creations anyway, as another learning experience. She gasped in awe as she turned the pages slowly, a feeling of deep admiration swelling inside her as she looked over the complicated and ingenious potions. She slowed down as she reached the back of the journal, where his main research and basic data seemed to reside. Suddenly her eyes lit up as she registered the meaning of one page. There was no mistaking the detailed directions and maps drawn there, depicted with codes—it showed the locations of his secret harvest grounds. Without thinking twice she pulled a spare piece of parchment off his desk and laid it next to the journal. With a determined "Copia!" she copied the page's directions and maps onto the blank parchment.
She carefully closed the journal and placed it as close as possible to the exact position it was in before she had opened it. She folded up her map and quietly retreated to her room. She had some planning to do, because once she knew how long Severus would be gone, she would take her trip to the apothecary shop in Diagon Alley for ingredients. She would also take a little detour on the way home, but first she needed to brush up on the basics of harvesting from her ever-handy books.
A/N: I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! does happy dance I'm so happy to finally post this story. I really hope you guys will like it. shifts feet nervously I will be posting the second chapter tomorow! Please READ AND REVIEW!!