SURPRISE! This little plot bunny became a story in my head with fluffiness and a perverted Slughorn! I know I've been gone for a while but I've been working on original stories and songs and just following my artistic dream in general. I'll try to update more but no promises. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this NEW version of my story!
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It was 5:00 PM, and Ashlinn Lily Potter looked at the piece of parchment that had the process of brewing a very complicated potion on it. But even if she was as smart as Hermione (maybe not as eager) she knew she could not brew this without help. It would take seventy-eight hours straight and she would need her sleep. Thank goodness it was Christmas holiday and she had the time. Asking Hermione for the help would normally be an option, but seeing as she was at home with her parents for the holiday, she would have to ask someone just as smart, so that automatically excluded Harry and Ron as well.
Ashlinn's first thought was going to the current Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, for help. But then someone else came to mind, someone who had much more experience being a Potions Master, and who seemed to take brewing potions much more seriously, Professor Snape. Unlike most students, she did not cringe at the thought of his name. And not only did she bear in mind that and his potions experience, but also the fact that Professor Slughorn was endlessly talking, mostly about how she reminded him so much of his former student, Lily Evans, who also happened to be her mother along with Harry Potter's. Harry had taken his looks mostly after there father save the eyes, but Ashlinn resembled her mother in such a way that, if she hadn't had James' nose and that mix of very dark brown with her already deep red hair, people might have mistaken that Lily Evans had somehow, miraculously, come back from the dead. Yes, she definitely preferred quiet when brewing a potion. And Snape was definitely not a talkative kind of person.
That and the fact that the look in Slughorn's eyes when he looked at Lily's picture, than at her, made her extremely uncomfortable. So it was decided, Snape it was. Ashlinn got up off of the armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room and walked out of the portrait hole, ignoring Harry and Ron's questioning of her destination, and hurried to the dungeons, where the new Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was.
As she walked she happened to pass by none other than the current Potions Master himself.
"Hello, Miss Potter", Slughorn said in that cheerful voice of his, "Might I ask where you are going in such a hurry?" Ashlinn knew she couldn't tell the truth. He would undoubtedly ask why she hadn't gone to him for help instead, and she did not want to tell him her reasoning.
"I seem to be having trouble performing a defensive spell, so I am going to Professor Snape's classroom," she said. Slughorn gasped jokingly.
"Ashlinn Potter, flesh and blood of Lily Evans, has trouble in a class? Never!"
There he went, comparing her to her mother again, and there went that look in his eyes that made Ashlinn want to run from him right then and there, but she kept her composure.
"Well, I really must be going now, Professor, nice to see you," she said.
"And a pleasure to see you to, my dear," boomed Slughorn, "Feel free to come by anytime during the holiday if you may need potions advice."
"Thank you for the offer, sir," Ashlinn said as they continued their separate ways, she could have sworn that he glanced back, but she paid no mind. She continued to walk until she reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She entered the classroom and went to the back of the room where Snape's office was. She knocked on the wooden door, very much hoping that Snape would be there.
"Enter", the silky voice said from behind the door, much to her relief. She opened the door and stepped in. The office was, not to her surprise, lined with potions ingredients. He was grading (failing) essays as she had seen him do so many times before. After he had written a low score on the essay he was currently grading, he dropped his quill back into its ink bottle and looked at her, his eyebrow raising and the slightest sneer forming on his face.
"What is it, Miss Potter," he asked in his usual sneering voice.
"Sir, I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you," she said. His eyebrow rose.
"And what might that favor be, Miss Potter?"
"Well, you see, I was looking over a process to brew a very complicated potion. But the thing is, it takes very long to brew, and I need some help. I was wondering if you were willing to help me with this potion," she said. His eyebrow rose even higher, higher than Ashlinn thought possible.
"Might I ask why you didn't go to Professor Slughorn for this particular task?" he asked, sneering.
"Well…you see.."
"Spit it out, girl!" Ashlinn jumped slightly at his sudden sharpness.
"Well, to be honest, Professor Slughorn, though he is a good teacher, he spends most of his time talking about how much I remind him of my mother, and by now I get the message. I often wonder if he forgets that I am not my mother."
"While I do not dwell on it, Miss Potter, I must agree with Slughorn. You do look very much like your mother," Snape said, crossing his arms and smirking at the shocked expression Ashlinn couldn't help but let plaster itself on her face.
"You…knew my mum?" she asked. Snape rolled his eyes.
"You may remember that Remus and Sirius knew Lily Evans while they went to school here, Miss Potter," he said, putting unnecessary venom into the names, "And you may remember certain memories of mine that you saw of me in school, where I was in the same year as them, and I happened to know your mother as well." He leaned back in his chair, clearly done talking about the subject. Ashlinn remembered guiltily how she had tried to stop Harry from going into the Pensieve, but he grabbed on to her arm before he dove, and she had been forced to follow. Snape spoke again.
"Might I ask the purpose of this potion you are asking for help on?"
Ashlinn had almost forgotten about the potion. She was more focused on her shock that Snape had known her mother. But she quickly regained her composure.
"Yes, sir," she said as she took out the parchment baring the process of making the potion, "This potion is meant to help relieve stress without the effects of a drug. It works well with meditation as it is meant to help one concentrate on relaxing thoughts."
"Ah yes, the Relaxation Aid potion, or as most dunderheads would call it, Meditation in a Bottle. Why do you need such a potion, Miss Potter?" he asked his sneer replaced by a thoughtful look that Ashlinn had never seen.
"It's Harry, sir. He is snapping more than usual and I thought this might help him. I think it may be the extra homework along with…Sirius" She had barely spoken her godfather's name since his untimely death, but she was able to handle the stress a little more than Harry, due to her daily meditation. Harry was stubborn and refused to meditate with her, but he could at least take the potion. Snape sighed.
"Are you aware that this particular potion takes three days straight to brew, Miss Potter?"
"Yes, sir."
"Am I correct to assume that you are asking for help purely because of the length of time rather than your actual potion making abilities?"
"…Yes, sir." Snape sighed again, leaning back in his chair and seeming to consider it. Finally, he spoke.
"Very well. I will help you with this potion."
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Miss Potter smiled a great smile, her green eyes, Lily's green eyes, twinkling. Snape's heart lurched. Though he did not verbally announce it, he was very reminded of Lily's compassion and loving character when he saw Miss Potter. Lily had definitely passed her love to her daughter.
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Ashlinn practically jumped up and down in excitement. Snape had actually agreed to help her. She could finally help Harry. but she kept her composure though her smile still remained on her face.
"What time shall we begin, sir?" she asked.
"Tomorrow at 6:00 AM. You can brew it during the day with my help and I will take over at nights," he said.
"But sir, don't you need sleep?"
"I will have you know that I have stayed up for a week straight before and not felt the slightest bit tired, Miss Potter, and I am willing to sacrifice three days as that will be as long as it takes to grade these essays anyway," he said sarcastically. Ashlinn could have hugged him, despite what anyone would think.
"Now, go and get a good night's sleep. You are to report here exactly at the time I have told you," he said. Ashlinn nodded and practically skipped towards the door. But before she stepped out she looked back.
"Professor?" He sighed.
"Yes, Miss Potter?"
"Thank you," she said before leaving.
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As Snape slept that night, he had the same dream he had been having for years. Nothing happened but a picture of Lily's face, laughing, smiling, and calling him by his nickname, Sev. His eyes shot open and he felt wetness on his cheeks. Oh, how he missed Lily Evans.
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Ashlinn woke up at 5:30 the next morning and immediately sprang out of bed, though quietly, as to not wake the other girls that were still at Hogwarts for Christmas. She opened her trunk and pulled out a honey brown sweater and some navy blue jeans. She tucked her wand in her pocket and grabbed her book bag. As she climbed out of the portrait hole she twisted her long hair in a loose bun secured with a clip. She walked to the dungeons as fast as she could and made it just on time. At precisely 6:00 she knocked on the door.
"Enter", Snape said from within. Ashlinn opened the door and stepped in, finding that Snape had laid out a large cauldron and some of the basic ingredients for every potion. He was leaning against his desk with his arms crossed. He had forgone his trademark billowing robes for the same frock coat that he had worn while demonstrating a duel with Gilderoy Lockhart (and thoroughly kicking his conceited arse across the platform) in second year. All in all, Snape looked more casual than Ashlinn could ever have imagined.
"Well, I see that you are on time," he said as he stood up straight and walked over to the cauldron, motioning with his hand for her to go too, "I have all the basic ingredients, but you will need to find the specific ingredients in the student supply room. If it happens that you can not find what you need in there, tell me and we can look in my stores," he said as he made a small gesture to a door in the back of the room, "We will have to eat meals here." Ashlinn nodded and found a space to put her book bag so it would be out of the way.
"I really do appreciate this, sir," she said. Snape grunted.
"I am merely doing this because I find the holidays lacking of anything to do, Miss Potter," he said as he busied himself with making sure the cauldron had no dust that might cause an explosion. Ashlinn did not pay mind to his comment. Six years of being at Hogwarts had taught her that that was as close as Snape would come to saying, "Your welcome." She went to the student storerooms to look for the crushed unicorn hoof trimmings (from a unicorn that had been discovered dead due to natural causes, of course), frog eyes, sloth fur, and lacewing flies. The only ingredient missing from the student storerooms was rose petals, as Snape's assigned potions did not require them at any time. She stepped out of the storerooms and laid the ingredients out on the table where Snape had been waiting.
"Did you find all of the ingredients, Miss Potter?" he asked.
"Most of them, sir. The only ingredient left is rose petals," she replied. Snape nodded and waved his hand toward his personal storeroom. Ashlinn heard a click come from the door.
"You may look in there," he said, "I believe they are stored on the third shelf, you may need to use the ladder." Ashlinn nodded and mumbled a quick thank you before walking into the much smaller storeroom. Snape had been right about the location of the petals, and the fact that she had to use the ladder to get to them. She rushed back out with the petals to find Snape, once again, leaning against his desk. But this time he was looking at a piece of parchment. From Ashlinn's point of view she could see something in the parchment move, and that let her know that it was a picture, though she could not see the small details. She walked to the cauldron and placed the petals next to the other ingredients, and looked up to see Snape hurriedly tucking the picture into a drawer in his desk.
They barely spoke as they made the potion, except for the occasional "This is the next ingredient" or "Remember to keep count of how many times you stir it, Miss Potter" from Snape. When breakfast time had approached, Winkie had brought Ashlinn some scrambled eggs and sausage while Snape a simple piece of toast. Ashlinn knew better than to ask the reason he had such a measly breakfast, knowing that he did not like personal questions. That intelligence brought a question to her mind while she stirred the potion after her meal: Why would Snape have told her anything about his years at Hogwarts? She already knew from Occlumency lessons in fifth year that he had not been the most popular boy in school, and Lily had defended him against James' onslaught, but she had assumed that he had not known her at all and she was, in his eyes, just another person who happened to have been nice. But she simply assumed in her mind that it was because she had already seen that bit of his memory, and concentrated on stirring the potion.
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Snape rested his hand on the table as he watched Ashlinn stir the potion. She was extraordinary when it came to potions. He thought back five years ago, when she and Hermione Granger were the only two students who seemed to have looked at the instructions on the board and brewed the best potions in the class. Granger's had been almost perfect, but being the perfectionist that Snape was, he noticed that it was a small bit lighter in color than it should have been, probably the results of other students distracting her as they tried to copy her work. He had marked a point off, leaving a grumbling Hermione Granger walking out of the door at the end of the class where he handed out the grades of their first assignment. Ashlinn's, however, had been perfect to every point. She had been the only student to receive full marks on the potion. Even with the way he nitpicked at every little detail of Gryffindor potions to find something wrong, hers had been correct down to the last drop.
Now, as Snape watched Ashlinn brew the Relaxation Aid, something in his mind seemed to spark. Now, he remembered Lily, who had Double Potions with him back when he was in Hogwarts. She had been just as perfect with…everything. He remembered stealing small glances in her direction as he stirred his potion. He remembered Lily concentrating intensely on her potion, how her tongue would peep out ever so slightly from within her pink lips as she measured ingredients very precisely. He remembered Slughorn paying slightly more attention to her than the rest of the students. He hadn't missed the looks that crossed Slughorn's eyes when he looked at Lily. And Snape had most definitely not missed the fact that Slughorn's eyes were not looking at Lily's face as she got older.
Now, Snape looked at Ashlinn, and saw that young girl that he stole glances at in his own school years. Her mesmerizing green eyes shimmered as she brewed. She concentrated on her brewing as if it would save her life. She even had the same habit of poking her tongue out from between the same pink lips, which had made Snape want to capture those lips with his own back in his years at this school. He thought of Slughorn. If that bastard looked at her the same way he had looked at Lily, Snape would kill him with his bare hands. Snape sighed silently as he looked at Ashlinn. The brown/red hair that had escaped from the confines of the clip hung in her face. The honey brown sweater she wore seemed to bring out her eyes a little more. And her face was slightly red from the light heat that emitted from the potion. All in all she looked beautiful. Even her name, Ashlinn, was beautiful as he thought it in his head. And a sudden vision of himself, standing close to her, stroking her hair and losing himself in those eyes, crept into his head. Snape quickly snapped out of his thoughts.
"Gods, man! You're her Professor! What is wrong with your mind?" Snape's conscience scolded. Snape gave himself a pinch on the arm and concentrated on the potion, rather than Ashlinn.
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Time passed quickly as Ashlinn brewed the potion. Before she knew it, lunch had arrived, then dinner.
"I believe it is time that I take over, Miss Potter," said Snape, "You should go get some sleep. Come back here at the same time tomorrow morning." Ashlinn nodded and gave the potion the last stir it needed before it had to simmer for a while. Then, she handed the spoon to Snape and picked up her book bag as she walked out of the room.
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"No…No…"
"I wouldn't struggle if I were you Miss Potter".
"No…Stop!"
But no, he wouldn't stop. Every night she would beg him for mercy, but none came. Just those hands…those fat, filthy, perverted hands…
Ashlinn woke with a start. She sighed when she remembered the dream that she had been having for the past week. She knew who's hands those were, and she hated the dream with a passion.
"Just once," Ashlinn thought, "I'd like to give Voldemort and touchy fingers a rest and have a dream about unicorns and puppies."
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Author's Note: Please Review ;) Like I said, I'll try to update more, but I'm focused more on my original works.
See ya'll later ;)
-MysticMajesties01