***Chapter Eleven***
April 2005

He was … dare he think it … happy. He wasn't sure if he'd go so far as to say he felt content. However, for the first time ever in his existence, be it the real or fictional version, all aspects of his life seemed to be pointing him in the right direction.

Hermione had … forgiven him.

It wasn't that he was trying to be pushy. Despite his age, and their age difference, he understood that adding sex into the equation when other things (not just where Hermione was concerned either) were still in process was perhaps not the wisest path to take. That didn't mean he didn't want the intimacy with her. It was a difficult line to toe.

Honestly, he was fairly certain the naps they shared in their puma forms was the most intimacy he'd ever experienced in his life. In those forms, she allowed him to be the protector. She rarely placed herself away from his abdominal area, as if she knew even in that form, he would want to keep her safe.

She had since then changed back into her human form more than once so that they could rest together.

It was a start, and a compromise. She wasn't ready to spend the night. He couldn't blame her. This was an odd situation. So, she was letting him know that she wanted to be with him.

He forgave her for her overreaction, and earmarked not showing up on her doorstep before eight o'clock in the morning unplanned again anytime soon.

The communication, though, was heady. She'd come, Crookshanks accompanying her, and they'd gone over what they both felt after that morning. There was no yelling, on either of their parts. There was no fear he or she would walk out. At least he presumed she didn't hold that fear. He'd never truly know.

Harry sent him home with copies of everything he had on the wolfsbane potion issues. It wasn't a huge amount of werewolves reporting any problems, but even one was concerning. He'd studied and made notes, creating ideas as he went. She helped sometimes, but since the documents were at his place there were times he reviewed them without her presence.

That led him to where he was now.

That happiness he'd gained could change tonight. It was a chance he had to take. He couldn't walk away from this. What kind of man would he be, knowing he had the skills to at least try to solve the problem?

He was currently pacing Hermione's kitchen. Oh, he wasn't being deliberate about it, but Harry and Hermione both knew what he was doing.

He was nervous.

Merlin.

He couldn't recall being this nervous in a long time. Caring was new to him. Showing he cared was an even fresher experience.

The doorbell rang causing him to stop pacing, and two sets of eyes were focused on him.

"It's your home. Shouldn't you be the one answering the door?"

She slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest before lifting her head and kissing his jaw. "Just making sure…"

"I am sure. Neither of you are forcing my hand in this."

Hermione nodded then as she stepped away from him before leaving the kitchen to answer the door. Judging by the voice that followed the opening of the front door, the Minister for Magic had arrived.

Oh.

Two voices.

So the headmistress had accompanied him.

Good. Two birds with one stone. It would save having to go through this explanation, and revealing himself, twice.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"You are certain?" Left unsaid was he was asking Harry if he was certain revealing himself wouldn't lead to him ending up in Azkaban.

"Well, yes, I'm pretty sure they'll take you on whatever terms you present."

"Okay, then I'm ready."

He nodded his head, allowing Harry to go out first. He was going to inform Minerva and Kingsley that he and Hermione had come up with an idea regarding the wolfsbane potion issue. He waited an appropriate amount of time to give the four to talk so the chit chat was out of the way before he entered the room.

He sort of wished he had a camera so that he could capture the looks on Minerva and Kingsley's faces when he walked through the door leading from Hermione's kitchen.

"Headmistress," he said with a bow of his head toward Minerva before repeating the gesture and "Minister."

Silence. He was pretty sure he'd well and truly shocked them.

"All right. So, since no one else is saying anything."

Still silence.

"I will research your wolfsbane potion issue, under a few conditions."

Hmm. Now he was starting to get a bit of a complex.

"First and foremost, my name. My given name, is to be kept out of this. Hermione indicated that Susan Bones is employed in the muggle world as a phlebotomist. I would like to enlist her services. Since she's magical, we don't have to worry about the Statute. Beginning at the end of the university's term, I will spend what time I can in my personal lab at Hogwarts. I presume it's still unbreached."

Minerva said nothing, but the moment of irritation visible in her eyes accompanied by her lips thinning to almost being invisible told him that he presumed correctly. There was nothing wrong with his wards.

"I do have a regular job, so I cannot guarantee a set number of hours daily, but as I am able, this will have my focus. I will try to make as much time as I can between now and the end of the term, however, I'm hoping this time will be mostly spent by Harry and Hermione collecting information."

"With my lab, my permission to apparate into Hogwarts will need to be reinstated. Hermione and Harry will conduct the interviews for me. Those can be conducted anywhere they wish to. Miss Bones will draw each person's blood who is experiencing these possible adverse reactions. I would like at least ten test subjects who do not appear to be having an adverse reaction at this time. Their blood will need to be drawn, too. No one will know I am the one reviewing their responses or blood. The four of you, no one else."

"But Severus," Minerva said.

"And that includes Albus, Minerva. Though he already suspects from what Hermione says. He doesn't know for certain, and I prefer to keep it that way for the time being."

He gave them a few minutes to process.

"Any questions?"

"I'd love to say no," the Minister for Magic said, "but I'm not really in a position to do that. This could be dangerous. We're fortunate Miss Brown wants to be rehabilitated."

"Very well. You can hash out whatever details you need to with Harry. He can fill me in on when I can start. That will give me time to get my muggle affairs in order, so that I have as few interruptions as possible when I begin."

"Severus, you can't just…"

"I can, and I will. I am, last I checked, a potions master. You have an issue with an important potion. I was one of the few with permission to brew said potion. I am also one of less than a few of those few permitted to brew it with an affinity for going beyond the tried and true steps for a potion. I can't stand back while people are hurting or being harmed. That doesn't mean that Severus Snape will be returning. Hermione and Harry both know where to find me if needed in between my time in my lab at Hogwarts."

"We'll have to work out how to pay you," Kingsley said.

"I'm not doing this with the expectation of compensation, however, if you feel you must, Hermione can convert any monies from wizarding to muggle for me. I can give you my muggle identification at the time of payment. Come June, you will have my undivided attention until September, which will give Harry, Hermione, and Miss Bones time to complete the interviews and blood draws."

"And between now and then?"

"Well, it's been nearly eight years since I've had the need for my lab. I will need time to get it clean and properly stocked for my research. Around my current position's responsibilities. Again, Hermione and Harry can get me what I need for that."

She wasn't … pleased, but what could she say? No? She could, but she wouldn't do that.

"You can let Harry know when my apparition abilities have been reinstated. Once they have been, I will begin working on getting my lab to my specifications."

"It can't take that long to clean…"

"I cannot use magic to do the cleaning! That could disrupt the potion. You all thought I had errant students scrub cauldrons to be annoying, I suppose. No, it was because I couldn't chance with any potion that even a cauldron or vial washed magically might harm the finished product. This one, though, in particular, I cannot take chances with."

A few more questions here and there and soon it was just Hermione left in the room with him.

She moved in front of him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head against his chest. He could admit he loved when she did this, as Hermione or as her puma. As Hermione, she didn't purr as she did in her puma form. She did often give content-sounding sighs that he took to be much the same as a purr.

"I'm very proud of you," she whispered.

"That's not why…"

"I know it's not why you're doing it. I don't want you to ever do anything because of me or my expectations. I can still be proud of you."

She rubbed her cheek against his chest and drew away, moving to her tiptoes to kiss him.

"You're right. Thank you." He slid his hand to her cheek, stroking it with his thumb. "You're not going to be upset that my time will be monopolized?"

"Mm, you're assuming I'm not going to help you. I'm done with my schooling in June, too, you know."

"So you are," he said. She snorted softly, no doubt aware he knew that. He drew her closer against him, responding to her kiss with a deeper one.

"So, we're alone."

"We are."

She dropped her hands into his, tugging on them a bit toward her room.

"No cats first?" he asked.

She shook her head.

He squeezed her hand a bit tighter for a second and she stopped.

"Hermione…"

"Morgana, Noah, come to my room with me. You're going to be a busy man, so get a nap in while you can."

He snorted. She wasn't wrong. He just hoped she was truly this understanding when he actually started working instead of just the idea of it.

He followed her to her bedroom without saying another word.

Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com