Changing Destiny

Fifty-Three: Quiet Lab Time

Younger Hermione

After Aunt Hermione put Sebastian to bed, and Snape and her had their private time with their baby, Hermione felt like doing anything but talk through her feelings. Sirius was carousing with random witches at whereever, and Remus Lupin was dealing with werewolf clan business, although she suspected that he was getting laid as well. Rose and future Sebastian were on some kind of assignment, but that it had to do with adult stuff none of the adults in the house thought she and Harry were ready to deal with yet.

She was wearing a pair of dark blue pajamas with the little bronze Ravenclaw hawk embroidered on her left lapel. She needed ice cream, fast, and what better flavor to help get over her first ever break up than Rocky Road. She prepared it, and heard movement upstairs that sounded suspiciously like someone getting laid. Was it her Aunt and Uncle? Was it Harry? Yes, it had to be Harry sneaking either Daphne or Cedric into the house, she decided.

She brought her ice cream into the living room, and found The Notebook in the DVD library, and tried to focus on the movie, instead of her own screwed up love life. She was halfway done with Noah and Allie rekindling their romance underneath the rain when Severus cleared his throat.

She quickly paused the movie. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry if it's too loud. I can always turn it down if you like."

He shook his head, choosing to sit in the theater chair next to her. "I do still find it intriguing that we have films in this house that won't be released for quite a few years, and not on a muggle tape."

Hermione smirked. "Yeah. I guess I'm a sucker for punishment, though. What are you doing in the lab?"

He grinned. "Let me show you."

"Okay. Let me take this out first."

Hermione put everything back, and rinsed out her bowl, and spoon to put in one of the dishwashers. Her Aunt asserted that they may be magical, but she was damned if she wasn't going to keep some muggle creature comforts like electricity and modern appliances. She followed her "Uncle," downstairs, and he began pulling down ingredients to make anti nauseam potion. They set to work, and it was actually kind of therapeutic in a way.

"You know, when this is not being graded, the process is actually a bit therapeutic," She commented.

He began stirring the cauldron, nodding to himself. "Yes. I find the process of potion creation fascinating still, but it is one of the few skills I have that relaxes me when I need a moment of contemplation."

"Then why don't you teach that way?"

His eyes met hers. He sighed, cutting up the ingredients necessary for the potion, and putting them in. "Merlin forbid that the students see that the so called Dungeon Bat of Hogwarts reveals human fallible qualities."

Hermione laughed. He did as well. She took over stirring the cauldron counter clockwise until the potion shimmered red. "Here. You need to stir it six more times clockwise now..like this."

He wrapped an arm around her waist, and put his hand over hers to stir it in the correct way. She fought the urge to gasp at the sudden intimacy of being held by him. The potion became a dark red, almost the color of blood, and he turned off the burner, and waved his wand over the potion to seal in the magic.

"I...Um...You're still holding me."

He slowly let her go, his gaze holding hers. "I...sorry. Let me clean and package this up, and we will talk...that is, if you are not too tired."