A Sacrifice for Love

After the boys had left the classroom, Snape went to his rooms. He looked over the list and some of the information surprised him. He was also surprised at how well the questions were answered. There was a lot of information, more than he had expected. Some of it, like her favorite colors, was a pleasant revelation. He went into his private potion stores and started looking. He had a plan, he had just needed the information to implement it.


Hermione was waiting for them when they returned from detention. She had given them suspicious looks when they seemed to be cheerful until Harry explained.

“We just had to clean cauldrons and he wasn’t even there except to tell us what to do. He even said just to go when we were finished. That was one of the easiest detentions he’s ever given us.” Harry lied. He and Ron had come up with the story on the way back to the common room.

Hermione nodded, accepting their lie as the truth and then turned a fierce gaze on Ron.

“Ronald Weasley! You have some explanations to give. What are you doing with Pansy Parkinson when you are supposed to be with Lavender? You told me it was getting serious!” she said.

Harry and Ron both stared at her. Ron and Pansy had been together for a month and if Hermione had just now noticed their relationship, she had been really out of it. Ron made a face.

“I was lying when I said that. She broke up with me after the battle. She said she didn’t want to be with someone who was going to be in danger all the time, that after Voldemort, she wanted a peaceful life. She said it was be an Auror or marry her.” He admitted with distaste. Hermione nodded in understanding.

“So this thing with Pansy is serious? You aren’t just playing around?” she asked.

Ron glared at her. “I think I love her so yeah, I would say it was serious. I want to marry her but she is... still engaged to Malfoy. We haven’t figured out how to break the engagement”

Hermione nodded “That is what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. You guys make a cute couple. Well I am off to bed. I just wanted to make sure your detention wasn’t too bad with Snape.” she told them before going up stairs to her room.

When she left, Harry turned to Ron. “You didn’t tell her the rest, why not?” he asked

Ron gave Harry an incredulous look. “Tell Hermione that Lavender said I wouldn’t be able to talk to her anymore? Are you insane? This is Hermione we are talking about. She would kill her.”

Harry grinned. “Yeah I know but it would almost be worth it. C’mon, let’s go to bed.”

They went up the stairs to their room and to their own beds.


The next morning dawned bright and sunny and Hermione was in a cheerful mood for t first time in a month. She wasn’t even bothered by the fact that they had Potions that afternoon. She thought maybe she was finally getting over him.

The day went by quickly for all of them. Harry and Ron had shared the true events of their detention with Draco and Pansy. Harry thought Draco hadn’t seemed too pleased with the news but Pansy had seemed strangely proud.

That afternoon, they all walked into the Potions classroom and sat down in their normal seats. Snape entered the classroom a little later than everyone else, which didn’t give him the chance to take away points.

“Today we will be testing the truth potions you made two weeks ago. They had to simmer for two weeks and today we will find out if you succeeded with your brewing.”

The students thought he seemed a little too pleased. They wondered what he was up to. Harry and Ron exchanged glances, wondering if this was part of his plan to win Hermione back. Snape called Harry and Ron up first. They brought their potions with them.

“Now, no student will talk at all, unless I ask a question. If you break this rule you will spend the rest of the year in detention with me, not Filch, but me!” he warned. “These potions will not force you to answer, like Veritaserum does. You can hold back if you don’t want to answer. If the potion works properly and you try to lie, the truth will be admitted instead. I advise you to attempt to lie. Now, Mr. Weasley, please give Mr. Potter your bottle to try.”

The class watched as Harry examined Ron’s potion doubtfully. It was the same clear sparkly green color as Snape’s example, but one couldn’t be too sure. Ron didn’t seemed offended by the action, he knew very well how unskilled he was in potions. Harry grimaced and drank the potion. Snape waited a few minutes.

“Is your name Harry Potter?” he asked

Harry opened his mouth. “Yes, it is” he said and it seemed forced. Snape knew he had tried to lie.

“What names have you called me over the years, Mr. Potter?” Snape said silkily. Hermione, who had been watching closely, shivered. His voice...

Harry seemed to struggle within himself, then his mouth burst open and words poured out. “Greasy git, great black bat of the dungeons, ugly bastard, Death Eater, murderer, pouf-“

Snape held up his hand to stop the flow of words. He should have known not to ask that particular question. “Good potion, Mr. Weasley. I see you have learned something in my class after all.” Harry relaxed now that he knew his Potions teacher wasn’t going to blow up at him.

Snape continued the process with the rest of the class. He seemed to instinctively know which questions would embarrass the students the most. Some of them refused to answer but most attempted to lie. He saved Hermione and Draco to be tested last. He had a trick up his sleeve for him that would kill two birds with one stone, as the Muggle saying went.

When they were standing at the front of the class, their potions on his desk, he gave the painting in the back of the room a signal. Immediately the painting came to life.

“Oy Snape, I’ve never been entertained so rightly. I can’t wait to spread to news.” As Snape had expected, every eye in the classroom turned back towards the painting. The older man in the portrait waved and left. When everyone’s eyes had been turned, Snape had exchanged Draco’s potion for one of his own.

“Now everyone, remember, the person who speaks before I do, will get detention for the rest of the year.” He snarled at them, suddenly nervous. The students nodded. He tried Hermione’s potion first and as usual, it worked. Draco had refused to answer Snape’s embarrassing question. Then Draco gave Hermione his potion. Snape counted down the seconds.

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2

“Oh no!”

Snape growled and turned his focus on the person that had ruined all of his hard work, Neville Longbottom. Neville had overturned a cauldron and the liquid was eating through the table. Snape vanished the potion with a wave of his wand. He didn’t trust himself to say anything to Neville so he turned back to Hermione, determined to get his last piece of revenge. Why couldn’t anything ever go right for him?

“Hermione, is it true that you kissed Draco Malfoy at the Yule Ball in fourth year?”

She gave him a smug look, “Yes it is” Both Draco and Hermione stared at each other in shock.

“You did not!” Draco cried.

Hermione laughed. “I was trying to lie. I did lie. I expected-“ she trailed off, realizing Draco’s potion had failed. Draco realized this soon after and turned to a very smug Snape.

“Well, since it obviously failed, you will get a zero grade for that particular potion. How does it feel, Mr. Malfoy, to know that even Longbottom’s potion succeeded?” he said smoothly.

Draco glared at him and didn’t say anything, knowing he was still under the truth potion’s effects. Snape smirked at him.

“Class dismissed and Mr. Longbottom? Be here at eight. On time, please”