Once Upon a Potion's Class [Complete]

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Title: Once Upon a Potion's Class

Chapter: 2 - The Trail of Breadcrumbs

Author: MallowCakes

E-Mail: DestinyElkins04@gmail.com

Rating: R; HG/SS

Warnings: Nothing so far.

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise I would be off being rich somewhere... and Snape would've lived... Ron would've died... you get the picture.

Distribution: By appointment only.

AN: Thank you to my beta reader, Lo. Without her I don't think I'd survive! ^_^


AN2: For updates and news on any of my fics... follow me on Twitter [http://twitter.com/#!/MallowCakes] or add my author Facebook on your Facebook [http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001798549658]



Snape stopped to look at her. "What is it, Miss Granger?"

"First, lower your voice. Second, you're not going to like this."

"I already 'don't like this', I assure you."

She rolled her eyes at his attempt to regain an authoritative tone.

"Surely you didn't think I was having fun?" He asked.

"None of that matters. You have to listen carefully and do what I say."

"Hardly."

"Keep your voice down!" Hermione hissed irritated with Snape's lack of cooperation,"Look, whatever happened when the two potions collided has caused us to get pulled inside my book when we touched it. It's a book of muggle tales and I'm sure you're not familiar with them, so if we're going to get through this, you're going to have to listen to me, okay?"

Severus crossed his arms defensively over his chest looking at her critically, "I'm sure we could just use magic and to get out of this little situation you've landed us in Miss Granger, that is after all why we are witches and wizards, although I do sometimes doubt your ability."

Hermione glared angrily at his words but nodded briefly at his logic and patted her pockets ideally searching for the easy way out of their little problem. Finding nothing, she glanced around the room."Well, I don't have my wand, do you?"

"I do not require a wand to perform minor tasks of magic, Miss Granger. Watch and learn. Abluere!"

Nothing happened. Severus' brows drew together in confusion, "Abluere!" He repeated and then cleared his throat, briefly side glancing Hermione before trying again, "Very well. Transfero!!"

"Maybe our magic doesn't work here, where ever here is exactly." Hermione offered attentively

"Do you think?" He snapped at her, clearly frustrated by the situation they found themselves in.

"Well, it would probably be a good idea to go along with the stories as they are told and maybe we'll find a way through this."

"Are you insane?"

"Well, it would seem the most logical thing to do, at least until we know what's going on."

Severus had to admit she was right, especially since she was the only one who knew what was going on.

"Fine. What are we supposed to do?" He asked her in defeat, relenting to follow the young witches plan.

"Well, as the story goes my name is Gretel and you're Hansel. Our step-mother and father are going to take us out into the woods tomorrow and leave us there. So, we have to gather pebbles and drop them as we go. When the moon comes up, it will shine off of them and we can follow them home."

Severus' eyes narrowed as he listened to Hermione's explanations.

"That's all? What do muggles see in these stories? Bad parenting practices and inane endings?"

"No, that's not all! After we come home they'll lock us in the next time so we can't get out. Then they'll take us out again and leave us. That time we will have to take breadcrumbs. Just follow my lead, okay? You'll have to trust me here."

Severus groaned rubbing his hands over his youthful face and nodded. After they were sure they wouldn't be caught, they snuck outside and gathered the pebbles they would need. Then, they came back in and went to sleep, ready for the next morning.

"Hansel! Gretel!" A woman's voice woke them, "It's time to get up. We're going down to the woods today."

Hermione woke, hoping that it was just a bad dream and she'd be back in her bed at the top of Gryfindor tower, deep within the safety of Hogwarts and Ron would make moon eyes at her until she wanted to throw up in her Pumpkin Juice. Harry would make a joke about Draco's hair and everything would be normal again. But, no, she woke up in a small room with her professor in the next bed and they were getting ready to be left in the woods by their idiot parents.

"Wake up, honey." Their step-mother nudged Severus, "Aren't you excited for our little family outing?"

He turned on his back and looked up at her, "Ecstatic." His voice, plain.

"Come on, Hansel. Let's go." Hermione turned to him and forced a smile.

They both got up and had breakfast with their fake parents and together they all headed into the woods. Every few feet Hermione would drop a rock and then Severus would drop one. She was sure to make this work they would have to follow the stories almost exactly. She had an idea... if they could just make it to The Sword in the Stone maybe Merlin could send them back somehow.

She certainly wasn't about to tell Snape about her silly notion, but if she could just drag him along for the ride she was sure that her idea would work.

It was obvious to the both of them that the people that were supposed to be their parents were confused at the lack of conversation and general child-like qualities of their children, but they just didn't know what to say. Mostly, they went off in corners to examine the forest together, anything to get away from talking to these people.

"Hermione," Severus whispered to her as they pretended to look at some daisies, "I thought you said they were going to leave us here."

She eyed the two adults cautiously, "They probably think they can't sneak off properly. Let's busy ourselves in this bush so maybe they'll leave."

He nodded and bent over to pick at the berries with her until they heard a quick shuffling behind them and they were sure they were alone. As they both straightened a small collection of berries in each of their hands, they exchanged knowing looks, finally the story was beginning to get somewhere.

"Finally," Professor Snape said, setting down in the dirt, "I thought they'd never leave."

Hermione sat down beside him and pulled her fingers through her hair, "Me neither. This is ridiculous. I was having the worst day in history yesterday, and the last thing I needed was getting stuck in a book with my potion professor."

"Oh yes, Miss Granger. I'm sure you have it so hard what with your parading around like you know everything and your getting into mischief with the Bumbling Duo. You have it so tough."Severus answered with a sneer, after side glancing her, taking in the thick forest around them.

"Silly me, I forgot I wasn't talking to a human being." Hermione said shortly, willing herself not to let any tears fall, taking in the deep forest scenery in the opposite direction so he would not see her reaction to his words. "I won't let it happen again."

He was going to say something else, but decided to drop it, he really didn't want to deal with her at the moment anyway.

"I should let you know, we'll be together through this story, but most of the stories that follow will split us up. If my assumptions are correct, in the next story you will be a prince. I'll just need you to come and find me. That's all."

He made a noise in his throat that resembled a laugh, "You and your two trouble making, idiot friends are going to get it when we get out of here. You're going to have a thousand detentions and negative house points until you graduate when I'm done with you lot."

"Fine, whatever, I don't care right now! I get that you want everyone to be as miserable as you! All I'm trying to do is get us through this in one piece and you're being childish." She stood quickly and walked over to the other side of the clearing to sit and wait for night fall.

"I'm being childish?" He mumbled to himself, with a scowl of irritation etched into his hard face.

They didn't say another word to each other until the moon was shining through the trees, and the night air blew cold.

"It's time to go." He said, shortly, standing up and walking toward her.

She rose and started walking with him without a word. Glancing down to make sure they were following the pebbles, they made it home and walked in to find two very surprised parents sitting at the dinner table, the table set for only two people.

Hermione smirked at them, "Mama! Papa! I'm sure you were so worried. We lost you in the woods and almost couldn't find our way home."

Severus couldn't help but smile at the dripping sarcasm in her voice as their storybook parents mouths fell open. Maybe the next few days wouldn't be so drawl after all.

It was another week before their make believe parents tried to fool them again. Hermione woke one night to find the door to their room had been locked from the outside and the window nailed shut.

She woke Severus to tell him what she found.

“Miss Granger, this time with you has just recently reached bearable. Must you wake me up with your inane findings.”

“I just thought you should know they’ll be taking us out again tomorrow.” She pouted slightly at his weak attempt at scolding her.

“What do you expect me to do with this knowledge then?” Severus argued tiredly from where he slept, Hermione stopped, not knowing how to reply, why had she woken him? He knew that it would be happening. He knew how they’d have to proceed the next morning. Yet, she felt the need to wake him up and hear his voice.

“If that is all, I’ll be going back to bed.” Severus smirked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, I suppose that’s everything. I’m sure you remember the plan, then?”

“Do you think I cannot handle such simple tasks as some breadcrumbs and a chicken bone, Miss Granger?” His voice, not as angry as he wanted it to sound.

“I was just making sure, Professor. I just don’t want anything to go wrong.”

Snape could sense that she was worried and he almost cared. Almost. He turned away from her in his bed and let his eyes close again. “Everything will be fine.” He whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

Hermione’s eyes widened in the slight shock that Professor Snape had actually reassured her. He didn’t make a snippy comment about her over eagerness to learn or poke fun at the fact that her two best friends were less than exemplary. He simply said what she needed to hear and that was that.

She didn’t know what to do because there in the dark she was sure she felt a tinge of that old school-girl crush coming back to her and she wasn’t prepared to deal with that right now. So, instead of face reality, if that’s what you could call what was going on, she simply went to bed and forced her thoughts to stop.

The next morning the sun woke both of them and they went to a small breakfast of an egg and old toast. It was just after they had both hid their toast in their pockets that their dear step-mother announced to them that they would again be taking a trip into the woods.

“Be careful not to get lost this time, children.” She smiled endearingly at both of them.

“Oh, we won’t, mother.” Severus assured looking at her with ice in his eyes, the word ‘mother’ slung like a weapon from his lips.

The woman looked at him in shock, almost dropping the plates she was clearing from the table, before regaining her composure and turning quickly to the sink.

Hermione and Severus smiled at each other.

“Time to go, kids!” Their father came in looking rather dejected and hurried them toward the door, “Your mother’s decided to stay home this time, so it’s just us.” He tried his hardest to smile, but he just managed to look crazy.

So, off again they went into the woods and they went through the motions once again. Breadcrumbs were dropped onto the forest floor and attempts at conversation were made until once again they were left alone in the middle of the forest.

“Well this was just an emotionally exhausting experience.” Hermione said, setting at the base of a tree.

Severus grunted in reply and found a tree next to her to take up residence under.

“I’ve always hated this story, you know?” Hermione glanced over at him, “It’s horrid and to think parent’s like this actually exist. I don’t understand it.”

Severus was quiet for a long while before replying, “Well, it isn’t like the father wants to let his children go. The step-mother is the problem here. I still don’t understand the point of this story. I suppose there are worse things a father can do to his children.”

Their eyes met and Hermione knew that he had meant to let her understand something about his own past.

The silence washed calmly over them. It wasn’t uncomfortable, it was full of an understanding. It was the most peaceful they’d been around each other since they’d met.

Night fell once again as the moon brightened the forest and the crickets began to chirp. They stood silently and went off in search of the house they were sure they would find.

On the way back to the cottage in the woods, Hermione quizzed Severus on the stories they'd be going through, just as they had been doing in the weeks before their second trip to the woods. He seemed to understand what he would be doing and Hermione trusted his intelligence so she wasn't really worried that everything was going to work out fine.

"So, you think Merlin will be able to help us?" He asked her, intrigued despite himself about her theory.

"I can only hope so, we haven't any other way of getting out of here, other than perhaps completing The Sword in the Stone, but that could very well send us back to the beginning of the book." She replied.

"I suppose so. I don't want to take another chance like that. I've had enough of being this young again. Although, I've been happy with this youthful spine that doesn't hurt when I walk."

She smiled at him, surprised he was actually talking to her like she existed for once. After they thought their feet might fall off, they finally came to a small house made of candy in the middle of a clearing and, after all, they were pretty hungry. Severus turned to look at Hermione with raised brows in question, he was certain in all his years of teaching no muggle student had mentioned houses built out of sweet confectionary to be normal.

“And this part?”

“The witches house, although probably just some old muggle hag.” Hermione dismissed.

They hurried over to a piece of the roof and started munching on the delicious gingerbread roof, a liquorice window sill, some chocolate bar shingles. After they had cleared a good portion away and they both started feeling rather ill, and at that very moment, a short, ugly witch opened the door and walked out.

"Who's that nibbling at my house?" She demanded, seeming to be a fearful witch, appearing however a hot headed, quite tame little old woman.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the obvious, stereotypical witch that had emerged. "It's just us forest animals." She answered drily.

"Forest animals don't speak. You sound like children." The witch spoke again, "Come closer, my dears, and let me get a look at you."

'Forest animals don't speak, indeed.' Severus thought to himself, 'from what Hermione had told him this past week, that is all they did.'

The two of them inched forward to the old lady and she grabbed hold of their shoulders, pinching slightly.

"Why the two of you are skin and bones! This will never do. Come inside and I'll make you some food."

Knowingly, they followed woman inside her house and she made them quite a feast that made their stomachs turn with all the sugar already in them. It wasn't long before the witch trapped Severus-Hansel in a cage and Hermione-Gretel chained to the wall and they weren't the least bit surprised, why would they be?

Day after day, the witch would make Hermione feed Severus a feast while she had scraps to live off of, even though he would sneak her a bit of food. He couldn't even eat all the food she was giving him, but she'd get angry if he didn't try to eat most of it.

Every day she would tell him to reach his finger out to her so she could see if he was getting plump and every day she would get frustrated at his lack of weight gain. Finally, there came the day when she was fed up.

She turned to the girl, chained to the corner of the room, "Enough waiting, I'm eating your wretched little brother today. Get over here, girl and light the oven for me."

Hermione did as she was told, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and waited for the oven to get hot.

The witch came back to see if she was finished and leaned down to feel the oven, "Girl, I need to you open the oven and make sure it's hot enough. Get down there."

Hermione leaned toward the stove and told her, "I don't know if I can, Ma’am. The stove seems a little small for me."

"Nonsense!" The witch spat, "Move out of the way, I'll check it."

She shoved her out of the way and leaned over to peer in herself. Hermione took up the space behind her and shoved her in with all her might and closed the door on her. Behind her the witch screamed and cursed, fighting against the door, Hermione fought to keep it closed and as the last words of the witch died behind her, fog over came her vision and Hermione was in a large room.

She looked around to see where she was, a small window was on one side of the room and a heavy chained door was on the other. The rest of the room held a bed, a dresser, a vanity, some chairs, and a few odds and ends. Looking in the mirror, Hermione smiled to herself to see the long brown braid that reached far around the room and knew that her plan had worked, at least so far.

Now, she just had to sit and wait.

A old woman's voice called from the window, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair. So I may climb thy golden stairs."