Everything I Do, I Do It For You

Chapter 28:- Time Goes By

The following months proved difficult to everyone involved. Dumbledore had managed to get a hold of Severus by owl, after he found him not to be in Wyoming. He discovered that he had a partner and was working, in some undisclosed location, on a potion to find Miss Hermione Granger.

Albus was shocked when he heard about Severus’ partner, though he didn’t show or make mention of it. Severus worked alone - to let anyone in would mean there was room for betrayal, and the Potions Master had been betrayed too many times in his life to afford that. What was he up to now? Had Severus really changed that much, to work with a partner? Why wasn’t Severus telling him where he was?

He contemplated this for a bit. True, he had his own problems to deal with now; the Potions Master probably knew of this and didn’t want the Headmaster to be any more involved than he already was. Hadn’t he given Severus this assignment with the knowledge that he must do whatever it took to find Miss Granger, even if that meant to kill the people that stood in his way? The Potions Master was following his instructions down to the letter, as usual, and all would be revealed shortly. No, he would have to trust Severus and stop thinking that everyone around him had a separate agenda and were only looking out for themselves.

Graduation was a couple of months away, with the N.E.W.T.s looming in the not-too-distant future. The seventh year students had taken to studying every spare second, and it was nice to see that some things never changed.

The board had been understanding with Albus, and if that hypocrite Fudge hadn’t pressed the matter, he would have been given a slap on the wrist. Dumbledore was renowned for talking his way out of a tight situation; the dotty-old-fool act had let him get away with more than enough of his fair share of allegations. If Fudge hadn’t seen to it personally to sit on the board during Albus’ so-called ‘interview,’ the elderly wizard probably would have gotten away fairly unscathed. Not that there was any basis to it, however; he knew that Cornelius was behind it, but without any real proof it was just the word of a murdering Death Eater and one accused old wizard, against the Minister of Magic’s. He found his every move monitored by the board. It made it difficult at best, as there were people coming and going in the castle all the time.

The Minister had deemed it necessary to keep an eye on the Headmaster; he even went as far as to say that the future depended on it. Thus, the board was breathing down his neck and closely following his every move.

Manipulation was, perhaps, Dumbledore’s stronger attribute and if the Minister hadn’t been working his own agenda, than perhaps Dumbledore could have talked his way around this, manoeuvring the board to see his reasoning. After all, hadn’t he done so to everyone around him for so long?

The Potions Master was probably the worst off from his meddling, although he was still alive when Harry Potter wasn’t. The boy had fulfilled his destiny and he hoped that in the next life, Harry Potter would be able to find the peace he had so desperately been searching for in this one. If Fudge didn’t have his own plans then the paper article wouldn’t have come out in the first place, so he wouldn’t be in this predicament.

He sighed as he thought about the students that would be missing out on their education because of the Minister’s greediness. Some of the parents had opted to pull their children out of Hogwarts; not many, but Albus had felt it a personal injury to himself with each child that left his care.

***

Robert Finn found that he didn’t need to provoke Hermione anymore, and although he had kept a close eye on her, he felt that the potion that he was adding to her medication was working out rather nicely.

She had stopped being afraid of him and they had shared quite a lengthy conversation. He had realized she was quite brilliant and could talk for hours on just about anything.

***

Doctor Andrew Lopes was pleased. Hermione Granger was coming out of her shell, and they had had many sessions in which he felt that she was on the road to recovery. Although she couldn’t remember anything pertaining to her parents’ death or her whereabouts before she came to Calan Park, he thought that he could soon move her into group therapy and see how she interacted with others whilst discussing her own problems.

He thought back to the breakthrough in their sessions. It had happened about two weeks ago. They had been discussing the possibility that Hermione’s world was a fabricated one, built on her denial of her parents’ deaths.


Flashback

“Perhaps … no, it can’t be true.” Hermione suddenly looked sombre.

“Perhaps, what?” Andrew asked, pressing the matter.

Hermione looked up, sniffed and replied, her voice wavering, “Perhaps all is not what it seems.”

“Would you care to elaborate?” Andrew asked, perplexed.

”I was just thinking out loud,” Hermione replied.

“And,” Andrew said, praying that she wouldn’t clam up on him now.

“And I was thinking that maybe you’re right,” Hermione said looking at the doctor, her face set in determination.

If Andrew was expecting a response it was anything but what Hermione had just given him. He was truly astonished by this astute young lady sitting across the table from him.

“Right about what?” Andrew asked, as if some momentous breakthrough was about to occur.

“Right about me not being a witch,” Hermione said as easily as if they were talking about the weather. “But then who am I? Why can’t I remember anything of a normal life? What is wrong with me?” She sighed and dropped her head into her hands.

Andrew was taken aback by this statement. Obviously something must have triggered Hermione to make such a bold proclamation. He wasn’t quite sure whether he believed her or not, and as she looked up at him once more, he searched her face for the truth. It was there - the uncertainty was written on her face like an open book. He smiled internally.

“You’ve been through quite an ordeal; head trauma isn’t a laughing matter. Your memories should come back through our sessions, slowly,” Andrew replied with a slight smile on his face.

At this she huffed and threw her hands in the air. “Well that’s just great. Now if I can just remember who I am and what I am, then I can resume my ordinary life.”

End Flashback


A month ago he had diagnosed her with SPD, Schizoid Personality Disorder, as all of the symptoms fit. So he changed her medication and made sure that Head Orderly Robert Finn was made aware of the changes. It seemed to be working quite well. With this new medication, she came out of her suicidal depression.

She still didn’t like to be touched though, and she flinched whenever he was close enough to reach out to her.

‘She’s still getting over her trauma,’ he told himself. ‘It will take time.’

Fortunately time was on his side, as he had all the time in the world.

***

Severus Snape had never felt so comfortable as he did in Tolmie Crobobin’s presence. He felt an easygoing camaraderie with the man, as if he had known him all his life.

They were both working in silence on the potion in Tolmie’s lab. It had taken his breath away to see such a well organised, well stocked workspace. It was much better than what he had back in Wyoming, so they both agreed that they would make the potion here, in Tolmie’s lab.

Severus had made several stops in his own home for ingredients that Tolmie did not possess. He finally gave up and shrunk all of his potions stocks, including cauldrons, scalpels and pestles, and brought them to Little Hangleton. Not that Tolmie didn’t have a wide selection of his own stores; it was just that Severus felt more at ease using his own trusted supplies.

To say that the potion was difficult would have been an understatement, and some of the ingredients were very difficult to come by. This potion required a Potions Master of the highest standing. Although it wasn’t what one would call a dark potion, Severus could see why it was classed as one, as it would have been very devastating if it fell into the wrong hands.

The dragon scale, which had to be plucked from a live dragon at the full moon in the seventh month, had to be added within twenty-four hours or it rendered itself useless. He would have asked Charlie Weasley, had he been alive, for a favour which, he was sure, he would have been more than happy to oblige with. Now he had to rely on Tolmie, something he had never done the like of in his entire life. He had to be able to trust, which he found extremely difficult to do. But the older man had shown him nothing but kindness. He knew it was a risk to let someone into his own little world - but what choice did he have?

He was used to taking care of himself. No one, besides perhaps Albus and Minerva, had even shown a bit of concern for him or his well being.

Severus had even asked Tolmie for his five hundred galleons back, to which he had replied that he would need it for supplies. It wasn’t likely that the old, cunning wizard would need for anything, as he lived in a veritable mansion. Severus hadn’t pressed the matter though, as Tolmie was the one who was running around, using his contacts to unearth all of the potions ingredients.

‘He would have made a great Slytherin,’ Severus thought to himself, grinning widely.

Tolmie had sources that went above even that of a Potions Master. He was quite cunning and ruthless when it came to his potions ingredients, and only the best would do.

Severus also needed something that had belonged to Hermione, something she’d held dear. Lucky for him he had her wand, and that would do nicely.

The potion needed to be evoked on her birthday. He had found out from Albus that her birthday was on the 19th of September. He knew he would have to work night and day if it was to be ready for her birthday this year.

***

Tolmie watched the Potions Master at work as he sliced, grinded and stirred. He was in awe of his abilities. Severus was efficient, wasting not an ounce of energy on anything that didn’t need to be done.

‘It’s like watching a dance,’ he thought to himself whilst suppressing a grin. ‘A flawless and beautiful dance.’

Tolmie thought that everyone had their one true calling in life. Severus’ was potion making, and watching him at work one could tell that he handled each ingredient, each device that was necessary to the art form of potions, with care. It was almost as if he were making love to the potion, handling it as though it was a fragile woman in need of someone to hold, someone to make everything alright. Tolmie held a certain love for potions too; it was the one thing that he excelled at, besides maybe his empathy skill, which he had toned into an art in itself.

True, Severus had a dry and sarcastic sense of humour. However, Tolmie found him quite witty and very intelligent; you just had to know how to read between the lines.

“Severus,” Tolmie said, breaking from his chain of thought.

“Uh ha,” was all the dark wizard replied as he methodically stirred the potion.

“I’m going now. I shall be back around eight tonight.”

The Potions Master was so involved with the potion he didn’t answer Tolmie and just kept on stirring.

Tolmie took one more look at the Potions Master before heading for the door. He was going to see if he could get some more of the potion ingredients from his more than questionable contacts. He would be using any means necessary; he would beg, borrow or even steal if it came down to that.

***

A/N: - Another chappie down… Well I have heard from most of my reviewers that they’d like the story to move on so here it is. This story tends to have a mind of its own and it sometimes tends to go off on a tangent.

Next chapter we see a student therapist come to Calan Park! The following chapter is the eagerly awaited group therapy!!! It should be good…

Thank you to everyone who is constantly reading and reviewing… Cheers!!!

A big, no huge, thank you goes out to LydiaCarol who beta’ed this for me. You are the best!!!

Disclaimer:- Not mine J.K’s, although if you don’t recognize it, than it is probably mine.