Hermione\'s Revenge

Don’t worry, the profanity is from me, not my son! *smile*

Hugs,
Corazon and Chango Boy


Chapter 3

Hermione spent the next few days, reading and rereading his journal. She was astonished to discover that the Cruciatus curse had caused him irreversible nerve damage. Because the Cruciatus curse heightens the pain sensation of the nerves, the nerves eventually begin to deteriorate as the body experiences the pain of the Cruciatus curse all over again. She also read in Snape’s notes that the pain he was feeling was a thousand time worse than the Cruciatus curse, causing him to lose consciousness. This is something that he never did when Voldemort cast the curse on him. As she continued reading, she understood better that the potion he was trying to brew should not just counter act the effects of the Cruciatus curse, but it should actually repair his damaged nerves.

She headed to the Restricted section of the library, determined to help Snape. She still did not like him, but she was going to help him. Maybe she couldn’t brew a nerve-restoring potion, but she could at least help with the research and maybe brew a powerful enough painkiller. Knowing that Snape would never let her help, she was just going to have to earn more detentions so she could monitor his progress with the potion.

The next Double Potions class had just started and Snape looked as awful as ever and was just as mad. Hermione waited for the roll to be taken, just to make sure Snape was still ignoring her. Sure enough, he skipped her name and she smiled, knowing that it would not take too long before she would receive detention.

As he glided through the tables, lecturing and intimidating the students, Hermione raised her hand and asked before he even had the chance to ignore her, eruserus, what is your middle name?”

The class snickered as he stopped and glared at for a moment before snorting and moving on.

“Hmm - that’s interesting, I have never heard of *snort* being a name. Severus *snort* Snape. How do you spell *snort* sir?”

The class was laughing when Snape yelled “SILENCE!” He continued his lecture, not addressing Hermiwho who was still smiling. When Snape turned his back to her, she pulled out a book from her bag and quietly moved forward one seat.

“Hermione!” whispered Harry, but she waved him off.

Again when Snape turned his back to her, she moved forward one more seat. Some of the students in the back were silently giggling, but he had yet to realize what she was doing since he refused to look at her. She worked her way to the front row by either taking an empty seat or switching seats with a student along the way.

Snape was in the back of the room when he realized Hermione was gone.

‘Where the hell is she?’ he thought as he cautiously glanced around the room, locating her in the front row. He stormed over to her and stood directly in front of her.

“What are you doing?” he hissed as he glared at her.

“I just wanted to personally give you an autographed copy of Gilderoy Lockhart’s biography that you requested Professor Snape,” she answered with a note of sincerity in her voice as she handed him the book.

“Fifty points and detention!” he said.

“Tonight?” she asked.

“Eight o’clock!” he said.

She smiled.

That night in detention, she brewed several potions for Madame Pomfrey since Snape was too busy with his nerve restoration potion. Hermione noticed that his movements were not as graceful as they had once been and this made her even more determined than ever to help him find a cure.

Carefully she observed his actions while brewing the potion, making mental notes so she could continue them in her own room. When he left briefly, she quickly copied his notes, trying not to disturb anything. She finished the potions, cleaned her area and left without one word being exchanged betwehe the two of them.

~*~*~*~*~

“Hermione,” said Harry one morning while they were in the Great Hall eating breakfast, “What is going on with you?”

“You have been behaving like Harry and I are expected to behave,” added Ron.

“Do you trust me?” she asked.

“Well, usually, but your behavior has been - ” started Harry but she interrupted.

“Not counting my behavior in potions, do you trust me?” she asked, her voice was more serious.

“Yes,” they both said.

“Good. I need both of you to trust me. I cannot explain everything to you right now, but I can tell you that when I am getting into trouble in Double Potions, it’s because I need to get detention.”

“Are you crazy?” stammered Ron.

“Maybe, but - ” she wanted to tell them so bad because they had always been honest with each other, “Just trust me, please.”

“Okay Hermione,” said Harry, “We will trust you, right Ron?” Ron nodded `yes´. “But if you get into serious trouble, it stops, okay?”

“Okay,” she smiled.

“Uh, Hermione,” said Ron, “If you are trying to get detention, can we help?”

“Sure, but you have to be careful or you will get detention too,” she said.

~*~*~*~*~

Hermione purposely stayed out detention for two weeks because she needed time to work on her own potions, one was the nerve restoration and one was a painkiller. While she had been taking inventory for Snape, she had managed to *borrow* a few rare ingredients that she needed.

She was making good progress on her painkiller potion, but knew that she had to increase the potency without numbing him completely. Since he was a potion’s professor, he relied on his sense of touch to prepare ingredients while brewing potions.

At the end of the second week of being detention free, Hermione felt good about her potion, but unexpectedly it turned out to become a salve that needed to be absorbed through the skin. She put it in a jar and tucked it into her book bag then made her way to Double Potions, hoping to earn a detention.

Arriving early, she made her way to the front of the class and sat in Snape’s chair. The rest of the students smiled, eagerly anticipating today’s entertainment.

When he stormed into class, Hermione quickly stood on top of his chair and announced, “Here is a man who not only has a brilliant mind and a wonder wit about him, but he can also sing! Take is away Sevvie-kins!” and she clapped and whistled but he made his way to the front of the room, ignoring her. The students gawked at him, almost expecting him to sing as he made his way to the front as if on cue.

He turned the class and began lecturing.

“Well that’s disappointing,” she said as she grabbed her book bag and started toward the back of the room, “You will never become an opening act!” she warned taking her seat.

He spoke in a deep voice, “Today, we are going to brew a healing potion - ”

“Forget the healing potion sir! Lets bottle some fame!” cried Hermione, but Snape did not miss a beat as he continued.

“ - that requires bloomslang skin. In order to brew this potion correctly, you must first understand and respect the propert- ” - ” and the lecture continued.

About forty minutes into the lecture, Hedwig came flying into the classroom, carrying a large scroll. She flew over to Snape’s desk and released the scroll. Harry cringed knowing Snape was going to recognize his owl. Hermione had asked to barrow Hedwig, but would not tell him why.

Snape suspiciously eyed the scroll as it unrolled, revealing about two hundred feet of writing. Glancing at the first line, he read:

My Summer Adventures, by Hermione Granger, dedicated to Severus *snort* Snape.

With a wave of his wand, the scroll burst into flames and he continued teaching his class.

Hermione was running out of ideas, as class was getting ready to leave. Taking a deep breath, she ran to the front of the classroom and gave Snape a big hug. The class gasped in shock as Snape tried to pry himself from her grip.

“I don’t think you were hugged enough when you were little!” she said and she winked at him.

“Fifty points and detention!” he said.

“Tonight?” she asked.

“Eight o’clock!” he said.

She smiled as she danced out of the classroom.

Harry and Ron were close behind.

“I can’t believe you hugged him!” chided Ron, “That is so gross!”

“Oh shut up Ron,” snapped Hermione, “You said that you trust me.”

“Sorry,” said Ron.

“So Granger has a boyfriend!” sneered Draco who had been waiting for her to leave the dungeons. He was not about to tease her within hearing distance of Snape.

“Sod off Draco!” said Ron.

“Weasley is jealous,” sneered Draco again as Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

“Draco, stay out of my business or you will be sorry,” she warned but Draco went on.

“What’s the matter Granger, two Gryffindor’s couldn’t satisfy you so you have to have the head of Slytherin too?” Draco hissed.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron drew their wands as Draco and Goyle drew theirs. Crabbe was still trying to find his.

“What is the meaning of this?” asked Professor McGonagall who happened to be on her way to the Great Hall, but before anybody could answer, she said sternly, “Put your wands away and all of you go to your common rooms now!”

All six of them left immediately, knowing better than to argue with her. Ron was seething with anger as they entered the Gryffindor common room.

“I wanted to hex Draco so bad!” he hissed.

“Don’t worry Ron,” smiled Hermione, “We will get back on him, but you need to wait until the next Double Potions class.” Ron finally calmed down enough to agree.

~*~*~*~*~


That night in detention, Hermione was organizing Snape’s entire private library. Since he had been researching the potion, he had pulled out nearly every book and did not put them back.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed him drop to his knees grabbing his arm. Running to her book bag, she pulled out the jar with the salve and went to him. His left arm was shaking under his grasp and the pain was clearly displayed on his face. She opened the jar and scooped out a handful of the salve as she dropped to her knees to be closer to his arm. Quickly, she rubbed it into his skin, trying to pry his other hand off so she could apply the salve all over. It was about two or three minutes of continuous massaging when he completely relaxed and realized for the first time what Hermione was doing. He watched her pull more salve out and massage it into his arm.

“What is that?” he asked, his voice was still a little breathless.

“It’s a pain-killing salve I developed. Is it helping?” she asked as she continued to rub his arm.

“Yes,” he said as he pulled his arm away, realizing what she was still massaging him.

“What are the ingredients?” he asked, as he smelled the contents of the jar. She told him what she had put in then she pulled out her own notes and handed them to him. He stood up and carefully read the notes, impressed by her talents. He had tried to brew a pain-killing potion, but it either completely numbed him or did not phase the pain. Rubbing his fingers together, he was quite impressed that he had not lost his sense of touch.

“Why did you create this?” he asked her, a little more harshly than was intended.

“I have too much time on my hands,” she answered, knowing if she told him the entire truth, he would no longer allow her near his lab.

“You lie as well as Longbottom brews potions,” he hissed, “Tell me the truth!”

“Okay,” she said, agreeing with herself to only tell him what he needed to know. “I know that you are suffering from after effects from the Cruciatus curse.”

“How?” he demanded.

“Two weeks ago when I was here for detention, you had an attack. I went to get Dumbledore,” she confessed.

He was grateful for what she had done, but he was not ready to thank her. Instead he hissed, “Your detention is over. You may go,” and left for his private rooms with her notes.

Hermione smiled as she picked up the jar of salve from the floor and laid it on his counter before she left.