This Is The Way The World Ends.

Chapter 5. Pay for What You Get

Hermione’s first class of the day was Advanced Potions, with Professor Slughorn. She felt sentimental walking down to the dungeons, her mind racing to her own time and how oddly soothing it was to blend, mix and concoct all the nefarious and valuable ingredients that it took to make advanced potions. She took a seat by herself all the way to the left of the classroom diagonal to Slughorn’s desk and waited for the class to arrive.

A light, tinkle of a laugh emerged into the room before the girl entered. Lily Evans, Hermione thought, instantly recognizing her red hair and green eyes. She smiled at her and took her seat two chairs down from Hermione.

"I’m Lily." She said reaching over the table to shake Hermione’s hand.

"Hermione."

"I met your brother last night," she said shyly.

Hermione was saved from answering as Slughorn entered right before a ruffled and sullen Snape.

“Almost didn’t make it there, Severus." Guffawed Slughorn.

Severus inclined his head and hurried toward Hermione and the only seat left unoccupied between herself and Lily. He seemed agitated and upset. An angry welt was starting to bruise up over his cheek. He scattered his book and quills across the table in front of him, trying to situate his dishevelled cloak at the same time.

"All right, Severus?" Whispered Lily.

He nodded sharply, flipping open the cover of a worn and thrifty copy of Advanced Potion Making. Hermione instantly recognized it as the copy Harry had in his sixth year.

Severus caught her starring and raised a thin eyebrow towards her in question. She immediately looked up to Slughorn, focussing on the work for the day.

"… can anyone give the name to the potion I have here?" He said, suggesting to the cauldron on his right.

Hermione’s, Severus’, and Lily’s hands all shot up at once. Slughorn looked over delighted.

"Let’s have you give it a try, Miss Granger, give these two a run for their money." He said laughing.

"It’s Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world, recognized by its steam rising in characteristic spirals and its distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen. It’s supposed to smell different to each of us." She finished somewhat lamely thinking of Ron.

"Excellent!" clapped Slughorn.

"Ten-points to Slytherin."

Hermione smiled briefly at the irony of earning points for Slytherin. Severus was looking at her carefully before quietly saying "Good job."

This time she did let out a small laugh. Severus Snape had never once said, well-done, good job, or any other such things in all the years he taught her.

"Thanks," she said smiling before noticing Lily’s rather frosty stare towards her.

She bent her head low. ‘No, surly not,’ thought Hermione. ‘Not Lily, and Severus. Absolutely not, it was,’ noticing the irony again, ‘because she had earned points for Slytherin not Gryffindor.’

Slughorn was talking again as Hermione refocused on the class.

"Now, I’d like you all to make me a Wound-cleansing Potion. The ingredients are in the cabinet and the instructions on the board."

Hermione leapt from her seat along with Severus and Lily. She collected what she needed and returned quickly already igniting her cauldron before the other two had returned. She noticed Severus flipping open his book and that the page with the instructions were already covered in tiny black scribbles meant, she was sure, as his notes.

Hermione glanced over to where Sirius and James were sitting. James was showing another Gryffindor boy what might have been a re-enactment of someone getting punched in the face with their own arm. It took only a glimpse at Severus to confirm who they could be talking about. Hermione tried to ignore them and work on her potion, although she had already made this potion, in her third year no doubt, it was still difficult. She was just about to add the billywig when Lily caught her hand.

"What are you doing?" She asked harshly.

She didn’t understand. "Adding billywig?"

"Billywig isn’t used in this potion."

Hermione could have smacked herself in the forehead, of course, Billywig wasn’t used now, and it was only until recently that they had started using it.

"Actually, it is, in my uh--old school, we used it to counteract the burning sensation, when a wound is being cleansed." She finished somewhat lamely.

Lily let her hand go slowly, her cheeks burning somewhat brighter.

"Sorry." She mumbled.

Severus, Hermione noticed was watching them both with rapt attention, before making a tiny mark in his textbook.