Chapter Text
Dear Mr Malfoy,
I hope this letter finds you in good health. With the upcoming school year I know you will be diligent in your studies for your O.W.Ls. However, I have chosen you and one of your peers to do side work for me. All I can tell you is that it involves potions. If you are interested in this work, come to the potions classroom after house sorting on the first day.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Severus Snape.
The familiar smell of various potions and herbs filled Draco’s nose. The scent wasnt as strong yet—it wouldn’t get too strong until classes started up again; maybe especially so when a first year knocks something over.
Draco shut the door. Snape had not gotten to the room yet.
He sat where his station had been since first year. The familiarity of it brought him a little peace.
He unfurled the letter to reread it. When he got to Snape’s slopey signature the door creaked.
And in stepped Hermione Granger.
Unlike Draco, Snape asked Hermione if she’d like to join this project in person.
It was at the last Order meeting he would attend before the school year ended. Snape stepped out of the meeting room and was met with Hermione crouching on the floor trying to get what looked like an orange blob under control.
“Granger.”
She looked up. “Professor?”
“Might I have a word?”
She studied him for a second before scooping a wiggling Crookshanks into her arms.
She looked back to Snape with a small frown in between her brows. “Have I done something, Professor?”
“On the contrary, Miss Granger. I am inviting you to work on a project under me. You’ll be working with one of your peers.”
She inhaled sharply, her eyes seemed to light faintly. “Why me?”
Snape raised a brow. “I did not expect the ‘brightest witch of her age’ to be so humble.”
Hermione flinched.
“Apologies, sir, it’s just that usually Harry is the one that gets invited to projects… I just tag along.”
Snape inclined his head slightly.
“Potter will not accompany you on this, if that is what you’re concerned about.”
She looked to the floor for a second to think.
“And what would I be doing?”
“Potion research, you would not be helping only me, but the Order as a whole.”
Hermione nodded. She did not have a chance to help the Order thus far… it would make her useful—something she craved.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Snape beat her to it.
“You don’t need to make your decision now, I understand if you’d want to keep your studies focused on your O.W.Ls. Come to the potions room after sorting on the first day. You can meet who you’ll be working with and I can go in more depth about this project.”
”Sir—“
”Enjoy the rest of your summer, Granger.”
Snape had walked out after that.
She did not tell Harry, Ron, or anyone about the small meeting—Not that they would’ve cared. Harry has enough going on and Ron… well, Ron was Ron.
When they got to Hogwarts, the two of them were too busy talking to each other to even realize that Hermione had said she’s going to the loo.
She walked into what seemed to be an empty potions classroom.
“Merlin, of course it’s you.”
Her head whipped towards the voice. She was met with an upset-looking Draco Malfoy. A scowl was etched onto his sharp face. Hermione let out a breathy laugh. She should’ve known it was going to be Malfoy—he was second in the class after all.
“Hello, Malfoy,” Hermione muttered. She set her book and journal on the table in front of her and did not sit down.
She looked about the room, a small smile crept onto her face. Although potions was not her strongest subject, the classroom always fascinated her. All of the herbs around with the endless possibilities of magic, in the form of potions, gave her a small rush.
When her eyes eventually landed on Draco his eyes were narrowed on her. His brows furrowed so deep it looked as though it would leave a mark.
“Good, you’re both here.” Snape’s voice snapped them both into reality.
Hermione straightened. Draco slouched.
“Good evening, professor,” Draco rolled his eyes at the sound of Hermione’s full voice.
Instead of responding, Snape stepped closer, in the middle of where the two students were on the opposite sides of the room.
Draco’s gaze was focused on Hermione as Snape started talking.
“I need the two of you to either agree or disagree on partaking in this project. It will be a year-long intensive, likely bleeding into next year as well. If you agree, I can go into further detail. If not, I’m asking you to leave now.”
He waited a second to let them linger on the idea of working together for a year or two.
Hermione glanced towards Draco again, his scowl was gone. The intensity of his gaze, however, did not shift. Hermione’s cheeks heated slightly under his attention.
Draco blinked and reluctantly looked to Snape. “Do we get anything out of this, professor?”
Snape raised a brow at him.
“As long as you two keep to research and make positive progress… I shall write both of you one Recommendation Letter for whatever position you hope to fill after you graduate.”
Hermione’s eyes lit up. Snape never wrote letters in favor of anyone. This would be helpful for her to get into ministry work she wanted.
Draco scoffed.
“If that is not enough,” Snape continued, “I will allow certain homework exemptions and reward up to one-thousand points for each of your houses.”
Draco didn’t perk up at that either, though it was a nice offer. Would either use the homework exemption? Probably not… but still.
“Make your decision now.”
Hermione stayed grounded, she was practically giddy. “It would be an honor, professor.”
Snape nodded before turning to Draco.
“And you, Malfoy?”
Draco shrugged his shoulders. “Sure, why not?”
Hermione looked over at Draco again. She saw something in his face, but she could not place her finger on it… pride perhaps? Whatever it was Hermione decided that Draco was either being petty or smug.
Hermione looked over at Draco again. She saw something in his face, but she could not place her finger on it… pride perhaps? Whatever it was Hermione decided that Draco was either being petty or smug.
“The potion you two are to research and eventually make, is one that will move one’s consciousness into a separate state.”
Draco sat up straight.
“Like the living dead?” Draco asked.
”Similar. The difference is that whomever uses the potion will be able to continue work elsewhere in that separate state.”
Hermione’s head snapped up. “Does it already exist? Or are we to make one up by ourselves?” She scribbled endless notes in her journal—listing books that she would start her research with.
“It was an ancient potion. Apparently there is detailed research from America. I am giving you two full access to the restricted section of the library. If I, or anyone else, catches you abusing this power, I will take you off the project and obliviate everything you’ve found out of you.”
Hermione wasn’t really listening to the warning, she was writing some theories and trying to gauge when she could start.
Draco kept his eyes on Snape.
“That is all for now. We will have monthly advancement reports. You may use the classroom after hours, unless I am in here working. However, I would suggest finding somewhere else to work.”
Hermione closed her journal and nodded. “Thank you, professor.”
Draco just stood. His stool scratched against the floor as he started to walk out.
Hermione followed suite.
It was an awkward walk down the stairs, Hermione kept glancing over at Draco, but his eyes stayed on his feet.
”um.. so do you want to research in the library first… or?”
Draco scoffed. “With Umbridge here we might not even get in.” He muttered.
Hermione sighed. She stopped at the door leading to the Gryffindor room.
“We can try—“
“I’ll go during breakfast tomorrow.”
Her brows furrowed. “You don’t eat?”
“It’s none of your concern.”
“Malfoy—?”
Draco stormed off down the stairs as they moved.
Hermione watched as he left.
Eventually, she turned to the painting. She said the passcode quietly and stepped inside.
There were a few of the other Griffyndors gathered in the common room. Their whispering stopped when she walked in.
Suddenly she felt all of their gazes, she walked through the common room with her cheeks reddening. She felt like she was a little girl again: the walk of shame she once had to endure for being too smart in class.
She made it up to her room and started looking through her bookshelf to see if she had any potion books on the ready.
Hopefully this project will be useful for her studies.