𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 II SS/HG ✔️

Lab Partners

Hermione had the unenviable task of harvesting the parts from each frog in the delivery crate.

Monday had been spent harvesting newt parts. She washed her jumper twice that night.

They could order the parts straight from Eyelops. But Professor Snape said that if the school finally had an apprentice, they needn't spend money on a convenience fee.

Friday she would pluck the wings and legs off beetles. While she would be squeezing fewer guts, she would have to squint to snag the little legs. So she was really looking forward to that.

She let loose an undignified squeal when one of the frog livers rocketed out of her gloved grip and landed on her shirt. She looked at the little diagram again-yes, definitely a liver.

"Gross, gross, gross," she whispered.

Snape continued to write on the chalkboards in the corner, the chalk tap tap tapping with his quick pace.

By Hermione's rough estimate, she had salvaged two hundred-three frog livers, two hundred seventy-five tongues, and one-thousand sixty legs. (They weren't as slippery as the livers.)

Dragonhide gloves still on, she scrubbed down the counter. Snape tap tap tapped.

The practice with the newts had helped-the frogs took about half as long as Monday's newts had.

She peeled the gloves off. With a marker, she noted what jar had what preserved inside. Snape tap tap tapped. He seemed to prefer to write things by hand. Hermione now knew that he would have to write on the board first-then cast the lightest Notice-Me-Not known to wizard kind. Then when he wanted the students to finally see it, he would remove the spell.

Hermione chuckled when she thought about it. Black on black on black-multi-syballic words when a single syllable word would suffice-cloaks and robes with the optimum amount of swish to them. For such a stoic man, he certainly excelled in drama.

He finished tapping. A prickle at the back of her neck signaled that her husband hovered nearby, very much a shadow.

She capped the marker as she turned around. It was better-rather, easier-this way. Instead of calling her Miss Granger, he would either start talking or would sneak up on her. Maybe easier wasn't the right word, either, but it prevented him from mixing up when to call her Hermione and when to snap Miss Granger. Hermione felt much the same.

"Yes, Professor?" she prompted.

Arms crossed, he lifted one finger to point at the blackboard in the farthest corner. "That is what you will do until we return from holiday."

Hermione stood at his side to get a better look. The board was covered from one end to the other. Who needed what (mostly Madam Pomfrey), how much, and by when.

One arm uncoiled from his torso to point at the second blackboard. "That is what I will do."

He had less items to brew, but what he did have were more complex.

He flicked his finger. The board flipped over.

In smaller handwriting-which became more cramped and messy towards the bottom-was a second list with all manner of potions. From what Hermione could tell with a glance, Snape had tried to group them by difficulty.

"This is also what I must do."

"For...?"

He nodded.

"Oh dear," she said on the exhale.

"I don't think more will be added. The quantities will likely fluctuate."

"And the goal is...for these to be bad?" She wanted to confirm. Subpar work was not in her nature.

"Correct."

She crossed her arms, too. "Are we talking-totally ruined, or use expired ingredients and it's not as potent?"

"Both."

The clock above the blackboards changed over to nine pm.

"You will schedule out all of these, for when they will start and be completed," he said.

Hermione looked up at him. She felt her eyebrows hop up towards her hairline. He wanted her help for such an important task? "When do you need it by?"

Snape continued to scrutinize the board. "Monday."

Hermione pointed to the bottom of Voldemort's list. "You have to start the Veritaserum on Saturday."

"I'm not giving you house points for that."

Hermione laughed a little bit. He could be funny when he wanted-at least, it was better for her sanity if she took that as funny snark instead of a mean one. She extracted her wand from her sleeve to Summon over some blank parchment and a clipboard.

Snape swished away.

Hermione copied the three lists onto different scrolls. She tapped her quill to her lips.

Yes, I do have that spare planner, she recalled. She thought maybe Ginny would want one but Ginny refused to take any books from anyone and would only purchase her own after a thorough inspection.

I can duplicate that one, she thought as she sat on her little stool. And then we'll have one planner for Hogwarts things, and one planner for-not-Hogwarts things. She smiled to herself. And he can use it to put a marking schedule.

She would have to ensure she left him time for marking.

Oh, and mind the office hours.

And maybe, you know, time to not do anything, she thought. But she'd keep that bit to herself.