Escape ↣ Harmione

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter 29 - Brewing with Severus

April 21st, 1997

George was bent over the cauldron, measuring out powdered horn when the caterwauling charm on the work room door sounded. Startled, he dropped the powder and spoon into the cauldron.

"Fucking hell Fred that's the third time today, it's not bloody funny!" he yelled angrily as he cancelled the charm and tried to save the other cauldrons next to the one he'd just spoiled. The combination of powdered horn and silver spoon was causing the cauldron to boil and spit and he didn't want it to get into the others. Deciding he couldn't fix the spoiled potion, he vanished the mess and span to glower at his brother. The scowl melted off his face when he saw the culprit stood in the doorway.

"My apologies Mr Weasley, I wasn't expecting my presence to be announced so …loudly." Severus said

"Ahh umm. Yeah, we beefed up the wards, Bill put in something from the bank. It sets off a caterwauling charm if you try going through them disillusioned. Works pretty well to deter shoplifters as well," he said. "Umm sorry, about yelling at you, Sir."

Severus waved the apology off with a flick of his hand. "I have spoiled your brew. It behoves me to make amends." He stripped off his outer cloak and frock coat sending them to hang on the coat rack and rolled his shirt sleeves up.

"Err, well, you don't have to," George said as his former potions Professor came further into the room tying back his hair, and then stood staring at him, waiting for instructions. George cleared his throat deciding that he'd go with the flow and ask Fred if he slipped him a hallucinogen later.

"Umm, it's one of the wonder witch products," George said. He rooted around his desk looking for the book with the recipes and instructions for brewing the potion and handed it over open at the correct page. "I don't need it anymore." he explained.

Severus nodded, he glanced down the list of ingredients and turned to the store room shelves gathering what he needed.

George turned back to his other cauldrons and went down the row checking that they had suffered no ill effects.

"What else are you brewing?" Severus asked as he sorted his ingredients and started to chop.

"These are all part of the Skiving Snack Boxes, nose bleed nougat and puking pastilles and their antidotes." George answered pointing to the cauldrons. "They need to be made in their pairs and since they don't react with each other, we can make them in bulk." George moved back to his station, and put his measure of moonstone into his pestle and started grinding, watching Professor Snape as he brewed.

"They are quite ingenious," Severus said concentrating on his work.

George felt his mouth drop open. "Ah, umm, thank you."

Severus looked up, his eyes dancing in amusement. "I can admire your work whilst despairing of your ability to disrupt a class. Just because your brother and yourself had no need of the education offered, it was not true for everyone. And call me Severus," he said in an offhand tone.

"Ah um yes, Sir, Severus. Err I'm George." he managed to get out over his utter shock. He took his time to add the moonstone to the antidote cauldrons, giving them both the required anti clockwise stirs whilst regaining his composure. "I, uh, suppose we weren't the easiest of students."

Severus snorted. "Unlike Miss Granger who was happy to submit reams of parchment to prove her intelligence, you two took a more practical route."

"We owe them both," George said absently. "Harry gave us his Tri Wizard winnings to get us set up and Hermione made us work harder. Without either of them I'm not sure we'd have done as well, as fast."