Severus Snape x student LOVE STORY

Chapter 18 - the Breaking Point

Adeline sat in the dimly lit Potions classroom, the air heavy with the scent of various bubbling concoctions. This was no ordinary Potions class; it was a special session reserved for the most talented students, a class that had seen a few changes in its roster. Sue Li was no longer here, and in her place was the last person Adeline expected—Hermione Granger. Adeline couldn't help but feel a flicker of confusion. Hermione's presence in this class wasn't something she remembered from the books. Had she inadvertently altered the course of events, or was this a hidden part of the story she had never known? She also noticed the addition of two Hufflepuffs, Ernest Ernie Macmillan and Megan Jones, likely filling the spots left by those who had graduated.

Today, the task at hand was one of the most challenging and dangerous potions: Veritaserum. It was a potion so powerful that it forced the drinker to speak the truth, and Adeline had only encountered it once before, in Draco Malfoy's possession. As she and Hermione began to work together, Adeline was struck by how at ease Hermione seemed, despite the complexity of the task. The two girls worked in silence for a while, carefully measuring ingredients and adding them to their cauldron. The potion required precision, and Hermione moved with confidence, her hands steady as she followed the instructions from the textbook to the letter.

"Pass me the powdered moonstone, please," Hermione asked, her voice calm.

Adeline handed it to her without hesitation, but as they continued, a memory from her private lessons with Snape that she'd had during the summer surfaced. She remembered him teaching her a different, more effective way to brew Veritaserum—one that involved adding a few extra drops of essence of rue before the sopophorous bean, and stirring counterclockwise instead of clockwise at a crucial step.

"Granger," Adeline began cautiously, "I think we should add the essence of rue before the sopophorous bean. And we should stir counterclockwise instead of clockwise. It might make the potion more effective."

Hermione paused, looking at Adeline with a hint of suspicion. "The book doesn't say that, Beaumont," she replied, using the name everyone knew Adeline by. "We should follow the instructions as they are."

Adeline didn't want to argue, especially not with Hermione, the girl who would go on to become the Minister of Magic in her future, so she reluctantly agreed. They followed the book's instructions to the letter, and by the end of the class, their potion was the only one that didn't succeed. The liquid in their cauldron was murky and lifeless, far from the clear, shimmering potion it was supposed to be.

Snape's disappointment was palpable as he surveyed the failed potion, his dark eyes boring into both girls. "Miss Beaumont," he said, his voice dangerously soft, "stay after class."

Hermione looked surprised, clearly expecting to share in the reprimand, but Snape dismissed her with a mere glance. Adeline felt her heart sink as the rest of the students left the classroom, leaving her alone with Snape.

Once the door closed, Snape's disappointment turned to anger. "Why did your potion fail?" he demanded, his voice sharp. "I remember teaching it to you last summer. Or has your memory of that been wiped clean?"

Adeline hesitated, then explained, "Hermione didn't want to go off the book's instructions."

Snape's eyes narrowed, and he stood up, the anger in his eyes intensifying. "And why," he said, his voice rising slightly, "didn't you fight for the correct method if you knew you were right? You just let yourself fail and waste my time in this class?"

Adeline swallowed hard, feeling the heat of his anger. "Because Hermione had just as much say over the ingredients and the order as I did. I couldn't just go over her head, it would start an argument."