The Other Uncle (a sequel)

Potion Partners

AN: I am SO SORRY for how short this chapter is and how late it is. I simply couldn't find a good place to stop without going into the next main event, which would make this the length of two chapters and take even longer to post.

I posted the pic of Anna's new kitten, Holly! Isn't she cute?

At last, the winter holidays passed and school went back to how it had always been and Harry was very excited because, soon enough, Remus would begin teaching him off to fight Dementors. However, the first day back, Remus was still feeling a little sick. He and Anna had had to endure the shrieking shack again. He had no recollection of what had happened but he knew Mooney didn't like the shack very much at all, though his wife assured him he was getting much better. He told Harry he'd get around to his lesson at 8 o'clock on Thursday.

And the Professor kept his word because exactly at that time he and Remus were in the room with their wands ready for practice. Anna had wanted to stay and support Harry, but neither Harry, nor Remus would allow it. They both knew that the Dementors affected Anna as well and they saw no sense in putting her in that situation when it made her nearly pass out. So, to occupy her time, she decided to visit Severus. After all, she hadn't talked to him in quite a while.

So, with her new knew cat, Holly, tucked safely in her arms, she went all the way to the potion's classroom where he spent the majority of his time.

She found him leaning over a cauldron, stirring the concoction with a spoon very carefully as his furry black companion, Loki, eyed the spoon as it swirled in the pot. After a moment of admiring the adorable scene, the witch made her presence known, "You're not busy are you? I can come back later if you want..."

The potions master looked up, smiled ever so slightly and shook his head, "No, it's fine. You can help me if you wish. It's a very difficult potion to make, I could use the help. Can you guess what I'm making?" The witch took a moment to look over the ingredients on the table. She grinned when she figured it out, "You're making Draught of the Living Dead?"

She and Severus were the only students at Hogwarts (as far as she knew) to master it. At first they had been paired up but after they completed it Slughorn had challenged them to try doing it alone which they both succeeded at, although her's hadn't been nearly as good as Snape's. Now, they could both do it perfectly.

"It's for my advanced class. I normally make it by myself, but it's much faster with a partner," he paused with a teasing smirk, "That is, if you think you can keep up." She returned his smirk, "With you? Piece of cake. I've been your potions partner since year one. I think I can handle it."

Severus passed her an apron, "Then let's get busy."

Anna set Holly her cat down to play with Loki causing Severus to notice the little mammal for the first time. He raised an eyebrow, "When did you get that?" She smiled a little at the memory as she put her hair in ponytail, "She was a Christmas gift from Remus."

Snape snorted, "The mutt gave you a feline? How ironic." The witch took the apron from his outstretched and elbowed him once she can beside him to begin helping with the potion, "Hey! You agreed to play nice with Remy. That means no name calling." The head of Slytherin merely rolled his eyes, "Just pass me the sloth brain, Anna."

She giggled slightly and complied, suddenly getting serious as they got into making the draught. If anyone else had been there to witness the scene, they would've found it strangely beautiful and captivating the way they moved and worked so efficiently and fluently like a well oiled machine or a choreographed dance. Their hands never stopped moving and neither of them lost focus for even a second.