14

Pot

14. Preparing the Polyjuice Potion

The next few days we spent thinking of a way to get the book from the Restricted Section. Finally, we decided that Hermione would ask Lockhart. The evening before the awaited day, I made my way down to Severus' office. I took a deep breath before I knocked on the door. I needed to seem as normal as always.

"Well, long time no see." Severus claimed laughing as I entered.

"Sorry, I had school work to do." I said sitting down on his chair. Severus, knowing me to well, grinned.

"Yeah, right. You - who is so gifted that you don't even need to learn - are doing school work. If you haven't noticed I'm living under the same roof as you." Severus fold his arms sitting on his desk. I grinned.

"Okay I was busy with the Chamber of Secrets. Something you didn't want to tell me about by the way." I watched him gloomy making him sight.

"Well, I'm trying to keep you out of trouble. But my efforts seemed to be for nothing. I heard Professor McGonagall told you everything there is to know." He raised one eyebrow.

"Yes she did. But she didn't tell us one thing. Who opened it before?" I faked lack of interest and lowered my gaze on his desk, spotting some student papers. I knew the potion it was about. "Hey, I can help you correct those papers so you will have less work to do." I smiled brightly at Severus who laughed shaking his head.

"Oh merlin. I know exactly what you are trying to do Aryanna and it won't work."

"What?" I asked surprised. Severus stood up walking to his bookshelves. "When you were small and didn't want to go to sleep you always tried to convince me to read you another chapter." He was looking one book after another, his hand following his eyes. "Mostly, I would fulfil your wish and I will never forget how you weren't able yet to hide the joy that you thought you had succeeded. But…" He stopped his doing and took a book out of the shelf, watching it. "you never managed to fool me." Severus turned around smiling and through the book in front of me. "I always know when you are trying to." I watched the book History of Potions. When I looked up at him again I couldn't suppress a grin. "You still have it?!" I awed and opened it. Severus laughed.

"Of course. With this book I learned to know you better. As I said I learned to recognize your attempts to fool me. And over the years they haven't change. So I won't tell you who opened the Chamber before." Sitting on his desk again he watched me.

"Well, it was worth trying." We both started laughed, more and more. After a while we managed to calm down and he watched me absentminded, his lips turned in a smile. I couldn't resist looking at him as he sat there. His face was soft but looked not older than when I had first met him. His dark hair framed the well-shaped face. Even if his body was relaxed and his hands folded he radiated strength. I had always been amazed by how he was able to make me feel safe and how he would protect what he loved by becoming - doubtless - frightening. But even if he was frightening he never seemed evil to me. He was my Severus. I mean I often wished that other people would see the good side in him too but sometimes I was proud that I was the only one who saw this side. I was the most important person to him. I smiled too and lowered my head playing with my fingers. I felt overwhelmed by the feeling I got of his aura.

"Arya?" As I looked up again I saw that his expression was serious. "Do you remember last year when you told me that the spell hadn't worked and you never forgot me?" I nodded wondering where he was going with this. "You told me about the orphanage. I always had the feeling that you didn't tell me everything. Tell me now, are you really keeping something from me?" His piercing look made me looking down again. I gulped and thought of Nala. I had left her at the orphanage. If you ever tell someone about me then I will kill that damn cat of yours, remember that girl, I remembered the voice of the doctor.

"I can't tell you Severus. Not today." I spoke quietly.

"So there is something. Why can't you tell me?" His demanding voice hurt me. He was only worrying about me and wanted to help. I shook my head but he didn't stop. I heard him taking a deep breath. "When we had this argument after Lockhart's test you swore on Nala that you wouldn't let Draco come near you again. You never told me who Nala is." He waited for an answer but I couldn't.

"Listen," I said angrily. I wanted him to let it drop. "It doesn't matter who she is okay?" I had stood up facing Severus now. "No need to become angry, Arya. It was only a question." But I could see that he had understood that something was definitely wrong. Before he could ask something else however I passed him and run out. Why was everything so hard?

The next day, after Lockhart's class, Hermione made him sign the permission for Most Potent Potions. Afterwards we went to the library and luckily we got it. When we had locked us in Moaning Myrtle's out-of-order bathroom we read about the Polyjuice Potion. It was very complicated and would take one month to complete.

"We will have to break into Snape's private store if we want to do this." Hermione said looking at each of us. Ron gulped and Harry nodded.

"Okay guys, you remember that I can't drink any potion because I'm half fairy right?" I asked them. "That means that I can't come with you. But I can help you with the preparation."

"Yes I wouldn't mind someone watching me while I prepare this potion. It's the most complicated one I've ever seen." Hermione stated and I reassured her with a smile.

"Okay so Hermione will prepare the potion with my help. I can get the ingredients. Due to my magic I can walk through the castle unnoticed." Harry nodded in agreement. I just hoped that Severus wouldn't recognize my magic inside his store. After my departure yesterday he would definitely be angry if he caught me by stealing ingredients for such a potion. I knew that he would have an eye on me now so I decided to ease our situation and went to see him again.

When I entered the office he was sitting behind his desk, correcting papers. He looked up for a second before he continued. I sat on the other chair, facing him.

"Here to tell me what's going on?" He asked whilst writing.

"No, I'm still meaning what I said. I will tell you one day but not now." With that he looked up breathing deeply.

"You know I only want to help you. It's annoying me to see you like this."

"I know, Severus. And I promise if I'm ready to speak about it I will come to you." I said pleading.

He stood up and walked around his desk. "Stand up, please." I stood up and he embraced me warmly, one hand stroking my hair. I pressed my head in his chest and inhaled his scent. "I just can't bear the thought of someone hurting you." He whispered. I smiled in his chest.

"Would you mind me helping you correcting papers?" I asked watching him closely. He smiled deeply, let go of me and sat down again. "Don't you have something else to do? I mean I could imagine plenty of other things to have fun with." He laughed but pushed a stack of papers in my direction. Happily, I took a seat again and started going through the essays. I was more than relieved.

"So," He started. "Who do you think will win the quidditch match this weekend?" I had completely forgotten about it. The big match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was the most important one of the year.

"Gryffindor of course!" I stated matter of factly. "We have the better people in our team." I didn't even look up.

"As house teacher of Slytherin I'm supporting my house so I'm sure they'll win. After all they have better brooms I've been told and a talented seeker." That made me snort and I could literally hear his grin. "Yeah right, try to tell you that. WE. Will. Win!" I retorted. "By the way, it's not about the brooms but the people. And Gryffindor has doubtlessly the best!" Now it was Severus' turn to snort. I had finished the last paper now and looked up. Severus was laying down his feather and leaning back, a gloomy grin in his face. "I tell you, Slytherin will win."

"No you won't." I said leaning forwards provocative. Severus did the same and our noses were almost touching. There was a tension between us as we were this close, both of us grinning evilly.

"How about a bet?" Severus asked quietly. "I'm in!" I pinched my eyebrows.

"If Slytherin wins – and we will – you will correct my papers of next week." Severus said looking me dead in the eyes. "You will have to give me access to your store next week so that I can practice rarer potions we are not learning in school." I stated. "Deal!" Severus grinned.

So next Saturday the whole school was down on the Quidditch pitch to see the match. I had walked down with Hermione and Ron. The first part of the match Slytherin was ahead, definitely in advantage with their brooms. Strangely, a very penetrating Bludger was following Harry everywhere and tried to knock him of his broom. I tried to control it with my magic but it wouldn't react to me. I could feel Severus stare as I let my magic flood over the pitch. Damn it. I thought as I realized that I wasn't able to concentrate it on the fast moving ball. I hadn't enough practice because I always used wizardry. Therefore, it was no surprise as the Bludger caught Harry and he fell on the ground. Luckily, not very deep. We ran onto the pitch and in direction of Harry. Before we reached however the teachers were faster and with them Lockhart. I knew that something bad was about to happen and I was right. When we reached there Lockhart had managed to make Harry's bones vanish in his arm. Madame Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased. Harry needed to spent the night in the hospital wing.

The next morning, a very excited Harry scared us to death as he burst in Myrtle's bathroom where we were brewing the Polyjuice Potion.

"Gosh Harry! You scared me" Hermione squealed as Harry squeezed himself inside the cabin.

"Hey. I've got something important to tell you. Something happened tonight. There was a new attack on a student, Colin Creevey. He has been petrified as well." With that message he really got us. We had decided to start on the Potion today because we had the ingredients we would need in the beginning. He also told us about Dobby and the Bludger he had sabotaged.

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. Ginny Weasley was very distracted but Georg' and Fred's attempt to cheer her up were not helping. In the second week of December Professor McGonagall collected in the names of those who would stay over Christmas and we wrote us in. Draco and Blaze would stay too which seemed strange to me. I just hoped that it didn't had to do with me. Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished.

"We still need the Bicorn horn and Boomslang skin, and the only place where we can get them is Snape's private store." Hermione said briskly after we had double Potions lesson. But until now I had stalled Severus to gain access to it. Seeing as Gryffindor had won the match he owed me however.

"Remember what I told you guys? I will get the last ingredients to finish the potion." I assured them as we walked out the classroom.

"Just don't let him catch you or you will have detention for the rest of the year and lose Gryffindor more points than end of last year." Ron warned me. So whilst they made their way to the great hall for dinner I went to the bathroom and locked myself in a cabin. I closed my eyes and let my magic flood the corridors. I could feel the last student leaving the Dungeons and when I could feel that Severus was making his ways to his office I left. Quietly, and with my magic still controlling the corridors I followed him. When I turned around the corner I was suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged in an empty classroom. When the candles were lighting up I could see that there stood a stern looking Severus.

"What are you doing Arya?" He asked strictly.

"Well I needed to talk to you." I told him smiling. "I wanted to remind you of the bet." I grinned now and he groaned slightly.

"And you couldn't have done that when I was still in the classroom? Now I need to walk all the way back to my store just because you need one thing or what?!" He faked being annoyed by crossing his arms.

"Actually, I need two things and I couldn't come earlier because there were still students in the corridors. But you don't have to go back with me. I know where your store is and I can read so I can take the ingredients by myself." I explained him. Severus face was half in the shadows but I could see that he was thinking about it because he stood still.

"Aryanna, you wouldn't fool me, right?" Severus asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Euhm, no I wouldn't. Why?" I asked surprised.

"Promise me you won't brew anything dangerous just because you have the skill to do so!" He stepped out of the shadow now and looked me dead in the eyes. I raised my head a bit higher.

"I promise Severus!" I told him by holding his gaze. Then he smiled. "Good girl." I had to force a little laugh. I hadn't wanted it to turn out like this but I had what I needed and we were brewing the potion out of good reasons. The potion would convince my friends that Draco had nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets.

I hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as I had taken the ingredients. Harry, Hermione and Ron were already waiting for me.

„There you go guys." I said breathless and gave them to Hermione. She threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly

„It'll be ready in a fortnight." She said happily and the potion started bubbling.