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Master Snape,
I know you’d prefer to wait until we can meet at the Potions Guild, but I can feel my talents wasting away from disuse. There’s only so much I can do without guidance.
Harry Potter
…
Miss Potter,
While I appreciate your tenacity and dedication to Potions, I think it would be more prudent to wait until you are allowed out of your house. I have, however, enclosed some materials for you to study.
Potions Master Severus Snape
…
Master Snape,
Thank you for those materials. They were quite enlightening; I, however, doubt they can compare to hands-on brewing in the lab with such a brilliant potions master as yourself. My parents both are out of the house during most of the day, so if you were inclined, you could come over and we could brew during those hours.
Harry Potter
…
Miss Potter,
Again, I must reiterate, it would be most prudent to wait until you are no longer under house arrest. Continue studying those materials I have sent you, and those I am enclosing with this letter. We can continue with the practical portion of this apprenticeship when you are allowed to go to the Potions Guild.
Regards,
Master Severus Snape
…
Master Snape,
With all due respect, it has been two months and my father shows no signs of allowing that any time soon. I would really like to continue on with this apprenticeship sooner rather than later.
What are either of us gaining from waiting? My parents are both out of the house by nine in the morning and do not return until five. I know what you can teach is limited by those hours, but I believe it is better than nothing.
Harry Potter
…
Miss Potter,
I suppose I can no longer come up with a tenable reason as to why this cannot occur. I shall arrive tomorrow at a quarter past nine. I trust you will be prepared for brewing.
Regards,
Master Severus Snape
…
Perhaps she had lathered on the dramatics and flattery slightly in some of her letters, but the feelings behind them were genuine. She couldn’t continue on not doing anything.
Sometimes she didn’t know how to interact with the professor, now that he knew it all. Was he okay with her, Harry, interacting with him like Rigel had?
Anyways, in the end, the letters had worked, and that was all that mattered.
Harry couldn’t keep the broad smile off her face as she watched her potions master sweep into the house.
It was weird at first, seeing her tall mentor in her home lab, but quickly her feelings grew into comfort and happiness. It was like she'd returned to a place where she belonged. No one in her family understood potions like he did.
Was it love? No. But perhaps something akin, though she'd never say it to the professor himself. There was simply a sense of indescribable rightness as she chopped feverfew under his ever watchful eye.
They were cautious that first day, didn't do anything especially strenuous, but when Harry stood in front of him at the door afterwards, she could feel Snape's happiness and pride. This would happen again, and they could continue on in her apprenticeship.
…
And then several weeks in, the day came.
Harry and Snape were downstairs in the lab brewing the Draught of Living Death. She'd just added the sopophorous bean’s juices to the cauldron and was assessing it with her magic when the unease crept over her.
Initially, she dismissed it to continue falling the recipe; she didn’t want to mess it up, and Snape didn't seem to notice anything wrong.
And then James came running down into the lab.
The instant Harry saw her father, she tensed and her eyes shot to the clock. No, he was early. He shouldn’t be home right now. Frantically, her eyes went towards the professor.
She probably should have considered the possibility, but she was so caught up in everything else related to the ruse fallout and her desire to learn and brew that it had slipped her mind entirely.
James’ hazel eyes flashed as he took in his daughter standing in the lab with his mortal enemy. Personally she thought her education should take precedence over schoolyard grudges, but it’d been many years, and she hadn’t been able to enact any change, so unfortunately it still was the same.
Being caught red-handed was really not how she wanted this to go, if her father were to find out. (It had been her hope that he never would. Perhaps that was naive of her).
Snape stood tall beside her, staring the Head Auror and his wand down.
“Uh, hi Dad,” was all Harry was able to get out before James fired off a hex.
She knew Master Snape was perfectly capable of defending himself, but as she couldn’t see a duel between two fully grown wizards going especially well, especially for the lab and the potions ingredients therein, not to mention the in progress potion in the cauldron in between said two wizards, she quickly and loudly rattled off the emergency sequence: “Code Omega! Station two! Pass code: Sunset Bravo!"
It wasn’t a blown up cauldron this time, but if this escalated, it could easily result in that.
The hex hit a shield charm that Snape had quickly cast and was absorbed. Harry doubted her father would be so thoughtful, and that was why this had to end immediately. She stepped forward and in between the two men.
…
After Master Snape rushed out of the room, and she heard the rush of the floo, James spoke. “Harriet.”
“Father,” she responded. “You interrupted my apprenticeship session.”
His demeanour softened, but only slightly, “Harry, I won’t allow you to invite that man to our house.”
Harry sniffed at that and raised an eyebrow. “Then let me out of the house so I can actually continue this apprenticeship. It’s been nearly three months.” His disdain was unmistakeable, but she continued to stare him down. “Don’t you want what’s best for me? I can’t remain locked up in this house for the next two years of my life.”
His voice was quiet as he answered, “is that what you expect of me?”
“You have not done anything to dissuade me from this line of thinking,” she said as she lifted her chin.
James nodded and sank down onto one of the lab stools with a sigh. “Fine. Tomorrow then. To the guild and then straight back. No shortcuts, no detours, nothing.”
Her heart leapt and she bounded over to hug him, despite her earlier and continuing anger at his impulsive reaction; she was too afraid he might change his mind. “Thank you.”
…
Master Snape,
I hope you are doing well and the events of today have not had any ill effect on my apprenticeship. My father is allowing me to leave the house for the purpose of going to the Potions Guild, starting tomorrow. I will be there at eight o’clock.
Harry Potter
…
Miss Potter,
Looking forward to tomorrow.
Master Snape