The simplest of ingredients | Closed

Heading to the library she kept head down to avoid being subject to the pranks of some of the others in her year. Sixth year was by far the most challenging but she found herself more excited to see what she’d get on her N.E.W.T.S. Her books were heavy in her arms meeting Severus in the library in their normal spot to do research on a potion she’d been working on since fourth year, some ingredients were much harder to come by than others which really stunted the development. She’d never tell anyone but the creation of this potion was the mentally stabilize those affected by dark magic. Often she would hear about how someone was driven made by the imperious or crutiartus curse - she wanted to save those people.

“Sorry I’m late,” she spoke sheepishly as she looked at him setting her books down on the table, “ I was rather invested in lunch today, it was very good,”

@ A Drop On the Window

Severus looked up from his book for a moment hearing the disturbance next to him. He smiled weakly as Euphenia sat down. He had been studying away for awhile, trying to build his understanding of some of the stronger curses and hexes. He snapped the book closed, and slipped in underneath one of the others on the table next to him. He had known Euphenia since second year, when they had potions together, but he wasn't sure she would understand his desire to understand the dark arts.

"It's fine," he commented. He pulled out his potions textbook, "I've been thinking about how to acquire some of the ingredients we need," he mentioned lightly.

@ iron underneath;

"Oh? I haven't gotten that far but I found some other substitutes. I know the wolfsbane is being experimented on to find a cure for lycanthropy but what if we used it in a similar fashion - I know its toxic but if we use a bit of beozar to counteract it along with some maidenhair tree bark, which is associated with memory longevity then we might be close but I'll need to experiment with it. " she'd been thinking about this for a couple days now and she had a list of plants and items that could really make this happen.

"You sure they won't react strangely with the other ingredients?" Severus commented. He knew that sometimes ingredients did unexpected things if added to a potion incorrectly, or at the wrong time, and they were yet to try brew their latest attempt.

His eyes looked up from the book for a moment, "We will have to be careful when we attempt it but I think you might be on to something,' he added. He shifted in his seat, "I'll keep thinking about how to source those rare ingredients just incase." With his knowledge of curses, and the dark arts Severus realized last year, that they could work on two different potions, one that would alleviate the mental damage done by the forbidden curses for awhile, and one that would repair the damage. The issue with any potion however is the unintended effects.

@ iron underneath;

"I heard they tried the pepper up potion on some of the victims but it didn't work it only seemed to lighten their mood but not give back mental alertness or stability," she said to him,"Not to mention the steaming of the ear," she snickered quietly. That was an odd side effect she'd never really heard of before till this year but she had experienced it herself after a severe cold during testing.

"I'm not sure how they'll react together, but I'll have to test it to be sure. Beozar reacts negatively with Holly and Mandrake root so it's really hard to say how it will react with wolfsbane." she'd done lots of research but none of them gave her any solid ideas.

"Really? probably best if we can not have that happen with ours," he commented. He flicked through his textbook, still thinking for a moment, "If we can get the potion to be a proper cure, rather than an ongoing treatment, how bad would leaving the wolfsbane alone be?" he suggested.

He looked over at her thinking, "by that I mean leave the Beozar out," he added.

@ iron underneath;

"It could be fatal is brewed wrong, instead of healing it could definitely kill them," she said to him lightly with a small sigh, "It's incredibly toxic though it's not paired with aconite so it might not be too bad," she murmured gently as she chewed on her bottom lip then sat back in the chair. "The memory charm is something I've been looking at as well, what is involved in it, as well as the insanity draught - maybe if we reverse engineer it to mimic its job it can be a cure," she murmured.

Severus nodded lightly, looking through his own notes. "If we manage to make it not lethal, we can deal with the toxicity issues later, without effecting the efficacy of the original potion, was my thoughts, the imperious and cruciatus curses, are not simple magics," he noted.

He paused, "Lets try one thing at a time for now, see what happens," he said lightly. He was glad to have met someone who was nice to him. He was constantly at ends with Gryffindors and the other Slytherins didn't respect him much.

@ iron underneath;

Nia nodded as she looked at her notes before rubbing her face, "My mum sent me a howler this morning," she said softly as she looked down, "It's the first time she's acknowledged I exist in a while but I don't even know what she was upset about," she murmured gently as she chewed on her bottom lip then looked at him. "I don't know what to do Severus,"

Severus sighed softly, "did you open it yet? because you really should," he said lightly. He knew howler's got worse if left unopened. He touched her hand lightly, "open it somewhere private," he added.

@ iron underneath;

She nodded, "I don't know where to do it though, I'm just nervous," she admitted softly as she looked at him then let out a deep breath. "They hate me Severus, ever since I was put in this house they've hated me,"

Severus looked at her, he knew her parents lineage. "We can find somewhere together, and figure it out," he said softly. He slowly packed away his books into a neat pile. "I know how you feel, the others in my house would hate me, if they knew about my dad's problem,' he said softly. He was referring to his fathers' muggleness.

He smiled softly at her, "I'm sure they don't hate you, they just expected that you'd be sorted into Slytherin," he said. He reached for her hand slowly, trying to comfort her.

@ iron underneath;

She nodded a little as she did the same then sighed as she held his hand in hers, "It's stupid, blood purity doesn't make anyone any better," she said scoffing, "Lily is just as talented if not more talented than I am and she is muggle born - she is very bright," she murmured softly, "And her parents love her regardless, I wish we could just leave it all, we could go to america or something," she smiled a bit.

Severus laced his fingers with her, "Yeah I know, I think they're just scared that non-magical families will learn about the magical world," he commented. He smiled at her lifting his books into his free arm, "Lily is pretty amazing," he admitted. He had grown up near Lily, and had been friends with her, but they no longer got along, after she met James.

@ iron underneath;

She grabbed her books and looked at their hands smiling gently. Nia had never really held hands with someone of the opposite sex before, not in a romantic manner anyway. There had been guys who liked her but once they heard her last name they hightailed it away before she could even explain. "Lets fine a place for this howler," she said to him gently, but not at all eager for what was to come. It'd been eight hours since she received it. Who knows how bad it'd be/

@ A Drop On the Window

Severus' smile widened when she didn't pull away. He was glad she was comfortable around him, he knew how stigmatising a name, or a family characteristic could be. He turned with her walking out of the library, "yeah somewhere quiet, and alone," he said softly. He liked her, and wouldn't judge her, regardless of what was in the Howler.

@ iron underneath;

When they got to a quiet place she pulled out the red envelope then looked at him before peeling the wax seal, "Euphenia Sangrey! You have always been a disappointment but I am beyond done with your failure attitude, you got an E in your Apparition Exam?! Do you think you can just play around with your little housemates and no consequences will come of it?" her mother's voice shrieked at her and her eyes began to fill with tears immediately. "You're failing us and most importantly yourself, how to expect to get anywhere in life without getting OUTSTANDING in everything? Just like your grandmother said, once a failure, always a failure - keep this up and I'll see you disinherited!" and with that, the letter tore itself to shreds and she let out the breath she'd been holding before collapsing into tears. Apparition didn't come easily to her like other things did so it shocked her that her mother even found out.

Severus put his arm around her, "Don't worry about it, apparition isn't that important, and if you work on it I'm sure you'll figure it out," he said softly. He sighed softly still holding her close. "How did you do on the rest of your exams?" he asked softly, assuming from the words used she got Outstanding on the other subjects.

@ iron underneath;

"I got all O's except in Apparition lessons," she whispered as she sniffled a little then leaned into him her hands clutching his robes as she relaxed into his. She didn't get this kind of comfort, her parents hadn't hugged her since she was quite young; she promised she'd never be that way with her kids.