Rabidity

Adrienne knew she didn’t have much of a choice when it cam to staying here. She didn’t have anywhere to go, and due to her actions she was sure the headmaster would find some way to keep her here.

So the next day she went without a fuss when she was lead to her new room. It was apart from the rest of the dormitories, but still hidden behind the painting that all students used to access their rooms. She received more odd looks and questionable glances while making her way through the students already there. They had returned from breakfast and now wished to gossip about the newcomer in their midst. They found it highly suspicious that someone had been admitted to the Slytherin house without it being announced at last night’s dinner, or breakfast.

Adrienne was very pleased to have a private room; away from the others. Something she found desirable. Breakfast was waiting for her by a small table next to a roaring fire. She took a small roll and jumped when she saw the house elf, she had almost been disguised in the tapestry; and while being completely silent she easily startled Adrienne when making her presence known.

“Ms. Knox. Kino didn’t mean to scare you. Kino only meant to bring word.”

Adrienne swallowed hard, she’d never met a house elf in person, let alone have a conversation with one.

“Word of what?” she asked.

“Your lessons! Several teachers expect you today. Beginning with McGonagall, then charms with Flitwick, and Potions with Professor Snape.”

“Alright and when do I – “

“Right away! Kino will lead you once you are finished!”

Adrienne felt very awkward eating in front of a creature that looked so hungry herself. She ate what she could, and did so quickly. Then she found herself led out a small corridor, not the one she came in.

“The house elves use it.” Kino said. “I didn’t think you’d want to walk through all those students again.”

“Thanks for that.” Adrienne said squeezing through the small door and entering an abandoned corridor. Kino lead her to her McGonagall’s office, and said she would return when Ms. Knox was finished.

The woman who greeted her seemed quite intrigued that she was here. She new nothing of her suicide attempt, only that Dumbledore had asked her to teach this girl.

“Well, Ms. Knox – Let’s see what you can do.”

*****

Adrienne left her standard magic classes incredibly pleased. She had cast several intricate spells after easily learning all the level one charms she could handle. McGonagall went so far as to call her a progeny. In only two hours with McGonagall and Flitwick she was easily making her way to her own level. She was told to practice and study – and tomorrow they’d see if she could do it all again.

She finally realized she only had one more class, Potions. She felt so happy that she thought she could jump on professor Snape and thank him for the marvelous potion. And as soon as him office door opened she found herself hugging the incredibly intimidating man.

“This is highly inappropriate.” Was all he said.

“I don’t care!” she said smiling. “That potion, it’s amazing!”

“I quite agree. But it doesn’t mean that this hug in necessary.”

“I disagree.” She said still hugging him tightly. Severus kept calm and waited for her to stop. Only it caused him to think of all the women who had ever hugged him, Lily, several one-night companions and now this student who clung to him like a spider in a web. She finally pulled away and he looked at her face noticing several very faded scars, most hidden underneath her hair, except for a small mark under her eye, one that looked more like a birthmark than a scar. He found that his thoughts were now inappropriate, noticing a students features. Even though he thought that Adrienne’s petite figure and flawless skin were beautiful he had to steer his thoughts in the pre-determined direction of teaching her.

“Ms. Knox, please allow me to gauge how far along you are in potions.”

“How do you plan to do that?”

“Well. I thought of just having you read some material, and turn in a paper, but Dumbledore has advised me that hands on work is more essential.”

“Okay…”

“Please scan your memory for any potion you know, and choose to brew it. Mind you that it should be the most difficult potion you know, So that I can test your metacognitive skills as well as your brewing skills.”

“So brew the hardest potion I know?”

“Yes. That is what I said.”

“Alright, where do I work?” She asked. Severus lead her out of his office to a now abandoned classroom. A table contained a cauldron, and several brewing materials, everything except the ingredients.

“You may find anything you need in my supply closet,” he said leading her back to his office. A thin door that he opened lead to a vast closet filled with shelves and drawers, anything she needed she would be able to find.

“Keep in mind this closet is enchanted, so if you plan to take anything that isn’t for brewing, I’ll know.”

“Of course not professor.” He left her to stand alone in his closet while she heard him take a seat at his desk and begin to flip through some papers, likely essays than needed grading.

Adrienne thought of what she could brew, something practical for the next hour, but still impressive. She thought for a moment. Then pulled out her wand and summoned all the ingredients with the new summoning charm professor Flitwick had taught her. Several vials and boxes now filled her hands and she carefully balanced them while she walked back to her table, she received an incredibly curious look from Snape while she nearly dropped everything during her balancing act, but returned it with a smile since she as able to contain herself from letting everything fall.

She laid out each ingredient in order that it would be needed, Dogwood, Wormwood, Stalt Wood, and Blanes wood. She used another charm to instantly heat the cauldron and added the first for ingredients since they needed to simmer for ten minutes under strenuous heat so that the right resins were released. Several ingredients needed to be prepped for those ten minutes, she crushed one battle bean and collected the amount of juice she needed. Setting that aside she sliced a bit of rat tail and mixed it with a pinch of lily pollen. Her ten minutes were almost up when she prepped the last difficult ingredient – dragon scales. They were impossible to slice without magic, but she could now prevail with what she had learned from today. Her ten minutes were up before she had properly finished prepping the scales – but she still had time. She simple added the battle bean juice and watched as the pot turned a lovely purple. She stirred it with her left hand while her right used her wand to dust the scales with chemirilis, a mixture of wizard salts. She added the prepared rat-tail, and stirred it exactly seven more times before adding the dragon scales. And the last simple touch was dittany, but this is where the potion became hard for anyone to brew it – because it wasn’t as simple as counting your turns or changing the heat. You had to keep the cauldron at exactly 101 degrees, and when you added the dittany the potion would surely rise quickly, you had to maintain the heat while you stirred, and while you crushed the dragon scale at the bottom of the cauldron. If you didn’t crush it the dittany would burn out everything inside faster that you could say “wizard.”

Adrienne finished the potion within twenty minutes. That was what she found so hard, you had to keep up with the potion in a crushing time of counting seconds to see who would reach the finish line first. This potion was rarely brewed on ones own. But there it was, enough for three vials. She put a stopper in each, and admired the black liquid.

She placed each vial on the desk of her professor.

“I hardly believe a potion that took you twenty minutes is difficult in any way.” He looked at the vials quizzically.

“Rarely does someone know how to use wizards salts as a means to weaken dragon scales…” he said in a low hushed voice. “Can I ask you what made you think of this potion?”

“The dragon scales sir, I’ve never been able to cut them before.”

“Ah, testing you magic I see. An interesting and risky choice.” He said.

“Yes professor, but I’ve never had a problem brewing potions before, however if you gave me a few days and perhaps I could brew something from Bevarti’s Care of Impossible Potions?”

“You read Bevarti?”

“Of course! What else would a which do growing up unable to do magic.”

“Well it seems I’ve underestimated you my dear.”

“Everyone always does.”

“Well please return early, I trust that you’ll be starving by now.”

“Not exactly.”

“What ever do you mean?”

“I’m not used to the food served here, it’s different.”

“Different… as in not muggle food?”

“No I’m actually quite disgusted with muggle food, it’s just prepared… differently.”

“Then tell Kino how you like it, she’ll bring you whatever you’d like.”

“Oh, I didn’t know-“

“Yes, Dumbledore sent her to help you with anything you need while adjusting here.”

“Thanks professor.” She met his black eyes, which quickly went back to doing whatever it was that was so important.

“I’ll give your potions to Hagrid, perhaps he’ll know a few animals that need this.”

“There’s actually Unicorns… on the grounds?!”

“A select few…” he said, “they roam the forest. A healing potion for Unicorns is quite difficult to brew. I'm impressed for what Dumbledore told me.”

“Wow. This place is magical. And thank you professor. I’ll clean up.”

"That you will. And I do expect you to complete a potion from Bevarti's book, have it finished tomorrow please." she nodded in compliance.

Adrienne cleaned her cauldron with the tip of her wand easily removing the remnants from inside. She however caught herself eyeing the professor, the essays had been graded on his desk, and now he seemed to be looking the same piece of paper over and over. She did think that he was quite nice event though his intimidating demeanor was well… intimidating. But Adrienne liked him, he wasn’t social, and neither was she so the silence shared between them wasn’t awkward… but nice.