She had awoken every morning for the past few days in the same fashion. Snape would always be awake before her, and she wouldn’t have to put the coffee on herself. He was away from Hogwarts, and Voldemort’s potion was now brewing down in the basement lab of the cottage for the Christmas break. The two of them hoped to have the potion finished by the time the holidays were over and Snape had to reassume his position as a teacher at the school.