Nott 1

Chapter 12: 10 August 10:00 AM -- 26 August 10:00 AM – Nott 1

"Do you sail?" asked Theo.

"Some," I said. "I like boats."

Theodore Nott, Mrs. Nott, and I were having tea. I had recently arrived, and it was a little after ten on 10 August, a Saturday. Theo was eager to go sailing immediately while there was still a nice breeze. His mother nodded encouragingly at both of us.

"Lunch at one," Mrs. Nott called to us, as we carried the sails from the house to the dock.

"We probably won't make it," Theo called back.

We rigged the boat and were soon leaving the shore behind. Theo had decided to tack into the wind on the way out, which would let us run before the wind on the way back. I told him I would take the jib.

"I hear you're in Potions," said Theo, relaxing with a fellow sailor. "Mum does potions for a living."

"Yes, that's what I was told."

"Mum makes specialty potions ... hard to make. She says you offered to help."

"I'll prepare the ingredients ... the time-consuming, drudgery part. I'll let your mum prepare her brews."

"How's Draco doing?" asked Theo.

"Good. Very good. Draco, Vincent, Gregory, and I spent a lot of time riding around and practicing Quidditch."

"I hear you knocked them off their brooms," said Theo. "I wish I had seen that. Mrs. Malfoy told Mum about it."

We tacked.

"I'm going to visit Draco the last two weeks of this summer," said Theo.

"He'll be glad to see you," I said.

"I feel like I'm abandoning you. I'm leaving a guest alone."

"That's okay. I'm going to spend almost all my time preparing for Hogwarts," I said.

We tacked again.

"The travel arrangements are messed up," I said. "I should have visited you after the Malfoys and then visited the Clearwaters."

"If you don't go, you'll be leaving Draco alone," I told Theo.

"I'm going to spend one more week at my job in the Ministry," said Theo, "and then I'll be happy never to see them again."

"Maybe if you help Mum with her potions," continued Theo, "she'll have some free time. She should relax and have some fun."

"That would be good," I said.

"The family estate provides us enough for a modest lifestyle, but she wants the added income, and she wants to keep busy. I think she's overdoing it. I can't get her to relax."

We returned to the dock in time for afternoon tea. Mrs. Nott, familiar with sailors, was not surprised that we were late and provided some cheese and kippers with the biscuits.

The Nott estate had three buildings. An animal shed had been converted into a potions lab and a small living space for Mrs. Nott. A small guest house was usually used by Theo, but would now be shared by Theo and me when Theo was home. Theo had spent most of the summer in a rented room near the Ministry, but he was home Friday and Saturday nights. A large house was unused except for storage. Neither Mrs. Nott nor Theo said anything, but I could tell the house had been used for Death Eater meetings and rituals. It reeked of evil and felt nasty.

I moved into the guest house.

Sunday, during morning tea, we asked if Mrs. Nott wanted to go sailing with us. She wasn't sure

"We need your help on the water," I told Mrs. Nott.

She looked dubious.

"I wrap the sheet around the winch the wrong way," I said.

Theo, getting into the spirit of things, retorted, "He told me our boat was built wrong."

"I sit on the lee side of the boat on a reach."

"He said he was more comfortable there," complained Theo.

"I wanted to sail on the lee."

"He kept telling me I was doing everything backwards," whined Theo.

Who could resist sailing with such a nautical marvel? Theo and his mum told me, gleefully, that I must be the helmsman because of my competence. "That's the way of the world," they assured me. They made a big production out of putting on their life jackets. They said they were preparing for the sail of a lifetime. I had been warned about British humor.

We made a short trip and were back in time for lunch. I asked about the croquet set I had discovered in the guest house. Theo and his mum said they had no idea why it was there or what it was for. I hadn't played since I was a little kid, but I tried explaining what I recalled of the rules. Theo thought I had the rule about hitting your opponent's ball wrong.

"The one whose ball is hit is the offended party," said Theo. "He should be the one to knock the other's ball out of play."

Theo's mum thought the same thing. I had to agree, but asserted the rules were otherwise.

"Aggressive game," said Theo.

Once playing, however, Theo and his mum concentrated on knocking the other balls out of play. Especially mine, I thought.

After afternoon tea, Theo left for London in a jubilant mood. He thought I would be good for his mum. After Theo left, I returned to the guest house to study and listen to music. Mrs. Nott asked if she could join me since she liked to listen to music while she read. She asked me if I could dance, and I told her that I couldn't dance very well. She told me we could work on that. After all, I had made her go sailing and play croquet.

"Is this some kind of revenge?" I asked.

"Yes," she said.

* * *

Potions with Mrs. Nott did not go as expected.

Monday morning Mrs. Nott gave me a tour of her lab. "Excellent," I said as I examined the equipment. The lab was set up to produce high-quality potions, the kind that could not be mass-produced. Mrs. Nott said she made twenty-three brews. She had been getting requests for some newer potions, but she hadn't the time to learn their preparation. We searched my references. None were in the textbooks since they were too recent, but three of them were in the latest edition of a potion encyclopedia. We wrote my family, asking for more information.

After morning tea, Mrs. Nott began preparing potions while I practiced brewing one of the newer ones. When I had it perfected, I showed the procedure to Mrs. Nott. I thought she stood very close to me during the demonstration. She was almost in the way, but some people are like that, and I shrugged it off.

During lunch, I asked about the house. Mrs. Nott said that it probably wasn't too hard to cleanse, but she and Theo had bad memories about it and had left it alone. I said I would like the practice since I was taking a Defense against the Dark Arts test next week at the British Ministry.

The house faced north and sat on a small hill. It had a ground floor, an upper floor, an attic, and a deep cellar. The ground floor had a parlor and a guest room with a bath between them on the East side, and a large dining room adjoining a kitchen on the West side. On the South side, as a one-story extension to the parlor, was a study with extensive windows and a fireplace. A hall separated the kitchen and dining room from the other rooms. Stairs were in the hall. The upper story had four bedrooms, a reading room, and two baths.

Between lunch and tea, I did an initial cleansing of the first two stories and sealed the cellar and attic. After scouring the house, I washed and changed for tea. After tea, Mrs. Nott gave me a dance lesson on the lawn.

Tuesday morning I worked on the other two potions that were new, and then I demonstrated their preparation to Mrs. Nott.

"That's wonderful," she said, giving me a hug.

Tuesday afternoon I did a thorough cleansing of the first two stories of the house. Since Mrs. Nott said she did not want to move into the house, I let her have the guest house and moved into the ground floor of the house. We had tea in the parlor, danced in the dining room, and fixed dinner in the kitchen. Mrs. Nott was glad to get her kitchen back since she had been living on tinned food. She was also glad to move out of the lab into the guest house. She had let Theo have the guest house even though he was home only two nights a week. What mothers do for their sons.

Tuesday afternoon we also got the return message from my family. In addition to the three we already had, there were five other potions that were becoming very popular. Mrs. Nott and I decided that I would spend the mornings getting their preparation perfected, and that I would relax and study the rest of the day. I protested that I wasn't helping her with her work, but she insisted my studies came first.

Mrs. Nott was an early riser. Perhaps that was good since she liked to use the bath on the ground floor of the house after getting up. When she finished, which was still early in the morning to me, Mrs. Nott would bang on the sleepy head's door and then fix breakfast while I used the bath. She liked having most of the house back even though she didn't want to sleep in it.

I planned to tackle the cellar and attic after taking the exam. I slept with the lights on and the protective spells up. I wished I had the family hound with me since he was a better guard than most spells. I was having strange dreams, which is probably one reason Mrs. Nott preferred to live in the guest house.

During lunch on Wednesday, Mrs. Nott said, "You can study in the lab in the afternoon while I make potions if you like. It won't bother me."

When I looked up from the books every once in a while, I noticed her glancing at me. Having help with the potions and getting the guest house and most of the house back was doing Mrs. Nott good. She was looking better every day. Definitely, I thought, as she smiled at me and brushed her hair back. Energetic lady, I thought, as she led me through another dance session.

Wednesday night the spell alarms went off. I grabbed my wands and tracked the source to the kitchen. A slimy critter was opening the bread box and wrapping itself around a loaf. Our good French bread! I waited until it had covered the loaf, extended its tendrils, and became comfortable. Then I fried its ass, as the Americans say. There was a new sheriff in town.

Thursday morning Mrs. Nott was amused by the scorch mark, but it meant porridge for breakfast.

That morning, Mrs. Nott wanted to work with me as I figured out the preparation for two of the new potions. She said since I was a fellow Potions master, I may as well use her first name. She kept touching me, which I found friendly and reassuring. Janice was a warm person.

"I appreciate your keeping me company," she told me after lunch, as I sat reading in the lab.

"It's very comfortable around you," I replied.

We took a break for afternoon tea even though Janice wanted to brew more potions before she quit for the day. Our doing the new products had lengthened her working days, but Janice still seemed to be improving and becoming less tired. After tea, she wanted to dance, and she wanted the slow, close dancing numbers. We returned to the lab where I read a textbook while Janice made a large batch of skin ointment. It had been a long day for Janice, and I gave her a massage before she filled the tub to take a relaxing soak. I told her to not worry about dinner since even I could fix a salad, bake a potato, and fry a medium rare steak. Not to mention open a bottle of wine, one of my specialties.

Friday morning we worked out the preparation for the last of the new potions.

"I'm almost sorry we're finished," said Janice.

"I know," I said. "New stuff is fun."

"Of course," I told her, "you have to be good with potions to brew new ones."

She blushed a little.

"Really," I told her. "I've seen a lot of people in potions, and you're very talented."

"I wish I had met someone like you when I was at Hogwarts," said Janice, "when I was young."

"Well, thanks," I said, "but there were probably lots of students good in Potions at Hogwarts."

We only worked through the morning since it was Theo's last day at work and he could arrive anytime. After lunch, Janice wondered if I could give her another massage. "Of course," I said.

"Let's use the study," Janice said. "We can open the windows. I'll build a fire. I know it's August, but it'll be fun."

I returned with a quilt and arranged it in front of the fireplace.

"It's nice and warm in here," said Janice, unbuttoning her blouse.

"My, aren't you the gentleman," Janice said, as I turned my back to her.

When I turned back, she had her blouse and bra off and was lying face down on the quilt. Just what I need, I thought, Theo to come home to my giving a massage to his topless mum. Despite this apprehension, I gave Janice a long, sensuous massage. Janice was right. This was fun. Near the end, Janice was softly moaning as I ran my hands the length of her back. She looked flushed. I said it must be warm in the room and went to get her glass of cold water. When I returned, she was asleep. Good, I thought. I covered Janice with her blouse and sat in a nearby chair to read. I awoke about tea time to her stirring. "Thank you," said Janice, hugging me and giving me a kiss on the cheek. We decided we would go to Theo's apartment to check on his progress.

The apartment manager recognized Theo's mum and let us into his rooms. An exchange of messages established that Theo was completing the paperwork for his summer employment. He had worked with a family friend in the Control of Magical Beasts Department. Theo would meet us at his apartment. The unspoken thoughts were that it would do no good for the wife of a Death Eater and a Durmstrang Death Eater Wannabe to meet Theo in the English Ministry. Janice packed her son's belongings with a mother's efficiency since Theo had said he wanted to get out of London and go home. Tomorrow morning he would leave for the Malfoys.

* * *

"I hardly got to see him all summer," said Janice after Theo had left. I was awkwardly holding her.

"I'm sorry," Janice said as she cried on my shoulder.

Theo had celebrated the end of a tense summer. He regaled us with stories about lost and trapped magical beasts, as the bad memories faded and he recalled the exciting ones. Janice showed him her new potions and the first two floors of the house.

"So it is true what they say about Durmstrang and the Dark Arts," said Theo, after touring the house and eyeing the scorch mark.

"Partly," I replied.

Theo and I went sailing since there was a stiff breeze that evening. Out on the water, he kept thanking me for taking care of his mum. I told him his mother was a kind lady and a brilliant Potions mistress. Theo had to agree.

Now, holding a sobbing Janice, I tried to think of some diversion. I finally remembered she was English and offered her a cuppa. Then I remembered she was female and, among other diversions, mentioned clothes shopping.

"You're trying to make me feel better," she sniffed.

"Of course. Why not?"

"I haven't shopped in a long time, almost a year. There didn't seem to be any point in it. Who cared?"

"Well, if you don't need anything, we won't bother," I said, "but if you do, we can go shopping."

She looked at me. "You do care, don't you?"

"Yes," I said.

Janice spent the afternoon acquiring a new outfit. Remembering my manners, I told her that I absolutely had to show her off by taking her dancing. Much later, we were back in the study, and I was lying on the rug watching the logs burn in the fireplace. Janice lay down beside me, curled around me, and then went to sleep. When I awoke the next morning she was already up and fixing breakfast.

Janice was remote and quiet during breakfast. She told me she was going to spend the morning checking her potion supplies and that an old friend would come over that afternoon. Mr. Thurman, a bachelor twenty plus years older than Janice, arrived for lunch and began flirting with Janice, who didn't mind at all. Out of the blue, for no reason that I could fathom, I felt like someone was running a piece of cold steel through me. He admired her new potions and what she had done with the house.

"Janice told me you helped," said Mr. Thurman full of jovial companionship. "You must be a talented young man."

I fought down an inexplicable urge to fry his ass and said, "Thank you."

Mr. Thurman appeared again Monday morning to begin flirting to a receptive Janice. I kept telling myself I should be happy for Janice. Why was I in such misery? Was I allergic to Mr. Thurman? I originally planned to travel to London on Tuesday to take the two-day exam on Wednesday and Thursday, but I decided to leave this afternoon. The pain was too great to stay.

* * *

By Thursday evening, the exam ordeal was over. Wednesday morning was a written, and Wednesday afternoon was an oral. Thursday morning was a practical exam against elementary threats where I had to remember the elementary defenses. Thursday afternoon was a practical against directed threats. That was easy except the examiners were telling me to calm down a little. I kept thinking of Mr. Thurman and shredding the Brit duelers. What did I have against that man anyway?

Mrs. Nott must have friends in the English Ministry because Friday morning I received a congratulatory letter from her. She appeared ecstatic about my Outstanding NEWT in Defense against the Dark Arts, and she had arranged a party for me that evening. My emotional immaturity overwhelmed me. I thought about watching Mrs. Nott cuddle Mr. Thurman and pleaded exhaustion. The image of Mrs. Nott and Mr. Thurman was pain incarnate, but it told me what my problem was. I was jealous. I had become fond of Mrs. Nott. Well, who wouldn't? There was no cure, but diversions would reduce the pain, and London was full of diversions.

I kept thinking I had paved the way for Mr. Thurman by providing Mrs. Nott with a new, profitable line of potions and a livable house. I was constantly telling myself that I was exaggerating, but it was constantly eating at me.

I was officially carefree until school started. The German Ministry was pleased with my examination and with the letter of appreciation that Mrs. Nott had sent them. My family was even happier. During the day, I sat at sidewalk restaurants drinking cafe au lait and watching the shopping birds, and during the night I roamed the dance halls trying out my rudimentary skills on the night birds.

* * *

Sunday morning there was knocking on my hotel door. I peered out to see Mrs. Nott. Hell had arrived. I didn't see Mr. Thurman. Where was the other half of hell? I invited Mrs. Nott in.

"Hermann, where have you been? Are you ill?"

"Just tired," I said, remembering my cover story.

"You could rest at my place. Or maybe you don't want to. Is that it? I thought you liked it there. Did you get tired of me? I can understand your wanting to be around younger girls."

Mrs. Nott sounded sad enough that I wanted to put her mind at ease. I was also too hurt to hide the way I felt. I might as well be honest and end it. I said, "I like your company, really I do, but I thought I should leave you and Mr. Thurman alone. You two are happy together. I don't want to bother you."

Mrs. Nott sat quietly for a while.

"We're not together," she said. "After you left Monday, I told him that I had to spend some time alone."

I should have been sad for Mrs. Nott and Mr. Thurman, but selfish Hermann was rejoicing.

I was temporarily at a loss. It was nine in the morning. I said, "I know it's late for you, but I just got up. I'm ready for breakfast."

"I haven't been eating all week," said Janice. "I could have some breakfast, though."

I shaved, showered, dressed, and took Janice to a sidewalk cafe in a village outside London. This cafe was by a water fountain, and a fountain's white noise is supposed to induce a sense of privacy. I wanted Janice to talk to me.

"How's the house?" I asked.

"It's getting worse since you left," she said. "Stuff is coming out of the cellar and attic ... You were going to clean them after your exam ... but I chased you away."

I found it hard to be dishonest with Janice. "I was insanely jealous. I didn't even know it for a while."

What was there about Janice Nott? I had watched prettier women shop, and I had danced with prettier girls, but I was attracted to Janice.

"I was scared," said Janice. "Do you know I slept with you last Saturday? It was innocent, but I did. I woke up Sunday morning thinking I had to stop."

I ordered more tea for Janice and more cafe au lait for me.

"There are some obnoxious potions that break down after a few hours," I said. "We can use them to clear the cellar and attic of anything living. Then we can empty them and do cleansing spells."

"I moved out of the house about five years ago," said Janice.

About when Theo started school, I thought. I nodded and let Janice continue talking.

"I've been pretty much living alone since then, except when Theo visited during the summer. I had been pretty much living alone even before I moved out."

"I was surprised how quickly you cleared the first two floors," said Janice. "So was Theo. Do you think Theo will be okay at the Malfoys? He's known Draco for a long time."

"He's with an old friend his own age," I said, stating the obvious. "He's probably telling Draco about his summer at the Ministry, all his complaints and problems."

Janice agreed. "All the stuff he wouldn't tell me. Now he can talk about it."

"Theo said all the Slytherin boys are going to be there this week," said Janice. "You're missing out."

"You're stuck here with me," she said taking my hand. "Or you could go there if you wanted to. I could ask."

"Here is fine," I said, letting Janice wrap her fingers around mine.

Janice talked about her years at Hogwarts, her discovering her gift for Potions, and her top marks in her NEWT exams. She had chosen Potions, Herbology, and Transfiguration. It had been a difficult choice between Transfiguration and Magical Creatures, but she had wanted to excel in at least one "wand waving and incantation" subject. I told Janice that if she excelled at Transfiguration, she could excel at anything.

"Were you nearly a Ravenclaw?" I asked.

"Yes," she said sadly.

I had stepped on a sore spot, but Janice, already holding my hand, now held my hand with both of hers. Janice caressed the back of my hand as if that gave her comfort.

"My parents, most of my family, had been Slytherins," Janice said. "I was proud to join the Slytherins and stand against the rest of the world."

Janice paused. "I didn't do much standing. I was a year behind Narcissa Black and Severus Snape, and they took the brunt of the abuse from the rest of the school. They were strong and brave."

She thought awhile. "I saw Narcissa marry into a rich, pureblood family, and it looked like an escape to me. I did the same thing, even quicker than Narcissa had done it."

I thought about the effects of constant animosity directed towards a sensitive personality.

Janice stared into space for a minute. "Narcissa and I remained friends. And we both have a son the same age. Draco and Theo were together a lot. When they got older, they preferred staying at my house instead of at the Malfoys. I think they had more freedom. Lucius was always a taskmaster."

Janice was smiling. She was remembering her son's boyhood.

"Theo was never very friendly with Vincent or Gregory. He thought they were slow and brutal. Draco used to cultivate them as part of a gang. He was always a little ringleader. Theo was more of a loner."

"I liked Theo," I said, "although I hardly spent any time with him. He's worried that you're working too hard."

"I probably shouldn't say this, but Theo is worried about you, too," said Janice. "He thinks you're formidable against the dark forces, and he's worried that there's an underlying violent streak."

"I hope he's wrong," I said, but I knew that Theo was at least partially correct.

"It's not a bad thing," said Janice, seeing through me. "Sometimes it's necessary. Narcissa and Severus have it, and it helped them survive and protect the other Slytherins ... I'm glad they have it."

"I think it's going to rain soon," said Janice. "Do you mind my changing the topic? Let's go someplace where it's not raining."

We didn't find anyplace with sunshine, but we found private places where it wasn't raining and I could hold Janice. We finally returned to my hotel room.

"I'm not ... I'm not ready to sleep with you," said Janice.

"Okay, whatever you like."

"But I don't want to be alone," said Janice. "I want to stay here."

"That's easy. You take the bed. I'll take the couch. Are you sleepy now or do you want a hot chocolate or a brandy?"

"A hot chocolate," she said. "It's funny how Potions makes a person lead a careful, modest life."

"I think it's the temptations," I said. "All those really potent things we could brew for ourselves if we felt like it. We could whip up some stuff that would make us one with the universe ... no longer functional, but one with the universe."

"Yes," said Janice. "The fear of what could happen if we slip from the straight and narrow."

Janice had stretched out on the couch. "I want to take the couch, Hermann. I insist. I know you want to be chivalrous, but I insist on the couch."

I brought Janice her chocolate, sheets, pillow, and blanket. I kissed her goodnight and tucked her in. I went to bed.

* * *

I awoke as Janice climbed into bed. She lay on top of my sheet with a blanket covering her. I fought down the urge to toss the blankets aside and ravish her. "Go easy," I told myself. "She's been, she still is, the wife of a man who found fulfillment participating in the tortures of the Death Eaters." I fought down my anger at the frustration Janice was causing me. I ached to have her. "Be understanding," I told myself. If what she told me was true, Janice hadn't let anyone touch her in more than five years.

I lay on my back and waited. I was determined to capture her spirit.

Janice moved closer. I just waited. Janice tentatively placed a hand on the sheet covering my chest. I waited. Janice edged closer. Her arm was now across my chest. "Whatever she wants; whenever she wants," I told myself. Janice nestled against me with the sheet between us. I gently stroked her hair. By a series of small moves, I coaxed her head onto my shoulder. The sheet was still between us, but her head was on my shoulder, her arm was across my chest, and her leg was draped over mine.

I was overheated where Janice lay on top of me, cramped where her weight pressed against me, and irritated where her hair tickled my nose and eyes ... lovely ... marvelous ... all the domestic comforts. It was what I wanted.

Janice was impatient with Hermann. Yes, you're a gentleman, you would never force yourself on me, but I would like some passion, some sign that you find me irresistible, some indication that you're not completely in control of yourself around me. Ah, yes, he's kissing me. It's about time. I can kiss him back. Do you like my tongue, Hermann? Do you mind if I crawl on top of you and devour you? Oh, my, what an erection you have, Hermann. Is that for me? Can I touch it? He's slowly kissing me down my neck. Bloody hell, I'm wearing a bra. Let me take it off, honey. Hermann's watching as I sit up and undo the straps. Here, darling, let me take your hands and put them on my breasts. Do you like them? Do you want to kiss them? Yes, like that. Oh, that's better than I thought it would be. Never from the chaste nunnery of my breasts should you fly, Hermann. Yes, Hermann, run your hand down my side, over my silk-covered hips, and down my leg. Yes, Hermann, run your hand back up my thigh, across my silky knickers, and up to my shoulders where you can hold me as I press myself against you, as I wiggle like a woman who wants sex. Let me open my legs for you and put your hand between them. Run your hand up the inside of my thighs like that, darling, and, yes, across all my soft curves. Keep doing it, darling. Do you mind that I'm getting squishy? Oh, God, I'm moaning, and I can't help it. Oh, yes, honey, I like your hand in my knickers. You part my folds so gently. You're stroking me so nicely with your slickly wet finger. I can't think anymore. It feels too good. Don't stop, Hermann. Don't stop, darling. Oh ... yes ... God ... yes ... oh.

Janice cried out as Hermann kissed her breasts and the first wave of ecstasy blanked her mind.

What am I doing? thought Janice. I pulled my knickers off, sucked and licked Hermann's dick until it was hard and wet, and now I'm on my back with my legs spread asking Hermann to come into me. I'm a married woman and I want another man between my legs, putting his dick in me, all the way in me. I'm letting someone my son's age mount me and take me. Oh, God, I'm moaning it feels so good. Yes, Hermann, take me, posses me, fuck me, have me. Oh, God, it's too nice. It's too nice. All I can feel is his sex. Oh, God. Oh, God. I'm coming. Oh, God.

Janice had always thought her sex was ugly, but she liked it when Hermann looked at all of her. She had never cared for it, but she liked it when Hermann mounted her. She had wondered about passion, but this time she had moaned and thrashed. She had always thought it messy, but she was glad she was slick for him and came for him. And she was happy when he came inside her. 'Making love' did describe it.

They lay tangled ... at peace after sex ... content with each other.

I had to persuade Janice to cuddle me while we were sleeping. She liked it. She admitted it made her feel more comfortable, but she wasn't used to it. She had never done it before. I told Janice that I had to get used to it, too, but I wanted to hold her.

* * *

"Good morning," said Janice as my eyes opened.

It slowly registered that she was fully dressed and sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"How are you feeling this morning?" asked Janice as she ran her fingers through my hair.

"Fine," I said. Actually, I wasn't fine, and I wasn't acting very polite. What was Janice doing out of bed? I knew she was a morning person, but why couldn't she have fetched a tea and newspaper and come back to bed to cuddle her wizard? And she was treating me as if I were her son. I made a tremendous effort to conceal my annoyance. Would I have to spend all day seducing her again? Perhaps she didn't want to be seduced again. Oh, great.

My spirit split. It was an ethereal experience. The part that contained the real me, the part that cared about Janice, the part that could be hurt, floated above the mundane part of me that Janice and the rest of the world could see. The mundane part of me could make the polite inquiries and responses about breakfast, Janice's state of health, and travel. It would lose contact with Janice and ultimately lose Janice because it didn't care about Janice or anything else. But this was the preferable state and preferable outcome. The alternative was the agony of longing for a cold and unresponsive Janice who showed no sign of caring for me. I realized I was a person who would show her new potions, cleanse her house, and be a temporary plaything in bed. I realized I meant nothing else to her, but Janice was not to blame since I had brought this upon myself. I would complete my self-assigned tasks.

"Do you want some tea?" asked Janice cheerfully.

"I suppose the next order of business is finishing your house," I said coolly as I accepted the tea.

"What?" said Janice, dropping the cup and saucer.

"I'm sorry," said Janice. "I'll clean it up. I didn't scald you did I? Oh, Hermann, are you okay?"

"I'm okay," I said, baffled by how concerned Janice sounded.

"Come over here and sit down," I said in an effort to comfort a distraught looking Janice.

"On the dry side of the bed," I joked.

Janice whisked the wet quilt off the bed, leaving me with just a sheet, brought another cup of tea, and sat down beside me on top of the sheet.

"I'm sorry I dropped the tea, but you sounded so cold and distant it startled me."

It was finally registering that Janice had been cheerful and affectionate instead of angry and sullen. That had been a good start. I now was awake enough to recall that Janice was the wife of a Death Eater, and I had to be patient with her. It's possible Janice and her husband had a loving relationship, but I didn't think so. Torture didn't agree with Janice. I should take it easy since Janice probably didn't trust me yet ... she was being a bit distant to protect herself. I now was awake enough to appreciate Janice, the loving and competent lady I had seduced. Okay, if it took me all day to seduce Janice again, then I would take all day. Take it easy, O randy one.

"I didn't mean it that way," I lied.

I was now ashamed of myself for wallowing in self-pity. I hadn't been polite or made any friendly overtures to Janice or given her any chance at all to relate to me. I was too ashamed and too cowardly to admit to Janice what I had done.

"How are you this morning and I 'm sorry I sounded cold," I blurted out. "And thanks again for the tea," I said, lifting the cup to Janice and smiling at her. "Can you forgive me?"

"I'm fine. You just startled me."

I wished we were back to Janice running her fingers through my hair, but I had done damage and it would take time to heal.

"How long have you been up? Did you get a newspaper for yourself?"

Janice had been up for an hour. She had taken a tub, dressed, and waited for me to wake up. I kept thinking that she had been friendly and cheerful, and now she was subdued and hesitant because I had hurt her. I kept trying to think of some way to undo my mistake.

"A Sickle for your thoughts," said Janice.

"I'm trying to think of some way to make up for sounding cold and distant," I said.

"Are you still worrying about that?"

"Would it help if I said you were cheerful and attractive in the morning? And you make good tea?"

"That's a good start," said Janice.

Janice returned to running her fingers through my hair. I sipped my tea while she edged closer. I set the tea aside, laid my head in her lap, and took one of her hands in mine.

"I'm glad you're here," I said. I was thinking that the only thing that could save this relationship would be Janice's kindness and maturity.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. "You've been up quite a while."

"I'm fine," said Janice.

Go slow and take all day to seduce her, I thought as I sat up, ran my hands through her hair, and kissed her. She wants to relate to you as a person first, I thought as Janice put her tongue in my mouth. I should just talk to her for a while, I thought as I cupped her breasts. It won't do to hurry things, I thought, as Janice moaned, put her arms around me, and pushed her breasts into me. Don't scare her away, I thought, as I nibbled my way down to her cleavage, and Janice tore off her blouse and bra. I should take her to breakfast and chat, I thought, as I tended a breast until I could taste her and then tended the other breast while Janice whispered my name and endearments. Don't rush the intimacy, I thought, as Janice slid down raising her skirt above her waist, and I removed her knickers, spread her legs, kissed my way up her thighs, parted Janice's folds, and applied my tongue. I shouldn't take advantage of a lonely Janice, I thought, as Janice moaned and writhed and grabbed my hair and pushed me into her. I meant to give you more affection first, darling, I thought, as Janice cried out my name and her thighs gripped me. Oh, Janice, I like you too much. You're turning me into an animal who wants to fuck you while you watch me take you. Janice pulled me up between her legs and said, "Take me, darling. I want to watch you fuck me."

* * *

At breakfast, Janice went directly to the most important topic ... the details of her last several days while Hermann was gone. Yesterday, Janice had talked about the highlights of her life. That was sociable, but this was important. Hermann held her hand and listened with great interest, and then Hermann told her about his equally important quest for a good cafe au lait in London. Janice thought it was a wonderful story. Janice could feel her nipples against her bra, and she wondered what was happening to her since she had just had sex. Her scrambled eggs arrived, giving Janice a chance to recall this morning in bed when Hermann had taken her. There hadn't been much watching. It had become intense, they had become entangled, and Janice still felt peaceful and a bit otherworldly. Janice helped herself to a piece of sausage on Hermann's plate. We'll go back to the hotel room, thought Janice, we'll gather our stuff, and then we'll go home.