Celebrations

Chapter Eight

Celebrations

Hermione lowered the flame beneath the cauldron and put away her wand with a sigh. The potion would need to simmer for two hours now; she could take a little break. Severus had already retired to one of the armchairs in the corner to read Ars Alchemica. He looked up as she collapsed into the chair next to his.

"I forgot to tell you. Miss Weasley--Ginny, I mean--told me during NEWTs class that Edward is in therapy now."

"Firefighters everywhere are rejoicing," Hermione giggled. "Poor Percy is rather clueless, isn't he? Why didn't Molly speak up sooner?"

"They were still estranged, I believe. He never admitted that he was wrong, and he refused to have anything to do with his family."

"I have trouble feeling sorry for Edward," she continued. "I know he's been through a lot, but that's no excuse for the tricks he got up to. Mrs. Crowley at the Apothecary has been telling me stories that you wouldn't believe."

"Hmmph," grunted Snape, burying himself in his potions journal again. Hermione got up and wandered off to see what Dobby was up to; his methods of babysitting could be rather unorthodox at times.

After lunch, Severus removed a sample of elixir from the cauldron and eyed it cautiously. "It is the predicted color," he said cautiously.

Hermione was standing by with vials of blood from different werewolves. Wordlessly, she took the beaker from her partner and began transferring aliquots of potion into each with a pipette. She stared at the vials for ten minutes, then looked at Severus, who had been unnaturally quiet. "I think this batch has done it," she muttered unsteadily.

"I daresay you are right, Miss Granger," he replied.

"Dare we take the risk?"

Frowning, the Potions master considered for a moment. "Let's leave the decision to Remus, shall we? Just in time, too--the full moon is tonight."

She grinned suddenly, realizing the implications. "Let me give Mrs. Weasley a call--see if she'll babysit. Dobby is off tonight," she added by way of explanation since Severus seemed alarmed at having anyone else watch Carly.

"All right. I'll notify Remus. Shall we use the old dungeon, then?"

"Yes, definitely! I'll meet you there in oh, say, an hour?"

A nod was her only reply. Severus Snape was far too dignified to run in public, or he would have; instead, he set off at a brisk pace towards Hogsmeade.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Deep in the bowels of Hogwarts castle, there was a block of cells where prisoners were once kept. Students referred to Slytherin and the Potions classroom as "the dungeons," but those domains were far more hospitable than the cold, dank hallway where Hermione met Severus and Remus that afternoon.

"You have the key?" she asked, not even bothering to say hello. Severus waved a piece of metal in the air.

"Can we just get on with this?" Remus pleaded. "I'm a little, well, nervous. Please?"

Hermione put on her best mediwitch impersonation. "Drink this all up, dearie; that's a good lad."

Remus sniffed cautiously at the vial and frowned. "Doesn't smell too great," he snarled.

"Every last drop," Hermione ordered imperiously. "Otherwise it may not take."

The werewolf lifted it to his lips with one hand, making a show of plugging his nose with the other.

"Oh, get on with it already," growled Severus impatiently.

Remus gulped the concoction and forced himself to swallow. "Yuck! I think I'm going to..."

"Don't you dare!" Severus backed away from the man, who looked suspiciously like he was going to vomit.

"That's foul," Lupin admitted. "Am I allowed to rinse out my mouth or eat something?"

"Sorry, no. We're not sure how it might interact with food. Even diluting it with water might not be such a great idea."

"Get in the cell, Lupin," ordered Snape, brandishing the key. He grinned evilly. "Winky's arranged for a chamber pot, so you should be fine until morning."

Remus groaned, but meekly consented to being locked in.

Severus thought it would be fun to eat dinner in front of his former classmate, taunting him with a feast he couldn't take part in, but Hermione convinced him to eat in the Great Hall, as always. After supper, they went back to the dungeons, where they watched the clock and the former professor.

"Nine fifteen. Moonrise," whispered Hermione reverently, basking in the sight of Remus sitting unchanged before her.

"Normally I feel the moon tugging at me long before the change happens, but I don't feel anything right now!" Lupin exclaimed.

"Be patient. It may wear off," Severus added cautiously.

By one o'clock in the morning, they were sure that it wouldn't. "I'm far away from the moon here, though," Remus commented.

"True," agreed Severus. "The students will be in bed now; would you like to go out to the grounds?"

Under the light of the full moon, Severus and Hermione watched Remus Lupin dancing a jig on the front lawn. "Whee!" he shouted as he frolicked around. "I'm free! Hey, is the Leaky Cauldron still open? Who cares? I'm going to go find out. Someone, somewhere, will sell me a celebratory drink!" He took off, full speed, towards the gates.

"Despite my qualms about Mr. Lupin's character, I believe he is essentially correct," Snape said slowly. "A drink is in order. I believe the Three Broomsticks is closer, however. Would you care to join me?"

"The children--"

"Are with Mrs. Weasley, who expects to keep them for the whole night."

"I forgot," Hermione said bashfully.

"Now you remember. Shall we?" She took his proffered arm and walked slowly with him towards the village.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Two hours later, they stumbled through the door of Hermione's little cottage.

"You are the most beauuuutiful woman in the world," Severus slurred. "Come to bed with me; be my witch tonight."

Hermione did not seem to notice that he was having difficulty speaking clearly. "Your voice is just so sexy, you know that?" she mumbled. "I can't wait to get into your pants, you hot man, you." She led him into her bedroom and began kissing him clumsily but passionately. He tossed her on the bed and lay down next to her.

Nuzzling her neck gently, he slipped his hands under her shirt. With gasps of pleasure, he fondled her lace-covered breasts. His left hand wandered around to her back and began fumbling with the clasp of her bra. His efforts became weaker and weaker, and then, amazingly, his hands slumped to the bed, and he began to snore.

"Severus, darling, wake up," she murmured. "I want you so badly." She wanted to wake him, but she didn't seem to have the energy to do much more than caress him. "You are so hot, did you know that?" Her hand wandered up and down his back, slower and slower, until she too dozed off.

oOoOoOoOoOo

Author’s Notes: Thanks to SoulBound, who betas faster than I can upload.

Up Next: Independent Researchers. The consequences of the night before catch up with Hermione and Severus.