Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Morning After

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Morning After

Tuesday, 9 March 1999

Severus woke, and as he rolled over and felt someone beside him, he remembered making love with Poppy the night before. He had slept very well. Of course, he had had more sex in the last two days than he'd had in the last decade. That might have contributed to it. Endorphins or something. He put his arm around Poppy and curled himself around her. His hand came to rest on one of her breasts, but he restrained himself from playing with it. It was early still, and she didn't need to wake yet. A few minutes later though, he felt her stir, and he kissed the back of her head.

"Good morning, Poppy," he whispered, hoping that she didn't have morning-after regret.

"Mmm, Severus," she said with a sigh. "This is nice."

"This is especially nice," Severus said, caressing her breast.

She wiggled against him. "I think you have something rather nice, too. And getting even nicer."

Severus laughed softly and kissed her shoulder. "I can think of something I could do with it," he said, pressing his cock against her.

"So can I," Poppy replied, turning in his arms.

She took his cock in her hand and stroked it, then she pushed the covers off and rolled him onto his back.

"I even like to look at you," she said. She smiled and stroked a finger up his length. "Your cock looks very happy right now."

"It is," Severus said, admiring her breasts in the half-light.

Poppy slid down the bed, kissed the head of his cock, and then lowered her mouth around him. Severus stiffened, then relaxed; Poppy wouldn't do that if she didn't want to, he told himself, and her mouth and tongue felt good around his cock. She licked and bobbed, then Severus felt her reach between his legs. She raised her head and looked at him.

"I thought I'd try something. If you don't like it, tell me," she said.

He felt her finger at his anus as her tongue swirled around his balls, then her mouth closed around his erection again as she inserted a slippery finger. She looked up to see his reaction. His lips were parted, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was fast. She lowered herself around his cock again as she withdrew her finger. She inserted two fingers, rubbed, and Severus moaned.

Poppy raised up again. "All right?"

"Gods, yes," he gasped.

She put her mouth around his cock and slowly began to move up and down, pressing with just the tip of her tongue as she moved down his length and back up again, and pulsing her fingers on the wonder-spot she had found so quickly and easily.

He came suddenly, shouting and spurting cum as Poppy lowered her mouth around him and swallowed, his cries inarticulate and primal.

Poppy kissed his shaft as she removed her fingers from him. She wiped them on the towel that was still in the bed, then she Summoned her wand from the other room and cast a quick cleansing charm on her hand before moving up to lie beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and he put an arm around her.

Severus turned his head and kissed her forehead. "I can't believe you did that, but it was wonderful."

"Which?"

"Either. But especially, you know, with your fingers."

"I had a feeling you might enjoy that," she said.

"Why?" He wondered if she could tell he'd had anal sex recently. She was a mediwitch, after all. That would be embarrassing.

"Many men do. Not all, of course. And I thought that since you say you're inexperienced, maybe it was something you hadn't tried before, or if you had, it might have been quite a while ago. And a lot of witches don't like to do it."

"I can understand that," Severus said. He was squeamish at the thought of touching someone's anus, despite what he'd done with Gareth. "Do you like it? Done to you?"

"Female anatomy is different. Some women do like to have their rectal area stimulated. There are a lot of nerves down there. But I don't like it. I don't dislike it terribly, but it doesn't do a thing for me," Poppy said with a shrug. "You'll need to see, depending on who you're with."

"It seems as though for years, I barely thought about sex," Severus confessed. "I was too consumed by everything else in my life, particularly once the Dark Lord returned. I got used to not having sex, not thinking about sex, not even missing sex. Now, though . . . especially the last few days, it seems that I think about it all the time."

"Probably because you're feeling more relaxed, healthier...and your diet is much better. It will calm down. I doubt you'll become obsessed by it." She raised her head and grinned at him. "If you do, though, I'd be happy to help you out again."

"I will remember that," Severus replied, returning her smile with a small one of his own. "You are incredibly sexy, you know. I was thinking about you yesterday and the day before...trying not to, but it seemed that once I'd noticed how attractive you are, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I still didn't intend to seduce you...I wouldn't even have thought that possible."

"I am glad you did," Poppy said softly, "even if it never happens again."

Severus swallowed. It couldn't happen again. He was taking Hermione on their second date on Friday. He couldn't have sex with other people when he was dating Hermione. But they weren't really dating yet, he reasoned to himself. And it wasn't as though he'd intended to have sex with Poppy. Of course, it wasn't exactly an accident, either. You couldn't accidentally have sex. Whoops! I just accidentally stuck my cock in you and fucked you. So, sorry! It was an accident! He smiled to himself.

"What are you thinking?" Poppy asked, noticing his smile.

"Just that one can't accidentally have sex. Mistakenly, perhaps, but hardly accidentally," he said. His hand began to play absently with her breast, stroking it and teasing her nipple.

"That does sound unlikely," Poppy agreed with a chuckle. "So, are you thinking this was a mistake? Do you regret it?"

"I don't know. I do know that it felt very good," Severus said, "and that I liked waking up next to you this morning. But it doesn't seem like a good idea to do this again."

Poppy nodded against him. "I actually woke up in the middle of the night and was confused for a moment about where I was. When I remembered and felt you beside me," she said, holding him bit more tightly, "to be honest, I almost left. I have known you for a long time, and I was afraid that you would wake up and have regrets and, well, that it might be unpleasant."

"I can understand that," Severus said softly, "but I'm glad you stayed. I think that I would have been upset if I'd woken up and you were gone without saying anything."

"I thought that if you did that to me, just left, I would be royally ticked off and quite hurt, and I decided to take my chances that you wouldn't wake up and wish I weren't here. Besides, if we don't want this to affect our daily relationship, I think it's best to part this morning on good terms."

"I can try," Severus said. "I need to use the loo, but if you need it first?"

"No, thank you. I went when I woke up earlier."

"I didn't even notice you get up or come back," Severus said as he swung his legs out of bed.

"You were very sound asleep, and I tried to be quiet."

Severus used the loo and washed, though he didn't take a shower, thinking that might be rude, especially since Poppy would need to leave soon. He could very easily understand her worries about his reaction when he woke up. He could be very nasty, and he was certain that he must have said some unpleasant things to her over the years. After the Adfectus was released, he had been an utter bastard to Minerva. He had regretted it immediately, but that was his usual method of dealing with anything uncomfortable or unwelcome. Perhaps waking up next to Poppy, happy that she was there, was a good sign that he was becoming a little less of a bastard, a little more comfortable in his life.

Walking back into the bedroom, Severus warmed to see Poppy lying on her back in his bed, a sheet and blanket only pulled up to her waist. Seeing her there, reclined on his bed, she looked like a goddess, or one of those beautiful mortal women whom gods take for lovers. She opened her eyes and smiled at him, one of her hands drifting over her breasts. He stopped, transfixed.

"See something you like?" she asked.

He nodded, watching as her hand moved languidly from breast to breast, then down her torso to push the covers aside. Her left leg was bent, and he could see her crux. His cock was growing heavy. He took one step closer to the bed. Her hand drew circles over her stomach and lower abdomen.

"Don't stop."

"You like this, Severus?" Her voice was low.

"Yes," he whispered from between dry lips.

His erection was full, and his cock twitched as he watched her hand move lower. When her fingers reached her crux, he let out a breath and took another step closer, his cock bobbing.

"I need something right here," Poppy said, running her fingers over her clitoris to her opening, "and I see you have something very nice there. It might be just what I need." Her eyes were focussed on his cock.

"Do that again," he whispered as her hand travelled back up over her stomach.

"What? This?" she asked, bringing her fingers back down to touch her clitoris and open her folds. She smiled at his reaction. "Do you have something that might help me here?" She continued to touch herself.

Severus stepped up beside the bed. "Would this do?" he asked, touching the head of his cock.

Looking at his erection, Poppy nodded. She rolled toward him then knelt on the bed in front of him. She reached out and touched him, stroking his length with her fingertips.

"I think that will do quite well," she said.

Severus pulled her toward him and bent his head, kissing and nipping her shoulder, running his hands over her back and buttocks, her arms around him holding him tightly.

He turned his head and whispered into her ear. "You have such a nice pussy. I liked to see you touching it."

She drew back and looked at him, and he thought for a moment that he had offended her, but she simply moved further back on the bed so that he could see her and she began to rub herself with two fingers of one hand as she played with one of her breasts with the other. She lay back and spread her legs, still touching herself.

"You like this, Severus? You like watching me?"

He nodded; his tongue emerged to lick his dry lips. He wanted to ask her if she could come touching herself, but he didn't think he should.

"Do you want to help?" she asked.

"Not yet," he said hoarsely.

She smiled. "You have a very fine cock there, Severus. Don't you think it needs something?"

"Yes, but not yet," he said, hoping that she wouldn't stop touching herself.

"You do like this . . . I don't mind indulging you if I can indulge myself later."

"Yes," he breathed as he watched her begin to roll her nipple between her fingers.

Poppy closed her eyes. She bent her legs more as she began to rub herself harder and faster. Her face was flushed.

"Come, Poppy, I want to see you come," Severus whispered.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Can't quite. I need some help. Lend me a hand?"

He nodded and reached toward her. "Don't stop, though." He put two fingers into her and began to thrust, their hands meeting as he moved his fingers in and out and she continued to rub her clitoris. She wriggled against his hand, and he drew out completely only to insert three fingers.

"Up, up," Poppy gasped.

He changed his angle and smiled to hear her moans grow louder.

"Talk to me, Severus," she groaned.

"You are so beautiful, so sexy, Poppy," he said in a deep, low voice. "I love to see you pleasure yourself. You excite me so much. Seeing you makes me want to fuck you, put my cock where my fingers are, and fuck you till we come." He hoped she didn't mind the raw language, but he didn't know what else to say. "I want to put my cock in your pussy and fuck you."

Her buttocks were raised off the bed and she was gasping and moaning.

"I want to eat your pussy, Poppy. I want to lick you and suck you until you come," he said with a growl.

"Oh, gods, yes," she shouted.

Severus could feel her coming around his fingers.

She relaxed back down onto the bed. "Gods, Severus, you have such a sexy voice," she said as she caught her breath.

He could hardly keep himself from breaking out in a grin. She had come again for him. He touched her and talked to her and she came, passionately and strongly. Minerva had been right; when he was with someone who chose to be with him and he was himself, he was more than adequate. He didn't think that Poppy had been pretending. Of course, he had to owe much of it to Minerva. He was quite sure that he had been a terrible kisser before she had showed him what she liked. And Gareth. He was such a sensual lover. When in doubt, he could ask himself what Gareth would do. Of course, he was probably different with women. He would have to ask him the next time he saw him.

Poppy looked up at him and smiled in amusement. "You certainly look pleased with yourself, Severus."

He blushed. "I'm just happy you are happy," he said.

"Very, but that was just a warm-up for me," she said, eying his cock. "And you did say that if I indulged your desire to watch me, that you would indulge me."

His blush deepened. He couldn't masturbate in front of her. Just touching himself whilst she was watching seemed odd. Bella once had him masturbate for her, though he hadn't wanted to, then she had cast that spell, and it kept him from coming as she used him for her pleasure. By the time she had finished with him, orgasm was more a painful relief than it was a pleasure for him. And she loved watching others having sex, especially watching someone forcing himself on someone else. Severus suddenly felt a clenching knot in his stomach.

"Severus? What's wrong?" Poppy asked, sitting up, concerned with the sudden change in his expression. "We don't have to do anything else. Honestly." She rose up on her knees and caressed his face.

"It's not that . . ." What could he say to her? But she was a mediwitch, she knew about sex. "I just suddenly worried that what I had you do...was it kinky? Was there something wrong about it? Wanting to watch you?"

"Oh, no, Severus," Poppy said, shaking her head. "No, there was nothing wrong with that. I think it's actually quite normal to find that arousing, especially for a man. And you didn't force me to. I didn't feel as though I had to do it. I enjoyed seeing you become aroused by me. And you lent a hand, so to speak. Did someone tell you there was something wrong with it? Or with liking to look at women?"

He shook his head. "No." He wished he could tell her about Bella. He had mentioned her very obliquely to Minerva, but he hadn't said very much about her or what they had done...what he had let her do to him.

"What is it then?"

"I just worried that it was kinky," he said, feeling foolish.

"There's good kinky and bad kinky, Severus. Bad kinky is when people get hurt or force each other to do things that they don't want to do. Good kinky is something just a little out of the ordinary for you, but still arousing and completely consensual and harmless," Poppy said gently. "Some people think that having sex in any way other than the woman lying flat on her back not moving and the man on top is kinky. This was just something lovely and erotic, Severus, something warm between the two of us. Nothing at all kinky about it, and certainly nothing bad."

Severus took her in his arms and held her close to him, burying his face in her hair and kissing her neck.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Now, what about this?" she asked, reaching between them and touching his partially erect penis. It twitched as she ran her fingers over it.

"Breakfast begins in a half hour," Severus said.

"That's plenty of time. Besides, skipping just one breakfast shouldn't hurt us. You could go up a little late, after I've left here, and I could just have a bite in the Hospital Wing. I often do that."

Severus closed his eyes, enjoying Poppy's caresses of his balls and penis. "That is an idea."

"Mmhmm," Poppy said, kissing his throat. "I want you, Severus. I want you one more time. You are such a strong, sexy lover, and you have such a good cock. It feels so good in me."

He returned her kisses, kissing her head and face wherever his lips could touch her and running his hands over her body. "I'm glad you like my cock in you," he whispered. "I like to have my cock in your cunt..." He paused and stilled his hands. "Sorry."

"I don't mind if you use that word with me, just as long as you aren't calling me one." She drew back and looked up into his eyes. "You do need to be careful who you use it with, though, and how. Some women could find it offensive."

He nodded. "I was just getting carried away, thinking about being with you."

"Please, do get carried away," Poppy murmured, squeezing his cock.

"I think I will carry you away," Severus said, lifting her by her buttocks and stepping away from the bed. He was pleased to feel her legs come around his waist as she put her arms around his neck. "I will carry you away," he whispered, "and I will fuck you until you come."

Poppy closed her eyes, her head back, relishing the sensation of his cock rubbing against her folds. Severus carried her to the nearest wall and pressed her back up against it. He rocked his hips, rubbing his erection against her.

"Tell me what you want, Poppy, tell me," he said. "I want to hear you say it."

"I want you to fuck me, Severus."

"Do you?" He pressed his erection against her folds.

"Oh, yes, Severus, fuck me until I come," she moaned.

He lifted her more as she pushed up with her hands on his shoulders, and he felt the head of his cock slide over her clitoris. He shifted slightly, and his cock was at her entrance. He thrust up as he lowered her onto his erection.

"Oh, gods, Poppy, this is so good, so good," he moaned. His entire cock was surrounded by her wet warmth, and he began to thrust, pounding her against the wall. "I'm fucking you, Poppy, come for me, come for me, Poppy." He kept thrusting, grinding against her, pumping hard and fast as her gasps became moans and cries of pleasure.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulders as she came shouting his name. Severus stopped and looked at her, his eyes shining.

"Good?" he asked.

"Oh, very good, Severus," she said as she caught her breath.

"I have more left," he said.

"More fucking left?" she asked with a laugh. "Then fuck me, Severus."

Pressed up against her, Severus began to push and pull, moving less energetically this time, grinding against her clitoris as he rolled his hips.

"How many times can you come, Poppy?" he whispered in her ear as he moved his cock in her. "How many?" He sucked her earlobe.

"You can find out," she said, tightening her grip on him and flexing her muscles around his cock as she wriggled against him.

"I want to be record-breaking," Severus said. "How many times?"

Poppy let out a laugh. "Such a Slytherin! So much ambition!" She kissed his cheek. "Just do it and we'll count," she said.

"It's two already," he said.

"Talk to me, tell me how much you like this," Poppy said, "talk to me in that sexy voice of yours."

"You know you are sexy, Poppy. You have the sexiest breasts. I see them and I want to suck and lick them," he said, still moving in her, stretching her with each thrust. "That's what I noticed first, your sexy breasts. I couldn't help thinking about them, dreaming about them. Those wonderful nipples, sucking your nipples. And you have such a sexy pussy. I want to touch it, fondle it, rub you, put my fingers deep in you, and when I'm done with that, I want to eat your pussy. I want to lick you and taste your wetness. I want to put my tongue in you and I want to lick your clitoris. And then I want to fuck you. I want to put my cock in your pussy and fuck you, fuck you hard until you come. Push you up against the wall like this and fuck you. Just fuck you hard. Fuck you and fuck you until you come."

"Oh, gods, again, Severus, yes, yes, yes," Poppy shouted as she came. "Oh, yes, oh, yes, oh oh oh, Severus. Oh . . ." She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Three. Tied with last night," Severus said with a wicked grin. "Think we can double that?"

"Lie down on the floor," Poppy said with a gasp. "Put me down and lie down on your back."

Severus lay down and watched as Poppy straddled him, guiding herself down onto his cock. The thought flashed through his mind that Bella used to do that, but he immediately dismissed it. This felt nothing like being with Bella had felt. His cock was enveloped in her soft, wet, warmth, and he could feel her squeeze around him as she settled all the way down.

Poppy began to ride him, sliding back and forth on his cock, sometimes sitting up, sometimes bent forward. He watched her breasts, then reached up to fondle them.

"I'm coming again," she cried, riding him harder and faster, pounding her clitoris against him. "I'm coming again! Oh, Severus!"

He felt her orgasm pulse in waves against the head of his cock, and he gripped her thighs. He knew what he wanted next. If he didn't do something different, he would come soon himself, and he wanted to get to six.

After she had rested, catching her breath as she lay on top of him, he said, "Now I want to taste you, Poppy."

She raised her head and looked down at him. "You really want to get to six, don't you? I would be perfectly happy like this."

He shook his head. "Six. And," he said with a grin, "in the sitting room, I think."

He brought her into the sitting room and had her sit down in the wingback chair.

"This is my favourite chair. I sit in it at the end of every day. Now when I sit in it, I can remember you sitting naked in it, your beautiful breasts there for me to see, and I can remember eating your pussy in it. No matter how bad my day is, that will be a good thought."

He had her sit forward with her legs hooked over the arms of the chair. When she leaned back and put her arms up to hold onto the wingback, he smiled down at her parted folds, then he knelt in front of her. First he simply nuzzled her, then he circled her entrance with his tongue before beginning to lick rapidly from her entrance to her clitoris and back again. He flicked the tip of his tongue across her clit, then inserted two fingers and began to rapidly move them in and out as he stimulated her clitoris with his tongue. He felt her shift beneath him, and he looked up at her face. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing through her mouth.

"More," she whispered.

He began to lick her again, and she rocked against him.

"Oh, almost, Severus, almost," Poppy moaned. "Your fingers, the angle, toward the front, harder, harder."

He began to thrust his hand again at a new angle, and his tongue could feel his thrusting fingers as he licked her. He felt her grab his head, but she did not push him toward her, she just held on.

"Yes, Severus, yes, just like that, gods, gods, yes," she cried, and then she came, sobbing, her orgasm engulfing her until she went limp.

He kissed her stomach then gently brought her legs down from the arms of the chair. He stayed on his knees in front of her, kissing her thighs and nuzzling her as she began to comb her fingers through his hair.

"I don't know if I have anything more in me," Poppy whispered. "That was almost too good, especially after the others. I didn't think it would end. I thought I would die, it was that good."

He looked up at her, his eyes soft. "Really? Or are you just saying that because you're tired and want to quit, or because you want to please me?"

Poppy shook her head. "No, it really was that good. I am telling you because I knew it would please you to know."

"Was it the best you've ever had?" Severus asked hopefully.

Poppy smiled. "It was right up there, Severus," she said, caressing his face, "and I've had very, very good."

"Can we try for one more? Even if we don't make it?"

Poppy laughed. "Yes, we can. Besides, you still need to come."

Severus shook his head. "I want to, but I need to tell you that I never knew how good it could feel just to do this, to make someone feel so good, to know that I did it."

She caressed his jaw. "Yes, you did it, dear Severus."

"Should we go back into the bedroom?" he asked.

"No, I think here is just fine. And I think we can make another memory for your chair and possibly create a greater likelihood that I can come again this time, too, since you seem set on trying for it."

"You want me to sit in it?"

"No, although if we were ever to do this some other time, that would be nice," Poppy said. She moved him out of the way as she stood, then she leaned over the arm of the chair. "I need another cushion."

Severus Summoned one from the couch, and she placed it in the seat in front of her and leaned forward, her buttocks in the air, only her toes still touching the floor.

"I'm ready when you are, Severus."

"Did you want me . . . where?" he asked, unsure precisely what she wanted since she had said she didn't like anal sex.

"Where did you say you liked to be?" Poppy asked.

"In your . . . pussy," he whispered.

"Yes."

He guided himself into her, then he stopped, looking down at her, creating the memory of what it felt like to have his cock all the way in her as she was bent over in front of him. Slowly, he began to thrust, pistoning in and out of her, feeling the head of his cock hit her deep inside with every thrust. His movements quickened, and Poppy began to moan.

"That's good, Poppy, it's so good. So good to be inside you, so sexy, Poppy," he said as he pumped.

"Harder," she groaned. "Harder, please."

He began to move faster and more forcefully, reaching around her and finding her clitoris. He teased her nub as he continued to move in and out, faster and harder. He didn't think he could last any longer when Poppy began to pound the cushions. Her buttocks trembled against him, and he could hear her cries muffled in the pillow in front of her.

"Shit, yes! Yes!" Severus shouted, thrusting again as he came, then holding himself still against her.

He moved back and let his cock slide from her. He gently removed the cushion from in front of her, and he urged her around as he sat down, pulling her into his lap.

His lips on Poppy's forehead, Severus glanced at the clock on the chimneypiece. Twenty minutes before his first class. He hadn't finished correcting their essays, but he didn't care.

A few more minutes ticked by, and he said softly, "I think that was my breakfast."

Poppy looked up at him then followed his gaze to the clock.

"Oh, Merlin," she moaned. "I should be gone already."

"Your clothes are out here, at least. You can start getting dressed."

"My wand is somewhere in your bedroom, I'm not sure where, could you bring it to me?"

Severus nodded and left her to find her robes from the night before. He took longer than Poppy would have thought necessary, but when he returned, she saw that he had shaved and put on a pair of trousers and a clean shirt, and he was carrying two mugs.

"Tea. From Muggle teabags, and no milk or sugar, I'm afraid," he said, putting a mug down on the table beside her as she put on her stockings.

"Thank you," Poppy said, reaching for her wand. She held up her knickers and cast a Reparo on them, then stood and pulled them on. There was a long mark along where they had been torn.

"Sorry about your knickers," Severus said.

"That's all right...it was in a good cause," she said with a smile, trying to take a sip of her hot tea, then blowing on it.

Severus pulled out his wand and cast a mild cooling charm on it for her. "How is it now?"

She sipped. "Perfect."

He drank his tea. Five minutes before his first class. He couldn't even remember which one it was or what they were brewing that day. Oh, yes, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw fourth-years. That was an easy class, with fewer complete dunderheads than usual.

"I have to go," he said, setting down his mug and reaching for his frockcoat and teaching robe.

"You probably need a freshening charm on those. The robe, anyway. You were wearing it last night." She raised her wand. "May I?"

Severus nodded and pulled on his jacket as she cast the charm on his robe.

"You can stay and finish your tea," he said, thinking that there had been a time when he wouldn't have willingly let her remain alone in his rooms.

"That's all right. I've had enough. I'll get something from one of the house-elves. You should, too, when you have a break between classes."

"I'll be fine," he said awkwardly.

She put her hand on his chest and reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Severus."

He shook his head. "Thank you," he said softly, then he watched as she Flooed away.

The clock on his mantle told him he should be entering his classroom at that moment. He turned and left in a swirl of black robes.

Poppy stepped into the infirmary to find someone waiting for her.

"Good morning, Minerva," she said, hoping she didn't look too much as though she had just spent the last two hours being fucked by the Potions master...or by anyone else.

"Good morning."

"Did you need something?" Poppy asked, suddenly concerned that there had been an emergency during the night and they hadn't known where she was. But a house-elf could have found her, or Minerva could have used one of her Charmed parchments. It would have been embarrassing, but they could have found her.

"I came down to see you last night. Albus was playing Go with Filius and they were in the middle of what looked to be a long game, so I thought we could spend some time together. I went to your rooms and you didn't answer your door...Mrs Framingham said you weren't in. You weren't here in the infirmary, either. Then when you weren't at breakfast, I was a little worried about you, so I came up to see you."

"Oh, well, I was just out. Getting some morning exercise," Poppy said. She knew she was blushing.

"Severus wasn't at breakfast, either," Minerva said.

"I'll have to speak to him about not falling back into bad habits and not eating regular meals," Poppy said briskly. "Speaking of which, I'm ready for my breakfast. Care to join me for a cup of tea?"

Minerva followed Poppy back to her rooms. When they walked in, Minerva observed the teapot, two cups and saucers, and a small pitcher with some milk still in it. Poppy saw her gaze.

"Sorry, didn't bother cleaning up. I'll just get rid of this and we can have something. I might call a house-elf," she said. "Is there anything you would like?"

"Who did you have for tea?"

Poppy stopped partway to her small kitchen. "What?"

"I had a meeting with Severus yesterday evening. He mentioned that he was going to come to see you."

"Yes, he did. Two of his students poisoned themselves accidentally. I gave him tea," she said, going into the kitchen.

Minerva followed her and stood in the doorway and watched her pulling fresh teacups from her cupboard and cleaning her teapot.

"You don't usually leave your teapot standing with tea left in it like that," Minerva observed.

Poppy shrugged. "I'm not always as careful about such things as you are, Minerva. You always have to have everything just so. I'm surprised you haven't driven Albus crazy."

Minerva raised an eyebrow, but didn't respond to that. "Severus stayed for tea with you. Isn't that nice. He seems to be becoming more and more sociable."

"Yes, well, it was just a cup of tea," Poppy replied as she put fresh tea leaves in the pot.

"It will be nice to see him having a real life after all he's been through," Minerva said. "Hermione has been good for him, I think."

"It's nice she took the apprenticeship with Gareth," Poppy said.

"It makes dating much easier for them, since she's just down in Hogsmeade."

"Dating? Who?"

"Hermione and Severus, of course," Minerva replied, taking the teacups out into the sitting room, leaving Poppy to bring the tea and milk.

Poppy blinked, took a breath, and followed Minerva out. She carefully set the teapot down. Her mind was buzzing. It had just been one night. It had just been sex. Just sex. Just one night. They both said that. But she hadn't known he was dating someone. He hadn't said anything about it. If he and Hermione were dating, they weren't having sex. Or they were, and Severus had lied to her. He had made her feel special and sexy, and she thought that she had brought him pleasure and had met needs that had gone unfulfilled for years. She knew about the Adfectus, Minerva had told her, but that was once, under the influence of a spell. She had the impression from Minerva that Severus wasn't experienced, and she certainly thought it quite credible that he hadn't had sex during the years after Voldemort returned. She knew what his physical and mental state had been then. She had believed him.

She poured their tea. "I didn't know that Hermione was dating Severus," she said. "I didn't know that Severus was dating anyone."

"Were you going to call a house-elf for some breakfast?" Minerva asked.

"No, I'm not as hungry as I thought I was," Poppy replied, feeling sick.

"Did you spend the entire night with him?" Minerva asked.

The lid of the teapot clattered as Poppy put down the pot, almost dropping it. "What?"

"Did you spend the entire night with Severus?" Minerva repeated.

"How dare you ask such a thing? He came up here to discuss a Potions accident. We had tea. If there were anything more to it, it would be absolutely none of your business," Poppy said indignantly.

"Poppy, you are wearing the same robes you wore yesterday. There is a tea stain on your skirt and I have not known you to put dirty robes on first thing in the morning. Your hair is a mess. You were not at breakfast. Severus was not at breakfast. You left your teacups out, half-filled with tea. You were not here when I came down late in the evening. You obviously were here earlier in the evening with him. You were not here this morning. You Flooed through to the Hospital Wing. Where did you Floo from? You weren't just out for a walk."

"You have no right to speculate about such things, Minerva. You were sleeping with Albus when you were Head of Gryffindor and he was Headmaster, and you kept it secret. For years. You told me, but you still snuck around with him...you did!...keeping it a secret from almost everyone. Even after you were married. But you wanted your privacy and I respected that. And then for all of last year, you led me to believe you were having an affair with a married man. Robbie was Albus, and so you weren't, but nonetheless, you did let me believe it. And in front of the school, too. And I never, not once, said anything in judgment to you about carrying on with Robbie. So you have no right to ask me where I was last night. I was in the castle. If there had been an emergency, a house-elf could have found me. If I'd wanted to tell you, I would have, but now I don't even have that choice, and it was private, something very private." She blinked back tears, refusing to let Minerva see her cry.

Minerva shook her head. "What were you thinking? More to the point, how did you do it? Was he vulnerable? Did he mention to you that he was nervous about his sexual abilities? Consult you as a mediwitch? Ask for some spells or some literature to help him along? And you thought the personal touch would be more effective?"

Poppy was livid with anger. "You are suggesting something foul, Minerva, and I cannot believe that you would do that. How many years have we known each other? How can you believe that? What is it? Are you jealous? You think that it would take a spell for Severus to want a woman? And you think that Severus would just . . . just go along with that, my 'personal touch'?" She shook her head, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you could think such a thing of me. Don't you think that maybe it was the other way around? Maybe he used me? Played on my stupid Hufflepuff sympathy, flattered a lonely old witch?"

"Severus talked to me before he came to see you, Poppy. He was in a vulnerable state. He didn't say very much; that's not like him. But he was nervous about his lack of sexual experience and worried that he was completely inept in the bedroom."

Poppy sat down heavily. "So I was an experiment for him," she said softly. She raised her eyes and looked at Minerva. "That's what you're saying. Either I seduced him, playing on his vulnerability and taking advantage of my position as Hogwarts matron, or he was using me."

"I didn't mean that. I am sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you took advantage of his vulnerability deliberately. I know that you wouldn't do that. Or that he was only using you. I'm sorry," Minerva said softly.

"After all these years, that you would think that I..."

"I didn't mean that. I just . . . . Sometimes I don't choose my words as well as I might. I'm sorry."

Poppy closed her eyes and tears squeezed out. She tried to remember what it had felt like to wake up with Severus's arm around her, how he had amused her with his comments, and even with his insecurities, although they had only warmed her heart, and she had felt no derision for him. She could remember him telling her that the reason he was able to hold back and bring her pleasure was that he was thinking of her. She had known that he wanted her affirmation, that he wanted her to tell him that he was a good lover, and he certainly was a good lover. He had seemed so happy, too. And yes, somewhat vulnerable, as Minerva had said, and even oddly naive, but she hadn't felt that he was incapable of saying "no" to her.

She never should have followed Severus down to the dungeons. Had it been almost any other wizard, and certainly any on the current staff, she wouldn't have. It had been a mistake to follow Severus. Perhaps he had counted on that, luring her to his lair. When she was with him, it had felt right and normal and good. Now, she was unsure. Severus was a Slytherin and a former Death Eater. Could he have played her just to have sex, pretending to be inexperienced and nervous? But surely he would not have had a conversation with Minerva about his insecurities that very evening. He would have no way of knowing that they would talk, or that Minerva would break his confidence and tell her what he had said. Was he using her just for practice so that when he and Hermione first did it, he would not feel nervous? Even that wouldn't be so bad if he had told her at some point during the night that he was seeing Hermione...or just that he was seeing some nameless witch...and he was nervous about having sex with her. She wouldn't have particularly liked it, but she could have understood it. And it had been just for the night. They had both said that...as she had put it, lovers for the night, colleagues again in the morning. He hadn't misled her into thinking he wanted more, and she hadn't wanted more. She still didn't.

No, Poppy could not believe that the time they had spent had been a part of some underhanded scheme of his. He had flirted with her, that much was true, and his flirtation had become seductive, but he had been surprised by himself, and he hadn't expected her to follow him back to his rooms. She was sure of it. She remembered his pleasure and his warmth, his thoughtfulness, the way he had brought her a towel and a warm, wet flannel. He had let her spend the night. He had made her tea. She blinked and tears ran down her face.

"Excuse me a minute, Minerva," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. "I need to take a potion."

She went into her bathroom, but there was none in her supply there. Of course there wouldn't be. She so seldom had any opportunity to even flirt with a man that she probably hadn't restocked it in three or four years; she never would have noticed, and it probably wouldn't have been any good any longer, anyway.

"Sorry, I need to go fetch some from the infirmary," Poppy said, coming back out into the sitting room.

"I can get it for you," Minerva said softly. "Contraception?"

Poppy nodded. She had almost forgotten, she had been so disturbed by Minerva's suggestions. Whilst Minerva was gone, she washed her face, brushed her hair, and put it back up. She certainly had looked frowsy. Anyone seeing her would have guessed she had come directly from someone's bed.

She came back out and took the vial that Minerva handed her, downed it in one gulp, then made a face. "I should have had something to eat first. My stomach will be off all day now."

Poppy sat down and looked dazedly at her teacup. "I had no idea that he was dating anyone, Minerva. It wasn't like you think, not for me, anyway, and I don't think for him, either. But I didn't know he was in a relationship. I wouldn't have done anything if I had any idea. He didn't say anything."

Minerva opened her mouth to say something, but Poppy interrupted her. "It really wasn't at all like you suggest. I just can't believe . . . it's not like Severus to do what he did and say what he did. I think he meant it all. He would have had to have created layer upon layer upon layer of scheming and duplicity, and I think I would know if he had. I think he was sincere. It was hard for me to believe that he was as inexperienced as he said, though from what you told me after the Adfectus, I believed he told me the truth about that. I still had no clue that he was involved with anyone. That must be why he said it couldn't happen again...which I concurred with completely, even before we did anything."

"Poppy..."

"Please, don't lecture me, Minerva. I don't want the memory tarnished any more than it already is. I wanted to hold onto it and have it be a good memory."

"Poppy, I'm sorry if I did that, but I do need to tell you..."

"I don't want to know. You have said too much as it is."

"Yes, I have, and I wasn't precisely accurate in one of my statements," Minerva said.

"What?"

"He told me that he wants to date Hermione, not that he is dating her. But they have been seeing each other a couple times a month, and she writes him several times a week."

"Oh...well, that's something different, then, isn't it? Why did you let me believe that they were dating?"

"To see your reaction. You weren't admitting to spending the night with him," Minerva said, averting her gaze. "I'm sorry."

Poppy looked at her stonily. "You never used to be like that, Minerva. Severus was far more honest with me than you just were. I think that Severus has improved. You, though...you don't need to behave like you did during the last year of the war, and you certainly don't need to mislead me, of all people, to get me to talk to you. Although it really wasn't any of your business and it still isn't."

"I am sorry. Much of what you say has merit, and I am sorry, Poppy, but it is my business...perhaps not to the degree that would excuse my behaviour this morning, but it is. I am the Headmistress. Although discreet relationships among staff are perfectly acceptable and I wouldn't dream of saying anything about them, I was genuinely concerned about both you and Severus. I want him to stay on here at Hogwarts. I want him to be prepared to become Headmaster one day. I want him to have the success he is capable of. I don't want to see him backslide into his former ways. I don't want his life here to be in chaos and have him flee. I don't want to see him hurt. I also don't want you hurt, on a purely personal level..."

"Minerva," Poppy said, shaking her head in exasperation, "you forget that we are both adults. Severus may be somewhat stunted in his social development, but he is not a child, and I certainly am not. And do you forget that you're talking to me? I am very unlikely to do anything to hurt him; of any witch here at Hogwarts, I think he'd be safest with me. I have seen what he's been through, and I know him a bit better than most. I would like to believe that one reason Severus chose me to flirt with, even if it was a subconscious decision, was that he knew that he could trust me. Other than the fact that he's attracted to me, of course."

Minerva waved her wand and rewarmed their tea and poured them each a cup. "You are right about that, I'm sure. And I suppose I could not have expected you to pop through your Floo and announce you'd spent the night with Severus."

"That would not have been discreet," Poppy said with a shake of her head.

"But there's also Hermione to think of. She's young. She's clearly enamoured of Severus even if nothing has come of it yet, and I was the one who encouraged her to get to know him better. When she was still a student here, I encouraged her to develop a friendship with him. I feel responsible."

"I doubt that you are as responsible as you feel," Poppy replied. "She wouldn't have become friends with him, or he with her, if there wasn't some foundation for it. Your encouragement may have made her feel more confident about it, but I doubt it made her decide to try to be his friend, let alone encouraged her to develop a crush on him. And she's young, but she's still an adult. Even if a romantic relationship between them doesn't work out, that happens. It can happen to anyone. Sometimes it comes to a friendly end, sometimes it peters out, and sometimes it ends messily. It isn't your responsibility."

"I am sorry, Poppy. I honestly didn't mean what I said the way it came out. You are an attractive witch, and it shouldn't surprise me if Severus thinks so. It doesn't surprise me that he does, in fact. I'm still surprised you spent the night together, though. I never would have pictured the two of you together. It's hard to fathom."

"Why not? I care about him. I like him. I worry about him. He's always been less unpleasant to me than to most people, which, coming from Severus, is practically a declaration of life-long friendship and devotion. He is quite attractive...and yes, I know that I haven't always thought so, but I began to see him a bit differently after the Adfectus, partly because of what you told me about how sweet he could be, but he also seemed changed, and I thought I could see some . . . some glimmer of his soul. I don't know, that sounds foolish, I suppose. But I hadn't given him a second thought that way, not really, other than just noticing him as an attractive male. I suppose I never would have thought we'd end up, you know, in bed...but that's as much because of the age difference and his general disposition as anything else. And I never would have thought that he might find me attractive. So when he began to flirt with me last night here over tea, I wasn't sure at first that that was what he was doing, but he was flirting, and far more . . . seductively than casual flirting calls for. Although," she said thoughtfully, "that could just be because of his eyes. He has a way of looking at you. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."

"Well, I won't mention it again. What you do, what he does, and anything the two of you may do together, it's all none of my business as long as you're discreet." Minerva quirked a grin. "I would recommend looking in a mirror before you return next time, though."

"There isn't going to be a next time. We agreed on that, both before and after," Poppy said.

"I shouldn't ask this, but . . . you said you were surprised he was inexperienced. You, um, you had fun?"

Poppy grinned, then, thinking about the "six times," she laughed. "I had a great deal of fun. It was really something. He must have learned something between being with you and being with me, or maybe it's just because he wasn't under a spell and his life has become more normal in the interim, but I have to say that Hermione...or some other witch...will be very lucky."

Minerva's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Really." Poppy blushed. "If you breathe a word to another soul, I will never speak to you again...and I just may forget about forgiving you for your earlier comments...but it was the best sex I've had in years, and much better than first-time sex with someone has any right to be. It was almost as good as the best I had with, um, well..."

"My brother," Minerva said, making a slight moue at the thought of her brother having sex.

"Yes. And you mustn't laugh, or ever let on to Severus that I said anything, and I can hardly believe I'm telling you this, although it might convince you that it was a good thing for both of us, but he wanted me to come twice as many times this morning as last night, and he achieved it, being the ambitious Slytherin that he is. Six times this morning." Poppy was beet red. That should show Minerva that she'd had the wrong idea. "He really wanted to bring me pleasure. He enjoyed it. He was very, very sweet about it. It had me in tears, actually. And he does have a lot of scars, I think. Someone sometime did something to him. I could tell, though he wouldn't talk about it. But I've seen it before, though never in a personal context like that. I'd like to believe that it was good for him, that I was good for him last night."

"Well, that is something," Minerva said, blushing herself. "I'm glad. And you certainly have every right to be angry with me about my implications, both intentional and unintentional."

"You know what I think, Minerva? I think you were actually feeling curious, just generally curious because it was Severus in particular, and you needed to justify questioning me. If you had thought I'd been with some other unattached staff member for the night, Caspar or someone, I don't think you would have done much more than give a slight disapproving cluck and tell me to check my hair next time. That's what I think."

"I . . . I just . . . maybe you're right, but I do worry about him. I feel responsible for him. You know the lengths that Albus and I went to to save his life...and not just because he was key to defeating Riddle. I guess I do feel a bit possessive about him."

"You're not his mum, Minerva...good thing, too, or that entire Adfectus episode would be even more bizarre than it was...and he's a big boy. If he wants your advice, you can give it to him, but I don't think you should interfere."

"I don't interfere!"

"Yes, you do. You and Albus both. You aren't as bad as he is in some ways, but you're worse when it comes to people's personal lives. He isn't nearly as meddlesome as you can be sometimes...and I mean that in the most loving way."

Minerva flushed. "All right. But sometimes, I just see things very clearly..."

"And sometimes you don't. Like this morning. You almost had me believing that what I had with Severus was some kind of seedy, disgusting encounter, and it wasn't like that at all. You did have me believing that he and Hermione were already a couple and I was 'the other witch.' I know you didn't mean to be unkind, but it was very hurtful."

"I said I was sorry about that," Minerva said.

"I know, and even though I'm still angry about it, I'll forgive you. I am just using it as an example."

"I do usually figure out on my own when to stop meddling, though, as you put it."

Poppy laughed. "Yes, you do have that much sense. You know, I'm getting hungry. Join me in sharing a few buttered crumpets?"

The two witches shared crumpets, drank tea, and talked about other things, restoring their comfort with each other. When Minerva got up to leave, though, she turned to Poppy with a sparkle in her eye.

"Nine times and you're never going to see him again? You have more will-power than I would, I'll give you that!" She winked at her friend and left Poppy looking at the closed door and thinking of a surly but occasionally very sweet wizard with eyes the colour of night.

NEXT

Chapter Forty: A Matter of Timing

Tuesday, 9 March 1999

Severus broods. Of course.

Rated M.

Characters: Severus Snape, Poppy Pomfrey, Sarah Duffy

Author' Note: I've begun posting the Table of Contents for A Long Vernal Season with chapter summaries, dates, and characters (including OCs) to my blog (http://mmadfan.com/). It's updated through all of Part Four with a preview of the chapter titles through Part Five. (There are a few spoilers in upcoming chapter summaries, to forewarn you!)