Chapter Fifty-Three: Dinner at Delancie’s

Author's Note: Rated for several paragraphs of explicit sexual content partway through the chapter.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Dinner at Delancie's

Sunday, 14 March 1999

Severus opened the door, looked at his unexpected visitor, and blinked.

"Hi, Severus! I wrote that memo and did a few other tasks, then I thought I'd come down and accept your invitation," Poppy said. "If it's still open, of course," she added, taking in Severus's peculiar expression.

"Naturally. I was simply surprised to see you, since you had said you weren't interested," Severus said, opening the door wider. "Please, come in. McGonagall is in the loo."

Severus pulled another chair around for Poppy. "We've been drinking beer," he said, "but if you would prefer something else, I have brandy and firewhisky, or I could call a house-elf for something else."

"No, a beer would be good, thanks," Poppy said as she took a seat.

Severus went over to a cupboard and took out a glass for her.

"I don't need a glass, Severus. From the bottle is fine," Poppy said.

Severus removed the cap from a bottle of beer, then handed it to her.

Poppy looked toward the loo door. "He's taking a while." She glanced at the empty beer bottles. "But I can see why."

Severus was saved from having to say anything by Gareth's emergence from the loo.

"Poppy! It's nice to see you," Gareth said warmly, "and looking so very lovely as usual. That blue is perfect for you."

Poppy smiled brightly at him. "Thank you. Severus mentioned that you were coming by for a drink, and I hadn't seen you in a while, so I thought I'd drop in and say hello."

Gareth bent and kissed her cheek before sitting down. "It's a wonderful surprise."

Severus felt slightly uncomfortable with the situation. Poppy didn't know that Gareth knew about them, but he was fairly certain that Gareth wouldn't let on that he knew. He also felt peculiar when Gareth kissed her, though apparently it was something that Poppy expected, since she put her hand on his cheek as he kissed hers. In addition, Severus thought that if he didn't pee, he would explode. Fortunately, his erection had subsided significantly in the last few minutes.

"Excuse me, Poppy, but as you noticed, we've had a couple beers, and I need to make a visit myself," Severus said as he stood.

Poppy nodded to him, and as he stepped into the loo, he heard her asking Gareth about how his mother was. A safe enough topic, Severus thought, even if it still made him uncomfortable to contemplate.

After using the loo, Severus returned through the bedroom, stopping to put the spell back in its place in the bottom of his cufflink box.

"I will come down to Hogsmeade sometime this week and take Gertrude out for lunch or dinner," Poppy was saying as Severus reentered to the sitting room. "I'll have to look at my schedule, but I'll owl and let you both know. I hadn't realised how long it had been since I'd seen her."

Gareth nodded. "I'm sure she'd like that."

"And how is Hermione doing?" Poppy asked.

"Well, she is progressing very satisfactorily with her Arithmancy and she's enjoying her Muggle classes, too," Gareth replied.

Poppy took a sip of her beer.

"You mentioned that she's in a bad mood today. Has she decided what she's going to do this summer?" Severus asked.

"Not yet. I think that's one of the reasons for her mood today. She's trying to decide." Gareth looked at Poppy and explained, "She wants to take another Muggle course, but Alroy wants her to spend more time on her Animagus training. I got the impression that he suggested he might not continue with her training if she couldn't do that. Naturally, being Hermione, she wants to be able to do it all, but her apprenticeship is her first priority. I've already been flexible with her schedule, but it still takes most of her time. She needs to decide whether to take her Muggle courses or concentrate on the Animagus training."

"It seems obvious to me that the Muggle courses can wait. She can take them later if she wants to," Poppy said.

"That is what I suggested to her," Severus said.

"She'll likely do that," Gareth replied. "She's just agonising over it right now because she can. I also think that some of her Muggle friends from her current class are all taking the same course this summer, and she feels she'll miss out on something."

The three talked a while longer, the conversation moving on to other topics, to Severus's relief, then Gareth stood.

"I had better be going, Snape," he said, bending to pick up his sporran, which he had forgotten in his run to the loo. "It was very good to see you, Poppy. You really should come down sometime and have dinner with us. Perhaps over the Easter holiday. I think that Hermione will be spending most of it with her parents, so unless I can get Mum to take a bit of a holiday for herself, it will just be me and Mum for a week."

"You give Hermione the Easter holiday?" Severus asked. He'd had two days' holiday when he was an apprentice: Christmas day and New Year's Day.

"Yes. I only had a long weekend over Easter when I was an apprentice, but it seemed a good thing for us all to have longer, so she has ten days off. She has some time this summer, too." Gareth grinned. "I'm just an old softie, you know."

"You are that," Poppy said with an affectionate smile. She stood and gave him a kiss and a hug. "Let Gertrude know to expect my owl!"

"I will," Gareth replied.

Severus saw Gareth out the door, feeling rather sore about Poppy's warm embrace of Gareth. Of course, he told himself, Poppy had no idea how Gareth felt about her or she would be much more circumspect, he was sure.

Poppy smiled at him. "So, are you tired of company, should I leave?"

Severus walked over to her and gazed into her eyes. He shook his head. "I enjoyed McGonagall's company, but I am glad he is gone so that I can enjoy yours and have you all to myself." His thumb caressed her cheek. "He was right about the robes. I should have told you. You have beautiful eyes. These blue robes make them seem very blue. The pale violet ones you had on the other day made them a most unusual shade of grey, and you looked lovely in those, too. You look absolutely beautiful, Poppy."

Poppy blushed and shook her head slightly.

"Don't contradict me," Severus said in his most dangerous low voice. "You don't want to contemplate what I might do if you contradict me." He kissed her lips lightly but sensuously. "You really don't."

"Why, what would you do?" Poppy asked, her colour heightened and her pulse racing.

"I would have to . . . convince you to agree with me. Using whatever means necessary," Severus replied, his eyes raking her face and travelling lower to focus on her cleavage.

"I don't know, you might just have to do that," Poppy said. "I am not sure I believe you."

"You are beautiful and sexy," Severus said as he began to take her hair down, tossing her hairpins onto the table behind her. "Lovely honey brown hair." He bent and kissed her eyelids. "Beautiful eyes." He kissed her lips then licked them. "Tasty and beautiful lips. Mmmm. You have the most wonderful lips."

"Still, I am not convinced," Poppy said.

"I have not begun yet," Severus said with a smirk. He looked at her, his chest moving with his breath. "Take off those robes. It's not just your robes that make you beautiful. Take them off."

Severus stepped back and watched as Poppy slowly undressed.

"The stockings and knickers, too," Severus said. "Don't cover up anything."

Poppy removed her stockings and knickers. Her nipples were tight peaks.

"Are you chilly?" Severus asked. "Or are you excited?" He didn't wait for her reply, but waved his wand, casting a warming charm on the room. He put his wand on the table. "Let me see if it excites you to undress for me."

Severus stepped forward and reached out, touching her left breast. His hand travelled down over her body to her crux. He slipped one finger in to touch her folds.

"You are wet," Severus said. He began to stroke her clitoris with his finger. "Very wet. Are you excited, Poppy?"

"A little," she said.

"You lie," Severus said with a growl. "I am going to have to take extreme measures, I can see that, to convince you that I was telling the truth when I told you that you are beautiful and to teach you not to lie to me."

Severus pulled Poppy to him, holding her firmly against him as he began to kiss her throat, one finger still at her clitoris.

"Your pulse is racing," he whispered in her ear. "Are you excited?"

"Only a little," Poppy said breathlessly.

"Oh, you are a liar," Severus said. "Such a liar."

Severus led her to the bedroom door and opened it. "Go in and lie down on the bed," he directed.

He watched Poppy cross the room, then he closed the door behind her. He undressed quickly, then opened the door to the bedroom again. Poppy had drawn back the covers and lain down on her side, propped on one elbow, her head in one hand, waiting for him.

"Beautiful," Severus said. "Very beautiful and sexy." He walked up to her and ran his hand over her side. "Such a sexy figure."

"Really?" Poppy asked.

"Don't you see this?" Severus asked, pointing at his erection. "Very sexy. Beautiful, creamy skin, sexy figure, mmmm, such breasts."

"You're just randy. I'm not sexy," Poppy said, trying not to grin as she teased him, but still pleased that he was attracted to her...and not just attracted to her, but that he would say she was beautiful, too.

"You just want me to prove it to you, don't you?"

Poppy looked at his erection. "I've done fairly well so far."

"You like that? You like my cock?" Severus asked.

"Just a little," Poppy said, her eyes sparkling.

"I think you like it more than a little. I think you like it a lot. I think you like it so much, you want to kiss it. You do, don't you?"

Poppy licked her lips. "May I?"

"I insist you do," Severus replied, taking the last step to the bed so that his legs pressed against it.

Poppy pushed up on one arm and leaned toward him. She kissed the head of his cock, then her tongue flicked out briefly and touched him.

"You do like it. You shouldn't have done that if you didn't want to do more," Severus growled. "Now you have to suck me, because I know how much you want it."

She kissed his cock again, then she lowered herself on him, licking him as her head bobbed.

"That's enough!" Severus said after only a few seconds. "I don't want you to enjoy yourself too much. Besides, I have a surprise for you." He took hold of his cock, then he said more hesitantly, "If this works, I think you'll like it. But it's a new spell."

"What is it?" Poppy asked curiously.

"Let's just see if it works."

Severus closed his eyes and concentrated, then he cast the spell nonverbally. He opened his eyes to see Poppy looking at his cock closely. She glanced up at him.

"It doesn't look any different," she said.

Severus smirked. "That's good."

"I am still not convinced," Poppy said.

"I am going to have to convince you, then," Severus said, pushing her back on the bed and climbing on top of her. "You are beautiful and sexy, Poppy."

He used his own legs to spread hers more, then he leaned down and kissed her, one hand on her shoulder and the other beside her head. He moved his hips until his cock found her crux, then he pushed forward and slid into her, still kissing her, breaking away to take a gasping breath, and then kissing her again.

"Oh, so hot, so sexy, so beautiful," Severus murmured as he pumped into her.

Poppy's hands went to his buttocks, squeezing and kneading as he moved in her. She gasped and writhed, arching her back, then she watched as he raised himself up and looked down at her.

"You are so beautiful, I'm coming now, I'm coming, Poppy!" He thrust harder and came, pulsing but not ejaculating.

Severus relaxed and lay on top of Poppy for a moment before pushing back up and smiling down at her as he began to pump again, his erection as firm as it had been before he came.

"And now it's your turn, Poppy. I want you to come, too."

Poppy stopped him, putting her hands at his waist. "What...?"

"I told you I thought you would like this spell," Severus said with a slight smirk. "I learned it for you. Because you are so beautiful and sexy and I want you to enjoy my cock as much as you want."

"You came? Really?"

"I did. I came because you are so hot and sexy, and I can come again and again for as long as you want me," Severus said, very pleased with himself.

Poppy blinked, but her smile grew. "I am very glad that you will enjoy it so much yourself, Severus."

"I know," Severus said, kissing her cheek softly. "That's why I thought you would enjoy it. You want us both to enjoy it; you always want me to be satisfied, too. You are so good to me, Poppy. That is part of your beauty."

"All right, Severus, you have me convinced, but don't stop. I was enjoying that, especially the masterful Severus Snape who was taking what he wanted...because I trust you and know you wouldn't do anything I didn't want, and that, dear Severus, is a part of your beauty."

Severus kissed her again, then began to move inside of her, thrusting and pumping slowly until her moaning grew louder, then he began to stroke harder and faster. As she came, he let loose and came again, orgasming but without losing his erection. He found he was still too sensitive to move very much immediately following the orgasm, but within seconds, he began again.

Poppy urged him onto his side and put one leg around him, then she closed her eyes, rolling her hips as he thrust.

"Ah ah ah, Severus, I'm coming again! Don't stop, don't stop! Yes yes yes!"

She rested against him, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Severus was kissing her face, murmuring to her, telling her she was sexy and beautiful. She turned her mouth toward his and kissed him, pulling his lips between hers, then sucking his tongue into her mouth and gently suckling its tip. He moaned and began to move his hips again. Poppy pushed him onto his back, than sat up and began to slide back and forth on his cock. Severus raised his hands to her breasts, fondling them as she rode him, watching as she reached her peak again.

"Gods, Severus, oh, gods, Severus, so very good, ooohhh!" Tears ran down her face as she came, and he felt her vagina pulse around him.

Severus gently rubbed her back as she rested on top of him.

Poppy lifted her head. "You're still hard," she whispered.

"I'm not very good at this yet. I didn't release it when I should have. But it's fine this way. If you're tired, I can end the spell and just let it subside on its own."

Poppy shook her head. "I'm tired, but I want you to be satisfied, too."

"I don't know that I'm not," Severus replied.

"Fuck me again and come, Severus," Poppy whispered.

"Are you sure?"

Poppy smiled. "Very sure."

Severus kissed her, then rolled her back onto her back. He pulled out of her and put his hand around his cock. The instructions said it wasn't necessary to touch the penis to release the spell, but Severus wanted to be certain. After he had cast the nonverbal Finite, he slipped back into Poppy.

"You are beautiful and sexy, Poppy. Such a sexy witch," Severus said as he moved in her.

"Mmm, still so good, still so good," Poppy said, her hips rising to meet him.

Severus came quickly, his orgasm seeming to encompass his entire body as he ejaculated. Gasping for breath, he collapsed on top of Poppy. As he returned to himself, Severus became aware of her arms around him as she gently caressed his back and buttocks. He kissed her cheek softly and, with some effort, pushed up on one arm and rolled off of her. Poppy put her head on his chest and one arm around his waist.

Severus sleepily caressed her shoulder. "I'll get better at that," he said.

"It was very good," Poppy said.

"I think it could be more fun for you, though," he replied, thinking he should have spent more time on foreplay for her. That was actually one of the most enjoyable things about making love to Poppy, the foreplay. Touching her skin everywhere, kissing her, licking her, feeling his own skin against her warmth. He sighed happily and pulled closer to her.

"Mmm, however you would like to use it," Poppy replied. "It's a nice spell, though. I've heard there were such spells, but never knew anyone who knew one. Where did you find it?"

Severus smirked. "I am very resourceful when motivated," he said.

"I would say so," Poppy said, snuggling up against him.

Severus waved a hand and drew the sheet up over them.

"I think it's dinnertime," Poppy said.

"I don't have to be there tonight, and I don't think you do, either," Severus replied.

"We should still eat, though."

"Mmm. Are you hungry?"

"A little."

Severus opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her. "Are you lying to me again?" he asked with a smirk.

"I wouldn't dare," Poppy laughed.

"I suppose we should get dressed and call Twiskett for some supper," Severus said reluctantly.

"We don't have to just yet."

"I don't want you to be hungry." He gave her a quick kiss then got out of bed. "I'll bring you your clothes." As she pushed off the sheet and sat up, Severus looked at her with a soft expression on his face. "You are beautiful, Poppy. I look at you, and I see beauty."

Poppy just blushed and said, "Our clothes, Severus."

Severus made a quick trip to the bathroom, then brought their clothes into the bedroom and draped hers carefully at the foot of the bed.

As he began to pull on his own underwear, he said, "Since we don't have to be here this evening, would you like to go into Hogsmeade for something to eat? Or Diagon Alley?"

Poppy hesitated. This was feeling too good to her, and now this felt like a date. She would just have to remind herself that it wasn't.

"We don't have to," Severus said. "If you don't want to be seen with me. I know it could be..."

"Why wouldn't I want to be seen with you? Yes, I would like that. I wasn't thinking that at all," Poppy said.

"It's all right. I'm used to people whispering when they see me on the street. It doesn't happen very much in Hogsmeade, but in Diagon Alley, I'm still something of a freak show," Severus said. "I shouldn't even have suggested exposing you to that." He should have suggested a Muggle evening, as he had with Hermione, he thought, but he hadn't much Muggle money in his possession at the moment.

"Too bad, because now I have my heart set on going to Diagon Alley this evening," Poppy said as she rolled on her stockings and activated their charms.

"Why don't we just call Twiskett? It would be faster, and you're hungry."

"Not so hungry that I can't wait for dinner in Diagon Alley," Poppy said, standing and Summoning her shoes from the sitting room.

Severus nodded. Now he was nervous. He hadn't planned to ask her out to dinner. This was as bad as having asked Hermione on the unintentional date. And now he was on a date with Poppy. Whatever he might say to her or to anyone else, it felt like a date to him. He wanted her to have a good time. He wanted her to enjoy being with him and to feel romanced. They were having sex, but he wanted her to know that he cared about her and didn't see her as some kind of cheap whore. Severus looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he sat and pulled on his boots. Gareth was right, he had to make up his mind about her and what he thought their relationship was. He also needed to figure out what he really felt for Hermione, other than an obstinate gratitude and undeniable physical attraction, and what it was he felt for Poppy. He did think he might want more with Poppy, though, Gareth had been right about that. Talking to Poppy about it, however . . . no, that wasn't an option. She still thought of this as a fling with particularly good sex with a younger colleague. He didn't want her to stop wanting to have sex with him just because he was thinking about their relationship beyond the sex. He'd have to find a subtle way of getting her to think about their relationship and getting her wanting more, as well.

"I just need to use your loo and put my hair back up, and I'll be ready," Poppy said cheerfully.

In the loo, putting her hair up, Poppy was less cheerful. Accepting an invitation to dinner was probably a bad idea. She would feel closer to him, something she wanted to avoid, but once he'd said that about a "freak show," she couldn't change her mind. There was no way that she was going to let him think that she was embarrassed to be seen in public with him. It was just a meal, anyway.

She left the loo through the door to the sitting room. Severus was crouched in front of the fireplace, but he stood as Poppy closed the door.

"I just told Minerva that we are going out for something to eat," Severus said, trying to sound casual about it.

Poppy nodded. "Good. It's chilly. I should stop by my rooms and get a cloak."

"You can wear one of mine," Severus offered. "I can Transfigure it for you."

"Yes, well, all right," Poppy replied, somewhat surprised.

Severus returned from his room a moment later with a lightweight black wool cape.

"Put it on so I can get the size right," Severus said, draping it over her shoulders.

First, he cast a spell to shrink it to fit her, then he cast another to change the colour to match the blue of her robes.

"Thank you, Severus."

He nodded and took his long black cape from the coat tree in the corner of the sitting room. As he did the clasp at the neck, his sense of anxiety increased. Poppy was going out in public with the great black bat of the dungeons. Whatever she might feel for him, collegial, friendly, or otherwise, it would be embarrassing for her to be seen with him. He'd not been a popular figure in Diagon Alley before the end of the war; afterward, he had become an object of fascination, the Death Eater who had fooled the Dark Lord, the Death Eater who had almost died and then been brought back to life by a wizard whom everyone had believed to be dead. Unfortunately, despite the two Orders of Merlin he had received, not all of the fascination was positive. Too many people assumed...correctly...that he had still participated in Death Eater activities even as a spy. Despite the stories of a few occasions in which he had foiled the Dark Lord's plans...including the attack on Scrimgeour's granddaughter's family in which he had saved everyone and risked his life to rescue a four-year-old boy, a story which Severus believed that Minerva had leaked to the Prophet...many people distrusted him and some clearly despised him.

"I think we should just go to Hogsmeade," Severus said as they left his rooms. "The Three Broomsticks. Or McTavish Street." In Edinburgh, they were more discreet about their interest in him, although he rarely spent any time there, either.

"If you want to. I really had my heart set on Diagon Alley, though, since it has been so long since I've been to London," Poppy replied.

As they walked through the castle, they began to encounter others, mostly groups of students returning from dinner or on their way to the library or elsewhere. Severus strode along, trying simultaneously to appear completely dissociated from the witch beside him whilst being considerate of Poppy's shorter stride.

Severus almost let out a sigh of relief when they finally stepped through the front doors to leave the castle. The two did not speak until after they had passed through the gates.

"Are you sure about Diagon Alley?" Severus asked.

"Yes, unless you don't feel up to Apparating," Poppy said, not wanting to force him to go if he really didn't want to, but still wanting him to know that she would go to London with him.

"I can Apparate us both," Severus said.

Poppy nodded and stepped toward him, taking his arm.

Severus nodded. "Hold on."

Poppy closed her eyes, felt the sensation of Side-Along Apparition, then opened them to find that Severus had brought them to a spot close to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Where would you like to go?" Severus asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron would be fine," Poppy said.

Severus frowned. The clientele of the Leaky Cauldron was somewhat mixed and the quality of the food was uneven. He ate there occasionally, but not often...though he usually timed his visits to London so that he wouldn't need to eat whilst he was there. There was also a place that had opened up in the autumn, the Love Apple, run by the same family that ran Aphrodite's Apple in McTavish Street and specialising in tomato-based dishes, but he didn't think that he wanted to bring Poppy someplace with a name like that, not this time, anyway. The Goblin's Knee down by Gringotts was small, dark, and intimate, a place for lovers to bring their dates, the Phoebus Café didn't serve meals that late on a Sunday, and the only other places he could think of were dives in Knockturn Alley, worse than the Leaky Cauldron. There was Delancie's. The Muggle-born proprietor had reopened his restaurant a few months before. It had needed a complete renovation, since after Delancie had gone into hiding shortly following Dumbledore's faked death, the restaurant had been essentially destroyed by Death Eaters. The restaurant was very expensive and very posh, but Severus also thought it might be one place where the clientele and the staff all might be polite enough not to stare at him too much.

Severus started to walk down the street, Poppy skipping to catch up with him. He slowed his pace.

"Not the Leaky Cauldron, then?" Poppy asked.

"No, not the Leaky Cauldron," Severus replied. "We don't have reservations, but I thought of Delancie's."

"Delancie's? All right," Poppy said. That would be very expensive. Hardly just a casual supper. But without a reservation, it was unlikely that they would get a table, anyway.

They walked in, Poppy catching her breath after what had felt like a forced march up the length of Diagon Alley. Severus looked much cooler and more collected than Poppy felt at that moment.

A young, well-groomed wizard looked up. He blanched. "Professor Snape!" He saw Poppy. "Madam Pomfrey." He blinked, then his training took over. "Table for two...do you have reservations, sir?"

"No, Easton, we do not." The young wizard had left school after his fifth year about five years before. He had been mediocre at Potions and most other subjects, from what Snape could remember of him.

Easton ran his finger down a list in front of him. "One moment, sir, ma'am. I do not see a table available, but I will check with Mr Delancie."

Severus shook his head, but the young wizard was already gone, disappearing behind a door which was covered in dark leather with brass decorative fixtures.

"Let's go," Severus said curtly.

Poppy put her hand on his elbow. "Let's wait and see."

Severus was torn. He doubted that Delancie would come out and scornfully tell him that his kind weren't welcome in his restaurant, but it was still a possibility that he would send a similar response out with Easton, just more politely worded. He had been doing more stupid, ill-conceived things in the last week than he had in years. He looked down at Poppy's bright eyes. He would wait.

Just a moment later, Delancie emerged, Easton behind him. The elegant, grey-haired wizard smiled genially. "Professor Snape, Madam Pomfrey, welcome! May I show you to your table? Easton will take your cloaks."

Severus looked a little reluctant to hand over his cape, but he did, just giving Easton a slight warning glare as he gave it to him. Easton merely bowed in response.

"I thought you were fully booked," Poppy said as the proprietor led them through the restaurant. She felt a bit awkward, dressed as she was, since the other patrons were in much finer robes. She hadn't even bothered with any make-up charms that day.

"I always have at least one table which I keep available for very special guests, such as yourselves," Delancie replied. He bowed slightly as, with a sweep of his hand, he presented them with their table, then he held Poppy's chair for her. He took the menus from a waiter who had quietly appeared at his elbow, and handed them to Poppy and Severus. He looked straight at Severus and said, "There will always be a table for Severus Snape at my restaurant. Tomás will take your orders. Please do let him know if there is anything that does not meet your satisfaction."

Tomás recommended a wine, which Severus agreed to after glancing at Poppy to check for her approval. Severus had been here only once with Albus several years before. He tried not to look surprised by the prices. With the Order of Merlin money, he reminded himself that he could certainly afford it, but he did not carry very much cash on him. He remembered that Albus had signed for their meal; he certainly hoped he could do the same, or he could barely afford the wine they had just ordered. Deciding that since he didn't have the cash to pay for anything, he thought that they might as well not pay any attention to the prices at all and simply assume that he could sign and have it taken from his Gringotts account.

"This is quite something," Poppy said, looking at the menu. She looked around at the other diners. The tables were all set at discreet distances, and there were plants set at intervals, a few painted screens, and other decorative fixtures, all of which lent a sense of privacy for the diners regardless of where they were sitting. Their own table was small and round, and Delancie had somehow quickly banished two of the four chairs as he had seated them.

"What would you like?" Severus asked. He tried to behave as though this was a perfectly ordinary occasion. "I thought a few appetisers before the meal would be nice."

"If you like . . . I would be happy with just a main course," Poppy said, surveying the right-hand column trying to find the least expensive dish.

"I forbid you to do that," Severus said sternly.

"What?" Poppy asked, surprised.

"Order only a main dish, for one, and for another, choose it by looking at the prices. It is not allowed."

"I haven't very much money with me," Poppy whispered.

"I am offended," Severus said, putting down his menu. "I invited you out to dinner. I certainly do not expect you to pay for it."

Poppy blushed. "I just wasn't sure. I'm sorry."

Severus nodded. "I am glad that is clear." The corners of his mouth twitched. "We can split the bill if we go to Madam Puddifoot's."

"You never go to Madam Puddifoot's," Poppy pointed out.

Severus shrugged. "Someplace else, then, some other time." He leaned toward her and whispered, "I was actually thinking about the prices, too, but I'll just sign for it, so don't think about them. Just pretend it's all free. That's what I'm going to do."

Poppy smiled up at him, glad when the corners of his eyes crinkled and his dark eyes lit up. "You can be quite devil-may-care at times, Severus. I hadn't seen that side of you until recently. And you really had me going...thinking you were offended."

"No, although perhaps slightly miffed that you would think I'd drag you to the most expensive restaurant in wizarding Britain and expect you to dig through your purse for your last Knut," he replied, his face reflecting his amusement. "As for devil-may-care...perhaps it is your presence that causes me to throw all caution to the winds, Poppy Pomfrey."

Poppy laughed. "I don't know if I want to be responsible for that, Severus. You might begin singing in the streets and who knows what else!"

Severus gave an exaggerated shudder. "That will never happen. If it does, you can tie me down in the next bed over from Lockhart and the two of us can be raving loons together."

Poppy laughed again.

Tomás returned with their bottle of wine, and Severus asked him to bring the four most popular appetisers, with Poppy adding the proviso that they did not want any escargots. Severus ordered roast lamb cooked with rosemary and garlic, with a barley pilaf and white asparagus. Poppy ordered chicken breast stuffed with Stilton, oyster mushrooms, and fresh sage, served with pea risotto and sautéed rocket and mustard greens.

Severus raised his glass. He looked at Poppy seriously. "What should we drink to?"

Unnerved by his dark, intense gaze, Poppy couldn't think at first, but then she said, "To your health and happiness, Severus."

"Keep looking after me, Poppy, and perhaps I shall have both," Severus replied softly.

Poppy raised her glass and touched his, confused by her emotions at that moment. This was supposed to be a casual fling between colleagues. Having a meal with Severus was fine in theory, but this felt like something else. She sipped her wine and tried to think of something to say, something that would get the focus away from the two of them.

"Did you and Gareth have a good afternoon?"

"Fine. He was looking for diversion, I believe. He is unused to living as he is now, I understand, and it is not always easy."

"Did you hear from Arthur?"

"No, not yet. I did try to stress the urgency of meeting with him, but I was not specific about why. Perhaps I should have been."

The waiter brought their appetisers and recommended wines that would go well with their main courses. By the time they had eaten the appetisers and almost finished their main courses, Poppy was feeling much more relaxed. Their conversation had turned to the mundane, primarily about Hogwarts, but Severus's sardonic comments, accompanied by a glint in his eye and something that was somewhere between a smirk and a smile, had Poppy laughing.

"By the way, what's this I hear about you eating animals alive?" Poppy asked.

"Oh, that. I will tell you the truth of it, but don't tell anyone else. I just told Vector I was feeling whimsical," Severus said.

Poppy laughed at that.

"Duffy had the extremely bad judgment to try to play footsie with me at the staff table in the Great Hall. I wished to discourage her attentions, so I made some comments about the meat being served and then described some of my supposed carnivorous preferences. I believe I was successful."

"She did what?" Poppy asked, not believing her ears.

"I felt a shoeless foot creeping up my ankle. It was hers. She had arranged with Vector to trade places. Why she thought that was in any way an appropriate manner of expressing interest, particularly in the Great Hall at mealtime, I do not know," Severus said.

"That is strange," Poppy said. "Not that she would be interested in you, but, as you say, that she would do that."

"Minerva gave me a bit of a scolding about my jokes," Severus admitted, "and I do understand her concern, but I thought I was rather restrained."

Poppy chuckled. "Yes, considering how you might have responded, you really were restrained. You could have been much more openly nasty, and you could have embarrassed her publicly."

"Running from the staff table ready to vomit likely embarrassed her, but I was uncomfortable, as well. Can you imagine what would happen if I were to do something similar to a female teacher? Started grabbing her thigh under the table or something?"

Poppy grinned. "Duffy probably would have liked that."

"Hmmpf. But I was trying to display my lack of interest in her. There was no call for that. If I had been flirting with her, that might be different, but I was ignoring her as well as I could."

"She probably thought you were just shy." Poppy smiled. "And you are a little shy, really. It's very endearing."

Severus felt himself blushing. "I'm not shy with you. Not any longer. Not very much."

Poppy's smile grew. "I am glad. Particularly under certain circumstances such as those this afternoon. I enjoyed that."

"I will get better at that," Severus replied.

"Perhaps I could help you practise," Poppy suggested.

"That would be useful," Severus said, feeling the heat rising in his face. It wasn't only his face that was reacting; the blood flow to another area of his body was increased as well.

Tomás arrived at their table, asking whether they would like dessert and discreetly banishing their plates when assured that the two were finished with their main courses.

"I do not want any dessert," Severus said. "Madam Pomfrey, would you care for some?"

"No, just tea. I don't think I could eat anything more," she said.

"I will have coffee," Severus told the deferential waiter.

When Tomás was gone, Poppy turned back to Severus. "I enjoyed this evening very much. It was a lovely treat. Thank you."

Severus gazed at her warmly. "I am pleased that it was satisfactory...and presumably more enjoyable than the Leaky Cauldron."

"I would have enjoyed the Leaky Cauldron this evening if I had been with you, but this was much nicer, and as I said, quite a treat."

Tomás returned with their tea and coffee, and the two fell silent for a moment. After the waiter left, Severus lifted his coffee cup, then he felt something on his ankle beneath the long table cloth. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Poppy, who was innocently drinking her tea. He felt her toes inch their way under the cuff of his trousers.

"Madam Pomfrey," Severus said in a darkly smooth voice, "are you attempting to gain my attention?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Severus quickly moved his legs to trap her foot between his ankles. "That is a very dangerous way of getting my attention. You do not know how I might retaliate."

"The last witch survived," Poppy remarked, eating the little biscuit that came with her tea, not attempting to pull her foot away.

"I would not use the same manner of retaliation twice," Severus said. "And I doubt you would react as the last witch did."

"You did flirt with me," Poppy pointed out.

"Mmm, I did." His eyes seemed to generate heat as they slowly moved from her breasts to her eyes. "The consequences may still be dangerous."

"And why would that be?"

"Stirring up my passions, Madam Pomfrey . . . you do not know what I may be moved to do."

"I think I would like to find out," Poppy said.

"A Hufflepuff with the curiosity of a Ravenclaw and the bravery of a Gryffindor," Severus said speculatively.

"No, thoroughly Hufflepuff," Poppy said. "A badger is not to be taken lightly, you know."

"So I have heard. Very fierce when cornered, and very protective of those in its care," Severus said. "Am I in your care?"

"Very much, Severus," Poppy said softly, "very much."

Severus released her foot as Tomás approached the table.

Severus looked at the bill that Tomás handed him and didn't blink, then he accepted the quill that Tomás offered him and signed the bottom of the pale blue Charmed parchment.

"And your wand, sir," Tomás whispered.

Delancie's apparently used Gringotts secure payment system, and at the cost of their meal, Severus could see why. He passed his wand over his signature, causing it to glow slightly and the parchment to turn white. It would confirm to Gringotts that he had been the signer. If he were not, payment would not be made. He didn't understand how the system worked, but the goblins provided the specially Charmed parchment for the bills, and he had never heard of an instance when Gringotts had refused payment, so he assumed that if the parchment turned white, it indicated that the signature was valid.

"Thank you for dining at Delancie's," Tomás said with a smile and a slight bow, just sufficient to indicate respect but without being obsequious.

Severus nodded. "The food was..." He scowled at Poppy, who had just kicked him under the table. "The food was excellent, as was the service."

After Tomás left, Severus said, "What did you kick me for?"

"I thought you were going to say that it was adequate or satisfactory or one of your other usual ways of damning with faint praise," Poppy said.

"I am perfectly capable of being polite," Severus said irritably. "Do you really believe that I would deliberately embarrass you...or myself...at a place like this?"

"I'm sorry, Severus." She could see from the set of his jaw and his lowered eyebrows that he was upset. "I do know better than that. It was just an automatic reaction on my part. I apologise."

Severus looked surly, but he stood and took Poppy's hand briefly as she rose from her own seat.

As they were walking to the front of the restaurant to retrieve their cloaks, he said, "I understand. I have to kick myself occasionally to remind me to be polite."

"I'm forgiven, then?"

Severus looked down at her, his expression softening, and he said, "Yes. Of course."

Severus assisted Poppy with her cloak, then put on his own. They stepped out into the cool night air and Poppy smiled up at Severus.

"Thank you for forgiving me," she said.

"There was nothing to forgive," Severus replied. "It was not an unreasonable assumption."

"But I am sorry for hurting your feelings."

"Mmm, I believe I will recover, but there is still the matter of ..." Severus paused as they passed a few people on the pavement. "There is still the matter of the consequences for your previous actions," he continued in a low voice.

"Let's get back to Hogwarts," Poppy said, feeling as though Diagon Alley was far too busy for a Sunday night.

Severus nodded and they stepped into the doorway of a closed shop.

"Side-Along?" Severus asked.

"I'm fine to Apparate, but it would be nice," Poppy said.

Severus held out his arm and Poppy took hold, stepping closer to him. He nodded to her and, with no further warning, Disapparated.

At the Hogwarts gates, Poppy looked up at Severus and said, "I wanted to get away from the crowds."

"Understandable," Severus replied, opening the gate for her. "I also have curfew patrol tonight, for which I am late."

"I am sorry! We could have skipped the tea," Poppy said.

"It is not a tragedy for me to begin my rounds fifteen minutes late," Severus said. "I enjoyed our dinner too much to rush at the end."

"I did too."

As they walked back up the drive, Poppy wished she could take his arm, but it would look unusual to anyone watching, and besides, they were not a couple. They were colleagues. And they had sex. Even if they were a couple, it would be indiscreet to take Severus's arm, and he would not appreciate that.

"I will escort you to your rooms and begin my rounds from there," Severus said.

"Thank you," Poppy said.

Up in the Hospital Wing, Severus brought Poppy to her door. "Thank you, Poppy. I enjoyed our evening."

"So did I. Your cloak..." she said.

"I will fetch it later. Good night, Poppy." He touched her cheek lightly and nodded, then turned and left, his black cloak billowing about him as he strode away.

NEXT

Chapter Fifty-Four: Dangerous Consequences

Sunday, 14 March 1999

Severus teaches Poppy the consequences of her flirting. *End of Part Five*

Rated MA.

Characters: Severus Snape, Poppy Pomfrey