Chapter Ninety-Seven: Another Splash of Whiskey

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Another Splash of Whiskey

Thursday, 1 April 1999

"So what was this commission you refused?" Severus asked, taking a sip of the wine Gareth had poured him.

Gareth, his mouth full, shook his head. He swallowed, then said, "I can't tell you exactly what it was, oaths and all that, but after doing a little preliminary work on it...more than a little, actually, once I'd started...I decided it wasn't the sort of thing I want to be doing. They wouldn't tell me everything about the project until I agreed to take the commission, but they gave me enough preliminary information for me to know it wasn't for me."

"Why not? It would have paid well, I'd think, and be more interesting than some of the things that Hermione's said you've worked on."

"Aside from the fact that those Aurors dragged Mum from her own home into the Ministry on the flimsiest of pretexts earlier this week, which got my ire up with them all, I didn't approve of the project. It was antithetical to my principles," Gareth said, picking up his wine glass, "not to mention the fact that they would have their own Arithmancers reading over my work and making me do it over if they felt I wasn't using their data in the way they wanted."

"Why didn't they just have their own Arithmancers doing it, then?"

Gareth shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe to convince themselves that they were being impartial and weren't interested in skewing things...which they obviously were. Aside from that, none of their Arithmancers are as good as I am, and Mum is leagues ahead of any them." Gareth took in Severus's expression. "What? Am I supposed to be modest here or something? I am better, and they know it, and they knew that if they got me, they'd get Mum, as well, and she's the best Arithmancer in a couple centuries. But even if the Ministry hadn't wanted to play with the data they were giving me . . ." Gareth shook his head. "I wish I could tell you more, mate, but when I realised what the commission would really be aimed at doing, and that they wanted to use Arithmetical charms, as well, to influence certain things . . . I just don't think the Ministry should be messing with it, particularly when, well, I can't say."

"Sounds like typical Ministry business, then. Nothing's changed with the war and with Shacklebolt as Minister."

"I don't know as I'd go that far, but this was unwise, even if what they wanted to do was possible. So anyway, how was your first day of the holiday?"

Severus smiled. "Very good. Poppy and I had a date during which we managed to remain uninterrupted...other than by your owl, anyway. We spent the entire afternoon together. I think things are going well for us."

"I hadn't thought you'd dressed up just for me," Gareth said with a grin. "That's great to hear. You have plans with her for over the holiday? Going anywhere with her?"

"Nothing very specific. She's going on that witches' holiday to the North Sea. I'm not happy about her being gone, but I hope she has a good time."

"I think that Mum is finally beginning to look forward to it," Gareth said, dishing more vegetable moussaka onto his plate. "I hope that she enjoys it. They have magnificent food, musical performances, saunas, magical mud baths, mild recreational potions...though I don't know as that would be anything Mum would do at any time...and all kinds of massages. They even show Muggle films in the evenings, and they have live performances, too."

"Recreational potions?"

"Very mild ones. They have a special dispensary for draughts, combustibles, and lotions of various sorts. Nothing strong or addictive. Just mild euphoria elixirs, pleasure enhancers, and aphrodisiacs, things like that."

"Hmph. I am surprised that Poppy would go to such a place."

"Aunt Minerva used to go, too. It's not as though everyone walks around stoned all the time or something, Snape. I somehow can't imagine Poppy taking any of the recreational potions, anyway...or Aunt Minerva, for that matter."

"Neither can I," Severus said, frowning. "What about these massages? What are they?" He remembered his paranoid fantasy of handsome young wizards feeding Poppy grapes and massaging her toes.

"Oh, they have all sorts. There's an entire pamphlet describing them. Everything from just your basic, twenty-minute back massage to ones using special oils or mineral scrubs and such. And there are ones using Charmed implements of various sorts, as well as different kinds of Healing massages by specialists, which are aimed at specific ailments. Those might be good for Mum and for Rolanda, especially. They even do sensual and erotic massages, and even couples' massages."

"Sensual and erotic massages?"

"Yeah, they're the most expensive, aside from the specialised Healing massages. The sensual massages are, well, sensual, but they don't proceed to any genital massage, and the erotic ones, you can imagine what those involve, I'm sure."

"They have prostitutes there?" Severus was clearly appalled.

"No, well, I suppose they might, but the erotic massage is just massage...it may bring a person to climax, but they only use their hands and arms, and there's no penetration of any sort. If you want anything more than that, it's not part of the resort's services."

"And you approve of your mother going to a place like that?"

"Sure. Why not? I doubt very much that she'd, you know, get one of the more intimate massages. It just doesn't seem like her, but it's none of my business, is it? It's certainly nothing I want to think about. Mum needs a good holiday, some entertainment, some rest and relaxation, and some time with her friends. This will be good for her."

"Poppy is going."

"Yeah, we've established that." Gareth held up the wine bottle. "More?"

Severus shook his head. "I'll have another splash of that whiskey your mother gave me, though."

"You know, it's not some debauched house of ill-repute they're going to," Gareth said, Summoning the whiskey bottle from the sitting room. "It's perfectly respectable. It just offers a very wide range of services, refreshment, and entertainment. No one has to indulge in all of them...or in any of them."

"But Poppy could decide she wanted a massage," Severus said.

"Yeah, she could, and it would be good for her...and if you're worried about what sort of massage she might request, remember who you're talking about. How comfortable do you think that Poppy would be with a stranger massaging her in that way? I wish I'd never mentioned the erotic massages...I should have known how you'd react." Gareth poured Severus a glass of whiskey and pushed it across the table to him.

"It's not your lover who's going off to that resort," Severus retorted.

"No, but Aunt Minerva's gone without Uncle Albus, and he's never had a problem with it. He knows what the place is like, too, because they've both been there."

"That's different. They're married. Besides, I can't imagine Minerva getting a massage from a stranger unless it was for health purposes. She certainly wouldn't want one of those erotic ones."

"Mum used to go before Dad died. In fact, I think this may be the first time she's gone since that year."

"Again, different. They were married, too."

"Just don't think about it anymore, Severus. I think you're creating a problem where there isn't one and giving yourself heartburn for nothing."

"Hmph. You don't understand at all."

"I do. You have a talent for focussing on things that will make you miserable," Gareth said. "Think about her having a drink by the pool with the other witches, or taking a walk on the beach with them, watching a Muggle film, going to a chamber concert, eating crêpes flambé, things like that. That's all much more likely. Besides, if you two have a great relationship, nothing else she could do at the resort matters. And if the physical side of things is good between you, even if she were to get some kind of massage, it wouldn't be anything compared to what you have together. It'd just be a pathetic substitute even if it were one of the sensual ones. No, she'll just miss you and be glad to see you when she gets back, I'm sure."

"I suppose you're right," Severus said grudgingly, taking a sip of whiskey.

"I am," Gareth said, putting another forkful of moussaka in his mouth.

"Besides, we didn't agree that we'd be sexually exclusive, just that we wouldn't have affairs...and a massage, even an erotic one, isn't even really sex, I suppose," he said, turning his whiskey glass in his hands. "And Poppy did say that she wouldn't have sex with anyone else whilst we're together."

"Which was it, you wouldn't be sexually exclusive or you would be?" Gareth asked, puzzled.

"She said she didn't expect it of me...though she doesn't want me to have an affair...but that she didn't think she would have sex with someone else."

"Sounds like she wants sexual exclusivity, but she doesn't want to demand it of you in case you can't manage that, and so she doesn't want to know it if you do have sex with someone else."

"Obviously she wouldn't want to hear about it, but I wouldn't do it, anyway."

"Does she know that?"

"I've told her, but . . . it's odd: sometimes I think she thinks I should have sex with other witches just for the experience or something. As though I should just work my way through all the witches of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade or whatever."

"She may just be a bit insecure about your feelings for her. She may think it's safer for her heart if she tells you that she doesn't expect you to be sexually exclusive. She may also think that you want to sow your wild oats now since you didn't have much of that sort of thing when you were younger, and she doesn't want to drive you away by demanding more of you."

"I don't want to sow any oats, and I think it's a slippery slope from having a single tryst to having an affair, and it wouldn't be fair to her. Besides, I'm happy with Poppy. Why would I want to have sex with someone else? It actually bothers me that she says she doesn't expect me to be sexually exclusive."

"It does sound as though you're serious about her."

"I am. Very. Very serious."

"That's good. Do you know how she feels?"

"I'm not completely certain. I know that she's fairly serious about seeing whether we can have a relationship, and she says that she's happy with me. We had a wonderful afternoon. And I feel that I can be more open with her than I've ever been with anyone else, and I like that. I trust her in a way I've never trusted anyone before."

Gareth chuckled. "Then don't you think that your jealousy about some possible massage from a stranger is silly?"

Severus shrugged and gave a crooked grin. "I suppose."

"Want to go into the sitting room?"

"Sure. You had something specific you wanted to talk about, didn't you?"

Gareth picked up the bottle of whiskey. "Yeah. We need to have some kind of lease. I want to get the new telephone lines installed, and there are a couple other Muggle things that need doing. Anyway, I think it's best we have something in writing so that if I have to sign something Muggle, I can do it with some authority."

"I wouldn't care...it's up to you what you need." Severus followed Gareth into the sitting room.

"Yeah, well, the other thing is, you don't need a telephone...or at least, you've not wanted one. I was thinking that I should bear the cost of it. It's for my computer, after all."

"But it will remain even if you and your computer don't. We can split the cost," Severus said.

"Okay, if you want. They'll have to run a new line. Your old phone line just went to the kitchen...do you want a phone in the kitchen, too?"

Severus shrugged. "I can't imagine who I'd ring up, but sure. My mother had it taken out a few months after my father left. We never missed it."

"The other thing is that I had someone come over and look at the wiring. I thought that I might need a separate, I don't know, electrical whatchamacallit for my computer. Anyway, Quin referred me to an electrician who does work in one of his amusement parks, Carl Barnes. He's a Squib, so I didn't have to go around hiding things or keep the house-elves out of sight. Carl's going to do a new electric whatsit for the computer, and he said that most of the wiring isn't bad, but we should have the fuse box replaced with circuit breakers, and the outlets in the bathroom should all be replaced."

"Do what needs to be done."

"Okay. We've done a lot of decorating downstairs. I hope you don't mind, but we got rid of some of the ugly bookshelves you had in your sitting room..."

"As long as you replaced them with something else to hold my books, and you kept the books in order, I don't care."

"I think you'll like what we did. The new bookcases are on tracks so you can slide them back and forth in front of each other, and we put a couple new ones in the dining room, as you had mentioned you wanted, and there's a sort of free-standing revolving bookcase in the living room, as well. Now you have more wall space in the living room for pictures and such. I thought we might even put in a fireplace on the outer wall and you could connect to the Floo-Network, if you wanted. That would be easy work for the house-elves."

"You'd still need Muggle permits and inspections."

"Nah, there's ways around that," Gareth said with a wink. "They won't notice a thing."

"A fireplace might be nice. Don't put it on the Floo-Network, though. I need to think about that."

"Right. We also took out that hideous chandelier...sorry, mate, but it really was...you had in the living room. We can replace it if you want. When Carl does the electric work, we could wire one in."

"I used that when I had visitors...pureblood visitors...and then when Pettigrew lived there, we only used candles."

"That explains some of the burn marks, soot, and wax drippings the elves cleaned up all over the house." Gareth shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to live like that."

Severus shrugged. "I didn't care. I had one Charmed lamp that I kept in my bedroom, so I could read comfortably at night. The rest of my life was fairly uniformly miserable, particularly when Pettigrew was there. Whether I used candles, torches, Charmed lamps, or electric lights...that made no difference to me."

"No wonder you say you hate the place, man. I would, too. You'll like it after I'm finished with it."

"I might like it so much, I might just eject you," Severus said with a smirk.

"I'm prepared for that. You warned me of that from the beginning. Have you decided whether you're staying on at Hogwarts next year?"

Severus nodded and took a swallow of whiskey. "I am. I told Minerva this morning."

"Well, maybe you won't kick me out just yet, then...unless you want the space to yourself during the summer, of course."

"Was there anything else?"

"I thought I might make it a surprise, but I think too many surprises might not be healthy for you yet," Gareth said with a smile. "I'm having the downstairs loo completed. The house-elves can do that, too."

"All this is still sounding expensive, even with house-elves doing a lot of it."

"I don't mind. I'll tell you how much I spend...and if there's anything I do that you don't like and didn't approve to begin with, I'll pay for it myself. Like the lavatory. Consider it a gift."

"No . . . we can split the cost of the loo, I suppose. It would be nice to have it. Besides, it's not real money to me, anyway. It's just rent you're not paying, and since that's income I never anticipated, I am the real beneficiary of all this work you're doing. But you'll have the house at least for next year, except perhaps over the summer."

"Good. I want to get a lot of work done over the holiday. After we get more done, you should come by and take a look at it."

"I will," Severus said with a nod. "It's actually good to know this is all being done. I'd never have done it myself. I would have just gone on hating the house."

Gareth laughed. "I'm glad, then. It will be good for you...I hope it will, anyway."

"What does your mother think about all this? All the money you're spending?"

"It's my money to spend." Gareth twitched a shoulder. "I think she was a little dismayed at first that I wanted someplace Muggle other than the bedroom at Melina's, but I explained how this would be convenient for both of us, with you at Hogwarts most of the year and everything."

Severus nodded. He'd had the feeling when he'd spoken with Professor Gamp that she had been going to say something to him about Gareth, but he didn't know what. She had said that she'd forgiven him...which he was still trying to understand...but she had implied that she still wasn't entirely comfortable with him, and he could understand that quite easily. It would have been unnatural if she were completely at ease with him after the terror and injury he had inflicted on her, no matter how long ago it was.

"Does it bother her that it's my house?" Severus asked.

"She thought that something in London would be more convenient for me, maybe something near Diagon Alley, but I explained why this made sense for me." Gareth reached for the whiskey bottle. "Another?"

Severus hesitated, then nodded. Gareth splashed a good amount into Severus's glass, then poured out more for himself.

"How'd your potion turn out the other night?"

"We brewed two, one with a new hybrid Memory Plant that Professor Birnbaum supplied. They were both effective, the new one particularly so. I sent details to him and to your uncle."

"That's good. I'm sure they'll both be interested in the results. What are you doing next week?" Gareth asked.

Severus shook his head. "I don't know. I plan to spend time with Poppy, as much as possible before the staff returns for the counselling training. She's away until Thursday, though."

"Well, remember my cousin Morgana? She'll be in the country for a few weeks. She's arriving Monday morning. She's going to be busy at the Ministry much of the time, but she'll be staying here for the first few days...she's dividing her time amongst various relatives...and I was wondering if you'd like to go out with us one evening. Maybe Tuesday. I think you'd find each other interesting."

"I don't know . . ."

"Come on, Snape. It won't be a late night. Morgana will still be adjusting from the time difference. If you're worried about the vigilante, we'll go somewhere Muggle, though I think we'd be safe enough in the Three Broomsticks, as long as you don't go wandering off alone."

"I don't like going out and being . . . being trapped into staying out because I can't return on my own."

"You just say the word, Snape, and I'll accompany you back to the gates. I'll try to stay Apparition-capable that night. Or we might be able to get some Portkeys made for us, since we're planning in advance. I thought I'd invite Gwen Burns, too, so we wouldn't be leaving Morgana on her own while I was with you watching your back."

"Gwen Burns?"

"Yeah. I ran into her a couple weeks ago in the Clypeum in Glasgow. We had a sort of thing back when I was an apprentice, eons ago. We had lunch last week, and then I met her for a drink last night, and we may rekindle something." Gareth smiled. "We had a rather nice good-night kiss last night."

"I remember her. She was in seventh-year NEWT-level Potions the first year I taught. She was one of the better Potions students in her year. Showed some respect, too. Ravenclaw. Rather pretty, but not entirely silly."

"I'd hope not," Gareth said with a laugh. "I don't know if there's anything between us, but there were a few sparks, I thought. She broke up with her husband a few years ago, so it's been long enough so that she's not still on the rebound, but I don't know if she's interested in anything more than some casual dating."

"Does she have kids?"

Gareth shook his head. "One reason they broke up, I guess. She wanted them, but he didn't or couldn't or something, and, to paraphrase her, she'd rather be on her own than stay with him if she wasn't at least going to get a family out of it. I guess her husband was an ass. She doesn't have anything nice to say about him."

"Who'd she marry?"

"Polyphemus Melliflua."

"Why on earth would any woman marry him?" Severus asked, an expression of disgust on his face.

"I think that Gwen felt that time was passing, and he asked her, so she married him." Gareth shrugged.

"She is not as intelligent as I had believed, then," Severus said with a snort, remembering the Slytherin who had been two years behind him at Hogwarts. "Polyphemus had a squint, a fat stomach, spindly arms and legs, a bulbous nose, went bald on top at nineteen but kept a long, stringy ponytail, and he wiped his nose on his sleeve. Constantly. And those are the kindest things I can think to say about him."

"Was he a Death Eater?" Gareth asked.

"No, but like all the Mellifluas, he supported pureblood supremacy...as if he were a shining example of it." Severus shook his head and took a swig of whiskey.

Gareth frowned. "I hope that Gwen doesn't share those beliefs."

"Not likely...even if she was fool enough to marry a Melliflua, at least she got rid of him."

"So, will you come out with us Tuesday?"

"All right. As long as you're clear with Morgana that you're not setting her up on a date with me," Severus said.

"She'll think there's something odd if I put it that way, Snape, as if there's something wrong with you. But I'll mention that you're seeing someone. Besides, I really doubt that she's interested in striking up a new relationship here when she's returning to Australia in a few weeks."

"She might want a fling."

"It takes two to 'fling,'" Gareth said, "so if you don't do any flinging, she won't, either. Not only that, but you're presuming that you'll find each other attractive, and you might very well not. I do think you two might have some interests in common, though, and I really want her to meet my friends here. I think we could have a nice evening together."

"I should still check with Poppy, see if it's all right..."

"She's not your Mum, Severus...and even if she were, you're too old to need permission to go out with friends. I'd understand it if she were going to be here and you wanted to make sure that she hadn't already made plans for the two of you...or if you wanted to invite her along, which would be great...but otherwise, it's just . . . weird, mate. I don't think she's the sort of witch who wants to approve your social schedule, and if she were, I think that would get very wearing very quickly."

"I don't want her to think I'm dating when her back is turned."

"She won't, not unless you give her reason to. Besides, she knows Morgana, she knows me, she probably remembers Gwen. I don't think she'll have any worries about it. Unless, of course, you don't trust yourself," Gareth said.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Maybe your feelings for Poppy aren't as strong as you're telling yourself they are, and you think you might be tempted to have, um, trysts with other witches. So by asking Poppy's permission, you're protecting yourself from that temptation in some way."

Severus rolled his eyes. "No. That's not it. Not that I might not be tempted," he admitted, "but I never would act on it."

"Then I think you're projecting your own jealousy and your own needs onto Poppy, and believe me, Snape, if Poppy thinks she has to get your permission every time she gets together with some friends who might include an attractive wizard or two, she's not going to put up with it for very long."

"I don't know . . ."

"There's a difference between keeping her informed and asking her permission, you know. Obviously, you want to respect her, but you don't need to go overboard."

"I know, but you're right: I would like to be able to tell her who she can spend time with. I know it's wrong and that she'd hate it, but I wish I could . . . could keep her on a tether or something." Severus took the last swallow of whiskey and poured himself another. "Not that I think I'd like her as well if she let me do that, but I don't want her seeing Quin again. Even though she told him she's not interested in dating or sex and all that. I still wish I could tell her she can't see him alone. Or with him and other people when I'm not there."

"That would not go over well, Severus. They've been friends for longer than we've been alive. That would be just the thing to drive her away from you, if that's what you wanna do."

"I know. It makes me miserable no matter how I look at it." He drank off his whiskey. "Typical."

"You've had too much to drink, mate."

"Yeah." Severus put his empty glass on the table and blinked at it. "Might as well have another, then."

Gareth poured him one more small splash. "After this one, we'd better get you to bed."

"Not with you."

"No, not with me, Snape. We have a guest room. It's close to the loo, too, in case you're not feeling well in the night."

"I should get back to Hogwarts." Severus drained his glass and set it down with a clunk.

"I'm not letting you Splinch yourself, and I know I can't Apparate, and I'm not walking all the way up to the castle and back, either. Not tonight."

"Poppy will worry."

"Can you manage a Patronus?"

"I think so." Severus felt around in his robes, looking for his watch. "What time is it?"

"I dunno...not late." He yawned. "Maybe eleven, if that. But I'm knackered."

"I'll use the loo, then send a message to her."

"I'll make you a cup of coffee first. A nice strong cup. Help you focus."

Severus smiled. "I'll just think of Poppy. I can always focus on her."

"Still, a cup of coffee will help." Gareth pushed to his feet. "Meet me in the kitchen."

"Okay." Severus stood. He swayed a moment. "Gareth?"

Gareth paused in the doorway. "Yeah?"

"Would you want to share a bed with me?"

"Hypothetically, maybe. But that's not happening. Not tonight. And the time for more than just sharing a bed is past, my friend. Missed my window of opportunity, as they say."

"Good. You oughtn't try to seduce me. Poppy wouldn't like it."

Gareth laughed. "You need a cup of coffee, definitely. And tomorrow I'll pretend that you didn't say that." Still chuckling, Gareth left for the kitchen.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this update, the last one for 2010. I thought it might be a nice little present for anyone who's been hankering for an update. I still haven't had any time to do any writing, life's been that hectic and my muse that distant, but perhaps in the New Year, I'll find some inspiration and some time and energy, and all at the same moment!