Dinner Party

Disclaimer: Except for some OCs, the characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling.

Potion-making, although quite exact in its requirements, could be a soothing art. One mixed the items as directed, and the potion would behave as described. As Snape watched his assistants mixing their brews, he reflected that few things in life were so easy.

Just the day before there had been another bitter argument. There was a certain document that made Severus proud but just a little self-conscious. He wanted to hide it on the back of the door in his study, but she hung it in a place of prominence in their drawing room. He tried to remove it from the wall, but she threatened to hang it over their bed. Katherine ended the discussion by sitting under the piano and removing her clothes. "If you look at it from down here, it's quite lovely," she said.

Severus was across the room in an instant, and the next hour was spent in a different sort of conversation entirely. Finally he looked up at his framed, newly issued Order of Merlin award. He sighed, admitting, "I suppose it looks proper there."

"Sir?" He came back to the present room with his students and attended to the question Granger was asking. "It appears to be a fairly strong pain medication, sir, but the proportions are for a woman. Is it for your wife?"

"Do you feel it's appropriate to delve into my personal affairs?"

"Not exactly, sir, but if we knew about it, we might be able to make suggestions..." She thought better of what she was saying and broke it off.

Snape sighed and covered his eyes with his hand. He didn't know if Katherine realized that her injuries were hurting her. From what he could tell, based on the training he had received, the bones had not healed properly. When she got up some mornings, she put her hands on her hips and winced. He feared that, enjoyable as it was, their love life was not improving matters. His thought was to sneak a few drops of this potion into her coffee in the morning. Another perspective on the potion might be good, and in any case, quizzing the student on the potion would be good for her test preparations.

"What are your thoughts?"

"Well, from the formulation, I would guess that you're making it for a woman with some sort of injuries. Is there some reason the Healers at St. Mungo's can't help?"

"Let's say that option is valid but will remain unused for the time being."

"And you would prefer not to use opiates?"

Snape shuddered. "At this point that would be the worst option."

"Then I haven't learned anything else yet that might improve it. Why doesn't she go to the Healers?"

"That's nothing I care to discuss, Miss Granger." He turned and saw Potter looking at him from across the room. The questioning glances were driving him batty. If the boy would only make up his mind to say what he was thinking and be done with it, the world would be a better place.

At the moment, the latent hostility from Weasley was to be preferred. He, at least, concentrated on his work so as to be finished as quickly as possible with as little interaction as possible. He had never worked this well as a student. This whole experience was giving Snape ideas on how to improve Potions instruction at Hogwarts. There was a teaching journal that might publish a letter on the subject of encouraging mild hostility as a means of encouraging students to work quickly and well. Perhaps if he published some initial findings in a letter, then maybe Minerva would allow a study that could be published as a full paper in the same journal.

He looked up and saw Katherine standing in the doorway. She was staring at Granger, who was still standing too close. There was an odd look in his wife's eye. Severus walked over to Katherine and took her hand. "What brings you here?"

She looked apologetic. "Oh, I'm not getting anywhere on my case today, and I thought I would look in before going upstairs and making plans." She looked around. "You've done quite a bit with the place, here. You should be proud."

He stepped close enough to drop a lingering kiss on her lips. "I'm close to a stopping point for the day. I'll be upstairs in just a few minutes, myself."

"I guess I'll see you soon, then." Her eyes were full of promises as she left.

"We're nowhere close to a stopping point for the day," said Hermione.

"Do you always listen in to other people's conversations?" She took a step back. "For your information, you are not near a stopping point, but I am."

"You're just going to leave us?"

"You've passed the point with this potion where you could get into serious trouble. If there's an issue, send your Patronus." He gave them some last instructions for the day and then left.

Granger looked exasperated, Potter looked bereft, and Weasley looked pleased as Snape left the room. He didn't really notice. His thoughts were on the witch upstairs. It would be undignified to run, he told himself, but he couldn't help hurrying to the elevators.

He found his wife in her study. She sat at her desk, quill in hand, making lists. She looked up and smiled. "Uncle Sonny says willow and veela hair wands are popular in a certain trade. I've been keeping an eye on certain addresses of Knockturn Alley, but no dice. I think I'm going to have to try Rue des Sorcières Jolies."

"In Paris?" He half leaned, half sat on the edge of her desk. "How does a nice witch like you know of such places?"

She wrinkled her nose. "All in a day's work, of course. Want to come with me?" she asked before running her tongue along her upper lip.

He chuckled in a way designed to make a chill go through her. "I don't need a trip to France for that," he said. He leaned down and used his finger to trace the path of her tongue.

"No?"

"No."

"I don't suppose you would be interested in a practical demonstration?" She pushed her hair back from a face that was turning ever-so-slightly pink.

"I thought I was the Legilimens in this family, yet you seem to know exactly what I'm feeling," he said as he tugged her out of the office and toward their bedroom.

Some time later, Katherine was admiring her husband's feet. They weren't particularly attractive. They were simply long and skinny feet that had walked a great deal in thirty-eight years. As part of the entire package that was her husband, she found them to be highly captivating. She also happened to know that feet could be useful when extracting information.

"Hermione Granger is an attractive young witch," Katherine said, introducing her subject directly but casually.

"I suppose," Severus answered. Upon having a fingernail run along the arch of his foot, he amended his answer. "Yes, she's a lovely and accomplished young woman."

He was rewarded by more comfortable massaging motions. "She stands quite close to you."

"A lot of them do that." This earned a toe being pushed a little too far toward his shin.

"Indeed?"

He sighed and sat up. "If you want to know, just ask." He didn't get the response he desired and grabbed a foot that was near his own hand. "Katherine!" She turned and looked warily at him. His wand was in his other hand. She put his foot next to its mate and sat up.

"All right then, how have you kept a proper distance from your students?"

He blushed. "When I was just starting to teach, they were so pretty and smelled so good, and they stood so close... Some would come to office hours and practically sit on my lap..."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. He sighed. "Filius warned me early on. He told me to watch every hand that ever touched my desk, my books, my quills, everything. He was right. Several girls thought that they wanted to entrap me. They used every charm and potion they could find. Combined, the results might have been disasterous. I quickly learned to be cold and unapproachable, hard and strict."

He watched her sit up and pull her knees to her chest as he continued. "They wanted to use me."

"Really?"

He sighed. "For some reason, the Slytherins thought it was a mark of honor to have sex with a Death Eater. They never saw the proof of my affiliation, but it was assumed within a certain set. Perhaps some were disappointed in their fathers and thought I would be better suited for the job but in a horribly confused way. Then there were the other girls. By the third year I realized that all the ones who were most obvious about it had Muggle fathers. They were looking to me to fill in for their non-magical parent. I could never..."

"I should think not." Katherine looked more thoughtful than angry.

"The...companions...I've had were nearer to my own age."

"So what about Hermione Granger?"

"Two Muggle parents. She's looking for some sort of magical parentage, and her crush is misplaced."

"I see."

"I suppose," he mused, "since she has two Muggle parents, she might be looking for a mother figure, too. Do you suppose she wants..."

"Severus!" Katherine snatched a pillow and threw it at his head.

"Then there's Potter," he continued. "Two magical parents but raised by the worst of Muggles. Maybe he has a crush on one or both of us, too."

"Eeew!" Katherine reached for another pillow and then turned serious. "Perhaps we should invite them to tea?"

"You can't be serious."

"It's something to consider. It might be a way to address the whole thing and direct it in a positive manner."

"You must be joking."

"It's never a bad idea to develop a network. In my line of business, it's often the very thing that proves invaluable."

"Do you think so?"

"Did you ever have crushes like that as a student?"

"There was only one person I ever wanted."

"Oh." It was surprising how painful the pang that went right through her felt. She would have to stop feeling so betrayed whenever the subject of Lily Evans came up. "So you never looked to the professors as parent figures?"

"I suppose Albus prided himself in fulfilling that role. He could never be like a real parent, though. There was always an agenda. What about you? Professor Morgan, maybe?"

"All the girls went crazy for him. He wasn't for me, though."

"Are you sure?" His voice was teasing.

She nodded. "I was just so grateful to be away from home that I kept my head down. I hardly ever interacted with anybody. Plus, I did have Uncle Sonny. He looked after me."

Katherine cleared her throat at breakfast the next morning. Severus looked around his paper expectantly. "I'll be going to Hogsmeade today. There is a shady character who, I expect, will have some of the wands. One of Uncle Sonny's 'friends' saw him at the Hog's Head the other day."

"Do you know his name?"

"Caractacus Fletcher."

"Any relation to Mundungus?"

"Cousin, I believe."

"Hm..." He went back behind the paper. "You could find yourself getting a bit hurt. Too much running, perhaps something physical will happen. You might want something like this." He pulled a small vial out from a pocket of his robe. "I thought you might test it for me. Two drops in your tea or coffee, and it should alleviate certain types of aches and pains."

His wife looked at where he sat with narrowed eyes. The whole thing was a bit too casual. She pulled out her wand, and suddenly he jumped back from the table as she blasted a hole through the paper. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"What do you think you're doing?" she replied. "I think you learned how to meddle from your mentor."

"Take it back." His face went red with anger.

"You take it back," she shrilled, sliding the vial across the table.

Suddenly they were staring at each other's wands, speechless.

Severus looked from his wife to his wand and then placed it on the table. "Katherine."

She dropped her wand on the table and took a step back, as if frightened. "Severus?" Then she winced and reached for her hip.

"It is getting worse, isn't it?"

"It's nothing I can't handle. I'm in a physical line of work."

"It's not nothing."

"Or it's because I'm getting older." She was grasping at straws and they both knew it.

"You're barely thirty-six, Katherine. It's from the injuries you received from Cyrus. Why won't you go to St. Mungo's?"

"Because if I do, they may tell me there's nothing they can do."

"They can do something for the pain from your accident."

"No, not that. They may tell me that there's nothing they can do about the..." She said the word almost inaudibly, "infertility."

"Would that be so awful?" He took a couple of steps toward her.

"As long as there's a hope, I want to keep that hope."

He stepped closer and pulled her into his arms. "I know, darling, but do you know how illogical that sounds?"

Her answer was a quiet, "Yes."

"You will go to St. Mungo's, Katherine. You can't avoid it forever."

She looked up, pleading. "Not yet."

He sighed. "Not yet, but soon. In the meanwhile, two drops of the potion, no alcohol." He kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Katherine said. "I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry I tried to be sneaky about it. Take care of yourself. Dung Fletcher is a wily creature. His cousin is likely to be just the same."

The honor of your presence

Severus and Katherine Snape

The three piece combo was warming up in the sitting room as the host and hostess finished dressing. She looked up from the vanity to put on mascara and saw his reflection, leaning against the doorway. She had to stop and stare at him. He was resplendent in his new tuxedo. The school had sent Severus his best one after they cleared away the rubble that covered it, but it was in such a state that giving it to a house-elf wouldn't free him. The Ministry claimed not to know where the other one was. Katherine had laughingly dragged him to a tailor over the summer and now enjoyed the fruits of a long afternoon by appreciating the view.

"If you're going to undress me with your eyes, you might do us both a favor and undress me in fact."

"Mmm-nnn," she answered, shaking her head. "This is our apology to our friends for not having the wedding they all wanted. If we mess up this party, they'll make us have another one."

"You're probably right." He looked over to where her dress robes were hanging. "Does Madam need any help?"

She put her face close to the mirror and applied her mascara. "I'll be fine... if I can just get... this last bit... done," she said. She sealed it up and looked at her face critically. "What do you think?"

"I think you should get that dress on before I take this suit off," he said. She was going to laugh but saw his eyes and swallowed hard instead. In a flash, she disappeared under champagne-colored crepe, and then her head reappeared. She presented her back to her husband, who zipped her up ruefully.

"It was much more fun to take this off."

"Which is why you'll be given the opportunity again, but in several hours."

"Master!" Bonaparte and Josephine had come from the island villa to help at the party and quickly saw to the needs of the guests. They would be handling most of the party in the sitting room while Fern and Wilbur would reign supreme in the kitchen. Duties in the dining room would be shared.

"What is it?" Severus answered with his lips at the nape of his wife's neck.

"Guests are arriving."

They went out into the sitting room and saw the Minister of Magic and his guards. "Katherine! I thought I'd bring you a house-warming gift."

"Oh, Kingsley, you know we didn't want..." Her voice drifted off as she saw a wizard handing a cloak to Josephine. Pushing her way through several Aurors, she tackled the man with a hug. "I can't believe it!" she said. "How did this happen?"

Kingsley turned and smiled. "A special session of the Wizengamot this afternoon. Then he insisted on spending the next several hours at Madam Malkin's. I knew you wouldn't mind if we came a bit early.

"Of course not! Severus," Katherine said as she brought the wizard forward by the hand, "I would like you to meet Uncle Sonny."

Severus's face was a blank as he extended his hand. "Mr. Andolini, it's a pleasure."

"Mr. Snape, I'm a great fan of yours. I've had my doubts about little Katie, here," he began.

"Uncle Sonny!"

"But I haven't seen her so bright and cheerful since she was a student at Hogwarts."

"I assure you, sir, I'm a great fan of your work, too," answered Katherine's husband. "I'm quite grateful that there was someone to look after her interests so many years ago."

"Yes, so everyone is happy. I knew you'd be great friends. Uncle Sonny, where are you staying?" Katherine looked at the older man expectantly.

"I'll be moving to my house in the country, but my release was a bit unexpected today. While I wait for it to be prepared, I'm staying at the Plaza on Diagon Alley."

"Nonsense!" said Katherine. "You'll stay here. We have heaps of space. Tell him, Severus."

Severus looked to their guest. "You're certainly welcome to stay here if it suits your plans."

Salvatore looked from one to the other. "How can I say no?"

The door opened, and the Malfoys arrived along with the Nott and Greengrass families. Right behind them came the Golden Trio, and then in a rush several other guests from the Ministry.

At some point after dinner, the host of the party went to his study to have a quiet moment alone. He looked up to see the one guest he had hoped to avoid, just a little longer. It wasn't to be. "Mr. Andolini, what may I do for you?"

"I was just hoping to have a little talk with the wizard who has finally captured little Katie's heart."

"As she has firmly captured mine," was the answer. "But please, let's be comfortable." He indicated a pair of leather chairs positioned near a table. After they sat, he broached the difficult subject. "I apologize for the way I handled our courtship and marriage. I know there are rules governing such things..."

His guest stopped him with a wave of his hand and a laugh. "Please don't concern yourself on that count, Mr. Snape. Much as I would like to think otherwise, Katie is no shrinking violet. There's no pretending that she's a fragile flower who needs her menfolk to protect her." At this point, a pair of very intent brown eyes were fixed upon Severus.

"That would be true, except she very much needs protection because there are ways in which she is quite fragile."

"Ah! So you understand the issue. I've been told that you're one of the smartest to come through Hogwarts in a century."

"I don't believe I need to be smart in order to know how to protect my wife."

The gentlemen smiled in agreement.

"Severus?" Katherine's head appeared around the door. "Oh! Hello, Uncle Sonny! Whatever are you two doing in here?"

"Would you believe discussing our marriage?" asked her husband.

"Knowing Uncle Sonny, I do. So how many sheep and cows are changing hands?" She came in, kissed them each on a cheek, and laughed. "The Malfoys are getting ready to leave, and we should be there to bid them farewell. I think Lucius has something he wanted to tell you."

Severus had time to doff his jacket and remove his shoes before Katherine came into their bedroom that night. He pondered Katherine's uncle. In some ways it would have been better if he had demanded a bride price for her. Keeping Katherine out of danger was difficult enough, and protecting her from things that pained her was even more so. As determined as she was to not be protected in either way, the best he could hope for was to be on hand when she needed someone to help her recover.

"Have you any idea how magnificent you are?"

He turned and saw her standing in the doorway. "I would take you to get your eyes checked, but I worry that with sight correction you would run from me in fear."

She moved into the room and the door clicked shut. "No one is running anywhere."

"Do I have anything to fear?" At the shake of her head, he walked toward her. "I believe some undressing is due to commence."

"Oh?" Her face was full of invitations and desires.

"Oh, yes."

"Yes, indeed," she responded as the zipper ran down her back.

A/N: Thank you to Trickie Woo for beta reading.