Breaking News

The next morning, I stopped by Severus' room on the way to rounds with the other patients.

"Good morning, Severus. How are you feeling?"

"Honestly, I feel very run down. I plan to take some Invigoration Draught if that meets with your approval."

"I don't think that will cause any problems just for a day or two. May I check your levels?"

"Yes." I proceeded with the tests while trying to continue the conversation and keep things light.

"I received your owl last night; the book was helpful. I sent a note to the Mediwitch on staff that we were trying to get a recording of the wound reopening via Pensieve. If we can't get that, I might even see if Edward could use a Muggle recording device when it happens."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Your levels are a little worse again. But no more than I expected, so I think you'll be able to complete the potion with Draco over the next few days."

"Good. Today is mostly a waiting day for the potion. We'll add some ingredients this morning, and then it won't need tending until tomorrow. Draco should be able to spend the morning on the other potions, which he really can handle without any intervention from me, so I'll just be there for questions."

"Did the Malfoys give you any trouble over what Narcissa saw yesterday?"

He chuckled. "Very good, Elizabeth, you waited a whole minute before asking me."

"Severus ..."

"Narcissa was curious. She told me after dinner that she had seen us in the garden. I told her that it was too soon to speculate on what anything meant. I enjoy your company, but beyond that I didn't care to comment. It's really not any of their business, but I'm not going to deny my interest in you."

"And Lucius, did he have any reaction?"

"Other than 'I told you so', no, he didn't really have much to say."

"That figures. You know, if this works out, he'll be claiming he engineered the whole thing."

Severus snorted. "That's probably true. And if it's a disaster, he'll say it was a Ministry conspiracy to punish the former Death Eaters."

I laughed. "I need to get to the other patients. Do you have some Invigoration Draught, or shall I have one of the elves bring you some?"

"Please have some brought up."

"I will do that. Have a good morning, Severus. I'll see you later today."

When I reached the hospital lounge, Draco was chatting with Dean and Terry. "Good morning. Dean, I trust you showed Draco here a lesson or two on your games."

Dean smiled. "He's actually a pretty quick study. I may have to pick something else to taunt him with. Perhaps football when I get back on my feet."

"Dean, your therapy is first this morning, I'm going to do rounds; I'll see you last, and then we'll start your session. I'll be in the therapy room at 9:30."

"Terry, your session will be after Dean's. If you have no questions for me, just meet me at 10:30."

"Draco, you have brewing to do. Could you please deliver two vials of Invigoration Draught to the family wing? I was told that supplies are low over there."

Draco nodded meaningfully. "May I have a moment, Healer Prewett?"

"Yes. Actually, why don't you take a vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion also?" I retrieved the potions and handed them to Draco. "Is everything okay?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Mother said that we would be short one for dinner this evening. She seemed quite pleased. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Draco, what are you going on about? You'd better hurry. I seriously doubt you will have an enjoyable morning if you are late." Draco smirked. Oh, heavens, even the boy was going to be a problem.

"Elizabeth, you can deny it if you like, but there's something there, and it's good for both of you. Even if it's just friendship, he could use someone to spend time with that can hold their own with him."

"Draco, go." I shooed him down the hallway.

I turned and went to visit with my first patient. Lavender was sitting looking out the window. She looked so sad. "Good morning, Healer Prewett," she said without turning to face me.

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"The pain is better. I feel more like myself." She paused, and her expression darkened. "Then I look in the mirror, and I see this." She gestured at her face angrily.

"I'm working on something there, dear. I have a few different ideas."

"Really?"

"Yes, but I don't want to get your hopes up. I don't think any of these ideas will remove the scars completely, but they might help lessen them."

"Well, anything would be better than this. I don't want to face the world right now." She turned to face me. Both of her cheeks had puncture wounds, probably from where he had gripped her face. The scratches on her forehead were healing fairly well. The bite marks on her neck and shoulder were probably not something I could help with, nor were the claw marks on her arms and legs. Though she couldn't see it, she was still a very pretty girl; the wounds hadn't marred her features, and you could still see her lovely skin in most places.

"In the meantime, how do you feel about charms and glamours to lessen the appearance?" I offered.

"Every make-up charm I've tried looks awful."

"What if someone could teach you some of the more advanced charms?"

"Would you? That would be amazing."

"I don't think I'm the most qualified for that. However, I know someone who might be just who you need. I haven't approached her yet. But it might be a sensitive issue for you; I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Not Hermione Granger. Please, not her."

I had no idea who she was talking about. I dismissed the comment and continued, "I was thinking of Lady Malfoy. She is eager to atone for her part in the war."

"Lady Malfoy? Draco's mother? She's the most gorgeous witch I've ever seen. What would she know about how to cover ugly scars?" I smiled. Lavender was very naïve in some ways.

"Narcissa is a truly lovely woman, but don't you think that part of her image as the most gorgeous woman you've ever seen might be due to her magical abilities?" Lavender's brow furrowed; she seemed to consider my words.

"If she were willing to help me, that would be so great. I don't want to be stuck like this forever."

"I shall request a meeting and talk to her about helping. Are you sure the fact that she's a former Death Eater won't be too upsetting for you?"

"The Malfoys and I don't have any history. I appreciate the help."

I nodded. "That's all I need here today, Lavender. I'll send word after I speak with Narcissa."

I continued on my rounds, satisfied that Narcissa would be willing and able to help Lavender in the short term. I had hopes that between the efforts at St. Mungo's and those here, that someone would come up with something that would help longer term. St. Mungo's was in touch with some Muggle dermatologists and plastic surgeons for both Lavender's case and some others; there was a chance of a breakthrough there as well.

Aurora was my next patient. She was in good spirits, but she was feeling bored. We discussed the possibility of bringing in a master Legilimens to see if they could identify any locked areas of her mind. In the meantime, she requested books. Draco had ordered a telescope for her as well. I called Orby and asked him to speak to Lord Malfoy's elf about some books on various subjects. Aurora's mind, in its current state, was a blank slate; she wished to try and build up her knowledge base. I smiled at her positive attitude.

Marjorie and Rosalyn were both in good spirits as well. I didn't really have any news for them. I had been pleased that Marjorie had not had an adverse reaction to Draco. She and I talked a bit about the possibility of taking her to a Muggle hospital for some tests. She seemed open to the idea, but that was another case where we would have to be careful. The last thing I needed was for the Muggles to think she was delusional.

Edward's wound had not opened during the night. I explained to him that we thought it would help to observe how it reopened. I told him to call someone on staff to observe when it happened again.

Dean's therapy was next on my agenda for the morning. He was waiting for me in the therapy room; he was still sitting in his chair surveying the equipment cautiously. It was all magical but based in Muggle concepts. Dean was a hard worker and listened well to my instruction, but the work was challenging. Towards the end of the session, I could see him grow frustrated with how little he was able to do.

"Dean, this is going to take a lot of time. It took your body months to learn how to walk the first time, right?"

"What if it doesn't work?"

"Then we'll try a different approach. Or we'll bring in someone who has more experience at this than I do. I'm your first line of defense here, but I'm not the only Healer out there. But for now, let's keep at this. The other thing for you to work on is your upper body strength. That will make it easier for you to take the stress off your legs. It will make you a little more mobile now, and it will help you down the road when we move you to a walker or a cane. Try to enjoy the rest of your day, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

With Terry, we didn't try and do as much with his legs, but focused mostly on his arm, which was going to be the easier of the tasks. The Healer who had set his arm had done a great job. His range of motion was severely limited, but you could see a slight improvement over the course of the session.

Jessica's therapy was also grueling, but the damage she incurred was less permanent in nature. She was able to do more; it was just very hard work and undoubtedly painful. By lunchtime, she was completely exhausted. I called Boppy to come help her bathe and bring her lunch, and I insisted that Jessica rest afterwards. I wrote a quick note to Narcissa requesting a meeting with her and asked that Boppy take it to Lady Malfoy when she had finished with Jessica.

I headed back to the cottage. None of the patients would need me that afternoon, so I wanted to have lunch and spend some time preparing for our research session later that afternoon.

As I was finishing my lunch, there was a call at the Floo.

"Elizabeth, it is Narcissa. You wished to speak with me about something?"

"Yes, Narcissa, I think there is something you can help with if you have the time and inclination.

"Is there now? Well, that sounds intriguing. Would you like to meet me in the parlor in an hour?

"That sounds perfect."

"Oh, and Elizabeth, Lucius would like to invite you to use the library for your research. There are some very old items in the library of which Lucius is a bit protective, so just work with Tibby, Lucius's elf who maintains the library. Lucius has told him you have permission to use the library."

"Thank you, Narcissa, and please thank Lucius as well."

I finished eating and changed out of my Healer robes and prepared to head back to the Manor. It was a nice day, so I walked up the path to the house when it was time. Boppy greeted me and took me to the parlor where Narcissa was waiting.

"How are you today, Elizabeth?"

"I'm quite well, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm also well. Is there anything I can help you with?

"I believe there is. There is a patient who suffered significant facial scarring in the battle. Her neck, arms, and legs are badly scarred as well. Lavender is a pretty young girl, and the impact on her looks is tough for her emotionally."

"Oh, the poor dear, I can see how that would be trying. But what can I do to help?"

"There are a number of beauty charms, glamours, and other beauty tricks that she could employ that would help her cope with this, at least, for the short term. There are probably also tricks that can be performed with clothes that would lessen the visual impact. This is not my area of expertise, but I thought you might be able to teach her. The girl lacks confidence, and I think mentoring from someone of your social stature and obvious physical beauty could help prepare her to face the world again."

"That sounds like something I would enjoy. How would you like me to proceed?"

"Would you be willing to invite her to tea? Just spend a little while getting to know her and see if you think you can help."

"I shall send her a note inviting her to tea tomorrow. I will also contact my stylist and see if there are any references he can share that might help her."

"Thank you."

"It's not a problem. I'm happy to help. How are your other patients?"

"We've got some ideas of how to help them. Draco and I are going to do some research with Severus. Lucius might be able to help as well. If we can track down the cause of some of these curses and hexes, they will be easier to treat."

"I can see that. And I think you and Severus will work well together." She smiled sweetly.

"I hope so."

"I apologize for being indelicate, but I'm afraid I walked in on a rather private moment between the two of you yesterday. I'm glad to see that you two have decided to explore a personal relationship."

"Well, 'decided' might be a bit strong. I'm afraid that moment was a bit of an impulse on my part."

"It usually is, dear." We both laughed.

"I don't wish to kiss and tell, Narcissa. He undoubtedly would be less than pleased with that. I wouldn't like it if the situation were reversed."

"I understand, Elizabeth. In that case, I shall do the talking. First, I think having him help you with the patients is an excellent idea. The more useful he feels, the faster he will recover. The fact that he has admitted an interest in you is remarkable. I thought he would fight it much longer. Though, interestingly, you seem more cautious than he does."

"I'm cautious by nature, and this is certainly true in romantic matters. As we discussed the other night, I have been known to ignore my social life in the past."

Boppy popped in just then. "Lady Malfoy, Harry Potter is here to see you and Master Draco."

"Show him in, please. And let Draco know that Mr. Potter is here."

I started to go. "Well, I'll leave you now to your guest. Have a nice day."

"You really don't need to leave, Elizabeth."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. That might actually make this less uncomfortable."

Draco had just entered the room. "Yes, Elizabeth, I think it might be better if you stayed."

Boppy entered just then with a young man with messy dark hair, bright green eyes covered by glasses, and a nervous expression on his face.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," Narcissa offered cordially.

"Good afternoon, Lady Malfoy, Draco." He looked at me, and his jaw dropped. He closed his eyes, and then he reopened them. He closed his mouth, and then he acted like he wanted to say something.

"Mr. Potter, this is Healer Prewett." I'm not sure Narcissa understood the boy's reaction, but she certainly didn't show that she was in any way disturbed by it.

"Please, call me Elizabeth. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Potter."

"Harry, please," he said, finding his voice. "I'm sorry; I wasn't prepared for the resemblance. I'm not sure if you know ..."

I cut him off, "I know. You don't have to explain, Harry. You aren't the first person to make that comment. It must be a bit unsettling for you."

"Thank you for understanding. It seems we're almost family anyway. I've spent most of my time away from school with the Weasleys since I was eleven. And Ginny and I, well ..."

"You and the Weaselette, that's on again?" Draco was clearly amused. Harry nodded, looking at his feet.

"Funny, I always thought it would be Granger."

"Nah, Hermione's like my sister. She and Ron are seeing each other now." Harry cleared his throat and ran his hands through his hair. "Look, I know this is awkward for all of us. But I want to see everyone move on. Lady Malfoy, you saved my life. I never thanked you properly for that."

The normally poised Narcissa seemed at a loss for words. She took a deep breath, looked down at her lap for a moment before turning to Harry. "You are welcome, Mr. Potter. You have done us all a great service by eliminating that creature." She winced at her own words.

"I understand now that your motivations," motioning to Draco and Narcissa, "were to protect each other. If my parents were still alive, I probably would have done whatever necessary to protect them, too.

"Draco, I have something of yours. I can't return it to you now, but I've given it to Minister Shacklebolt, and you'll be able to get it back after the trials." Draco look confused. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Your wand, Malfoy, you can have it back. I was able to repair mine. I know how it feels to lose the wand that chose you. If the Ministry says you can have it back, it's yours."

"I don't know what to say. Thank you. And thank you for pulling Goyle and me out of that burning room."

I shuddered. There was so much I didn't know about the battle. These young people had been through so much.

"I understand that there may be trials for each of you. I'm willing to testify for you, Narcissa, about what happened in the forest. And Draco, I could tell them that you tried to delay Bellatrix calling Voldemort by not identifying us immediately. I'm no help for Lord Malfoy, but Minister Shacklebolt seems to think he was helping the Order."

"Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated," Narcissa had recovered her grace. "Would you like me to take you up to see Severus?"

"There's no need." We all looked up to see Severus standing in the doorway. He looked as delicious as he had the day before. Today, he was again casual, wearing tan pants and a dark blue shirt. His hair was tied back again, and his color was even better than before. The Invigoration Draught had done him wonders. Harry blanched.

"Sir," he started and then paused. "You look so healthy. I'm so sorry for leaving you in the Shack like that. I had no idea there was any chance anyone could help you." He turned to me. "Thank Merlin you were there."

"Well, honestly, Severus mostly saved himself. He had prepared an antivenin."

"Don't be modest, Elizabeth. Your actions gave the antivenin a chance to work. That alone would not have saved me. I do owe you my life." His tone was clipped, but his eyes were gentle. My throat went dry, and as I tried to speak, my voice simply made a tiny squeak. Draco did not succeed in stifling his chuckle. Narcissa shot him a disapproving glare. I would have done it myself, but I found I couldn't look away from Severus.

Harry spoke again, thankfully, breaking the tension between Severus and me. "Well, sir, I'm glad she was there. I have much to say to you. Mostly that I'm sorry for all the times that I disrespected you and treated you badly. You played your part very well, and I fell for it."

"Well, you always were a bit of a dunderhead." Harry looked horrified until Severus smirked.

"Lighten up, Potter, the war is over. Apology accepted. It's time to leave that behind. I have to admit; I took much of my frustration against your father and Black out on you as well. That wasn't fair to do to a child."

"Professor, sir, I have much to ask you, but I don't want to be too much of a pest. Would you be willing to sit down with me sometime and talk to me about Mum and what you knew of her from when you were children?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter, but I hope you understand; I'd like some time to sort through it all. I do appreciate you coming here today to make peace, but anything more than that is too much just now. Honestly, I am still recovering, and I'm still trying to avoid the public as well."

"I understand that feeling perfectly. I should tell you, though; I don't know how much longer your survival will remain secret."

"Why do you say that?" I inquired, feeling very protective. My tone must have betrayed that as well. Narcissa smiled.

"Rita Skeeter was sniffing around the Ministry the other day. She asked why there is no public grave for you like the other fallen Order members. I'm afraid Minister Shacklebolt was not well prepared for the question. She managed to wheedle out of him that your body wasn't recovered.

"That woman ..." Severus gritted out.

"I know," Harry said solemnly. "But Gringotts is making noise too. Bill came to the Burrow last night to talk to Arthur about it. I hope you aren't angry, but Arthur and I told Bill. We honestly thought he might be able to help get the goblins to back off for a little longer."

"That's probably a good idea. Bill's a good man."

"Apparently Professor McGonagall is having a little trouble as well. If you were deceased, there would have been a portrait, and the other portraits would have rearranged themselves to make room. Minerva can't allow anyone in her office that doesn't know of your survival, which leads to questions. And some of the portraits are gossips themselves, though they are sworn to uphold the privacy of the Headmaster. But since you aren't the current Headmaster, they've been using that as a loophole."

"I spoke with Kingsley earlier today," Lucius said as he swept into the room. "I have some news that affects everyone in this room. Well, except you, Mr. Potter, but I'd like you to be present. We may need your support."

"Severus, the story is going to break on your survival in the next few days. The Minister tried to keep it quiet, but that Skeeter woman put enough of it together. I shudder to think what she's going to print."

Harry jumped in, "Let's get Luna or her father out here. Give the Quibbler the real story before Skeeter has a chance to print rubbish." Harry's green eyes were on fire. I didn't know who Rita Skeeter was, but I was a little afraid for her right now.

"Severus, what are you thinking?" I crossed the room as I spoke to him. This was clearly distressing him. He had dropped onto the couch, and his head was in his hands.

"I can't stay here. Lucius, Narcissa, they'll hound you. You don't need this." Severus was paler than I'd seen him in days. I sat down next to him and took his hand in mine. I rubbed his shoulder with my other hand in an attempt to soothe him.

"Nonsense," Narcissa started to say. "Our wards are strong. We're under house arrest anyway; it's not like we can leave."

"Actually, dear," Lucius cut in, "there's more news than that. Severus has officially been pardoned for his part in Dumbledore's death and his other Death Eater activities. The signed order is on the Minister's desk. He wants to issue it before Skeeter's story breaks. Severus is a free man."

"Well, thank Merlin for that." Draco smiled and reached down to pat Severus's shoulder.

"So are you, son." Lucius smiled at his son. Narcissa choked back a happy sob.

"What?" Draco looked up at his father, obviously shocked.

"Our barrister has successfully argued to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that since you were underage at the time you took the mark, you cannot be tried as an adult for any crime that occurred before your 17th birthday. We argued that you were under severe duress for everything after you became of age. You will be able to avoid trial if you plead to a short list of smaller crimes. You will be on probation for five years, but the terms of the probation are fairly lenient. You will need to check in with your probation officer once per month, and any time you leave the country, you must give notice and get permission. There are other terms, but none of them seem overly onerous to me. Our barrister is waiting in my study to go over the terms with you and make sure you are comfortable with everything.

"Narcissa, there will be no charges brought against you. You did very little that brought anyone harm, and we were able to successfully argue that anything that you were a party to was coerced."

"What about you?" Narcissa looked horrified.

"Ah, that's the irony. It appears I'm to be made an example of, but there will be no prison time."

"What does that mean?" Narcissa looked worried.

"It seems that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has a sense of irony about them. Due to my acts against Muggles and Muggle-born wizards and witches, I am to be forced to live without magic for a period of two years. My magic will not be stripped, but it will be bound. My wands will be stored at the Ministry, and I will be forced to wear a locator bracelet that tracks my movements. There is also to be a hefty fine. The funds will be used to rebuild Hogwarts and to establish a fund for the families of the victims of the final battle."

The room was silent for what seemed like an eternity. "How do you feel about that Lucius?" Severus ventured to ask. He was still holding my hand, but his breathing had evened out. I continued rubbing his shoulder with my free hand.

"Well, I haven't read the terms in their entirety, as my offer is much lengthier than Draco's, but I get to keep my life, my soul, my family, my freedom, my home, and my business. My magic isn't gone permanently, and the terms don't seem punitive. All in all, I think it's quite fair and better than I hoped for.

"I can hire an elf to assist me, but they will be bound by the law first and my command second. I can still travel by Floo and by side along Apparition. I am forbidden from leaving the country during the two years. After the two years are up, I will be on probation for another five with terms similar to Draco's.

"The fine is sizeable, but the Malfoy endowment is so vast, the loss will be recovered in a few years. And Draco and I had been discussing making some significant charitable contributions to help rebuild the family name anyway."

Draco nodded. "It's a good offer, Father, assuming there are no surprises when you read the details."

"It's amazing," Narcissa said with tears in her eyes.

"You've done it again, old friend," Severus said with amusement. "Your skills at negotiation never cease to amaze me."

"I'm confused though," Harry interjected. "You said that this affected everyone here except me. How is Elizabeth affected?" His eyes cut down to where Severus was holding my hand and my arm was around his back. I detected a bit of protectiveness in his eyes.

To my relief, Lucius cut in again, "Elizabeth was considering an offer from me to be Draco's tutor. Severus was going to apprentice Draco in potions. At the time, we thought that Draco and Severus would both be here at the Manor for some time. That may have changed."

"Well," I began. "I have to stay here for another few months. I made that commitment to Minister Shacklebolt."

"I still haven't taken my N.E.W.T.s," Draco pointed out. "I think having the tutoring continue would be helpful."

"Severus," Narcissa said gently. "This is the best place in all of England to protect you from media scrutiny. You could come and go as you choose, and if it becomes too chaotic, you can reside at one of our other Floo connected properties abroad and just come here for Draco's training."

"Mr. Potter, what did you say about having the Lovegood girl interview Severus?" Lucius asked.

"Sir, why don't you scoop Skeeter? Give The Quibbler an interview. Work with Kingsley and time the release to be exactly when he releases the pardon. Stop the rumors with the truth. The Lovegoods will add 'color' to the story, but they won't twist your words."

"What makes you think Luna will come here? Surely you remember the conditions of her last visit." Severus looked at Harry, not with anger, but merely pointing out the challenge.

"Dean came here." Draco pointed out. "And Lovegood is sturdier than she looks. Invite her father and have Harry escort them, and she'll come."

"I don't know," Severus look down, his voice breaking. His head went back into his hands. I looked pleadingly at Narcissa. He needed time to process all of this.

"Lucius," she said softly. "Does this all need to be decided right now?"

"Not right now," he said with understanding. "We have a day or two before we need to act. Severus, my friend, sleep on it. Let's talk tomorrow. I understand you have plans this evening." I detected a mild snarl at that.

"Harry, contact Miss Lovegood, make sure she stays available, but do not alert her as to the reason for your inquiry. She is your friend, correct?"

"She's close with Ginny. I can arrange to have her invited down to the Burrow for a few days."

"That will do. Draco, join me in my office to look over the terms."

"Father, I was supposed to work with Elizabeth today."

"Draco, go with your father. We'll start our research tomorrow. You have a lot to sort through."

"Yes, Elizabeth, thank you." He then motioned to Severus and mimed to me, Take care of him, as Lucius led him from the room.

"Harry, would you like to visit with your friends in the hospital wing? I'm sure they would love to see you."

I gave Narcissa a smile of thanks, and I shot Harry an imploring look. "Narcissa, that's a splendid idea. Dean and Terry will be especially pleased to see Harry. I do not know about Miss Brown. She might not wish to see Harry. Harry, it's nothing personal, but she's a bit fragile right now. She might not be ready for a male visitor. She hides from the other male patients and even Draco. Please have the elf check with her first. And also please be aware of Miss Davies."

"I understand, Elizabeth." She smiled sweetly as she led Harry from the room. He kept looking over his shoulder at Severus and me. He was clearly confused as to why I was charged with looking after the man.

After the room was clear, I leaned closer to Severus. "Severus," I whispered, "do you want to talk about this?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready for all of this to be public."

"Severus, you're free. For the first time in decades, you are your own man. There's a whole world out there. If this blows up here, you can go anywhere. With the combination of allies you have, you can rebuild your life any way you want."

He looked up at me, and I saw a scared child looking at me. "Freedom is terrifying. I've longed for it for the past twenty years, and now that I have it, I have no idea what to do with myself."

"Start small," I said, squeezing his hands. "What do you want right now?"

In a heartbeat, his lips contacted with mine, and he wrapped his arms around me. When he broke the kiss, he leaned over to my ear.

"Let's forget about all of this right now." His voice in my ear was husky and urgent. "For a few hours, help me forget that my life is in the middle of a massive transition and that I haven't a clue how to proceed. For right now, just let me be a man with a beautiful witch in his arms that he wants to be with. Let me escape from all this nonsense if only for tonight."

He kissed me again, and the heat was undeniable. After a few minutes of heated kisses, I found myself on my back on the couch with Severus leaning over me, his hand gently brushing my hair from my face. My hands were stroking his hair. I could feel my desire for him burning within me, and I could feel his desire as well, solid and formidable against my thigh.

"Severus, I don't just want to be a distraction."

"Oh, my dear, I assure you, this isn't just a distraction, though it is an amazingly effective one." He kissed me again, softly this time, gently, before pulling himself to his feet. In spite of myself, I whimpered at the loss of his body against mine. He smirked.

"I believe I promised you a picnic dinner and a tour of the stables this evening."

"With everything that has happened today, I understand if you want to wait until another time."

"No, I think that's exactly what we need. Tonight, I want to learn about you. You know so much about me, and I know very little about you."

He pulled me to my feet. "I want to know all about you," he paused, "including", he kissed my neck, "where I need to kiss you to make you whimper like that again. Give me five minutes," he placed another kiss, "and meet me in the gardens. I'll go inform the elves to bring the picnic basket out to the stables."

He gave me a small bow, and then he kissed my hand gallantly and stepped away. I was absolutely breathless. And I knew I was in huge trouble.