When A Door Closes...

Summary: Severus loses a magical bet to Albus. The consequences? He's forced to take Argentine Tango lessons from Hermione during her summer break from University. An uneasy friendship is formed that turns into something more. What part does the Wolfsbane Potion play, and what is the mystery behind the Enchanted Leaf? Equal parts: humor, sensuality, adventure, and mystery. My answer to the codpiece challenge on Wiktt. HG/SS (Rating for later chapters)

Disclaimer: The characters, settings, etc., of the Harry Potter series are not mine; they belong to J.K. Rowling and Co. I promise to return them when I am through. Well, most of them anyway.

Note: Since I started the story so long ago, it should probably now be considered AU and is not compliant with The Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows.

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~~~~~ Dances with Witches ~~~~~

Chapter 45 – When A Door Closes and The Window's Locked, Opportunity Can Sneak In Through The Chimney

To say their arrival at Michael Tenbrook's facility was anticlimactic would have been a gross understatement. Hermione wasn't sure what she was expecting, but the drab gray building that stood before them was not it. "Well, at least it's not Dr. Frankenstein's castle."

Severus smiled. "I would assume Tenbrook would attract a bit too much attention if he lived in a castle with a full moat. However, looks can be deceiving. Shall we see if the inside is as innocuous as the outside?"

"This, coming from a man who lives in a dungeon."

"It's where the Potion classes have always been held," he said defensively. "I'm just glad Albus never got it into his head to add a moat to Hogwarts. That's all we'd need, seaweed and muck being dragged into the front foyer every time someone fell in or was tossed into the moat. The students would have a field day with that one."

The Portkey had deposited them on a small-secluded patio that adjoined a stone walkway. The path led to a large set of double doors. Before Severus could decided whether to look for a bell or just knock, a house-elf, dressed in a freshly pressed tea towel, opened the front door.

A quick glance at Hermione's stony expression, recalling her ill-fated attempt at organizing the house-elves at Hogwarts, made Severus chuckle quietly; it seemed the evening might turn out to be a bit more entertaining than he originally thought.

"Oh, good evening, Miss and Mister. Master Tenbrook is expecting you. I is Scientia. Can I take your cloak, Miss?" The little elf appeared to be bursting with good cheer as he moved aside to allow them entrance.

Tenbrook came bustling through an arch adjoining the entranceway. "Hermione, Professor Snape, I'm glad you were both able to make it. I was just seeing to the final touches on our dinner. Shall we have a drink in the solarium first?"

Hermione smiled. The man was certainly full of good cheer; one look at Severus, however, proved the Potions master's mood was the polar opposite. It was a silent Snape and a nervously chattering Hermione that followed Tenbrook down a darkened hall and, at his insistence, preceded him through a closed set of frosted doors.

"Oh, my!" Hermione drew a startled breath as she surveyed the glass room. Magically growing plants and flowers of every color, size, and shape filled the room. A small stone path, curving gently out of sight, could be seen off to the left of where they were standing.

Tenbrook's smile only faltered for a moment. This was obviously the reaction he'd expected from his guests and not the scowl and menacing look he was currently receiving from the Potions master. Though, truth be told, while he had offered his lab for their private research in hopes of gaining Hermione as his apprentice and by extension an in with the dour man, it was already an established fact that Severus scared the life out of him. It was one thing to admire a wild panther behind bars, it was quite another to stand in the cage with him. Or invite him into your home.

"You're growing Androsace alpina. I thought that plant only grew in the upper altitude of the Alps. And Echinacea root. And Hawthornee. And Comfrey. How can you grow them all together? They each require a different type of climate and precipitation." Hermione continued to mentally catalog the various plants she could see. The range of growth was amazing. She thought Sprout would have given her right arm to get a look at the place.

"Very good. Few people can identify Androsace alpina on sight. If you look carefully, you may notice the zones I've set up. If you were to look overhead at the layout, you would see multiple columns, some wider than others, set side by side. Each column is a separate climate. It allows the plants to exist along side one another, but still receive the needed temperature and precipitation they require."

"Severus, look, there's shilajit. Remember how long it took us to find a sample of that?"

Tenbrook turned an appraising eye toward the Dark man. "You were looking for shilajit?"

Severus resisted the urge to Crucio the man, Tenbrook would have been in Slytherin House, no doubt if he'd attended Hogwarts. And would have embodied the worst that his house had to offer. While Severus was the epitome of Slytherin, he was still a man of high principles. "Yes, we've tried a distilled version in the alterations of the Wolfsbane we've been working on."

"I would be happy to harvest some for you."

"Thank you, but we have all we need at the moment. Also the fact that the plant cannot be harvested under a full moon would preclude us taking you up on such a generous offer." The sentiment, while polite, belied the sarcastic meaning of the statement and the implied - "...but then any Potions master worth his weight in salt would have known that."

In spite of Severus' contempt, Tenbrook continued to extol the delights of his solarium.

While only half listening to Tenbrook's running commentary, Hermione imagined what she and Severus could do with the multitude of rare and unusual plants growing here. Spying a small patch of Rhynia, she resisted the urge to Stupefy the man and gather Snape and the sample before Apperating back to their lab and adding the rare plant to their experiment. One look at Severus, however, his words and tone still ringing in her ears, made her decide otherwise. While his comment may have sounded sincere regardless of the malice laced throughout it, Hermione knew that asking for a sample of Rhynia would be akin to murder. Perhaps if she took the apprenticeship, she might be able to procure a bit for their use. Wisely she held her tongue and hoped she would get a chance to speak to Severus alone before he did anything foolish.

Both men turned toward the witch when she tried to suppress a laugh that tried to escape and ended up sounding as if she'd choked instead. Severus' raised one brow, silently asking the question Tenbrook articulated. "Everything all right, Hermione?"

She coughed, patting her chest. "Yes, I'm fine. Must have swallowed wrong."

Hermione shook her head at Severus' continued unasked question. Thinking of Severus doing something foolish had triggered the memory of a previous conversation she'd had with him when she'd used the same phrase.

Severus, for his part, was content to watch her, a wry smile on his face. He'd never known Hermione to maliciously laugh or attack him. He'd found she had an odd sense of humor, finding things most people took as mundane, to be hilarious when paired with other thoughts or memories and had learned some time ago, that if he waited, she would tell him whatever had set her off when she got herself back under control. It was normally worth the wait.

Her pleasant musings were interrupted as a different house elf appeared calling them to dinner.

Hermione eyed the spot where yet another house-elf, this one serving the main course, had just popped in and out moments before. "Professor Tenbrook, just how many house-elves do you have working here?"

"It's Michael, please, we're not that formal around here, and I seem to recall you calling me by my first name at the Symposium."

Hermione nodded, distracted as an another elf, the one that had brought them drinks in the solarium maybe, she wasn't sure, popped in with another serving tray. "How many?"

"I'm not really sure. I know at least two of them were attached to the house when I bought it; I brought a few elves with me that have been in my family for generations –willed to me by my great-great-great aunt on my father's side."

"Willed to you?"

"Yes, my great-great-great aunt Matilda, lovely witch. She was quite fond of the little creatures and worried they would be neglected."

Hermione's voice rose slightly. "She gave them to you, gave you living breathing individuals, as if they were knickknacks to be handed down?"

"Well, I don't believe she saw it that way. They're house-elves. She just wanted to know they would be well cared for when she passed through the veil. Is there a problem?"

Severus drank deeply from his endless wine goblet, pleased as the dark rich wine seeped back into the goblet again. He barely hid a chuckle as he watched Hermione rally her forces to tell him what she thought his problem was. He really didn't think it would be enough to put her off Tenbrook completely, but the man wasn't racking up any points, either.

"Really, if I didn't have the elves to cook and clean here, who would do all that for me? I'm not married you know." Tenbrook replied defensively, thinking his explanation would satisfy the witch, he was truly surprised to see Hermione's murderous, looking as if she might hex him into oblivion any minute, her expression darkening further as he backpedaled and tried to clarify his answer. A sideways glance at the Potions master's amused face had not helped matters. "I just meant that if I was married, most likely my wife would take care of the house, and the elves, and such, but since I'm not married, I don't have a wife, so I, uh, need the elves to care for things," he finished rather lamely, "until I get married, someday, that is.' Unconsciously his hand dropped to his side where his wand was hidden, concern for his person now a real issue as Hermione's eyes narrowed in anger.

"And your wife would do all this for you?" she asked quietly.

Another tick mark appeared on the right side of the imaginary scoreboard Severus was keeping in his head. Elf rights-check; women's rights-check; the score stood at zero to negative two. "Out of curiosity," he asked, seemingly innocently as he smiled at Tenbrook. "How do you feel about cats?" It couldn't hurt to tip the scales a bit more against the man.

"I never met a cat I didn't like."

Hermione's shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch; at least she knew Crooks would be welcome, but she still wasn't happy with his comments equating a wife with his house-elves and treating both as if they were servants.

"I find they make excellent potions' ingredients." Tenbrook laughed as he delivered the punch line to the old potions joke; it was several seconds before he realized he was the only one laughing. "I mean, they do keep the rats in line, too." He finished quickly as he noted the fire blazing anew in Hermione's eyes.

"So, I assume Hermione's cat would be safe here, as long as he earned his keep?"

"Of course not, her cat..."

"Would be potions fodder?" Severus interjected before Tenbrook could finish his comment.

"Her cat..." He said, glaring in Severus' general direction, "would be as welcome as she is."

"I see."

"Snape, I understand you and Miss Granger have an... understanding, and you are a guest in my home. One I, myself, invited, but it appears as if you're attempting to sabotage this agreement before it ever starts. I have nothing but the highest regard for Hermione. I would propose to provide an apprenticeship of the highest caliber, one that would cover several complimentary disciplines as well. As I mentioned before, I would be happy to provide you with a private lab for your own research while she is in residence here. My facilities are at your disposal. I believe there is much we can all learn from each other, if you would kindly remove the wand from my throat and the knife from my back."

Severus felt his stomach clench, Hermione was beaming in the man's general direction, his comments about women, elves, and cats evidentially forgotten for the moment. He knew she was worried about finding a suitable Master to apprentice with that was within Apparating distance of Hogwarts. It was just a matter of necessity that a few of the comments would be pushed to the back burner as she considered the academic merits of the man. Whatever ground he had gained in his war against Tenbrook was lost with Hermione's next comment.

"Michael, that sounds wonderful." She turned to look pointedly at him. "Doesn't it, Severus? I can't wait to see the lab and the rest of your facility."

The evening had rapidly gone down hill from there. It seemed everything and anything shown to them was selected with Hermione in mind and met whole-heartedly with her approval. Even the apprentice's rooms were spot on; the damn man had set up the sit-in across from a floor to ceiling library 'for ease of research' he'd said. Severus could almost feel Hermione slipping away as each new item or fact was presented. He quickly reverted to his 'evil' Potions master persona, glaring at the two of them, as Hermione and Tenbrook discussed University and the curriculum required to gain her Masters in Potions.

They were currently ensconced in front of a roaring fire in Tenbrook's book-lined office, the man himself, pouring them a cuppa from the gleaming silver tea service sitting on the table in front of them. "You will need to take the contract to a qualified barrister. I'm sure Professor Snape can advise you as to the general conditions of a traditional contract, but you should have it reviewed, none the less."

"Michael, it all sounds so wonderful." Hermione cast a sidelong glance at Severus, frowning as she noted his stiff posture and glare. "But I will need some time to think things over."

Tenbrook handed her the delicate porcelain cup he'd been holding, careful not to spill the tea he'd poured. "Of course, take all the time you need. I don't want to pressure you, but you are the only candidate I'm considering as an apprentice. I don't find the other students to be worthy of my time."

Hermione smiled. "No pressure there." Severus' sudden smile startled the witch. "Severus?"

Ah ha....

"You received an commodation from the Ministry?" The Dark man motioned to a framed letter sitting on a low shelf to his left, the Ministry seal shifting in the firelight.

"Yes, it was during the trouble with You-Know-Who. Undersecretary Umbridge approached me to make Veritaserum for the Ministry. Their stores had run alarmingly low. Quality Veritaserum is difficult to obtain, let alone brew properly, as you well know. I was only too happy to help. Such a dedicated witch, I don't understand why she hasn't moved higher up in the Ministry."

Hermione's cup hit the saucer. Unceremoniously, she ripped the contract she'd been holding in two before thrusting it into the startled man's face as she abruptly stood up. "I believe that ends this interview. Thank you, Professor Tenbrook, but I will look elsewhere for a more... qualified Master to train with." Hermione's glare singed the little man. "One who doesn't traffic with the devil."

Severus winced at her choice of words, he'd been in league with Voldemort himself, and if he wasn't the devil, Severus didn't know who was, though Hermione was always quick to point out they'd have lost the war without him, a fact that she claimed erased the fact of him having joined the madman in the first place.

"I'm not sure... I don't..." Tenbrook looked from one to the other. "I don't understand."

"Umbridge."

"Yes?"

Severus laid a restraining hand on the witch's arm. "Hermione, he's not worth Azkaban."

Tenbrook sat heavily in his seat, his voice a squeak. "Azkaban?"

"Yes, not many are aware of Hermione's ability to wandlessly cast an Unforgivable. Probably saved Potter's neck during the final battle and I would hate for her to unnecessarily show you a sample of that talent now. I see we've overstayed our welcome. No need to get up, we'll see ourselves out." He could afford to be genial as he tried to hustle Hermione out before she did something foolish; she would have nothing further to do with the man, of that Severus was sure. Gently, he took Hermione's arm, hoping to steer her towards the door before she hexed Tenbrook.

"I know you and Harry Potter are friends. Your relationship with him and Ronald Weasley is legendary, as is your heroism during the final battle, but I don't see what that has to do with Madam Umbridge." Tenbrook looked between the two, still trying to figure out how things had gone so wrong so quickly.

Once again Severus tried to steer Hermione toward the door. "No, I don't imagine you would know. Umbridge's tenure as Headmistress was rather short, less than two months. Shall we?" He gestured pointedly towards the study door, hoping Hermione would leave.

"It's not just the problems she caused as Headmistress or her position after she left, it's what she did to Harry when she started teaching." Hermione turned angrily toward Severus. "Have you ever looked at the back of his hand?"

Severus tried to ignore Potter and Weasley as much as possible, but he knew what she was talking about. The spelled-quill Umbridge had used to discipline Potter when he refused to lie about Voldemort's return. The quill that had permanently cut the phrase "I must not tell lies" into the back of Potter's hand when he'd been forced by the witch to write lines with the hated quill on a specially spelled parchment during the endless detentions she'd give him, lines that had appeared on the spelled parchment in his own blood. Severus' voice softened as watched the sadness and anger warring within the furious witch. "Hermione, hardly anyone outside of Hogwarts knew what was going on. The Prophet was fixated on undermining Albus, and Fudge spent his time denying the Dark Lord was back. No one knew what Umbridge was doing."

"So you're saying that it was all right, that I should just over look this... this lapse in judgment?"

"No, not at all."

Tenbrook looked questioningly at Hermione. "Did Madam Umbridge say something that angered you? I know she could be abrupt at times, and her tendency to favor cats and the colour pink is a bit over the top, but I have to say, I found her to be most charming in my dealings with her."

"Charming? She ran the Muggle-born Registration Commission after Fudge finally admitted Voldemort was back. She sent countless Muggle-born witches and wizards to Azkaban!"

"For their own safety. How else could the Ministry protect them from You-Know-Who?"

"You can't be serious." Hermione stared dumbfounded at the man. "You are kidding, aren't you?"

"Kidding?"

With a wave of her wand, a pink quill landed on the table next to the now forgotten shredded apprentice contract. "Professor Tenbrook, I'd like you to write something for me."

Severus' eyes darkened. "Is that one of her quills? I thought they were all gone."

"They are. This is one of mine."

He knew what she planned to do. "One of yours? Where did you learn the charm?"

She shrugged, not willing to give credence to the problem. "How do you prepare an antidote for a potion? You analyze the ingredients. The only way to come up with an 'anti-charm' for the quill was to learn the actual charm it was spelled with."

Severus shook his head. "He's not worth it. You'll find someone else. We'll find someone else. Someone more qualified to train you. Let's go."

Hermione looked from Severus to Tenbrook and back again. Tiredly, the witch nodded. She could sit here for hours and tell Tenbrook all the horrors Umbridge had perpetrated upon the innocent children in her charge, the prejudices that gave the witch the power to jail innocent people, but in the end, she was sure it wouldn't make a difference.

"Thank you for a most enlightening evening. If I were you, I wouldn't try to contact Miss Granger. You may not like the results." It still left the question of whom Hermione would apprentice with, but Severus assumed the matter would eventually be resolved, one way or another.

At least it wouldn't be with Tenbrook.

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The door slammed back against the coat rack with more force than she had intended. Hermione had thought Tenbrook was the answer to her prayers: a brilliant researcher, a modern, up to date laboratory at her disposal, his facility centrally located in London within easy Apparating distance to Hogwarts; an fully accredited Master willing to take her on as his apprentice; and then, poof, gone like the proverbial smoke through the cracks. Not that he had turned her down, on the contrary, the little man was not sure what had riled her so, but to blatantly praise that... witch. And to believe the praise, well, there was no way she could work with him.

She plopped heavily on to the sofa, not even noticing Severus watching her.

"He would take you back in an instant."

"And you think I should go running back to him?"

"No, and I don't think all is lost, either." Cautiously he sat next to her. Hermione was normally calm, even-tempered, focused. This anger, this loss of control was a bit unnerving, and it brought to mind the unchecked magic cracking around her at the Symposium. "You will find someone else. Your grades are outstanding; you're a brilliant witch and one third of the Golden Trio. Who wouldn't want you for an apprentice?"

"You."

"We've been over that."

Hermione covered her eyes, her palms digging into her eyelids as the tension built behind them. "Since when do you consider me being part of 'the Golden Trio' a plus? Harry and Ron are not your favorite people."

"While they may not be high on my list, most normal wizards and witches seem to be completely enamored of them."

"But you're not."

"Ah, well, who ever said I was normal?"

Hermione's hands dropped to her lap as she laughed at his comment. "And I know how much that pleases you. Actually, you do seem to tolerate Harry lately."

"Potter is tolerable." Severus rose from the sofa. "Come, you need a hot bath and a good night's sleep."

Hermione nodded, preceding the dark man into the hallway. "What am I going to do now?"

"For the immediate future, nothing. I am quite sure things will work out, eventually."

Hermione paused in the bathroom doorway. "How can you be so sure?"

Severus shrugged as he pushed past the witch. "Because they always do. You and your friends have always come out on top, regardless of the circumstance. I imagine it will be the same now."

"So it is written? You do remember that I don't believe in Divination?"

"Neither do I."

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It was an oddly subdued Hermione that walked along the dungeon corridor that Saturday. She seemed to wander aimlessly, her gait slow as she made her way toward the Potions classroom and Severus' office and quarters beyond that.

She'd been at a loss to focus properly since leaving Tenbrook's home Wednesday night, her classes an odd jumble of bits and pieces as she tried to dispel her feelings of disappointment. Even Edmund had looked at her notes for Advanced Charms and commented that they seemed... incomplete. He wisely decided not to push the issue when Hermione turned on him, demanding to know why he hadn't taken proper notes himself. If his wrist was broken or he had problems with his hand that was causing him undue pain that in some way was stopping him from completing the task himself, she would be glad to 'fix' it for him, she asserted.

Edmund correctly assumed her brand of 'fixing' would not be a pretty sight. Chalking it up to some kind of quarrel with Snape, he apologized profusely and left quickly, recalling a previous engagement before the witch pointed her wand at him and made good her threat.

Even now, as Hermione approached Severus' office, her feet dragged. She had so looked forward to their time together in the past, but today it was more of an effort than she was willing to make. Dejectedly, she opened his office door and went in.

"Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think you'd changed your mind about coming this weekend." Severus slashed through the first paragraph of the parchment he was holding, red ink obliterating the writing; his eyes remained on the page as he greeted Hermione. "I believe the first years get worse every year. And I thought that was impossible considering last year's batch." His head snapped up at her lack of rebuttal, silence greeting his comment.

"Hermione?" His frown deepened as he took in her pale complexion and general malaise. "Are you ill? Have you a fever? Spots anywhere?"

Hermione gave him an odd look. "Spots?"

"You're Muggle-born, so I don't suppose you've had Dragon Pox. You're a bit old for it; still, it has been going around." Coming round the desk he looked deeply into her eyes. "You're eyes do look a bit red." Gently gripping her chin, he tipped her head up. "Open wide, I want to see if your tonsils have turned purple."

Frowning, she pulled back. "Purple?"

He ran his thumb along the smooth skin of her cheek. "No scales or pockmarks, that's always a good sign; open your mouth. I want to see your tonsils. You are a bit more pale than usual, but at least you haven't turned green yet."

"Severus, I don't have Dragon Pox. No scales. No spots. No purple tonsils or green skin," she said with a laugh. "I'm still upset about Tenbrook, that's all. Who will I apprentice with now?"

His patented glare surface. "Tenbrook? You're worried about Tenbrook, not sick?"

"No, not sick, just worried." Her eyes softened as she looked at him. "But thank you for caring."

"Hermione, you will find someone else to apprentice with. There are dozens of Masters that would welcome the chance to train you."

"But none of them are close to here."

"We'll work something out," he said with an exasperated sigh. "You're sure your tonsils aren't purple?"

"Quite sure." For the first time since entering the dour man's office, Hermione smiled. "They announced that Rancine was taking an extended leave, something about a nervous condition. Professor Brisbane is taking over the department chair."

"At least now you know things will be run fairly. Just let me finish dissecting Mr. Smythe's assignment and we'll go into the lab. There's an article I want to show you. It may be of help to us in setting the elements for the last stage of the Wolfsbane." Over the last few weeks, they had come close to properly altering the Wolfsbane. Christmas was just three weeks away with the next full moon occurring just before that. If they had any plans to test Remus over the holiday, they would need to resolve the last of the potion's problems soon or lose their window of opportunity until the next month.

Immersion in academia had always had a positive effect on Hermione, and working on the Wolfsbane with Severus was no exception. The witch's mood lightened over the next few hours as they chopped, diced, and debated various properties of the ingredients. The potion they had arrived at was better than the standard brew Severus had been making for the last decade, but it still wasn't the dramatic difference either one had hoped for when they'd started their project.

"Well, if my calculations are correct, he will retain more of his 'humanity.' That alone is a major accomplishment."

Angrily, Hermione tossed down the stirring rod she'd been holding. "It's not enough. 'Here, Remus, we really weren't able to do what we thought we could, but you'll be happy to know you'll be able to keep a bit more of your mind as you change.' No, I don't think so. There must be something we haven't checked or changed yet."

"Hermione, the whole benefit of the potion is to allow the person to retain rational thought. The fact that the alteration will increase that ability is huge."

"It's still not enough," she said, sounding like a two-year old and hating herself for it.

Severus crossed his arms, a quiet smile tugging at his mouth. "And what would you consider enough?"

"Nothing short of a... cure."

"By all means," he said with a grand sweep of his arm. "Show me the cure."

"Now you're just mocking me."

'Never. It's getting late." Several foolish waves of his wand cleaned the top of the lab table and stored the remaining ingredients. "Would you prefer dinner in the Great hall or in my quarters?"

"Are you required to eat in the Great Hall tonight?"

"No, I still have rounds to make later, but my presence at dinner is not required tonight."

"Then your quarters it is." Hermione smiled. "I still know my way around the castle. How about I join you on your rounds?"

Severus gestured Hermione through the doorway to his quarters. "Oh, yes, I'll definitely be able to maintain discipline with you accompanying me. Roast beef sandwiches and chips?"

"Fine."

Severus tossed some powder into the fire and called through the Floo Network to the kitchen to place their dinner order with the elves before turning back to Hermione. "Is there some reason you're not reviewing your original list of Masters? I seem to recall you had narrowed the field down to four back then. Eliminating Tenbrook cuts the list to three. I know you weren't happy with those three masters, but surely there must be others that you found acceptable. What about numbers five through ten, that didn't make that list? "

Hermione sighed. "They're going to publish a revised list of masters before we leave for the holidays for us to choose from. Professor Brisbane thought the list should be reviewed. He was under the impression that Rancine may not have been a fair judge to compile it in the first place. Originally we were supposed to decide who to petition by the end of January. I think they're going to push the date back to February or March so we can have time to research the revised list."

"There you are. I'm sure there will be someone on that list that will fit your needs."

"Professor Brisbane told me there had already been three owls from some of the masters that heard us talk at the Symposium offering me apprenticeships. I was going to go to library Monday and revise my list. I should be able to check on the Masters there."

"So, why are you still so upset?" Severus sat next to Hermione, their dinner tray on the coffee table in front of them.

"If you hadn't seen the letter, I would never have known how bad Tenbrook is. This is too important to leave to chance."

Severus chuckled quietly. "You have never left anything to chance. I imagine by next week you'll have exhausted the resources at Cambridge. I'd even wager you will have so thoroughly invested each master that you will even know what core comprises their wands as well as their blood types."

Hermione smiled. "Even I'm not that obsessed."

One brow rose questioningly. "Really?"

"Yes, really." She sighed as she finished her pumpkin juice. "I'm sure you're right, it'll be fine. So, what about the holidays coming up? I know we going to test the new Wolfsbane, but what about the rest of the break? Do you usually stay at the castle?"

"I normally stay here and research. I was hoping you would stay here with me, that is, if you have no other plans?"

It was at that minute Severus' fire glowed green, flecks of ash spraying the hearth in front of the fire as a tawny little owl flew out of the fireplace. "Severus? Hermione? Sorry to disturb you." Dumbledore's disembodied head hung in the fireplace, the flames seeming to highlight the sparkling of his eyes. "It seems this poor owl has been trying to reach you and has been repelled by multiple charms every time it approaches your windows, Severus. Really, you should alter you wards. How else do you expect to receive mail? Good evening, Hermione. Lovely to see you. Perhaps you'll join us at the High Table for a meal tomorrow. I know Minerva would love to see you."

"Headmaster." Hermione barely acknowledged Albus as she tried to quiet the owl down enough to remove the missive attached to its leg.

"Who in the bloody hell felt the need to contact you here?"

Hermione tossed the owl a bit of left over roast beef before breaking the seal on the letter. She scanned the parchment, her eyes flying over the writing before breaking into a smile. "It's from Senalda. She hasn't heard from me so she was writing to let us know when she'll be in Hogsmeade. She wants to meet us for tea."

It really was a shame Hermione did not believe in Divination; otherwise, she might have seen the note Senalda's owl delivered for what it was: a life changing stroke of luck.

My Dearest Hermione,

I cannot tell you how much it meant to me meeting and talking with both, you and Professor Snape. It does my heart good to know that I read the magic correctly. I am most anxious to speak with the two of you. I understand the conditions evoking the claiming were rather personal, but I would so love to know the details. I understand Professor Snape's reluctance, but perhaps you would indulge me with a few facts when next we meet.

I will be in Hogsmeade December 22nd through December 26th visiting my brother and his family. If it meets with your approval, I would like to meet you and the professor at the Three Broomsticks on the 23 at seven for dinner. If this time and date is not convenient, please let me know.

Take care: May the stars align to do your bidding until next we meet.

Senalda Trelawney

As it turned out, the day and time were acceptable.

While Hermione looked forward to the meeting, Severus withheld his opinion of the witch, but his glare said it all.

Severus rolled his eyes, Senalda's letter thrown roughly to his desk. "May the stars align. She's as flaky as her cousin," he said with a sneer. "I'll meet her, but I'm telling you now, we will not discuss what happened in anything but the vaguest of terms. She knows more than she should to begin with."

"I looked through every book in Cambridge. I found only two that even held a passing mention of Tiresias Trelawney's leaves. Do you know anyone else who can tell us about the leaf?"

"Fine. We'll meet with her, but I promise nothing more." Severus' glare drew a smile from the witch. "Perhaps you should tell her exactly what we were doing when you felt the magic? Relay each and every detail, every feeling," he said with a sneer.

"She already knows it was sex magic. It's not as if I'm going to invite her to join us in bed in case it happens again."

Yes! Maybe they can wear matching thongs? For once Severus thought the annoying voice had an acceptable response.

"Maybe the two of you can wear matching thongs. We can discuss various positions that create a greater flow of magic that will heighten your pleasure."

Hermione sat up a bit straighter. "Are there certain position that create a greater flow? Does magic really increase your pleasure?"

Severus watched the witch's eyes darken for a minute. His voice dropped to a silky purr. "Would you like me to show you some of those positions?"

Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as Severus swept her hair to the side, baring her neck to his heated gaze. Drawing his tongue along her throbbing pulse, the witch, her owl, and dinner plans, were soon forgotten.

TBC

A/N: I know, I know, it's been way too long. I had said I would not post until I had finished the story, but since the request for a chapter update was listed on the Potter Place Christmas Fanfiction Wishlist, and it is Christmas/Chanukah/other/whatever, and the story should be finished soon (six chapters - all being written simultaneously to the end), I'll eat my words and post the next chapter with the understanding the rest will follow in a week or two (~cringes~ three at the most).

A grateful thank you to my beta, the wonderful Southern_Witch_69 and her prowess with comma (or lack thereof) detection. Thank you, Sun, I appreciate all the help and time you give me.

Still to come: Christmas break (including breakfast at The Burrow), the revised Wolfsbane, Dinner with Senalda, Valentines, an apprenticeship, the school year, and the finale.

Happy Holidays to one and all!

-Pearle