The Enchantment, The Symposium, and A Few Loose Ends

Dances with Witches by Pearle

Summary: Severus Snape loses a magical bet. The consequences? The Tango! My answer to the codpiece challenge on Wiktt. HG/SS

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.

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

Ch. 39 - The Enchantment, The Symposium, and A Few Loose Ends

Slytherin 180

Ravenclaw 60

Severus was in an excellent mood Monday morning when he returned to Hogwarts from dropping Hermione off at Cambridge. The weekend had gone exceptionally well. Slytherin had literally blown Ravenclaw out of the sky during the Quidditch match. He still had to find out who substituted the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes' Colourful Exploding Quaffles for one of the real game Quaffles after the eighth goal of the match. Odds were it was a Slytherin, but the Ravenclaws were not above suspicion.

Fortunately, the exploding Quaffle had detonated just above the Ravenclaw goal in mid-air, not harming anyone in the process, but still managing to stop play when it took out two of the goalposts and a Bludger that had been heading for the Ravenclaw Keeper. A few spells later, the goals were repaired and the game continued.

Ravenclaw had been ahead 50 to 30 at the time of the explosion. Hermione had commented it almost looked like the half time entertainment at some of the football games she had heard about in America. The explosion created a series of rainbow-coloured starbursts, the type that are usually associated with fireworks displays. The last explosion shot through the air and formed the words "Thank You for Choosing a Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes Product. We Appreciate Your Business" in ten-foot letters that shimmered before disintegrating in one final starburst.

The students in the stands applauded wildly at the display and started chanting "Weasley, Weasley" over and over again. Albus had even mentioned establishing an intermission and using the exploding Bludgers on a regular basis as entertainment at the games. Luckily, no one encouraged his idea.

The rest of the weekend passed as planned: a quiet dinner in Hogsmeade, and an even quieter night for the two of them in his chambers. At his request, Hermione submitted to yet another round of scans by Poppy, who pronounced her in good health Sunday morning. Reluctantly, she agreed to allow him to Apparate her back to Cambridge this morning, since the two-week restriction Healer Seaton had placed on her ability to Apparate didn't end until Friday.

The thought of spending the coming weekend away with Hermione at The Enchantment raised his spirits considerably; while he missed her, a common occurrence every time they parted, they would have three full days and nights together in Rome. He was due to give his presentation Friday afternoon. They could spend the rest of the exhibition attending lectures, evaluating the masters Hermione wanted to talk to, and still have time for taking in the exhibits and wares in the new Trade Hall.

They would even have time for a bit of sightseeing Sunday afternoon. Albus had given him Sunday night off, as well, so he wasn't due back at the castle until fourth period Monday morning. The Symposium was scheduled to end at noon on Sunday. He had put in a request for a Portkey to Florence as a surprise for Hermione. The city was rich in scenery and history. It had been quite a while since he had last visited Florence, but he thought the easy pace might be a nice change from the hectic events they had experienced over the last few weeks. They could browse through the shops that lined the quaint city square and take in a few of the museums. The city was home to the artworks of many of the great old-world masters. A leisurely-spent afternoon, dinner, and then Portkey back to Cambridge Sunday night.

The sound of bubbling brought his attention back to the present. He looked up from the stack of essays he was supposed to be marking and quickly scanned the classroom. Three rows back, one seat off the centre aisle, a cauldron rocked merrily on its stand, the young man standing behind it frozen in place as the dark purple potion bubbled to the point of almost overflowing. Severus cursed himself for his lack of attention as he quickly cast a containment charm and levitated the cauldron off the heat, before magically turning off the flame.

"Mr Collins, would you care to tell me why your cauldron has suddenly decided to exhibit characteristics more commonly associated with a nervous first-year?"

A quiet twitter ran through the classroom, silenced quickly as Severus glared at the students before turning back to the young wizard in question. "Mr Collins?"

"A nervous first-year, sir?"

"Yes, it appeared to be sitting in its seat, shaking."

"I, uh, think I might have added too much wormwood to the potion, sir." Collins's cheeks blazed bright red with embarrassment, a stark contrast to his pale skin, as he valiantly tried not to pass out. He had managed to avoid the Professor's acid tongue so far this year, but given his expertise, or lack thereof, at Potions, it was inevitable he would screw up at some point. His only hope was to live through to the end of the year, take his OWLs, and be done with Potions once and for all. While he had entertained dreams of becoming an Auror when he was younger, if it meant two more years with Snape, he was willing to consider other, less interesting professions; he only hoped he could make it to the end of the year.

"I see. And is there a reason you did not cut the flame under your cauldron in an attempt to stop the overflow, or were you waiting to see if I would be willing to save your hide? Do you know what that potion would have done to you if it had bubbled over and touched your skin, considering the amount of excess of wormwood you added?" Severus smiled as the boy paled further.

They were brewing the Draught of Peace, a rather tricky potion, but it figured prominently on the OWL exam. Actually, the added wormwood would not have permanently harmed the boy. Instead of feeling an artificial sense of peace, he would probably have fallen fast asleep, the wormwood altering the properties of the potion to resemble the Draught of the Living Death rather than the one they were attempting to make. While the thought of Collins falling into a dead sleep might be pleasant, the dratted child could have accidentally fallen forward into his cauldron, instead. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about the time it would take him to clean up the mess that would create. Not to mention the possibility of Collins drowning in his own creation if he fell forward, instead of back or to the side. The possibility existed, minute as it might be, that he might not be quick enough to get him out of the cauldron in time.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw. You will turn in four feet on Wednesday on the properties of wormwood and the resulting changes the excess amount of wormwood you added would create in the Draught of Peace. Your potions should be bubbling gently at this stage." He smiled evilly at Collins before continuing, "...they should be a warm lilac in colour. Cast a stasis charm on your cauldrons before housing them in your cupboards, and clean your workstations. Mr Collins, you will report here tonight at seven. I expect you to brew the Draught properly if you wish to get credit for this assignment. Well, what are you all waiting for? Get moving."

The students hurried to obey. Satisfied, Severus sat back down. He had a staff meeting to attend after this class. As far as he was concerned, the Dark Lord's use of the Cruciatus Curse was far more humane than his forced attendance at the monthly staff meetings. He caught site of the Symposium schedule as he opened the side desk drawer.

Hermione. Thursday night seemed a long way off.

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Hermione's week moved along as expected. She meticulously crossed off her classes in her talking planner, taking great pleasure in the simple act. Harry surprised her Monday when he showed up unexpectedly at the Student Union as her study session ended.

He denied Severus had put him up to it; nevertheless, she invited him back to her flat. They shared a pizza and chatted amicably until he left a few hours later, still hotly denying he was acting on Severus's orders.

Classes and revising took up all of her time. Finals were just around the corner, not to mention the notes she still had to re-review for the classes she'd missed after her accident. She was grateful her stamina was back to normal, not Apparating the only restriction remaining on her magic through this Friday's deadline.

Hermione smiled as she thought of the coming weekend. She thoroughly enjoyed Severus's company whenever he was around, but taking the dour man out of his everyday surroundings tended to add a new dimension to his personality. She had been more than pleasantly surprised when he had shown up in Amsterdam, playing the genial host and guiding her around the town. Even their forays into London took on new meaning when he showed her wizarding areas she never knew existed.

He had been a frequent visitor to Rome over the years and had told her he had a few surprises planned. She grinned evilly as she thought of a few surprises she might have for him, too.

"Merooow!" The orange half-Kneazle wound himself around his Mistress's legs, shedding copious amount of fur on the soft flannel of her robe. 'That should teach her to ignore me, he thought.

"Sorry, boy. Are you hungry? Come on, Crooks, let's get you something to eat." Harry had agreed to stop in over the weekend and check on him. Hermione sighed as she went in search of food for her cat. This weekend. She still had three papers to write, two books to read, and several classes to revise for before she could even think of leaving for the weekend. Not to mention the review sheets she had started in an effort to rate the masters attending the Symposium. She wanted to have a handle on the pluses and minuses associated with each before making her decision. With a heavy sigh, she pushed thought of Severus to the back of her mind and returned to the present: feeding Crooks and starting on the notes for her first paper.

The weekend seemed a long way off.

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Severus felt the tingle of magic as Hermione's wards dropped in recognition. He let himself into the flat, aware she wouldn't be home for another hour. He had finished marking the week's essays last night and verified Albus had reassigned his House duties to the remaining three Heads of House, still not taking Albus up on his offer to substitute. He had no desire to come back and find the Slytherin common room redecorated again. His two upper-level classes had been given an independent study project in lieu of Friday classes - six feet on the properties and possible interactions of six rare and seldom used herbs – of which only three books in the Restricted Section contained the needed information – due on his desk by the close of class on Friday. It meant more work for him when he returned, but it was far preferable than having Albus substitute for the day.

He supposed he could have stayed in his quarters until it was time to pick her up, but he was most anxious to see Hermione again. He'd become used to seeing her midweek, Wednesday nights, but he had arranged to switch his Friday night duties with Flitwick's Wednesday night, not to mention he'd wanted his desk clear for the weekend.

He settled on the sofa, drawing the notes for his presentation from the side pocket of his trousers. His reference books for the notes resided with his miniaturised trunk, currently resting in the inner pocket of his robes hanging on the hook next to the front door.

Crooks nonchalantly strolled along the back of the sofa, stopping every so often to casually lick his paw and clean his face.

"Don't even think about it. Hallowe'en is long over. I shan't have need of orange and black trousers until next year." He glared at the immense ginger cat, hoping it would get the message.

Having stopped just a few inches away, Crooks never paused in the process of his grooming, choosing to ignore the dark man rather than acknowledge his existence.

Satisfied, Severus turned back to his notes. Some minutes later he felt the cat butt against his shoulder, demanding attention. "You certainly like to live dangerously, don't you?" He absently scratched the cat behind its ear, knowing Hermione would never forgive him if he hexed her familiar.

It was this cosy little scene that greeted her eyes when Hermione finally made it back to her flat. "Well, well, it looks like you two have started without me." She laughed at Severus's guilty expression as he hastily pulled away from Crookshanks.

"It's the only way to keep the damn thing from ruining my clothes."

Hermione perched on the arm of the sofa. "Right, you still think he sheds purposely on your trousers."

Severus pulled her onto his lap. "Enough out of you." He captured her lips in a passionate kiss, pulling her tight in his embrace.

She smiled warmly when they finally broke apart. "I missed you last night, though even with the extra study time I could still use a few more days to get my ducks in line if we're going to be gone the whole weekend."

"Would you rather leave in the morning? I know they require the speakers to check in tonight, but I can make arrangements to retrieve you tomorrow."

"You're going to a romantic hotel without her? What are you - nuts? Of course she's going with you, how do you expect us to get shagged tonight if she's not there?"

While he agreed in principle with what the annoying voice in his head was saying, he had made a vow to himself not to stand in her way, especially where her education was concerned. If she needed another night to catch up, so be it. It wouldn't be the first time he'd had to take matters into his own hands, so to speak.

"Have you lost your mind? I'm not sending you anywhere without me, especially to some place called The Enchantment. I can't wait to see what the Jungle Suite looks like. What time is our Portkey?"

"We still have another half hour. Are you packed already?" While he had meant what he said, he was still inordinately pleased they would have tonight together as planned.

"Just about. I still have a few things I need to do." With a quick kiss, she was off his lap and heading down the hall to her bedroom. "Where do we leave from?" she called over her shoulder as she disappeared through the bedroom doorway.

"We're scheduled to depart from your front steps in..." he pulled the matchbook from the breast pocket of his dress shirt and checked the timer on the front "...in thirty-four minutes."

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione emerged from her bedroom, freshly scrubbed and dressed for travelling, her trunk gently bobbing along behind her. "All set."

Severus levitated her trunk to the floor. "You're not supposed to lift anything heavy. Why didn't you call me?"

"That was last week. Severus, I'm fine. Really. Just let me make sure the refill spells on Crooks's dishes are in place, and we can go. Harry said he would stop by and check on him over the weekend."

He still worried that there was something St Mungo's and Poppy had overlooked. No one remained unconscious for three days without having some kind of long-term problems to deal with. Knowing it was wiser to let the matter drop for now, he shrank her trunk and placed it with his. "And where, may I ask, is your book bag? You look positively nude without it."

"It's in my trunk. You don't think I'd leave without it, do you?"

He walked up behind her, admiring the view from the back. She had changed into a pair of black tailored trousers and a rather form-fitting jumper. Her hair was pulled back at the crown and flowed sensuously down her back. "Have I told you how great you look lately?" He pulled her back against his chest, engulfing her in a hug.

"Is that to imply that I don't usually look this good?"

Severus cleared his throat. "Ready to go?"

Hermione turned and kissed his cheek. "Coward," she said with a laugh. "All set. After you, sir." She snagged her travelling cloak off the hook next to his.

"You may live to regret that comment, Miss Granger."

"Right." She looked around the flat one last time. "My trunk?"

He patted the side of his cloak. "It's here with mine. Ready?"

Hermione followed him out the door and down the stairs. She snuggled into his side, allowing him to pull her tightly against him. Portkey travel did not use the same type of magic Apparating required. While there were no limits on her ability to Portkey, she disliked the disorienting feeling when you arrived. It was easier to hang on to Severus and let him steady her when they landed.

Severus pulled the matchbook out of his pocket and checked the timer. "We have less than a minute to go."

He held Hermione's hand, the matchbook resting between their palms. Suddenly she felt the tug of magic somewhere behind her navel, and they were instantly whisked away. Seconds later, Hermione landed shakily in a cordoned off section of the main lobby of The Enchantment. Severus's arm around her waist helped to steady her through the dizzying feeling she had come to associate with that type of travel.

"Ah, Professor Snape and Miss Granger, right on time. Welcome to The Enchantment; I'm Sabrina Beam. We have your accommodations all ready for you. If you will follow me, please?" A middle-aged woman, draped in dark green velvet robes, stood smiling next to the velvet rope, checking off their names on the clipboard she was holding.

They had no choice but to follow her across the lobby to the check-in desk. A young man standing behind the counter greeted them. "Good evening, welcome to The Enchantment."

"Markus, this is ..." Sabrina consulted her clipboard, "...Professor Severus Snape and Miss Hermione Granger. They have reserved, oh my, the Jungle Suite. Oh, that's one of our finest accommodations. I'm sure you will be quite pleased. Markus will check you in and answer any questions you may have. Have an enchanted day!" Sabrina hurried back to the arrival point. The Portkeys had been scheduled to arrive every ten minutes, the next one due in just a minute. "A concierge's work is never done," she mumbled quietly.

Breathlessly, Hermione looked around the opulent lobby. The ceiling was several stories high and was formed predominately of finely grained marble trimmed in shades of dark green shot through with streaks of silver and gold. Torches set at irregular intervals along the walls lent a warm and inviting glow to the open area.

Hermione smiled as she heard Sabrina Beam exclaim, "Professor Thompson, right on time. Welcome to The Enchantment; I'm Sabrina Beam. We have your accommodations all ready for you. If you will follow me, please?"

"Hermione?" Severus smiled as she turned back toward the counter. He nodded toward the young man behind it. "He needs your wand for a minute."

"As I explained to the Professor, the entry to your suite is keyed to your wand." The young man pointed to a series of marble columns against the far wall. "The end column will take you to your suite." He tapped a square set into the counter top. It glowed oddly, engulfing their wands in an eerie light.

Handing their wands back, he turned to the young wizard who had suddenly appeared at Severus's side. "Charles, please show our guests to the Jungle Suite."

"Of course. If you will follow me?"

Dutifully, they followed the young man to the row of columns. The marble column was unremarkable, save for an open square situated in the very centre. "Each column represents a floor in the hotel. Your wands have been keyed to your accommodations. Only you will have access to your room; should you wish to have someone meet you there, you need only to alert the desk. A special one-time-only guest wand will be made available for your visitor. If you will tap your wands on the silver circle set into the bottom of the open square, you will be transported to your suite." The young man removed a wand emblazoned along the side with the words "The Enchantment - Staff only - Level 5" from his side pocket.

"Are you coming with us?" Hermione thought the method resembled Portkey travel. It boggled the mind to think they had to keep reprogramming the room entrances for each new guest.

"Yes, ma'am. I will be happy to point out the various amenities of the suite and answer any question you have. If you would tap the circle, please, I'll be right behind you."

Hermione shrugged as she and Severus simultaneously tapped the circle. Instantly, they were transported to a small private foyer, more the size of large closet rather than a suite. A large closed door stood in front of them, the only exit obvious in the closed room.

Charles appeared behind them. "This is a privacy measure for our guests. Hotel personnel, as well as invited guests, are not immediately admitted to your room. If you will touch your wand anywhere on the door in front of you..."

Severus tapped the door, feeling a tingle of magic as the pre-programmed wards recognised his wand and opened silently. The view through the open doorway was not to be denied. With a startled gasp, Hermione walked through the doorway and into paradise.

"I hope the suite meets with your approval." Charles stood discreetly to the side. The Jungle Suite was one of the most expensive and most often requested suites in the hotel. It stunned most of the guests to silence the first time they viewed their enchanted surroundings.

"Severus, look, a waterfall." Hermione's smile lit her face as she recalled the erotic memories she had of the last hotel room they had stayed in and their adventures in that waterfall. She held onto the balcony railing surveying the room.

The inner door had opened onto another foyer, this one open-ended on one side. A small desk, with enchanted writing paper and several rolls of parchment proclaiming the offerings of the hotel, stood to the left of the open doorway. A closed railing ran across the open end of the foyer, creating a small balcony that overlooked the suite. A rope walkway, hanging at least two stories above ground, ran from a gate set into the railing to a giant tree house, complete with bamboo walls and a thatched roof, situated in the middle of the room.

Severus could see a waterfall with a small wading pond in the far corner of the jungle floor; a lush path of green grass led from the edge of the pond to the bottom of the tree housing the tree house. The sounds of rare and unusual birds calling to one another could be heard above the sound of the waterfall. Everywhere he looked, brightly coloured flowers covered the trees and shrubs inhabiting the suite, the air scented with their exotic fragrances.

"If you will follow me, I'll show you the tree house and the lift that takes you down to the jungle floor." He opened the gate and stepped out onto the walkway. Sensing Hermione's hesitancy, Charles smiled. "You're quite safe, the walkway is solid. Actually, there is a spell surrounding it, creating a sort of invisible tunnel. It would be impossible to fall from here, if you were to accidentally slip." He turned and walked on toward the tree house.

"Severus, you go first. I'll follow you."

"Very well." Severus smiled; she could face down a Dark Lord all on her own, but she needed him to go first on the walkway. He took her hand and stepped out onto the path. It was an interesting illusion. The rope walkway looked as if it should sway and creak in the air. Instead, all he could feel was solid floor beneath his feet.

Hermione followed behind him. "Well, this isn't so bad."

Charles waited for them on the outer balcony of the tree house. Silently, he ushered them through the doorway and stepped to the side. A large bed, more of a giant hammock, dominated one wall of the room. A large chest of drawers, complete with a shimmering mirror, lined the other wall. Several 'windows' and an open doorway, leading to what Severus assumed was the lift down, occupied the wall to his left, giving the room an open and airy feeling.

Hermione smiled as she looked out the window at the jungle floor below; she could never have imagined a more romantic place on earth.

"The bed controls are located here, sir. If you wish to have the bed swing, functioning more like a true hammock, set the lever to the bottom. Moving it to the top will not change the look of the bed, but it will no longer move; the bed will remain firmly in place and feel the same as any normal bed would. There are controls for the lift located inside it and inside the door here, as well as a panel set into the tree at the bottom. The closed door there leads to a rather spacious bathroom, complete with your own Jacuzzi. Or you can swim in the pond under the waterfall. The room is completely private, the only access through the door you originally came in. Should you find the sound of the birds not to be to your liking, there is a banishing spell on one of the parchments on the desk in the foyer. You can also reach room service, if you wish, by filling out the appropriate scroll, also located on the desk. The front desk can also be accessed in this manner."

He gestured to a thick packet of parchment resting on the dresser. "The Symposium sent your registration information just before you checked in, Professor Snape. If you would like, I would be happy to unpack your trunks for you."

Severus shook his head. He could easily come up with quite a few unforgettable scenarios that lent themselves to their surroundings. First he needed to get rid of the young man. "Thank you, but I believe that will be all."

Severus tipped Charles generously, pleased with their accommodations, before escorting the young man back to the entranceway and out the door. The Professor added a few wards of his own to those already in place and turned back to the tree house. He found Hermione where he'd left her, looking out on the jungle floor below them.

"Does this meet with your approval?" Gently, he pulled her back against his chest. She tipped her head to the side, giving him easy access to her neck.

Hermione moaned softly as he placed feather-soft kisses down the side of her neck, nipping and sucking the tender skin as he moved along. He gently pinched her nipples through the rough weave of her jumper, finding the sensitive buds already hard when he touched her. "This place is amazing." She turned to face him, threading her fingers into the hair at the base of his neck. "Don't you think we're a little overdressed?"

"While I agree with you, I still have to register with the welcome committee. Perhaps you'd like to soak in the tub while I'm gone. I don't imagine it will take me too long. I should be back shortly."

"You're going to the Exhibition Hall? Maybe I'll come with you. I'd rather wait and explore the jungle floor when we come back." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "The wading pond looks extremely inviting from here."

Severus smiled; she had to be the only woman he'd ever met that got as turned on by the thought of academics as she did at the thought of sex. He grabbed the registration packet off the dresser and gestured toward the walkway. "After you."

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They found the central registration for the Symposium fairly quickly, Severus taking care of the details as Hermione wandered about.

"All set. It's still early, but I took the liberty of making dinner reservation for seven o'clock at a local restaurant near here. I haven't been there in quite some time, but I remember the food was excellent."

Now that they were out of "The Garden of Eden", as she had dubbed the room, Hermione was more interested in wallowing in the knowledge laid out around her. "Would you mind if we looked in the Trade Hall for a while? We only have an hour to kill before dinner. Once we get back to 'The Garden of Eden', I'd rather stay there, if you know what I mean."

A certain part of his anatomy twitched in agreement with her suggestion.

"And you were going to let her stay alone in her flat tonight? Thank God, she didn't listen to you, you berk."

Severus had to agree with the voice, the thought of 'exploring' the waterfall filling his head with erotic images.

"Severus?"

He snapped back to the present, gesturing to a sign hovering over the doorway in front of them, proclaiming "Trade Hall" in large black letters. "Lead on."

The Hall was crammed with various merchants displaying their wares. It brought Hermione back to her childhood when she would shop with her mother on a Saturday morning at the market, moving from vendor to vendor, inspecting their wares, except those merchants never displayed anything nearly as unusual as the items that met her eyes now.

Items in jars, reminiscent of the jars in Severus's office, looked back at her from several of the booths. Various items floated in the air, hovering several feet off the ground, some changing colour as a prospective buyer examined them. There were quite a few products she couldn't identify. She moved to a stall displaying bundles of translucent cloth. A loud squeaking sound from a barrel next to the table startled her. "What's that?"

"Don't touch it!" Severus reach out and grabbed her hand. "He's a type of Gagorian silk worm, very common in small towns in the foothills. They spin the silk you see woven into the fabric there. Their bite is most caustic. What are they doing here?"

"Ah, I see the gentleman is familiar with Gagorian silk. While it's true the silk cloth you see is most commonly used to create wearing apparel, we have found a new way to weave the silk creating an even weave throughout the fabric. It has proven most effective as an inexpensive means of straining potions ingredients."

Deftly, the merchant grabbed the top cloth; a wave of his wand and the sides drew up to form a loose bag. The wizard moved to a cauldron opposite the screeching barrel. He cast a quick Silencing Charm over the worms, cutting off the sound mid-screech.

"Why do they do that?" Hermione, her thirst for knowledge piqued, had never seen that type of creature before.

"It's their way of communicating. Now, watch." In the manner of con men everywhere, he plucked a beaker off the back table and poured it into the makeshift bag. The contents bubbled gently before seeping through the translucent fabric. "And voilà! The potion is evenly strained. A simple wave of your wand, and the cloth is cleaned and ready to use again."

"Right." Severus led Hermione away as the merchant turned to his next victim. "Cheesecloth does the same thing at a much lower cost, I'll venture." He had to wonder who was responsible for signing up the vendors. Most likely anyone with a Knut to spend was allowed to rent space in the Hall, from what he could see.

Hermione looped her arm through his. "Think of it as an adventure."

Severus smiled wanly; the only adventure he wanted to think about involved Hermione and a waterfall, but they would get to that later. He really needed to focus on the here and now, but after four days without her and such an erotic setting waiting for them, he found his mind wandering to more erotic thoughts than potions ingredients and supplies.

Hermione led him to another stall. Cauldrons of all shapes and sizes, of every material imaginable, were stacked in towering columns, magic the only thing keeping them from falling over. "You seem to know a lot about the area. Have you been to Rome before?"

"A few times, though it's been a while." Severus reached out toward a glass cauldron buried in the middle of one of the towers. "This looks interesting. I've always wanted one for my personal lab." He looked around when he failed to hear a response. Hermione had wandered further down the aisle; he saw her standing a few booths over, reverently holding a book in her hand, another one hovering at her elbow.

He chuckled, thinking she would most likely buy out the merchant before the Symposium even started. He'd probably have to drag her out of there if they were going to make their reservations.

"You've made a fine choice there, sir." The merchant indicated the glass cauldron Severus had been admiring. "Would you like me to remove it from the stack so you can get a closer look?"

"What temperature is this cauldron rated...?" The sound of Hermione's name, shouted in the crowd, caught his attention. Severus looked on in astonishment at the young man hugging Hermione two stalls to his left, the book she had been looking at hovering forgotten in the air.

"Hermione! It's so good to see you." The young man enfolded the startled witch in his embrace. "What are you doing here? Did you find a master to apprentice with already?"

"Steven?" Surprise was clearly written on Hermione's face. "I thought you were in America? What are you doing here?" His hug was fierce and making her more than a little uncomfortable as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

The young wizard moved back to look at her, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. "I came back. I started November first with Knavish Potions and Charms. I joined their research team. You look wonderful." His voice dropped slightly. "I can't tell you how much I've missed you. Leaving you was probably the biggest mistake I ever made."

Hermione shook her head. "It was the best choice for both of us, you know that. We're much better off as friends than we ever were as a couple."

"Maybe, I'm not so sure of that anymore. Maybe we can have dinner tonight and talk about why we broke up in the first place. I don't think I remember why anymore." He stepped back, his hands dropping to his sides as he noticed Hermione's expression. He knew that look in her eyes. Friendship. Fine, he could press his reasons for still wanting to see her later. For his own safety, he adjusted the distance between them: space more befitting a "friendship" rather than something more intimate. "You still haven't answered my question, what are you doing here? If I remember right, you don't start your apprenticeship until next year."

Severus's surprise turned to anger at the meaning of the young man's words. Couple? They were a couple at one time? Just how well did she know this wizard? Severus eyed the young man, quickly assessing his opponent with a practised eye. The young man was about Hermione's age, dark hair, fair complexion, about his height, only a few inches shorter. It was obvious the young man worked out, he appeared to be fit. "Not bad looking - if you went in for those 'pretty boy types'," he thought.

"Oh yeah," said the annoying voice in his head, mocking him. "The man's got nothing on you. I can see why she broke up with him."

He told the voice to sod off while trying to ignore the urge to hex the young man and forcefully drag Hermione out of there. While he could hear most of the conversation between the two, he desperately wished Hermione would turn around. Her back had been to him throughout their whole exchange. He needed to see her eyes, to know what she was thinking.

"Steven, we broke up because we were friends. We had fun, but there never was anything more between us, you know that. I'm here with Professor Snape. I wanted to observe a few of the masters I was thinking I might like to apprentice with. Severus is speaking tomorrow, so this seemed to be a golden opportunity for me."

"Look, I get off at eight. How about a late dinner and we can catch up on each other?"

Hermione shook her head. "Steven, I'm here with Severus not just for the Symposium; I'm with him."

"Snape?" His eyes widened with recognition as he added up the facts. He had attended Beauxbatons, but he knew of Snape by his reputation alone. She couldn't mean... "Snape? The same Snape that taught Potions at Hogwarts? You're dating your professor? You're dating that Snape?"

Hermione chuckled. Funny, a lot of people seemed to have that reaction when she mentioned her relationship with Severus. "Ex-professor, but, yes, I'm seeing that Snape. Is there another Snape? As far as I know, Severus is an only child."

She sensed his presence even before she felt the warmth of his hand at her elbow. The subtle scent of sandalwood mixed with herbs gently reached her seconds before the smooth velvet of his voice flowed over her.

"There you are, I was wondering where you'd wandered off to. I don't want to interrupt, but it is getting late. Shall we return to our suite and freshen up before dinner?" He moved to the side, his arm draped lightly across her back, staking out his property.

"Severus." Hermione smiled warmly at the dark man; she wasn't sure how much of the conversation he'd heard, but from his possessive hold, she guessed most of it. "This is an old friend of mine. Severus, this is Steven Garrison. Steven, Professor Severus Snape."

Both men nodded silently, neither one moving an inch.

"Well," she replied, awkwardly, "we really do need to get going."

"Uh, yeah. Well, it was nice to see you again. Take care of yourself. It was, uhm, nice to meet you, too, Professor Snape." He had heard rumours that she was dating someone, but he had dismissed them as hearsay. He watched with open curiosity as Severus led her out of the Exhibition Hall.

The 'Hermione' he had dated had been way too focused on her studies to become involved with anyone. It was one of the reasons they had broken up. She was never available for a quick date when he wanted to see her. She refused to go to any of the campus Quidditch matches, saying her time was better spent in the library, revising for her classes. She had even tried to set up a revision schedule for him, claiming he wasn't taking his education seriously.

Their breakup had been amicable. Every few weeks they would have lunch in the Student Union. He would bring her up-to-date on his choice of masters for his apprenticeship and she would talk about her plans. He dated several witches at a time, not seeing anyone exclusively, since he had finally decided on going to America to finish his course work.

Even though the women he dated were much more suited to his tastes and lifestyle, he found they lacked a certain...something... that he'd had with Hermione. His dates went to Quidditch matches with him at the drop of a wand, pub-crawling until all hours of the morning, and never once berated him for not revising. Still, he found something wrong with each and every one of them.

Steven shrugged; he had thought about looking Hermione up, now that he was back in London, but something or someone always seemed to get in his way. One of those 'someones' came up behind him now.

"Stevie, this is sooo boring. Can't we duck out of here and have some fun?"

He smiled at the young witch. "I have to work for another hour, then the night is ours. Why don't you go back to the room and get ready?"

Stacy nodded happily. "Just don't keep me waiting, or I might have to find someone else to occupy my time while I wait for you."

He watched the young woman walk out of the hall: her long blond hair swung from side to side, her hips swayed provocatively in the tight robes she wore, accenting the curves of her body as she moved. "Well, one witch down, and hundreds more to go," he thought, but a wave of melancholy swept over him when he realised he would never have another chance with Hermione. He looked longingly at the doorway where Hermione and the Professor had disappeared, before turning back to the work at hand.

.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

She pushed him onto the bed. "All right, talk."

Severus shook his head. "There is nothing to talk about. We have dinner reservations in fifteen minutes. I suggest you freshen up so we can go."

"I'm not going anywhere. Talk to me. What is it? I assume you're upset because of Steven. We dated for a while, a year ago. There was nothing there. No spark, nothing. Just, sort of ... nice. He was going off to America to apprentice, so we broke it off. We got along better as friends than anything else, anyway."

Severus watched her eyes. Friends? "Just how well did you know this man?"

"Is that what this is about? You're jealous because we dated? You want to know if I slept with him?"

He was on her in a flash, pushing her back into the soft duvet that draped the bed, his body covering hers. His mouth sealed over hers, his tongue demanding entrance to the warm cavern of her mouth. Jealous? He was too old to be jealous. He was too old for this, as he pushed the image of Hermione with the young man out of his mind. The need for air broke them apart. "I don't care what you did or didn't do in the past. You are mine now. And I do not share." His breath was hot as he hissed into her ear.

Hermione shivered at the force of his words. "Neither do I." She could feel the steel of his erection pressing into her thigh. She knew she should be annoyed with his 'caveman routine', but the rare sight of Severus Snape losing control, lowering his defences, amazed her. She rolled her hips, nudging his arousal.

None too gently, he pinched and pulled at the hard bud of her nipple before capturing her hands in his, quickly pinning them over her head. A quiet whisper and their clothes disappeared before he leaned in for another searing kiss.

She opened before him, her body arching into his, her legs moving around his waist, trying to draw him to her.

He pulled back, his body throbbing with need. His gaze was fierce as he locked eyes with her. "You are mine." The statement was punctuated with a full thrust of his hips, her body sheathing his as his erection slid home. "Say it," he growled.

"I'm yours," Hermione groaned. She could feel her climax building already as he greedily sucked at her nipples. He nipped the soft flesh before soothing it with his tongue. "I love you. I'm yours and you're mine," she whispered softly.

Severus nodded. He was hers. While there was no question she belonged to him, the same was true of him. He belonged to her. He didn't want to live anymore if he didn't have her. He was barely conscious of the world around him. His sole focus the witch moving against him, eliciting feelings he'd never had before. He could feel his balls begin to tighten as the sensation built at the base of his spine. He had been rougher than usual, though she seemed to enjoy it too, if her moans were anything to go by.

"Say it," she demanded, shaking as her orgasm built with more force than ever before, her hips rising to meet his every thrust.

"I'm yours, forever, and ever. I love you." The words were ground out through clenched teeth as he tried to hold on, to let Hermione come first.

He felt a sudden tingle of magic as Hermione came. He rode the wave of contractions as he thrust into the heat of her body, coming forcefully just moments later. Again, the tingle of magic passed over the two. His lust-fogged brain catalogued the sensations for later examination, choosing instead to focus on the need to breathe as he rode out the aftershock of his own climax, Hermione's muscles still sending out small tremors as they clenched and unclenched around his still-hard member.

Severus moved to the side, not letting go of the woman in his arms as he tried to catch his breath.

"I think we missed our reservations." Hermione pulled the covers over them as she settled into his side, smiling when she felt him pull her closer.

He chuckled, gracing her with one of his rare smiles. "I don't think we're dressed appropriately for Agata e Romeo , anyway." Gently, he moved her hair back off her face. "Are you okay? I was a bit... I was a bit 'rougher' than you've been used to."

Hermione broke out laughing. "Rougher? You were amazing!"

Amazing? Maybe it was time to introduce her to a few of his more 'unusual' areas of interest.

"Severus, I love you. There is nothing between Steven and I. You have to believe me."

He nodded silently. He knew she'd had other lovers, he just never thought he would ever come face-to-face with one of them. He had assumed she wasn't a virgin, even before she had confirmed the fact. He had just been grateful that none of her forays into sex had been with either member of the idiotic duo; he didn't know if he could have handled that.

"Right, much better she'd shagged someone that looked like he stepped off the cover of Witch Weekly, " the annoying voice in his head taunted, "then she can really appreciate you better. I wonder if she..."

Severus shut down the thought before it could form. He didn't want to think about Hermione with anyone else. His past was far more notorious than hers, and she didn't seem to think anything about it. He knew he was acting childish; he couldn't seem to help it. He'd never before felt the depth of emotions he felt when he thought of her.

Hermione sighed. "Hello?" She waved her hand in front of his face, drawing his attention back to her. "Dinner? I really am starving. Room service or a bite in the hotel?"

"Let's stay in tonight. We can have dinner out tomorrow, and I was able to get us a Portkey to Florence on Sunday after the Symposium ends, we can go out then. Tonight I think I would much rather have you all to myself." Gently, he tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear before pulling her down for a soft kiss.

"Room service it is. Maybe we can explore the pond later, if you're feeling up to it?"

"I believe I can 'rise' to the occasion."

"Do you need to revise your presentation for tomorrow? I was looking over the schedule of lectures. There're four other presentations I'd like to attend: two tomorrow and two on Saturday. You can go with me, or we can meet up later if you have other plans." She caressed his growing erection as she spoke, fascinated with the feel of steel encased in satin, smiling when he twitched as she varied her movements.

Severus chuckled softly: making love and academics, all in all, a most remarkable witch.

TBC

A/N: I swear, every time I try to tie up a loose end, it splits off into a new plot point. There still seems to be a lot of story left to tell. I thank each and every one of you who have come along for the ride. The next two chapters should answer the questions (and may create a few more) that were raised in this chapter.

Knavish Potions and Charms - knavish literally means 'an unprincipled, crafty fellow.' Sort of fits with the way I pictured Steven Garrison.

Agata e Romeo is a real restaurant in Rome, listed as one of the top ten restaurants to eat. It is described as an "intimate cordon bleu haven run by husband-and-wife team Agata and Romeo, who bring a light touch to traditional fare."

A grateful thank you to my beta, Nakhash, for her corrections, suggestions, and never-ending supply of commas, she is truly the best of the best. Another set of eyes is always helpful, the mistakes, however, are still mine.

Still to come: more of the Symposium, Severus's presentation, a few bumps in the road, Rancine (who is forever up to no good), a surprise meeting in Florence, the unexplained magic (which will make sense in the next chapter or two - Grin), the Wolfsbane Potion, Christmas break (including breakfast at The Burrow), and more. Enjoy. Please review and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! As always, thoughts, comments, reviews, whatever are most welcome.

Pearle