There's A Bad Moon On The Rise –OR- A Werewolf In London, Well, Scotland Actually

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 or Deathly Hallows.

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Dances with Witches

Chapter 47 - There's A Bad Moon On The Rise –

OR- A Werewolf In London, Well, Scotland Actually

It was 'that time of the month', again.

It was a somber group that met in the shrieking shack the next night. Harry and Severus had visited the shack earlier in the day, Scourgifying the room as well as setting up magically altered unbreakable restraints they'd attached to the bed in the main room of the shack. Working together using a prearranged plan, they layered in several wards and restraints in addition to several soundproofing charms around the main room, as well as the shrieking shack, itself. It wouldn't due to have someone wander into their midst while Remus was 'indisposed.'

The sky had yet to fully darken; a light rosy glow coloured the horizon as the sun hung low above the Earth. Remus, resting comfortably against a stack of pillows piled against the headboard and already restrained, watched the fading light with an air of great expectation. A glowing circle had been drawn around the bed. Severus had explained to Hermione and the others present that he had cast a containment charm strong enough to hold back a fully enraged adult werewolf. Any of them could activate the charm, instantly creating a magical barrier that would hold Remus within its charmed boundaries if anything went wrong. The barrier would keep them safe; unless one of them happened to be near the bed when the charm was activated, they too would be trapped. It was a sobering thought.

"It will be sundown in four minutes," Severus announced as he recorded the time in his journal. A shaft of fading sunlight, rosy shades of red and gold, coloured the floorboards to the side of the bed. While sunbeams were pleasant to watch, it was a moonbeam that would get this party started or cause a catastrophe, depending on the strength or failure of the new Wolfsbane.

Hermione had to swallow a nervous giggle as they watched the window waiting for the sun to set. She could swear she'd heard Harry hum a line from the Muggle song, 'Sundown' but her nerves wouldn't permit her brain to actually form a coherent question to ask her friend about the song when she realized Remus was starting to react to the newly emerging full moon.

Ginny shivered as she watched Remus' skin ripple, the muscles and bones shifting as the transformation slowly changed the wizard into his own worst nightmare. Even though both Harry and Hermione had seen Remus transform before, the events of that night their third year had happened so quickly, neither one had really had the chance to understand the changes the wizard went through. Only Severus remained focused.

"Lupin," he called softly, "a running commentary would not be amiss. Can you speak or have you lost the ability?"

A low growl escaped as Remus pulled against his bonds. His nose and jaw had lengthened some, not to the extent they usually did, but there was a visual change in his facial structure. His legs had pulled up, his fingers and toes were blunted, his palms appeared to thicken and darken in colour, but his hands did not fully change into paws. Even his tail, the tip visible through a tear in his robe, was not as long as it usually was.

He turned toward Severus, his eyes glowing gold in the moonlight. "I think I can still talk. It's hard to concentrate, but the change feels ... different this time." His voice was lower than normal, and held a rough quality making it sound not quite human. "Not as ... harsh." The transformation was slower and not as complete as it had been in the past, allowing him to retain more of his humanity and to think more coherently. The goal had been to keep Remus as human as possible; the fact that the potion seemed to be suppressing his transformation to some degree was an added bonus.

"I can see a difference in your face. You don't look as wolfish as you did in the past. I don't believe we will be able to stop you from transforming fully, your condition has permanently altered your DNA, but I believe this is an improvement over your usual state. I would assume the pain is also lessened if you do not transform fully. Do you think you can answer a few questions for me?"

A fierce growl sounded as Ginny carefully stepped forward to cast examination charms over the man. "I ... I won't hurt you. I won't even touch you, but I need to get a new reading so we can chart the changes in your body."

The man/wolf continued to move on the bed, an occasional growl escaping as he nodded his understanding. The witch quickly scanned his bound form; a dicto-quill at her side linked magically to her wand recorded the information.

Severus' smooth baritone cut through the sounds in the room. "State your name, please."

"Remus John Lupin," he snarled.

"Date of birth?"

"Marrrrch ... ugh." The bones above Remus' eyes cracked as his brow tried to lengthen. They shifted back to normal once again, before settling on creating a slight protrusion over his eyes.

Until now Hermione had been standing quietly to the back of the room, seemingly frozen to the wall as she witnessed the changes in Remus. But the apparent pain he was in roused her anger and fears. "Stop it! Can't you see he's in pain?"

Severus glanced quickly at the witch before focusing his attention back to the werewolf, or now, part werewolf-part man, as the case seemed to be. "Hermione, perhaps you should wait for me back at the castle?"

"No, no, you don't understand." Remus struggled to sit up before falling back against the pillows. "This is not ... bad. I can still think. Pain's ... not same as usual. Better. My ... change, it's better. I feel more in cont ... Hermio ... aaah!" His voice low, his words came out clipped, as if the effort of speaking was a monumental task, each word a drain on his soul.

Several groans punctuated his comments, but even the pain, as far as Severus could tell, was reduced. Things seemed to be progressing better than he'd hoped. "Lie back, Remus. Don't fight your body. I'm sure the stress of the situation does not help." Severus' voice was low and soothing, almost hypnotic. They had definitely altered the transformation. The form on the bed was neither man nor animal, but an odd combination of both. The transformation continued to ravage the wizard's body, but to a seemingly lesser degree than Severus had previously witnessed. He believed the man when he said the pain was lessened. "Hermione, there is an improvement, to this point at least. He has never before been able to speak once the transformation starts. Only time will tell to what extent we have changed things. And for how long."

Remus' quiet snarls, interspersed with low moans and whimpers filled the small room as his body cracked and shifted like something out of a bad horror movie. "Severus," he panted. "Ask."

Hermione fell back against the wall, her arms wrapped around herself, cringing with each whimper she heard; her face was a study in sorrow as she watched Remus writher on the bed, his back bucking as his spine shifted. "I didn't think it would be like this. Isn't there anything you can do?"

Harry, too, felt for their friend, but after meeting with Severus to set the wards, the dark man had explained what a normal transformation entailed, so he'd had some inkling of what to expect. He glanced at Severus before pulling Hermione into a hug. "I know this is hard to watch, but it's okay. The formula you created has helped him." Gently, he rubbed her back. "Do you want me to walk you back to the castle?"

"It's ... better, really." Remus tried to smile at the witch, failing miserably as another series of changes wracked his body.

"Always the center of attention, eh, Lupin? If you two are through? Can we get back to the questions I have?

"Jealous?" Remus tried to laugh, the sound coming out as more of a growl than a laugh, but the attempt at normalcy broke the tension in the small room.

"Indeed." He watched the strain ease a bit from Hermione's shoulders before turning back to Remus. He'd tried to warn her of what to expect, knowing this emotional reaction was a likely outcome from her. This was the woman who had championed house-elves, had declared her love for him...the unparalleled champion of the underdog.

Nodding nervously, she turned to Severus. "What can I do to help?"

"Nothing at the moment. Just observe. You'll need to write up a detailed report of events when we review the data." He was pleased to see her eyes had lost some of their glassiness as she conjured a pad and quill and lost herself in the familiar task of recording her thoughts and observations.

The rest of the night was spent cataloguing the changes that took place while trying to ascertain how much of Remus' humanity remained. Somewhere about midnight, the wizard's body stopped trying to change further and stabilized itself. It stayed static until the moon started to drop in the sky, creating a reverse transformation as the sun asserted itself. Remus was able to answer most of Severus' questions; he had full recall of his personal information. His knowledge of general circumstances and events were a bit shaky, but that was to be expected. No one was really sure what part of his brain the wolf resided in, only that his 'human mind,' his free will, had always disappeared after transforming before.

It was a weary but happy group that made its way from the shack to the castle. Remus was ecstatic with the potions results. Even Severus' comments, cautioning him they needed more data and further testing to be sure this was not a onetime event, did nothing to dampen the wizard's spirits. His buoyant mood eased some of the guilt Hermione had felt watching him transform. She had wanted a cure for her friend but understood that any change for the better was still something to celebrate. It was agreed they would all meet again at the shack the next night. With expectations running high, they entered the castle, the sun shining brightly on the horizon behind them.

The second night went much the same as the first. Severus handed Remus the steaming goblet of Wolfsbane. "Any other changes today I should know about?"

Remus shook his head, downing the dreadful potion with a grimace.

They were once again gathered in the Shrieking Shack, the light outside the grimy windows darkening as the winter sun slipped below the horizon. Technically, the moon would only be considered full for a few seconds when the moon's shadow disappeared as it aligned with the earth. These few seconds would be the only time it was considered truly full, but the lunar pull, the moon still close to the earth at its zenith, still had an effect on the afflicted wizard, provoking a change the second night, too. The change was virtually the same, but this time the group knew exactly what to expect.

It was a tearful Remus who thanked everyone the next morning. Once again Severus cautioned him about the need for further testing, but Remus would hear nothing of it. His gratitude to Hermione and Severus knew no bounds, proclaiming he owed them a life debt for the change they had wrought in his life. The Potions master, unaccustomed to such shows of sentiment, nodded stiffly while enduring Remus' emotional hug. He would have dearly loved to hex the wizard, but spying Hermione's smiling tear-filled eyes, he thought better of it. There would be no living with her if he harmed the man, even just a little bit. He shook his head, knowing she had changed his life in more ways than he cared to admit.

Hermione was beyond thrilled. The potion was a success. Watching Remus transform had bothered her to no end, but his reassurances that this change had been better than any before, ever, had gone a long way to easing her mind. It would take some time to analyze the data, to see if the results were finite or if they could be tweaked a bit. The condition altered his DNA. Changes would have to be made at a structurally genetic level if it were to be termed a cure. But easing the pain, treating the 'symptoms' of the condition, in lieu of a cure, went a long way to improving the quality of the lives lycanthropy afflicted. Severus planned to start brewing this new form of Wolfsbane for the wizard. With Remus' help, he would make arrangements to test it on two other known werewolves, friends of Remus' for whom he currently brewed the standard potion. They made tentative plans to meet over Easter break, though Remus made it clear he expected Severus to continue supplying him with the improved potion from now on, not having any desire to go back to the old brew.

Once again it was past dawn before the pair returned to Severus' quarters. With the success of the last two nights buoying her spirit, Hermione stretched languidly in the large four-poster and tried to catch a few hours of much needed sleep. As she waited for Severus to join her, her thoughts drifted to their meeting with Senalda Trelawney for tea later that afternoon. She was looking forward to seeing the strange witch, even if Severus was still resistant. They'd been forced to change the time, agreeing to meet Senalda earlier than originally planned in an effort to return to the shack early enough to monitor Remus for the final night of his change.

After a brief rest, they spent the remainder of the day compiling the data they'd gathered. It would take time to analyze the information, and both of them were anxious to determine if the brew was as successful as it seemed to be.

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Severus looked up from his research to see Hermione frowning over the parchment in her hand. Several pages were spread out on the floor in front of her, as well as several large tomes open to the side of the consumed witch. He recognized the parchment in her hand as the colours on the paper shifted in response to Hermione's unspoken command. Their research was important, but the more pressing issue, at the moment, was still the decision of which masters to apply to for a formal apprenticeship. "Still undecided as to who you should apprentice with?"

"The department has extended the deadline for petitions to the end of February to give us a chance to research the new masters they've added to the list. There are a few that sound promising, but after my experience with Tenbrook, I'm a bit skeptical to approach any of them. What if I choose the wrong master?"

"Hermione, Tenbrook would have pushed you to your limits and in the process trained you to be an exceptional master." Hermione bristled at his comment, ready to take the man's head off for defending Tenbrook even as Severus held up one hand to forestall her argument in a vain attempt to explain himself. "He is a worthy master...that does not preclude him from being a worthless human being. I did wonder where the Ministry was getting its Vertiaserum from, but I was too occupied with other events to think about it for too long. I am quite sure any one of the master's would be thrilled to have you as an apprentice. After you've researched the list, I'll sit down with you and we can figure it out together."

A quick glance at the clock over his mantel showed they still had a few hours before they were due to meet Trelawney for tea. A waste of time as far as he was concerned, but the thought of getting Hermione out of the castle and away from her growing dread of picking a master might not be a bad idea, even if the diversion was Senalda Trelawney.

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It was a happy and somewhat relaxed Hermione and a decidedly annoyed Professor Snape that met the witch later that afternoon at the Three Broomsticks.

"Senalda, Happy Christmas. It's great to see you again." Hermione and the woman exchanged hugs while Severus stood to the side, glaring at anyone who dared to look in their direction.

Once seated, their orders taken, Severus felt more uncomfortable then usual, still not sure what he was doing there. He was aware that Hermione generally liked the witch and seemed to take any information she gave her to heart first before even thinking about verifying the knowledge, something very out of character for the witch. It's not that he didn't trust the woman...he didn't. Life and experience had taught him most people had a hidden agenda. One had but to sit back and wait for the fact or deception, as the case maybe, to unfold and then decide how to handle it. On general principle alone, in his eyes, everyone was guilty until proven innocent.

But if he were being honest with himself, something he was loath to do, he owed Hermione's life to two people and two people alone...the witch sitting across from him and Harry Potter. Without the leaf Trelawney had sold him, there would have been no bond. And without Potter, he never would have read to Hermione, reaching out to her through their bond and calling her back to consciousness. To be fair, Potter had helped throughout Hermione's recovery, too. Spelling him by her bedside, dogging her steps at Cambridge, and generally caring for his friend. As hard as it was to admit, Potter had matured past the hotheaded, impulsive youth he had been and had become a young man to be reckoned with and someone Severus had begun to grudgingly respect.

Which brought him back to Trelawney. The conversation had been flowing around him, but their current topic garnered all of his attention.

"Who are you planning to apprentice with?" The question was innocent enough, but watching Hermione, Senalda could tell it struck a chord deep within the witch. She watched the interaction between Hermione and the Professor closely, wondering just how deep their bond extended. She knew Hermione was willing to be a friend, but Severus was another matter, though his attitude most likely was a result of years of watching his back and relying on only himself that stopped him from accepting others. That and a deep distrust of ... everyone.

"Well, originally I'd been accepted by Master Tenbrook, but after I found out about his alliance with Umbridge, I found I just couldn't stand to be near him. What about all the Muggle-borns she sent to Azkaban? Or her barbaric registry? If Master Tenbrook could befriend Umbridge, then obviously those things didn't bother him. I couldn't work with someone like that."

"Definitely understandable, considering what you've been through." Senalda nodded agreeably, while never a fan of the Ministry, she'd heard of some of the horrors Umbridge had perpetrated, both publicized and a few behind the scenes incidents she'd heard of from a close friend who worked in the Department of Rules and Regulations. "And there is no one else you're interested in?"

"Professor Morley, but she's on sabbatical in America for the next two years. I could probably go to America to study with her, but I don't want to be that far away from Scotland. She offered me the position upon her return, but I don't want to put my education on hold for the next two years, either. The department added almost a dozen new names to the masters list just before break. I was planning to research their credentials while I was at Hogwarts this week. Hopefully one of the new masters will be right for me."

"Would you consider working with Master Viridis?" Senalda asked casually. A calculated sip of tea allowed her to watch Hermione's reaction to her suggestion over the rim of her cup. She could see the witch's eyes widen at the mention of the wizard's name.

"Master Ag Viridis? I would love to work with him, but he doesn't take on apprentices. He's one of the driving forces behind several of the new potions St Mungo's has been using in its spell and damage wards. His work on nerve and tissue rejuvenation is cutting edge."

"What if I could arrange for you to speak with him? Would you talk with him?"

Severus raised a skeptical brow. "Why would he allow you to influence him in such a manner?"

Senalda shrugged innocently. "We've worked together in the past. He owes me a favor, but I believe he could be persuaded to take Hermione on even without that advantage." She turned to Hermione. "I'm sure your grades are outstanding. My cousin told me you scored the highest Newts in the history of Hogwarts, tying Professor Snape's. With that type of record, and the work you did for the Order of the Phoenix, I would imagine he would jump at the change to have a witch of your caliber to train."

Severus felt an odd chill race through his blood wondering what actions Senalda had performed to result in such a powerful wizard owing her a favor, and wondered further why she was so willing to call in that favor on Hermione's behalf. "And in return, you would require ... what?"

The witch shook her head. "Nothing. I don't want anything, from either of you."

Severus' eyes bore into the witch's. "Nothing?" He waved his hand at the tea set. "No further updates? No more lunches or dinners?"

"Severus!" Hermione hissed angrily, turning angry eyes in his direction. "Someone offers to help and you immediately suspect the worst."

"And you are too trusting. It has been my experience that the offer of help is usually anything but. There are very few philanthropic souls in this world, Hermione."

Senalda's peal of laughter surprised the dark man. "I would expect nothing less from you, Professor. But you two have given me more than I could ever hope for. I don't want anything. Let this be my way of repaying you, instead."

"Repaying us? Whatever for?"

"For your information about the bond. For proving a long held legend to be true. It also justifies my belief in my grandfather's magic. There are many who believe the leaves are pure fairy tale, an attempt at creating a demand for his jewelry. That the bond is nothing more than an advertising gimmick. Something I can assure you it's not. You have justified my belief in the purity of your heart when I sold you the leaf in the first place. It's a great feeling to know I don't have to second-guess my judgment as my brother first had me believe."

"Evil ex-Death Eater takes advantage of innocent young witch by trying to enslave her," Severus mumbled angrily.

"Something like that, though I know that neither one of you exactly fits those personas." Seeing his look of disbelief, Senalda hurried to add, "The leaf, its magic told me to trust in you."

"Against all evidence to the contrary?" One brow rose skeptically, accentuating the meaning of his question.

"Against all evidence to the contrary." Senalda stated, her manner firm, regardless of what Severus thought.

"Why?"

"Severus, enough."

"Enough what? Would you rather I be more "Gryffindor" about things and go rushing in blindly when I should look?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Enough with the house prejudices. You know what I mean."

Senalda sat back and observed the bickering couple, a sly smile gracing her features.

Severus glared at the witch. "Do you find something amusing?" While his patent glare may have caused heart failure among any number of Hogwarts students, it had no effect on the woman sitting across from him.

"It's nice to see I was right."

"My heart is anything but pure."

"I never said your heart was pure. I said your feelings toward the witch were pure. There is a difference. The aura the leaf gave off had assured me that you meant her no harm. Indeed, it showed you had nothing but good intentions toward her."

"And you were able to read all of that just from looking at Severus and the leaf?" Hermione's hand closed around the pendant, she'd worn it continuously since that day in October when she'd been injured.

"My brother and I have been trained to read the magic that my grandfather's pieces were imbued with."

"But you no longer sell those pieces." Severus watched as Senalda's eyes met his.

"No, we don't. But as I explained before, the magic compelled me to sell it to you. My soul would not have rested had I refused. The aura was the true magic my grandfather had shown us when first teaching my brother and I to recognize it. Until you came in, I had never thought I would ever see that aura again. That is the reason we have been slowly buying back all if his pieces. None of the current owners have responded properly to the magical pieces. None have ever been so pure in their feelings. I have never told anyone this before, but those who have refused to sell us their leaves, and there have been a few, we switched out for non-magical leaves. They still own a Trelawney, but it's now a Daemon Trelawney instead of a Tiresias Trelawney. It's safer that way."

"And for this you will use your influence with Master Ag Viridis?"

Senalda studied the dour man. "Yes, the peace of mind alone would have been enough. But, Professor, you and Hermione have given me a gift as well. To know that the legend of the claiming is true, to actually feel the magic my grandfather had told my brother and I of, to know that only one previous case exited where the magic of claiming had been evoked, and that was more than one hundred and fifty years ago, is beyond hope. I never thought I would feel the bond magic as strongly as I did the day you walked into my store Professor, but to have been privileged to know the magic of the claiming, too, is a rare gift indeed. Professor, if it would set your mind at ease, I would be willing for you to use Legilimency on me. I truly wish for you to understand I mean neither of you any harm."

Severus had spent years reading people. Students attempting to lie to him, to hid their transgressions from him. Years as a spy, watching those around him, waiting to see who would hex him. He had learned to read people and could tell whether they were being honest with him or not. Even without Legilimency he was sure the witch was sincere. "Very well."

"Severus! You are most certainly not going to use Legilimency on Senalda."

"No, I'm not."

Hermione looked surprised, the wind knocked out of her sails. "You're not?"

"No, I believe she has your best interest at heart. After all, she did sell me the leaf that saved your life."

Senalda sat back, a feeling of great serenity overwhelming her. "Thank you, Professor, I am most honored."

At a loss for words, Severus nodded his understanding.

"You said you planned to visit with your brother's family tomorrow night. Would you like to join us at the Burrow for a late lunch tomorrow afternoon? I know Molly and Arthur would love to have you there. Molly has been fascinated with my necklace since Severus gave it to me."

"Molly and Arthur Weasley? Shouldn't you check with Mrs Weasley before extending such a generous invitation?"

Hermione smiled, shaking her head. "They're like family to me. They sort of adopted Harry and me. I lost my parents during the war. And Harry, well, Harry's been an orphan all his life. Somewhere along the way we became honorary Weasleys. Besides, Molly always says the more the merrier. Really, they would love to have you come. "

Senalda looked speculatively at Severus. "And I'm sure this is high on your list of enjoyable gatherings."

"You have no idea."

"Severus."

"They are friends ... of a sort."

Senalda smiled as she tried to imagine the dour man interacting with his 'friends'. "I will be back in London early next week and will speak with Ag then. Look for an owl during the week with details on how and when to contact him."

"Senalda, I don't know what to say."

"Say nothing. But perhaps you will indulge me and have tea again at some later date."

Hermione hugged the woman. "Of course."

Master Ag Viridis. He would be perfect. A top master, known for how thorough he was, he would push Hermione to her limit and beyond. Her education would be second to none. Located in London, she would most likely be able to keep her flat. And then there was the fact that the man was seventy-five and known to be happily married for more than thirty years. He was ... perfect.

Time had crept up on the trio, Hermione and Severus needing to return to the castle and oversee the final night of tests on Remus. Senalda agreed to come for dessert, if only to have one more chance to observe the odd couple.

It was with some reluctance they parted, Hermione securing a promise from Senalda to stop in at the Burrow for desert as Severus attempted to steer Hermione toward the castle once more.

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The third and final night of observing Remus went much as the previous two had. Hermione questioned the need to continue restraining Remus since the previous nights had gone so well.

Severus sighed. "Hermione, two nights of success is not enough to risk your safety and the safety of everyone here." Recording the time in his journal, he watched as Remus drank down the Wolfsbane potion with a grimace.

"But he's..."

"Hermione, I can't tell you how happy I am with the changes you've made." Remus shifted as Severus and Harry locked his restraints in place. "You've given me a new lease on life. But Severus is right, let's make sure the change is permanent before risking everyone's safety. And don't worry I'm fine. Really."

Hermione nodded. It was interesting to note that the atmosphere in the room was much more relaxed than it had been the last two nights. She could tell both Severus and Harry were still on their guard, but the tension in the room had been drastically reduced.

The group watched as once again the sun started it decent below the horizon. Ginny stepped forward and ran a preliminary scan on the wizard as his body responded to pull of the moon. Hermione winced as the sound of bones shifting echoed in the room. It was a sound she was sure she would never get used to. Severus' voice cut into her thoughts as he started to question Remus.

"Shall we begin? State your name please."

"Remus John Lupin," he said with a tired smile.

"Date of birth?"

And so it went. It was a very tired but happy group that walked up to the castle that morning. Dawn had just broken across the sky a few minutes before. The resulting change back had seemed to be an easier one for Remus.

"So, we'll see you at the Burrow in a few hours?" Ginny was grateful her mother had changed the Christmas gathering from breakfast to lunch, giving them time to catch a fast nap before gathering at the Burrow.

They'd stopped in the entrance hall, Harry already halfway to the stairs leading up to Ginny's quarters and Severus halfway to the stairs leading down to the dungeons. Hermione hugged Ginny before following Severus. "Of course, we'll be there. A few hours sleep and we'll be good to go."

Severus waited until they'd started their decent into the dungeons. "A few hours sleep and we'll be good to go? Surely you can't be serious? We'll be lucky if we get three hours sleep."

"Says the man who suffered from insomnia for years. What did you average per night when I was in school? Two hours, three hours a night?"

"Times have changed."

"We're going. They're our friends." At Severus' quiet snort Hermione amended her comment. "Okay, they're my friends, though Harry really respects you now. You like Molly and Arthur. Besides, Harry made me promise I'd be there. He said he had a special announcement he wanted to make today, so we have to go."

"Fine, fine. I'll go and be my usual charming self." He knew arguing was useless. These were her dearest friends. Even if Hermione hadn't insisted, both Molly and Arthur had made a point of seeking him out and repeating their invitation to Christmas lunch when they'd stopped by the castle the previous week.

Hermione smiled as they slipped through the entranceway to Severus' quarters. "There's the wizard I've come to know and love." She kissed him chastely on the cheek before heading off to the loo. "If we hurry we can take a four hour nap."

Severus shook his head as he watched the door closed behind her. It never ceased to amaze him how Hermione could throw him off balance with something so simple as a kiss or her declaration of love. Some days he thought she was probably a figment of his feverish mind. That he'd been certified insane and was currently occupying the place of honor in Azkaban or the Janus Thickey Ward at St Mungo's. He could never decide which of these scenarios was more likely.

Shedding his robes, he turned down the covers before sliding into the bed to wait for his witch.

-TBC-

A/N: Never say never. I was not planning to post any of the finished chapters until I completed the story but I decided that if it was me, I would rather have a few new chapters now, rather than wait until the story was finished. I am closing in on finishing Danes (four to five chapters left- maybe). A few health problems have cropped up again (is anyone surprised?) in the last few weeks and taking up more of my time than I would like. Hopefully things will get back to normal soon.

A grateful thank you to Shug for her support, her time, her general enthusiasm for Dances, and for beta'ing the chapters for me. I truly appreciate your help.

Note: For those rereading the story, I noticed a few mistakes in the earlier chapters that need correcting. I do plan to correct them after I finish the story.

Still to come: The Burrow, Christmas, New Year's, Valentines, Master Viridis, the school year, and the finale.

-Pearle