Chapter 49 - Expecting The Unexpected

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 49 - Expecting The Unexpected

The holiday break had flown by too quickly, though it had been populated with several memorable and outstanding events: their success at treating Lupin with the reformulated Wolfsbane; their...enlightening lunch with Trelawney (and her amazing offer to speak with Ag Viridis which, of course, led to Hermione's obsessive need to research him in every nook and cranny Hogwarts had to offer in case Trelawney did come through and an offer presented itself); Christmas lunch at the Burrows (he really wasn't surprised at the announcement of Potter and Miss Weasley's impending nuptials, just that it had taken this long for the two to actually decide to marry); Tonks and Remus' engagement; and a most memorable private New Year's Eve celebration with Hermione. His only regret was the start of the new school year on Monday; it meant he would only have tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday morning with Hermione before the hordes of students returned to Hogwarts 'hallowed' halls and she returned to Cambridge and they both returned to the grind that was their lives.

Two weeks of waking up next to the witch, two weeks of endless time had spoiled him. He cursed his need for her even as he wished the holiday would never end. All in all, it had been a memorable year, he thought, as he recast the wards on his private lab before entering his quarters through the side entrance. Even this late in the evening, it wouldn't take long to fill the list of potions Miss Weasley required for the hospital wing. He supposed it could wait until Monday, but knowing that the blood replenishing potion, among others, was due to go off before then, left him feeling uncomfortable. In the past he would have brewed the Hospital's potions at the beginning of the break before entertaining any thought of leisure time for himself. This year, Hermione had changed all that. Still, she was a talented brewer in her own right; between the two of them, they could make short work of it.

Silently, he let himself into his quarters. He could hear Hermione talking to someone on the Floo connection in his study. Straining his ears, he could just make out Hermione's voice.

"Are you sure? Did you run the test again?"

What test? Was that Poppy she was talking to? She hadn't mentioned any problems. Did this have to do with the fall she'd taken in November? He thought she'd had a final recheck two weeks ago and had said everything was fine. What wasn't she telling him?

"I see. And it came out the same? Well, a baby isn't on my list of things to accomplish right now, but if..."

'A baby! She's pregnant?' an odd voice, one he'd never heard before, definitely not "The Thong" voice, screamed inside his head.

Severus felt the room shift; he reached out and planted a hand against the wall to steady himself. A baby? Dear, Merlin. He loved Hermione; there was no question about that, but... a baby? They'd both cast protection charms anytime they'd made love, figuring two charms were safer than one. While no charm was 100% effective, the two charms should have provided at least 99.999674% protection.

'Well, someone has to make up that less than 1%,' the voice commented smugly.

Staggering slightly, Severus moved to the sofa and sat down.

Well, the leaf had ensured they would be together; it was only a matter of time before...

"Severus?"

He barely had time to compose himself before Hermione was standing in front of him.

"I didn't hear you come in. Are you all right? You don't look well." Frowning slightly, she pressed a hand to his forehead, accessing his temperature. "No fever. But you seem paler than usual. Even your skin feels a bit clammy. Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?"

"Yes, are you ill? Is something wrong?

"Wrong?"

Her laugh was mirthless. "Yes, wrong, as in 'not right.'"

He drew a deep shuddering breath. "Hermione... "

It was at that moment his Floo connection in the lounge roared to life.

The flames flared green as Minerva's voice sounded through the connection. "Severus? Severus, are you there?"

He could hear the panic in Minerva's voice. What in the devil did she want with him now? Wasn't he entitled to a moment's peace? He had important issues to discuss with Hermione. He needed to discuss the baby. Baby? Was she really pregnant? When was she due? Why hadn't she told him yet? How did this happen? Oh, Merlin, did she want him in the delivery room? Did he want to be there? Was it a boy or girl? Did she have a name picked out already? The child would not be sorted into Gryffindor if he had anything to say about it. He wondered if the child would be a result of its genetics (i.e. with his Slytherin genes and tendencies, which would dominate its DNA no doubt, it had to be a boy, he thought smugly) as opposed to her DNA. Just how much did environment affect things? Dear Lord, what if it was a girl? No, no, better not to speculate. And what could he possibly do about what would happen to his child due to the unfortunate and most likely constant contact with Potter's and Weasley's Gryffindor tendencies, he wondered, shuddering slightly knowing he wouldn't be able to ban or hex the idiotic duo due to Hermione's affection for the pair. Oh, God, he didn't even want to think of Hermione's whole persona. Oh, Circe, the child would be a Gryffindor. He could see Albus' twinkle now.

"Severus!" Minerva's shout brought him out of his trance. "It's imperative you come to the front hall immediately. Something has gone wrong with the underground plumbing. Water is leaking in through cracks that have suddenly formed in the main wall of the lower level. Both the boys and girls lavatories on the first floor are flooding at an alarming rate. Albus thinks it has something to do with the Chamber of Secrets below them. He needs all four Heads of House to recast the structural wards and repair the damage. Between the five of us, we should be able to reverse the problem, but you must hurry."

"Minerva, I can't..." If the witch thought he was going to leave Hermione to stop some flood in the loo, she had another thing coming.

"Severus, now!" The normally benign Headmaster's voice roared through the Floo connection, quelling any question of refusing the summons. He could hear Albus issuing orders to the others to seal the hallway as he closed the connection with a slam.

Rubbing his forehead in a vain attempt to banish the headache that was forming there, he turned to Hermione. "I'm afraid I need to ..."

"Yes, of course. Maybe I should come, too? Six wands are better than five."

"No, the castle will only recognize the Heads of House and the Headmaster when dealing with the basic wards. Anyone else might actually make things worse. I'm sorry, but I really need to go."

"Go, I understand. It's a good thing everyone is here, or it could've been worse."

Severus nodded as he headed for the door. "You do know the castle is sentient? It must have known we're all here. I swear it does something like this at least once a year out of boredom. Though how one would amuse a castle, I'll never know."

Hermione smiled; she didn't think she would ever tire of magic.

It was late when he returned to his quarters. Hermione had left the fire blazing in the lounge grate, its warmth a welcome sight after the night he'd had. The castle had 'played' with them. Just as one crack was repaired, another would form on the opposite wall. Flitwick had tried to cast a waterproofing charm on their robes, but the charm kept giving out. There was nothing he hated more than dragging sodden robes around as he walked, his feet squishing with every step he took. It wasn't until the repairs were done and the entire mess in both loos cleaned up that the charms finally held. The drying charms he'd cast on his robes drove away some of the chill he felt.

A note hovering over the coffee table said Hermione had gone to bed but that he should wake her when he returned. Summoning a glass and a bottle of vintage Olde Ogdens, he collapsed on the sofa instead. He hadn't had time to question Hermione about the baby, but the thought had never been far from his mind, nonetheless. He didn't even know if he wanted children. Well, that was a moot point now, wasn't it? A plan, he needed a plan. Perhaps he should wait until Hermione brought it up, then he wouldn't have to admit he'd overheard her conversation. His partially inebriated brain thought that was a splendid idea. With his course of action decided, he headed off to bed.

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"Istrne cofme?"

"Pardon me?" He'd been with Hermione long enough to know that she was not a morning person. Several cups of strong coffee, applied liberally to the semi-conscious witch, were required before a coherent conversation could be attempted.

"Is there coffee?"

"Perhaps you would prefer tea?"

"Coffee!"

Severus smiled, one cup wouldn't hurt her, though tea, decaffeinated, would have been a better choice he thought. "As you wish." A tea service, replete with decanters of both tea (Severus' brew of choice) and coffee appeared atop Severus' nightstand. The elves had thoughtfully included an assortment of fresh scones and fruit toppings, too.

'Breakfast' passed quietly, Severus waiting for Hermione to talk to him; Hermione focused on attempting to wake herself up, instead. "You didn't wake me up when you got back last night."

He snorted quietly. "More like early this morning, really; you were sound asleep when I came to bed. I didn't see the point in waking you. You must have needed the rest." There, he'd handed her an opening you could force a Hippogriff through. Maybe now they could talk.

She nodded absentmindedly, stretching as she came awake. "What's on today agenda?"

He watched her move, alert for any changes in her body he might have missed. "I have a bit of brewing to do for the Hospital. Otherwise, we have the day to ourselves."

Hermione's smile was sly. "I'm sure we can find something to amuse ourselves."

Severus nodded, wondering why she didn't tell him her news. Well, he could wait until she was ready. "I need to speak to Poppy about a few of the potions on the list she and Miss Weasley sent me. We can start brewing after that."

Hermione yawned, "That's fine. Ginny wanted to talk to me about something or other this morning. Why don't we meet back here at lunch time?"

Severus nodded his agreement. Was she planning on confiding in Ginevra before talking to him about his own child? He was a patient man, but even he had his limits.

Severus caught the barest glimpse of Hermione and Ginny as they ascended the stairs. From the direction they were heading, he assumed his lover was dragging the Weasley girl to the library to research something or other. He had to smile. In some ways, Hermione was still the same person she had been as a student.

"And thank Merlin she's changed in all the ways that count! Especially her choice of knickers." The annoying voice in his head had returned to making periodic lewd remarks, still salivating over The Thong whenever Hermione chose to wear one. He was sure his psyche had splintered, but he was hard pressed to figure out how to repair the problem without opening himself to ridicule if he had to tell someone else about it. Pushing through the doors to the Hospital, he shook off his concerns for the moment.

"...A wee babe. It's been so long, I can barely remember when we had a baby in residence in the castle." Minerva's brogue was thick with emotion, the thought of a wee one bringing out her maternal instincts.

Poppy addressed the head hovering in her Floo. "I don't remember there every being a baby here."

"Oh, it was sometime before you started. It will be wonderful to have new life in the castle again."

"Well, you do have time. It won't be ..." Poppy cut off the witch, years of experience telling her she was no longer alone, someone had entered her domain. "I have to go, someone's come in. I'll talk with you later."

Severus stared blindly at the open door to Poppy's office. He had managed to catch the tail end of Minerva and Poppy's conversation. The topic sounding eerily similar to the conversation he'd overheard last night. Where had Hermione and Ginevra gone? Had Hermione been talking to Poppy before she left here with Ginevra? While never good with 'relationships,' he thought they'd reached an understanding. How could Hermione not tell him?

Poppy snapped her fingers. "Severus." Distractedly, Severus turned towards her. "Are you all right?"

"I... I'm... fine." Abruptly, he turned on his heel and fled the room.

Poppy shook her head as she watched the dour man leave in a flurry of black, his robes snapping out behind him. A cackle escaped her as she thought about Hermione and Severus, still amazed at their relationship.

Lunch had been a quiet affair, both Hermione and Severus lost in their own thoughts as the two ate lunch in Severus' quarters. "Shall we?" Severus stood, gesturing to the lab door. He watched Hermione walk ahead of him, wondering the whole time why she didn't talk to him.

Once in the lab, Hermione pulled several small cauldrons down onto the workbench. "How do you want to divide the list? I can take the first four potions...they shouldn't take me long." She continued to review the potions list while summoning her ingredients. When said ingredients failed to appear before her, Hermione looked up to find Severus watching her, his eyes blazing, his arms crossed defensively across his chest.

"Severus, why is your supply cabinet warded? I can't brew these potions if I don't have the proper ingredients."

"This has gone on long enough."

"What are you taking about? What's going on?"

"I might ask you the same question." He glared angrily at the impertinent witch. "Do you remember nothing I have taught you?"

"Of course I remember what you taught me. What does that have to do with warding the supply cabinet? What is wrong with you?"

"Are you not aware that the burn-healing paste contains stinging nettles?"

"Yes, of course. You wouldn't have an effective draught without it."

"Pregnant women should not handle stinging nettles in its raw form. While the leaves have many beneficial properties, contact with the trichomes on the stems might stimulate uterine contractions and cause a miscarriage."

"I'm well aware of the problems stinging nettles can cause. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Then if you know, why would you risk our child?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Our child?"

"Do you really think so little of me? When were you planning on telling me? Before the child started here at Hogwarts, I hope." His voice dropped to a whisper as the unthinkable occurred to him. "Or weren't you planning to tell me at all?"

"What are you taking about?"

"I heard you on the Floo yesterday."

Hermione stared blankly at him before breaking into peals of hysterical laughter, clutching her stomach as tears rolled down her face. Severus summoned a stool for her to sit on, lest she hurt herself or their child. He'd heard pregnancy hormones could cause severe mood swings in some witches, maybe it was worse in Muggle-borns. He had a feeling something was off, her reaction was definitely not what he had expected, but all things being equal, he was willing to wait and let Hermione explain herself.

Still, her laughter was getting on his nerves. "I'm glad you find this so amusing."

"Severus," she said between gasps. "I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?"

"No, that was Ginny I was talking to. She thought she was pregnant, but it seems she was wrong. Poppy ran the test a second time this morning with negative results again. You know Harry is an orphan, and Ginny comes from a large family. They've decided they want to have a 'Quidditch team' of their own. The sooner, the better."

"You're not pregnant." The sudden loss hit him harder than it should have. While not particularly wanting a child, he suddenly felt wounded to find that there wasn't one.

"Severus? Are you all right?"

"You're not pregnant? I thought you were pregnant. I thought you were going to have my child."

"I thought you didn't want children."

Absentmindedly, he shook his head, shrugging slightly. "Someday. I don't know. Maybe when you've finished with your studies and we've had time together. It's just..." How could he explain the feeling of loss he felt for a life that never existed?

Hermione threw her arms around him, loving him more than she'd thought possible. "I do want to have your child, just not now."

"I know. The timing is wrong. Still..."

"If you thought I was pregnant, why didn't you just ask me?" Gently, she brushed back a loose strand of hair that had fallen in the dour man's eyes.

"I assumed you would have told me. It looked to me like you were tying to hide your pregnancy. I thought maybe you were afraid to tell me, but I did think our relationship was such that you would have told me anyway."

"I promise you, if I were pregnant, you would be the first to know. I can't believe you thought I would hide it from you."

Angrily, Severus threw down the scroll he was holding. "Yes, I understand that now."

Hermione looked at him in surprise at the sudden change in temperament. "Hang on, first you're mad at me for not telling you I'm pregnant even though I'm not and now you're mad at me for not telling you that I'm not pregnant?"

"Yes." Severus sneered at the impertinent witch. "Uh ... no," he snarled when his brain caught up with the conversation. "I just..."

"Should I tell you I'm not hungry or sick, either? For that matter, I don't really think I'm tired. Shall I go on?"

Wearily, he shook his head, one hand dragging tiredly through his hair. "No, I get the idea. I just thought...well, it doesn't matter now what I thought."

"I know what you thought. You thought I didn't love you enough to tell you I was pregnant. And do you really believe I would risk brewing a potion that could be potentially harmful to my unborn child if I really were pregnant?"

"No, of course not."

"But that is what you were thinking, wasn't it?"

Severus leaned against the potions bench, how had the whole thing suddenly gone so pear shaped? He really was too old for this relationship business. "I...I wasn't thinking straight."

"No, you weren't. I thought you knew me better than that. Regardless of the fact that I do love you, and despite what you might have thought of me, you don't even want children. So what is the problem?"

"I've never said I don't want children. Maybe I did. I don't know. Until I started seeing you, I would have said the odds of me procreating one day were infinitesimal. Now, well, it's not that I actually hate the little blighters; I've been told it's different when they're your own." He should have known. When had jumping to conclusions ever provided the right course? "I know you love me, I know that. I also know I should have known better. I'm sorry."

"Procreating, huh? Have a little faith in me. I thought we were past all that." While still annoyed with the man in front of her, but knowing his background, she thought she could understand what had gone through his mind. Reaching out and taking his hand, she tugged on it gently, pulling him towards her. "How about we practice procreating, so we'll be ready when we do decide some day?"

Severus smiled; the hospital potions could wait. "I know. The timing is wrong. Still..." Suddenly he looked at Hermione. "Miss Weasley? Was that the reason for the sudden engagement?"

"No, I just said, Ginny's not pregnant. Actually, she's a bit upset about that. There's no question she's Molly daughter."

Severus hugged the witch, burying his nose in the nape of her neck as he place a line of soft kisses along her jaw line. "You're not pregnant."

Hermione's eyes slipped shut. "Not at the moment; maybe someday. We can still practice, though."

"Sounds like a plan." Severus smooth voice flowed through her, igniting a fire in her belly. The chance to just be together, to relax and enjoy one another's presence was still a new experience for the two of them, and they tended to take advantage of their time together whenever possible. Still kissing, the pair disappeared through the adjoining door to Severus' quarters.

It was much later that evening before they returned to finish the hospital potions.

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A large tawny owl arrived just after breakfast the next day. It seems Senalda had kept her word and spoken to Master Ag Viridis after all. The scrolls the owl left raised as many questions as they answered. Master Viridis letter praised Hermione's accomplishments, both as a heroine of the war and as an academic.

Viridis was a well-respected researcher, a consultant to St Mungo's. Ironically, the university had already credentialed him when he worked as an adjunct on one of the potions committees; he'd explained he had been approached when the program was first established, but felt he did not have the time or the inclination to educate and mentor an apprentice. This, of course did not apply to Hermione. Her accomplishments were legendary, and he would be honored to have her as an apprentice. He'd also managed to obtain a copy of the paper Severus had presented at the Symposium. He would welcome the chance to discuss the changes she had created in the Wolfsbane potion with two of them. Perhaps she could adapt it to other potions as her master's project? He went on to detail his current area of research, what he would expect from his apprentice (which, to Hermione's amazement, involved hands-on experience at St Mungo's), and further information about his own education.

A second scroll contained a list of question he had for the witch. What were her expectations? What did she feel were her strengths and weaknesses? What did she perceive were her areas of expertise? What did she wish to gain from her mastery, other than the obvious? Did she feel that the magic used to create potions only came from within or was there a greater force in the universe? And the list went on from there.

Severus could see Hermione vibrating with energy as she read through the pages. Here was someone who would truly challenge her in not just the traditional ways but on a greater level. When she was ready, he would be more than happy to meet with her and talk about setting up a formal agreement. It was perfect fit for both of them.

"My God, did you know Master Viridis is currently working on a variant of memory potions specifically designed to target each section of the brain? By focusing on the different types of tissue, he hopes to reduce damage caused by several different curses. He's not just examining the curses but the affected areas, as well as potions that could repel the damage." Her voice filled with wonder as she paged through the scroll, repeating comments of interest to her.

Severus had to smile; he could see he'd lost her. He was sure she would spend the rest of the day researching the items mentioned in the scroll, pleased that Master Viridis thought so highly of her before fluttering to the other end of the scale...that she was not worthy of his attention.

And as thought became fact, the day passed quietly. Lunch was a quiet affair with Hermione absent-mindedly grabbing a sandwich that appeared next to her as various scrolls, books, and magazine appeared and disappeared around her, while others shifted, some on their own, other's at her insistence as Hermione continued to work her way through Master Viridis' questions and comments.

It was late afternoon before Hermione looked up from her work. "Merlin, I never realized how involved Master Viridis' work was. I can't wait to see his notes on healing potions for the brain. If he's been able to identify a particular pattern of change due to a curse, maybe we can find changes in the brain that are caused by lycanthropy and treat it the same way. I wonder if he would let me use that premise as my master's thesis?"

Severus smiled. Some things would never change. Hermione had always been the consummate academic. "There is a possibility; you will have to ask him when you speak to him. When will see him for a formal interview?"

Frowning, Hermione reached for Viridis' scroll. "He said he would contact the university this week and place a formal request for me and that I should submit a request for him. I need to get the questions answered and return them to him. So I would imagine it would be another two weeks or so before we can meet."

"I assume that would be about right. At least this solves the problem of who you should apprentice with."

Hermione leaned back against the foot of the sofa behind her. "I can't believe Senalda came through like this. It's almost like... magic," she said with a laugh.

He had to agree. It would appear to be good to be true, but the damn leaf had changed both their lives in so many ways since the day he bought it just a few short months ago, not the least of which was to save his witch's life. Maybe it was time to accept its actions and just move on. The chiming of his desk clock, signaling a warning that dinner would start in one half hour, interrupted his thoughts. "Unfortunately, since term starts again tomorrow, I am required to have dinner in the Great Hall tonight. You are welcome to join me, or I can walk you down to the Apparation point now, and you can head back to Cambridge and get a jump on your revising. I'm sure you're at least hours behind."

Smiling, Hermione got up and walked over to Severus. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spend our last day of vacation on Master Viridis' scrolls. It's just that... "

Severus raised a hand to quiet her as he pulled Hermione into his lap. "Don't apologize. I'm truly glad the question of who to apprentice with has been resolved so quickly and not just quickly, but with someone so worthy of your talent. Viridis is a great potions master; he will challenge you to do your best. I know how important this is for you future education." They kissed quietly for a minute before the clock chimed again. "Fifteen minutes until dinner. Will you join me or did you want to head back?"

"Dinner at Hogwarts...what a treat. At least we'll have a few minutes later before I have to get back." She rose quickly, straightening her clothes before summoning a simple robe to wear to dinner. "I need to talk to Gin for a minute when we get in. She wants to meet either this week or next to look at wedding robes. She's still annoyed that someone leaked news of her engagement to the Prophet. Really, other than family and friends, who knew? I can't imagine any one of us would talk to the Prophet."

Severus nodded, adjusting his own garments, straightening seams and setting his cuffs. The day after Christmas the Daily Prophet had sported a large banner proclaiming, "The Chosen One Has Chosen A Mate!" A mate. The headline made both Ginny and Harry sound less than human. The article then went on to detail their "relationship" from first meeting to the desperate kiss the pair shared after the final battle when they'd finally found each other alive and breathing. The kiss was captured for all eternity by a lucky photographer at the scene as the iconic image became synonymous with Voldemort's defeat. It was projected around the world with the caption "Good Wins Out!" A second headline further down the page told readers to stay tuned for further details as they emerged regarding the upcoming "Wedding of the Century."

Severus motioned towards the door. "Shall we?" And with that, Severus was gone and the stern Professor Snape took his place. With a flourish of his robes, Professor Snape proceeded to escort Miss Granger to dinner.

TBC

A/N: 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: Due to working through the weekend and into the beginning of next week, it will be about two weeks or so before the next update.

Still to come: Valentines, Master Viridis, testing at Easter, the school year, a wedding, the future, and the finale.

-Pearle