In Sickness and In Health: A sequel to Lover's Flu
All these characters and their world belong to J.K.R.
Author's Notes:
Part II of Lover's Flu a Tonks/ Remus romance. You'll need to read it first to understand how unsuspecting couples are suddenly accousted with this strange strand of the fluvirus.Many of you asked for a sequel, so here's my best attempt to make you happy. ;) Although, I have to say writing Snape in love is difficult challenge.
Chapter I (or Chapter 8 revised from L.F.)
Downstairs, raised voices came from the kitchen. Remus paused outside to listen.
"You're not stirring it correctly." A low, slinky male voice commented.
"Yes, I am," Replied an assured woman.
"It's counter clockwise twenty-four times."
"No it's clockwise twelve times, pause two minutes and twelve more stirs."
"Incorrect Emmaline." The dark male voice answered with certain authority. "Even a fourth year knows that-"
"Severus, my father was the potion master at Hogwarts for thirty years. I think I can stir a sleeping draft," replied the haughty, well groomed voice of Emmaline Vance.
Remus smiled, Severus and Emmaline? What were they doing in the kitchen of Grimmald Place at two in the morning?
"Give me the spoon." Snape said, voice stern
"No." She answered with indignity.
"We'll never sleep with that muck you're brewing. Hand it over!" Severus repeated sounding like the strict school teacher he was.
"Get your hands off of me!"
Remus peered through the crack in the door to see Emmaline slap at Snape's hands. Then strangely, they shared a brief moment of playful laugher. Even Severus's thin lips upturned into a slight smile, Emmaline's eyes brightened.
"Give it here, Vance."
Emmaline drew back her hand, which was now held in Severus's, brow knotted with confusion, "Let go of my hand!"
"Stop being a twit and let go of my hand!" Severus replied, voice rising.
"You impotent little bat! I should curse your tongue to turn into a worm! You rotten-"
"You just try and I'll hex that green shawl of yours to eat your silly hat!" He bit back immediately, their hand holding temporarily forgotten as they descended once again into bickering.
Vance's jaw dropped, "How dare you! My hat is not silly!" She replied as she pulled the brim lower down on her forehead, twisting a dark lock of hair back beneath the cap.
Remus decided he'd had enough squabbling and enough laughter off the unlikely pair. "Good evening Severus, Emmaline." Lupin greeted them as he entered the kitchen, "Looks like you two are stuck together."
Emmaline sneezed into a black lace handkerchief as Severus's face turned ashen with realization.
Lupin opened the fridge and took out a bottle chilled bottle, "Just a word to the wise. The virus affects the palms, the lips and the..." He looked low on Snape's body, "Well, I'm sure you get the idea," he implied.
The pair stared at one another, mouth agape. Remus pushed the door open. "Don't worry it passes in forty eight hours." Then smiling pleasantly, he offered, "Goodnight."
The door slammed shut and Severus, in shock, began to rub his temple as if he'd suddenly gotten the worse migraine of his life.
"Hmpff." Emmaline huffed and turned back to the caldron, seemingly cool, "So you're in love with me Severus." It wasn't a question, rather a statement. "I always thought such."
Severus scowled, "I assure you Ms. Vance, I could easer love a garden gnome than to you, as it would have more warmth in one horned foot than your have in your entire person."
Emmaline stirred, unphased. "Is that really what you want in a woman, Severus? Warmth?"
Snape stepped back with surprise. Usually when he insulted a woman, they either slapped him, cried or stalked off; most often a combination of the two. But she did have a point, he didn't really care about warmth; the thought of hearts or babies or romance—they made him nauseas. He was stuck and his silence held a moment too long.
"I see I've made you think." Emmaline smirked.
"I was contemplating our current situation," Severus replied quickly holding up their conjoined hands. "Regarding what I want in a woman is simple." He shrugged and lounged against the counter top as Emmaline rolled her eyes.
"By all means continue," she replied as she ladled the steaming draft into two brown mugs.
"It seems to me that you're avoiding our present situation." Snape replied, voice low.
Emmaline raised a black, arched brow, green eyes piercing his usual steely core, "And I think you're avoiding the present question."
He was avoiding the question, because he was not at all sure how to answer it. He didn't usually think about what he wanted in woman. Any time that he'd ever thought about a woman, he usually focused on what they wanted from him and then, for the most part, deciding that he didn't have things that women wanted: money, looks, power, he tried to turn his interest else where. Of course, some women were harder to forget than others and for the past year and a half, this woman; Emmaline Vance had been traipsing in and out of his thoughts like a restless spirit.
He sighed, "Is the sleeping draft ready?"
Vance leaned in front of the mugs, smiled and firmly answered, "No."
"Why is it so important for you to know what traits that I desire in a woman?"
"Actually, it's not very important to me," Vance turned and started to magically clean the caldron, "Except for the fact you've gone out of your way to avoid answering."
She was quick, he thought pleasantly. In a languid, I don't give a damn voice, he finally answered, "I want… I suppose that I want…a woman that's physically attractive."
But as soon as he said it, he decided that wasn't really true. Number one, he didn't find himself very physically attractive to be with a woman who was incredibly gorgeous would probably just make him jealous and even more insecure. He looked at Emmaline Vance; taller than a woman should be, too thin with boney elbows, a pointy nose and slanted green eyes, thick brown hair than he only ever saw in wafts tumbling out of her hat, she was not beautiful in the classical sense. Yet, strangely, he'd had countless fantasies about her, finding everything about her oddly seductive and alluring.
A slightly pause, and he continued, "A woman who is highly intelligent and whose academic interests match my own pursuits." Okay, that he felt good with and suddenly, it became easier for him to speak about what he really wanted.
Emmaline nodded.
"I guess it would be somewhat satisfying to have a woman that wanted to aid me in my work with the Order and with other duties." He didn't need to explain that further, surely, she knew about his duel roll in the Order.
"As well as to have someone I could…" He felt the urge to say "talk to", but Severus Snape was strong, he didn't need to confide his thoughts to woman. He wasn't some emotionally fragile wizard that needed a woman coddling reassurance.
Continuing, "Someone I could…share the pleasures of the bedroom with." Where the hell did that come from? As soon as he said, he turned away, his usually pale cheeks, suddenly felt very hot.
For the first time that evening, Emmaline seemed flustered, "Well, of course, that would go without saying wouldn't it?" She turned to the mugs and handed him one, changing the subject. "Perhaps before we say cheers, we should decide where we're going to hold out until this flu passes."
Regaining his control, he stroked his chin, "It's out of the question to stay here with Lupin and the Potter brigade."
"Well, then we'll need to stay at your home as my flat is undergoing renovations and I had planned to stay for the a few days." Replied Vance, then pursing her lips, she blew the steam from her cup.
"I suppose we can stay at my apartments at Hogwarts. The school is empty for the summer."
Emmaline's pointy nose and chin jilted upward. "Hogwart's? What of your real home? I mean, I assumed you had house outside of your teaching barracks."
This is the part when he told her he was poor and disinherited. "They're hardly barracks, Ms. Vance, I assure you. Of course, we could stay at family home in Wales, except that my father would be most taken aback at my presence as we have not spoken in some fifteen years."
Instead of apologizing for her snobbery, she took a small sip from her mug, "I'm afraid I'm not accustomed to living is a dormitory, but as it's all you have, I will make do."
Snape pursed his lips and restrained his urge to curse her with pox, he bowed slightly, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Thank you for being so accommodating, so understanding of my situation, Emmaline."
Her lips tilted upwards, her green eyes glittering, "Of course, Severus. I understand how difficult it is for those not blessed with comfort of family money or property; life is vastly unsteady for the Weasley family as well."
Severus seethed, nostrils twitched; he was nothing like the Weasley's.
"I'm sure we will manage fine for a couple of days." Vance finished and drank down the rest of the sleeping draft.
"I already know that sharing your company will as if enjoying the radiance of a summer day…" then whispered, "in hell."
She returned his smile, obviously not hearing the last whispered words. With that, they finished the sleeping draft and apparated to Snape's dungeon apartments.
Author's Note:
What do you think? Do you want more?