Even at the very beginning this story was titled A Cup of Tea. Although it very well might have been titled "Clueless Severus is Clueless". You've been warned.

And now, let us continue onto the next step in the art of brewing tea.


Step Two: Put the Kettle on

ooo

Edward marched through the empty corridor with excitement boiling his noble, pure blood. He could almost hear the little blue box whispering all its secrets to him, however it was either in a different language or just he was getting too old, but he couldn't make out exactly what it was saying to him. Which was why he was heading towards a black door with white foggy windows that didn't not allow anyone to see through it. He suspected – and hoped – there were other spells and charms in place preventing any form of spying, after all, this was the office of The Spy. He expected the legendary Severus Snape to protect his business in every way.

He was currently on the eleventh floor on a surprisingly sunny Friday afternoon, which made the corridor bright and almost cheerful. He couldn't picture the man to willingly choose this well-lit office as his, yet the simple engraved name on the door that said "Severus Snape" proved Edward was at the right spot.

He checked himself in the mirror a couple steps before the door, a habit he had picked up back in his youth in the windy Chicago. London had been quiet today, yet a couple of strands had fallen out already of the bun at the back of his head. His light brown hair looked almost blond in the bright corridor, but he did not mind. Contraire to common believes, he did not care about his looks, but unfortunately, his usual business partners did. He hoped Mr. Snape to be a different deal, but then again, he was in England, home of Westmancotts and oxfords.

At least none of them would be wearing robes, thank god.

Just as he fisted his hand to knock on the black cherrywood door, it opened.

"You are late, Mr. Flannigan. Do come in, please."

The deep voice that made him shiver like the haunted tombs of Egypt came not from behind the door but from the other side of the office. The room was spacious and not simply bright - there were only two walls, the rest was windows. Everything was black and white, even the owner of the business. Only the green plants brought some colour to this otherwise monochrome bureau.

Snape came around his desk – also black – and offered a hand to Edward, who accepted it, assessing the man in front of him.

The man was older now than how he remembered him from the articles of the Sorcerers' Chronicles, but he had to admit, during the war he had played such an important role in what happened ten years ago. Snape's sharp features had changed none, or maybe they had become even sharper, it was hard to decide. The man did not look haunted anymore, nor dying, however Edward had to admit, he still bore a faint memory of the dark past within his features. His eyes were dark, one would say black, but Edward only saw the assessment in them. He was being judged the same way he judged Snape. Severus Snape looked definitely different in real life than in photos. And yet, even the most recent photographs couldn't capture that certain intimidating glare he was receiving now.

"Sit, please," Mr. Snape offered only a moment later. Edward stayed standing and walked around the office curious, however there was nothing to see. Not a picture on the desk, no artefacts from earlier cases, not even a painting on the wall. Only green plants and monochrome furniture. How dull, he thought to himself.

He decided to lean against the window instead, Edward being the person, who did not like to be told what to do.

Snape did not like the insubordination, that was clear. Edward caught his small eye roll as the man sat in his chair, placing his fingertips together, waiting. He tried to look patient, but Edward knew Snape was dying to know why he was here.

He couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped him, and he wasn't even surprised by the small cold current that wrapped around him in response. What did surprise him was Mr. Snape's cold but pleasant smile as he said, "And how may I assist you, Mr. Flannigan?"

Edward sunk his hand in his pocket and his fingers slid around the little blue box. Its warmness almost reassured him that he was doing the right thing, yet he did not pull it out yet.

"I heard a lot about you, Mr. Snape." There came no answer, so he continued. "Some of the information was quite… how should I put it… alarming."

"What did you hear about me, Mr. Flannigan, that you found alarming?"

"I know you are a respectable man and that you run a respectable business here, however, the same cannot be told about me and my business."

Snape sighed and stood walking closer. He leant against his desk, unbuttoning his black suit. "As long as you pay me for my services, I can assure you, I will not ask where that came from," he declared to Edward, pointing at the fisted hand.

"I know that," Edward laughed. "My friends would not have introduced me your name, would you ask too many questions." His wand slipped out of his sleeve to summon something. As he held out the picture towards Snape he was almost in awe seeing that the man had a black wand in hand as well, when and from where he had gotten it remained a mystery to Edward. Undoubtedly though, he was impressed.

"This however, we need to talk about before we talk business. I find the presence of this gentleman in your life… so to speak alarming. Having an Auror in your pocket can be a good thing, but not even you are good enough to have Harry Potter in your pocket."

The cold current was more like a wave of freezing wind now, but Edward was not surprised. Neither was Snape, or he was a very good actor.

He just sighed again, sounding almost bored. "I was expecting someone better from you, Mr. Flannigan. Your boy could not have been more obvious if he dressed up as a flamingo. I'm sure even Potter noticed him and he is still an oblivious dunderhead." He handed back the picture and looked Edward dead in the eyes. Oh, yes, he is definitely bored of this conversation. "And now, would you mind showing me your little blue box or just go away. I have no time for this nonsense."

Edward stared at him for a moment then broke out laughing. He threw the blue box at Snape who caught it in the air then retreated behind his desk. His black eyes lit up instantly, or maybe they only reflected the blue colours of the mysterious box.

"They were correct; you are something else…" Edward noted quietly as he also sat down on the other side of the desk. Snape paid him no attention, but Edward did not mind. He did not need Snape to pay attention to him, but to find out what was inside the box.

"Conditions?" Snape asked not even looking up. He was turning the box in his hand, not yet using his wand for analysing it.

"You get three thousand galleons for trying. If you manage to open it, you get seven more."

Finally, Severus Snape was surprised. Edward smirked as the black eyes slowly moved over to his person.

"Just for trying?" Snape asked slowly, suspicious.

"I know you are a busy man. I also know you are the best. Money is not a problem to me, surely you know that. Mysteries however, oh how much I hate them. Seven people have tried to open this box, none succeeded as you can see. Shake it, there is something in there and I want to know what is it."

Snape did just that, and even Edward sitting on the other side of the desk could hear the little rattling noise the object made inside. He turned almost furious by that sound. He had been listening to it in the past three months and it made him mad that he did not know what is was. Even if it was worthless he did not care anymore, but he needed to know the secret.

"What if I say yes," Snape said, "put this box in my drawer, don't touch it for a week, then claim my three thousand?"

Edward bent forward with a sly smile. "You can do it if you want. Three thousand won't hurt me, and you know that. But you won't do such a thing Severus Snape. Now you are intrigued. You, just like me want to know what's inside the little blue box."

Snape couldn't say anything to it, both of them knew why; because Edward was correct.

"What if I manage to open it but it's worthless?"

"As long as it's open and the box remains unharmed, you will get your money. If you harm the box in the process but you still open it, you get fifty percent of the seven thousand and of course the three for trying."

"You are very generous…" Snape noted thinking.

"I am Edward Flannigan. I can be as generous as I like." Edward said standing up. "Will you try?" He asked Snape as he held out a hand.

Contemplating both his offer and his hand, Snape slowly raised his eyes and then stood up too. "How could I refuse an offer like this, Mr. Flannigan."

As they shook hands, Edward spoke again. "And what about Mr. Potter?"

Snape looked confused for a moment. "What about him?"

"Surely I do not need to tell you that it would not be beneficial to me or my business to have Auror Potter sniffing around it. And given we are partners now, I assure you, it would not be good for you either."

"Shall I take that as a threat, Mr. Flannigan?"

"Oh no," Edward laughed. "More like a warning."

"Potter won't be an issue," Snape promised.

***HPSS***

Potter would be an issue, Severus thought leaning back on his chair. The boy had something against him, and Merlin knows what kind of deranged revenge he was planning now. Ever since they ran into each other at a book club a year ago, Potter had been following him nearly everywhere. Not a week had gone by without seeing that righteous face, which tended to piss Severus off very much indeed. What was Potter's problem? Was it a crime now to read and collect precious books? It was not like he was stealing them. He worked for that money. Maybe his clients acquired their little treasures illegally but that was not Severus' problem. He even spent a day in the Archives looking up regulation related to this. He had not touched anything illegal – except some fine Philippine import cigars, but Aurors surely would not be concerned about that, when there were still so many evils going around England.

And yet, Potter was always there in his life, asking what he was doing that afternoon, or the next morning, asking if he wanted to have lunch or even worse a cup of tea. How ridiculous an idea. Harry Potter and Severus Snape having afternoon tea. He almost laughed out loud again. He did laugh the first time Potter asked, however it turned out it was not just a joke and the boy – man, really – had been asking the same question ever since then.

Severus was subconsciously throwing the little blue box from one hand to the other. He looked at it now, letting its mystery fill him. He loved this feeling, the beginning of a case, which may lead him anywhere, showing him newer wonders of this world.

However, no matter how pretty and mysterious the box was, how much the quiet rattling inside already annoyed him, there was still only one question in his mind.

What could Potter possibly want from him?

***HPSS***

"I just want a bloody cup of tea, is that really so much to ask for?" Harry shouted annoyed at his friend. Ron looked befuddled as always when this topic came up. Ron did not understand why Harry wanted to have tea, or anything really with Severus Snape.

"Mate, just leave it," he suggested not too helpfully.

"I don't want to leave it," Harry told him. "I want to have tea with him."

"Why?" Ron asked for the millionth time.

"Because… why not." Harry answered for the millionth time.

They had this fruitless conversation a great many times before on their way home, or during their short lunchbreak or in the evening at the pub nearby. They had it in the living room of Ron and Hermione's apartment, where even the girl awaited the answer, but it was always just a 'why not'.

Harry pushed his messy hair out of his forehead. It was rather a warm Friday afternoon and he couldn't deal with the heat today. He was too stressed. He wanted tea now, and he wanted it really bad.

As they walked in the city centre of Muggle London he trained his eyes on one particular building, which they had incorporated into their route towards home for one particular reason. Snape's office was in that building. Harry knew that, even though he had never stepped foot in there. Apparently, he was not allowed. One would say it was understandable, given his history with Snape's previous office however the word he would use was unfair. He wanted to go in there and look around. Not as an Auror, of course. He knew Snape to be a good man now, as good at least as Severus Snape could ever be. He simply wanted to see that place, just so he learned where did Snape spend most of his days.

It seemed the universe had finally heard him, because it was none other than Severus Snape who stepped out of the building. He shaded his eyes for a moment and looked up at the sky, no doubt damning the sun for shining. Then he walked away, towards the same direction as Harry and Ron were headed.

Ron gave out a low moan of horror or dislike as he also noticed the man. Harry did not care.

"Please don't…" Ron mumbled.

"Snape!" Harry shouted.

"Not again…" Ron groaned.

***HPSS***

"Not again…" Severus mumbled as he slowed his steps. He knew ignoring that cry would be useless, he had tried that a couple of times as well. Potter would just keep shouting after him until the whole street would know exactly who he was.

He turned instead and rounded on the approaching young man.

"I would have thought Aurors like yourself have better things to do than lurk around perfectly legitimate businesses, Mr. Potter, but I imagine, I was wrong. What can I do for you today?"

He ignored Weasley's presence the same way the other man ignored him. The red head just stood a couple of feet behind his friend, shuffling awkwardly.

"I was wondering…" Potter started and Severus let out a low, annoyed grunt.

"I'm busy, Potter." He said quickly.

"I'll be quick," Potter promised. "Have tea with me. This afternoon. Or you know what. Evening. No one's busy at seven on a Friday evening."

Weasley was shaking his head and Severus was completely lost. He simply did not understand Potter's attitude. What kind of a damn trap was this? He wanted to say yes just so he could find out. But he was actually busy this evening.

"I am, Potter and if you had a decent job, so would you be. Have a nice day."

He turned to leave and thankfully, Potter let him.

He was furious. He felt the little blue box pulse in his pocket. He did not even care about it at the moment, all he wanted to do was throw it at Potter. He almost turned around and screamed 'What do you want from me' but of course he was better than that.

"Bye, Snape…" said Potter behind him and Severus thought he needed to go to St. Mungo's because he heard Potter's voice to be… rather gloomy.

***HPSS***

"Hello, Mr. Snape."

Severus slipped on the bar chair next to Flannigan and looked at the whisky in front of him.

"I thought you asked me here on a business meeting," he said just loud enough to be heard over the crowd.

"What else would this be?" Flannigan smirked, his blue eyes glinting in the half-dark. He clinked his glass to Severus' and sipped into it.

"You Americans handle meetings rather differently than we do," Severus stated but he also took a sip of the whiskey. It burned but it was undoubtedly quality. And he found it delicious.

"If you would prefer your office, I'm more than happy to take you there," offered his partner, then added quietly, "Or anywhere else."

A couple hours ago, he had received an owl from Edward Flannigan, asking him to agree to a meeting at a bar not far from Severus' office. Needing a drink himself, Severus consented without a word, however he was still not sure it was a good idea. Surely Flannigan knew he could not have made any significant progress in the case of the little blue box, so why the meeting?

"How was your day?" Flannigan inquired.

Severus almost spat out the expensive booze.

"Excuse me," he asked back slowly.

"Your day," Flannigan repeated. "How was it?"

"Did you ask me here for a social chat, Mr. Flannigan, or is there an actual reason for this meeting?"

A deep laughter sounded up next to him and he looked at the man about the same age as him, though looking a lot younger and in general, better.

"Not a fan of small talk, are we, Snape." It did not allude Severus that Flannigan left off his title. It did not bother him in the least, yet he noticed the sudden familiarity. "Well then, let's talk business. You promised Potter won't be an issue."

He slipped a photo to Severus again, this time they were standing in front of the building of his office and not in Diagon Alley like on the previous one he had seen. Severus did not like the idea that he was still under surveillance, yet what really pissed him off was Potter. If he blew this case for him, Severus would strangle him for sure.

"He walks home this way every day," he explained clearly. "It's inevitable-"

"Would you like me to rent you a new office as well, Snape?" Flannigan sighed. "Because the only inevitable here is that I will walk out with my little blue box and my money as well, unless you don't take care of Potter."

"And just what do you mean by taking care?" Severus asked with a little ball of fury gathering in his belly.

"Stop him," Flannigan said. "Whatever it takes."

The glass in his hand shattered into millions of pieces.

Flannigan laughed as he pulled his wand and cleaned up Severus' mess without any muggle seeing him.

"You have a soft spot for him? Don't even bother," he added when Severus drew breath to either hit him for that statement or just correct him on it. "I know your past; everyone does. And I understand. And before you think me some horrible person, allow me to make this clear: I am not asking you to kill him. I'm merely saying, get him off your back, or I'm walking out. That little thing in your pocket… let's just say that a prince in India is looking franticly all around the world to find it. I want no Aurors near it."

"I don't know what he wants. But it's not your box. He's been sniffing around for some reason for almost a year."

"And you still don't know what he wants?"

"I know what he wants," Severus laughed mirthlessly. "A cup of tea. What I don't know is what he's actually after."

"Give me back the box," Flannigan said then.

Severus raised his eyebrows and stared at the man. "I thought you are curious what's inside it." He fished the little blue box out of his pockets and placed it between them. Flannigan did not reach for it yet. "You know I'm one of the bests, if not the best. I told you Potter won't be an issue and I always keep my word. Just because he follows me like a very annoying puppy, it does not mean he knows anything about me or my cases. But if you want your box back, here it is, Flannigan."

Minutes went by with Edward Flannigan just blankly staring at his little blue box with the sky blue leaves and the ocean blue gems. Severus could feel his palm becoming more and more sweaty. Ten thousand galleons out of the window if Flannigan took that box back. He would kill Potter for this. He would fucking murder him and not even feel bad.

"Damn you Severus Snape," Flannigan groaned and pushed the box back to Severus. "Take it, but you better find out what Potter wants. I don't care how. And you better open that damn thing before he realizes you have it, or I swear to God-"

"Hello," said a cheerful voice behind them, leaving Severus curious about what Flannigan intended to do.

Another glass shattered, this time it was Flannigan's. Potter did not even need his wand to clean up the mess, he just waved his hand.

Severus was just laughing. It was a mad kind of laughter, there was nothing funny in the situation. In fact, his laughter more and more resembled sobbing. He was sure Flannigan would grab the box and just walk out, maybe hex them beforehand. He was already saying goodbye to the ten thousand galleons and all the books he planned to buy with that money.

But Flannigan was not standing up and walking out. Nothing like that happened. The American reverted back to the polite business man he was, instead.

"Good evening, sir." He welcomed Potter.

"Harry Potter," the idiot introduced himself with a gleeful smile, as fake as the bartender's tits.

"Edward Flannigan, nice to meet you." They shook hands as if friends. Severus just really badly wanted to kill Potter, and slowly, too, so he could really enjoy it.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" He said icily, looking into the haunting green eyes. For a moment, Potter seemed almost hurt.

"We're having a drink," he pointed somewhere behind him. And indeed, far behind them, almost on the other side of the bar was a rather large group of people sitting around one table, most of them redheads, all of them once Severus' students.

"Small world," Flannigan noted quietly.

"What's that?" Potter asked pointing at the little blue box.

'The ten thousand galleons I will never have', Severus almost moaned bitterly.

But before he could utter one word or even just hit Potter, Flannigan spoke up. "My little blue box. I'm trying to have my friend, Severus here, to open it for me."

His friend Severus nearly fell off the chair as he heard the statement. Almost every word in that sentence angered him because of a different reason. He cleared his throat and signed to the bartender girl to give him another of whatever he was having. Flannigan gave him a look and he ordered one for the American as well.

Potter reached for the blue box and no one stopped him. It was like watching a volcano erupt. There was nothing they could do, nothing to elude the inevitable doom, knowing even if they ran, they could not outrun the fire.

Severus and Edward both reached for their glasses the moment the young girl placed them on the bar, and dumped the whiskey down their throat watching Potter avidly.

Potter observed the little blue box, turned it around in his hand like a Rubic's cube and placed it back on the counter.

"Pretty," he noted, then turned to Snape. "So when you said today you were busy… you meant this…?" He asked, and just when Severus wanted to blurt out something about the box or ten thousand galleons, he was not quite sure himself, Potter corrected himself in a hesitant voice, "Him?"

Flannigan snorted, snapped his fingers and there was a whole bottle of the whiskey in front of him. He poured himself some, then remembering he was a polite gentleman, he sloshes an ample amount for Snape as well.

Severus just kept staring at Potter. He did not know what to say. He wanted to cry 'Ten thousand galleons for fucks sake' because he was still angry – oh how very angry – at Potter for being here and in general, for existing. But something in those green eyes made him say something utterly different and he was not sure why he was saying this at all.

"Yes, as I said, some of us needs to work even on a Friday evening."

"Work?" Potter asked back and that something, Severus couldn't explain or even put his finger on what disappeared from Potter's face. "Oh… okay. I leave you to your work then. When you're done… uhm… and you don't want to go home yet… well, we will be back there for a while." And the next moment, he was gone.

Flannigan gave him a look and Severus could tell the man was as confused as he was.

"Well." He said and drank another glass as he stood up. "Find out what he wants, whatever it takes, and I will still give you your money. But if the Aurors come after me, I'll make sure they know you knew exactly where this came from. Deal?"

"Deal," Severus said without hesitation. It was the least he could do after this little scene, he thought.

They looked at Potter, who was still watching them from across the bar. There was no suspicion in the green gaze, nothing that would generally suggest to Snape to be extra careful. Not that he needed such suggestions given it was Potter after all – one always needed to take special measurement when it came to Harry Potter.

Flannigan dropped some Muggle money on the bar and after taking one last, thoughtful look at Potter, he turned to Snape.

"Are you fucking him?"

Incredulous, Severus just blurted out, "No."

"Did you?"

"No."

Smirking, Flannigan pushed himself away from the bar and slipped off his chair. "Maybe you should…" he suggested, walking towards the exit. Snape watched him as he waved towards Potter, who nodded goodbye to the man.

***HPSS***

"Well, maybe you should," George laughed and Ron saluted him with his middle finger.

Harry laughed at the brothers, finishing another beer. He felt lighter now after his little talk with Snape and that other guy, Flannigan. They were just working together, good, nothing serious was going on there. It was not like they were dating or anything. Well, not that Harry would care of course, but, just to be sure, he promised himself to look this Flannigan guy up, just to make sure, he was a safe bloke for Snape to work with.

He was so deep in his thoughts, his eyes stuck to the empty bottom of his beer glass, that he did not realize that the merry little group around him went rather quiet for no apparent reason.

The reason become screamingly apparent when someone touched his shoulder. He shuddered even before he would realize who it was, perhaps because with the grip came a scent of something so familiar, he knew exactly whom to expect next to him.

He looked up and he couldn't even hold back the smile from his face even if he tried.

"Potter," said Snape coldly. "Tomorrow afternoon, we're having tea. You know where my office is, I trust..." He nodded, then just as he turned around, he added, "Three o'clock. Don't be late."

Harry did not say anything. He knew it would be pointless anyway. This was not a question, and even if it were and he would not have time, there was no room for rearranging with Snape. He got one chance, and he intended to live with it.

Step Three: Boil the Water

He would fuck up the only chance he got, he was absolutely certain of that.