Chapter 10: Big Hairy Danger

Disclaimer: We own none of this stuff (except maybe a couple of the banana sandwiches!)and we don't want to make anything from it. We just enjoy writing it! It all belongs to the fabulous J. K. Rowling!

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Dumbledore picked up a sandwich and nibbled it, a serious expression on his face. He looked over at Florence.

"Mmmm… nothing like a good banana sandwich in times of strife!"

Snape harrumphed and Florence placed his hand on the back of a chair, showing him where to sit. He was grateful for the subtle gesture but still scowled before sitting down.

Florence took a seat beside him.

"I performed the 'Tenebrae Amictus' spell."

"And…?"

"And brace yourself for big hairy danger!"

"My favourite kind!" Dumbledore chuckled as Snape's face twisted disdainfully.

Florence was distracted a little by the professors in their paintings preparing for their New Years Eve celebrations that evening. Old Professor Midwiffle was trying to drag a barrel of ale into view and Florence had an abstract thought – did Severus have any pictures of himself? She couldn't imagine it.

"So… any ideas of what kind of dark magic it could be?" Dumbledore interrupted her odd thoughts.

"It must quite strong and exact, so whoever's casting it must be fairly close by. It probably would be easier to look for the culprit – stop it at the source - than break the curse."

The headmaster nodded his head but Snape just sat still in silent contemplation. Florence wondered what he was thinking.

"We could ask Hagrid to check the forest and Argus could have a look around the school in case something's afoot."

"Hagrid could speak to the centaurs…" Dumbledore mused.

"That covers the school, but what about Hogsmeade?" Severus interjected.

Dumbledore turned to him. "Let's take things one step at a time for now. We can worry about Hogsmeade later."

"Maybe Sirius could help in that area – he could sniff around, literally!" Dumbledore chuckled at Florence's words and Snape's scowl grew fiercer. "It would mean he'd have to stay longer than he'd planned though."

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind. He could spend more time with his godson." The headmaster finished off another banana sandwich with relish. "That's sorted then. I'll have a word with Argus, if you don't mind talking to Hagrid."

"And if I'm still blind when term begins?" Snape interrupted.

"A short-term replacement would have to be considered. I'm sure Suzan Sprout would be willing to stand in, in the meantime. She should be capable of teaching them something where you're two subjects overlap." Dumbledore suggested calmly.

Florence stood up and smiled, glad that they had prepared a plan of some description. She always felt better when things were organised.

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Looking up from her worn copy of "The Big Book of Hairy Danger", Florence's brow furrowed at the sight of a black dog entering the room. It was wearing the florescent robe of a seeing-eye dog. Surely the ministry don't think that a guide dog would be appropriate for Severus?

It was the stifled giggles and snorts coming from the other professors in the room that made her look at the dog more closely.

She felt an unwanted grin spread over her face as she realised Sirius was - yet again! - playing a practical joke on Severus. The muffled laughter increased into a loud roar and Professor Flitwick actually fell off of his chair and rolled around on the floor, clutching his stomach.

"What's going on?" The impatient voice of Snape silenced the laughter and Sirius changed back into his human form, grinning sheepishly.

"Err... nothing, Severus." Professor McGonagall declared in between giggles. "Nothing at all!"

The other professors smothered their amusement and all satisfied themselves by grinning at Sirius, who sat down in a chair near the fire, removing the distinctive robe.

Walking past him, Florence stopped by his chair and whacked him round the head before she left the room, Severus following close behind.

"What?" Sirius asked in amazement, knowing full well what she was annoyed about. The other professors just shrugged and smiled at him before returning to their prospective activities.

"What did Black do?" Severus demanded but Florence refused to answer, preferring to keep him "in the dark", quite literally! She carried on down the corridor, but Snape didn't give up that easily…

Florence reached out to unlock the door to her rooms. Severus slid his arms around her from behind and pulled her back into him, splaying his hands on her stomach.

He closed his eyes, but it made no difference to what he saw, and nestled his face in her neck. Florence could feel his breath by her ear and she sagged, leaning back into him, her own eyes closing.

"Tell me." His command was so low and quiet that Florence had to strain to hear. Still, the words meant nothing, the warmth of his mouth and the depth of his voice proved too much of a distraction.

She turned her face into his and found his lips with hers, bringing her hand up to touch his cheek.

"Mmm…"

"We should go in." He muttered into her kiss as Florence turned in his arms.

Upon entering they were greeted by two rather unimpressed owls. Florence giggled.

"What is it?" Severus asked softly.

"It looks like I have mail." Florence said with a smile, rubbing their noses together before reluctantly leaving his embrace to discover what the birds had brought. "Correction… You have mail." She smiled to herself. "Funny how they seem to know you're spending more time here than in your own rooms."

"Well I haven't been down to breakfast, have I?"

"They don't bring mail to your rooms?"

"How would they get in?"

"You have a point." Florence admitted, handing him the envelopes, still smiling, high from their kiss.

He just stood there. "They're no good to me, are they?"

"Oh…" Florence took them back, "I'm sorry."

"What are they?"

"I don't know, do I?"

He smirked, "Open them, then."

"You don't mind?"

"What could it possibly be that I don't want you to see?"

She shouldn't accuse him of having something to hide just because she wouldn't want him opening her mail. Just the thought of him reading a letter to her from someone like Heather filled her with cold dread. It would be like him reading her diary, not that she kept one.

"Its potions papers." She said, looking at the wodges of parchment that were the latest publications in the potions circle.

"What are they on?" his look of eager, almost childlike curiosity made Florence grin.

"Reductor Potion…and…" She rifled through to the next paper, "Patefactio Potion." She continued to shuffle through the heavy pages. "Have you ever published a paper?" She asked, suddenly inquisitive, still smiling at his impatient face.

"Several." He said, not elaborating further, obviously itching to read his mail.

"Would you like me to read them to you?" She watched as the mildest suggestion of horror crossed his face. "…It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I am not a child."

You have never been read to in your life have you? She mused to herself. "I didn't say you were, but you obviously want to read them, and this is as good a solution as any." She said, trying to keep her tone as level and unpatronising as she could, knowing that he would bite instantly.

He sat down in an armchair by the fire feeling helpless in every way there was. The amorous nature of a few moments ago had been mysteriously dissolved.

"Tea?" Florence changed the subject.

"Please."

She rattled around with the cups and filled the teapot with her wand, pouring the golden liquid into their cups. She put her own cup on the coffee table and took his hand, putting his cup in it. His jaw twitched a little and she knew that he hated being so dependent. What would he do if I weren't here? She wondered as she sat herself down, picking up the envelopes; "Which shall I start with?"

"Patefactio." She smiled at his lack of resistance. He knew it was a waste of time and she would read anyway.

Within half an hour he most likely wished he had resisted her offer more forcefully. Every other sentence, she had to stop to ask him a question. It had been so long since she had done any potions theory and couldn't simply read something she didn't understand.

"…induces a dreamlike state. Patefactio causes you to connect to your subconscious while actually awake. This can cause many side effects however and the potion needs to be regulated. The user can be brought back using the Exsomnis draft… Severus? What's Exsomnis?"

"It's something new to replace the Conscius serum."

"Which is…?"

"Put simply, it brings you out of the dream state."

"Why did they need something to replace it?"

"Although Conscius serum was a perfectly good means of bringing someone out of the state, there have been theories put forward by a number of potion brewers that there might be another potion that would have the exact, equal and opposite properties of Patefactio, that would be Exsomnis."

"But why would you bother looking for that if you had something else that worked just as well?"

"Why did wizards invent Scouring charms for Bundimuns when they could just give their houses a good clean?"

"Because it's easier. Surely drinking one potion is as pretty much the same as drinking any other." Florence really couldn't see the point.

"But is brewing one potion pretty much the same as brewing another?"

"You tell me."

"It's not."

Florence racked her brain for anything she could say in retort. "Why do you need a pickled mole, Severus?"

"I'm working on something… or rather, I was."

How could she make a comeback to that? Florence was annoyed that he'd used the sympathy vote to win an argument. She just huffed and continued to read.

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 "Sirius!" Florence called down the corridor to the retreating back. The man in question turned around and stood, waiting for her to catch up.

"Hi! How are you?"

"Oh fine! The usual, you know me."

"How's Snape?" Sirius smirked.

Florence glowered at him. "He's OK. Actually, that's what I wanted to ask you about."

Sirius' forehead lowered in a frown and he raised one enquiring eyebrow.

"Well…" She looked around her, to check if anyone else was in hearing range but still decided that talking about it here was too risky. "Can we talk in my rooms?"

He shrugged, but his face creased into its usual lady-killing lines. "Go on then. Lead the way!"

Once they had got to Florence's quarters, she set about to making the tea. Sirius sat down in his regular seat by the fireplace and stretched his legs out. It was only early afternoon, but he was feeling quite weary.

"So, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, as you know, Severus is having some trouble… as in eye trouble…" She trailed off as he grinned at her. "And… we need your help."

"My help? What can I do? I'm out of practice with most spells…"

She shook her head. "No, no. We need you to do some sneaking around Hogsmeade. Professor Dumbledore said that you could get round there with your eyes shut." Sirius laughed at her choice of words and she groaned. "We think whoever is doing the curse on Severus may be hiding out there. Could you…?"

"Uh… sure. I guess so. It would mean I'd have to stick around a bit longer but…" He shrugged. "What the hell!"

Florence sighed with relief. He didn't take much persuading!

"When do you want me to start?"

"As soon as you can, if that's OK." Florence sipped at her tea, slowly.

"Sure thing!" Sirius got to his feet, putting his mug down on the table that was next to him. "I'll go tomorrow – I'm a bit too tired to transform just yet."

Florence nodded. Everyone was tired after the New Years celebrations of last night. Professor Flitwick had won the limbo-dancing contest without a fight, and even Suzan Sprout had joined in for the pickled-onion-eating competition...

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