36- Home Sweet Home
A moment later we were in another bedroom, and he laid me on the bed, kissing me gently. Apparently I wasn't the only one who couldn't wait for our weekend in Majorca to start though I hadn't expected him to abduct me in the middle of the night. But well, all's fair in the name of love and I was more than happy about the turn of events.
Severus' eyes wandered over my body, his fingers raking through my hair. Since we had left quite abruptly I still wasn't wearing more than that sweet nothing of a negligee I had put on before going to bed, white satin and lace on my tanned skin. I loved the friction his hands caused when they trailed over my breasts, barely covered by the delicate lace.
He shrugged off his travelling cloak and I noticed that he must have left his room in quite a haste, too, for he was wearing a grey nightshirt underneath his cloak. It didn't look very erotic but fortunately he pulled it over his head and threw it carelessly aside. In the moonlight that fell in through the windows his pale alabaster skin seemed to glow.
Merlin, how much I wanted him to take me without any further ado! The torment of pining for each other without having had the chance of giving vent to the desire made me almost mad with lust… he'd only have to… ah, his clever hands brushed the hem of my negligee, drawing it up until no hindering fabric was in the way of his searching fingers as they moved between my thighs. His black orbs bore into mine in a silent question.
I spread my legs and pulled him down upon me, longing to be filled with him. I had never thought he could be that passionately but the long bottled up need got the better of us, and he knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted his mouth on mine, our tongued entwined in a fervent dance; I wanted to feel the sensational friction the lace caused to my breasts when his hands caresses them not too softly… please, not too softly… I got what I wanted. I needed it to be a bit rough to live out my desire for him, and he adjusted his pace to my wishes until our simultaneous relief washed over us like a tidal wave.
In the aftermath the kisses tasted sweeter. We were lying in each others arms, feeling perfectly happy that we could fall asleep like that.
-
Fortunately I always had some clothes here in Majorca for it would have been embarrassing to have breakfast with Mum while wearing a sexy negligee. I had packed a bag for the weekend but that must have slipped his attention when abducting me since he had merely brought along his own. MEN!
My dear old mother was so happy when we popped up for breakfast under the pergola where the table was already set. She had expected us to arrive through the fireplace though, and was therefore a bit surprised to see us approaching her hand in hand, coming from my tower.
I blushed a bit as I tried to come up with a sensible reason why we had changed our plan but she just smiled at me.
"Ah, darling, I still remember what it is like to be young and in love," she said, lovingly patting my cheek. Then she glanced at Severus, flashing him an affectionate smile which made him blush, too. He tried to hide this behind curtains of black hair falling in his face. "Don't be so shy, my dear boy. I am very happy that the two of you are finally together, and it's only natural that you want to enjoy the physical pleasures of a new relationship as often as possible. I remember when I met Chris…"
Oh no, I didn't want to hear my mum talking of her sexual experiences. Not at breakfast, not… not at all. I knew that babies aren't found under a gooseberry bush but to imagine your own mother in a passionate embrace was like… well, almost as inconceivable as it was for Harry and Ron to imagine their former Potions Master having sex. I quickly changed the topic before it would get too embarrassing, and I thought I heard Severus breathing a sigh of relief. He clearly didn't want to discuss our love life with my mother during breakfast.
He felt so much better when she asked him about his new job and he told her of the projects he was working on at the moment. Of course he forgot to mention that he had already solved a problem with a potion the research department had racked their brains about for months; he was much too modest. But he had always been a natural talent at potions, it was his passion.
We had a wonderful weekend in Majorca. Never in my life had I felt so close to anyone. We could sit in companionable silence without feeling awkward, or we took long walks, talking about whatever came to our minds. When he was with me his guards were completely down and he shared all his thoughts with me, just like I did. When I was with him I felt grounded, so much more myself and less like what others might see in me. Although we were lovers now he was still my best friend and that showed in very insightful conversations we had while all the same we could exchange some sweet talk.
I was truly happy, my love life was wonderful- we often retreated to the privacy of my tower, sometimes only to kiss and cuddle for a while. Though I'd had many men in my life, the intimacy had never been like that before; I had never cherished the feeling of falling asleep in the arms of my lover, and the prospect of seeing his face first thing in the morning, more than I did now with Severus. We really had to solve our accommodation problem soon and find ourselves a place to live together for the notion of being apart again on Monday was the only thought that could dampen our otherwise perfectly wonderful weekend.
-
Monday morning we woke up early and we slowly, almost sleepily, made love for the last time before the dull reality of daily routine could get its clutches on us again. I must have looked sad when we had a quick breakfast under the pergola because Mum took me aside for a moment while Severus was waiting for me at the fireplace; fortunately we'd use the Floo to get back to London. Although, I must admit, I hadn't felt as sick as usually when he had abducted me through a Portkey.
"Raven, dear, I know that house prices in London are horrendous, but let me assure you that financial problems will never matter if you happen to find the perfect place for you and Severus. Your father was a genius when it came to making the best of the money he earned with his shows, always wanting to know we were well provided for- just in case anything might happen to him- and it would definitely be in his interest if I could help you out with a cash injection, so do not hesitate to ask me. I- we- always wanted you to be happy."
I had to stifle a sob when I hugged Mum goodbye, hurrying to follow Severus as he threw some Floo powder in the fireplace. A moment later we were back to London, stepping out of the fireplace of St Mungo's residence hall. We kissed goodbye, then he headed to the potions lab while I Apparated to my flat in Kensington, hating its anonymity the moment I opened the door. It was much too bright, too modern, too nicely sterile for my liking.
There was a pile of newspapers, Muggle and wizarding weekend editions, waiting for me on the table. I flickered through them, not caring about how well the interview with Severus read or what the Daily Prophet wrote about the first trial against Death Eaters. I was only interested in the property market.
I called a few brokers but to no avail. Either the price put me off or they announced too happily how modern the house was furnished. Thank you, but I wasn't looking for modern. What I wanted was a mixture of modern and old-fashioned, the prefect blend of Muggle and wizarding culture.
Frustrated I left the building and mounted my Harley to go for a ride. I cruised the streets with no concrete destination on my mind when suddenly I saw that house again, covered with ivy, shaded by a weeping willow. And like the first time I immediately slammed on the brakes, surprised to see that it was still for sale. This time I didn't hesitate to call the broker.
About an hour later I held the keys in my hands and was waiting for Severus, feeling absolutely excited. Mr Gallagher, the broker, had agreed to leave the key with me so I could show the house to him during his lunch break. I was so excited because my first impression had been right- this was a perfect wizarding house although it had been inhabited by Muggles lately. Unfortunately they had died in the house, in the library to be more precise, which was the reason that the house was still on the market.
"They say it's haunted," Mr Gallagher had told me in a surreptitious whisper, and he had laughed about it but his laughter had sounded choked. Although he didn't believe in rumours people nevertheless didn't want to live in a house where its former owners were found dead. I didn't believe it rumours either; I knew that the house wasn't haunted. There was merely a Boggart living in an old desk crammed into a dark corner of the library.
A little pop told me that Severus had just arrived, he had Apparated to the shadows of the weeping willow, brushing aside the overhanging branches as he approached me now. At first glance he seemed to approve of the house. I beamed brightly at him.
"It's perfect, you'll see," I cried, flinging my arms around his neck. Then I took his hand to lead him inside. We crossed the entrance hall to the kitchen at the far end of the hall. It was furnished in a modern style but there was also an old hearth that had not been removed by its late owners. Severus merely nodded; he wasn't interested in kitchens so I took him to a room that would probably please him more. And indeed, his face lit up when he saw the huge library, the walls covered with empty bookshelves from floor to ceiling, except for the place where the fireplace was . There was also a small bathroom on the ground floor.
A broad staircase led to the first floor and we entered a light-flooded living room with large windows overlooking the back garden. The room was empty but I could imagine us sitting on a comfortable sofa in front of the fireplace. Actually the house had three fireplaces, one on each floor, so it wouldn't be a problem to connect at least one to the Floo network.
The other rooms on this floor were smaller and looking to the street, they could be used as guestroom, dining room or office. But the best, the very best of this house, was the top floor under the roof. A spiral staircase led upstairs and we stepped into our future bedroom, also with big windows that opened to the garden and a tiny balcony, just big enough to have breakfast on sunny Sunday mornings. To the right was a small room that would be perfect as walk-in wardrobe. Almost squeaking with excitement I dragged Severus to the door on the left and pushed it open to reveal the bathroom, which had clearly been modernised recently. It was probably the most luxurious bathroom I had ever seen outside of a five-star hotel, decorated with oriental looking tiles in white and blue. The bathtub had the size of a small pool and was raised on a pedestal.
I was a bit disappointed that Severus didn't seem to share my enthusiasm but maybe I would have to show him first all the naughty things one could do in a bath like this. Now there was only one room left that he hadn't seen, that I hadn't seen either yet, and that was in the basement. Mr Gallagher had tried all his keys on that door but hadn't managed to open it. Of course not, since it was magically sealed.
I drew my wand and pointed it at the door. "Alomahora!"
The door opened with a creak, behind it was a dungeon similar to Severus' old office at Hogwarts, with shelves of jars containing slimy things in coloured liquids. In the middle of the room stood a table with an old cauldron on it.
"Fantastic!" Severus murmured as he surveyed the rows of jars. Apparently he preferred the dark and slimy things this house had to offer over a luxury bath and sun-flooded rooms. "A private potions lab!"
"So, what do you think?" I asked him later when we were standing in front of the house again.
"Yes, it's nice," he said dryly though he had to smirk at me fidgeting in front of him.
"And?" Oh, sometimes he could drive me mad with keeping his composure at the most inappropriate moments! "Damned, Severus Snape, could you imagine living here with me?"
A mocking little smile curled up the corners of his lips. "Only if you don't paint it pink."
I let out an overjoyed cry and flung my arms around his neck. He hugged me, and we kissed, but then his face took on a more serious expression.
"The question is, Raven, can we afford to buy a house?"
"Well, it's quite cheap for London actually, probably because they say it's haunted…"
"Haunted?"
"Yeah, there's a Boggart living in your library. Of course it won't be a problem to get rid of it."
"No, that won't be a problem. But you're trying to distract me, Raven. I have no idea of house prices in London so what precisely is quite cheap?"
I told him the sum in Pounds and he blanched, which proved that he clearly had no idea of house prices in a metropolis. "Sev, there's nothing to worry about. You know I inherited a small fortune from my dad and we only have to pay ten percent of the price now, the rest in monthly payments. I already arranged that with Mr Gallagher when he gave me the keys."
Severus nibbled at his lip, thinking hard. "I don't think it's right. I want to live with you but I cannot accept you paying for it. If we want to live together we will pay for it together, and the salary at Hogwarts did not make me a rich man. I'm sorry."
"Well, you already own a house. Why don't you sell that so we can buy this one together?"
"Who would want to buy a house in that dunghill? Most of the people who used to live there when I was young have moved away, most of the neighbourhood is dilapidated. Muggles aren't so stupid that they would pay to live there."
"No, Muggles not. But perhaps a wizard or a witch would be thrilled to live in the place where Severus Snape grew up… we could use your momentary fame and popularity, and place an add in the Naughty Quill, announcing that the old family house of a war hero is for sale."
"You are a cunning witch, my dear," Severus said and I took that as a compliment.
That moment Mr Gallagher came round the corner, looking slightly confused as if he had forgotten something.
"Ah, Miss Lestrange…" he scratched his head and glanced to where his car was parked. It seemed odd that he just came from lunch while I was standing there with the keys. Of course he would never leave the keys to a property with a woman dressed in black leather and simply go to lunch. Probably the man standing next to me looked even more suspicious to him but he put on a smile as if we were a perfectly normal couple. "Your… um, companion… er, do you find the house agreeable, Mister-?"
"Snape," Severus replied curtly. He glanced at me, a quizzical crease forming between his eyes.
I smiled. 'Twas only a tiny little Confundus Charm…he wouldn't have left me the keys…
He smirked slightly.
"Well, Miss Lestrange, Mr Snape, do we have a deal?" Mr Gallagher asked, sounding more businesslike now.
I locked eyes with Severus who let out a sigh and nodded briefly. He was still concerned about the financial issues because he had never spent so much money, and he worried that he might not be able to pay his part of the share. But in the end he agreed because he knew how much I wanted this house, and he had to admit to himself that he liked it, too. Well, at least the library and the dungeon…
We signed the contract on the hood of Mr Gallagher's car and then I went with the broker to spend the afternoon Confunding bankers and lawyers. Magic was a wonderful thing to shorten the long ways of bureaucracy, and I wanted to move in our house soon.
-
It had been a surprise when Severus had suggested meeting me at my apartment after work, and of course I had agreed. Now he stared at me, looking a bit overtaxed. We've just had dinner from a Chinese delivery service when I had confronted him with the very serious question about how he wanted our house to be furnished.
"I beg your pardon? I am aware that we do need some furniture but isn't it quite clear what we need?"
"Sev, I'm talking about style here," I said as I piled some leaflets and catalogues of various furniture stores on the table. "Of course I know that the first thing we need is a bed, preferably a big one, but the question is what kind of a bed. Do you like a four-poster, a futon or a water-bed? Modern or antique looking? What kind of wood?"
Timidly he began to flicker through the pages of a catalogue but apparently he wasn't a big fan of that famous Swedish furniture store as his expression told me.
"I never had to occupy myself with such things," he admitted, scowling. "Wherever I used to live before there was always furniture and it always suited its purpose…"
"Well, the furniture in here is also suiting its purpose, but do you like it?"
Severus looked decidedly out of place in this bright, modern apartment with all the whites and pale beiges, the glassy surfaces and the gleaming stainless steel. It was really no surprise that he shook his head. Well, I didn't like it either.
"Sev," I reached across the table to take his hands in mine, "I want to live with you and I want our house to be our home, where we both feel at home, cosy and comfortable."
He gave my hands a reassuring squeeze and kissed them one by one. "I completely trust you in all matters concerning style, and I am certain that you will make our house a true home- as long as you don't paint it pink, that is."
"How about yellow?"
Severus rolled his eyes. "Not my library or my potions lab!"
Laughingly I agreed to that and moved closer, kissing him. We proceeded to the sofa, then, because it was more cosy there, snuggled up to each other, but if I had thought I could seduce him to spending the night with me I was wrong. This place held too many memories of Sirius or- as only Severus could put it- the place reeked of dog.
In the end, after we had kissed goodnight, I was glad that I at least had found out that he liked the dark wood we had in Majorca. The next days I would spend in furniture stores, shopping.
Since Severus was busy with potions research, it was up to me to make our house a home. The Boggart was rattling in that old desk when I entered the library to cast some cleaning spells, hoping he could tempt me into letting him out and scare me to death. Poor thing, I thought as I ignored him, but it would need more to fool a freelance Auror… although, I had to admit that, this specific Boggart seemed to be one of a truly malicious nature.
The bed I had bought earlier today wouldn't be delivered before tomorrow afternoon; it was the first piece of furniture I had purchased because I couldn't wait to spent my nights with Severus in our own house. However, that didn't mean I had to wait until the bed would be delivered in order to spend a night with him, I realized, and a plan began to form in my head.
I sent him a Patronus with the message to meet me here after work, and busied myself with what I had in mind, feeling quite excited about it.
There were small candles on every step of the staircase he had to walk up to the top floor- I had told him to follow the lights- and a cosy fire was burning in the fireplace of our bedroom. In front of it I had arranged an array of pillows and blankets that looked inviting (and we'd definitely end up there later) but first we'd meet in the bathroom, which was also lit by candles. The tub was filled with scented water, rose petals swimming on its surface although the water didn't smell of roses; I couldn't imagine Severus would like to smell of roses and neither did I. On a small platform atop the pool-like bathtub, and probably designed for exactly that purpose, stood a champagne-cooler with a bottle of chilled champagne in it, next to it two glasses and a bowl with fruits.
"Raven?" I heard Severus calling my name as he made his way up the staircase. I didn't reply but merely waited for him. The expression on his face when he spotted me in the bathroom was almost priceless. He saw the tub filled with water, he saw the candles, and he saw me, dressed in a bath-robe. His obsidian eyes gleamed with longing but apparently he didn't get what I was aiming at when I asked him if he wanted to take a bath, since his first reaction was to wrinkle his nose, surreptitiously sniffing if he might smell dirty.
Uh-oh, I hoped I hadn't unintentionally hit a sore spot because I suddenly remembered how the Marauders had always taunted him about his unwashed hair, his greying underwear…
Hastily I closed the distance between us, cupping his face in my hands. "Meaning, I want us to take a bath together… trust me, it will be fun."
And I started to unbutton his shirt.
"That sounds… decadent… but decadent sounds just fine when it comes from your lips," he rasped when I stripped him of his pants and took his hand to lead him to the bathtub. By then he had finally realized that this wasn't about personal hygiene.
"Tell me you like it and that it's great to have such a bathroom." I whispered in his ear. His hair was damp, it smelled of smoke and herbs, the scent of potions brewing. He leaned against me, his head rested between my breasts.
Severus took a sip of champagne and said, "I find it quite agreeable."
"Agreeable, eh?" Teasingly I ran my fingers down his torso over his flat stomach, his skin soft and slippery wet. They followed a thin line of black hair that began underneath his navel and led further south, disappearing between his thighs. My hand closed around him, fondling him. A hoarse gasp escaped his lips and I smirked. "Is that agreeable, Sev?"
"Ahhh," he mouthed. My hand started to move with gentle determination. At one point he made a feeble attempt to escape my ministrations and get his hands on me for a change, but in the end he merely dropped his glass of champagne. "Stop this torture, witch!"
"You want me to stop?" With my free hand I fed a strawberry to him.
"Yes!" His breathing became more ragged now. "No… Raven…"
He went slack. I let go of him and shifted my position so I could kiss him; he tasted of strawberries.
"Now is this a great bathroom or not?"
"Oh… you wait, Lestrange!" And he took his revenge, water sloshing over the sides of the tub in the process.
I giggled. But when he pulled me on his lap later, I stopped giggling and looked him in the eye, wrapping my legs around his waist. "You are aware that we couldn't do this in a normal-sized tub, aren't you?"
"Alright, you nag- Merlin bless this tub!" Then he slipped inside me, steadying me with his hand on my hips while his hungry strawberry mouth crashed down on my lips for a passionate kiss.
In the aftermath of us overflowing the bathroom we drank some more champagne while the water was getting colder. We could have used a heating charm but we opted against it and left the tub before our skin would seriously begin to wrinkle. Wading through the puddles on the floor I realized how glad I was to be a witch and that it would only need a charm to clean up the mess. With a flick of my wand the puddles disappeared. Severus wrapped me in a big, fluffy towel and we proceeded to our bedroom that still lacked the bed. But there was the array of pillows and blankets in front of the fireplace, a cosy lover's nest for us to spend the first night in our house in.
We had some more fun with scented body oil I had bought, it smelled slightly of spices and was good for gentle massages. Although, when it was my turn I quickly forgot about gentle because his shoulders were so stiff I had to add a little more pressure to soften the hard knots under his skin. Severus sighed with pleasure.
"You work too much," I scolded him.
"I…" He heaved a sigh and turned around to face me, "I have to. With all the trials I am to attend to coming up, I cannot spend as much time as I want on my projects and I wish to prove myself worthy of Professor O'Flaherty's premature praises."
"But you already improved a potion they've been working on for years!"
"Well, that is the point of research, isn't it? But let's not talk about work tonight." To underline his words he reached to the bowl of fruits standing next to him and stuffed a grape into my mouth to silence me. Then he pointed his head towards the small room adjoining the bedroom. "What was it again you said you want to make of it?"
"A walk-in wardrobe."
"Ah… um- why would anyone need that?"
"You'll see, darling," I told him, not in the mood to elaborate on fashion victims and their fascination with clothes or shoes. Instead, I snuggled up close to him and soon we were making plans concerning our house and our future while feeding the other one with strawberries and grapes. It was a good feeling to know that I was the centre of his life now, not second best anymore.
-
In the morning Severus got up early and breathed a kiss on my temple. Since it was much too early for me I pulled the blanket over my head while all the same wondering whether I should get up and have breakfast with him. On the other hand I wasn't the most charming person early in the morning so I decided to not spoil his day.
A couple of minutes later the smell of coffee filled my nostrils and I raised my head a little, sniffling. Severus was holding a cup of coffee under my nose. I took a sip before I managed to open my eyes wide enough to see that he was already dressed, ready to leave.
"There's another trial called in for today…"
"You want me to come?"
"No, that won't be necessary. I just wanted to let you know that I won't make it home as early as I like, and I also want to pack my belongings at St Mungo's. I take it we will have a bed tonight?"
Right, the bed. They wanted to deliver it this afternoon so I wouldn't have time to accompany him to the trial anyway. And there was still so much else to do, like I had to hand in an application for our fireplace to be officially connected to the Floo network, then I had to deal with Muggle power and telephone providers and persuade them to forget about their usual bureaucratic ways. Also, we needed more furniture than just a bed, a lot more cleaning had to be done… to cut it short, I would be quite busy. With a sigh I got up and kissed Severus goodbye, thanking him for the coffee
When he was gone I walked though all the empty rooms of our house and couldn't decide what to do first. I raked my fingers through my hair, feeling slightly overtaxed for a moment. I couldn't manage it all on my own, I needed help. As much as I had wanted a house I wasn't born the perfect housewife, and all those household spells had never come as easy to me as defensive magic. I realized that we could use a house-elf.
I've been to a house-elf auction only once in my life and that had been such a saddening thing I never wanted to experience again. The poor little creatures were sold to the highest bidders, wealthy, arrogant purebloods who thought it extremely funny how their new slaves would hurt themselves just to please their masters. No, I really couldn't stomach that another time.
But wasn't there a house-elf that was already as good as ours? I quickly got through with fighting Muggle bureaucracy, visited Kingsley at the Ministry- he arced a surprised brow at me when he saw me wearing a business-like looking suit, but hey, it was always easier to Confund Muggles if you looked respectable- and then I Apparated to Hogwarts for an appointment with Headmistress McGonagall I had arranged sometime in between. Fortunately the students were in their classes when I strode along the corridors to her office, my high heels clattering on the old stones, sounding offending. Modern age kicking centuries of tradition with every step. I suddenly realized why Slughorn had considered my star spangled, silver platform boots such an affront.
"Raven!" The headmistress glanced at me over the rims of her spectacles before looking up from whatever papers she had been studying, and flashed me an encouraging smile. "I must admit I was a bit surprised when I received your message asking for an appointment. May I hope you changed your mind about my offer?"
"No, unfortunately not." Help! I was busy enough without having to try and beat knowledge into the heads of teenagers. "I take it you still haven't found a Defence against the Dark Arts teacher?"
McGonagall shook her head. "It is as if the position is still cursed. Some members of the Order are helping out but…"
"Have you asked Sirius yet? He's good at defensive magic and he's good with kids." I suggested.
"Merlin beware! He was decidedly the most charming prankster I ever had the pleasure to teach but I fear he is not the right influence for our students. Besides, could you imagine Sirius Black actually working for his living?"
We both chuckled at the thought. No, she was definitely right, I couldn't imagine that either.
"So, since you are not interested in a teaching position, and I heard that Severus is doing extremely well at St Mungo's, what is giving me the pleasure of your presence, Raven?"
I cleared my throat. "I'm here because of a certain house-elf; her name's Pinkie. She was always very fond of Severus and… um, we just moved in together…" Merlin, I blushed like a student caught in the act by her teacher but McGonagall smiled at me.
She rang a bell that had no sound and a moment later Pinkie appeared in her office. Her enormous violet eyes grew even wider when she spotted me, an expression of joy on her cute ugly face.
"Mistress Raven! How is Master Severus? Pinkie heard… oh poor Pinkie heard so horrible things and is so happy good Mistress saved Master Severus… so horrible if Master Severus has gone. Pinkie has not taken good care of her dear master… bad Pinkie, bad Pinkie…" At that point she began to beat her head against the desk but I unceremoniously grabbed her and lifted her up to my lap.
"Stop that! You know that Master Severus does not approve to such a behaviour so if you want to live with us…"
"With Master Severus and Mistress Raven?" She stared at me with big violet eyes before she squeaked with delight. "Oh, Pinkie wants very much to do that!"
"Provided that Headmistress McGonagall agrees, of course."
"It is so obvious where here loyalty lies that it would be cold-hearted to not let her go."
"Headmistress allows Pinkie to serve her dear Master Severus?" The house-elf asked in awe.
"Yes, you are free to leave Hogwarts."
"Speaking of free, there are some conditions I must insist upon, Pinkie"
"Anything, Mistress Raven, dear Mistress Raven."
"Fine. If you want to work for us you will wear clothes and accept payment, like a free house-elf."
For moment she looked shocked because being free was not the point of a house-elf. But then she asked with wide eyes. "Like Dobby, Mistress Raven?"
"Yes, like Dobby."
She was shrewd; Pinkie cocked her head and said with a smile. "Pinkie is free to accept and Pinkie wants to live with Master Severus and mistress Raven, and Pinkie will serve you well."
"So we have a deal." I glanced at McGonagall and saw her nodding in approval.
"Like I said, it would be cold-hearted to not let her go but that doesn't mean I will give away an efficient house-elf for free."
"I didn't expect that, Professor McGonagall." I couldn't help it, to me she would always be my strict Transfiguration teacher even though she had offered me to call her Minerva like anyone else did when I had joined the Order. "So lets talk about the payment."
"Ah, why don't we see it that way- I'm doing you a favour and all I expect is a favour in return?"
She looked at me like a cat would look at a mouse that it didn't want to kill yet but play with for a while, and I felt rather uncomfortable because I knew what would come next. I shook my head. "No…"
"Why don't you hear me out first? Due to the recent events and the aftermath of the war the NEWT exams have been postponed to mid August. All I'm asking you is to take over the Defence against the Dark Arts NEWT preparation course on two afternoons a week during the summer since the students have learned next to nothing this last year. I'm certain you don't want to see many a promising career ruined because they fail to pass their exams, do you?"
I hated to be persuaded at gun point but at long last I agreed.
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