It was dark out when the left the shop and the rain had slowed to a stop. A fine mist hung in the cool night air as they walked back towards the Leaky Cauldron.

"So, who were you hiding from?" Snape asked.

"Huh?"

"Mr Booth asked if you were looking for a place to hide again."

"Oh that. It was over the summer. I was hiding from... Heather Ross," she admitted, looking down at her boots.

"The Gryffindor girl? Why?"

"She was Daniel's girlfriend," she murmured. "I haven't been able to face her, I can't, she thinks...she thinks I'm responsible."

"I see," he said quietly. "I..." He trailed off but linked his arm with hers and gave her a light squeeze. She smiled weakly at him and pressed herself into his side. The street was deserted and the fog was too thick for anyone to see them anyway, even if there had been anyone out and about.

He didn't let go of her until they reached the Leaky Cauldron. They came through the back entrance and Freddie started towards the fireplace.

"Wait," Snape said softly. "Should we eat? We've missed dinner."

"Here?" she asked, surprised. He was usually reluctant to be seen in public with her.

"Yes," he said with a shrug. "We have permission from the headmaster to be out. Besides, I'm hungry."

"Alright," she agreed.

"Come. Let's sit in the corner," he said, leading her through the crowd to a high-backed booth in the corner. Freddie figured it was crowded enough that they weren't likely to be recognized. She sat across from Snape then opened the pouch around her neck to check on the kneazle. He was still sleeping peacefully. She smiled and cinched the bag back, letting it rest against her chest below the table.

"Evenin Professor Snape," said a voice and they looked up to see Tom the barkeep approaching the table. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Scotch," he said. "And a burger please. We missed dinner."

"Of course. And for you young lady?" Tom asked Freddie.

"Butterbeer please," she said, figuring she should stay away from the hard liquor if she was drinking with him in public. "And a burger sounds good."

"Coming right up," Tom said.

They didn't speak until after they got their drinks. Freddie stroked the kitten through the bag as she sipped her Butterbeer.

"What do you think I should name him?" she asked, resting her head on one hand with her elbow propped on the table.

"Whatever you want to," he said with a shrug. He swirled the scotch in his glass before taking a deep drink. "How did you name the other one?"

"What one?"

"The one I got you for Christmas," he muttered.

"Oh," she said, thinking back to her time in the hospital. "I wanted to name him something potion-y. I closed my eyes and pictured the shelves in the store room and went through the ingredients in my mind until I decided on Hemlock."

"Hm. Well, maybe there's another name there."

"Good idea," she said. She opened the bag to peek at the kitten again, then went through a list of ingredients in her head. "Hmm...What about Mandrake? Newt? ...Sage?"

"That's a girl's name, is it not?" Snape asked, draining the last of his scotch.

"Yeah, true. How about...Starthistle?"

"Girl's name."

"Not necessarily," she argued. "But I don't think he likes it. How about Wormwood?"

The kitten didn't stir and Freddie frowned. Tom came and refilled Snape's scotch.

"I once had an owl named Arsenius," he said as Tom walked away.

"After Arsenius Jigger? The guy who wrote Magical Drafts and Potions?"

"Mm," he said as he sipped his drink.

"Is your name Arsenius?" she crooned at the kitten, stroking his head with one finger. "...No, I don't think that's right. Maybe another name. Phineas Bourne wrote Moste Potente Potions. How about Phineas? Finn?"

"You're not expecting him to actually answer, are you?" Snape asked with a smirk.

"Shush," she said and he scowled at her. "Finn? No? Hmm... What about Zygmunt Budge? Ziggy for short."

The kitten stirred slightly and rubbed his furry head against her finger.

"That's it," Freddie said delightedly. "Ziggy. Ziggy Gray."

"Congratulations," Snape drawled. She beamed at him then looked back down at the kitten who had fallen back asleep.

"Night night, Ziggy," she whispered, then closed the bag again. She glanced up at Snape to see he was watching her with a small smile on his face, but he quickly cleared his expression. She tilted her head curiously and was about to ask what he was smiling at but Tom arrived at that moment with their food.

"Ooh that smells good," she said, her stomach growling loudly. She grabbed the burger and began to eat voraciously. She thought she heard Snape chuckle but when she looked across the table his attention was on his own food.

#

When they finished eating, Snape paid for their meals. Freddie checked on Ziggy once more before standing up from the table. She followed Snape through the crowd to the fireplace where they could floo back to the castle. He took a handful of floo powder from the nearby pot then turned back to her. He glanced around them quickly, then threw the powder into the fire. The flames turned green and he stepped into the hearth. He turned to face her and caught her eye. He gave her the smallest of smiles before saying "Spinners End" softly and disappearing in the flames.

"Wh- oh!" she said to herself and grinned as she realized what he was up to. She grabbed a handful of floo powder then stepped into the flames and followed him home.

She walked out of the fireplace into the cold, dark living room, then into Snape's waiting arms. He started to pull her against him.

"Wait," she said, pulling away. She slipped Ziggy's bag off over her neck and placed it in the armchair. Then Snape grabbed her with a soft growl and kissed her voraciously. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing herself against the length of his body. He was hard already, she could feel it, and it inflamed her. He squeezed her ass and she swallowed heavily. She felt something go down her throat and she broke the kiss.

"Oh no!" she said, dismayed.

"What?" he asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

"My mandrake leaf! I swallowed it. Now I have to start the Animagus process all over," she sighed.

"Oh. Sorry," he said and resumed kissing her.

"You don't sound sorry," she said with a slight pout. She wasn't really all that upset, she was too pleased just to be home with him again.

"I'm not," he growled, slipping his hands beneath her sweater. "We don't have much time. Someone may notice if we're gone too long."

"Mm," she gasped. His touch felt like fire on her bare skin. "Should we – ah! Go upstairs?"

"No time," he said, pulling her sweater off with her cloak over her head. She stumbled backwards as he undid her pants. Then he scooped her up and she grinned as he carried her to the couch.

#