Chapter Five: Girls And Boys

"You'll do all right without them?" Hermione asked Severus for the third time.

"Why are you still here?" he hissed, sounding highly annoyed.

It was a month later. Amethyst took a week to recover and three weeks to help move into the warehouse and reorganize the place. Hermione was taking both Amethyst and Taja out for the day.

They got into Amethysts 1962 AC Cobra 289 and took off. Amethyst drove like a Muggle and they had plenty of time to chat.

"Taja, you have to fess up." Amethyst said, pulling to a stop at a traffic light. "What are you doing with my brother?"

"Sirius?" Hermione said, aghast. She got most of her information from Ron, who meant well, but could be very dense about office romances.

Taja shrugged. "Nothin. Yet. He's nice and all that, but -"

"His reputation?" Hermione offered.

Taja nodded. "That too. Plus I'm not sure he knows what he could be getting himself into."

Hermione was confused, so Amethyst explained. "Some people in the States don't like seeing couples like Sirius and Taja. I don't know about here, really. I haven't been out much since I've been back in the country."

"You and Severus should go out more." Hermione said.

"Truth be told, we don't want to, even if we could. And our years of isolation -" Amethyst grinned. "We've just gotten used to entertaining ourselves at home."

Hermione turned scarlet and Taja roared with laughter. "Your married, Hermione. Your the mother of triplets. You should not be turning red." she said.

Hermione pursed her lips. "I can't help it. I still think of Severus as Professor Snape and I just can't picture him -" she couldn't finish her sentence.

Amethyst laughed too. "Honestly, Hermione. You disappoint me. You can't possibly tell me you don't get up to anything kinky with that husband of yours."

Taja was shaking her head. "Yea, Hermione. Ron is just plain drop dead sexy."

"I'm sure I can make up some extra fruit syrups when I make more." Amethyst said and almost got into an accident for laughing so hard at the expression on Hermione's face.

"And I know I have some extra silk ties lying around." Taja guffawed, wiping her eyes.

Hermione sputtered, "What do you two get into?"

Amethyst still laughed. "We get into a great many things. You forget that we are still making up for the time we lost."

Hermione was still blushing furiously. "Well, I never thought." she began.

Taja was struggling to get herself under control. "Honestly girl," she said, looking at Hermione. "You ain't doin a damn thing for the reputation of British women."

Hermione looked shocked again while Amethyst laughed so hard she almost ran an elderly couple over. "Well, just because Ron and I don't get into all sorts of," she searched for a word. "Wierd stuff."

"Oh, hell, ain't nothin wierd about sex." Taja said waving the statement away with her hand.

"Well, if it ever comes up, Hermione, Severus and I sometimes use this wonderful wakefullness potion. I will be more than happy to have him make for you two. Hell, I'll make it for you myself!" Amethyst volunteered, still laughing hard.

Hermione tried to change the subject. "What about Christopher?" she asked.

"Oh, he's a lot like Sirius, that one." Amethyst said, and Taja nodded, thoughtfully. "He can have it his own way with just about any skirt comes his way."

"He and Sirius do hang a lot." Taja sighed.

"That they do." Amethyst said. "All the time."

Hermione said. "But they are so nice." she sounded a bit shocked.

Taja rolled her eyes. "Nice ain't got nuthin to do wit nuthin when he comes to men."

"I wouldn't know about that," Amethyst said. "Sirius and Christopher are nice enough and both of them are drop dead gorgeous. Even I have to admit that."

"What about Harry and Draco?" Hermione said. "They aren't bad looking at all."

Amethyst chuckled. "Them too."

"I think it's kinda fun watching Draco and Ron go at it." Taja said. "Those two sure do hate each other, don't they?"

Hermione nodded. "They've been like that since they met on the school train." she said. "It's not as bad as it was. Harry and Ron seem to be drifting apart, with the triplets and Draco moving in with Harry and all."

"Maybe Draco is trying to be nicer." Taja said.

Amethyst bit her lip. "Maybe. Prison does seem to have changed him. Maybe Harry's influence too. They may even come out of this friends." She shook her head. "Those boys are too young." she said. "A witch could get arrested just thinking about shagging that."

"Speak for yourself." Taja said and the women burst into laughter again.

"I'll bet Hermione could tell us about it." Amethyst said, turning a corner.

"About what? Harry?" Hermione said. "I never did. We've always been just friends."

Taja snorted. "Your lying."

"I am not!" Hermione said. "Harry and I have always been good friends. He's always been the perfect gentleman."

"Typical." Amethyst said, magicking herself a parking place in front of the Leaky Cauldron. "That would have been something worth listening to."

The ladies got out of the car and entered the Leaky Cauldron. Before they entered, Amethyst and Taja paused to look down the street to where a demolition team had left a pile of rubble where their building once stood.

"Comon, Amethyst," Taja said, quietly. "Let's go."

They went through to Diagon Alley where they walked along the streets watching and being watched. Hermione tried to duck into a wizarding toy shop, but Taja pulled her back. "This day is for us." she said and led her instead into an robes shop, where they looked at robes and cloaks. Amethyst bought herself a set of shimmering amethyst robes.

They stopped in the Aureum Jewlery Imporium for where Hermione bought herself a beautiful silver necklace, Taja found two pair of golden earrings and Amethyst found a platinum broach shaped like a snake.

They stopped in the Prandium for lunch. They had soft mead, marigold custard, tiger prawns, toad in the hole, toffee pudding, peanut soup, chicken with lemon grass, and crescent cakes.

"Ok, Amethyst," Taja said, looking at Amethyst closely. "I'm tired of beating around the bush here. How are you, really?"

Amethyst sighed. "I was hoping we could avoid this feminine ritual of nosiness." she said. "But I'm fine, really."

Taja peered into Amethysts eyes. "Plan on trying again?"

Amethyst shook her head. "We weren't trying the first time. And even if we did, the chances of my being caught in another mad bomber explosion are pretty slim, don't you think?"

"Is Severus alright?" Hermione asked, quietly.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Amethyst said. "We're both fine. I have recovered and we would really appreciate it if you all would stop treating us as if -" she stopped and took a deep breath. "We lost the child. It's over. Severus and I have talked it out between the two of us and worked it out. The person responsible has paid and life can go on." she looked at the two women with her. "Got it?"

Hermione looked as if she would have liked to say something more, but Taja patted Amethyst on the arm and said "You go girl. Get back on the horse, so to speak." which made Amethyst laugh so hard she almost choked on her tea.

"Exactly." Amethyst said. She looked over at Hermione. "It was not meant to be, Hermione. I know you probably expect me to turn on the waterworks and get all hysterical over the miscarriage, but it just isn't going to happen. I have shed my tears and now it's time to rejoin the living. I am not living with some overemphasized sense of guilt of what could have been. I don't work that way and you know it."

Hermione nodded and shrugged her shoulders. "I just." and she burst into tears.

Amethyst and Taja exchanged looks. "Hermione." they said together.

Amethyst figured it out first. "By Jove, I bet she's knocked up again." and Hermione responded by crying harder than ever.

Taja raised her eyebrows quizzically. "But, Hermione, that's wonderful." she said casting a sidelong glance at Amethyst. "Isn't it?"

Hermione nodded and blew her nose.

Amethyst laughed. "Hermione, think about it this way." she said, and she began waving her arms dramatically. "Life out of the jaws of tragedy and chaos. You love that shit!"

Hermione smiled, then laughed along with Amethyst and Taja. "I guess I do, don't I?"

The three women laughed together.



Harry, Ron, Draco and Christopher were sorting through boxes. The files for their departments had all been mixed up and needed to be sorted through by hand. Severus and Sirius delegated the work to their juniors.

Harry nudged Ron. "I was looking at Hermione earlier, mate." he said, with half a grin. "She seems to be putting on a bit of weight."

Ron turned red. "She's pregnant." he said.

Christopher and Draco looked up from their box. "Congratulations Ron. Again." Christopher said, smiling. "That'll make four, right?"

"Or six." Draco said with something more along the lines of a sneer.

Ron glared at him. He'd never reconciled himself to Draco's and Harrys new friendship. "Just means I'm doing it right." he said, cooly.

Harry quickly stepped in. "Hermione must be really happy. She looks great." he said.

Ron nodded. "I think so." he said, still glaring at Draco.

"I don't know about pregnant women." Christopher was saying. "Mood swings and cravings. Must be worse than just being married."

"There's nothing wrong with being married." Ron said. "I like it fine."

"Yea, but your lucky." Harry said. "You have the love of a wonderful lady. Hermione is great. And you've had a thing for her since forever."

Ron shrugged. "There was always something about her." he said. "Drove me crazy. Still does, come to think about it."

Christopher chuckled. "Isn't that what women are supposed to do? Old ball and chain and all that rot? I don't know that getting married is worth it. Awful lot to go through just to have it off, isn't it?"

Harry was nodding. "But Hermione is really pretty." he said.

"Well, no offense, mate," Christopher said, "But not as dishy as that Taja."

"Taja?" Harry, Ron and Draco said together.

"Yea." Christopher said. "She's one exotic looking dish." he was nodding. "For that matter, so is that Amethyst."

"What about Amethyst." said a voice behind them. Sirius was walking toward them, with Severus close behind.

Christopher opened and closed his mouth several times while the other three young men sniggered. "We were just admiring the beauty of the ladies this morning, mate."

Sirius was wearing a crooked smile. "And you are saying that Taja and Amethyst are pretty exotic looking dishes?"

Christopher took a deep breath. "I know Amethyst is your sister. And your wife." he said, looking over Sirius shoulder to Severus. "But you have to admit -"

Sirius looked behind him to Severus and they both smiled. "Yes, we know." Severus said, with half a grin. "She still turns heads after twenty years."

Sirius nodded. "You heard how I tried to keep the guys away from her." he said. "I'm still protective of my sister."

Christopher nodded. "I know. I saw." he said. "I didn't mean anything by it. I definitely don't want you two after me."

Sirius and Severus laughed. "Listen, I don't think we are going to kill someone just for looking at Amethyst." Sirius said.

Severus said, smoothly. "There would be far too many people to kill if we did that." but the eyes on Christopher were cold. It seemed he found the challenge fascinating, however.

"And to Taja," Sirius said. "You don't actually think she would fall for you over me, do you?"

"She's too young for you." Christopher said, waspishly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "It takes an older man to appreciate a younger woman." he countered, equally as waspish.

Harry, Ron and Draco all watched this with interest. Severus watched this with amusement.

"Oh joy." Severus said, dryly. "Another lovers triangle. I thought the days of those were over when I left Hogwarts." and he turned and left, taking the stairs at the far end back up to his laboratory.

Christopher flinched. "Lovers triangle?"

Harry laughed. "He's probably talking about all the rumors about me and Hermione and Ron and Hermione."

"One or two people said Draco here had a thing for Hermione, too." Ron said, thoughtfully, looking at Draco with something along the lines of triumph.

"If I did, I wasn't thinking relationship." Draco drawled. "Get a piece and go."

Harry grabbed Ron and Christopher grabbed Draco before they could get to each other.

"He was probably talking about us when we were at school." Sirius said, getting in between Ron and Draco, who were still struggling to get to each other.

Harry looked over Ron's struggling shoulder. "You mean he really did have a thing for my Mum?" Harry was taken a bit by surprise at this. He'd heard the rumors, of course. Even Ron stopped struggling, although he continued to glare daggers at Draco.

"No, no, no." Sirius said. "He never showed much interest in girls. They said he and I were after the same girl for a while, but no one could figure out which girl it was."

"Amethyst." Harry, Ron and Draco said simultaneously.

"Well, that was the girl, but it wasn't what the rumor mongers thought." Sirius said. "All they knew was Severus Snape and I were cursing each other in the halls on a daily basis."

Christopher let Draco go and said. "All over a woman?"

"Yup," Sirius said. "That's what they'll do to you."

They managed to sort the files without any more discussion.