Circa one year before Love of Finished Years

A Pint of Ale

It was the end of the mid terms and the official start of the Easter Holidays. Severa Rimmer, having made a bet with her dear colleague, was on her way to the Leaky Cauldron to meet him there. The bet was that all the Gryffindors were going to actually pass their Potions Midterm.
"And no cheating," she had warned him, "by automatically failing your least favourite among them." He made some complaint about her spoiling one of the only joys in his life, but she closed her ears to it. Now, she was ready to relieve him of few sickles and have a civilised drink with Severus Snape to celebrate the Holidays. Once he actually arrived. He said he had a couple necessities to take care of before joining her.

So, there she arrived. The Leaky Cauldron was as packed as ever on a Friday night. She elbowed her way around trying to find an open table. It proved futile when she heard a familiar voice call out. "Oi! If it isn't my pretty snake!" Severa's mouth twisted into a sneer, but managed to suppress as she turned around. Across the room sat three familiar faces: Sirius Black, who had called her; Remus Lupin, looking embarrassed for his friend's lack of decorum; and a man Severa hadn't seen in years and was surprised to see him in the other's company, Julius Andrews.

The only temptation to acknowledge the trio was the small apologetic smile from Remus. With a small cringe she sat down next to him, trying hard to act more civil than Remus' compatriots. It was difficult with Sirius' mouth running. "So, Lady Snape," Sirius used his nickname for her that she despised. Not that the name itself wasn't kind of nice sounding, but she knew it was a mockery of her. "What is a lovely little girl like you doing in a place like this all by your lonesome?"

Severa kept her anger in check. "I'm waiting for Severus."

"Yeah, leave it to the giant bat to keep a lady waiting. You know, you could do much better, Darling," Sirius continued.

Severa groaned. "By the gods, Black, it's only eight o'clock and how much have you had?"

"I think he lost count," Remus commented from next to her.

"Either that," Julius put in, "or he had so much he forgot how to!" He started laughing insanely at his own inane joke.

Severa stood suddenly. "You know, maybe I'll go wait for him up at the bar."

"No, no," Sirius pleaded, "Don't leave on our account. Besides, I have few things to do..." He stopped and inspected the pub's patrons for a second. He then tugged on Julius' sleeve. "Come on, mate, few pretty ones over there." So the two of them left to go put the old Black and Andrews charms to work.

So it was just Severa and Remus. She looked at him then. She always liked Remus. She always fancied the tall, slender, sad types, and she always found his greying hair attractive. Plus he was so damned sweet. She figured if she wasn't so obsessed with Severus she'd had a go with Remus. Problem being, just like Severus he had no designs to have a go with her. Too bad, too. She even thought his whole lycanthropy thing was quite exciting.

"So Remus, how did you guys find Julius?"

Remus looked up at her, surprised. "Know him, do you?"

"I attended the wedding he was suppose to have with Celestina Sinistra until she said the wrong name at the altar."

Remus nodded. "That's right." He let out a small chuckle. "Good for her."

"So," Severa pressed, "What's he doing hanging out with you blokes?"

Remus shrugged. "I think him and Sirius ran into each other trying to chat up the same girl at the same time. She refused them both. Seeing that they found kindred spirits in each other, Sirius has been dragging him along ever since."

"You don't like him very much," Severa observed.

"I am not one to judge a friend of a friend." He took a drink from his glass. "Can I buy you anything?"

"I'm good for now. It's Severus' money I plan on spending, not yours."

Remus chuckled. "Bloody hell, you talk like a girlfriend of his already despite your circumstances."

She smiled ruefully. "Dumbledore says we fight like we're married so we might as well just get it over and done with and make it official."

"Which you wouldn't mind."

"Which I wouldn't mind," she agreed.

"You wouldn't mind what?" Came a low voice from behind her, making her jump.

"Bloody hell, Severus! You need to stop sneaking up on people like that!"

Remus smiled. "Old habits die hard, eh Severus?"

Severus slid into the chair across from his assistant. "So, Lupin, where's your dog tonight?"

"Out trying to find a leg to hump," Severa told him. "And you won't believe who he picked up as a new buddy."

"Hang on," Snape stopped her, "Let's get our drinks before you start on the story telling, especially if it has anything it has to do with Black. The usual?"

Severa smiled. "Of course."

Snape got up to go to the bar and place the order. Remus looked at Severa. "And what exactly is your 'usual'?"

Severa playfully sniffed. "I'm a Butterbeer addict, help me, Remus!"

"Never cared much for alcohol did you? Well, it's better than sharing Severus' love for brandy."

Severus came back and placed a drink in front of himself and Severa. She raised her glass.

Two Hours Later

Severa had been around each of the party members at least once when they'd been drunk, and she knew actually what they were like when they got that way. Tonight they were no exception. Sirius' hands got busier, and mouth dirtier. Severus always felt it was the perfect time for a philosophy lesson and then compare the lives of the great Greeks with his own. Remus got depressed, especially over his lack of love life. Julius was already under the table.

Severa shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Remus had been too quiet for the past ten minutes, with just his head in his hands. Finally he put his hands down and looked at the young blonde next to him.
"You know," he slurred, "For me, sex is like socks: Lots of it about, but I never seem to get any."

Severa politely nodded. Suddenly she was jerked out of her seat by Sirius. "Come on, sweet heart, how about a dance?"

"There's no music," she pointed out.

"So? I could always hum."

Snape stopped talking about Herodotus and watched the two with narrowed eyes. "Leave her alone, Black, she obviously doesn't care for your company," he growled, getting defensive of his protégé.

Severa pushed Black off of her and grabbed Snape's arm. "Let's just go back to castle. You can tell me all about Herodotus when we get there."

Snape shrugged her off. "No, I think it's time I taught this popinjay how to treat a lady," he said reaching in his robes, presumably for his wand.

Sirius laughed. "Come on, Professor, If you want to teach me a lesson do it with your fists, like a real man." Black took a rather unstable fighting stance.

"Do something!" Severa hissed at Remus.

Remus shrugged, "Seems a hopeless case."

Severa started searching her own robes frantically. Just as Sirius threw the first punch, she flung a blue powder over the two combatants and shouted, "Dormite!" The patrons who already gave the battle a little berth, moved further away as Sirius and Severus fell down, unconscious. Severa looked at the prone bodies and sighed. "Great," she muttered to herself, "Sevvie, how are you going to get your black-clad companion back to the castle?"