Artificial Lust
By Indigo Blue
Chapter 7 – Lessened effects
Severus Snape was a man of logic, but this morning's events left him confused. He had waken up, expecting his two lovers to be with him, but had only seen Draco leaving with great hurry.
And then he had received this letter.
The letter was most likely sent by one of his slytherins, as it was clearly formed to keep the sender secret.
A ravenclaw might have been able to do it, but Severus didn't believe for a minute that someone from that house would not want to do his research by himself.
Because that was what the letter said. Quite politely it asked him to try to find an antidote to a potion which sample came with the letter.
Whoever had sent the letter had obviously known that when faced with an unknown potion, nothing could stop Severus from studying it.
'Not that it tells me much…' Severus thought. 'Anyone who has met me knows that… At least that many…'
He sighed. 'Well, better get to work.'
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The next two days were anxious time for Harry.
He couldn't concentrate to anything, while waiting for professor Snape's reply and his friend's seemed to notice that aswell.
"Really Harry, professor Flitwick called your name three times! THREE! You should pay at least SOME attention to your schoolwork aswell."
Hermione told him after he had once again been caught daydreaming in the class.
Harry just sighed and muttered: "Okay, okay! I just have many things on my mind right now. I'll promise to pay some attention from now on."
"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"Everything is fine." Harry forced himself to smile and ran from the room.
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Finally, three days after sending the letter, Draco Malfoy walked to Harry and whispered him: "Meet me at the Astronomy Tower in an hour."
After explaining to his friends that he had some business to do ("No Ron, you can't come along. No Mione, it's nothing illegal, just private. No, you are both my best friends, but this is something I'd like to do alone.")Harry finally got to the Astronomy Tower alone.
Draco arrived few minutes after him looking worried.
"There is no antidote. I kind of feared this."
"How do you know? Did Snape say so?" Harry asked, confused.
Draco sighed and nodded. "Yes. Some of the integrates I used to create this potion are usually used in potions, that cannot be reversed."
Harry answered quietly: "So now we'll have to go to Dumbledore. Maybe he can arrange us different tutor in potions. I mean, as long as we can avoid professor Snape we'll be alright, right?"
"Yes." Draco answered. "That's how it works. But we don't have to go to anyone. Snape IS one of the best potions masters in the world. He was able to create this." He continued and took a small bottle of silvery liquid from his pocket.
Harry looked at the liquid closely, fascinated by it's color, which seemed to contain tiny bits of jewelry in it.
"What does it do, then?" He asked and took the bottle to his hand. 'If I wouldn't see this, I'd say this is an illusion. The bottle doesn't weight at all!' He thought amused.
Draco looked very nervous suddenly and answered: "It lessens the effects of the original potion. So we can control ourselves, don't have these oh-so-funny blackouts and don't feel irresistible need to jump on Snape. Go on, take it."
Harry looked at him suspiciously and laughed. "You really think I'm going to fall for that? You just said that there is no cure. And now you want me to take a potion I know nothing about. You take it first, and if you don't get poisoning, I'll do the same."
"Of all the things in the world…" Draco muttered irritated and drank about half of the liquid quickly.
He grimaced. "Well Snape didn't really bother with taste, that's for sure."
Harry smirked. "Well, it's Snape. What can we expect? Now, it's my turn I believe."
He took the bottle from Draco and drank the rest of it's contents.
Immediately his throat was burning, but the fire seemed soft, even caressing. Then the feeling left leaving in his mouth a terrible aftertaste.
"This tastes horrible!" Harry exclaimed and Draco suprisingly offered him a glass of water.
"I'll have to go now." Draco said and walked to the door. Before closing it he added: "At dinner we'll see if this thing worked."
