Jaci awoke with a smile on her face. She turned around to look into Severus' black eyes. She stretched a bit, and she smiled as she felt some sore muscles. She snuggled closer to him and put her head on his bare chest.
"Jaci?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh, do you know what day it is?"
"No." she began to drop kiss onto his chest and Severus was having a hard time remembering what he was trying to tell her.
"M-Monday, Jaci, it's Monday, I have to go to w-work, I have classes," Severus finally managed to choke out. Jaci looked up at him. "Do—do you want to come with me?" Jaci smiled and nodded. Severus grinned. "Good, I was hoping you would, but…" he sighed. "Please, try not to scream or anything when there's magic or anything going on." Jaci nodded. "I know it sounds unfair of me, but they can't know you're a Muggle, not yet."
"It's ok, I understand. What time do we have to go?" Severus looked at the clock; it was six in the morning.
"In about two hours." Jaci grinned.
"Good, I wanted to shower." She got up off the bed and Severus followed her. Jaci opened the door to the restroom and with a flick of Severus' wand, the candles were lit. She gasped. It was gigantic and so beautiful. There was a black marble sink to her left that stretched halfway through the wall, next to the sink was a small shower, but in the middle of the room there was a huge bathtub that was built into the ground, the lining was black marble. It was like a small pool, there was a deep end a shallow end, and there were hundreds of tabs.
"Still want to shower?" Severus murmured into her ear. Jaci turned to look at him and he grinned.
"Can I really take a bath there?" she asked hopefully. Severus nodded.
"Of course, on one condition." Jaci turned to look at him.
"What?"
"I get to take one with you." Jaci grinned.
"Ok, but for that you'll have to wash my hair." Severus laughed. He kissed her.
"I would have it no other way."
As soon as they were both dressed, Severus made Jaci another green robe that she could wear over the jeans and tank he had supplied for her. Severus took Jaci's arm and led her to a living room. He sat her down while he went to get some books from his study. Jaci looked around and quickly noticed that the pictures were moving. She smiled, it was so wonderful, it was fascinating. She looked around and saw more and more unique things. When Severus came back, he found her having a conversation with one of the portraits, he grinned.
"Come Jaci, we have to be going now." Jaci nodded and bid farewell to the portrait and they walked out of a door, but as Jaci turned back, she saw that it was a stonewall.
"Wow, how do you remember where it is?" Severus laughed.
"I don't know actually, I just know it's there." Jaci laughed. She continued to walk next to him and he lead her into this huge hallway, that she guessed was the dining area for the school because the tables were full of food and students. Her eyes flickered upward for a second, just so she could see, then she continued to follow Severus. She didn't want to gap at anything, she was a Muggle and she didn't want them to find out, not yet, just like Severus said. Severus led her to a seat.
"This is where I usually sit, but here, you sit here and I'll get myself another chair," Severus told her, Jaci nodded. And get himself a chair he did, with a wave of his wand, a chair appeared and he placed it next to her, then another set of silverware, a plate, and goblet appeared. Severus sat down and began to eat, Jaci did the same, she was rather hungry, but she also watched the students. She quickly noticed that there was something separating all of them. Certain kids went to certain tables. And then she noticed that one child had a patch with a snake on it, another with a lion, another with a raven, and another with a badger. She somewhat understood, they were sorted in different places, but that didn't stop them from talking to other people who didn't have the same patch.
A small child, maybe about 12, walked up to the teacher's table nervously. He headed straight for Snape, and Jaci noticed that he had a snake patch, and it said something….Slytherin.
"Yes?" Severus asked the child coldly. The child's eyes widened.
"Um, Professor Snape, I was hoping that I could turn in my Potions essay in the afternoon, ra—rather than this morning," the child stuttered.
"Fine, I want it delivered to me before lunch." The child nodded and ran off. Jaci smiled over at him. She leaned closer to him.
"Explain to me something," she whispered.
"What?"
"How are they separated, I mean, there's kids with snake patches, lion patches…"
"Oh, the children are sorted into houses and the houses are named after the creators of this school, they are Slytherin the snakes, Ravenclaw the ravens, Hufflepuff the badgers, and Gryffindor the lions."
"Oh, ok, I get it now." Severus grinned, how he longed to kiss her right now, but the students—he sighed.
"Are you finished?" Jaci nodded. "Good, let's go, classes begin in five minutes." Jaci got up with him and they walked down through the House tables. Jaci noticed that they walked through the Slytherin and Ravenclaw table. She also noticed how many of the Slytherins looked up at Severus and bid him good morning. Then she saw a boy with platinum hair and steel eyes, he stood and walked over to Severus.
"What is it Mr. Malfoy?" Malfoy grinned.
"Professor, we just wanted to know who this was," Malfoy said, gesturing at Jaci. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Well Mr. Malfoy, seeing as how it's none of your business, I'm not going to tell you, now get ready for class." Severus took Jaci by the arm and lead her away from the table, which began to holler and whistle. Jaci blushed slightly.
"Where's your classroom?"
"In the dungeons, it's quite cool down there," he said and they walked down. Was Severus right, it was cool and damp as well. Jaci had four minutes to fascinate herself by walking around and looking at the things on the wall, the things floating in jars, the books, and soon she heard footsteps so she went and sat in Severus' chair. He stood in front of the classroom, arms crossed, foot tapping slightly as if annoyed at how long the class was taking. When the last person arrived in the classroom, he pointed to his wand and it shut closed with a bang.
"All right 6th years, you know the drill, instructions," he waved his wand, "are on the board," words appeared, "ingredients," he waved his wand," are in the cupboard," the doors to said cupboard burst open, "you have three hours, start." With that he walked back to his desk and got himself another chair. He sat next to Jaci.
"6th years? How long do they stay here?" Jaci asked. Severus smiled slightly.
"When they're 11 they get a letter saying that they've been accepted here, and they stay until they're 18 or 17, basically they're here for seven years."
"But, you guys get July and August off right? So they go back home for two months?"
"And for some holidays, and they get weekends off to do as they please." Jaci nodded. Severus stood and began to walk around; Jaci noticed that he criticized a lot of people, mainly the ones with lion patches, the Gryffindors.
"Potter," he spat angrily, "what are you doing?"
"Adding the powdered horn of…"
"No, you're not supposed to add that yet, Potter, can't you read the instructions on the board, how did you pass your O.W.L.s?"
"For starters, you weren't there," Potter muttered. Severus glared at him.
"Twenty points off from Gryffindor Potter, and detention for a week." Severus walked off to criticize another poor Gryffindor.
The boy next to him with flaming red hair shook his head. "Don't worry about him mate," he whispered, but Jaci could hear them.
"All I want to do is rip his neck out, is that so much to ask?" Potter said. A girl with bushy brown hair next to him shook her head.
"Don't think that Harry, now come on, let me help you." Harry smiled.
"Thanks Hermonie, oy, Ron, here." Harry handed the boy with flaming red hair a note. Ron read it and laughed, he handed it to Hermonie.
"You guys! That is so mean!" Hermonie whispered harshly. Harry and Ron chuckled silently. "You don't know who she is!"
"Well I want to know what someone so beautiful is doing with Snape," Ron whispered back. Jaci blushed. Just then Harry noticed her looking at them and he blushed as well, he whispered into Ron's ear and Ron went as red as his hair, Hermonie grinned at Jaci.
"I told you to stop," Hermonie whispered loudly, so Jaci could hear.
"Cut it out Hermonie," Ron growled. Jaci chuckled. Just then Severus complimented someone and Jaci noticed that it was a Slytherin.
"Look everyone, Draco's done it right." Severus used Malfoy's first name. Most of the Gryffindors rolled their eyes, others muttered things under their breathe, but the Slytherins clapped.
The day went on and Jaci noticed that Draco and Harry loathed each other, it was easy to tell by the way that they glared at each other. She also noticed that Severus favored the Slytherins, and he loathed Harry as much as Draco did, but she didn't know why.
Jaci sighed, she got up and helped Severus clean up as the last class left. She had been helping him all day, maybe she didn't know a lot about magic, but she could understand his patterns, and how he wanted the potions done, she had even answered some questions, one question was asked by Ron, and she smiled as she remembered how he had blushed when she answered his question.
"What are you doing?" Severus growled into her ear, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.
"Thinking."
"Of?"
"You, Hogwarts, what's going on."
"And? Do you like it here?"
"Yes, I love it here, and I love being here with you." Jaci turned in his arms and kissed him.
Ron's eyes went wide. He had come back into the classroom to get his favorite quill, which he had left on the table and walked in on Snape and the woman kissing. He quickly ran out of the dungeons before they could see him. He was gasping for breath by the time he caught up with Harry and Hermonie at the Great Hall, they were eating dinner. They looked at him curiously.
"What's wrong Ron?" Hermonie asked.
"S-Sn—Snape!" Ron whispered loudly.
"What about him?"
"K-K-Kissing that woman!" he whispered. Harry and Hermonie's eyes went wide with shock.
"What?"
"Yes, I saw them, she was kissing him!"
"Ahem," a voice behind him said. Ron's eyes went wider, but this time with fright. He turned around and came face to face with Snape and Jaci. Snape was looking at Ron like he was going to kill him. Then reached into his cloak.
"You forgot this, Mr. Weasley," he growled, handing Ron his quill.
"Uh, um, thank you, Professor Snape," he answered.
They watched him walk off with Jaci at his arm. She turned around, and grinned at them. All three of them looked down blushing. Slowly she looked up at Severus. Harry cleared his throat. "So what now?" Harry asked.
"About what?" Hermione asked.
"Well, do we really want that girl to think we're mean and harsh?"
"Um," Ron said. "Let's think. She's probably Snape's lady love, so I would have to say definitely yes!"
"But she answered your question without criticizing you about it, and she even smiled and chuckled when she caught us talking about her. What do you say? Let's make it up to her."
"How?" Ron asked. Hermonie grinned.
"I've got it figured out." They huddled near Hermonie.
Jaci looked up at Severus and grinned. He looked so mad that Ron had seen them kissing and Jaci could finally understand why. She had seen the mask that Severus put on in front of his students. He didn't want them to think of him as soft or someone that they could walk all over. She chuckled to herself and went back to her food. She grinned as he served her some wine.
"I told you pumpkin juice was disgusting," Severus murmured. Jaci laughed. He smiled, his mask gone for a second, but as he felt eyes on him, he put his mask back on. Jaci rolled her eyes and sipped her wine. She looked up curiously as she saw an owl approaching the table. She had seen the hundreds of owls come in to deliver mail, and she didn't think that they would come at this time. She was even more surprised as the snowy white owl dropped off a parcel in her lap, then went and landed by her. Jaci grinned and petted the owl softly, it hooted gently.
Severus looked down at the owl, it looked familiar, the owl saw Snape looking at her, so it took off again. Severus looked down at the parcel in Jaci's lap, Jaci slowly opened it and grinned. Inside was a box of chocolates, an inkbottle that went different colors as she wrote and a brand new quill.
"Who sent you that?" Severus growled. Jaci smiled, she looked up at the Gryffindor table, to Harry, Ron, and Hermonie who were looking at her anxiously. She grinned and nodded, they grinned back.
"I've got a pretty good feeling," Jaci said. Severus looked towards where she was looking, Potter, Granger, and Weasley, but they weren't looking at Jaci, in fact they were engrossed in a conversation. Severus looked back at Jaci, but didn't say anything more.
Maybe it was because she loved being with Severus, and helping him with his classes, along with talking to Ron, Harry, and Hermonie that Jaci couldn't believe that she had spent a week at Hogwarts already. It was Sunday, and Jaci was lying in bed with Severus, he had an arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand in her hair. Jaci sighed.
"Severus?"
"Yes?"
"I have to go home." Severus sat up.
"What?"
"Severus, I just can't leave them like that, I need to see them, talk to them, tell them what's going on, but not in so many words," Jaci added quickly. Severus sighed, he nodded.
"When do you want to leave?"
"As soon as I finish." Severus frowned.
"With what?" Jaci grinned and kissed him deeply. "Oh, with that."
Jaci stepped out of the fireplace with Severus at her arm. It was about 12 in the afternoon when they had gotten showered and dressed. She wrapped her arm around his waist, and he draped an arm around her shoulders. They walked to her shop and Jaci quickly began to fix things up.
"OH MY GOODNESS! SHE'S BACK!" Jaci heard, she turned and was stunned to see all of her family standing at her doorway. Suddenly she was crushed in hugs, being kissed on the cheek time after time, people crying, people yelling. Just then her entire family saw Severus walking out of the kitchen. They all headed for him, her father in the lead.
"You bastard! Where did you take my daughter?" Juan said, lifting Severus about a foot off the ground.
"I took with me to London!" Severus managed to say. Juan growled, he threw Severus against a wall.
"You lousy asshole! How dare you kidnap my daughter!"
"HEY!" Everyone turned to look at Jaci; she was standing on her counter. "PUT. HIM. DOWN." Jaci emphasized each word. "He did not kidnap me, I went with him, now PUT. HIM. DOWN!" Jaci roared. Juan growled, he let go of Severus, who caught himself from crashing down to the floor just in time. Juan stalked over to Jaci.
"What do you mean you went with him willingly?"
"Just what I said, Severus took me to London with him." Severus rushed over to Jaci, he helped her down from the counter. Jaci smiled at him and gave him a kiss. "He's the man from my dreams," Jaci said softly, but everyone heard her, they all gasped. Jaci searched the crowd, she quickly found her grandmother. "And you knew abuelita." Coty grinned.
"Yes, I did know, he told me his dream, and I knew it was you. You two were made for each other, you have been," Coty said. She walked over to them, she took Severus' hand and then Jaci's she placed them both together. "He's the wizard, the Prince of Potions, and Jaci's his Princess." Jaci gaped at Coty.
"How did you know he was a…" Coty smiled.
"I was a witch, but in Divinite, we were seeing our futures, and I saw what would happen if I continued to let the family be witches and wizards, so I didn't let anyone learn any, and then I was looking at the family's future, and I saw you, and your Prince, you're soul mates, and you need to be with each other." Jaci turned to look at Severus; he looked just as shocked as she was. But he quickly recovered, fine if their destiny was planned, then he would go with it, and he didn't mind who he was going to spend his life with.
"Jaci?"
"Severus?"
"Will you marry me Jaci?" Jaci grinned.
"Yes." Severus grinned. He brought her closer and kissed her.
