Disclaimer - see part 1.
Author's Note - in my note with part 22 I said this story only had a couple of parts to go; three characters have made a liar out of me. They insisted on being put in the story. :) So, there will be at least three parts after this.
Thanks you to all of you who commented on the story so far. I'm flattered that most of you liked the marriage scene - it just seemed to be a Snapey sort of thing, no fuss or fanfare but it'll get him a ton of attention.
Enough of my nattering and on with the show.
K
---------------
Wizards Honour
Part 23
---------------
"I do hope we aren't expected to eat all that!" Aurora laughed and pointed at the table that was groaning under a bizarre collection of enough food to feed all the Slytherin first and second years for two meals.
The laden table suited the room. The Slytherin Housemaster's quarters were decorated in what Aurora liked to call 'What the heck was Salazar drinking?' style. The mosaic on the floor showed a gigantic snake winding it's way through a maze of trees and magical beasts. Parts of the maze were hidden under rugs made of animal hides, edged with silver thread. The stone walls were covered with heavy, green velvet curtains, while the fireplace surround and the mantle were covered with carvings of winged serpents.
Severus's snarl of, "Idiotic House Elves," brought Aurora out of her decorating daydream.
"That can go back to the kitchens," Snape said just before, with a wave of his wand, he banished a two-foot tall pineapple with 'Congratulations' written across it in whipped cream.
"And that, that, and that," gone were the curry puffs, a tub of mango-pepper ice cream and a platter of oysters.
"And most definitely that!" The huge Black Forest cake disappeared with a loud pop.
"What about the toffee turnips?" Aurora picked up a blue toffee coated roast turnip and shuddered.
"Those can stay," Severus said quietly. He kissed his wife's cheek, took the turnip from her and bit into it.
Aurora smiled, "Well, now, that explains the state of your teeth, Sev." She picked up a plate of kippers.
"If you eat those fish, Madam Snape," Severus said as bossily as he could with his teeth nearly stuck together with toffee, "I am not kissing you again until this evening."
"I don't think you have that much self-discipline." Aurora smiled sweetly and bit into a kipper.
~~~~~~~
"I wonder where Professor Snape is?" Hermione Granger said to her friends at breakfast.
"I don't care," replied Ron Weasley thickly, through a mouthful of cereal.
"Ron!" Hermione shuddered, "Really! I don't need to see your breakfast while you're eating it."
"Yes, Percy." Ron jeered at Hermione, who glared back at him.
"So," said Harry, interrupting Ron and Hermione's daily breakfast argument before it had a chance to develop into an all-morning grudge, "are we going to find out what Snape's up to?"
"Why bother?" Ron said into his glass of pumpkin juice, ignoring Hermione who was muttering darkly about his lack of table manners. "We've got potions first thing. We'll see him then and if he's not there -" Ron grinned broadly.
"We can skip the lesson!" Neville grinned, from the other side of the table. Harry and Ron nodded happily.
Hermione sighed dramatically and frowned silently at the three boys. They, cheerfully, ignored her.
~~~~~~~~
"He's not here," hissed Ron happily, ten minutes into the Potions lesson. Ron and Harry looked around the classroom. Most of the Gryffindors were chatting while they waited for Snape to arrive. Uncharacteristically, the Slytherin students had their potion ingredients neatly arranged on their desks and were silently waiting for the Professor's arrival.
"You should get ready for class, Ron. You too, Harry," commanded Hermione. "Or you'll get into trouble when Professor Snape arrives."
"No one else is getting ready." Harry replied, conveniently ignoring Hermione, Neville and the Slytherin students.
"Does that make it the right thing to do?" Professor Dumbledore said as he entered the Dungeon classroom. The Headmaster closed the door and walked, slowly, to the front of the class.
Harry couldn't think of a sensible reply to the Headmaster's question. So he blushed and quickly began to get his potion ingredients ready. Harry could feel Dumbledore's calm gaze brush over him like a searchlight while the Headmaster waited for the Gryffindor students to finish their preparations.
"Today, Professor Snape is instructing you in the brewing of a," Dumbledore consulted the thick book he held in his left hand, "Remembering Potion."
"Perhaps he should have remembered the class," said Ron, his voice carrying further than he'd intended in the nearly silent room.
"Ron!" hissed Hermione.
Harry watched the Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore seemed to be fighting the urge to smile.
"You're in big trouble now, Weasley," Malfoy hissed, smugly, across the classroom at Ron.
~~~~~~~~
"Excuse me, Professor Snape, sir?"
Severus Snape stared at the strangely dressed House-elf who was standing in the middle of his private quarters. The creature had its hands plastered over its bulbous eyes, which were tightly shut.
"What are you doing?" Snape sneered contemptuously.
"Dobby is not looking, Professor, sir," the House-elf said. It sounded very nervous.
Snape ignored the snort of amusement that came from his wife and commanded Dobby to, "Take your hands off your eyes, you damn fool creature, and give me your message."
Dobby parted his fingers and peeked through the gaps between his fingers and thumbs.
"Oh," he dropped his hands to his sides and looked at the Snapes, who were seated close together on the long, overstuffed sofa. "Dobby thought-"
"We know." Aurora sighed.
"The less said about your thoughts the better," Severus snapped at Dobby.
"You should be flattered, Severus." Aurora leant forward and picked up a grape from the heavily laden table. "Did you have a message, Dobby?"
"Oh, yes, Madam Snape." Dobby missed Aurora's sharp glance at the title and said, "Albus Dumbledore asked Dobby to tell Professor Snape that 'he likes teaching potions but he'd prefer if Professor Snape did it'." Dobby screwed up his face as he tried to remember Dumbledore's exact words. "He said 'that it may be wise for you to get there before he outdoes Aurora's efforts with your class'. Professor Snape, sir."
Dobby bowed then scurried out of the room.
"Damn!" Snape put his goblet onto the table. "I trust," he said archly, "that you will not consume any more fish today?"
"No, Severus." Aurora sighed melodramatically.
"Good." Snape kissed his wife's cheek. He blinked in surprise when she nibbled at his neck.
"Hmmm, yes, much nicer that fish." The Astronomy teacher bit back a smirk as her embarrassed husband fled the room.
~~~~~~~~
"Do you have all of your ingredients prepared?" Dumbledore asked the class.
Neville Longbottom raised his hand. "Excuse me, Headmaster, but did you say the roots had to be chopped or shredded?"
"Diced, Mr Longbottom."
"Oh."
Malfoy's scathing comment about Neville was lost in the commotion that followed Snape's arrival; the classroom door slammed open and Professor Snape slid to a halt just inside the doorway.
"Ah, Severus. Just in time to instruct Mr Longbottom on what to do with his roots." Dumbledore said calmly. The Headmaster ignored the muffled laughter from the Slytherin side of the classroom.
Snape blinked then said, calmly, "Thank you, Headmaster." He walked down to the front of the room. As he did so he noticed that Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were whispering and giggling at him. He shot a quelling glare at the girls then came to a halt in front of the Headmaster.
"Ah, yes." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "Umm, Severus," he said quietly, "if I might make a suggestion?"
Snape noticed that half the Gryffindor students were now giggling, talking and pointing at him. He made a mental note to deduct points from Gryffindor after the Headmaster had left the room.
"Certainly, Headmaster," Snape nodded politely.
Albus stepped close to the Potions Master and whispered, "Before you take over the class you might want to do something about that, ah, bruise on your neck."
Severus blanched and, with as much dignity as he could muster, walked into his storeroom and closed the door.
To be continued
Author's Note - in my note with part 22 I said this story only had a couple of parts to go; three characters have made a liar out of me. They insisted on being put in the story. :) So, there will be at least three parts after this.
Thanks you to all of you who commented on the story so far. I'm flattered that most of you liked the marriage scene - it just seemed to be a Snapey sort of thing, no fuss or fanfare but it'll get him a ton of attention.
Enough of my nattering and on with the show.
K
---------------
Wizards Honour
Part 23
---------------
"I do hope we aren't expected to eat all that!" Aurora laughed and pointed at the table that was groaning under a bizarre collection of enough food to feed all the Slytherin first and second years for two meals.
The laden table suited the room. The Slytherin Housemaster's quarters were decorated in what Aurora liked to call 'What the heck was Salazar drinking?' style. The mosaic on the floor showed a gigantic snake winding it's way through a maze of trees and magical beasts. Parts of the maze were hidden under rugs made of animal hides, edged with silver thread. The stone walls were covered with heavy, green velvet curtains, while the fireplace surround and the mantle were covered with carvings of winged serpents.
Severus's snarl of, "Idiotic House Elves," brought Aurora out of her decorating daydream.
"That can go back to the kitchens," Snape said just before, with a wave of his wand, he banished a two-foot tall pineapple with 'Congratulations' written across it in whipped cream.
"And that, that, and that," gone were the curry puffs, a tub of mango-pepper ice cream and a platter of oysters.
"And most definitely that!" The huge Black Forest cake disappeared with a loud pop.
"What about the toffee turnips?" Aurora picked up a blue toffee coated roast turnip and shuddered.
"Those can stay," Severus said quietly. He kissed his wife's cheek, took the turnip from her and bit into it.
Aurora smiled, "Well, now, that explains the state of your teeth, Sev." She picked up a plate of kippers.
"If you eat those fish, Madam Snape," Severus said as bossily as he could with his teeth nearly stuck together with toffee, "I am not kissing you again until this evening."
"I don't think you have that much self-discipline." Aurora smiled sweetly and bit into a kipper.
~~~~~~~
"I wonder where Professor Snape is?" Hermione Granger said to her friends at breakfast.
"I don't care," replied Ron Weasley thickly, through a mouthful of cereal.
"Ron!" Hermione shuddered, "Really! I don't need to see your breakfast while you're eating it."
"Yes, Percy." Ron jeered at Hermione, who glared back at him.
"So," said Harry, interrupting Ron and Hermione's daily breakfast argument before it had a chance to develop into an all-morning grudge, "are we going to find out what Snape's up to?"
"Why bother?" Ron said into his glass of pumpkin juice, ignoring Hermione who was muttering darkly about his lack of table manners. "We've got potions first thing. We'll see him then and if he's not there -" Ron grinned broadly.
"We can skip the lesson!" Neville grinned, from the other side of the table. Harry and Ron nodded happily.
Hermione sighed dramatically and frowned silently at the three boys. They, cheerfully, ignored her.
~~~~~~~~
"He's not here," hissed Ron happily, ten minutes into the Potions lesson. Ron and Harry looked around the classroom. Most of the Gryffindors were chatting while they waited for Snape to arrive. Uncharacteristically, the Slytherin students had their potion ingredients neatly arranged on their desks and were silently waiting for the Professor's arrival.
"You should get ready for class, Ron. You too, Harry," commanded Hermione. "Or you'll get into trouble when Professor Snape arrives."
"No one else is getting ready." Harry replied, conveniently ignoring Hermione, Neville and the Slytherin students.
"Does that make it the right thing to do?" Professor Dumbledore said as he entered the Dungeon classroom. The Headmaster closed the door and walked, slowly, to the front of the class.
Harry couldn't think of a sensible reply to the Headmaster's question. So he blushed and quickly began to get his potion ingredients ready. Harry could feel Dumbledore's calm gaze brush over him like a searchlight while the Headmaster waited for the Gryffindor students to finish their preparations.
"Today, Professor Snape is instructing you in the brewing of a," Dumbledore consulted the thick book he held in his left hand, "Remembering Potion."
"Perhaps he should have remembered the class," said Ron, his voice carrying further than he'd intended in the nearly silent room.
"Ron!" hissed Hermione.
Harry watched the Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore seemed to be fighting the urge to smile.
"You're in big trouble now, Weasley," Malfoy hissed, smugly, across the classroom at Ron.
~~~~~~~~
"Excuse me, Professor Snape, sir?"
Severus Snape stared at the strangely dressed House-elf who was standing in the middle of his private quarters. The creature had its hands plastered over its bulbous eyes, which were tightly shut.
"What are you doing?" Snape sneered contemptuously.
"Dobby is not looking, Professor, sir," the House-elf said. It sounded very nervous.
Snape ignored the snort of amusement that came from his wife and commanded Dobby to, "Take your hands off your eyes, you damn fool creature, and give me your message."
Dobby parted his fingers and peeked through the gaps between his fingers and thumbs.
"Oh," he dropped his hands to his sides and looked at the Snapes, who were seated close together on the long, overstuffed sofa. "Dobby thought-"
"We know." Aurora sighed.
"The less said about your thoughts the better," Severus snapped at Dobby.
"You should be flattered, Severus." Aurora leant forward and picked up a grape from the heavily laden table. "Did you have a message, Dobby?"
"Oh, yes, Madam Snape." Dobby missed Aurora's sharp glance at the title and said, "Albus Dumbledore asked Dobby to tell Professor Snape that 'he likes teaching potions but he'd prefer if Professor Snape did it'." Dobby screwed up his face as he tried to remember Dumbledore's exact words. "He said 'that it may be wise for you to get there before he outdoes Aurora's efforts with your class'. Professor Snape, sir."
Dobby bowed then scurried out of the room.
"Damn!" Snape put his goblet onto the table. "I trust," he said archly, "that you will not consume any more fish today?"
"No, Severus." Aurora sighed melodramatically.
"Good." Snape kissed his wife's cheek. He blinked in surprise when she nibbled at his neck.
"Hmmm, yes, much nicer that fish." The Astronomy teacher bit back a smirk as her embarrassed husband fled the room.
~~~~~~~~
"Do you have all of your ingredients prepared?" Dumbledore asked the class.
Neville Longbottom raised his hand. "Excuse me, Headmaster, but did you say the roots had to be chopped or shredded?"
"Diced, Mr Longbottom."
"Oh."
Malfoy's scathing comment about Neville was lost in the commotion that followed Snape's arrival; the classroom door slammed open and Professor Snape slid to a halt just inside the doorway.
"Ah, Severus. Just in time to instruct Mr Longbottom on what to do with his roots." Dumbledore said calmly. The Headmaster ignored the muffled laughter from the Slytherin side of the classroom.
Snape blinked then said, calmly, "Thank you, Headmaster." He walked down to the front of the room. As he did so he noticed that Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown were whispering and giggling at him. He shot a quelling glare at the girls then came to a halt in front of the Headmaster.
"Ah, yes." Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "Umm, Severus," he said quietly, "if I might make a suggestion?"
Snape noticed that half the Gryffindor students were now giggling, talking and pointing at him. He made a mental note to deduct points from Gryffindor after the Headmaster had left the room.
"Certainly, Headmaster," Snape nodded politely.
Albus stepped close to the Potions Master and whispered, "Before you take over the class you might want to do something about that, ah, bruise on your neck."
Severus blanched and, with as much dignity as he could muster, walked into his storeroom and closed the door.
To be continued