"This is Mashuzi. Imported from Africa. Very expensive. Now, you see these little pods ? You dunderheads are to extract the juice from each one and fill these vials. I don't want a drop wasted. Do you understand ? Very well, stop gawking and get to work." Alex tried hard not to smile as Snape instructed the hapless students serving detention. "Idiots. Complete morons. They can't be trusted to manage even mindless tasks without constant supervision," he muttered as he joined her at the front of the room.

Alex grimaced as a foul odor filled the potions lab. "Eew, is that the Mu-shu...whatever you called it ? What is that stuff, anyway ?"

"Mashuzi," he corrected her. "It means 'stink' in Swahili, I believe. Essential ingredient in potions of Invisibility." He paused to watch the pupils trying to fill the vials while holding their noses against the overpowering smell. Their faces looked decidedly green. "One can use a reduction of symplocarpus foetidus, of course," Snape continued, "but one tiny drop of Mashuzi juice is twice as effective as a whole pint of skunk cabbage, and it can be used immediately. The symplocarpus has to ferment for at least a month."

Alex waved her wand as Severus concluded his lecture. "Adnoidenervare." She let out a sigh of relief as the spell took effect, temporarily disabling her sense of smell. He doesn't seem affected. Probably planned ahead. Or maybe he likes it. She giggled. "Twice as effective and ten times as stinky, apparently. You're such a sadist, Severus."

He bowed slightly, smirking. "One would think that once word got out, it would serve as a deterrent." He rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh, turning away from the suffering of his students. "It never does, though. Shall we get started ?"

Alex nodded. They were brewing yet another batch of the Clarity potion. The ingredients were already arranged on a table nearby. She smiled at Severus across the simmering cauldron as he stirred. Predictably, once they'd returned to Hogwarts Sunday evening, his manner towards her was as coolly impersonal as ever. You'd never know there was anything between us, Alex thought. Her hand brushed against his as she added pine needles to the potion and he flashed her one of his quick smiles. Well, mostly. "What have you got there ?" she asked as they bottled the azure liquid. A second cauldron was cooling on a table near his desk.

"Your Felicitas potion. It has to be stirred precisely at midnight, for some odd reason."

Sheesh. Alex felt a flare of annoyance, then shrugged. I'm not going to get drawn into that argument. "Suit yourself," she said lightly. "I can think of better things to do, but if you want to stay up late just to stir potions, go ahead and knock yourself out." She stepped close to him, reaching up to push a strand of hair off of his face. He turned away from her, fussily checking the seals on the already-sealed bottles. Argh. What is with you ?

He gathered up bottles to carry into the storage closet. "How have you been feeling ?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Great. No problems." She picked up the rest of the bottles and followed him. "Never felt better." Except for that weird thing when I wake up, she thought. And a couple of strange dreams. Alex dismissed the concerns. I'm not going to encourage Severus to play armchair psychiatrist. He was watching her, hawk-like. She rolled her eyes at him and exited the closet. Vivid dreams are a normal side effect of anti-depressants, she reminded herself. It's probably the same with the potions. I'll ask Dr. Salubria when I see him again.

The potions master followed her back into the lab. "When was your last period ?" he asked abruptly.

"I beg your pardon ?" What, does he think I'm pregnant ? She voiced the thought aloud. "What, are you worried about me being pregnant ?"

He snorted. "Of course not. I'm brewing a daily supply of the Felicitas for you; it would be helpful to know. So I can adjust the potions' strength accordingly."

"I've never heard of that. And I never asked you to brew the potion for me. I can get it from Saint Mungo's." Overbearing, arrogant...

"Smythe-Smithers is an idiot," he said dismissively, interrupting her thoughts. "I can customize the potion for you. It's a minor detail, I'll admit, but I find it's worth the extra effort when dealing with cyclical creatures-"

"Creatures ?" Her voice had an edge to it; Snape didn't seem to notice.

"Well, yes. You know, women, werewolves..." he went on. "Of course the werewolves are easy to deal with, one merely needs to follow the phases of the moon..." his voice trailed off. Alex was glaring at him. "Is there something wrong ?"

"Argh ! You are unbelievable. Arrogant, insulting...you're comparing me to a werewolf ? Sheesh." Except werewolves are easier to deal with. Unbelievable. Alex shook her head, trying hard not to smile; Severus looked completely bewildered by her show of temper. "Aw, you're pathetic," she told him. She closed the space between them and hugged him. "I don't know why I put up with you," she added with a smile. She tipped her head back to look up at him, waiting for a kiss. Instead, he gently unwrapped her arms from his waist and stepped away. She felt annoyance rise again. "You let detention out half an hour ago, Severus. Those kids were falling all over themselves trying to get out of here. We couldn't ask for more privacy-"

"Don't be naïve, Alex," he told her sharply.

She blinked. "Clue me in, then."

"There's a recording spell on the laboratory, including my office," he explained, clearly making an effort to speak patiently. "On all of the staff's offices, actually. For our own protection as much as the students."

"I get it." She grinned. "In case one of the kids accuses you of trying to kill them...say, by suffocating them with smelly herbal components ?"

"Precisely. Um, not to mention, there's a certain type of student, female, usually..."

Her grin widened at his discomfort. "Ooh, Slytherin girls, with a crush on the potions master," she crowed.

"It isn't funny," he glowered at her, "there have been a few, over the years. They can get quite vindictive when rebuffed."

"So can I." She laughed at the expression on his face. You're so weird. Paranoid. I really don't know why I put up with you. "Goodnight, Severus," she said lightly. "Have fun stirring your potion."