Weeks passed and Severus began to experience the peevish sensation of being disoriented in his own house. Objects and even furniture were being moved around under his very nose so that he could no longer find anything that he was looking for. Perhaps as a result, he tended to lock himself up in his private study and lab for longer hours each day, taking with him into his private quarters all the effects and useful items from the rest of the house that he needed and hadn't already lost to Celeste and Constanza's decorative experimenting.

As for the two women themselves, they seemed to be spending all their time together in the kitchen, cooking or eating together. Severus often came upon them whenever he passed through the kitchen on his way to or from the garden. He hadn't been aware that Celeste knew how to cook; perhaps she was not as useless as he thought. Indeed, he had been surprised when, one evening, his mother announced proudly that Celeste had cooked all of the dishes by herself with only her supervision.

One day, passing through the kitchen to make for his study, Severus noticed that Celeste was by herself. She was peering rather skeptically into a mixing bowl set on the worktable in front of her.

"Is something the matter?" Severus inquired.

"I don't think I'm doing this right," Celeste answered without looking up.

"Ask my mother."

"She wasn't feeling very well today. It's up to me to make supper."

"I see," Severus said, glancing at the bowl. "Well, should I be worried?"

Celeste scowled. "I can cook just fine when I have a recipe to work from. It's just that Constanza keeps all her recipes in her head."

"I see." Severus stepped over to stand at the table and reached for the bowl. "What have you put in here?"

"I've already put in three cups of flour, yeast, olive oil, salt, and one cup of water."

"Making a focaccia, then?"

"Yes."

"Then you should probably put in a little more flour."

Celeste sprinkled some more flour into the bowl as Severus rolled up his sleeves and cleansed his hands with a quick spell. Without saying anything more Severus took the vegetables that were resting on the table and began paring them.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook," Celeste commented.

Severus gave her a withering look. "It's the exact same principle as potion-making. My mother taught me to cook."

"You've never cooked with us before."

"I thought I'd leave you two to your own devices. I've been busy."

"With the wolfsbane potion."

"Yes," he answered impatiently.

Celeste was silent, for which Severus was grateful. He watched absentmindedly as her white fingers manipulated the dough in the bowl. Her hands were not experienced, but they were skilled enough. Her arms were bare and flour flecked her slim forearms. Severus forced his attention back on the vegetables he was slicing when the knife nearly nicked his finger.

After a few minutes a peaceful rhythm had been established in the warm kitchen. Occasionally Celeste murmured a quiet question, which Severus politely answered. Once, Celeste leaned forward to scoop up Severus's chopped vegetables and her hand brushed his sleeve. The touch left a white mark. Severus tried to rub it out, but it showed up plainly on his black robes.

"I'm sorry," she said, reaching for a dishtowel. She dipped the corner of the towel into a crock of water and took Severus's arm so that she could dab at the white spot. Severus's eyes watched intently as she bowed her head over his sleeve, taking in the way a particular curl grazed the back of her neck as it fell forward. He felt her stop her movements abruptly and looked down, only to see that she was staring at the black mark on his bared forearm.

Severus stiffly drew down his sleeve as Celeste turned back to the table. The kitchen seemed suddenly cooler as Severus picked up his knife once more and continued his paring. He scowled.

A wail interrupted the tense silence, causing Celeste to toss down the cloth she was using to wipe the counter and rush to the corner of the kitchen where Speranza was lying in her basket. Severus watched on, feeling once again the unpleasant sensation of being present when he was not wanted. Celeste clutched Speranza and cooed into her ear as the baby peered curiously over her mother's shoulder at Severus. Again, Severus scowled.

"What did you do?" Celeste suddenly demanded, whirling around. Severus looked up from the table, confused.

"I didn't do anything," he said.

"But she just smiled—for the first time. She smiled while she was looking at you. What did you do?"

Severus glanced at the baby in alarm. She was no longer smiling, if she had in fact been doing so in the first place. He frowned at her too-innocent expression.

Again, she smiled.

"Well," Celeste said. "At least someone finds your moods amusing."

Severus huffed and Celeste came forward to take a seat at the table across from him.

"First smile at seven weeks," Celeste was saying to herself as she sat down. "That's what Landon said to expect."

"When does she start shoving dangerous objects in her mouth?" Severus asked smartly.

"Oh, she's already started shoving things in her mouth, Severus," Celeste said. "The other day I caught her trying to eat the daisies you brought in."

"Perhaps I should bring her edible herbs instead?" Severus inquired with a raised brow.

Celeste laughed suddenly and Severus felt gratified in a very unexpected way. He never relied upon people to laugh at his witticisms. His brow furrowed instinctively and once more he received a smile from Speranza.

As Celeste fed Speranza, Severus continued to prepare supper, feeling somewhat grateful that the tension of a moment ago had dissipated. Suddenly Celeste interrupted the silence.

"Are you doing this because you want to help them?"

She was talking about the potion again, Severus groaned to himself. He couldn't imagine what she found so intriguing about it. "Hardly," Severus sneered. "I've never been altruistic."

"Then what is it?" she asked, leaning forward. "The money?" she whispered.

"Most werewolves would be unable to afford to buy the potion, I think."

"Then it must be the glory."

"No one else has done it before, it's true," he said with a smile.

Celeste considered him through narrowed eyes.

"How are you getting along with Remus?"

Severus glanced suspiciously at her. "Since when do you call him by his first name?"

"He said I could," Celeste said nonchalantly. "He often comes to say hello to me before going to your study."

"Friends with the werewolf then?"

Celeste looked at him coolly. "He is a decent man. But answer my question. How are things going?"

"Well enough. The full moon is tomorrow. After that, there is only one more full moon before I must return to the school. I shall have to continue this next summer, I believe. I doubt I will have time during the school year, what with all the little x's I am paid to scribble across my students' work."

"Would work go faster...if you had someone to help you?"

"I doubt it," Severus brushed off. "It's hardly worth the bother hiring someone."

Celeste was quiet at this. Finally, she spoke. "How do you find my cooking?"

"If you want obsequious compliments, madam, you can always order one of the house elves to shower them on you."

"Technically, my cooking's sound, is it not?"

Severus gave her a look as though something he had eaten had disagreed with him. "There's nothing technical about cooking. If there was, it wouldn't be an art form," he declared peevishly. "It's about knowing the ingredients, instinctively, and being able to tell how hot something is or how much it weighs just by touching it. Technicality, indeed."

Celeste looked a little crestfallen at his comments. "Then I don't suppose you want me to help you," she said.

Severus's head snapped up. "You?"

"What's wrong with me offering to help?"

"Exactly what sort of background do you have in potions?" he asked.

"I know how to cook," Celeste said defiantly.

"Ah, yes," Severus said, smiling somewhat. "Your...technique is very good."

Celeste huffed. "There isn't much to do around here," she said. "Perhaps I can do book research for you."

Severus looked at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps." He returned to his cutting. "Lupin will be here tomorrow. He is staying the night."

"Tomorrow is the full moon, you said."

"Precisely. I will be observing his transformation."

"In the same house as your infant daughter?" Celeste asked in disbelief.

"I will be taking all of the necessary precautions. Trust me."

Celeste considered this. "Can I watch?"

"If you want," Severus ceded.

X X X

The next evening was warm and clear as Celeste sat in the window seat of the main sitting room, waiting for Lupin to arrive by Floo. Speranza had been given to her grandmother to put to bed and all Celeste had to occupy her arms was a slim book on the nature of planetary forces.

At last the Floo flared up and a rumpled, ill-looking Lupin stepped over the grate. "Evening, Celeste," he smiled tiredly.

Celeste jumped up. "We've been waiting. Severus is downstairs in the laboratory." She took his arm and led the way.

When they entered the laboratory, Severus was hovering a large, silver-framed cage into the center of the room. He turned to take in his test subject's arrival.

"Lupin," he said by way of greeting. "You look awful."

"I tend to be a little ill before and after the transformation," Lupin supplied.

"I know. I've read all about it." Severus shifted the cage slightly to the right with a flick of his wand. "You have one of these yourself, I presume?"

"Yes," Lupin said uneasily. "Although mine is quite a bit smaller."

"Hmm," Severus intoned disinterestedly. "Celeste, pass me that log book. I need to take down the subject's vitals."

Celeste obediently fetched the notebook and passed it to her husband.

"Lupin, remove your robes, if you please."

Awkwardly glancing at Celeste, who was sorting through a stack of parchment lying on a table at the other end of the room, Lupin stripped off his robes until he was standing in nothing but his undershirt and trousers. Severus then proceeded to examine him.

"How much of this will she be present for?" Lupin asked quietly.

Severus cocked a brow. "She is now assisting me, so she will be watching the entire transformation."

"I see," Lupin said.

"Is there a problem, Lupin?"

"My transformation is not pleasant to watch."

"I am certain she will be able to cope."

"That's not all," Lupin said.

"Well?"

"I have to take off my clothes before I transform, otherwise I will tear them when my body changes shape."

"I am certain she will be able to cope with that too, Lupin. Now turn and cough."

Lupin sighed in a defeated manner and complied with Severus's order.

As Severus was taking down the last of his notes a ripple flickered across the muscles of Lupin's back. Lupin winced in bodily pain.

"I should probably be getting in that cage," Lupin whispered. Another spasm took him and he winced once more.

"Very well," Severus said. "I will lock you in."

From the corner, Celeste looked up from the untidy stack of parchments she was sifting through. "Is it time?"

"Almost," Severus said.

Once inside the cage, Lupin began to pull his undershirt over his head. Another rippling of muscles seized him and he had to pause while it passed. Undershirt off, he passed it to Severus, who flicked it carelessly on a nearby bench. Glancing embarrassedly at Celeste, Lupin undid the buttons of his trousers and slipped them off his legs. He again passed them to Severus.

"You're briefs, Lupin?" Severus asked.

"I'll think I'll keep them on," Lupin said.

Severus rolled his eyes. "Very well."

Another ripple danced across Lupin's chest, and then the muscles in his legs convulsed and Lupin was on the floor of the cage. He moaned in a low voice.

"Remus?" Celeste said anxiously.

"I don't think that he's aware we are here anymore," Severus observed.

Suddenly the moan grew gravelly and it turned into a vicious growl. Lupin convulsed again, this time his whole body clenching at the same time, and the sound of bones snapping and splintering could be heard. The growl became a feral shriek as Lupin's skeleton reformed itself.

Celeste flinched and Severus instinctively stepped closer to her. The beast in the cage was now sprouting thick, dark fur.

"It is finished, Celeste," Severus said. "Look."

Celeste turned around and looked. The amber-eyed wolf beyond the bars was staring menacingly at her. It raised its hackles to reveal sharp, yellow teeth.

"It can't get out of the cage, can it?" Celeste asked.

"No. It's made of silver. If he so much as grazes it with his snout while he is in wolf form he will get a burn. His wolf form is clever enough to know that."

"Good."

"Perhaps you should sit down," Severus suggested. Celeste took his advice and sat upon a nearby stool.

"What now?"

"Observe his behaviour. This could get quite boring. Coffee? He will be transformed for another eight hours at the least."

"Yes, please." She accepted the cup offered to her.

They sat in silence for nearly an hour, watching the wolf prowl about the perimeter of his cage, flicking his tail in frustration. Severus occasionally jotted down a note in his log book.

"It's rather interesting," he remarked as he finished writing something.

"What is?" Celeste asked.

"Usually werewolves injure themselves to vent their frustration at not being able find a victim. However, he hasn't bitten or scratched himself once." Severus paused. "I think that it is perhaps because we are here. He feels he has found his prey, so there is little frustration to vent. He must instead direct all his energy at finding a way out of the cage so that he can get to us."

"I see," Celeste said, a little uneasily.

Severus's remark seemed to be a little premature, however, when three hours later the wolf began to gnaw on his paw. Celeste had to close her eyes to block out the nauseating sight of the dark blood flowing from the fur.

Severus was the first to notice the sky outside of the single basement window slowly lightening. He nudged Celeste, who was slumping on her stool beside him. She looked where his finger was pointing and sighed in relief.

A few minutes later Lupin began to convulse once more. More slowly than the last time, the wolf form eased into the human one. When the transformation was complete, Lupin lay naked at the bottom of the cage, unconscious and white, with horrifying gashes and brushes covering his body. Severus unlocked the door to the cage and stepped in.

"Find me the blanket," Severus said. Celeste located it and tossed it over. She watched as her husband draped it over Lupin and then administered a Mobilus Corpus charm.

"We will put him in the guest room upstairs," Severus said.

Celeste nodded and followed her husband up the three flights of stairs to the prepared room. She watched as Severus carefully lowered Lupin onto the bed.

"We must deal with his wounds. I have some healing salves. Would you mind doing that?"

Celeste shook her head and reached for the tray of stoppered potions. She selected a purple salve and poured some onto a wad of gauze, which she then used to dab at Lupin's cuts.

With the help of the potion Lupin was cleaned up within an hour. Severus pulled the covers up over his thin body and waved out the candle. Gesturing for Celeste to go before him, Severus held the door.

X X X

Lady of Light 101­– oh, there will be plenty of Severus/Celeste scenes coming up, starting with this chapter. I guess I felt the need to stall their relationship's development until now.

Billiejoe– yes, I hate it when people do that. What do you say we start a militia group and kill them all? And yes, there will be some more Severus/Speranza interaction. Speranza will draw him to her, whether or not he tries to keep his mask of indifference in place.

Thank you all for reviewing.

I will be updating everyday until Thursday, at which point I'm off on a summer vacation for the rest of August. I will try to finish the fic before then so that you aren't left hanging for two weeks. Besides, I should really finish this before I start university (so that when I am in university I can waste all my study time writing other fics, of course!)

Like I said in an earlier chapter, though, I don't really know how this is going to end. I know what's going to happen right up until the last two chapters or so. The vague idea for an ending that I do have, be forewarned, is not entirely conclusive. I hope it gives more the impression of being a beginning than an ending, if that isn't too clichéd for you.

Please review. I've been writing about ten hours a day (sob, sob) to get this finished, so it would be nice to have some feel-good comments to keep me going.