Author's Note: Not a lot of action, just an extension of Christmas at
Hogwarts. A little angsty towards the end. Some slightly disturbing sex;
a bitter lemon if you will. "The Jealous Bring Down The Curse They Fear
Upon Their Own Heads". Dorothy Dix.
Sorry only two chapters this week, no inspiration to write much. Much more plot-wise coming though.
Disclaimer: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me.
Chapter 49: Jealousy
After helping Professor Snape take inventory of the Potions classroom supply stores, Mira accepted an invitation to take tea with Professor Sprout, who was still very interested in Mira's herbalist friend and her rooftop garden back in New Orleans. They sat in Sprout's private conservatory, sipping fragrant tea, discussing the French Market, and how the old women vending there sold to both magical and muggle alike. Following tea, Sprout gave Mira a tour of the Hogwarts greenhouses; which were lush with greenery, even during the cold winter months. Mira confessed that she had not even managed to successfully raise flowers in a window box, much less maintain an actual garden there in Hogsmeade. All of the plants in her New Orleans courtyard were established old growth in enormous clay pots. Small trees, shrubberies with fragrant blooms, and roses, which trailed up onto wrought iron wall trellises. The clay pots were pretty much self-maintaining. From time to time, they required a little watering, but not much more. And Mira could count on her tenant and friend, Maggie, to keep an eye on them for her.
The day growing long, Mira thanked the Herbology professor for tea and promised to send her cuttings from Maggie's garden the next time she was in New Orleans. She made her way back to her guest quarters; using the little parchment map that Dumbledore had given her. The passageway door was still open, and Mira crossed over to the dungeons, where she found professor Snape working at his desk in the small laboratory and office adjoining his private chambers. He looked up at Mira with a slight smirk on his face.
"You've been gone an awfully long time. Did Sprout corner you and drag you through those suffocatingly hot greenhouses; and then talk your ear off about the subtle but oh so fascinating difference between catnip and catmint?"
Mira pushed some scrolls out of the way and sat on the edge of the professor's desk.
"Actually, she and I spent most of the time just chatting in her conservatory. We had a lovely tea together. You're right, she is a bit dotty over her plants, but she's still cute as a button."
Snape made a sarcastic snorting noise, gathered up the scrolls Mira had moved, and deposited them in his desk drawer.
"If you had to listen to her prattle on about her infernal plants every time you had any kind of professional contact with her; you would not find her cute as a button, but rather annoying."
Mira cocked her head to the side in contemplation, and then shook it affirmatively.
"Yeah, you're right. I can see how she could get annoying."
"I was beginning to wonder if I would have to send the house-elves out looking for you. Dumbledore has specifically requested both of us to come down to the dining room this evening. Apparently he wants to have a little after-dinner chat with you. Regarding what? I have no idea. So, you have a little more than an hour to get freshened up if you need it."
"I'm fine as I am."
"Very well then, we have just over an hour to kill. Would you like to play a game of wizarding chess? Or help me bottle up a batch of marsh toad entrails?"
"Ummm. I've never played wizard chess, and what the hell is the matter with you? Suggesting that we muck about with animal guts before a meal!"
"Amphibian. Toads are amphibians."
"Whatever, they're still animals aren't they? And stuffing their entrails in a bottle is not the way I would like to spend the hour before I eat!"
"Pardon me! I forget; the lady has never sullied her dainty hands with the less than savory substances found in a potions laboratory. If it would please milady, could I interest you in a nice game of croquet out on the front lawn? Or maybe we can sit before the fire and work on needlepoint? Hmmm?"
Snape gave Mira a look that was literally dripping with condescending sarcasm. She leaned over and playfully shoved him with her shoulder.
"You asshole! Hey, how about giving me a tour of the school? Or at least as much as we can see and still make it to the dining room in an hour?"
"Very well, whatever milady desires, is my humble pleasure to provide."
He rose from behind his desk, and with a flourish held out his arm for Mira. She took it and they walked back through his bedchamber, so that he could seal the magical passageway from her guest quarters. After completely sealing his quarters with magical wards, he led her out of the Potions suite and locked the classroom door behind them.
The first stop was the Slytherin dormitory and common room, located behind a hidden doorway. Snape swept into the common room, and interrupted a game of exploding snap being played by the two young men who had stayed on over the holidays.
"Crabbe, Goyle!"
The boys jumped up off of their chairs and stood shoulder to shoulder, as if at attention.
"This is Ms. DelMare. She will be my guest at the school from time to time, and when you see her in the corridors, I expect you to fall over yourselves to assist her in finding her way. Understood?"
The boys nodded their heads, a solemn look on their face.
"I'm sorry? I didn't quite hear that?"
"Yes Professor!"
"Very well. As you were."
The boys hesitantly returned to their seats, keeping a wary eye on their household head. Snape walked Mira around the Slytherin common room, pointing out the house crest on the wall and the portrait of the house founder, Salazar Slytherin. On their way out of the room, he turned, cleared his throat loudly and pointed to a scattered pile of Christmas debris. Wadded up wrapping paper and tissue, empty boxes, and discarded ribbon littered the area between the large sofas and in front of the Christmas tree.
"And do something about this God-awful mess before you go to bed this evening. You should know better than to dirty up the common room and leave it for the house elves."
He led Mira out of the dormitory to the sound of the boys hastily gathering up the trash and grumbling under their breath. Mira looked over and detected a definite twinkle in the professor's eyes. He relished in lording it over his students. She snickered to herself, and he looked over at her with eyebrows raised.
"What? What do you find so amusing?"
"You. The way those boys snapped to attention like you're a drill sergeant. No wonder the students all swear about you behind your back. You absolutely adore being the hard-ass teacher, don't you?"
"Better than the old softie that allows his students to walk all over him. I'm not sure if you quite understand my job as household head. I am not merely these students' professor or academic advisor. I'm their parenting figure while they are here at Hogwarts. It is my duty to make sure that they not only receive a proper education in Potions, but also to ensure that the Slytherins, at least, don't run amok like a pack of wild beasts. They know that if they shame themselves with misbehavior, they shame me. And I do not take kindly to being made the fool. I expect no more of them than their parents would at home. You must try and understand Mira; most people chosen to be in Slytherin come from very established old wizarding families, who cling tightly to the old ways, and who have certain societal obligations. Most of my students are from aristocratic families. No doubt their families have told them about my fall from grace and how I wound up going from younger son of one of the most prominent wizarding families in England to a lowly teacher at Hogwarts. If I so much as gave them a fraction of an inch, they would believe themselves superior to me and run with it. From day one, I establish that I am the one in charge, in a manner which they do not forget. If that means that I must be the hard-ass teacher, then so be it."
The professor gripped her arm and stepped up the pace, climbing the stairs from the dungeons to the main corridor. He led Mira past several classrooms, pointed out the quidditch pitch from the window, and led her to the library for a quick browse, and then down to the smaller informal dining room where dinner was to be served.
They arrived early for dinner, and found a group of three students sitting and chatting, along with the deputy headmistress chatting with the school nurse. The students looked up warily but offered no greetings to Mira and the professor. McGonagall and Pomfrey nodded to them and returned to their conversation. Slowly the other students and faculty joined the table. Dumbledore arrived last, and took his seat at the head of the table. Before he sat, he made a few announcements.
"I would like to wish a Happy Christmas to all of my students, professors, faculty, and their guests. The tradition, here at Hogwarts is to celebrate the Holidays on Christmas Eve, with a special feast. However, with the house-elves doing what they do best, which is overcooking on an outlandish scale, we will be enjoying a scaled down repeat of the feast this evening. Enjoy!"
The tables again filled with all manner of wonderful delicacies. The meal was festive but very much informal. Afterwards, when the students and faculty drifted back to their various dormitories and chambers, Headmaster Dumbledore bid Mira and Professor Snape to remain at the table. He beckoned them to the two seats flanking his seat at the head of the table, so that they could talk without having to shout over the large dining table.
"Well, Mirabelle my dear, what did you think about Christmas at Hogwarts? "
"It was lovely headmaster, thank you for being so generous as to have me this weekend."
"Think nothing of it, it is my pleasure to extend the hospitality of the school to those my family here holds dear. Will you be leaving early in the morning? Or will you be staying on to the end of the weekend?"
"I'm afraid I can't stay all day tomorrow. I've got to get back to Hogsmeade and take care of some shop business. I also have to study a little, I'm having a tutoring session in transfiguration tomorrow."
"So I've heard. Miss Granger is going to be tutoring you during the holidays and on weekends. You're a lucky woman. She's a bright girl and very even tempered. You should do very well with her tutelage. I also hear that you will be joining us at the Twelfth Night Ball. Has somebody explained to you about formal wizarding balls? How you should dress, what you can expect?"
"Yes, my cousin has attended formal balls before, and sent me magazine and newspaper clippings with photos of fancy dress robes appropriate for masquerades. I've got plans for something for us to wear, but I'm afraid that it won't be on a par with the best-dressed list published in Witch Weekly."
"Pay no mind my dear. Only a fraction of the attendees are dressed in a manner that attracts the cameras. Why, I have never had my photograph published on a best-dressed list, and I have attended exactly eighty-seven of these formal wizarding balls. You are invited for the value of your company, not the value of the robes upon your back."
Dumbledore stood and turned to both Mira and the professor.
"That being said, I am afraid I must retire to my office and begin the daunting task of writing thank-you notes. It was a pleasure seeing you again Mirabelle, I look forward to seeing you again at the ball."
Dumbledore rose and exited the dining room through a small nearly hidden door in the back corner of the room. Professor Snape rose, and held out his hand for Mira.
"Well then, the night is still young. Shall we continue your tour of Hogwarts?"
"Sounds good to me, what all else is there to see?"
"Seeing as you are only here until tomorrow afternoon, just a few especially interesting places. It would take you several weeks to see every part of the castle and grounds I'm afraid."
They walked on through the corridors, up and down staircases that moved, and past paintings that spoke to them. Mira was utterly fascinated with the school, and started to regret not ever having gone to wizarding school herself. The last stop of the evening was in the top level of the Astronomy tower. With the former professor banned from teaching after being uncovered as a Voldemort sympathizer, the tower remained vacant through the Holidays. The interim professor had a family and lived just outside of Hogsmeade. He went home in the evenings and for weekends and holidays. Mira followed the professor up a long winding staircase, to the tallest turret of the school.
Professor Snape took out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling.
"Acclare Lacunaris!"
The ceiling shimmered briefly and dissolved away to transparency. Like the ceilings of the great hall and the canopy panel of Mira's guest-bed, the tall pointed ceiling of the Astronomy tower was enchanted to show the night sky.
"It's beautiful."
"Sometimes at night, when I can't sleep and it starts to feel a little claustrophobic down in the dungeons, I come up here and look at the stars. And on occasion, when it's a warm summer night, I climb up onto the roof observatory to get an even closer look at them."
"I didn't know you dabbled in Astronomy."
"I don't. I just like to look at the stars. The illusion will wear off on its' own before sunrise. It's nearing curfew, and I need to check in on my students. Tomorrow they will be serving detention; removing and bottling the toad entrails which you so vehemently disapproved of. Come, let's get you back to your quarters."
He took Mira by the hand and led her back down the spiral staircase, and then down the corridors and stairs to her chambers. A quick look around showed not even a ghost patrolling the halls, so the professor entered with Mira, to take the short cut to the Potions dungeon.
"This won't take long, I should be back well within the hour."
He gave Mira a kiss on the forehead and passed through the magical passageway into his chambers. She decided that she definitely had time for one last luxurious soak in the extravagant bathtub. She found her night- robe laid out for her on the bench at the foot of the bed and carried it into the bathroom. Mira turned on the taps, and while the enormous tub was filling up, she tossed a generous handful of the resin pearls into the fireplace and ignited the fire with her wand. She gathered up a couple of towels, a washcloth, and bar of soap and set them down in a pile next to the bathtub.
She remembered seeing an hourglass in the sitting room of her guest- chambers, and ran to fetch it, so that she wouldn't linger too long in the bath. By the time she returned, the water was ready. She undressed, and climbed down the steps into the steaming fragrant water. She upended the hourglass and set it on the edge of the tub. Mira took one of the towels and rolled it up to use as a makeshift pillow. She sat back in the corner, on the ledge that ran along the walls of the tub, and leaned her head back against the pillow, soaking in the warmth and breathing in the scent of the fragranced fire. Without intending to, she drifted off to sleep.
Professor Snape returned from the Slytherin dormitory in a very foul mood. Crabbe and Goyle had managed to spill an entire pitcher of pumpkin juice on the rug during a game of wizarding chess that had degenerated into an out and out brawl amongst the chess pieces. Instead of cleaning it up, they left it to soak into the fibers of the rug, figuring the house-elves would take care of it during the night. In addition to their detention of disemboweling marsh toads, they would start the day Sunday on their knees, scrubbing the carpet. It took several minutes of arguing back and forth with the house-elves to make sure that the mess was left for the boys to clean on their own. After a severe dressing down, the professor banished the boys to bed, without any of their sweets or games. Those, he confiscated and placed on the large tea table in the common rooms, a magical barrier preventing them from being touched until sundown the next day.
He swept through the Potions classroom, through his office, and into his private chambers. He threw his robe onto the bed, and made his way through the passageway into Mira's guest quarters. He didn't see her in the bedroom, and saw no sign of her in the sitting room. He saw the door to the bathroom open, and firelight flickering from within. He knocked softly on the frame of the door, and got no response. He glanced in, and spotted her sleeping in the bath.
He smiled and quietly crossed the floor towards her. He removed the pile of clothes off of the little chair, and set the brooch he had given her on the table where the towels were stacked. He picked up the filmy little night-robe and raised an eyebrow as he pondered the thought of her in it. He sat back in the comfortable little chair, and watched her for a while. She was up to her chin in bubbles, and her head had lolled to one side, letting her hair trail into the foamy water. He inhaled the fragrance from the fireplace, and recognized one of the smoldering resins as having sedative properties. He knelt down at the edge of the bathtub. Judging from the heaviness of the fragrance in the air, she must have used quite a handful of resin in the fire.
"Mira?"
She slept on, oblivious to his presence.
"Mira, wake up, you've fallen asleep in the bath."
She turned her head to the other side and made a contented little noise. But didn't wake up. Smirking, he stood and started to undress. He slowly descended the steps into the large tub, so as not to wake her. He stood waist-deep in the water, and savored the warmth and fragrance. It was much nicer than the bathtub in his chambers. Half again as large and nearly twice as deep. His was merely an oversized bathtub; this was a small soaking pool.
He slowly made his way across to the corner where she was sleeping, so as not to startle her. He used his hands to push the bubbles out of the way as he moved closer to her.
"Mirabelle, wake up love; you've overdone it with the relaxation resin."
No response. Just a very contented look on her face, and the gentle rising and falling of her chest under the surface of the water. He reached up and brushed some stray soap suds off of her chin and cheek. Mira sighed and nuzzled her face against his hand. He leaned in and kissed her softly on her forehead. She made a pleasurable little noise and shifted position slightly under the water. A wicked idea worked its way into his thoughts.
He stood over her and tilted her head back onto the rolled up towel. Quietly, he bent over and gently bit the tender flesh of her neck. Instead of waking, as he had anticipated, she moaned softly and rolled her head away from his mouth. He pushed her knees apart and leaned in against her body to whisper in her ear.
"Mira, wake up. I don't want to have to startle you awake with a spell"
She mumbled unintelligibly and pressed her thighs against his legs. But she didn't wake up. Frustrated, he stood back and ran a damp hand through his hair. He knew she wasn't in any kind of danger, merely under the effects of a sedative, which was amplified by the warm water. He wondered if he should just let her sleep it off while he enjoyed a soak in the bath, or continue to try and wake her. She exhaled deeply and shifted position again; and started to slide off of the ledge, down into the water.
He lunged and grabbed her around the waist before she drowned herself. As he lifted her back up onto the ledge, she sighed, wrapped her arms and legs around him and moaned his name. But it didn't sound exactly like his name. For a moment he thought that she had called him Sirius. But then banished the thought as absurd. She couldn't have said Sirius. Their names were quite similar and she was merely slurring her words from the sedative. Still, it bothered him. He despised Sirius Black, and if it was truly his name that she said? Well, he didn't want to even think that it might have been his name that she said. Still, he couldn't stop thinking it.
He tried to reason with himself that what he had heard was her slurring her speech from the sedative, she had said his name, not Sirius. Despite knowing that was the only rational explanation for what he thought he had heard, he felt the heat of jealousy flare up within him. He also noticed that jealousy wasn't the only thing flaring up. He realized just how incredibly aroused he was, with a naked and unconscious Mira literally wrapped around his body. He wondered just how deeply unconscious she was, and would she even wake up if he started to make love to her.
He found the idea overpoweringly arousing, but slightly disturbing. And then wondered if he took her in her current state, just whom would she think she was making love with? Frustrated, jealous, and very horny, he ran his hands through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. He decided to try one last time to wake her, and if she didn't wake, he would get her out of the bath, dry her off, carry her to bed and let her sleep the effects of the sedative off.
He shook her gently, and took her head in his hands.
"Mira, wake up. Mira!"
With a slight jump, she blinked and looked at him through heavy eyelids, her expression registering recognition.
"Hey. I guess I must have dozed off. You're in the mood for a bath too?"
He pulled her face to his, and kissed her hungrily, taking her bottom lip between his teeth. Mira made a surprised little whimpering noise, and pressed her body against his, feeling the extent of his arousal.
"It's not a bath I'm in the mood for."
"Shouldn't we go into the bedroom?"
"No."
He braced himself against the bottom of the bathtub and made love to her fiercely, fueled by the twin passions of desire and jealousy. After finishing off, and catching his breath; he regained his composure and helped a still drowsy and weak-kneed Mira out of the bathtub, wrapped her in a large fluffy towel, and helped her into the little chair in the corner.
Mira sat in a daze, watching Professor Snape dry himself off in front of the fire, and wrap a dry towel around his hips. She wondered just what had happened there in the soaking tub. He was not a timid lover by any means, but had never been quite that rough with her before. She enjoyed the experience, no doubt about that, but he actually hurt her a little at the end. He was usually intense, dominating, and a bit on the feral side when it came to lovemaking, but he had never been quite so brutal about it before. She watched him moving, his body was very tense, he was wound up about something.
He picked up his wand from the pile of his clothes, and cast a clearing of the air charm. Within seconds, Mira started to feel a little more alert. The professor picked up Mira's wand and the brooch he gave her; and helped her up out of the chair and into the bedroom.
"The effects of the relaxation resin should wear off in a few minutes. I'm sorry you weren't warned about it, I didn't know that's what was in the urn by the fireplace. I'm pretty much immune to it now, but you were very strongly affected by it. Here, let me help you into bed."
He helped her up into the large bed, placed their wands and her brooch on the bedside table, and helped her out of the towel. It was going to get well below freezing that night, so he undid the ropes that held the heavy draperies open, and pulled them shut around the sides of the bed. He tossed his towel on the floor next to hers, extinguished all the lamps, and crawled under the blankets. Pulling her close to him, he whispered in her ear.
"I didn't frighten you in the bath, did I? I noticed you were a little startled when you woke up."
"No, I knew you were there with me, but I couldn't wake up. I was dreaming one thing in my mind, but I knew what was going on around me as well. It was very confusing."
"That's an effect of overuse of the relaxation resin. It causes vivid dreams but during a state of deep semi-consciousness."
"Oh. For a while, I wasn't sure what was my dream and what was reality."
"What were you dreaming about?"
"It's a little embarrassing, but I was having a sexy dream, and then I felt you in the bathtub with me, but I couldn't really tell what was real and what was my dream. I dreamed that I was making love and then all of the sudden, I was doing it for real."
"You were dreaming about me then?"
"Well, yeah. I didn't see a face in the dream, but it had to have been you. I mean, who else would it have been?"
Snape pulled her tightly against him and kissed her forehead. He felt very foolish for even suspecting her of fantasizing about Sirius, and quite guilty for having taken her so roughly and selfishly in the bath. He was sure he had hurt her, and he regretted letting his jealousy overpower him like that. He lay awake for some time, staring at the stars through the enchanted canopy; thinking of how very much he loved Mira, and how terrified he was of losing her.
Sorry only two chapters this week, no inspiration to write much. Much more plot-wise coming though.
Disclaimer: Nothing from the books or movies belongs to me.
Chapter 49: Jealousy
After helping Professor Snape take inventory of the Potions classroom supply stores, Mira accepted an invitation to take tea with Professor Sprout, who was still very interested in Mira's herbalist friend and her rooftop garden back in New Orleans. They sat in Sprout's private conservatory, sipping fragrant tea, discussing the French Market, and how the old women vending there sold to both magical and muggle alike. Following tea, Sprout gave Mira a tour of the Hogwarts greenhouses; which were lush with greenery, even during the cold winter months. Mira confessed that she had not even managed to successfully raise flowers in a window box, much less maintain an actual garden there in Hogsmeade. All of the plants in her New Orleans courtyard were established old growth in enormous clay pots. Small trees, shrubberies with fragrant blooms, and roses, which trailed up onto wrought iron wall trellises. The clay pots were pretty much self-maintaining. From time to time, they required a little watering, but not much more. And Mira could count on her tenant and friend, Maggie, to keep an eye on them for her.
The day growing long, Mira thanked the Herbology professor for tea and promised to send her cuttings from Maggie's garden the next time she was in New Orleans. She made her way back to her guest quarters; using the little parchment map that Dumbledore had given her. The passageway door was still open, and Mira crossed over to the dungeons, where she found professor Snape working at his desk in the small laboratory and office adjoining his private chambers. He looked up at Mira with a slight smirk on his face.
"You've been gone an awfully long time. Did Sprout corner you and drag you through those suffocatingly hot greenhouses; and then talk your ear off about the subtle but oh so fascinating difference between catnip and catmint?"
Mira pushed some scrolls out of the way and sat on the edge of the professor's desk.
"Actually, she and I spent most of the time just chatting in her conservatory. We had a lovely tea together. You're right, she is a bit dotty over her plants, but she's still cute as a button."
Snape made a sarcastic snorting noise, gathered up the scrolls Mira had moved, and deposited them in his desk drawer.
"If you had to listen to her prattle on about her infernal plants every time you had any kind of professional contact with her; you would not find her cute as a button, but rather annoying."
Mira cocked her head to the side in contemplation, and then shook it affirmatively.
"Yeah, you're right. I can see how she could get annoying."
"I was beginning to wonder if I would have to send the house-elves out looking for you. Dumbledore has specifically requested both of us to come down to the dining room this evening. Apparently he wants to have a little after-dinner chat with you. Regarding what? I have no idea. So, you have a little more than an hour to get freshened up if you need it."
"I'm fine as I am."
"Very well then, we have just over an hour to kill. Would you like to play a game of wizarding chess? Or help me bottle up a batch of marsh toad entrails?"
"Ummm. I've never played wizard chess, and what the hell is the matter with you? Suggesting that we muck about with animal guts before a meal!"
"Amphibian. Toads are amphibians."
"Whatever, they're still animals aren't they? And stuffing their entrails in a bottle is not the way I would like to spend the hour before I eat!"
"Pardon me! I forget; the lady has never sullied her dainty hands with the less than savory substances found in a potions laboratory. If it would please milady, could I interest you in a nice game of croquet out on the front lawn? Or maybe we can sit before the fire and work on needlepoint? Hmmm?"
Snape gave Mira a look that was literally dripping with condescending sarcasm. She leaned over and playfully shoved him with her shoulder.
"You asshole! Hey, how about giving me a tour of the school? Or at least as much as we can see and still make it to the dining room in an hour?"
"Very well, whatever milady desires, is my humble pleasure to provide."
He rose from behind his desk, and with a flourish held out his arm for Mira. She took it and they walked back through his bedchamber, so that he could seal the magical passageway from her guest quarters. After completely sealing his quarters with magical wards, he led her out of the Potions suite and locked the classroom door behind them.
The first stop was the Slytherin dormitory and common room, located behind a hidden doorway. Snape swept into the common room, and interrupted a game of exploding snap being played by the two young men who had stayed on over the holidays.
"Crabbe, Goyle!"
The boys jumped up off of their chairs and stood shoulder to shoulder, as if at attention.
"This is Ms. DelMare. She will be my guest at the school from time to time, and when you see her in the corridors, I expect you to fall over yourselves to assist her in finding her way. Understood?"
The boys nodded their heads, a solemn look on their face.
"I'm sorry? I didn't quite hear that?"
"Yes Professor!"
"Very well. As you were."
The boys hesitantly returned to their seats, keeping a wary eye on their household head. Snape walked Mira around the Slytherin common room, pointing out the house crest on the wall and the portrait of the house founder, Salazar Slytherin. On their way out of the room, he turned, cleared his throat loudly and pointed to a scattered pile of Christmas debris. Wadded up wrapping paper and tissue, empty boxes, and discarded ribbon littered the area between the large sofas and in front of the Christmas tree.
"And do something about this God-awful mess before you go to bed this evening. You should know better than to dirty up the common room and leave it for the house elves."
He led Mira out of the dormitory to the sound of the boys hastily gathering up the trash and grumbling under their breath. Mira looked over and detected a definite twinkle in the professor's eyes. He relished in lording it over his students. She snickered to herself, and he looked over at her with eyebrows raised.
"What? What do you find so amusing?"
"You. The way those boys snapped to attention like you're a drill sergeant. No wonder the students all swear about you behind your back. You absolutely adore being the hard-ass teacher, don't you?"
"Better than the old softie that allows his students to walk all over him. I'm not sure if you quite understand my job as household head. I am not merely these students' professor or academic advisor. I'm their parenting figure while they are here at Hogwarts. It is my duty to make sure that they not only receive a proper education in Potions, but also to ensure that the Slytherins, at least, don't run amok like a pack of wild beasts. They know that if they shame themselves with misbehavior, they shame me. And I do not take kindly to being made the fool. I expect no more of them than their parents would at home. You must try and understand Mira; most people chosen to be in Slytherin come from very established old wizarding families, who cling tightly to the old ways, and who have certain societal obligations. Most of my students are from aristocratic families. No doubt their families have told them about my fall from grace and how I wound up going from younger son of one of the most prominent wizarding families in England to a lowly teacher at Hogwarts. If I so much as gave them a fraction of an inch, they would believe themselves superior to me and run with it. From day one, I establish that I am the one in charge, in a manner which they do not forget. If that means that I must be the hard-ass teacher, then so be it."
The professor gripped her arm and stepped up the pace, climbing the stairs from the dungeons to the main corridor. He led Mira past several classrooms, pointed out the quidditch pitch from the window, and led her to the library for a quick browse, and then down to the smaller informal dining room where dinner was to be served.
They arrived early for dinner, and found a group of three students sitting and chatting, along with the deputy headmistress chatting with the school nurse. The students looked up warily but offered no greetings to Mira and the professor. McGonagall and Pomfrey nodded to them and returned to their conversation. Slowly the other students and faculty joined the table. Dumbledore arrived last, and took his seat at the head of the table. Before he sat, he made a few announcements.
"I would like to wish a Happy Christmas to all of my students, professors, faculty, and their guests. The tradition, here at Hogwarts is to celebrate the Holidays on Christmas Eve, with a special feast. However, with the house-elves doing what they do best, which is overcooking on an outlandish scale, we will be enjoying a scaled down repeat of the feast this evening. Enjoy!"
The tables again filled with all manner of wonderful delicacies. The meal was festive but very much informal. Afterwards, when the students and faculty drifted back to their various dormitories and chambers, Headmaster Dumbledore bid Mira and Professor Snape to remain at the table. He beckoned them to the two seats flanking his seat at the head of the table, so that they could talk without having to shout over the large dining table.
"Well, Mirabelle my dear, what did you think about Christmas at Hogwarts? "
"It was lovely headmaster, thank you for being so generous as to have me this weekend."
"Think nothing of it, it is my pleasure to extend the hospitality of the school to those my family here holds dear. Will you be leaving early in the morning? Or will you be staying on to the end of the weekend?"
"I'm afraid I can't stay all day tomorrow. I've got to get back to Hogsmeade and take care of some shop business. I also have to study a little, I'm having a tutoring session in transfiguration tomorrow."
"So I've heard. Miss Granger is going to be tutoring you during the holidays and on weekends. You're a lucky woman. She's a bright girl and very even tempered. You should do very well with her tutelage. I also hear that you will be joining us at the Twelfth Night Ball. Has somebody explained to you about formal wizarding balls? How you should dress, what you can expect?"
"Yes, my cousin has attended formal balls before, and sent me magazine and newspaper clippings with photos of fancy dress robes appropriate for masquerades. I've got plans for something for us to wear, but I'm afraid that it won't be on a par with the best-dressed list published in Witch Weekly."
"Pay no mind my dear. Only a fraction of the attendees are dressed in a manner that attracts the cameras. Why, I have never had my photograph published on a best-dressed list, and I have attended exactly eighty-seven of these formal wizarding balls. You are invited for the value of your company, not the value of the robes upon your back."
Dumbledore stood and turned to both Mira and the professor.
"That being said, I am afraid I must retire to my office and begin the daunting task of writing thank-you notes. It was a pleasure seeing you again Mirabelle, I look forward to seeing you again at the ball."
Dumbledore rose and exited the dining room through a small nearly hidden door in the back corner of the room. Professor Snape rose, and held out his hand for Mira.
"Well then, the night is still young. Shall we continue your tour of Hogwarts?"
"Sounds good to me, what all else is there to see?"
"Seeing as you are only here until tomorrow afternoon, just a few especially interesting places. It would take you several weeks to see every part of the castle and grounds I'm afraid."
They walked on through the corridors, up and down staircases that moved, and past paintings that spoke to them. Mira was utterly fascinated with the school, and started to regret not ever having gone to wizarding school herself. The last stop of the evening was in the top level of the Astronomy tower. With the former professor banned from teaching after being uncovered as a Voldemort sympathizer, the tower remained vacant through the Holidays. The interim professor had a family and lived just outside of Hogsmeade. He went home in the evenings and for weekends and holidays. Mira followed the professor up a long winding staircase, to the tallest turret of the school.
Professor Snape took out his wand and pointed it at the ceiling.
"Acclare Lacunaris!"
The ceiling shimmered briefly and dissolved away to transparency. Like the ceilings of the great hall and the canopy panel of Mira's guest-bed, the tall pointed ceiling of the Astronomy tower was enchanted to show the night sky.
"It's beautiful."
"Sometimes at night, when I can't sleep and it starts to feel a little claustrophobic down in the dungeons, I come up here and look at the stars. And on occasion, when it's a warm summer night, I climb up onto the roof observatory to get an even closer look at them."
"I didn't know you dabbled in Astronomy."
"I don't. I just like to look at the stars. The illusion will wear off on its' own before sunrise. It's nearing curfew, and I need to check in on my students. Tomorrow they will be serving detention; removing and bottling the toad entrails which you so vehemently disapproved of. Come, let's get you back to your quarters."
He took Mira by the hand and led her back down the spiral staircase, and then down the corridors and stairs to her chambers. A quick look around showed not even a ghost patrolling the halls, so the professor entered with Mira, to take the short cut to the Potions dungeon.
"This won't take long, I should be back well within the hour."
He gave Mira a kiss on the forehead and passed through the magical passageway into his chambers. She decided that she definitely had time for one last luxurious soak in the extravagant bathtub. She found her night- robe laid out for her on the bench at the foot of the bed and carried it into the bathroom. Mira turned on the taps, and while the enormous tub was filling up, she tossed a generous handful of the resin pearls into the fireplace and ignited the fire with her wand. She gathered up a couple of towels, a washcloth, and bar of soap and set them down in a pile next to the bathtub.
She remembered seeing an hourglass in the sitting room of her guest- chambers, and ran to fetch it, so that she wouldn't linger too long in the bath. By the time she returned, the water was ready. She undressed, and climbed down the steps into the steaming fragrant water. She upended the hourglass and set it on the edge of the tub. Mira took one of the towels and rolled it up to use as a makeshift pillow. She sat back in the corner, on the ledge that ran along the walls of the tub, and leaned her head back against the pillow, soaking in the warmth and breathing in the scent of the fragranced fire. Without intending to, she drifted off to sleep.
Professor Snape returned from the Slytherin dormitory in a very foul mood. Crabbe and Goyle had managed to spill an entire pitcher of pumpkin juice on the rug during a game of wizarding chess that had degenerated into an out and out brawl amongst the chess pieces. Instead of cleaning it up, they left it to soak into the fibers of the rug, figuring the house-elves would take care of it during the night. In addition to their detention of disemboweling marsh toads, they would start the day Sunday on their knees, scrubbing the carpet. It took several minutes of arguing back and forth with the house-elves to make sure that the mess was left for the boys to clean on their own. After a severe dressing down, the professor banished the boys to bed, without any of their sweets or games. Those, he confiscated and placed on the large tea table in the common rooms, a magical barrier preventing them from being touched until sundown the next day.
He swept through the Potions classroom, through his office, and into his private chambers. He threw his robe onto the bed, and made his way through the passageway into Mira's guest quarters. He didn't see her in the bedroom, and saw no sign of her in the sitting room. He saw the door to the bathroom open, and firelight flickering from within. He knocked softly on the frame of the door, and got no response. He glanced in, and spotted her sleeping in the bath.
He smiled and quietly crossed the floor towards her. He removed the pile of clothes off of the little chair, and set the brooch he had given her on the table where the towels were stacked. He picked up the filmy little night-robe and raised an eyebrow as he pondered the thought of her in it. He sat back in the comfortable little chair, and watched her for a while. She was up to her chin in bubbles, and her head had lolled to one side, letting her hair trail into the foamy water. He inhaled the fragrance from the fireplace, and recognized one of the smoldering resins as having sedative properties. He knelt down at the edge of the bathtub. Judging from the heaviness of the fragrance in the air, she must have used quite a handful of resin in the fire.
"Mira?"
She slept on, oblivious to his presence.
"Mira, wake up, you've fallen asleep in the bath."
She turned her head to the other side and made a contented little noise. But didn't wake up. Smirking, he stood and started to undress. He slowly descended the steps into the large tub, so as not to wake her. He stood waist-deep in the water, and savored the warmth and fragrance. It was much nicer than the bathtub in his chambers. Half again as large and nearly twice as deep. His was merely an oversized bathtub; this was a small soaking pool.
He slowly made his way across to the corner where she was sleeping, so as not to startle her. He used his hands to push the bubbles out of the way as he moved closer to her.
"Mirabelle, wake up love; you've overdone it with the relaxation resin."
No response. Just a very contented look on her face, and the gentle rising and falling of her chest under the surface of the water. He reached up and brushed some stray soap suds off of her chin and cheek. Mira sighed and nuzzled her face against his hand. He leaned in and kissed her softly on her forehead. She made a pleasurable little noise and shifted position slightly under the water. A wicked idea worked its way into his thoughts.
He stood over her and tilted her head back onto the rolled up towel. Quietly, he bent over and gently bit the tender flesh of her neck. Instead of waking, as he had anticipated, she moaned softly and rolled her head away from his mouth. He pushed her knees apart and leaned in against her body to whisper in her ear.
"Mira, wake up. I don't want to have to startle you awake with a spell"
She mumbled unintelligibly and pressed her thighs against his legs. But she didn't wake up. Frustrated, he stood back and ran a damp hand through his hair. He knew she wasn't in any kind of danger, merely under the effects of a sedative, which was amplified by the warm water. He wondered if he should just let her sleep it off while he enjoyed a soak in the bath, or continue to try and wake her. She exhaled deeply and shifted position again; and started to slide off of the ledge, down into the water.
He lunged and grabbed her around the waist before she drowned herself. As he lifted her back up onto the ledge, she sighed, wrapped her arms and legs around him and moaned his name. But it didn't sound exactly like his name. For a moment he thought that she had called him Sirius. But then banished the thought as absurd. She couldn't have said Sirius. Their names were quite similar and she was merely slurring her words from the sedative. Still, it bothered him. He despised Sirius Black, and if it was truly his name that she said? Well, he didn't want to even think that it might have been his name that she said. Still, he couldn't stop thinking it.
He tried to reason with himself that what he had heard was her slurring her speech from the sedative, she had said his name, not Sirius. Despite knowing that was the only rational explanation for what he thought he had heard, he felt the heat of jealousy flare up within him. He also noticed that jealousy wasn't the only thing flaring up. He realized just how incredibly aroused he was, with a naked and unconscious Mira literally wrapped around his body. He wondered just how deeply unconscious she was, and would she even wake up if he started to make love to her.
He found the idea overpoweringly arousing, but slightly disturbing. And then wondered if he took her in her current state, just whom would she think she was making love with? Frustrated, jealous, and very horny, he ran his hands through his hair and gave an exasperated sigh. He decided to try one last time to wake her, and if she didn't wake, he would get her out of the bath, dry her off, carry her to bed and let her sleep the effects of the sedative off.
He shook her gently, and took her head in his hands.
"Mira, wake up. Mira!"
With a slight jump, she blinked and looked at him through heavy eyelids, her expression registering recognition.
"Hey. I guess I must have dozed off. You're in the mood for a bath too?"
He pulled her face to his, and kissed her hungrily, taking her bottom lip between his teeth. Mira made a surprised little whimpering noise, and pressed her body against his, feeling the extent of his arousal.
"It's not a bath I'm in the mood for."
"Shouldn't we go into the bedroom?"
"No."
He braced himself against the bottom of the bathtub and made love to her fiercely, fueled by the twin passions of desire and jealousy. After finishing off, and catching his breath; he regained his composure and helped a still drowsy and weak-kneed Mira out of the bathtub, wrapped her in a large fluffy towel, and helped her into the little chair in the corner.
Mira sat in a daze, watching Professor Snape dry himself off in front of the fire, and wrap a dry towel around his hips. She wondered just what had happened there in the soaking tub. He was not a timid lover by any means, but had never been quite that rough with her before. She enjoyed the experience, no doubt about that, but he actually hurt her a little at the end. He was usually intense, dominating, and a bit on the feral side when it came to lovemaking, but he had never been quite so brutal about it before. She watched him moving, his body was very tense, he was wound up about something.
He picked up his wand from the pile of his clothes, and cast a clearing of the air charm. Within seconds, Mira started to feel a little more alert. The professor picked up Mira's wand and the brooch he gave her; and helped her up out of the chair and into the bedroom.
"The effects of the relaxation resin should wear off in a few minutes. I'm sorry you weren't warned about it, I didn't know that's what was in the urn by the fireplace. I'm pretty much immune to it now, but you were very strongly affected by it. Here, let me help you into bed."
He helped her up into the large bed, placed their wands and her brooch on the bedside table, and helped her out of the towel. It was going to get well below freezing that night, so he undid the ropes that held the heavy draperies open, and pulled them shut around the sides of the bed. He tossed his towel on the floor next to hers, extinguished all the lamps, and crawled under the blankets. Pulling her close to him, he whispered in her ear.
"I didn't frighten you in the bath, did I? I noticed you were a little startled when you woke up."
"No, I knew you were there with me, but I couldn't wake up. I was dreaming one thing in my mind, but I knew what was going on around me as well. It was very confusing."
"That's an effect of overuse of the relaxation resin. It causes vivid dreams but during a state of deep semi-consciousness."
"Oh. For a while, I wasn't sure what was my dream and what was reality."
"What were you dreaming about?"
"It's a little embarrassing, but I was having a sexy dream, and then I felt you in the bathtub with me, but I couldn't really tell what was real and what was my dream. I dreamed that I was making love and then all of the sudden, I was doing it for real."
"You were dreaming about me then?"
"Well, yeah. I didn't see a face in the dream, but it had to have been you. I mean, who else would it have been?"
Snape pulled her tightly against him and kissed her forehead. He felt very foolish for even suspecting her of fantasizing about Sirius, and quite guilty for having taken her so roughly and selfishly in the bath. He was sure he had hurt her, and he regretted letting his jealousy overpower him like that. He lay awake for some time, staring at the stars through the enchanted canopy; thinking of how very much he loved Mira, and how terrified he was of losing her.