Disclaimer: I am still only borrowing Ms. Rowling's wonderful characters for my own amusement.

AN: To Midnight Lily: See I reward reviews with new chapters.

Chapter 10 Hangover

Who's that knockin' on my door this mornin'
Can't they see I'm dead
There ain't nothin' left to do this mornin'
'Cept to make it to my bed

I was out till all hours
Raisin' Cain once again
I don't care about the hours
Only how much did I spend

'Cause I got a hangover
I won't make it through the day
I got a hangover
So just leave me where I lay

America "Hangover"

Snape had tried a cold shower, mentally inventorying his potions supplies, and self release last night all in an attempt to relieve his discomfort. Nothing had worked. He had spent a restless night, finally falling asleep only to have dreams that left him in a worse state than he had been in to start with.

Deciding that the cause of his discomfort should experience some discomfort of her own, he headed to Alexis' room. Alexis had arranged for Snape to have access to her rooms in the morning so the portrait swung open at his approach.

Snape looked down on the still sleeping Alexis. She was curled up on her side with one hand tucked under her chin. Checking the time, he realized that the hangover prevention potion would last for another twenty minutes. While the potion was working, nothing short of a major disturbance or a specific spell would wake her up. Snape quickly removed his robe and draped it across the back of an armchair. Looking at Alexis' clothes strewn around he was satisfied that the room gave the impression of sexual abandon that he was aiming for. Checking the time he found that he only had about five minutes left. He moved into the bathroom and started the shower so that the room would be steamy and waited for Alexis to wake up.

Alexis woke up with a pounding in her head and no idea how she had gotten to her room and into bed. Trying to think through the pounding was almost impossible. The last thing she remembered was Snape carrying her and then nothing. Opening one eye carefully she recognized her room. Trying not to move her head any more than necessary, she lifted the covers, Nightgown… mine… good, she thought and started to breath a sigh of relief, which abruptly caught in her chest when she realized that she could hear the shower running.

Just then the door to the bathroom opened and a cloud of steam poured out followed by a Potion master who was doing up the buttons on his shirt. The pounding in her head had been joined by a spinning sensation. What had happened last night?

"We had better hurry or we will be late for breakfast," Snape murmured as he leaned down and kissed her gently.

Hurry? Hurry and get ready? Hurry and something else? Alexis had a wide-eyed look of panic on her face that Snape was enjoying immensely.

"I hope you don't mind that I used the shower first? But you were sleeping so peacefully I didn't want to disturb you."

Alexis was looking at him desperately trying to remember… something, anything from the night before. Could she have finally enjoyed the Potions Master's company and not even remember a single detail? Life could not be that unfair!

Snape sat down next to her on the edge of the bed and gently pushed a strand of hair out of her face,

Alexis looked around the room. There were her clothes from the day before scattered alongside the bed. Snape's robe was thrown over the back of a chair. It's just not fair! Alexis thought. From all the evidence she had enjoyed a night of reckless passion. But she could not remember any of it.

"Professor," Alexis started when Snape interrupted her. "After last night, I don't think we should be so formal."

"Severus," Alexis stuttered.

"Oh but that is not what you called me last night," Snape chided.

"What did I call you?" Alexis stammered.

"You don't remember?" Snape looked disappointed. "Dead sexy."

That triggered a stream of memories for Alexis: sitting in a pub with Minerva and Rolanda asserting Snape's sexiness; sitting in a different pub explaining to the dubious witches why she found Snape dead sexy; assuring Snape that she had not been drunk when she had told them she found him dead sexy.

Groaning Alexis closed her eyes.

Snape was enjoying himself immensely. This almost made up for his frustration last night.

Alexis was getting bits and pieces from last night coming back to her. She remembered being carried to her room. Then the rest of the evening flashed before her. She was blushing furiously as she remembered the nightgown incident. It hit her. He had tucked her into bed and given her a potion and then she fell asleep. Alexis found that she trusted him enough to know that there was no way he had taken advantage of her.

Sitting up in the bed Alexis stared at Snape, "You rat. You dirty rotten rat. How could you make me think that we…? And I couldn't remember it. AHH!"

Snape realized that his potion had been strong enough or she hadn't been as drunk as he originally thought because she had remembered everything: including the fact that there was 'nothing' to remember.

Quickly getting to his feet he put the armchair between him and the enraged women stalking toward him, "Alexis, it was just a little joke. Calm down. No harm done."

Alexis surprised Snape by stepping up onto the chair he was using as a shield, "No harm!" Grabbing his head she planted a smacking kiss on his surprised mouth. Letting him go she jumped down off the chair and headed to the bathroom whistling.

When she came out a few minutes later in a terry cloth robe with her hair wrapped in a towel Snape was still standing behind the chair where she had left him. Gathering clean clothes she prepared to go back to the bathroom to finish getting ready when Snape cleared his throat, "Do you care to explain your little performance?"

Alexis turned to look at him and could not help but grin at his befuddled look. "I remember last night. I remember throwing myself at you repeatedly and then stripping (blushing again) in front of you. I also remember you being a perfect gentleman. After all I put you through; you deserve your harmless revenge. Now give me five minutes and we can go to breakfast."

Snape stared after Alexis would the woman never stop confounding him?

AN short chapter but more to come...