Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that has waited patiently and stuck with this series! Other fics and art have largely been occupying my mind lately.
As always, this is a work of fanfiction only.
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Ok. So what's next?
"Soak" is part of the "Ache" series. There will be eleven stories in total. Next up is "Brand." It is the story of how Severus got his Dark Mark is set during the Marauders Era/First War and will feature snippets in the lives of both Minerva and Severus at that time.
It's more of a character study of Severus, however we will see a handful of interactions between the two at a time in which they were serving opposing sides. The first two chapters of "Brand" are in edits now.
Minerva rolled onto her back and threw her left arm above her head. Staring at the ceiling above her bed she felt simultaneously uncomfortable that Severus was in the room next door and frustrated that she was not.
She tried to rationalise her earlier behaviour. She was trying to protect him, but she knew she couldn't outright explain it that way to Severus. He was curious by nature. And he had no inkling of the forces he was messing with.
'And if the Dark Lord ever found out' came creeping into the back of her mind.
She didn't finish the thought.
"Ah! But is it really that or is it shame?"
She pinched the bridge of her nose.
She was afraid.
She was afraid he would turn her out of his bed if he knew what she had done.
He would realise that she was a fool.
But mostly she was terrified that he would see her in the same way she saw herself – weak.
And she hated herself for it.
As she lay there, exhaustion began to overtake her senses. Her eyes became heavy, and she succumbed to sleep.
Minerva sat upright suddenly. A hand reached out and lightly touched her shoulder.
"You're alright," a familiar voice said.
It was dark. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could make out Severus's lean figure sitting on the edge of the bed.
"What time is it?" she asked as she reached over to pull her glasses from the antique end table that sat next to the bed.
"About half past two," he replied.
"Has something happened?" she said, trying to read his face.
She made a move to get up, but Severus pushed her back gently, just enough to tell her to stay in place.
"If you mean something with the Order, no," he said.
She cocked her head to the side.
"Nothing with Hogwarts," he added.
She gave him a casual shrug and awaited an answer as she leaned back against the wooden headboard.
"I wanted to apologise for earlier," he said in earnest.
Minerva was at loss for words. She turned her head left and stared at the faded wallpaper that lined the dusty room.
"I had no right," Severus admitted. "And I disrespected your privacy."
"So, you thought you'd just break into my room then? Great apology," she snapped.
The bed springs creaked as Severus leaned forward. He gently turned her face to look at him.
"I wanted to know about you because I care about you a lot more than I'm supposed to," he said.
She closed her eyes as he traced his thumb across the bow of her lip. She wanted to indulge in the sensation of his fingers as they ghosted gently along her jawline.
"And if loving you means only knowing the parts you're comfortable sharing-" he started to say but Minerva cut him off.
"Stop," she said.
She took hold of his hand and pulled it away from her face.
Severus nodded and moved back to give her some space.
"If you knew-" Minerva began but stopped, trailing off.
She closed her eyes and tilted her head, as if she were banishing a bad thought.
Severus waited for her to collect her thoughts.
"I live every day with the guilt of what I've done," she said darkly. "And don't tell me you understand. You cannot fathom the darkness that I know."
Something dark flashed in her eyes as if to warn him off. The mark on his wrist tingled faintly.
Severus decided to try a different approach.
"Perhaps you and I should have an open conversation. Minerva, I don't pretend to understand what you've been through-" he tried to say but Minerva stopped him.
He couldn't understand what made him suggest it. But he knew that whatever burden she bore, it would feel lighter to share it with someone else.
Regardless of his offer, Minerva wasn't having it.
"You don't get it, Severus. It's not what I've been through. It's what I've done ," she said as her eyes grew wide.
Severus was unsure how to respond.
"And I don't maintain this secrecy for self-preservation. This isn't about protecting myself or my position. It's about protecting the Order," Minerva said angrily before quietly adding. "And you."
Severus nodded silently.
He took hold of her hand and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze.
Minerva wanted to welcome his touch.
But she knew that she couldn't.
The longer he stayed, the weaker her resolve would grow.
Although they had reached a comfortable familiarity over the last few weeks, Severus's curiosity was a reminder that Dumbledore's warning had been for the best.
"Please leave," Minerva asked as she pulled her hand away.
4 August 1995
Severus was seated across from Minerva at the table in the kitchen in Grimmauld Place. This would be the final meeting for the Order Council before the plan to extract Potter from Little Whinging.
The full Order rarely met – it was too risky. There were also some members involved on a secretive basis whom only a handful of the council were aware of their existence.
"We've ensured that the Dursley's will be out of the house," Tonks explained. "By the time they reach the award ceremony and realise the error, it will take them over an hour to get back."
"We should be in and out in less than forty-five minutes," Kingsley added.
Severus liked Shacklebolt. He would have made an excellent Death Eater. The wizard was a highly skilled duellist and a chameleon. Shacklebolt had easily embedded himself in everything from organised crime syndicates, foreign diplomatic offices, and even the muggle government when needed.
They would be using three teams to rescue Potter. The first team would wait near the Dursley home. Once the muggles were gone, they would escort the real Potter out of the area on broomstick. After fifteen minutes, the second team would move in and escort a fake Potter out of the area through the use of a muggle automobile.
It was their hope that the Death Eaters would assume these two teams were a diversion.
The third team would wait thirty minutes before moving in. They would then escort a second fake Potter, on broomstick, to a false Order safehouse in Dartford.
It was their hope this "rescue" would lead any Death Eaters away from the real team headed for Grimmauld Place.
Moving Potter came with a significant risk, and they would have to hope that their ruse would be enough to fool the Dark Lord's forces.
The nature of the Order relied on secrecy. While this move was by no means their largest operation, it was still a significant undertaking.
More than that, it would involve having lots of Order members present in the same location at once.
That was a risk – both to the members and to the organisation.
Minerva was opposed to the plan altogether. She had favoured creating an illegal portkey. However, Albus was insistent that they did not have the time to do so.
Creating a portkey was a significant undertaking. Doing so illegally required subverting about fourteen wizarding laws and was a dangerous task. Based on false information Severus had intentionally fed the Dark Lord, they had no choice but to move Potter on the 6 th .
As soon as the meeting was adjourned, Minerva cornered Albus.
"You have to move Potter that night because you're planning to have a run-in," Minerva said in an angry whisper.
Albus's shoulders slumped.
The headmaster took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Albus," Minerva hissed.
Dumbledore sighed before slipping his half-moon spectacles back onto his face.
"Minerva, I don't think this is the best time to discuss this matter," Albus said.
Minerva crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, signalling she wasn't about to back down.
"You have to understand that-" Albus began.
"That what ?" Minerva demanded. "That you need to prove Severus's loyalty to the Dark Lord?"
She glanced to the side to ensure their conversation was still private as the other members of the Order filtered out of the room.
"You would risk such an action on the same night as we move Potter?" she asked. "We could stage a false move on a different night!"
"This is not the place," Dumbledore warned under his breath.
"These people deserve to know if they're flying to danger," Minerva insisted.
She wasn't surprised by Albus's actions – even if she vehemently disagreed with them.
"Minerva, everyone is prepared for the possibility of danger," Dumbledore reminded her.
That was true. Dumbledore had stressed the possibility that they would encounter resistance and the Order had planned carefully. They had put together three teams of accomplished witches and wizards.
"Constant vigilance is a world of difference from actually knowing something is coming," Minerva argued.
"Not a word of this, Minerva," Dumbledore cautioned. "To anyone."
Wordlessly, she knew that he was worried about loose lips among the Order. Severus was certainly not the only spy amongst their ranks. Dumbledore could not risk exposing Severus as a double agent.
"He's a boy, Albus. Not a bloody piece of bait," Minerva fumed.
"And you know better than anyone what could happen if anyone were to get wind of this plan," Dumbledore said knowingly.
Minerva frowned. She felt utterly defeated.
"For the greater good," Dumbledore said warmly.
From the corner, Severus watched her leave after a tense discussion with Dumbledore. He didn't need Occlumency to know she was in a foul mood.
Minerva left the meeting in a huff and did not attend dinner that night.
She couldn't bring herself to eat with the other members. Minerva was in no state to laugh and make polite banter knowing these people could be flying to their deaths tomorrow.
As soon as she was upstairs, she unlaced her boots and slipped them off her feet.
Shaking off her outer robes, she flopped down on the bed.
It was exhausting being Albus's second in command.
And some days it was more exhausting than others.
Grimmauld Place certainly wasn't the worst of accommodations. During her time in the service of Dumbledore, she'd fared worse – a trench in Stalingrad, a mawkit flat in Barnalark, a shack in the Outback, or the month she was on stakeout in Durban.
She missed Hogwarts and the large, stone tub in her quarters.
And she missed her lab in the library.
Most of all, she longed for the privacy that Hogwarts afforded her.
All of sudden, Minerva heard Severus's door shut in the room next to hers.
You miss him. A little voice in her head said.
Minerva growled and rolled over to her side. She clutched the pillow on the empty side of the bed and gave herself over to sleep.
Minerva tugged at the collar of her robes.
It was an uncomfortably muggy night.
She closed her eyes and tried not to focus on the sweat that was pooling on her back underneath her vest. She had forgone her usual teaching robes in favour of something more practical.
It had been years since Minerva had last worn her vest and gauntlets.
Dedalus Diggle could laugh all he wanted, but the pieces provided significantly more protection than just robes, and she'd proven their worth in a number of scraps.
The vest and gauntlets were made from Graphorn hide leather and enchanted with a number of protective spell-repelling properties.
She had picked them up nearly fifty years earlier during a trip on the Albanian Riviera and they were one of her most cherished possessions.
The garment had seen her through the first war, and she hoped they would serve her well in this one.
"Alright lass?" Algie Longbottom asked as he noticed she was deep in thought.
"Yes," she assured him.
"C'mon, Figgy," Ezra Bones growled.
They were waiting for the signal from Arabella Figg. As soon as the second team had been safely gone for thirty minutes, Minerva's team would move in and remove the fake Potter.
In fact, the fake Potter was Arjun Kaushal. Kaushal was a skilled Auror – a protégé of Kingsley Shacklebolt – and he had been lying in wait in the bushes on the Dursley home for nearly twelve hours under a disillusionment charm.
Meanwhile, Minerva was waiting with the rest of their team. They had been named Rear Guard. Minerva suspected that they would be the team that would encounter resistance.
As she looked around, Minerva said a silent prayer that they would make it out alright.
Arjun Kaushal had two small children at home. Ezra Bones and Hazel Duncan also had families waiting for their safe return. Wallace, or 'Wally,' Green was just two years out of Hogwarts.
Minerva had recruited him, and she would never forgive herself if he didn't make it out of this alive.
Hagrid and Algie Longbottom were both old war horses and dear friends. They had been through their fair share of scraps during the first war. But Minerva couldn't stand the thought of losing them.
Eupraxia Willoughby was one of the Order's most prominent members. She was a wealthy former quidditch player and had long provided financial support for the organisation. Her political and business connections were critical to their success – and she was a wicked duellist.
Minerva checked her watch again. She couldn't see the car from their position, but she thought they had to be close to zero hour.
As if on cue, Arabella Figg strolled by dragging her basket with wheels and wearing her signature hairnet.
"Here we go," Hagrid said as the team moved in.
They made quick work of checking the immediate area and going into the house to fetch their fake Potter. Arjun had snuck in under the guise of a disillusionment charm while they had the door open.
Several minutes later they were off.
Eupraxia took point. She was the most skilled flyer in the group.
Hagrid, riding Sirius Black's motorbike, took up the rear position and the rest of the team fanned out in formation around the fake Potter.
They made it as far as Crockenhill before they hit resistance.
There was a flash of green light as a killing curse streaked out from the clouded sky.
"Stay in formation!" Eupraxia called out.
"Three o'clock!" Minerva shouted.
She gripped her wand tightly and shot a blasting curse in the direction of two Death Eaters that were flying straight for them.
Across the line, Hazel Duncan dispelled an oncoming attack as several Death Eaters flew in from that angle.
The tell-tale streaks of dark magic that followed Death Eaters in flight seemed to be everywhere as they rushed about, encircling their formation and lobbing curses from every angle.
"They're everywhere!" Algie cried out.
"We have to land," Ezra Bones shouted.
"No!" Minerva replied sternly. "They want to force us to land."
It was a common strategy they had employed during the war. They would rush an area, bombard the team, and force them to land.
While facing them on land may seem like a more evenly matched fight, usually the Death Eaters would design these sorts of ambushes to have more troops waiting on the ground.
However, they were desperately outnumbered, and Minerva knew they couldn't continue like this.
"Augury manoeuvre," Minerva ordered. "Trois!"
On the count of three, the team split. Minerva cast a speculolusion charm at the same time that Algie Longbottom Hazel Duncan cast a disillusionment charm.
The speculolusion charm would make it temporarily appear that the team was still in formation. The false team would follow Minerva, Hagrid, Eupraxia, and Arjun while the other members made their escape.
It wouldn't last forever, but it would buy them approximately three minutes of distance for the rest of the team to get away.
Swerving to the left, the group dove sharply. It was their hope that this dive would throw the Death Eaters off.
They were only about ten metres off the ground when they pulled up and sped along.
True to form, they were peppered with blasts from the wands of Death Eaters on the ground as soon as they got close.
Suddenly a flash of green light shot out from behind the clouds. Gripping her broomstick tightly, Minerva rolled to avoid being hit.
Once she was upright again, she took a shaky breath.
That had been close .
As they flew on, they could see the growing line of Death Eaters ahead of them in the sky.
"I think it's time for our disappearing act," Eupraxia called back to the group.
The four pulled up and began to climb. They were riding high into the clouds.
Minerva's hands were freezing, and she was grateful she'd chosen to wear her riding gloves for the occasion. Even in the hot, sticky weather of this August night, it got cold when travelling at high speed this high in the clouds.
When they reached an appropriate height, Minerva cast both a protective warding spell and disillusionment spell on Hagrid to allow him to get away.
Unlike the rest of them, Hagrid couldn't apparate.
"That can't be the real Potter," one of the Death Eaters shouted.
Minerva thought it sounded like Lucius Malfoy.
He had a point. They wouldn't have left Potter so poorly guarded.
"But they're valuable hostages!" another one cried.
As they flew on, the trio of remaining Rear Guard members did their best to fend off against the Death Eaters that were flying all around them.
" Expulso !" Minerva cried as she sent one Death Eater falling.
While some Order members were avowed members of the 'defensive magic only' crowd, Minerva had no such qualms about using curses against the Death Eaters in battle.
" Cultrosa !" one of them cried in retaliation.
It hit Minerva on the arm before she could dodge the curse and sent her off course from the group.
Glancing around, it was clear there were four Death Eaters that had followed her.
Out of instinct, Minerva dove.
All around her there were curses blasting left and right of her position as she tried to maintain an adequate speed.
Out of the corner of her eye, she realised one of them was gaining on her.
He was less than a metre away as Minerva tried to outfly him.
She ducked as he cast another curse.
They were neck in neck alongside one another. Minerva aimed a repulsing spell but missed.
Feeling she was out of options, Minerva decided to apparate.
She envisioned a spot near a large willow tree at a nature reserve that she knew was nearby.
Unfortunately, before she could disapparate, the Death Eater lunged at Minerva.
They reappeared a moment later – tossed violently in the grass from the force of their momentum.
They struggled with one another on the ground before he brandished a long dagger.
Minerva rolled to the right just in time to avoid it making contact with her shoulder. Instead, he stabbed the ground.
She gripped his wrist and tried to force him to drop the weapon.
Despite her using both arms, whoever she was fighting against had considerable strength.
In the ensuing fight, they both attempted to get the upper hand.
Minerva cried out as the blade sliced the outside of her thigh as she tried to slip away.
Her wand had fallen out of her hands when they had landed.
She fought back, managing to take hold of his mask and pull it from his face.
Minerva found herself face to face with none other than Rene La Tour, the vampire ex-pat that financed many of the Dark Lord's pursuits.
"You," she said through gritted teeth.
La Tour grinned and raised his arm.
"I'm going to enjoy having you as a nightcap," La Tour taunted as he took hold of her throat.
Just as he began to lower his arm, Minerva threw him backwards wandlessly with a powerful blasting charm.
" Accio ," she cried.
La Tour pulled himself to his feet.
Minerva's hand grasped her wand as it flew towards her.
With a crack she disappeared into the night.
Minerva first apparated to a small bench in a park that she was familiar with near Gravesend Promenade along the Thames.
Once assured La Tour had not managed to follow her, Minerva apparated again to a pavilion in Southwark Park.
She groaned and pulled herself into a sitting position against the wall of the pavilion to get a better look at the wound on her leg.
It was deep and she knew the dagger that had caused it all too well.
Minerva wasted no time in ripping the sleeve of her shirt. She hissed as she tied a tourniquet around her thigh. She pointed her wand above the wound.
" Glacius Sanguis ," Minerva whispered just above the wound.
She pointed the wand toward her knee and repeated the spell. In total, she whispered it four more times across various parts of her thigh in an effort to slow the effects of the dagger.
She rested her head back against the wall of the pavilion and closed her eyes as she caught her breath.
Minerva sincerely hoped that the others had all made it back safely.
And Potter. She thought with concern.
Minerva checked her watch. It was nearly half past nine.
Gripping her hands into fists, Minerva summoned the strength to apparate one last time.
She desperately needed medical attention, but she couldn't apparate straight to Grimmauld Place. It was likely the place was under surveillance and Minerva wasn't really dressed to go traipsing through muggle London.
No, rather she would apparate to John Spencer Square and walk the remaining four blocks to the Black ancestral home.
It took Minerva nearly an hour to reach Grimmauld Place. She'd limped along as best she could, but it was slow going with her leg in its condition.
It also didn't help that she'd been stopped by no less than three muggles who had all insisted on helping. Minerva had insisted she'd 'fallen whilst out for a run' and 'lived nearby.'
The last muggle, a kindly young man, had been particularly difficult to shake. In the end, Minerva had nearly been forced to create a distraction when he'd finally gotten the hint she was not interested in his offer of assistance.
When she reached the stoop of the unsightly Black home, Minerva had knocked cautiously.
She gripped the doorframe to steady herself as she waited.
After three minutes, Minerva knocked again.
She was about to knock a third time when the door swung open to reveal Sirius Black.
"Professor," he said.
"Thanks," Minerva said in a strained voice.
She grimaced as she stepped up into the house.
And it did not go unnoticed by Mr Black.
"Are you injured?" Black asked, concerned.
"The others?" Minerva questioned urgently.
Black nodded slowly.
"Eupraxia broke her wrist on impact after apparating to Norwood Grove, but otherwise everyone is fine," Sirius assured her. "Except you."
"I'll be alright," Minerva said quickly.
She started to limp towards the stairs when she suddenly felt herself lifted.
"Forgive me, ma'am," Sirius said as he scooped her up. "But you are in no condition to go up these stairs."
"I am fine, Mr Black," Minerva protested.
"No, you're not," Black argued.
Minerva was utterly embarrassed about being carried by Black. Fortunately, there was no one in the corridor to see it.
"Up we go," Black said as he began to carry her up the stairs.
As he made his way up to the next floor, Sirius looked down at the Professor and frowned.
"It must be thirty-one degrees outside," Sirius commented. "Why are you so cold?"
Minerva was shivering in his arms.
She shook her head. She was so cold that it was difficult to speak.
When they reached the landing, she closed her eyes.
"Severus," Minerva said with a tremble.
Sirius cocked an eyebrow at her.
"S-S-Severus," she repeated.
Sirius wasn't sure why she was insisting on the Potions master, but he figured she must have a good reason.
"Oi!" Black said as he kicked the door to Severus's room.
There was no response.
Minerva closed her eyes.
Oh, please don't be petty now.
"Oi!" Black repeated as he kicked the door again.
Inside his room, Severus could hear Black's voice. He had no intention of answering the door for that annoying man.
Black began to kick the door repeatedly.
"Open the door you snaky git," Sirius shouted as he pounded away.
The door swung open to reveal one irritated looking Severus Snape.
He was about to tell off Sirius Black when he spied the woman he was carrying.
"On the bed, now," Severus ordered.
Black rushed over and deposited Minerva down on the surface of the bed.
"Heat," Minerva managed to say.
Severus felt her forehead with the back of his hand.
He cocked his head to the side as he looked to her to elaborate.
With shaking hands, Minerva reached down and gripped the tear on her trousers where the knife had made contact. With the last of her strength, she ripped the fabric open to reveal the wound.
"I need you," she panted.
Sirius was about to crack a joke about the circumstances of ripping her pants open on Severus's bed following that comment but thought better of it when he caught sight of the wound.
"Black, run a hot bath," Severus ordered.
Sirius stood motionless as he observed the wound on the Professor's leg. Whatever had caused such a gash, had sliced deep into her thigh.
There was a significant amount of blood.
However, most alarmingly there were dark purple and black lines streaking out from her leg.
"Now, Black!" Severus roared.
"Half-past nine," Minerva said through gritted teeth.
Severus nodded. He raced over to his cabinet and flung open the doors.
He grabbed a bottle of a Valerian root and pine ash. Next, he snagged a vial of Dragon's blood. Lastly, he snagged an antivenom potion that included phoenix tears, troll fat, and garlic.
Sirius poked his head out from around the corner.
"Can I help?" he asked.
Severus thrust the vial and bottles at him with an order to put them on the counter.
Stepping over to the bed, Severus stripped off her leather vest.
He scooped Minerva up into his arms and carried her toward the lavvy.
She's so cold. He thought with worry.
Her breathing was laboured. Her eyes were barely open. He recognised the signs of poison and her efforts to mitigate the spread through the use of a frostbite blood jinx.
Severus lowered her into the hot water as it continued to fill the large tub. He laid her head back against the edge.
"The green potion," Severus demanded.
Sirius handed him the antivenom potion.
Severus opened Minerva's mouth. He removed the cork with his teeth and dropped the entire contents of the vial into her mouth.
"Come on," Severus muttered as he watched her throat.
She wasn't swallowing.
Severus glanced down at her hands with alarm.
He unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse and Sirius gasped as he saw the same black and purple lines of frozen blood spreading.
Severus massaged her throat in an effort to get her to swallow the potion.
"Come on, Minerva," Severus encouraged. "Swallow it."
The blood in her body continued to freeze. Severus knew what he had to do, but he didn't want Black to see what he knew was on Minerva's body.
"There's a crucible on my desk. Get it," Severus ordered.
As soon as Black rushed out of the room, Severus unbuttoned Minerva's shirt.
" Igcaldi ," he cast as he held his wand against her heart.
It was a warming charm and Severus knew the biggest priority was keeping the blood around her heart warm.
He cast the charm a second time as he worked the wand over his neck and shoulders.
Black emerged a moment later, having located the crucible and eagerly awaiting instruction.
Severus was careful to keep her shirt in place with one hand to cover the mark over her clavicle.
"Mix half the vial of Dragon's blood with two pinches of the pine ash," Severus ordered.
Sirius set the crucible down on the back of the sink. He poured in the appropriate amount of blood and then added two pinches of the pine ash.
Seeing no other instruments available, Severus mixed the two with his finger. He knew they weren't toxic ingredients and were safe to the touch.
"Set that aside for a moment and hand me some of the Valerian root," Severus ordered.
He set his wand down and held out his hand for Sirius to hand him the plant.
Severus placed it in his mouth and chewed it for a few moments before gripping the mush and pressing it into the gash on Minerva's thigh.
"Now the mixture," Severus instructed.
Sirius carefully handed him the crucible and then moved to shut off the tap as the water was nearly up to her shoulders.
Severus carefully poured the mixture into Minerva's mouth and helped to massage it down her throat.
The potions master waited anxiously for a reaction, any sign that they'd managed to treat the damage in time.
But instead of responding, she merely sat in the water.
Severus rested his head against the edge of the tub and took hold of her icy hand.
It was too late.
Minerva was going to die in this bathtub.
The first victim of a new war.
All of sudden, Severus felt her gently grip his hand.
Severus looked up from sorrow.
"Hey," Minerva said softly.
Her head was still resting against the edge of the tub. Her eyes were barely open, and Severus could tell she was struggling to stay conscious.
With his free hand, Severus reached up to tuck an errant strand of wet hair behind her ear.
When he was finished, he cupped her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb.
Minerva managed to pull her hand out of the water to hold his hand against her cheek.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Minerva closed her eyes and swallowed.
"That was dangerous and stupid," Severus said.
He paused.
"And utterly brilliant," Severus added with a smile.
"Please don't make me laugh," Minerva said weakly.
From his place next to the sink, Sirius watched the entire strange encounter between the two professors.
It was entirely too surreal and intimate for his liking. After hearing them argue only days before – and now witnessing this – Sirius was left questioning if there was something else going on.
The way they were looking at one another indicated a deep sense of trust and relief.
She hadn't recoiled at his touch. In fact, she seemed to embrace it.
Could they really be…? Sirius pondered.
Feeling uncomfortable, he cleared his throat.
"Glad to see you're better," Sirius said awkwardly.
"Black?" Severus asked.
"Yes?" he replied.
"Get out," Severus said simply without taking his gaze off Minerva.
Two weeks later, both Minerva and Severus had left Grimmauld Place to return to Hogwarts in order to prepare for the upcoming school year.
Surprisingly, Severus Black had kept his mouth shut about what he had witnessed between the two the night of Potter's rescue.
He hadn't mentioned anything directly to anyone in the house.
Sirius had asked Remus what he knew about the relationship between the two during his time as a member of the staff.
The idea that his favourite professor, his Head of House, the very woman he'd admired since before he was old enough to understand the concept of romance could possibly be slipping under the sheets with that slimy, treacherous snake was a disturbing thought.
But after Remus had encouraged him to drop the subject, Sirius had kept his mouth shut and done his best to put it out of mind.
Potter's hearing had come and gone without fanfare.
The Ministry was doing its best to cover up the incident after questions had been raised about the appearance of Dementors in Little Whinging.
Hogwarts would prepare for another school year and Potter would return with the rest of the students in a fortnight.
Presently, Minerva and Severus were seated across from one another at a meeting in the staff room.
The Senior Undersecretary to the Minister – one Dolores Jane Umbridge – was prattling on about restoring Hogwarts to a place of learning and focusing on discipline to shape the lives of impressionable young peoples.
"Your house in particular, Minerva, seems to have an aversion to orderliness," Dolores said as she read from her prepared speech.
She stopped and looked up over her parchment.
Severus bit back a grin at the comment.
"Well, let it never be said we lack spirit," Minerva replied diplomatically.
A soft chuckle went around the table.
Umbridge's face soured.
"I can see where your cubs get their insubordinate attitude," Dolores said coldly.
Minerva had spent more than her fair share of meetings with Umbridge over the years whenever the Ministry felt it was necessary to attend the Board of Governors meetings.
In recent years, Umbridge's presence at these board meetings had grown to be a more frequent occasion as the Ministry sought to push more influence at the school.
When their meeting adjourned, Severus followed Minerva to her office.
Stepping inside, he found her staring out at the grounds in deep thought with her arms folded across her chest.
"Feeling glum? It's not like you lie down after a verbal lashing," Severus commented.
Minerva shook her head.
"The Ministry is meddling at Hogwarts," Minerva said darkly. "This is just like last time."
Severus stepped over next to her.
"Curriculum changes, propaganda," Minerva went on. "This is how it starts."
