Severus dipped low on his broom and skimmed the water of the canal with his fingertips. He enjoyed the sensation of the cool water sliding around his fingers. The wake trailed behind him and disappeared. Ephemeral. He lifted up into the night sky with a chuckle. Life was good.
He was almost home. He could see the unique architecture of the Prince property in the distance. It felt odd to think of the building as home. It was really more of a place to rest his head.
What had possessed his ancestors to build a seven story town home and charm it a deep green with white detailing was beyond him. Most of the place was in need of serious restoration. The tiered windows rose in groups of five for five stories before the house narrowed. The view from the street next to the canal was intimidating, but he had no use for such a place. There was no one he needed to impress. The potions laboratory in the basement was now perfect and the elves had remodeled the top floor into an apartment to suit his needs. The ancient formal rooms and ball room could continue mouldering.
He took a wide loop around the ornate decoration that crowned his house and landed on his rooftop terrace. He smoothed his shirt but made no effort to tuck it into his jeans. After years in formal robes, he loved muggle clothing. He set his broom beside the door and looked around his mostly white apartment.
The three elves he'd found more or less abandoned here had been thrilled to tackle the renovation. He had considered freeing them, but they did not want to be free. They wanted to work.
There was freedom in work. He understood that. He was rediscovering his passion for potions, and they apparently enjoyed having a wizard about.
Frenna van der Bijl was a potions' mistress on a mission, and an alluring with her was exhilarating. She was skilled and precise. Her blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of exactly no one. Being around her was both exciting and a relief. She was smart enough to keep up with him and her heart was elsewhere despite her enticements.
His eyes slid over his bed. It was large and lovely and lonely. Frenna offered a cure for the last. Her subtle invitations were flattering. He wasn't used to being pursued by women or propositioned. He closed his eyes and pushed away the carnal thoughts.
There would be time for that later.
He stepped out of his shoes and moved toward the kitchen space.
"There is a dinner if you wants." Breton popped in next to him and flapped his ears. "Poppy gets the owl post for you, Master."
"I'll eat in the kitchen." Severus smiled at his head elf. "Thank you for keeping my meal warm."
The elf flapped his ears again and blushed before disappearing with the faintest of pops.
It felt incredibly good to do what he wanted without a care to what others might think. He could be kind. He didn't have to worry about his roll or other people's opinions.
The post was piled on the table next to his food. The elves were good at being unobtrusive. He rarely saw Pippy and Poppy. They were subtle and stealthy.
Hermione Granger was not. The small package on the table was tied with a blue ribbon. He wondered why she kept sending him things. The rare Peruvian trumpet flowers had been harvested perfectly and sent with stamen intact. There had been the Canadian Lobalug venom, the rarest and strongest of its kind. Each gift was perfectly packaged. Once a month something arrived, always with the blue ribbon and no note. Each item was dear, and he felt a certain guilt in accepting the gifts. His life was surely gift enough, but returning them seemed churlish.
He shoved the missives away without glancing at them. The crisp white paper on the package was pristine. The blue ribbon was tied with precision. He admired the perfectly matched loops. He wanted to rip into the package like a young child at Yuletide, but her gifts tended to be exotic. It was best not to upset them. He removed the ribbon and set it gently to the side. The white paper was thick and charmed with multiple protections. He pulled it away to reveal a book and a wooden box of similar size. The blue leather cover was tooled with waves that shifted under his fingers. It was a piece of art. Marinus Scamander's works were very hard to find, but Seohls, Selkies, and Roanes of the Northern Seas was the rarest of rare. The book tended to dry out and fall to pieces if not properly looked after. This one was in perfect condition. Where in the world had she found it?
The box had runic protections carved into it. He examined it carefully before flipping the latch open.
Four glass vials were carefully cushioned on the dark green velvet lining, but it was her writing on the enclosed note that drew his eye. He looked at her precise penmanship and felt a warmth bloom inside him. He traced the letters of his own name with his finger.
Master Snape.
She'd taken no liberties.
The letter explained the contents of each vial and assured that they had been donated willingly. The box was charmed so that the ingredients could not be used to bring harm in any way. It was a complicated bit of spell work, and he admired it.
The vials were filled with ground selkie tusk, carded selkie fur, and both male and female selkie blood. It was a treasure trove and the answer to their potion's issues.
He left his food and the other post on the table and headed for the door.
Hermione flinched when Narcissa cast a slight stinging hex at her. Shopping with the Black sisters had been a unique and terrifying experience, and it should have come with a warning. As horrifying as being forced to try on fifty black gowns and their accompanying robes had been, this was worse. The pair did not allow her anything but perfect posture.
"Do not fidget." Narcissa smiled. "You are a lovely woman. Be confident. Be serene."
"Be insane." Hermione whispered to herself when Narcissa was distracted by Draco.
"I'd do it, dear." Andromeda smirked. "Our mother had a whole assortment of spells with which she trained us. Narcissa has never had anyone to use them on."
"She has Astoria." Hermione gestured to the young woman standing next to Draco.
"Astoria was trained for this from infancy." Andromeda patted her shoulder. "You are now my sister's little duckling. Don't struggle. She's like devil's snare."
"I didn't know saving Severus would make me an honorary Malfoy." Hermione fought the urge to frown. Frowning had earned her an oddly warm elbow a few moments ago.
"All the complications of a marriage with none of the fun." Andromeda guided them into the room with a sweeping stride that gave the illusion of floating. "I did warn you. You never know what all the consequences of great magic will be. Welcome to the family."
Hermione felt her lips twist into an appropriate smile. Narcissa returned her expression from her place beside Draco with a decided twinkle in her eye. Hermione tilted her head and caught Lucius' amused smirk. Wonderful. He was enjoying this far too much.
Hermione enjoyed watching the gathered cream of magical society stiffen as Draco seated her at the family table.
"The speculation in tomorrow's Prophet should be delightful." Astoria winked at her. "Do you think they'll try a scandalous triad or a secret love child?"
"Both." Draco smirked as he took his seat between them. "An incestuous, love triangle."
"They'll probably trot out that mess with Ron again." Hermione shook her head.
"Draco looked so manly in those pictures." Astoria giggled.
"Yes, landing on my arse in the middle of Diagon Alley with an irate, gibbering orangutan standing over me certainly enhanced my masculinity." Draco shook his head. "And don't apologize for the git again. He's made that scene based on assumptions."
"He's not a complete dolt most of the time." Hermione sighed. "His mother encouraged him in his pursuit of me. He's the only one of her children that takes her word as absolute truth every time."
"I don't care to spend the evening trying to understand the workings of that young man's mind." Narcissa arched one delicate brow. Hermione froze. There was bound to be some discomfort headed her way.
"So, you're off to the Himalayas soon?" Astoria's lips twitched as she locked eyes with Hermione.
"Yes, it should prove quite challenging." Hermione smiled. "I got clearance to travel with my hippogriff today."
Draco frowned and rubbed his arm.
The rest of the meal passed in a haze of happy banter and good wine. They laughed and when the dancing started she enjoyed it. Narcissa had clearly set up an acceptable group of gentlemen to partner her. It was easy to just relax and be in the moment. Draco approached her when his father absconded with Astoria.
"We should dance like we did in that little dive in Argentina." Draco took her in a very proper hold and set about waltzing. "The tongues would wag."
"Your mother would hex me silly." Hermione shook her head. "I don't see how you can choose to live your life in this fishbowl. One night every so often isn't so bad, but I'd go mad if I had to do this regularly."
"I thought you were already mad." Draco smirked.
She was about to reply when the first wave of nausea hit. She stumbled. A sharp electric pain shot down her arms and the room blurred as her eyes filled with tears. She could hear Draco talking, but she couldn't distinguish his words. The world shifted on its axis and she shuddered as the nausea tightened into a burning sensation low in her gut.
The second wave of nausea freed the fire and she burned. Time ceased. She struggled for each breath.
When the pain receded, she heard Andromeda and Narcissa in the distance. Their murmurs were comforting. A cool cloth was pressed to her head. Where in hell was she?
"There is nothing to be done." Lucius' voice was close and his words were clear. "Go back to the festivities with Draco and Astoria. I'll take the first watch."
He stroked her face with the towel and she felt the hot tears leaking from her eyes.
"I'm sorry." She choked the words out and forced open her eyes. "There are bound to be new rumors now."
"Gossip is a fact of life." Lucius shrugged. "Is the pain passing?"
She managed a nod.
"I suppose Severus is enjoying his freedom." Lucius observed.
"It would seem so." Hermione tilted her head up and looked at the frescoes gracing the ceiling above her.
"Is keeping your secret worth this?" Lucius wiped at her still trickling tears.
"He's free." Hermione forced a smile. "It's enough."
Severus smiled at Frenna as she lolled in her bed. Her blonde hair was mussed and her lips were swollen. She looked well shagged. He smirked and yanked up his jeans.
"You're on your way soon?" She rolled over revealing the perfect, pale skin of her back.
"We solved the problem with the potion and we celebrated." Severus shrugged into his shirt. "Amsterdam is lovely, but I never planned to stay."
"You could give it a chance. We could spend some time in other pursuits." She sat up and stroked the pale flesh of his chest, stopping him from buttoning his shirt up. "Potions during the day, passions at night."
"I'm not ready for a commitment." He cupped her chin. "Neither are you, Frenna. You enjoy your work, but not like this. You're fighting for someone, and I am a possessive man."
"You know." She blushed.
"That you have a roane for a lover?" Severus smiled at her. "Yes."
"He might not come back to me. It's been years." Frenna grabbed the sheets and pulled them up over her nakedness. "That damn chemical spill forced him to live only in the water."
"Roane behavior is not my specialty, but, if your lover has any sense, he will return to you." Severus slid his thumb along her cheek. "This was wonderful."
"But you are enjoying your freedom, and I am afraid of mine." She smiled and he pulled his hand away from her.
"He will come back to you." Severus let his eyes slide over her partially concealed body. "If he has a lick of sense."
"What of you?" She sat back against the pillows.
"I'm free." Severus winked at her. "It's enough."