Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery

by Ms-Figg

A reluctant Severus Snape is ardently pursued by Hermione. A few tantrums, hexes, nasty spells and wellplaced knees later an understanding is reached...sort of: RemusOFC too. Yummy. Alternate Universe, Humor, Lemons, Oral, Anal, More.

8. Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery 8

Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery Part 8

Isadora left shortly after Severus told her he would think about helping Remus. Hermione waddled her to the door, as Severus continued to work on his marking. Hermione took both of her mother-in-law's hands in hers.

"Don't worry, Isadora," she said, "I'm going to work on him."

Isadora smiled at her daughter-in-law, thinking Hermione really should have been a Slytherin if the glow in her eyes was any indication of just how she was going to influence her son.

"Thank you my dear," Isadora said, kissing Hermione on her cheek. "Good luck."

"Luck won't have anything to do with it," Hermione replied, grinning.

Isadora laughed and left, shaking her head as she apparated.

Hermione closed the door and walked/waddled back into the living room. She stood there, eyeing her husband. Severus felt her looking at him and looked up at her rather suspiciously. She was up to something…he was sure of it.

"Is there a particular reason you are looking at me as if I was a large banana chip?" he asked her, having a pretty good idea why she was looking at him this way.

It was 'influence my husband' time. And that meant he was probably about to get a blowjob.

The Potions Master felt a pulse in his loins at the idea of it. If he was right, he'd get a little payback for the chucklefest his wife had put him through this morning. Yes, Hermione was pregnant…but she could take a little punishment…just enough to ease his need for vindication until he could do it right.

"I was thinking you might want to take a break," she said softly. He could hear the honey in her voice.

"A break?" he asked, pretending he had no idea what she was planning. "What kind of break?"

"I'll show you if you come to the bedroom with me," she replied.

He looked at her for a moment, then made an expression of dawning understanding. It was rather exaggerated, but Hermione didn't seem to notice the difference. She was rather heated.

"Oh," Severus said, "That kind of break."

Hermione nodded, smiling rather sexily. Severus sat there a moment, then rose, his eyes rather narrowed.

"You are going to try and to influence me to agree to my mother's wishes, aren't you Hermione?" he asked her, walking around his desk and gliding toward her, his black eyes glittering.

"Possibly," she replied, her amber eyes glowing.

He looked down at her.

"It will take one hell of a blowjob to make any difference in my decision, if it makes a difference at all. I'm not going to promise you anything wife. As much as witches believe wizards are controlled by their tools, I assure you…I am one wizard who is not," he said evenly.

Actually, Severus might have been more amenable to Hermione's 'influence' if she hadn't turned him into a hyena that morning. He was still angry about that, and her giving him a blowjob was seen more as an opportunity to give her some payback, rather than her having an influence on him. He planned to make her work so hard her jaw would be aching. He would probably shag her as well. Not the way he wanted or she deserved but still…

"So, do you want to take a break with me or not?" Hermione asked him, a little crossly now.

He didn't seem to want to be cooperative with her. She liked to think that she could control the dark wizard somewhat…and she could to an extent under normal circumstances, but in this case they both had ulterior motives and that was what took her power away.

Severus heard the note of anger in her voice. Good. He wanted her angry. He planned to make he angrier.

"If I go with you, Hermione…your wand stays out here. I don't want you hexing me if things don't go the way you want," he said, scowling at her. "I've had enough hexing for one day."

Hermione realized that Severus was angry about her hexing him this morning. How could she have overlooked that? She'd be hard pressed to influence him in any way until he felt vindicated for what she'd done to him. In other words, her husband had a grudge against her. There was only one way to satisfy Severus when he had a grudge and she would be able to do nothing to please him until he felt he had paid her back in full.

But she was pregnant. How bad could he be?

"You're angry at me for hexing you this morning," she said quietly.

"Right in one," he said, his dark eyes fixed on her soberly.

"What would I have to do to make it up to you…so you'll think about helping Remus in a better light?" she asked him.

He looked at her.

"You can't do it now," he said shortly.

"Maybe I can. What do you want?" she asked him again.

Severus studied her. The little minx was trying to bargain with him. So she was, was she?

"Think 'pillory'," he said.

Shit. He wanted bugger her.

Hermione looked at her husband and thought about this. She looked at the fireplace.

"Severus, our floo is hooked into Hogwarts' network, correct?" she asked him.

"Yes," he said, "Why?"

"Could I connect with Poppy from here?" she asked him, "Could I talk to her?"

"I don't see why not, if you say Hogwarts Infirmary," he replied.

Hermione walked over to the floo and picked up some floo powder. She threw it in, Severus watching her.

"Hogwarts Infirmary," she said to the floo. It turned green.

"Poppy?" she called loudly. "Poppy?"

After a few moments, the medi-witch responded.

"Yes? Who is it?" she called back.

"It's Hermione. Are you alone? I need to ask you something personal. Concerning sex," Hermione called to her.

Severus' eyebrows rose.

Poppy was silent for a moment, though Hermione and Severus could hear her bustling about.

"Yes, I'm alone now, Hermione. What do you need to know?" the healer asked, her voice just a bit high.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"Poppy, is anal sex safe for a witch as far along as I am?" she asked the medi-witch, blushing furiously.

Poppy didn't respond for a full minute. Hermione imagined she was turning all manner of colors at her question. Severus stood listening for the answer.

"Anal intercourse causes no direct harm to the baby. The child is well away from the anal cavity," Poppy responded rather tightly.

"Thank you. That's all I wanted to know," Hermione said, her face red.

"You're welcome, Hermione," Poppy said, in that same tight voice.

After a moment the flames turned red again.

Hermione turned to look at Severus.

"You heard Poppy," she said quietly, "She said it would be all right."

Severus just looked at her for a moment.

"I still expect my blowjob," he said shortly.

"What ever you want, Severus. Then will you help Remus?" she asked him.

"I said I'd think about it, Hermione," Severus said with some irritation. What was it about that werewolf that made witches want to jump through hoops for him? "That's all I'm willing to promise you."

Perhaps he'd change his mind after he worked out his anger.

"All right," Hermione said, waddling toward the hallway and heading for the bedroom.

Severus watched her waddle away into the serpent's den, a small smirk of victory on his face.

When she entered the room, he followed.

---

Hermione felt a tight knot in her belly as she entered the bedroom. Severus seemed quite focused on getting his due. In fact, he reminded her of the way he used to be. Lustful, but detached. She turned around expecting him to be right behind her.

Severus walked slowly down the hall. Despite his cool demeanor he was very aroused, but it was a rather dark, animalistic arousal, not the tender attraction he had developed for Hermione over the passing months. Severus had changed very much, but he still had that undercoating of darkness…he was still very much the cold, proud Potions Master. And Hermione had mistreated him. He never took mistreatment well from anyone…not even his pregnant wife was beyond his wrath. He felt the need to show her he was still the one in charge in this relationship. He loved her, but she had to respect him. True, he had laughed at her, but it didn't warrant such a reaction from the witch in his estimation, though it was quite a good hex.

Hermione was married to a Slytherin after all, and as such she was subject to his beliefs despite her own Gryffindor background. And the wizard believed in facing the consequences for one's actions. To him, the ability to accept consequences was proof positive of both courage and strength. No one was exempt from this kind of karma. Not even his wife.

Severus Snape was the consummate alpha male. He was strong, proud, territorial, dangerous and sexual. Since Hermione was a woman, and his woman…his response was to dominate her sexually and make her submit, his body being the source of her pleasure and her pain, his member, the plunging sword of justice. In this way he could feel his power and influence over Hermione, pulling primal responses from the witch that she had no control over.

He knew she was an independent and strong woman…he appreciated that about her, but by the same token he reveled in her weakness when he took her so strongly. Every part of Hermione, physically, mentally and emotionally belonged to him in those moments. She gave everything to her Potions Master and he hungrily accepted it…demanding even more. Now she would be required to give herself to him under his terms again to soothe his hurt pride.

Hermione instinctively understood Severus even better than she was consciously aware of. The wizard met her needs, complemented them and fulfilled them. She had needed a strong, intelligent male influence in her life. She had grown up dealing with males who were mentally weak and intellectually lacking…who were easily manipulated and had to be directed. She loved Ron and Harry, but they were not the kind of male influence that awakened any response in her.

In essence, Severus Snape had been the strongest, most courageous man Hermione knew, and she could see past his coldness, understanding how difficult his life was, and although he had never been approachable, he had her respect and captured her imagination. Mentally and intellectually he was strong, not subject to manipulation, and was a director…not a directee. He kept the world at arm's length, but she wanted desperately to slip under that extended arm and reach him. She had managed it, though she went through difficult times and had to submit to him in order to reach his heart.

The Potions Master tested her time and time again, and found her satisfactory. Now she had his love, but he was still that wizard who she fell for, the dominating, snarky, proud Slytherin with a voice of silk and a hard, demanding, possessive nature. Severus coveted pleasure, he had so little of it in his life before her. It was no surprise he partook of it in whatever manner he saw fit. Even in his wrath, he selfishly made sure he found pleasure in her. And his finding pleasure in her fulfilled the witch regardless of the circumstances she found herself in.

Severus entered the bedroom, letting his dark eyes wash over Hermione for a moment, then he closed the door slowly, locking it and placing a silencing ward around the room. He walked toward her, his pale hand extended.

"Your wand, wife," he said, flexing his fingers a bit.

Hermione handed him her wand and watched as he placed it in his wardrobe, warding it securely. Then he walked into the bathroom. Hermione heard him opening the potions cabinet, then closing it. Severus walked out of the bathroom, a small bottle in his hand. He strode over to her and uncapped it. Hermione recognized the bottle immediately. It was a colonic.

"Drink this," Severus said, handing her the bottle, his black eyes glinting at her. Hermione tipped it to her lips and swallowed it down, knowing it would do no good to protest. She had agreed to this after all. She handed the bottle back to the wizard and he restoppered it, setting the empty bottle on the nightstand, then watching her squirm as the potion took effect.

When Hermione stopped squirming, Severus took out his wand.

"Divesto," he said, removing all of the witch's clothing.

The Potions Master's eyes swept over her rounded form taking in the sight of the mother of his child, his wife, his lover. He pushed her back gently toward the bed until the back of her legs rested against the edge of it.

"Open my robes," he said, "You can sit when it becomes difficult."

Hermione began to unfasten Severus' robes as the Potions Master caressed her body, letting his hands smooth over her throat, breasts, belly and hips, his dark eyes focused on her face as she tried to concentrate on opening his robes. She was heating up under his ministrations, her nipples hardening and an ache starting between her thighs. Her breathing became faster as she reached the midway point of his robes, and she sat down on the bed, the Potions Master moving closer and leaning slightly so he could continue touching her.

Hermione was almost panting by the time she finished opening his robes. Severus stopped caressing her and straightened. Hermione looked at his white shirt and tented trousers, then up at him.

"I believe you were going to 'influence' me with fellatio, wife," he said silkily, his eyes rather hot. He gripped Hermione's head tightly in one hand, locking his pale fingers in her curls "I'm rather looking forward to sticking my wand in the mouth that said the words that hexed me this morning," he hissed. "Open my trousers, witch."

Hermione felt a gush of lubrication between her thighs as she felt him grip her hair so roughly. Gods, she knew he was supposed to be paying her back, but damn…she was looking forward to this.

Severus could smell his wife's arousal, and that satisfied him immensely. Knowing she wanted him even as he was punishing her was reassuring. It absolved him of feeling any guilt. Hermione's small hands worked at his trousers. She was good at this now and peeled them back, revealing his boxers. He was swollen beneath the soft fabric, the serpentine imprint huge and throbbing as it bulged, waiting for freedom.

Severus jerked her head a bit.

"Come on, witch…you know what to do," he purred at her.

Hermione obediently pulled his trousers down, then lowered his boxers. His organ sprang out, ready for action. Hermione looked up at him.

"Severus," she said throatily.

"Yes?" he replied, his hand locked in her hair, ready to guide her. "What is it witch?"

"I have to pee."

Severus looked at her startled, then released her hair with an aggravated sigh.

"Good gods, Hermione…go pee then," he griped stepping back from her so she could get past him.

After a few tries, Hermione stood up and waddled off to the bathroom, leaving Severus standing next to the bed, scowling, with his trousers and boxers around his thighs and his erection throbbing.

The wizard folded his arms and waited, drumming his fingers on his arm impatiently.

After what seemed like five minutes, he heard a tiny, tiny trickle that lasted about five seconds. Then another two minutes passed and the loo flushed. Severus had gone down to half-mast as he waited

After another minute, Hermione appeared in the door of the bathroom and duckwalked back over to the bed, sitting down on it heavily and almost rolling backwards. Severus stared down at her with exasperation.

"It took you all that time to pee for five seconds?" he asked her, scowling blackly.

Hermione looked at him mutinously.

"Well, it took me a while to sit on the loo…then…well I guess I didn't have to go as bad as I felt I did," she replied, her voice cracking a bit, "then I had to wipe…I can't even begin to tell you what an ordeal that is, plus I had to stand up again. You should try peeing when you're shaped like this."

Severus raised his eyes to the ceiling. This wasn't going at all like he envisioned. He couldn't do this now. Hermione might be willing but she wasn't in any condition to satisfy his need for revenge. She was just too pregnant. It would be too much for the witch. He'd have to wait.

"Get in the bed," he said to her.

Hermione looked up at him as he pulled out his wand and divestoed the rest of his clothing.

"What…what are you doing Severus? What about…" she asked him.

Severus sighed.

"Hermione, you aren't up to this. You are willing but…but I find that because of your condition a reprieve is necessary. You will pay for hexing me, but not now. Besides, we will probably be interrupted several times because you'll have to pee…"

"I can hold it," she said frowning up at him.

"And probably spring a leak at the worst possible moment. I'm not into golden showers, wife," he said, helping Hermione into the bed then climbing in after her, laying behind her and pulling her close against him, sighing.

Severus didn't make any attempt to enter her. He lay behind the witch, his chin on her head, his chest rising and falling against her back, his tool resting semi-rigid against her buttock. Hermione didn't understand why he wasn't at least shagging her.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

Severus was silent a moment.

"Thinking about Remus Lupin," he replied. "That's the equivalent of having a bucketful of never-ending ice water thrown over me."

"Thinking about Remus? But I didn't even do what I…" she began.

"Hermione, I had already said I would think about it. You didn't need to do anything else. I don't want you performing sexual favors on me for the sake of someone else," he said darkly, "I only agreed to it because of what you did to me this morning, not because of Remus. I don't want that werewolf in my bedroom…and I don't want my wife on her knees for him either. I only want you doing that for me because you want to, or for your own wicked little gains," he said to her, tightening his arms around her.

Hermione went silent. She had made a mistake with her husband, a big one. She felt a bit ashamed of herself.

"I'm sorry, Severus," she said in a small voice.

He didn't reply for a long time. Hermione thought he might have fallen asleep.

"I've decided to help Lupin," he said suddenly.

Hermione gasped and struggled in Severus' arms to turn around to face him. She managed to do it after several tries. He didn't help at all but lay there with a small smirk on his face as she struggled.

"Oh Severus, thank you!" she cried, planting kisses all over his face.

Severus allowed this for a bit, then pulled away from her.

"The only reason that I'm doing it is because he is obviously going to be in close proximity to my mother," he said rather darkly, "Although he only transforms during the full moon, he does have a tendency to become more animalistic as it approaches. He still can control himself, but certain aspects of his animal nature are increased. Although Remus has no interest in witches, he still makes sure to separate himself as much as possible from females when the full moon is waxing and waning. His werewolf half has no compunction to be…celibate and it is safe to assume Remus becomes decidedly more "sexually-minded" immediately before and after his transformations. If he is going to be working with my mother, that has to stop."

"The wolfsbane potion allows him to retain his human mind to some extent, but he can still be overridden by the animal's instincts, which is why he confines himself. He is at his worst when actually transformed, but he still retains his animal urges several days before and after. He may be in my mother's presence at those times. So, it is in my and my mother's best interest to find a cure for him. But there will be conditions. Remus cannot be anywhere near my mother three days before and three days after the full moon. Both he and my mother will have to agree to this before I begin my work."

"I am going to have Albus help me construct a lab a short distance from the house, so I can be here while working on the potion. Remus will have to reimburse me for my work when he gets on his feet. This is no gift from the heart. This is in fact, coercion on the part of you and my mother. How the werewolf managed to move you two to plead his cause is beyond me, though I suspect it is his situation and vulnerability that has both your and my mother's hearts bleeding all over the place. My mother is especially susceptible to the plight of the 'underdog' because…well because she is," Severus said. "I only hope that the werewolf remains a 'project' and nothing more."

The wizard scowled blackly as he said this. He didn't even want to imagine the werewolf involved with his mother. It was too disturbing. But he knew if he tried to tell his mother what to do he would be in for it. He had a feeling his mother wouldn't hesitate to hex him for what she would perceive as his 'disrespect'. She never had, but then again she didn't have a wand like she did now. Plus, she had already threatened to hex him once concerning the werewolf. On his wedding day at that.

Severus still hadn't told Hermione about his childhood, so didn't reveal that he felt his mother felt drawn to other unfortunates because of her experience as an abused witch. But Hermione knew this. Hermione also suspected that Isadora felt drawn to Remus because he was the opposite of Darius. He was quiet, gentle and rather submissive in his nature, perfectly content to let someone else have the control. He knew what it was to be abused in his way and because of that did not have an abusive bone in his body.

This was not to say that Remus was not a man capable of acts of strength and courage, because he was. If he were called upon to face a situation, he would rise to it. He was a skilled wizard and a brave one. He never evidenced any fear of Dementors despite how dangerous the creatures were, and it was Remus who went after Sirius Black when he believed his old friend intended on harming Harry. Obviously, he got over his friendship/acceptance issues in later life, deciding to do the right thing rather than the safe thing. He was not going to sit back and watch the animagus kill the boy. Plus he had developed his skills against the Dark Arts in some way. How was a mystery, but his skill had to come from practice. He was well able to protect Isadora if he ever had need to.

Hermione knew despite most people's opinion of Remus Lupin having a weak character, he was in actuality a good man and a good wizard who only needed a break in his hard life. If Isadora gravitated towards him, Hermione could understand it. Severus would just have to deal with it.

"I'm sure they will agree to your terms, Severus," Hermione said, smiling at her husband and getting a very, very warm feeling in her belly as she looked at him.

"That's the only way I will help the werewolf," Severus replied, his brow furrowed. It was obvious he didn't really want to help Remus…but he had said he would, and he would keep his word.

Hermione moved closer to her husband and started kissing him again. At first the Potions Master was stiff and unresponsive, but he slowly began to react to her soft, probing kisses, a low growl sounding in the back of his throat as his hands caressed her back and soft buttocks. He pulled back.

"Are you doing this because of Remus?" he asked her, frowning slightly.

"No, Severus. I'm doing this because I think you're wonderful," she replied softly.

The wizard arched an eyebrow at his wife, pulsing against her belly.

"Roll over," he said, pushing her gently, helping Hermione to turn the other way, intending on showing the witch just how 'wonderful' he could be.

---

Severus and Hermione had a rather heated argument the following day as to who should tell Isadora his decision. Severus wanted Hermione to do it, but Hermione said it would mean more to Isadora coming from him. Severus really didn't want to tell Remus he was going to help him, but the werewolf would have to be present to agree to the conditions.

Finally, Hermione won and Severus found himself outside of his mother's flat in muggle London, getting curious stares from her neighbors and passersby because of his robes. He scowled at them blackly before knocking on the door rather impatiently. He had a large vial in his pocket.

After a moment, the door opened and his mother peered out at him.

"Severus?" she said, looking surprised.

"Unless you have another son hidden someplace, yes…it's me," he said in an obvious bad temper.

His mother gave him a small scowl, then opened the door.

"Come in," she said. Severus swished past her, through the foyer and into the living room, where he immediately frowned.

Remus Lupin was sitting in front of one of two computers, staring at a book on a stand next to it, his fingers on the keyboard slowly tapping out the letters he read. The werewolf was concentrating hard so didn't see Severus staring at him.

The Potions Master looked at the computer setup. Both monitors were side by side on a rather long table. He noted the chair next to Remus was pulled out and rather close to him. His mother must have been sitting there, watching the wizard work.

Isadora walked up to him.

"What brings you here, Severus?" she asked him.

At the sound of Isadora's voice, Remus looked up and saw Severus scowling at him. The wizard stood up rather quickly, the chair scraping the floor as he did so.

"Hello, Severus," Remus said, his eyes shifting toward Isadora nervously.

Severus looked at the wizard coolly as Isadora crossed to him, then nodded. He had promised Hermione he would be 'nice'. The things he did for that witch.

"The reason I am here, Mother is because I have decided to work on the cure for Remus," he said.

Remus looked startled.

"Cure?" he repeated.

Severus looked at his mother. Obviously she hadn't informed the werewolf of her plans.

"My mother asked me to work on a cure for you, Remus. Against my better judgment, I've agreed," Severus replied. "But there will be conditions."

Isadora was smiling broadly. Remus simply looked stunned. A cure? For the past few years Severus had been supplying him with wolfsbane potion for a fraction of the cost due to Albus' influence, but he had never shown an inclination to try to cure his malady. He looked at Isadora. She had obviously influenced her son to do this. But why?

"What are the conditions, Severus?" Isadora asked excitedly.

"The first is that Remus reimburse me for my work when the cure is completed. I have done some preliminary work years ago and made some advances, but stopped my research due to other pressing business. So I do have the groundwork for a feasible cure. Now, when I say Remus is to reimburse me…I mean Remus," he said, looking sharply at his mother.

He didn't want her covering the werewolf's costs. Let him carry his own weight like a man.

Isadora nodded, understanding.

Severus' eyes narrowed as he gave the second condition.

"Remus is not to be in your presence in any way, shape or form three days before the full moon, or three days afterwards. This condition must be strictly adhered to, or I will cease working on the cure," Severus said, his dark eyes leveled at Remus, who nodded assent.

Isadora looked perplexed.

"Why?" she asked, "Why can't he be near me?"

"There are reasons, Mother," Severus replied obliquely. "Just trust me on this. Are you in agreement, Remus?"

"Yes," the wizard replied shortly.

Isadora looked at the gentle-eyed wizard with narrowed eyes. She was going to get to the bottom of this as soon as her son left.

"Do you agree to abide by these conditions, Mother?" Severus asked her.

Isadora looked from Severus to Remus before she answered. If agreeing to her son's terms was the only way to get him to work on a cure, she had no choice.

"Yes, I will abide by them Severus," she responded.

The Potions Master looked at both of them in silence for several moments before pulling a large vial from his pocket.

"Sit down, Remus," he said, "And roll up your robe sleeve."

Remus walked back to his terminal, pulled the chair out and turned it to face Severus. He sat down in it, and began rolling back the sleeve of his worn robe.

"What are you doing, Severus?" his mother asked as she watched Remus bare his arm.

Severus pulled out his wand and walked over to the werewolf. He jabbed his wand not too gently against a vein and Remus hissed, his face going taut. The vial in Severus' hand began to fill with thick, red blood. After a minute or two the vial was full. It held about a pint of blood. Remus looked weak and pale. Severus pulled his wand away and cast a stasis spell on the blood to keep it viable. There was a small wound on Remus' arm.

"I can't find a cure for him without his blood, Mother," the Potions Master said, depositing the full vial in his pocket. He looked at the pale wizard.

"Get him something to eat. Drawing blood from a werewolf makes them extremely weak. He needs nourishment. Red meat will do nicely…rare," Severus said, turning to go. "I will get back to you when I have something. You will still receive your wolfsbane as usual, Remus." Remember what I said. You stay away from my mother during the time period I've outlined. I will be quite vexed if I find you've ignored this condition," he said warningly.

Isadora walked up and kissed Severus on his cheek, smiling at him.

"Thank you, son," she said softly.

He studied his mother, his eyes softening a bit, then they hardened as he looked at Lupin.

"I hope I don't regret doing this, Mother," he said. Then he exited the flat. Isadora heard a crack of thunder.

"I hope he at least disillusioned himself before he did that," she commented. She turned to Remus who was quietly looking at the witch from the chair.

"Why did you ask him to find a cure for me, Isadora?" he asked.

Remus had been coming to Isadora's flat two or three times a week for the past three weeks, learning about the computer and the Internet. He seemed to grasp it quite quickly, though his typing was not yet up to par. He had also gone through the travel agent training program the witch had installed on his computer several times. It was quite simple really, and he had done well with it.

Isadora found the wizard very willing to learn. He was quiet and attentive, and carefully listened and watched everything she did. What was more, he was a perfect gentleman, though sometimes he tensed up when she touched him or sat too close. Isadora found his reaction to her kind of alluring. She wasn't used to retiring men. In Naples, and here in London she was always being hit on by muggle and wizard alike. Remus Lupin was like a breath of fresh air. What struck her most about him was the aura of sadness he seemed to exude. Even when he smiled, there was a sense of mourning and grief about the wizard. Not once had she felt true happiness radiate from him in the time they spent together. She hoped by the time she finished with him and he was earning his own money that his demeanor would change.

"Because life would be much easier for you if you didn't transform. If you weren't a werewolf," she said simply. "It's also in my best interest that you remain human. You can earn more money for me and yourself if you are able to work through the full moon."

Remus looked at her consideringly.

"So you want me cured so I can make more money," he asked her.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Isadora replied a bit snarkily.

Remus shrugged, then wobbled a bit in the chair. Isadora was alarmed.

"Let me get you something to eat," she said, hurrying off to the kitchen.

Remus watched her go, his throat tight. She had convinced Severus Snape, probably the most able Potions Master in the wizarding world to find a cure for him. The witch was too kind. She was also too beautiful. He looked forward to working with her the two or three times a week he came to her flat. Being near her was heady. Because of his malady, Remus had the heightened awareness of an animal, so he was very aware of her when in her presence. And his awareness went far beyond what, in his estimation was proper.

In Isadora's presence he didn't feel nearly as tired as he usually did. It was as if he fed off her energy, drew some of her life force into him. That he was attracted to the witch was a given. He had been on point from the first time he saw her at the wedding…when he first held her slim, warm hand in his. Still, he was a werewolf, unfit for a true relationship with any witch. He was too dangerous…even in his human state. Even casual intimacy had proven disastrous for him, his animal nature coming out when he was in the throes of passion. The wizard was even banned from all the local brothels because the prostitutes complained about his ardor and the length of time involved with satisfying him. In addition the madams lost money waiting the several hours it took for the girls to recover. Gentle as Remus was by nature, he was an animal in the bed. So he lived a celibate lifestyle, though he had desires like any other man. He had been fine with this, until he met Isadora.

Isadora Snape was beautiful, kind and alluring…but she was also the mother of Severus Snape, which was quite daunting in itself, though she seemed to be able to handle her son and live as she pleased. Even if Remus dared court Isadora, and she accepted him with his malady, the wizard doubted the witch would want him after experiencing what he was like in an intimate situation. Hopefully her training would pay off and after a short while he could branch out on his own, leaving the witch unscathed. But then again, if Severus found a cure…

No. It was better he didn't think like that.

Isadora came back with two rare roast beef sandwiches topped with lettuce and tomato, and a glass of pumpkin juice. She sat them on the end of the long table and pulled the other chair over to it.

"Come and eat, Remus," she said, helping him up. He was very weak.

Isadora walked him to the chair. He thanked her and sat down. Slowly, the wizard began to eat as the witch drew up the other chair and watched him intently. He looked better immediately after eating the first sandwich…his metabolism enhanced by his werewolf blood. Isadora decided he looked well enough to answer a few questions for her about the second condition Severus set.

"Remus, why doesn't Severus want you in my presence three days before and after the full moon," she asked him.

The werewolf almost choked on his sandwich, and took a large sip of pumpkin juice to wash the lump of food in his throat down before looking at the witch…trying to give a response that was suitable for mixed company.

"It is because as the full moon approaches, my…er…animal instincts become more pronounced," he said.

"But you don't transform. I don't see how that could be dangerous," Isadora said, her black eyes leveled at him. Remus stared into those eyes, lost.

"Remus?" Isadora called to him, seeing the wizard had phased out. Lupin started.

"Sorry," he said, taking another bite of his sandwich quickly.

Isadora would not be sidetracked. She wanted to know why Remus couldn't be around her.

"As I said, Remus…I don't see how enhanced instincts that you can control could be dangerous," she said. "You are still human when that happens."

"Yes…yes I am. But it has an effect on me regardless. On my…reactions to stimuli," he said haltingly, "My senses are sharpened and I interact with my environment on a more physical rather than mental level. Let's just say I don't think as well. My inhibitions are significantly lowered. I am more likely to act on my urges at those times. He's right to request I not be near you," Remus said.

"Urges?" Isadora asked. She was rather intrigued now.

Remus was ready to depart Isadora's flat now. Talking about this with the witch was having a physical effect on him. He didn't want her to notice. It would be better for him to just tell it to her straight, then leave quickly.

"During those three days before and after the full moon, all of my natural urges are enhanced to an almost animal level. I stay in control, but they are very compelling. The mating instinct becomes very strong, and I am much less likely to act the gentleman towards you, Isadora," he said, his gentle eyes meeting hers with a bit of pain in them.

Isadora studied him.

"You would be sexually attracted to me," she said softly.

"Yes. Strongly," he replied. "I generally avoid being in the private presence of any female during that time. It's better that way. Less temptation to seduce them."

Isadora's eyes swept over the wizard. She couldn't help wondering how this gentle, quiet wizard would be under that kind of influence. Most likely not so gentle.

"I see," Isadora said.

For a moment witch and wizard stared at each other. Remus swallowed, then rose abruptly. He had to get out of here. The wizard prayed his erection was not discernable through his robes. He stood a bit oddly, his hips pulled slightly back so his loins didn't press against the worn fabric.

"Isadora, I need to go. There are…are things I need to take care of and Rosmerta asked me to come in early tonight," he lied.

Isadora knew he was lying. It was too obvious the wizard was running. He was standing funny too. She thought she might know why. The Slytherin in her almost made her protest his leaving, wanting to torment him a little by forcing him to stay in his condition, but the desperation in his eyes made her relent.

"All right, Remus. When will I see you next?" she asked him.

He considered. The next full moon was in four days.

"A week from now," he said, mentally doing the calculations. "There is a full moon in four days, so to comply with Severus' wishes I can't return for further lessons for at least seven."

"A week then," Isadora said, extending her hand to shake his in goodbye.

Remus stared down at her proffered hand, not wanting to touch her. But it would be rude not to.

The werewolf grasped the witch's hand, and Isadora started as she felt a delicious jolt of fire shoot from his body, through their hands, up her own arm and down into the pit of her stomach. The witch gasped reflexively. She hadn't felt anything like that since the early days of Darius. She stared at the wizard.

Remus felt it too, but his jolt went straight to his loins. He pulled his hand from the witch's quickly and strode for the door.

"Goodbye, Isadora," Remus said hurriedly as he exited, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Goodbye Remus," Isadora said falteringly to the closed door. She placed her hand on her lower belly and slowly sat down in the chair Remus had occupied. She took a deep, calming breath.

"Dear gods," she whispered, looking toward the door again.

This wasn't good. Not good at all.

---

Marcus lay in bed naked from the waist up, comfortable in his smiley-faced boxers and leafing through the want ads and advertisement section of the Daily Prophet. As his violet eyes scanned the page, they stopped on a small two-inch ad. It read.

Snape Travel

"We take the Struggle out of Traveling Muggle."

Contact: Isadora Snape today
for your travel arrangements tomorrow

The contact line glowed slightly, meaning that a message would be sent to the Travel Agency when activated. Hm. So Snape's mum was a travel agent eh? Marcus decided he might be interested in learning about what packages she had available. He certainly had a package for her.

Marcus smiled at the idea of shagging Snape's mother and how the Potions Master would react to that knowledge. The DA teacher might even have a duel to the death on his hands. But then again, reaming the slim, pale beauty with his tool set on 'huge' might be worth it. Gods, that hair and those eyes. Who cared if the witch was at least twenty years his senior? Hell he might even convince her to let him use her twenty percent discount on Wednesdays.

Marcus looked at the ad again speculatively, then tapped it with his finger. Immediately a date and time appeared along with a question mark. His appointment. If he pressed the question mark, a new date and time would appear. He did. Finally he got an appointment on a Saturday afternoon. He let it stand and the question mark disappeared, the appointment date and time glowing gold before the newspaper spit out a piece of parchment with the date and time on it. Marcus picked it up and laid it on his nightstand. Well, Mrs. Snape…see you on Saturday.

---

Neither Isadora, Remus, Severus nor Hermione slept well that night, though for differing reasons. Hermione was coming close to term and could not get comfortable, nor could she sleep. Of course, if Hermione couldn't sleep, neither could Severus…though gods knew he tried, only to be poked to consciousness by his wife as she sat sleepless in the low torchlight.

"Severus, are you sleeping?" Hermione asked him mid-snore.

"No," he replied sleepily, opening a bloodshot eye and turning it towards her.

"Good, because I can't sleep," she said looking down at him as if he could do something about it.

"I could shag you," Severus suggested, yawning. "That usually puts you out."

Hermione scowled at him.

"That's your answer to everything, Severus. I want warm milk," she retorted, her brows furrowed.

"I'm offering you milk. My milk," the Potions Master responded turning his body towards his wife and looking down at his tented boxers meaningfully before looking back up at her. "It's very warm."

"I don't want to shag you. I want to drink some milk," the witch replied angrily.

Severus arched an eyebrow and started to say something very, very naughty.

"If you say it I swear you'll sleep on the sofa," Hermione seethed.

Severus closed his mouth with a snap as Hermione glowered at him. With a sigh he rolled out of bed, grabbed his wand off the nightstand and headed for the bedroom door, stretching his lean, pale body as he did so.

"All right…milk it is," he yawned again.

He paused at the door, his hand on the knob.

"Do you at least want it slightly flavored?" he asked her, smirking rather lewdly.

In answer, Hermione threw a pillow at him but Severus slipped out the door before it hit him. He stuck his head back in.

"I'll take that as a 'no'" he said with an evil grin, then ducking out.

---

In her four-poster bed, Isadora slept restlessly beneath the sheets, bare-breasted, dressed only in her knickers, a habit left over from her marriage to Darius who always wanted easy access to her. She felt uncomfortable in nightclothes of any type. The witch tossed and turned in her sleep. She had talked herself into believing that what she thought she felt when Remus Lupin grasped her hand was some kind of static shock, though she didn't have carpeting in her living room, and static shocks didn't drop to one's belly. She did a good job of it consciously…it is relatively easy to push something out of the conscious mind. But it is the subconscious mind that is the stickler for truth. And the truth was, that was no static shock she felt when the wizard touched her.

Isadora's dreams were full of Remus' gentle eyes, but they were closer than they should have been. Directly above her, gentle but heated and becoming even more so. Isadora flung the covers off her near naked body, feeling hot and sticky but still asleep, still dreaming. She was in her marriage bed now, beneath her husband Darius, and he was riding her brutally, his lips locked to hers as she cried out into his mouth. As Isadora orgasmed, both in her dream and in actuality, the man on top of her wasn't her husband. He had changed into someone else and suddenly the witch woke, panting, covered in perspiration, her hair damp beneath her, an ache in her belly and her knickers soaked. Isadora pushed up on her elbows at first, then sat up in the bed and ran her fingers over the slick crotch of her knickers. She shook her head in disbelief.

She hadn't had an erotic dream in years.

---

Remus Lupin also tossed and turned in his small bed. He was naked as he always was when he was in his tiny room that he rented on the less savory side of Knockturn Ally. He was asleep, but his erection wasn't, and its throbbing pulsed right into his dreams.

It was worse for the werewolf than for Isadora, simply because the witch's scent was all over every piece of clothing he had, and he didn't have much. Even scourgifying them would not remove it in entirety, and he could still pick it up with his enhanced senses. So as he slept, Isadora's scent permeated his dreams, invoking her like a wraith.

Remus' dreams were not erotic in the normal sense. His dreams were sense based. He was deluged with images, scents, sounds and sensations, glimpses of her ivory skin, a slim hand touching his shoulder, the pulsing artery of her throat, her body leaning close, her heat washing over him, her silken hair slung back from her face, the curve of her hip, her onyx eyes meeting his and the sound of her heart beating in her breast. These images aroused the werewolf just as much as if he were dreaming of her under him. His subconscious would not take him to the point of making physical love to the witch, since his possession of women was something he felt out of his control, something that drove them away from him. His inner mind blocked it out as a result.

But that did nothing to quell the wizard's huge erection, or stop the ejaculation that followed as he howled Isadora's name in his sleep.

---

Severus padded into the kitchen.

"Lumos," he said, lighting the tip of his wand and walking toward the cooler, when a pair of wide brown eyes moved out of the darkness, startling him. He raised the torchlight so he could see clearly. It was Eli.

"Eli, what are you doing lurking about this hour?" Severus said to the elf, his heart pounding.

"Eli is not lurking Master. Eli is in readiness, sir," the elf said, bowing slightly.

"In readiness for what?" Severus asked him.

"For the young Master. He comes soon. The Mistress is ready," the elf said.

Severus stared at the house elf. The small creatures had some amazing abilities, but could they predict when a witch would go into labor? Eli was bound to Hermione after all. Maybe he did know.

"When, Eli? Not tonight?" Severus asked him, his belly tightening a little in fear.

This was his first foray into fatherhood, and although he was a brave wizard, he was apprehensive. Not for himself, but for Hermione and his child. He wanted nothing to go wrong.

"Soon. Sooner than expected sir. That's all Eli knows, sir. So I waits up and stays close," he said looking up at Severus. "Master needs to be ready. The Mistress will need him."

Severus looked down at the elf and felt thankful to have him here. He had gone through this before with Isadora. She was home alone when she went into labor, and Eli had delivered the Potions Master. He knew what to do, although Hermione was to be taken directly to Hogwarts when her time came.

"I'd better inform Albus I need a leave of absence," Severus said to himself, but out loud.

"That would be wise, Master," Eli agreed, "You don't wants to miss the birth of your son."

"No, Eli. I don't," the Potions Master agreed, opening the cooler and taking out the milk.

Hermione would be shrieking like a banshee if he didn't get back with it. The witch had no patience. He had taken to locking up her wand every night so she wouldn't hex him in his sleep for some imagined slight or wrong. He put a repelling spell on his own wand so she couldn't use that either. He had to watch his wife. She was like a Weasley Wizarding Wheezes product, ready to explode, ignite or burst at any given moment. She was tired of being pregnant and wanted it to be over, and she made sure to let him share in her frustration.

One day she hissed at him as she struggled to rise from the sofa, "This is all YOUR fault."

Seated behind his desk and marking parchments, Severus had looked up at her in shock. Where the hell had that come from? He had no idea she had been trying to rise. She didn't ask him for help. He arched an eyebrow at the angry witch.

"I believe we were both on the stroke when our child was conceived," he had replied evenly.

That had been a mistake. Hermione let out a string of obscenities at him that made the Potions Master's ears smoke…literally. If she had her wand at that moment, there's no telling what she would have turned him into.

What was a prick anyway? Must be a muggle term.

Severus poured the milk into a glass quickly and flicked his wand at it to heat it. He hoped it was warm enough, or most likely it would be all over the bedroom floor. He returned the pitcher of milk to the cooler and looked at Eli.

"Soon?" he asked him.

"Yes, Master…soon," the elf replied.

Severus absorbed this, then reached out and rubbed Eli's head gently.

"Thank you for telling me this, Eli. You have always served me well," he said with affection.

Eli beamed at him and winked out.

Severus lowered the torches again and headed back toward the bedroom, holding the brimming glass of warm milk carefully in front of him. He decided not to tell Hermione what Eli had said. She was already a basket case.

Knowing she could go into labor any moment wouldn't help matters a bit.

---

Winston Argyle, employee of the Department of Magical Transportation was sitting in his small office, reading over the latest floo connection requests. They all looked all right, but still had to be run by the Floo Network Authority before the fireplaces could be officially linked into the network. Suddenly a very red-faced wizard rushed into his office.

"Mr. Argyle, we've just had a large floo outage that's affected most of the floos in Little Hangelton. They are all off-line," the wizard panted.

"Merlin's balls," Winston growled slapping his forehead. "All right. Contact the Prophet and the local Wizarding Wireless Network stations and inform them that the floo service in Little Hangelton will be out at least two days, while we look up and verify the current connections and re-establish them. Damn it. I hate when this happens."

"Yes sir," the wizard said, disappearing from the doorway.

Floos being down was bad business. Witches and wizards ended up stranded in the worst possible manner and the public always complained. Winston could count on a good dressing down by the Ministry for this, although it wasn't his fault…and that damned Rita Skeeter would be sniffing around for a story, using her dubious talents as a reporter to make a bad situation infinitely worse. She usually coupled an interview with him with horrible stories of those left stranded, making him appear cold and uncaring. Winston sighed.

He should have taken that job as a Quidditch ref.

---

Albus readily granted Severus' a three-week leave of absence, promising that whatever Professor took up his class would stick to his lesson plan. Severus had heard that one before. When the Potions Master returned to his rooms, he apparated home instead of taking the floo, so he was not aware the network was out in Little Hangelton.

Hermione awoke after Severus left, feeling achy and uncomfortable. It took her a while to get out of bed, and she felt constipated. Eli tried to get her to eat breakfast, but the witch wouldn't even sit down at the kitchen table. Instead she paced back and forth. Eli watched her closely, his ears flattening.

"Perhaps Mistress would like to sit down," the elf suggested.

"I don't want to sit down, Eli! My back hurts!" Hermione hissed at him, rolling about the kitchen scowling, her hand pressed to the small of her back.

Eli was very glad Master kept her wand locked up all the time now. He had a feeling he'd be flying, or flopping or inching around right now if the witch had it in her possession.

"Maybe something to drink, Mistress?" Eli said, noticing Hermione's lips were chapped.

"NO, I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO FUCKING DRINK EITHER! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Hermione roared at the elf.

Eli blinked at her helplessly as her breathing began to increase.

"I will call Hogwarts and send for the Master," the elf said, starting to leave the kitchen.

Hermione hissed and Eli stopped in his tracks, looking at the glowering witch. She was turning quite red.

"No. He can't do shit but aggravate me," Hermione snarled, still walking back and forth.

A thunderclap sounded from the living room. Severus had come home.

Hermione rolled her eyes up to the ceiling, leaning back against the counter, the ache in her back becoming stronger. Eli looked at her worriedly, then scampered into the living room to head his Master off.

"Master!" Eli said in a low whisper, "The Mistress is going into labor!"

"What?" Severus said his eyes widening, "Where is she?"

"In the kitchen, but is no good now. We has to wait. Wait for the water," the elf said.

"The water?" Severus asked looking worried and perplexed.

"First comes water, then comes child," the elf said.

Severus realized that the elf meant Hermione's water had to break first.

"Water breaks, then takes her to Hogwarts. Much faster delivery. Less upset for Mistress," Eli said. "Home is better until then."

Severus understood. Eli felt Hermione would be less stressed here at home than waiting in the infirmary for her water to break. He didn't know if he agreed with this, but again, the elf had helped birth him.

They heard Hermione let out a string of curses from the kitchen and a loud crash.

"Is it safe to go in there?" Severus asked the elf.

Eli shook his head.

"No. But you must goes, Master. Mistress needs you," the elf said, his ears laid back in sympathy.

Severus took a deep breath and strode toward the kitchen. He opened the door and saw Hermione pacing the floor restlessly, her hand pressed to her back, her head down.

"Hermione, I'm here," he said, standing close to the door.

The witch looked up at him, scowling, her hair wild around her head, and her eyes narrowed. Hermione seemed to bare her teeth at him.

Gods, she looked like she was possessed.

Suddenly the witch bent forward and began to cry.

"Everything hurts, Severus!" she sobbed, "My back, my stomach, my legs…I'm having the baby!"

Severus ran to Hermione and lifted her up in his arms. He didn't care what Eli said, he was taking his wife to Poppy. She was in too much pain to wait for her water to break. Severus ran with Hermione to the floo and grabbed some powder throwing it into flames.

"Hogwarts Infirmary!" Severus said, ready to step through.

But the fire didn't turn green. Hermione cried out in his arms. Severus desperately grabbed some more powder and threw it in, repeating his destination. Nothing happened. The floo was out.

"Severus! Oh gods," Hermione cried, tensing in his arms.

This couldn't be happening. His wife was in labor and he couldn't get her to Hogwarts. What was he going to do?

"Don't worry Hermione, you'll be all right love," he said, hugging the sobbing witch to him, "Just hold on, wife. I'll get you to Poppy."

The Potions Master thought quickly. Poppy had warned him about the dangers of apparation with a witch in labor. He wasn't going to take the risk of harming her or his child. He had never splinched, but he wasn't willing to place Hermione in that kind of danger.

His broom. Maybe he'd be able to fly her to Hogwarts' Main gate and carry her across the grounds.

Eli came running in with a very small bag.

"The Mistress' things, Master," he said putting the bag in Severus' pocket and looking at Hermione worriedly.

"She needs to go now, can't wait for water," Eli said, "Is very close, Master."

Hermione writhed in Severus' arms crying out again.

"The floo isn't working Eli. I need you to come with me. I have to take the broom," he said, "I'll need your help to manage her. To help me keep her calm."

Eli studied the moaning witch.

"Puts her down, Master," Eli said to Severus.

Severus held on to Hermione for a moment then slowly put her on her feet. She was panting.

"Mistress, look at me, look at Eli," the elf said softly. Hermione raised her amber eyes and looked into Eli's wide brown orbs."

"You must be calm, Mistress. For you and for the child. Eli will help you," he said softly.

"Please help me, Eli," Hermione gasped, "please..."

Eli walked up to Hermione and placed one clawed hand under the swell of her belly and one on the small of her back.

"Relax, Mistress. You is going to be fine," he breathed as his hands began to glow with a soft blue light. Hermione's panting slowed.

"Catch her, Master," Eli hissed as Hermione suddenly slumped.

Severus caught Hermione and lifted her back in his arms. He headed toward the back door with her, Eli walking quickly in his wake.

"What did you do to her, Eli?" Severus asked as the elf flicked his finger and opened the door for the wizard.

"Gives her rest. Can only do it once, sir. We must go now," the elf said, running for the broom shed, opening the door and removing a long cloth wrapped package.

"Eli does not like flying sir, but will go for the Mistress," the elf said as he laid the package down and unrolled it, revealing Severus' broom.

As soon as it was released, the Firebolt levitated in front of the Potions Master, it's ash handle gleaming brightly in the sunlight. Eli maintained it carefully, and Severus was very grateful that he did. The wizard carefully mounted the broom, placing Hermione in front of him, sidesaddle. Eli, climbed on facing backward towards the witch, moving in closely. Severus's long arms reached around both of them gripping the broom handle securely.

"Prepare yourself, Eli," Severus said kicking off and accelerating quickly, his black hair streaming as they streaked through the sky, the broom reaching one hundred and fifty miles an hour in ten seconds.

The Firebolt was a quality broom made with pinpoint precision, unsurpassable balance and an unbreakable braking charm. Severus was a skilled flyer and tore through the sky, his hair streaming as he flew for Hogwarts. Unfortunately he would not be able to enter the airspace over the castle, and would have to enter through the main gate. They would be there before long.

Eli kept his wide brown eyes on Hermione as the wind whistled by them, watching for any sign of her waking…but the witch remained quiet, her eyes closed. He had placed a powerful relaxation spell on her, but could not do it again because of her condition. Poppy had better spells to take away her pain while leaving her lucid and awake. Severus looked down at his wife from time to time as they flew. She just had to hold on. They should have made a contingency plan…but they never imagined the floo network would go down.

As they flew, Severus thought about an odd law he had once heard existed in the muggle world. Mumphrey's Law or something like it that stated the worst possible thing would happen at the worst possible time. That law must have leaked into the wizarding world somehow. He had never seen this coming.

Below, the familiar layout of Hogwarts came into view and Severus eased into a quick descent, landing directly in front of the gate. He quickly dismounted with Hermione and Eli miniaturized the Firebolt, slipping it into his Master's pocket as he unwarded the gate and pushed it open, taking off at a desperate run across the grounds. He could feel Hermione beginning to stir.

Eli winked out and reappeared in the Infirmary. He could do this because house elves didn't apparate. They just "goes".

"Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey! Master and Mistress come!" the elf squeaked loudly, running through the wing in search of the medi-witch. Poppy hurried out of her office. She recognized Severus' servant.

The medi-witch looked toward the floo.

"Where are they?" she asked the elf.

"The floo did not work. Master carried Mistress on his Firebolt," the elf said, his ears flattened.

"They came by broom? Of all the crazy ways to…is Severus mad?" she griped, wiping her hands on her apron and pulling back a privacy curtain, preparing a cot for the witch.

Eli scowled.

"Master did what was best!" the elf declared, his ears pressed forward aggressively, his small arms folded against his chest. "There was no floo!"

Poppy looked at the elf.

"Calm down, Eli or I'll give you a draught," she threatened, then pulled back the covers on the bed.

The medi-witch walked to her linen closet, removed a stack of fluffy white towels and walked back to the enclosure and placed them on the small table next to the bed. She pulled out her wand and flicked it at both side of the end of the bed. Stirrups appeared. Eli watched her closely.

Poppy looked at the elf.

"Make yourself useful, Eli…go get some extra pillows off the other beds.

Eli was happy to have something to do, and quickly did as the medi-witch asked.

There was a loud "foomph" and Severus stepped through the infirmary floo, walking swiftly as Hermione groaned in his arms.

"Bring her here, Severus," Poppy called to him.

The Potions Master picked up the pace and reached the cot, laying Hermione gently against the pillows Eli had piled up, so she was in a half raised position. Suddenly Hermione's water broke, her robes and the bed soaked with pinkish liquid. Her belly seemed to deflate.

"Oh my," Poppy said, scourgifying the bed quickly and divestoing Hermione's robes so she lay there naked for a moment, before being clothed in a loose-fitting white gown.

"Severus!" Hermione cried out as pain washed over her. The Potions Master ran to her side and knelt, holding her hand.

"I'm here, Hermione," he said, then turned to Poppy.

"Can't you do something? I thought witches didn't have to go through this," he snapped at the medi-witch, worry for his wife and child taking away any politeness he might have addressed her with. "She might as well be at a muggle hospital!"

Poppy walked up to the bed, scowling.

"You just got her here, Severus. Give me a moment," she said to him, frowning as she pulled out her wand. She muttered a spell and the tip turned blue. She passed it over Hermione's belly and the witch sighed with relief. The pain was gone, though she did feel some pressure.

"There you go, Hermione," Poppy said, giving Severus another glare.

"Thank you, Poppy," Hermione said, her eyes shifting to her worried husband's face. "There's no pain now, Severus. Stop worrying."

That was easier said than done. Severus continued to hold her hand, his black eyes searching her face for any sign of anything untoward. Hermione caressed his face, he looked so wound up.

"We're both going to be fine," she said as Pomfrey placed her feet in the stirrups and knelt, examining her. Hermione gasped as the medi-witch slipped two gloved fingers inside her and pressed down on her belly.

"I can feel the crown. It won't be long now," Poppy said, withdrawing her fingers and removing the gloves. "You'll feel an increase in pressure. When you feel as if you want to have a bowel movement, Hermione let me know. That will be your time to begin pushing."

Hermione nodded. Poppy looked at Severus.

"Come with me, Severus…you have some paperwork to fill out," she said to the wizard. Severus continued to kneel beside the bed, holding Hermione's hand tightly. Poppy put her hands on her hips.

"Hermione isn't going anywhere, Severus. She will be right here when you return," Poppy said.

Severus scowled at the medi-witch stubbornly.

"Severus, don't be difficult. Do as Poppy says," Hermione said to him, moved that her husband did not want to leave her side.

It was hard to believe this was the same wizard who threatened to hex her when she confessed her love. The same wizard who claimed he would never, ever love her.

"Very well," Severus said darkly, rising. "Let's make this quick, Poppy."

He followed the medi-witch, looking back at Hermione.

"I'll be right back," he said.

"I'll be right here," Hermione replied, her feet up in the stirrups and her legs gapped open to the world.

Hell, where was she going to go?

---

Eli stood quietly within the enclosure, watching his Mistress carefully. Suddenly, Hermione let out a gasp, then another gasp. Eli quickly ran up to the witch, his eyes wide with concern.

"Is Mistress all right?" the elf asked her.

Hermione looked at the worried expression on the elf's face.

"I'm fine, Eli. Just some pressure," she responded, taking a deep breath.

Eli looked at her, a furtive expression on his face.

"May Eli check the little one, Mistress?" he asked her.

Hermione hesitated. He hoped Eli wouldn't have to check her like Poppy did. Those claws of his were rather long and sharp.

"Um…you wouldn't have to check me like Poppy did, would you Eli?" Hermione asked him, her brow furrowed.

Eli gave her an utterly horrified look.

"Oh no, Mistress! Outside only! Never inside!" he gasped, his ears flattening at the very thought of doing something so intimate to his Mistress.

Hermione sighed with relief, almost smiling at the elf's reaction.

"You may check me then," she said to the elf.

Eli walked to the side of the bed, and gently placed both clawed hands on her belly. He closed his eyes for several moments…then suddenly they flew open in shock.

"Mistress!" he said, stepping back and looking at Hermione with wide eyes. Whatever he had seen or felt made the small creature tremble terribly. Hermione immediately became alarmed.

"What is it, Eli?" Hermione asked him, her own eyes wide now.

"Oh, Mistress…Eli is so sorry…so very sorry…" the elf said. He started to bang his head on the table next to her bed.

"Eli! Eli! Stop it! Stop hurting yourself!" Hermione screamed at him.

From Poppy's office, Severus heard his wife screaming and leapt up, overturning the chair he was sitting in, and raced back into the infirmary, his heart pounding. He tore into the enclosure and saw Hermione screaming, her eyes focused on Eli, who was pounding his head against the table. The Potions Master grabbed the elf, ripping him away from the table. There was black blood on the edge of it. His servant had done himself damage.

"Eli! What in the hell are you doing?" Severus said to the elf severely, holding Eli in front of him and shaking the little creature. It wasn't anger, but concern that made the Potions Master treat the elf so roughly. In all the years Severus had known him, Eli had never punished himself.

"Eli has failed you," the dazed elf said, blood running down his forehead.

"What are you talking about? Poppy!" Severus called the medi-witch who appeared, her blue eyes wide as she looked first at Hermione, who was crying, then at Severus and the house elf he held dangling in front of him. The elf was bleeding.

Poppy immediately bustled up to Eli, pulling out her wand. She applied the glowing blue tip to his wound, instantly stopping the bleeding and healing it. Severus put him down, scowling at the cringing elf

Eli continued to cringe, keening about how he had failed his Master and his Mistress.

"What is going on here?" Poppy demanded, scourgifying the blood from the table edge.

"I don't know," Severus said, looking at Hermione who had tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know what's going on, Severus," she said, staring at the babbling house elf, "He asked to check the baby, then he just…just…started going crazy…banging his head on the table and saying he was sorry. Poppy, is something wrong with the baby?" she asked the medi-witch, distraught.

Poppy ran her wand over Hermione's belly. The blue light pulsed rhythmically, the healer watching it closely. Finally she ended the spell.

"No…the heartbeat is strong. Everything appears fine," the medi-witch said, but she looked a bit perplexed. Severus noticed immediately.

"Everything appears fine, but you look as if something isn't fine, Poppy. Tell us," he demanded, walking up to Hermione and taking her hand again.

"Just a slight abnormality in the rhythm of the heartbeat," Poppy said. "The pulse is strong, however…it is just a bit strange. Could be a reverberation."

"Reverberation?" Hermione asked. She was frightened now. Was her baby all right?

"A reverberation. An echo off the walls of your uterus. It gives what we call a "ghostbeat". A doubling of the sound of the heart," Poppy said, "I'm sure everything is fine."

She looked down at the distraught elf.

"Eli, come with me," she said gently, "Let me give you something to calm you down."

The elf looked at his Master and Mistress with red-rimmed eyes, then obediently followed Poppy. Severus watched him go, concern for the elf on his face. Eli was more than a servant to him. He was a family member. A treasured one.

Hermione had stopped crying but now she had a strained look on her face.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" Severus asked her. He was perspiring slightly.

"Call Poppy," Hermione said. "I feel like I have to take a huge dump."

Severus wasted no time getting the medi-witch, who checked the witch again. She looked at Severus, who was standing near the head of the bed, then picked up a clean, white towel and pulled a chair up to the end of the bed.

"Come here, Severus…it's time. I'll take the head. You hold the towel under her, and catch the baby," she said.

Severus stared at her wide-eyed. He swallowed as he looked at the towel in her hands.

"Oh come now Severus. It's not like you aren't familiar with this end of your wife," Poppy said evenly, "You had no problem going in, wizard…it's time to deal with what comes out."

Hermione almost laughed at the medi-witch's comment to her husband, but the pressure was too much.

"I have to push!" she gasped, starting to bear down.

"Get down here, Severus!" Poppy ordered.

Severus released Hermione's hand and strode to the chair, sat down and took the towel from Poppy and held it under his wife's buttocks over his spread hands, looking as if he were waiting to catch a hiked football. He stared at Hermione's pussy. It was very wide.

"Good gods," he breathed. No wonder she could take him.

Poppy stood beside Hermione and grasped her hand.

"All right, Hermione…start pushing," she said holding the witch's hand tightly.

Hermione pushed, her face contorting and turning red as the huge lump inside her moved forward slowly. She stopped, gasping from the effort.

She looked at Poppy.

"Are you sure the baby's coming out of the right orifice?" Hermione asked her, before feeling the urge to bear down again and doing so.

"I'm sure dear," Poppy said, smirking a little as she patted the witch's hand. She winced as Hermione grasped her tightly, grunting as she pushed again.

:I see something!" Severus cried from the end of the bed. Hermione's pussy was wide and pulsing and he could see what looked like a dark ball inside, a few inches up. "Push Hermione!"

Urged on by her husband, Hermione pushed as hard as she could. The black ball moved closer, bulging out of the witch.

"Oh gods, Hermione! Keep going love, keep going! I can see the top of his head!" Severus cried again, loosing all composure as his child moved closer to birth. "You can do this, wife. Push!"

Hermione bore down as hard as she could, screaming from the effort. Suddenly there was a gush and a feeling of relief.

"Oh…oh…" she heard Severus say, his voice low in awe. "My son. My son."

Severus held his squirming child securely in the towel, his dark eyes full of wonder, staring at the miracle he and Hermione had created. The baby boy was covered in blood and white discharge, but Severus thought he was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Poppy walked down to the end of the bed and tapped the umbilical cord with her wand, severing and sealing it. Then she took another towel and lifted the baby out of his father's grasp and set about wiping him off. He started squalling.

"He has a healthy set of lungs," Poppy commented, smiling at the child. She looked at his endowment. "And he certainly is male."

The baby cleaned off, she wrapped it in a fresh towel and handed him to Severus, who stared at him in amazement. The baby had a full head of slick black hair. The tiny eyes squinted up at him, but they were still baby gray. Severus couldn't tell what color they would be, but that didn't matter.

"He's beautiful, Hermione. So beautiful," the smitten Potions Master breathed. He looked up at Hermione, expecting her to be anxious to see her son. He was shocked to see her bearing down again.

"Poppy, I still have to push!" she gasped.

"Severus…get up!" the medi-witch said.

He quickly obliged, holding his son against him and staring at his wife. Poppy took his place, holding another towel beneath Hermione. In a moment, another squirming child emerged. Another boy. Another son. Poppy severed the child's umbilical cord and cleaned him up, wrapping him in another clean towel and jostling him lightly as he screamed.

"Surprise," she said to the Potions Master who stared at his second son in amazement. "Two for one. It seemed what I thought was a reverberation was actually a second heartbeat. You have twins."

"Twins," he repeated. Severus looked up at the panting Hermione with a rather stricken expression.

"Hermione, we have twins," he said.

"So I've heard," Hermione said as Poppy brought the latest addition to their family to her, placing him in her arms.

Hermione stared down at her child, and kissed him tenderly. Severus pulled a chair up beside the head of the bed, and sat down, showing his wife their other son and leaning him close so Hermione could kiss him. Poppy took care of the afterbirths with a flick of her wand, and repaired the slight tearing the witch had painlessly suffered. She'd be good as new within a week.

"This was what Eli was sorry about," Hermione whispered as she gazed at her son, "He didn't see I was having twins. He felt he let us down by not preparing us."

"I will take care of Eli," Severus said, rocking his son gently. "I will let him know it is all right."

The couple looked at each other.

"Switch," they said at the same time, smiling at each other as they exchanged babies.

"They both have your hair, Severus. Thank gods. No struggling through the bush," Hermione said softly.

Severus studied the child he held, then looked at the baby in Hermione's arms.

"And it appears they both have your nose," he responded, thankful.

At least they wouldn't have to suffer through the nose jokes and teasing he went through as a child. The Potions Master looked at his wife. She looked radiant. Beautiful. There was a softness that seemed to surround her. A glow. The glow of motherhood.

"Hermione," he said softly, "Thank you. Thank you for my sons."

"I'd like to say it was nothing, Severus…but we both know that isn't true," she said, smiling at him. They had both gone through hell during this pregnancy…but it was all worth it.

Severus leaned forward and kissed Hermione on the mouth gently and with all the love he could muster. How this infuriating, troublesome and fiery little witch had changed his life. Severus was glad she had been so damn stubborn…that she hadn't given up on him.

Poppy stood by and watched the couple, her heart warmed by the love she saw pass between them. What a lovely little family they made. She sighed and wiped at her wet eyes. She never thought she'd ever see the day when the Potions Master would be married, happy and a family man. It had never crossed her mind. She always believed that one day Severus would turn up in the infirmary mortally wounded, and be carted from the infirmary to be buried on the grounds of Hogwarts as an unsung hero, alone and forgotten. Sometimes life would do a turnabout. This was one of those instances. She could think of no wizard who deserved it more.

"Poppy, where's Eli?" Hermione asked the medi-witch.

"He returned home. He said something about getting prepared to receive clothes," Poppy replied.

"Aww," Hermione responded, looking at Severus, "You have to do something, Severus. He must be miserable."

Severus stared at the son he held in his hands.

"I know just what to do," he said. Then he looked at Hermione. "If you are amenable, that is."

"Tell me," she said, her eyes curious.

---

Eli puttered around the nursery, making up for the mistakes he'd made. He'd ordered another crib, rocker and storage unit and finished rearranging the room to accommodate two children instead of one. He looked around the room and sighed.

How could he have made such a mistake and let his Master and Mistress be caught awares? He was supposed to serve them. And how had he served them? By giving them erroneous knowledge, knowledge which left them unprepared for having two children. Well, he was ready to receive clothes. He just didn't know where he would go. Maybe to the Hogwarts kitchens…then again maybe he would just walk into the forbidden forest and let himself be eaten by one of the creatures there. He could see no life without the Master. No purpose to his existence if he were not in his service. He was a bad house elf. Untrustworthy. How could the Master and the Mistress ever trust anything he said again?

It had been two days since Eli had seen either Severus or Hermione. The floo network was still down so the couple…no the family remained at Hogwarts in Severus' rooms until the floo could be reconnected.

Eli was in the kitchen, stocking the extra bottles he had ordered when he heard the "foomph" of the fireplace that indicated someone had entered through the floo. That would be the Master and the Mistress and their twins.

Eli's ears drooped and he walked out into the living room. Severus and Hermione both had a baby carrier, and two dark-haired infants peered out of the folds of the blankets they were wrapped in. Eli stopped a distance away, his hands clasped in front of him and his head lowered. Hermione thought she'd never seen a more depressed looking house elf.

"Hello, Eli," she said softly placing her baby carrier on the sofa.

Eli lifted his eyes for a split second then lowered them quickly.

"Hello, Mistress," he replied, his voice cracking a bit. Severus looked at the house elf imperiously as he set his carrier on the sofa

Eli looked up at Severus, then bowed his head.

"I is ready for clothes, Master," the elf said, his squeaky voice full of sorrow.

Severus looked at the house elf he had known all his life.

"Eli, I am not giving you clothes. Now come here and meet your new masters," the Potions Master commanded the elf, his eyes glinting.

Eli looked up at his Master.

"No clothes sir? Even though I fails you and the Mistress?" he asked, rolling his claws over and over anxiously.

Severus sighed.

"Eli, everyone makes mistakes. This is your first mistake I've known you to make in my entire lifetime. I think we can let one slip by."

Eli looked up at Severus and smiled broadly before bowing again, relief on his wrinkled face.

"Oh thanks you Master. Thanks you so much," he said. He approached the carriers. Hermione picked up one baby and Severus picked up the other. They pulled the blankets down so the elf could see the twins clearly.

"Oh Master, they looks like you did," the elf exclaimed, "They is beauteous children, Master. Beauteous. What is their names, sir?"

Severus looked at the child he was holding.

"This is Demetrius," he said and he looked at Hermione, who smiled gently at the elf.

"And this…this is Eli," she said softly.

The elf's eyes widened to a humungous size.

"Eli, Mistress?" he repeated, beginning to tremble.

"Yes, Eli. We named him after you," she replied. "You were the closest thing Severus had to a real father, and have always been there for him. You always showed him love and understanding…just like you will do these children. And you cared for me the entire time I was pregnant, and accepted me as if you've known me all my life."

Severus looked at the elf, then said, "It is only right that you be remembered and honored in this way, Eli. You are more than a servant. You are family. The only way you will ever be given clothes is if you truly want them, and even then you will always be welcome in the house of Snape."

Eli's bottom lip began to tremble.

"Oh no," Severus thought, "here it comes."

Sure enough, Eli burst into tears, crying his heart out, water streaming down his face and dripping off his chin.

"Oh, don't cry, Eli," Hermione said, moving closer to him and holding the baby securely in one arm as she caressed the little elf's head. "It will be all right."

Eli looked up at her tearfully and sniffed, wiping at his eyes with his tunic.

"Eli knows it will be all right, Mistress. I cries for happiness. I has two young Masters to love and one bears my name. No house elf has been blessed likes me. Not one, Mistress," Eli sniffled at her. "Thank you, Master. Thank you, Mistress."

"Would you like to place little Eli in the nursery, Eli?" Hermione asked the elf.

"Oh yes, Mistress! Yes!" he said, reaching out his clawed hands for the baby. Hermione handed Eli to the elf, who cradled him gently.

"Hello, young Master," Eli said, turning with the baby and walking down the hall. :I am Eli too, and I will takes good care of you…"

He disappeared into the room with the child. Hermione reached out for Demetrius, but Severus turned a bit away from her.

"I'll take him," the doting father said. "You bring the carriers."

Hermione put her hands on her hips as Severus walked away with the baby, following Eli.

"Look, already your mother thinks I can't handle a simple thing like putting you in the nursery," the Potions Master complained to the baby as they entered the nursery.

Hermione laughed and shook her head, picking up the carriers and following her husband and the house elf into the room. She put the carriers down against the wall and looked around the nursery. Eli had rearranged it, adding the furniture necessary for two babies. Then she gasped as she looked at the wall that separated the nursery from her and Severus' bedroom.

"Eli, is that a door?" she asked…obviously it was but she still said it. A door, painted in baby blue now stood where nothing but wall had been before.

Eli nodded.

"Yes, Mistress. I puts it there so you can check on the little ones, though Eli will always be here to watch over them," he said, smiling and pointing to a child-sized bed in the corner. "And a lock and one side silence so you and the Master is not disturbed and do not disturb during the in-outie," the elf added, looking a bit lascivious.

Hermione's mouth dropped when she realized how thorough the elf had been. A one-sided silencing spell would make sure no sound could be heard from their bedroom, but they would be able to hear the babies in the nursery.

"Thank you, Eli. In-outie will be resuming quite shortly," Severus said, looking at Hermione who blushed furiously.

It would be good to feel him on top of her again. From the back was good, but there was nothing like looking into her husband's eyes when he took her.

And speaking of eyes, Severus' eyes dropped to his wife's breasts.

"You seem to have sprung a leak," he said.

Hermione looked down. She had. Two large wet spots graced the front of her robes.

"Oh dear Merlin," she complained, pulling the wet robes away from her breasts. "I'm going to the kitchen and get the bottles to fill," she said, stalking from the nursery.

Severus smirked as he watched her go. He had plans for those leaky breasts.

The Potions Master sat down in one rocker with Demetrius and Eli sat on his little bed with little Eli, neither willing to put them in their cribs.

---

Hermione was truly grateful to be a mother in the wizarding world as she located the small bottles, sterilized them, put her wand down and lined them up on the kitchen table. Her breasts were hard with milk and uncomfortable. When she had the bottles positioned, she opened her robes, unbuttoned her blouse, then picked up her wand.

She tapped it to the tip of her right breast and felt immediate relief as the bottles began to fill. When the filling stopped, she repeated the act with her left breast. When she finished, she had filled eight small bottles.

"Gods, I'm a cow," the witch muttered as she looked at them.

Hermione capped six of the bottles, put a stasis spell on them to insure freshness and placed them in the cooler. Now she could see about getting out of her wet robes.

As she walked out of the kitchen carrying two bottles for the babies, she heard a "foomph" and watched as Isadora practically ran out of the floo, her ebony hair flying. She saw Hermione.

"Where is he? Where is my grandson?" Isadora asked Hermione, smiling as she kissed the new mother. Then she paused, looking down at the dark spots on Hermione's blouse. "My, your boobies are big…and wet" she observed, grinning.

Hermione ignored the comment and handed Isadora the two bottles. She didn't tell the witch she had twins, and Isadora was so excited it didn't register Hermione had pushed two bottles into her hands.

"Down the hall, in the nursery," Hermione said, smiling. Isadora was in for a surprise.

Isadora ran down the hallway and swung into the nursery, where she saw Severus, sitting in the rocking chair, rocking slowly and holding a squirming Demetrius, who was starting to squall. He was hungry.

"Oh my gods," Isadora said softly, walking over to her son and his child. She pulled back the blanket a bit and stared down at her grandchild.

"Oh Severus, he's beautiful. He looks like you did at this age…except for his nose," she said. She handed Severus the bottle. "Here, feed him," she said. Then she realized she had another bottle in her hand. She looked perplexed.

"I wonder why Hermione gave me two bottles," she said to Severus. "Does he drink that much?"

Severus smirked at her, realizing she didn't know Hermione had twins.

"Well, the first bottle is for Demetrius here," the Potions Master said, "and the second…"

Suddenly there was another squall from the corner of the room. Isadora's head jerked in that direction.

"The second bottle is for my other son, Eli," the Potions Master said just as his mother's eyes fell on Eli and the baby he was holding. Isadora looked back at Severus.

"Eli?" she repeated.

"Yes, Mother…Eli," Severus confirmed. A smile lit up Isadora's face as she looked at the house elf, tenderly rocking the hungry baby.

"Oh, Severus," she said, kissing his cheek. "You've made Eli so happy."

Severus scowled, though she could tell he was pleased.

"Go feed your grandson," he griped as he began to feed Demetrius.

Isadora walked over to the small bed, and sat down next to Eli. She held out her arms.

"May I?" she asked the elf.

Eli smiled at her and handed her the baby. Isadora sighed, and kissed the tiny forehead. She placed the bottle against the baby's cheek and the tiny head turned, his mouth questing birdlike for the nipple. He found it, and drank contentedly.

She and Eli watched the baby drink.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it Eli?" she said softly to the elf, who nodded.

"Yes, Mistress…of the young Master," he agreed. Then he added rather proudly, "He has my name."

Isadora looked at the elf affectionately.

"Yes, and it's such a good, strong name," she replied.

Eli smiled happily and looked back down at the baby.

"They will be tall and strong like Master," the elf predicted. "Potions Makers too. Is in the blood, Mistress."

Isadora looked over at her son, who was staring down at the tiny child he held in his arms. The Potions Master was talking to him, but Isadora couldn't hear what he was saying.

She turned back to Eli, her eyes soft from witnessing Severus spending a tender moment with his son.

"If they are anything like the Master, Eli, then they will be fine wizards indeed," she replied, looking down at little Eli and kissing his tiny brow again.

The house elf heartily agreed.

---

The next few days were filled with people stopping by to see the twins. The first onslaught was truly daunting, it was Albus and the entire female staff of Hogwarts. Severus stared in amazement as witch after cackling witch streamed out of the floo. He glared at Albus as the brood of witches clucked their way down to the nursery, to where Hermione and the babies were.

Albus looked at him and shrugged.

"Well, they wanted to see the babies, Severus. Who was I to tell them they couldn't?" the Headmaster said, shrugging his shoulders.

Severus scowled at him.

"But Albus, all at once?" he asked the twinkling eyed wizard.

Albus looked back at him an eyebrow arched.

"But Severus…that is how witches travel…in a group. Have you never seen them all get up together to go to the bathroom when they are out in a public place?" Albus asked the Potions Master.

"Yes, but this is not a public place, this is my home," the Potions Master replied, "plus all that cackling might frighten my sons."

Albus laughed.

"Your sons will be fine, Severus. Babies loved being cackled over," Albus replied, walking toward the nursery.

Obviously, Demetrius and Eli did love being cackled over. They gurgled happily as they were passed from witch to adoring witch, lips pressed to their tiny hands and foreheads. Severus scowled at the witches from the doorway as they passed his boys around, chattering, laughing and sighing. Hermione was grinning from ear to ear and practically buried in baby gifts. Eli was kept hopping bringing in glasses of pumpkin juice.

"Oh they are just darling, Hermione!" Minerva gushed, holding Eli and pursing her thin lips at the baby, who looked up at her stoically. The babies were passed around some more, the witches contorting their faces at them in what Severus found an alarming way.

"Good thing they can't see well yet," he thought to himself. "They'd be scarred for life."

"Cute kids," Madam Hooch grunted, holding Demetrius at arms length as if he would poop on her. Madam Sprout took him away from her quickly.

"Really, Rolanda," the Herbology Professor chided, "The baby won't bite you."

Madam Hooch made a face.

"Him biting me wasn't what I was worried about," she replied, sniffing delicately in the baby's direction. Rolanda Hooch just wasn't a baby person.

Albus held both babies in his arms, looking from one to the other and unabashedly talking baby talk as the witches gathered around him, oohing and ahhing.

"He's going to turn my sons into idiots," Severus said under his breath.

He couldn't understand why people babbled at babies when they obviously needed to be talked to sensibly so they could develop a vocabulary. He was quickly coming to the end of his wand.

Hermione happened to glance over to the door and see Severus' scowl growing blacker and blacker as he watched his sons being passed around the room. She acted quickly before he did something that would be quite unhostlike. She restored order, placing the boys down for a nap and hustling all the complaining witches and Albus out of the nursery, leaving Eli to watch over the babies.

Then the witches descended on Severus himself. To Hermione's relief he took their comments stoically, thanking them for their compliments and well wishes. Finally, they left.

Harry and Ron visited also.

"They're beautiful, Hermione," Harry said, letting Demetrius clasp his forefinger in his tiny hand, "Strong too. He won't let me go."

Ron was quite amazed that anything coming from the loins of the Potions Master could be so cute.

"They must have a lot of you in them, Hermione," he commented, studying Eli carefully. "No way could they look this good if Snape had the dominant genes."

"Ron!" Hermione hissed at him, looking about…hoping that Severus hadn't heard the red-haired wizard.

But Severus did.

He was walking down the hall toward the nursery when Ron made the comment. The Potions Master didn't say anything, but did hit Ron with a tripping spell as the Aurors stepped through the floo to leave. Wherever he came out at, he probably landed face first.

Molly Weasley's visit was heartwarming. She gathering both babies in her arms and just stared at them, tears in her eyes.

"Oh Hermione…Severus, how beautiful they are. Look at their tiny hands. Oh look, Arthur," she keened, as her husband smiled at both her and the babies. Molly was so ready to be a grandmother. They had a time getting the boys away from her.

When Hermione's parents visited, Hermione's mother also sat with both babies in her arms, crying softly and kissing them over and over. Mr. Granger slapped Severus on his back hard.

"Twin sons, eh? Well, that was some fine shooting there Severus," he said jovially, conveniently forgetting how he had wanted to twist the Potions Master's head off his body when his little girl came up pregnant.

"Thank you, Jonathan," Severus said as his back throbbed.

Finally the flow of visitors stopped. Isadora dropped by daily, but she only stayed a few minutes each visit. She called it her "Daily Spoiling" and loved the fact she could pick up the babies, feed them, smother them in kisses and then return them to mommy and daddy. She couldn't wait until they got older and the spoiling really set in. She intended to get them each their own private two-way mirror to contact her, especially when their parents said "no".

Because of Eli, Hermione did not have to go through the trials of night feeding too often. The elf was always there for the boys, attending their every need lovingly. Hermione had a couple of cases of self-cleaning diapers, but she and Severus were the only ones who used them. When Eli was in charge, it was only cloth diapers for the babies' tender bottoms.

"I just don't likes them, Mistress," Eli told Hermione when she tried to point out that it would be easier on him to use the self-cleaning diapers. They were good for three usages before they had to be changed. It would be less work.

"But Eli likes work, Mistress," the elf argued.

Hermione gave up.

Severus generously gave Hermione more than a week to recover. But she quickly discovered that the Potions Master had a taste for breast milk, and his suckling her was very arousing. But he wouldn't touch her.

"You need time," Severus would say, gathering the frustrated witch in his arms and going to sleep.

Actually, he was more than ready to start riding Hermione again. Severus had found her desirable when she was pregnant, but now that she was back down to size, he could do the things he wanted without worry. She was bendable again.

But there was a very good reason the Potions Master wasn't partaking of her charms yet. It was all part of his Master Plan. By the time he was ready to 'vindicate' himself…Hermione would be begging for it. He was going to make her wait at least a month. It was difficult, but he was still rather disciplined, even though her hot little hands clutching at his body made his resolve waver now and again. But he was determined to reach his goal. By the time he took Hermione she'd be pleading with him to do whatever he wanted to her. Then he'd get his due.

---

Both Remus and Isadora had spent a very restless week apart, Remus so affected he wasn't sure if he should return to the witch's flat. As far as Isadora went, she wanted to see the werewolf, though she had no intention on letting him know that he had become a nightly visitor in her dreams since she had seen him last.

Finally Remus decided to return to the witch's flat. She had invested time in his training, and he really did need what she was offering him. Most of Isadora's clients were quite wealthy and the commissions were astounding. It was the best opportunity he had ever come across in his entire life, and he would be a fool to let it go simply because his libido was on high. He would just have to continue to use restraint. It wasn't as if the witch were attracted to him, after all. Isadora was just another witch he didn't stand a chance with. A beautiful witch, but unattainable just the same.

He stood outside the door of her flat, hesitating before he knocked. He took a deep breath and rapped on the wooden door. It opened almost instantly and Isadora beamed up at him.

"Remus!" she said, greeting him warmly as she let him in.

Remus' eyes drifted over the witch. She was in a gray button-up blouse, black stretch jeans, and her beautiful black hair pulled back in a long, shining ponytail.

"Hello, Isadora," he said softly, trying not to think of his dreams. Seeing the witch threatened to drag them to the forefront. He quickly walked over to the computer terminal and turned it on.

"I've got a lot to catch up on," he said shortly, sitting down and waiting for the machine to open to the 'Welcome' screen.

Isadora watched the wizard walk quickly to the terminal, and felt a desperate need to look into the eyes that she saw every night for the past week, to see if they were still as gentle as she remembered, not full of heat like they had been in her dreams.

"Can I get you something to drink, Remus?" she asked the werewolf as he set up the typing book on it's stand and opened the word processing program he used to practice his keyboarding.

"No, thank you," he said, still looking at the monitor.

Isadora walked over to him, pulled out the chair resting in front of the other monitor and sat down.

"Severus has started building his lab. He says he will be starting on the cure in about a week," she informed the wizard, wishing he would look at her.

"That's wonderful," he said, starting to tap out the first line of ffff jjjj dddd kkkk etc.

"I hope he is successful Remus," she said softly.

This time the wizard did look at her, and yes, his eyes were still sad and gentle.

"It would be the answer to a long held prayer," he responded quietly, "but still, I don't dare hope for it, Isadora."

Isadora frowned at the wizard slightly.

"Why not, Remus?" she asked him.

The wizard sighed.

"I have hoped for so many things in my life, Isadora, only never to have them materialize. After a while, I just stopped hoping and resigned myself to the fact that for some people, there is no hope. I am one of them," he said softly. "Although Severus has agreed to work on a cure, that doesn't mean he will find one. I have no reason to believe he will."

Isadora studied him.

"Are you always this defeatist, Remus?" she asked, "because with an attitude like that, you hold yourself back. You won't act on things you should act on, things you would probably succeed at simply because you don't believe they are possible. You have to try before you write something off as being impossible, Remus."

The wizard stared at her, and a strange feeling washed over Isadora. His eyes hadn't changed, neither had his expression, but a powerful vibe exuded from him as he gazed at her. Something primal, slightly frightening, yet magnetic. Then suddenly, Remus turned back to his monitor his eyes again glued to the book. He didn't want to continue this conversation.

Isadora got the distinct impression that something wasn't said, that should have been said. She was wondering what to say next to the wizard when there was a knock on the door. She looked at her watch.

"Oh, it's my two o'clock," she said to Remus, who looked up at her.

"Your two o'clock?" he asked uncomprehendingly.

"My two o'clock appointment," Isadora said, brushing at her clothing before walking toward the door. She paused.

"How do I look?" she asked the wizard.

Remus looked at her, hoping his eyes didn't betray him as they took her in. She was so lovely.

"You look fine," he said shortly, returning to his typing.

Isadora walked through the foyer and opened the door. She extended her hand.

"Hello, my name is Isadora Snape. Welcome to Snape Travel, Mr…"

A pair of twinkling violet eyes looked down at the witch, the wizard they belonged to giving her a slow, lazy smile.

"Delaluci. Mr. Delaluci…but you can call me Marcus," Marcus replied, taking her hand gently and bringing it to his lips.

---

"Come in Marcus," Isadora said, stepping aside and letting the tall, blonde wizard enter. She closed the door and followed him. Once they were in the living room, Isadora led him over to her work desk on which sat her main computer. Marcus glanced over at the terminal where Remus Lupin sat as he passed. Remus seemed to ignore him. Hm. What was the werewolf doing here? He seemed to be working.

Isadora gestured to a comfortable chair in front of her desk and Marcus folded himself into it. Isadora slid behind her desk and sat down, putting on her glasses. Marcus studied her. She still looked good. On the wall behind the witch were a number holders which held travel brochures offering different types of packages. She turned on her terminal and looked up at Marcus pleasantly as it warmed up.

"I've met you before, haven't I, Marcus?" she asked the wizard.

"Yes," he replied smiling at her. "At your son's wedding. A very sweet, if short introduction. Your son was quite…shall we say…protective."

"Overbearing more likely," Isadora replied. "He feels he needs to protect me from potentially bad influences."

Marcus lifted his eyesbrows.

"Can't say I blame him. A witch as lovely as you needs protection. There's a lot of wolves out here," he replied, taking a little jab at Remus, who was listening despite himself.

The werewolf's hairs began to rise on the back of his neck at the wizard's obvious jibe as well as his flirting. His jaw tightened as he continued to type.

"I have access to wolfsbane," Isadora replied lightly, letting his compliment slip over her. "Now, Mr. Delaluci, what kind of package are you interested in?"

Marcus was thinking a slim, ivory-skinned, black-haired package about five-seven and naked would suit him just fine. His violet eyes telescoped at her. Isadora started.

"What did you just do with your eyes?" she asked him.

"Oh, sometimes they do that. Telescope. My pupils enlarge. Happens when I'm thinking," Marcus lied, his voice becoming a bit suggestive, "as well as when I am doing other pleasurable things. They're a gift from an ancestor."

"I see," said Isadora, wondering what kind of ancestor would give a wizard violet, telescoping eyes. She caught the little suggestive comment he made about "other pleasurable things". He was a flirt, this Marcus Delaluci.

Remus caught it too. His werewolf hearing was locked to the couple, and he couldn't help the low growl that rumbled in the back of his throat. The wizard frowned at the screen before him. He was making all kinds of typing errors. He cleared the screen and started again.

"Now Marcus, what kind of package are you interested in?" she asked him.

"Extreme. I like anything extreme," he said, his violet eyes leveled at the witch. Her dark eyes behind the glasses shifted a bit at his comment. Marcus was a very attractive wizard after all, in a rugged kind of way.

The crossbreed sensed Mrs. Snape hadn't had a tumble in a good while. Marcus could always zero in on women who needed to get laid, whether muggle or witch. It was a lesser talent of his and accounted for many of his sexual successes. Mrs. Snape was definitely in that category. Women who needed to get laid had to be tantalized first. Marcus had no problem dangling himself in front of the witch.

Isadora looked at him a moment, then cleared her throat.

"Um, all right…extreme. I take it you mean extreme sports," she said.

"You can take it that way if you like," Marcus replied giving her a rather sexy smirk. "But yes, extreme sports is a love of mine. I like anything that involves danger."

Shagging Severus Snape's mother fell nicely into that category.

Remus' nostrils were flared now, and he was typing just a bit harder than necessary. That wizard didn't know what danger was. Remus could feel Marcus' very sexual attraction to Isadora…it felt like tiny needles piercing the werewolf's skin…not painful, but irritating, very, very irritating. Isadora was not his witch, but every nerve in his body was attuned to her now, especially with Marcus trying to gain her interest. His territorial instincts were aroused. He also sensed something not quite human about the wizard. Marcus had some kind of tainted blood. Animal blood. It was faint, but detectable. Again, Remus helplessly growled deep in his throat.

"Very well, Marcus…we do have some packages here that focus on extreme activities. Are you familiar with muggle travel?" she asked him.

"Oh, I've visited the muggle world quite a few times to exercise my love of things extreme. But I've never flown in an airplane. It sounds like it's rather dangerous…so of course, it appeals to me," he replied, "I'd be willing to fly in an iron bird."

Isadora stood up, turned and began picking through the brochures. Marcus' eyes drifted to her hips. Those jeans were certainly flattering. They hugged every curve. Isadora turned back around and Marcus quickly shifted his eyes to her face. She smiled at him, offering him the brochures.

"Take a look at these, Marcus, and see if there is anything here that interests you," she said, as the wizard took the brochures from her. "I'll be right back."

Marcus began leafing through the brochures as Isadora walked over to Remus. He tensed up the moment she came close, willing himself to calm. He felt like pushing her behind him and challenging the wizard to a duel for her.

Remus cursed himself. The full moon was past. Why was his mating instinct still so strong?

"How's it going?" Isadora asked him, looking at the screen expecting to see it full of typing. Instead there were only a couple of lines of very basic typing. She also noticed the wizard was very tense.

"Remus, you should be much farther than this. You've gone over it plenty of times and have been sitting here a while. What's wrong?" she asked him, frowning slightly.

"I…I made a lot of errors so I started over," he replied, not looking at her.

How many errors could he have possible made? What had thrown off his focus? Remus had the best concentrative powers she had ever seen. Only her son seemed more focused than the werewolf.

Marcus turned slightly in the chair and saw the witch leaning over the werewolf…who seemed unnaturally stiff, as if he were purposely keeping from reacting to the witch's closeness. Oh ho. Remus Lupin had wood for Snape's mum. Marcus thought Severus would probably take that a lot worse than him giving the witch the high hard one. But then again, Severus probably had her on such a high pedestal he expected no wizard to be able to reach her. His mistake if that were true. The witch was far from over the hill and would jump right off that pedestal if the right wizard were there to catch her. Marcus was sure of that, and his arms, among other parts of his body, were wide open.

The wizard was also sure that no matter how Remus felt, he would never try to shag the witch. He was too withdrawn…too broken. Too pitiful. Marcus had good powers of observation and when he met Lupin three years ago, immediately saw that the werewolf shied away from relationships of any type because of his malady. Even those people who cared for him were kept at arm's length. He would never make a move on Isadora simply because he didn't feel worthy of her. He was a werewolf after all. Beautiful witches didn't do werewolves. The only possible way anything could happen between the two was if the witch initiated it.

In Marcus' estimation, Remus had nothing going for him to attract a witch like Isadora. He was poor as piss first off, shabby and sad. He had no fire…no oomph. He dragged himself around the wizarding world as if he had a ton of rock cakes tied to his tail. The only reason he was here was probably because the witch felt sorry for him. He wouldn't make a proper husband, and there was nothing in his demeanor to even suggest he'd be a decent lover. He might as well be dead.

Marcus began to leaf through the brochures again. Hm. Snowboarding, Surfing, Hang Gliding, Bungi Jumping, Mountain Climbing, Scuba Diving, Shark Fishing…the list went on and on. He took a look at the prices and stifled a low whistle. He didn't have the galleons for this. He would have to string her along until he could talk her into coffee or dinner.

"Why are you so off your game, Remus? Is everything all right with you? Is it something I can help you with?" Isadora asked the werewolf. her voice filled with concern. She removed her glasses.

Remus looked at Isadora when she asked him the last question. He couldn't help himself. He was too caught up in his animal responses to keep from reacting. Could she help him? Gods, if his dreams were any indication and Isadora were willing, she could help him very much.

When the wizard looked at her, his eyes reflected the the heat Isadora had seen in her dreams, powerful, feral and intense enough to make her catch her breath in response. Remus caught himself and looked away, aware the witch must have seen his desire by the way she was looking at him. He stood up abruptly.

"I have to go, Isadora," he said hoarsely.

"No. Don't. Stay here Remus. I want to help you," she said, "Just wait until I am done with this client…"

"He's no client, Isadora," Remus said with a growl. Isadora was taken aback by the ferocity in his statement. Clearly, he did not like Marcus.

"Of course he's a client," Isadora said, looking over at Marcus who was busily leafing through the brochures.

"He's more of a wolf than I am," Remus said, his nostrils flaring as he looked at the wizard. His eyes turned back to Isadora. "I don't think I'm going to be able to do this, Isadora. I can't handle it."

"What do you mean, Remus? You breezed through the training program, and for a wizard who never even touched a computer before, you caught on remarkably fast. Clearly you are a natural at this. Why would you think you can't handle it? As soon as your typing gets up to par I am going to turn some of my clients over to you to make their travel arrangements. I was hoping to start you next week," Isadora stated.

Remus shook his head sadly. Isadora was at a loss as to what to say. She didn't understand this.

"It's not the job, Isadora," Remus said, his soft eyes intense, "It's you. I hardly even know you and I…I…oh fuck. I just can't do this…it's torture. I'm sorry you wasted your time."

Remus started for the front door, and Isadora ran past him, blocking the foyer. Marcus watched what was happening with interest.

"Remus, wait. What you're doing…what you're giving up makes no sense. You can change your life if you just stick with it," she said.

Remus turned slightly to look at Marcus, who pretended to be looking through the pamphlets. He looked back at Isadora and lowered his voice even more.

"Isadora, you know what I am. An animal with animal instincts and animal desires. These desires permeate me whether or not I am transformed. Severus told me I needed to be away from you during the three days my instincts are strongest…but Isadora…they are always strong around you…and even when I am not around you. I refuse to torment myself, even if it means I will remain poor as a result of it. I came here against my better judgment today. I've been dreaming of you the entire week I was away…totally inappropriate dreams…dreams that could and should never happen. I don't want to be here alone with you one day…and…and…"

Remus stopped speaking, his chest heaving as he fought to calm himself. Isadora stared at him. He had been dreaming of her too?

The werewolf firmly grasped the witch by her shoulders, ignoring the fire he felt shoot through his loins as he gently moved her aside and opened the door.

"But…but Remus…" Isadora said following him.

He looked over his shoulder at her.

"Goodbye, Isadora," he said softly, disillusioning himself as he walked out of the door and disapparating. Startled passersby looked up at the sky as the thunder of Remus' departure sounded.

Isadora stood in the doorway,her dark eyes sad.

"But I dream about you too, Remus," she said softly to the empty space before her.

Marcus came sauntering out of the flat. He waved his hand in front of the staring Isadora, who looked up at him with a slight frown. She remembered what Remus said, and her frown grew a little darker.

"Marcus, are you actually going to buy a package today?" she asked him.

The wizard hesitated.

"Well, I thought I'd just look them all over and get back to you," he said.

Isadora arched an eyebrow. She walked past him, and Marcus started to follow her back in. The witch stopped him, flipping her pale palm before his face with a bit of attitude.

"Wait here," she said evenly, closing the door in his face.

Marcus frowned and stood there. The door opened slightly and Isadora's arm thrust out of the crack, her hand full of brochures. Marcus took them reflexively.

"You don't need an appointment to browse the packages," she seethed. "Come back when you're ready for a good deal to actually travel."

She closed the door and Marcus heard it click. Damn it.

He rapped on the door.

"What?" came Isadora's muffled voice.

The witch was frustrated about what just happened with Remus. She wasn't in the mood for Marcus or any other wizard right now.

"How about going out with me for coffee sometime?" Marcus called through the door.

On the other side of the door, Isadora scowled blackly. Remus had been right. Marcus had only come to her office with the intentions of taking her out…or worse.

"He wants coffee?" she thought, grinning evilly, "I'll give him coffee."

She pulled her wand out and flicked it at the door.

Over Marcus' head a huge tankard appeared. It tilted over, drenching him in coffee, then disappeared. Isadora quickly warded her door against the spluttering wizard. He was lucky it was cold.

"Do you want cream and sugar with that?" Isadora called through the door.

"I see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" Marcus shouted angrily back at the witch as he scourgified himself of the coffee dripping down his face.

He meant mother and son were more alike than he thought. Next thing Marcus knew, he was conked on top of the head by a very large, heavy and hard red apple.

He got the message. No goodies here.

"She's Snape's mother," he muttered, "I should have known she'd be a bitch."

He disapparated, not bothering to disillusion himself.

Isadora snickered as she walked back into the living room. She sobered as she looked at the terminal Remus had been working at. She walked over and sat down in his chair, pressing her fingers against the screen, tracing the sad little lines of letters he had typed. She thought about what her son had said about the werewolf. How he would give up on this like he did everything else in his life.

"Oh Remus," she said softly. "Why do you run from everything? Why don't you at least try?"

There was only silence.

He wasn't there to answer her.

---

Isadora apparated to Hermione's and Severus' house directly from her flat after Marcus left. She hadn't made any tight female friends yet, so Hermione was her only option for a sympathetic ear. She appeared in the front yard, and waved at Severus and Albus, who were working on erecting the lab. She walked into the house and found Hermione sitting on the couch reading, Eli and Demetrius sleeping in their baby carriers in front of her. Hermione looked up and smiled.

"Hello Isadora," she said, closing her book and setting it on the coffee table. The witch rose and crossed to her mother-in-law, giving her an affectionate hug. Isadora walked over to the babies and peered down at them, love evident on her face as she did so.

"The little angels," she breathed. Then she sat down on the couch and didn't say anything for a while. Hermione knew something was wrong immediately. She sat down beside Isadora

"Isadora, what's wrong?" Hermione asked her, looking at the witch with concern.

Isadora looked at her. Hermione still couldn't get over the similarity of her husband's eyes and his mother's. They were equally dark, deep and intense.

"Remus quit on me today," Isadora said quietly.

Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Quit? Why? You said he was doing so well," she responded.

"He was," Isadora said. Then a pregnant pause filled the air.

Hermione studied her mother-in-law, then cast a silencing spell around them.

"What happened, Isadora?" she asked her.

Isadora looked at her daughter-in-law. She was young, but she had married her son, a wizard who was thought to be evil, cold and unapproachable. People had avoided and ostracized him, even as they admired him, because of his demeanor and because of what they saw him as…a dark wizard. Still, Hermione had seen past his coldness and his darkness to the real man he was. Maybe she could understand this, help her make some sense of what was occurring between herself and the werewolf.

"Hermione, I'm going to tell you something. I don't want you to be shocked. If you feel uncomfortable discussing this with me, I want you to let me know," Isadora said earnestly.

Hermione nodded.

"Remus said he was leaving because of me," she said.

"You? What? Did he think you were working him too hard?" Hermione asked her, perplex.

"It had nothing to do with work, Hermione. He is attracted to me," Isadora replied.

Hermione understood immediately.

"And he's a werewolf. So he left rather than risk offending you by acting on his urges," the young witch said. "He doesn't believe himself worthy of any witch…or love."

Isadora nodded.

"He said he had dreams about me the entire week he was gone," she said.

"Yes…it was near the full moon. His desires are intensified during those times," Hermione said.

"He said it didn't have to be near the full moon for me to affect him. He said I affected him all the time," Isadora replied.

Hermione looked surprised. She always had the impression that Remus was a shy, retiring wizard. She couldn't picture him making such an intimate confession to Isadora, or anyone for that matter. But then, she thought about Ginny and decided maybe he could if he were driven enough.

"I tried to talk to him, but he just said good-bye and disapparated," Isadora continued. "He doesn't know…"

"He doesn't know what, Isadora?" Hermione asked her.

Isadora's glistening black eyes met Hermione's.

"He doesn't know I've been dreaming about him too, Hermione," she said, sighing. "Very erotic dreams…the kind that leave a puddle when you wake up."

Oh shit. Severus' mother had the hots for Remus Lupin? Severus would blow a torch if he found out. But Hermione remembered her horror at her first erotic dream about the Potions Master, and then how delicious they became…how they woke up a longing inside her. Was Isadora going through that for Remus? Gods help her if she was. Ginny had told her things about Remus.

"Oh, Isadora. What are you going to do?" she asked her.

"I don't know. I haven't felt like this about a wizard since before Severus was born. And I hardly know Remus. I've only known him a few weeks and I feel like someone's slipped me a lust potion attuned only to him. It's terrible, Hermione," Isadora said, "I don't even know why I'm attracted to him so strongly."

"If you think about it, Isadora, you probably do. There has to be something about him that draws you to him," Hermione responded.

"Maybe it's because he is so quiet and gentle," Isadora said. "He is a kind wizard and not the type to try and take advantage of a woman. I don't believe he would ever purposely hurt anyone. He is the opposite of what my husband was. And he has such gentle eyes," the witch said softly, picturing Remus' face. "And he's always so sad, Hermione. He makes me want to see him happy…"

"Or perhaps make him happy," Hermione insinuated. "Is he gentle in your dreams, Isadora?"

Hermione had a reason for asking the witch this question. For the first time, Hermione saw her mother-in-law blush.

"No, Hermione. In my dreams he is far from gentle. Far, far from gentle," Isadora said.

"Maybe it's a warning," Hermione suggested, "that you should avoid him."

Severus was far from gentle as well, but Hermione loved that about him. She didn't think Isadora would gravitate to a wizard who was, well, a bit much in the bedroom. Then she thought about what she saw and heard in Severus' head…when Darius took her into the bedroom and Severus listened to her shrieking. Maybe her husband had married a woman like dear old mum.

"If it is a warning, it isn't repelling me," Isadora said softly, "it's working more like a magnet. The dreams excite me Hermione. Remus excites me. I haven't been excited by a man in so, so long."

Hermione fought an internal struggle, trying to decide whether or not she should reveal to Isadora what Ginny had told her about Remus. Finally she decided the witch had a right to know, since she was obviously attracted to the wizard. She forced herself to think of Isadora as another woman, rather than as her husband's mother. That made it easier.

"Isadora, I know someone who has been intimate with Remus," Hermione said slowly, "about two years ago. Remus really isn't gentle in intimate situations. Apparently, his animal side takes over, and he is…well insatiable. My friend couldn't take him and after two minutes begged him to let her go. He only just managed to, roaring at her to hurry and get out, barely in control. He didn't transform…he just…went animal on her. Later, he apologized but she was scared to death of him. It took a long time for her to come around and talk to him again."

Isadora was silent for a moment.

"Did Remus pursue this witch?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, she had been after Remus for a very long time. He knew about her infatuation with him, but told her he wasn't interested and to stay away from him. But she kept trying, and one night she caught him near the full moon and seduced him. It didn't take much. She said he was gentle and wonderful, if a little strange at first…but when they…when he…well, he was just too much. And my friend enjoys sex a lot. So…I don't know Isadora. Maybe Remus is right to stay away from you if he is as attracted to you as he says."

Isadora absorbed this and found she had a huge knot in her belly.

"What if I don't want him to stay away from me, Hermione?" Isadora asked her.

Hermione blanched. She was not about to tell her husband's mother to go shag a werewolf.

"Then you have a decision to make, Isadora," the witch replied.

Hermione knew when she was in that situation, she found the courage to tell Severus she wanted him. He hadn't reacted favorably. Perhaps Remus wouldn't either despite his attraction to Isadora. She wasn't sure what the witch would do. But Hermione knew what she herself wouldn't do.

Tell Severus.

---

Rosmerta was behind the bar when the witch walked in. She was lovely, slim, pale with a large but beautiful nose, glossy black hair and black eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but the innkeeper knew she hadn't seen the woman before.

Isadora walked up to the bar.

"Hello. Are you the proprietor here?" she asked Rosmerta politely.

"Yes, I am. My name is Rosmerta. How may I help you?" she asked.

"Do you offer private dining?" Isadora asked.

"Yes, we do have a small room for private, intimate dining," Rosmerta said.

"Is it available for tonight?" Isadora asked.

"Yes, it is," Rosmerta replied. She was smiling broadly. The room was quite expensive.

"Does it come with a personal waiter?" Isadora asked.

"No, but I could arrange one for you," Rosmerta said.

"He would be present the entire time?"

"Yes, if that is what you'd like," Rosmerta said, "At your beck and call."

"That sounds excellent," Isadora said smiling, "I understand you have a Remus Lupin that works here. He is who I want for my waiter."

Rosmerta's blue eyes darkened.

"Remus usually doesn't serve," she began as Isadora reached into her purse and pulled out a handful of galleons. She placed them in Rosmerta's hand.

"I'm sure you can spare him for one night," she purred at the innkeeper.

Rosmerta smiled as she hefted the coinage in her hand. This was four times the price of the room and the private service.

"I'm sure I can," Rosmerta agreed.

The two witches set the time of the reservation at eight o'clock. Rosmerta was a bit surprised it was a reservation for one.

"And the name?" Rosmerta asked her, writing down the details on her parchment pad.

"Isadora Snape. But I don't want him to know that," Isadora said.

Rosmerta looked a bit shocked, then looked at the witch closely. She must be Severus Snape's sister. She certainly was a lovely woman. She had the same coloring and eyes as the Potions Master, but softer, more feminine features. Rosmerta wondered why she wanted Remus to serve her. Ah well, that wasn't her business. Her business was collecting galleons. Actually, Rosmerta thought the werewolf was quite lucky to be serving the witch..

She looked like she tipped well.

---

A/N: Thanks for reading. More to come.