A Strange Staff Meeting

Sunday, February fifteenth began slowly at the cabin. Severus realized there were no sounds outside their bedroom. He breathed a deep sigh of relief, stretched and then firmly kissed Zelda.

"Good morning," she murmured, slipping an arm around his waist.

"All's quiet, my girl, so we can hide a while longer."

She began to rub his back, causing him to groan with pleasure.

"I've changed my mind about Valentine's Day," she murmured. "I had a lovely time yesterday."

"Yesterday was fine because I was with you, my mink. It had nothing to do with bloody holidays," he replied.

She grinned and said, "We spend a crazy amount of time in bed together, don't we?"

"Come here, my girl. I cannot enjoy you naked anywhere but here, and it pleases me to hold you while we talk."

He smiled complacently as she snuggled against him.

"Now tell me what Lily did with those girls yesterday. I saw a distinct lack of romance occurring. Considering the way Potter and Miss Weasley behaved last spring, I'm surprised."

"Maybe I stunted my daughter emotionally, but I encouraged her to have friends, rather than chasing boyfriends at a young age. Several girls in her school year are married and have children already. Given my horrible early marriage, I think they should wait 'til they're older."

"Those bloody boys should thank you," he said meditatively.

"Or thank Lily and Eli," she replied. "Lucky for Ron, I don't think Hermione's looking for a quick wedding, but Ginny would happily marry Harry the day she finishes at Hogwarts."

He pictured Potter dancing attendance on an immature, self-centered Ginny Weasley and snorted in disgust.

"They're children," he snapped.

"Exactly," she replied. "So they're having fun together and learning there's a whole wide world out there."

"Good," he said, "Marriage should be reserved for intelligent people."

He pressed her onto the pillows and examined her body carefully. Her breasts were slightly larger and blue veins were becoming visible through the milky skin. He traced them with a caressing finger, smiling faintly.

"What?" she asked distractedly.

"I felt the oddest sensation."

She pushed the curtains of lank black hair back from his eyes, looking quizzically at him.

"Insufferable pride, a ridiculous sensation since neither of us wanted this."

His thin fingers moved down her body and covered the faint bulge, making her smile.

"I wish we'd chosen it together," he said slowly.

"I choose it now," she said, looking into his eyes.

"As do I. But it seems an act of insane hope, my girl. I've never had hope."

Gently she said, "You couldn't have done everything you did all those years, without hope."

"Perhaps it's true," he said, pondering her words. "I never knew."

Laughing, she kissed his mouth tenderly, brushing her nose against his.

"I'm lucky to be with you," she said.

He wondered if he'd ever tire of making love to her as he slipped his hand between her thighs. Loving and being loved was finer than he'd imagined in his bitter youth, he thought, and then there was no more thinking to be done.

&&&&&&&&&

"Stay in touch, Mum," said Elijah, hugging Zelda for a long time.

"Of course," she replied, kissing his cheek. "Go back and study hard. We'll meet here again in a few weeks."

He turned to Severus as he was about to Apparate with Kingsley and smiled tentatively, saying, "Take care of her, stepfather."

They vanished, and Severus was left feeling embarrassed and deeply pleased by the boy's last words.

The Hogwarts students had left an hour before, and Kingsley had taken Michael and Lily back to London already. Zelda and Severus were preparing to leave for their Sunday visit to Hogwarts.

"It was a good time, wasn't it?" asked Zelda.

""Excellent," he replied. "Perhaps better because Malfoy was unable to come along."

"I thought that too," she said. "You know, he's a snarky little shit and I liked him. But his father's a monster, and it's not easy for a kid to sort things out after being raised by an abusive parent. I'm a bit nervous with him."

"I hope the visit with his mother went well," mused Severus.

"You'll find out tomorrow," she said practically. "If you're ready…"

She went to him and put her arms around his waist. He embraced her and Apparated both of them to the gates of Hogwarts.

As they prepared to enter the grounds, a voice called out behind them.

"Severus!"

They turned to discover Tonks and Remus Lupin approaching from Hogsmeade.

"Merlin…" he hissed.

"She must've told him we're married, so we'll have to deal with it," whispered Zelda. "It'll be okay."

"Say nothing about the other," he whispered urgently.

There was no time for her to answer, but she squeezed the arm she was holding, so he was content.

"Hey, Severus, Zelda. We'll be just in time for the staff meeting," Tonks exclaimed brightly as the pair approached the gates. "

Severus glanced toward the silent werewolf walking by the young witch's side.

"Lupin," he said coolly, nodding abruptly.

"Severus," Lupin replied quietly. "And Mrs. Snape, according to Tonks. Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you," said Zelda pleasantly. "How nice that we can all walk up together."

The castle loomed above them in the twilight, lights beginning to appear in windows with a welcoming glow.

"Did you have a nice weekend?" asked Tonks, smiling cheerfully. "Valentine's day and all that."

"Very nice," said Zelda. "We spent some time with my children. They're very busy, but managed to get away for a couple of days."

"I didn't know you have children. Where do you keep them?" asked Tonks mischievously.

Zelda chuckled, having heard Severus's muffled snort.

"They're grown up, so they keep themselves," she replied. "Did you do anything special for Valentine's Day?"

"Madam Puddifoot's, no doubt," murmured Severus viciously.

Lupin twitched slightly, a movement that Zelda saw with wicked delight.

"It's a tradition," exclaimed Tonks defiantly. "Everyone does it."

Severus gazed smugly in Lupin's direction and saw a faint flush creep up the man's cheek. No words were needed.

"Do you know if Draco visited his mother, Nymphadora?" asked Severus quietly. "I'll speak with him tomorrow, but I can be more effective if I have some idea how it went."

Zelda squeezed her husband's arm meaningfully and then slowed down for a moment. As she thought he would, Lupin joined her, being quite left out of the other conversation. She gazed curiously at the man, who looked back at her rather apprehensively. Orange rays from the setting sun reflected off the snow, creating a faint glow on their faces.

"He told you what happened when we were students, didn't he?" he asked directly.

"Not everything, but enough, I'd say," she replied.

Remus Lupin looked into the woman's blue eyes and saw only a mild thoughtfulness. Snow crunched underfoot as they walked in silence, while a few paces ahead Tonks and Severus were conversing quietly.

"How does it feel, being the only one who has to live with what you all did?" she asked bluntly, wondering what earth he could possibly say. "Tonks doesn't know, does she?"

"No," he confessed in a low voice. "She's fond of him, respects him. She'd despise me if she knew."

"I like her very much," said Zelda. "It makes for an awkward situation, doesn't it?"

He gave a hoarse bark of cynical laughter.

"You go right to the point, don't you? Yes, extremely awkward, and impossible too. He can't forgive me, can he?"

She looked thoughtfully at her husband's back, watching his black cloak billow in the wind.

"It would be difficult, wouldn't it? Could you?" she asked.

His weary eyes fixed intently on her face.

"I'd never have imagined that Severus would marry, much less marry a Muggle. He's lucky to have found such a loyal wife."

"I'm lucky to have found him," she replied. "And Muggle or magical doesn't matter to me."

He stared strangely at her. "Does werewolf matter?"

"Hmm… I could give you a flippant answer, but I won't. Give me a minute."

She strode slowly along, hands pulled inside her cloak and her eyes distant. After a time she stopped and turned toward him, staring intently into his eyes.

"It matters when the moon is full," she said flatly.

"Obviously," he snapped. "And?"

She smiled whimsically and said, "Look, never having believed werewolves are real, I'm not part of your collective magical mindset. I see a man, and that's all I believe is there, except when the moon is full."

"Tonight the moon will be full. Still, no fear, no doubts, no pity?" he asked sarcastically.

"Do you want pity?" she asked, gesturing up at the sky that was still fairly bright with sunset light.

"No!" he snarled, walking slightly faster so she was forced to catch up with him. They were walking into the shadow of the castle, where lights gleamed faintly down on the snow.

She caught his arm, tugging to slow him down and said reprovingly, "It's rude to go ahead like that, Remus Lupin."

He gazed into her eyes, which were blue and faintly twinkling. She was still holding lightly to his arm.

"Sorry," he muttered sullenly.

"Look, we're almost there. I guess you've figured out that I won't say anything to Tonks. It's not my business."

"Thank you," he replied. "I wish it wasn't all such a bloody mess."

"Can life actually be mess-free?" she asked mockingly.

Severus and Tonks had stopped to wait for them, and the young witch was beaming at them.

"It looks like our ways part here," said Zelda. "It was nice talking with you."

She offered her hand to him, which he shook with a slight ironic smile on his face.

Severus forced himself not to snatch her hand away from the werewolf. His protective nature warred with his reluctant knowledge that she knew what she was doing. When she turned to him after saying good-bye to Tonks, he could breathe again. He drew her hand through his arm and pulled her close.

"Nice conversation?" he asked, scowling as he opened the door.

"Interesting," she replied. "Tonks could do better for herself, even if he weren't a werewolf. I also feel sorry for him, having to try to keep up with her."

"Having known her since she was a child, I'd feel dangerously close to a pedophile in his position," he said meditatively, hanging up their cloaks. "She is, however, a grown woman and able to choose for herself, however poorly."

"I wonder if he enjoyed Madam Puddifoot's," she said, hoping to cheer him. "Your guess was spot on, my boy."

"What a vile way to spend an afternoon," he said, almost cheerfully. "I hope he felt a decent sense of his humiliation."

Zelda threw back her head and laughed with delight.

"It's karma," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Ah, Sev, I suppose you have to go right away. I hope it's a short meeting."

"I must go immediately in order to avoid sitting by the idiot Trelawney."

He kissed and embraced her firmly, then headed for the staff meeting.

&&&&&&&&&

"Severus," called Professor Flitwick, "I was hoping to catch you before the meeting. Davis told me your book will soon be published. Congratulations!"

"Thank you," he replied, falling into step next to the tiny Charms Professor. "I received notice last week from the publisher, and though I can't imagine it will be a popular success, it is gratifying."

"It will be an excellent addition to our curriculum."

"Filius, I'd appreciate it if you would come to my rooms briefly after the meeting," murmured Severus.

They were approaching the staff room, so Professor Flitwick merely nodding, smiling happily. He followed Severus in and sat down next to him, forestalling Professors Sinistra and Trelawney. The two witches had followed them into the room and tried to push past, but failed.

Minerva McGonagall called the meeting to order and immediately began to tackle the agenda, although Severus was so distracted by his near escape that it took some time before he paid any attention.

"Severus? Are you awake?" snapped Professor McGonagall. "I asked you a question."

"I'm sorry, Professor," he said irritably. "What is it?"

"None of the heads besides Slytherin have seen evidence that students should consult with Healer Fletcher. "Do you feel this is accurate?"

"There are already four with regular appointments, who seem to be helped by them," he said hastily. "It is not required, but for those students whose families suffered violent attacks, especially those who lost family members, it may be helpful to be evaluated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"I must stress that it is not required, but this valuable resource is made available by St. Mungo's and I hope we will take advantage of it," said Professor McGonagall.

"They're children," said Professor Sinistra impatiently. "They're all fine. You make too much of this, Professor McGonagall."

"I must continue to be concerned until I'm confident that they are all well," said Minerva stiffly.

She nodded at Severus and said, "Moving on now, the Minister's visit was marvelously uneventful last week. I must thank all who patrolled so vigilantly. Severus, are the staff patrols worth continuing?"

"Perhaps I'm overly cautious, but I believe that for another week we should continue. We still have no idea who perpetrated the attacks and vandalism before Christmas," he replied.

Several people glared at him in response to his comment, however Tonks nodded approvingly.

"Hogwarts is responsible for the safety of all these kids, and we need to take that seriously," she said. "I can't imagine relaxing our vigilance until we've figured out what that was about."

Sibyll Trelawney goggled at the young Auror for a moment, then said nastily, "Still blindly loyal to Slytherin, my dear? Or is it something more? I remember you were always taken with older men. I predict nothing good will come of it."

Tonks stared blankly at the Seer for a moment before bursting into delighted laughter.

"Sibyll, that is quite enough!" snapped Minerva. "I'm shocked at your childish behavior. This meeting is adjourned and I wish to see you in my office at once."

The rest of the staff sat stunned and silent. Tonks managed to stop laughing finally and looked around.

"That was something completely different," she said brightly as she rose from the table.

As though released from a spell, the rest began moving, preparing to depart the room without betraying their desire for haste.

"Severus, poor, dear wizard, how embarrassing for you," said Professor Sinistra, approaching him with a sympathetic air.

"Erm, excuse me, I have something I must attend to," he said hastily.

He headed for Tonks, whose dark eyes were sparkling with mischief.

"Are you sure you want to be seen with me?" she asked, chuckling.

He rolled his eyes in disgust.

"She must be demented," he snapped.

"She's right about my fondness for older guys," she said impudently. "But really, it would've felt like incest or something, if I'd become infatuated with you."

His lips twitched suspiciously. "I said something similar to Zelda a short time ago," he whispered.

"As long as that's settled, then," she said. "I have an older guy of my own and I plan to behave totally inappropriately as soon as the moon phase changes. Sibyll should try it and maybe she wouldn't act like such a freak."

"Goodness, how amusing," Filius Flitwick said, joining them.

"I was going to look for you," said Severus. "Shall we go?"

He nodded once more to Tonks, who blew him a kiss in front of the remaining staff members.

"Brat. I cannot wait for her to return to her own position at the Ministry," he told Professor Flitwick with a frown.

"I find her quite a breath of fresh air."

"At least she's not deranged," replied Severus grudgingly.

As they entered his rooms, Severus said, "I've been holding out on you, Filius, but I hope you'll forgive me."

He led the diminutive wizard to the sitting room where Zelda sat reading by the fire.

"Professor Flitwick," she said, rising and going to greet him.

"Filius, I must now introduce you to my wife," said Severus with a small rush of pride.

"Severus, how marvelous!" he cried, holding out both hands and clasping Zelda's.

Come in and sit down," invited Zelda. "It seemed to take forever to regain my memories, but it's finally done and Severus tells me you helped him understand how the Memory Charm might be undone. Thank you so much."

"What a lucky fellow you are, Severus," he said. "Why haven't you told everyone?"

"Zelda is a Muggle, and until I can assure her safety, only the people I trust can know she is here with me."

"I'm honored by your trust," he replied, "I'm also very happy for you both."

Dobby appeared with a tea tray, which he set on a small table in front of them.

"Thank you, Dobby," said Severus gently.

"I hope you'll visit sometimes when I'm here," said Zelda warmly, pouring a cup of tea and handing it to him. "During the school week we're at my house, because of my work, and Severus Apparates here. But on weekends… I have a reason to be here on weekends now."

"What is that?" asked Professor Flitwick eagerly.

"I'm pregnant," she said, blushing slightly. "I'm seeing a Healer from St. Mungo's most weekends here."

"Ah, Severus, what wonderful news," he exclaimed. "Dear Mrs. Snape, if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

"You can call me Zelda," she said. "Not that I mind being Mrs. Snape, of course, but we're all friends here, right?"

"Certainly, Zelda. I must say that I hope you'll come to Hogwarts frequently. Ours is an insular little community and you'll be a most welcome addition."

"Thank you," she said. "There are a few others here who know. Minerva, Molly Weasley and Hagrid all know, but I haven't even seen the rest of the staff here."

"I'll keep your little secret until you're ready, Severus," he said with a cheery smile.

They chatted amiably over tea until the subject of Sibyll Trelawney's outburst arose.

"She thought you and Tonks…?" asked Zelda blankly. "Good grief!"

"She's always been a bit, um, unusual," said the Charms professor tactfully. "It's rather sad, of course."

"I wish she wouldn't pester my poor Severus," said Zelda with an irritated frown.

"I hope your poor Severus will refrain from cursing her," muttered the unfortunate wizard sourly. "What in Merlin's name did I do to deserve this?"

"You can't help being charming and sexy," said Zelda with a wicked grin.

Professor Flitwick chuckled happily in response to her words.

"What a lucky man you are."

"Indeed," replied Severus, eyeing his wife smugly.

"I really must leave, however. My first year class is right after breakfast in the morning, so I need my rest."

"Thank you for coming to visit," said Zelda. "I hope you'll come again soon."

"Thank you, dear lady," he said.

They both walked him out and they parted with good cheer on all sides.

"Ahh…" sighed Zelda, leaning against Severus when the door had closed. "I didn't know this place was dangerous for you, my boy. Stupid women."

"They're all vile compared with you," he said. "Let's go home."

They put on their cloaks and walked briskly back down toward the gates in the darkness, alone under the brilliant night sky. Severus reached for her hand and drew it through his arm.

"When I'm away from you now, I miss you," she said sheepishly. "It feels wrong to walk alone."

"You belong with me," he said, covering her hand with his.

"We're disgustingly sentimental," she said. "I love it. I love to love you."

Her words mirrored his own nauseating feelings perfectly. He turned and wrapped his arms around her, his traveling cloak swirling around her. He pulled off her hood so he could bury his face in her hair and they stood under the stars, holding each other in contented silence.

Far up at the castle, someone wielding a telescope discovered them and studied them closely, trying to see the person Severus was holding so intimately. But even when the two down below separated and headed for the gates, only a flash of shining hair was visible on the shorter figure. The gate was opened, the figures passed through and then they were gone, leaving no trace.