A Shocking Incident

The rest of that week was quite uneventful, thus from Severus's perspective, a good week. Zelda ate dinner in the Great Hall the next few evenings, and gradually she was no longer such a novelty in the eyes of the students. He sat in his office that Friday morning considering what this growing stability might mean for their future at Hogwarts.

He and Zelda were to see Dilys early on Saturday morning and then go house hunting with Harry Potter. What began as a small problem, easily resolved by hiring a Muggle postbox, had become Potter's way to attach himself to Zelda, and thus himself, Severus mused sourly.

The previous evening he had brewed potions that Madam Pomfrey needed to restock her supplies. Zelda had eagerly asked to keep him company, promising to leave if she distracted him. Her presence was restful, although most people would have annoyed him endlessly. She asked a few intelligent questions periodically, but had simply brought a book and curled up in a comfortable armchair for a few hours. She watched him sometimes, but he didn't mind.

"It doesn't look like magic," she'd said as they walked home. "It's so subtle, I suppose most people wouldn't realize it's magic."

"Can you tell?" he asked, amused.

"Only because I know you," she replied. "You concentrate so intently, like when you cast a spell. I can't see an effect, but the potions are interesting. They each smell different and look different too."

"You're quite observant," he commented, ushering her into their rooms.

"I have my moments," she said. "I enjoyed watching you. Was it distracting?"

"You may watch me brew potions any time," he said. "Now, I must bathe before I go to bed."

Severus smiled faintly at the memory and then bent his thoughts toward his work.

They dined in the Great Hall that Friday evening and Severus was waiting for Zelda to finish chatting with Tonks when Professor Trelawney approached him.

"Severus, I am unable to patrol this evening, since someone requires my service. It will do no harm to miss one patrol, I believe," she pronounced with surprising firmness.

Rather than argue with the foolish woman, Severus replied, "The patrols keep order in the castle, as you well know. I shall cover your patrol this evening."

"Thank you, dear wizard," she twittered, completely changing her tone. She goggled at him through her spectacles with a pleased smirk on her face.

Severus watched her mince away, scarves fluttering behind her as she went. She wasn't the first to skive off like an irresponsible child, and he had become accustomed to patrolling frequently. Perhaps living at Zelda's house was more sensible, he thought in disgust.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Zelda as she appeared at his side.

Pleased to be taking her home, he offered his arm to her and murmured, "More than ready."

"What's wrong?" she asked as they walked down the stairs.

"I must patrol again this evening," he replied, scowling. "Trelawney has more important things to do."

She sighed. They would be busy most of the weekend and had planned an intimate evening, which would now be curtailed.

They entered their rooms and greeted Rowena. The dog behaved as though they'd been gone for a month, rather than an hour.

"I prefer the company of this dog to most humans I know," said Severus, still rankled by the ruin of his evening.

"Present company excepted?" she asked softly, cupping his cheek with her hand.

"Always," he replied. "I'll escort Rowena down to Hagrid. By the time I get back to the castle, it will be late enough, so I'll patrol and be done with it."

"When you get back I'll rub your back for you," she offered with a smile.

"I look forward to it," he told her.

He kissed her long and persuasively, trying to look on the bright side. It was no use, however. As soon as he was walking out of the castle with Rowena, his foul mood returned. He sent his Patronus ahead to alert Hagrid, and a moment later the cottage door opened and Fang trotted out to meet Rowena.

"So, yeh got a busy day termorrow?" called Hagrid.

"Yes. If Rowena can stay until Sunday we'll be very grateful," said Severus.

"Have a good evenin' then," said Hagrid with a knowing grin.

Severus scowled and nodded. Then he turned and strode back to the castle, determined to be as efficient as possible in this last task of the day. He entered the dungeon and thoroughly searched every corner. He always took patrolling seriously, but in this area, so close to Zelda, he wanted to be certain. He then climbed the stairs to the dimly lit Entrance Hall. All was quiet, he thought with some relief, so this would go quickly.

His face was suddenly drenched with a blast of cool water and he cursed furiously, looking up to see if Peeves was there. But then a delicious scent and taste overwhelmed his senses and he realized, horrified, what it was. He spat with a furious scowl, wiping his face with one hand and whipping out his wand to point it at the witch who held a dripping goblet before him.

"Amortentia!" he hissed icily. "How dare you, Sinistra, you stupid cow!"

"Severus," she cooed, her dark eyes glowing with anticipation. "I dare because we belong together. Call me Aurora, my love."

He spat again, but felt the tiny amount he'd swallowed begin to affect him. He despised the arrogant witch, but Amortentia began drawing him to her. Horrified, he estimated that even such a tiny amount of love potion might last several minutes. Frantically he reminded himself that he was married, but his eyes fell to the swell of her small, pert breasts and he choked. She was exquisite.

"Aurora," he gasped obediently, his head spinning, but still forcing himself back a few steps. "Get away from me, don't do this. I'm married, you pathetic bitch."

Professor Sinistra gazed thoughtfully at him, calculating whether she'd overplayed her hand. He wasn't handsome or charming, but his magic was powerful, he had powerful friends and might someday be Headmaster if the right woman had the managing of him. In spite of himself, she knew the potion was working. He was vulnerable.

"Oh, Severus," she said. "You wanted me for years. Tell me you love me."

She fixed her glorious dark eyes on him, her lips parted in anticipation.

Severus groaned, trying fruitlessly to fight until the potion wore off, but he wanted the witch madly. He should have gone to her years ago, he thought confusedly.

"I love you, Aurora," he groaned wretchedly, mesmerized and no longer wanting to escape.

She put her arms around his neck and pressed against him. Defeated, he kissed her hard, more aroused because she struggled briefly even as she offered her mouth and invited his tongue inside. His arms locked around her.

She was shocked at her involuntary physical reaction to him. This was not about love or attraction, he was a hideous man, but she pressed eagerly against him, cynically hoping that the potion would last long enough for him to take her completely and ruin his marriage. His bourgeois American wife would likely leave if she knew he was unfaithful. In a moment she would maneuver him into the Astronomy Tower stairway.

She pressed him against the wall by the door, and though he wanted to die inside at the lingering memory of his wife, the potion was relentless and she ground her hips against him, making him mad with lust. But with one last desperate effort he flung himself back from her and staggered clumsily away.

"Severus! Professor Sinistra! Is everything all right?"

Severus gasped in horror. Professors Flitwick and Davis had turned the corner and were heading toward them. His first impulse was to protect his love, Aurora, and he began moving toward her. But he caught a calculating gleam in her eyes, remembered Amortentia and froze, panting.

"Davis! Dosed with Amortentia," gasped Severus, reeling clumsily toward the shocked wizards. "I need… Antidote."

"Merlin! Come with me," commanded Professor Davis, seeing the dilated pupils and realizing that his friend was indeed under a powerful enchantment.

But Severus had turned, relief having weakened his resistance. He remembered the feel of those persuasive lips.

"Aurora," he groaned, striding toward her.

"Severus, come with me. They can't stop us," she said seductively, thinking it might not be hopeless. She held her hand out to him.

But Professor Davis pulled his wand, pointed it at Severus and said, "Stupefy!"

The black haired wizard fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Aurora Sinistra, the Headmistress will hear of this!" exclaimed Professor Flitwick fiercely. "How could you do such an evil thing?"

Frustrated and furious, she turned and stalked away with all the dignity she could muster, knowing she would pay dearly for her failure. If forced to choose, there was no doubt that Minerva McGonagall would defend Severus Snape.

The two wizards stared in shock at each other, then at the unconscious wizard lying on the floor at their feet.

"Let's get him to your office before we revive him," suggested Filius Flitwick, Conjuring a stretcher with a flick of his wand. "He needs that antidote."

They went quickly and quietly, Levitating the stretcher before them. Once the door was closed and Severus lowered to the floor, Professor Davis looked at Filius Flitwick, sickened.

"She wished to ruin him. If we hadn't interrupted…" he said in a low voice.

"But he fought it, Davis. You saw him. Amortentia is said to be impossible to fight, but Severus managed it. Long enough for us to discover them," said the tiny Charms teacher.

"Zelda is a Muggle. Poor woman, will she understand about love potions?" replied the Unspeakable, frowning. "It's wrong that people treat such things as a joke. Amortentia can do irreparable harm."

He took a small bottle from his cupboard and poured it into the unconscious wizard's mouth. After three minutes he pointed his wand and said, "Rennervate."

Severus found himself lying on the floor with two worried looking wizards hovering over him. He sat up, his head spinning, feeling queasy.

"What do you remember, my friend?" asked Filius Flitwick compassionately.

Severus remembered a slender body in his arms and passionate kisses. Dark eyes had gleamed with greedy triumph…

"Merlin!" he hissed, fighting a strong urge to vomit. "Ah… I didn't do it, did I?"

"Calm down, Severus," commanded Solomon Davis. "She gave you a potion, but you managed to resist her."

Pressing his hand to his eyes, Severus tried to recall.

"I realized immediately and tried to spit it out, but I couldn't get rid of it all. I tried to get away," he said grimly. "I couldn't stop it. Thank heavens you came along or I might have…"

"No," said Filius kindly.

He laid a kind hand on the younger wizard's shoulder. "I never saw anyone fight Amortentia before, but you were fighting it. Enough, at least."

"I can't believe she'd behave so wickedly," said Davis. "She's no giddy schoolgirl, playing naughty games."

"She wanted to ruin my life," hissed Severus as his memory of those moments came into focus. "Why did she do it? She doesn't care about me!"

"I don't know," replied Davis, holding a hand out to steady Severus when he suddenly staggered to his feet. "Sit down, man."

Filius Conjured an armchair and Severus sank weakly into it.

"If she does care for you, why didn't she say something to you years ago?" asked the diminutive wizard. "All those years you weren't married, but now…"

Severus leaned back in the chair, trying to forget his potion-induced desire for the Astronomy professor. He reminded himself of every selfish, mean spirited thing she'd said in staff meetings and her spiteful comments about Zelda. His pulse began to slow and he knew the final effect of the potion was wearing off. He sat in silence, feeling his sanity return. Finally he spoke, his voice icy with guilt and self-loathing.

"I'm tempted to Obliviate myself, but I let down my guard. Kissing that vicious hag was my punishment and I should remember every revolting second. I'm grateful that you rescued me."

"Severus, you're not the first wizard to be tricked in such a way," said Filius Flitwick. "Don't be so hard on yourself."

"Zelda doesn't deserve to be married to a fool," he said bitterly, harsh lines creasing his face.

Solomon Davis had watched that exchange in silence. He saw that besides pure disgust, Severus was afraid. The stiff-necked wizard would judge himself cruelly.

"Nothing we can say will make you feel better. When you're ready, we'll walk back with you to tell Zelda," he said firmly.

For a brief, weak second, Severus wished Zelda never needed to know what happened. But there could be no lies. He could only hope she'd understand. He felt filthy, having touched and kissed Professor Sinistra. Perhaps this had ruined things with his wife, he thought dismally. A cloud of dark misery engulfed him.

"I don't know how to tell her," he muttered dully. "She knows nothing of love potions."

"Trust her," Filius told him. "Come now, you'll feel better once you're back in your own rooms."

Severus stood up slowly. He had no idea how long he'd been gone and feared Zelda must be worried about him. He took a shaky breath and glanced at his two unlikely saviors.

"Thank you," he said simply.

The three men walked the short distance to Severus's quarters and followed him inside. Zelda was sitting by the fire in the drawing room and looked up at the sound of the door opening.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's up?"

She looked closely at her husband's rigid posture and realized he was deeply upset, and then looked at his companions, a question in her eyes.

"Come sit down," she told them. "I can see something's wrong."

His gut twisting painfully with shame, Severus slowly led the others toward her. She rose and came to him, staring intently into his eyes. Her concern and love made him feel worse still, so he could find no words to tell her. Reluctantly he showed her the memory of what had occurred.

Zelda looked into his eyes and froze. She was confused by his memory of water splashing in his face, but she could almost feel the change in him as the love potion distorted his perception. She felt him flinch as she saw his memory of kissing Professor Sinistra and saying that he loved her. Looking through his eyes she saw Sinistra's gloating expression and wondered why anyone would do such a vicious thing. But there was guilt and misery in her husband's black eyes, so the rest could wait.

"Oh, Severus," she whispered, reaching for his clenched hands. "Come with me."

She drew him over to the couch and sat down by his side, holding his left hand in her lap with both of hers. She glanced at the wizards who were watching and said, "Please sit down. You helped him, didn't you? Thank you."

"Perhaps we should go," said Professor Flitwick.

"No, please stay," said Severus.

The two looked at each other, and sat down in chairs near the fire and watched the couple. It seemed that she knew, that somehow Severus had communicated the story without words.

"Who knows about this?" asked Zelda, squeezing the thin hand when she felt him flinch.

"Only Sinistra," said Professor Davis. "We happened to arrive while Severus was fighting the effect of the potion." He smiled faintly and added, "Your will must be formidable, Severus. To fight the effect of a love potion is remarkable."

Severus didn't respond. He sat rigid and grim faced, hoping she wouldn't let go of his hand.

"We must inform Professor McGonagall," said Professor Flitwick earnestly. "Professor Sinistra must be held accountable for this attack."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Zelda asked Severus intently.

The scars of public humiliation, burned into him at the age of fifteen, made the idea of telling Minerva unthinkable. But he paused, trying to discern if any good could come from pursuing punishment. Then he shook his head.

"No. I won't let my guard down again for the rest of the school year and I'll make sure she doesn't get near you, Zelda."

She looked at Professor Flitwick and said firmly, "Sorry. If you two will say nothing, we'll keep this to ourselves. I'd like to torture the stupid cow for this, if I could do it discreetly, but it's up to Severus."

"We'll be watching her," said Professor Davis. "It only confirms my feeling that love potions are damned dangerous and they should be illegal."

Severus had relaxed enough to entwine his fingers with hers and draw her hand onto his thigh.

"Thank you again for you help," he said. "I'm extremely grateful that you arrived when you did."

"We'll let ourselves out," said Professor Flitwick, looking happier as he watched Severus lose a little of his pinched, sick appearance. "And we won't tell a soul."

Zelda smiled at them. "Thank you both. We'll see you at dinner tomorrow, I hope."

Severus looked at her cynically. "We will?"

She smiled defiantly and said, "If you can stomach it, I want her to know we're going on as before. She can't change our lives."

"Good for you, young Zelda," Professor Flitwick said, beaming approvingly. "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."

Once the door had closed behind them, Severus turned to his wife.

"I feel filthy," he muttered. "Can you forgive me?"

"Tell me about love potions," she said.

"This was Amortentia, one of the most powerful. It doesn't create love, but a powerful infatuation that wears off after a short time," he told her.

"She threw it in your face and some went into your mouth," said Zelda. "You wouldn't take food or drink from her, would you?"

"Never!" he exclaimed furiously. "I despised her even before this and if she's ruined things between us I'll strangle her, slowly and painfully."

"Sev, she can't ruin things between us," she said softly. "I hate to ask, but I have to know. If they hadn't come along just then, would you have…?"

"I tried not to touch her," he said haltingly. "I tried to get away, but yes, if the potion hadn't worn off in time, I would have done it, but under a compulsion."

Honesty was incredibly painful, and the stricken look on her face, even though she held onto his hand, tore at him.

"Amortentia takes away one's choice. It's a vile thing and I never imagined she'd try to ruin our marriage with it. But it didn't happen, we must not let it harm us. I'll fulfill my obligation to Minerva this year and then we'll leave this place."

"If it were given to me, what would happen?" she asked, already knowing what he'd say.

He closed his eyes, sick at the idea of another touching her. He knelt before her and said grimly, "You'd give in. My Zelda, you know my heart. Can you forgive me?"

"Sev, look at me," she whispered, brushing his black hair back from his face and looking at the taut mouth that had passionately kissed another woman half an hour ago. "What do you want to happen?"

"I want you to love me like you did before this happened," he whispered, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Okay, no problem," she murmured, gently stroking his eyebrow with her thumb. "Now, let's go wash the disgusting, skanky witch germs off you and snuggle a bit."

He raised his eyes to gaze at her, and the grief and bitterness she saw there melted her heart. He stood up and helped her to her feet, but she simply put her arms around him and stood holding him for a long time.

Hours later, Severus woke sweating from a recurring nightmare, one of many in which evil things happened to innocent people because of him. He realized he was in his own bed, naked, but not alone. The sounds of his wife's soft snoring filled him with gratitude and he pressed himself carefully against her back and put his hand over her abdomen.

"Only you, Zelda," he whispered gratefully, burying his nose in her curly hair.

Small movements from within her belly pressed against his hand and brought a fierce smile to his lips. He was a fortunate wizard and if necessary he would give his life to defend his own.