Author's Note: Hello all! Be ready for a nice steamy scene towards the end of this chapter…and some foreshadowing of future events. *hint hint* lol. Leave us some reviews, ya'll!
~LittleReporterGirl
Olivia's POV
I hadn't woken up until late Christmas Day. I had missed breakfast and lunch and, although I was hungry, I wasn't too concerned. The first thing I had done was open my presents, which held much more appeal now that I wasn't completely exhausted. The first present was from Ellen and her boyfriend- a Muggle radio that ran off batteries. I picked up the note that had come with it.
Olivia,
Merry Christmas Livvy! It seems like forever since I saw you last. I wish you would have come home for the holidays, but I know how important your Potions work is to you.
Ryan thought this would be a good present for you since you liked the stereo in his car so much. He tells me it runs off these cylindrical metal things called batteries and that eventually they die so you must replace them. I find the whole thing a little befuddling myself, but there are several packs of the batteries in with your present.
Hope you have a Merry Christmas. Can't wait for the Summer holidays. Maybe all three of us can go on vacation to the beach!
Love,
Ellen
I set the radio aside to look at later and put the note with it. I didn't want to think about the beach and Summer holidays right now. I wanted the school year to last as long as it could, so that my relationship- or whatever- with Lupin could last longer.
It was Lupin's present which I opened next. A book called Amazing Animagi by Robert Malgudi. I was tempted to start reading immediately but set it aside to open my last two presents. One was from Mari and contained a book of Love Potions. I groaned and tossed it into my trunk, not sure if I would read it or not. The final present was wrapped in plain brown paper. It had no note, but I recognized the handwriting that had written my name on the front. Olivia- that was Snape's handwriting. Curious, I tore into the present. Another book, this one on exotic plants and their magical properties.
I immediately felt guilty for not getting Snape something for Christmas. In years past I had given him things, but he had never mentioned it or said thank you …or given me anything in return, until now. I glanced around the dormitory and my eyes found the bag containing the Fluxweed I had harvested last night. I had been going to give it to him anyway, might as well make it a present.
I took the bag of Fluxweed and left it on Snape's desk in the Potions classroom, then I went upstairs to see if I could find Lupin. He wasn't in the Defense classroom and when I knocked on his office door, there was no answer. I tried the door and found it locked. I was curious- he wasn't just ignoring me, was he? I glanced around quickly to make sure there was no one around, then dropped to my hands and knees and peeked under the door- it appeared dark.
"Olivia?" said a voice and I cringed as I turned to face Albus Dumbledore.
"Yes?"
"What are you doing?" he inquired. I stood up, dusting myself off.
"I was curious to see if Professor Lupin was in his office, sir," I said truthfully.
"Did you try knocking?" he inquired mildly. He didn't look mad at me.
"Yes sir. There was no answer. …I thought maybe he was just ignoring me, so I peeked under the door."
"What result was yielded?"
"Sir?"
"Is he in his office or not?"
"Not. Or it was dark at any rate."
"Why would you think he was ignoring you? Why would he?" Dumbledore asked. I considered my answer carefully a moment so that it was at least partially true. I suspected that a wizard as great as Dumbledore would be able to tell when people were lying to him.
"Last night I insisted on going with him during the full moon- it's Christmas, sir, and it didn't seem fair that he was alone. While we were out in the forest, a group of wolves nearly attacked me. They probably would have killed me if not for Lupin. I thought maybe he was…upset because I'd almost gotten hurt and it was his fault. I mean, it isn't really his fault, but he might think it is."
"Ah. Well, have no fear. I spoke with Professor Lupin earlier this morning- he isn't feeling well today. Poor fellow. The potion really does him in. Speaking of the potion- shouldn't you and Severus begin brewing the Wolfsbane today? It's the day after the full moon."
"So it is. Do you know if he's in his office?"
"Can't hurt to knock," he said to me. I nodded and headed for the dungeons while Dumbledore continued on his way.
I made my way down to the dungeons, only to find Snape was not there either. I unlocked his office with my wand and went inside to wait for him. I waited there about an hour before getting up to leave. I left him a note on his desk, telling him to come find me.
Late that night I was sitting up in the Common Room, reading the book on Animagi that Lupin had given to me. I had long ago given up hope of seeing Snape or Lupin today. All of a sudden, the door to the Common Room opened. I glanced up from my book to see Snape. I dog-eared the page and closed the book.
"Still want to start the Wolfsbane Potion today?" he inquired.
"Yes. Where have you been all day?"
"It's Christmas," he said evasively.
"So? We don't have a big family dinner or anything."
"I went home."
"Alone? But it's Christmas."
"Maybe I wasn't alone," he said irritably.
I studied him silently, trying to discern if he was bluffing or not. I didn't think he was.
"Well, good for you," I said, actually meaning it, though I felt a weird feeling inside, "…What made you come back though?"
He frowned at me.
"Don't worry about it," he said, "I have my reasons. Are you coming to brew the potion or not?"
"Yeah, alright," I said, getting up. I left my book on the couch and followed Snape out.
When we reached the Potions classroom, we began to prepare the Wolfsbane Potion. We made three cauldrons so I could experiment again.
"I need inspiration," I said with a sigh, "I haven't the faintest idea how to go about altering it."
"Many skilled wizards have tried and failed."
"Do you think I will fail?"
He looked reluctant to respond.
"It is…unlikely that you will succeed," he said slowly, "…but I would be most proud of you if you did."
It was almost 3:00 in the morning when we finished working on the Wolfsbane Potion. I was exhausted and had been yawning for hours.
"I'm glad it's the holidays," I said sleepily as we cleared everything away, "I can sleep in."
"You can go ahead and go if you want. I can clean this up myself."
"No, I'll do it. I am the apprentice, after all."
"I've a better idea," he said with a faint smile. He waved his wand. Things flew to the sink and began to wash, dry, and put themselves away. Leftover ingredients returned to the cabinet or trashcan.
"Nice one," Is aid with a grin and started towards the door, "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he repeated quietly.
I returned to the Slytherin Common Room and picked up the book I had left on the couch before heading into the dormitory. I lay the book on the bedside table and crawled into bed. I was asleep within seconds.
That night my dreams were filled with people who turned into animals- no doubt from reading the Animagus book. Everyone I knew was an animal- Snape was a bat, Lupin was a wolf (duh), Mari was a fox, Dumbledore was an owl, Ellen was an eagle… even Ryan was in my dream and he was a newt, which I found highly amusing.
When I awoke the next morning I was determined to become an Animagus. I wanted desperately to know what animal I would become. I got up, got dressed, and took the book out onto Hogwarts grounds, where I was unlikely to be disturbed. I went down towards the lake to where a large tree grew. I cleaned some snow away so that I could sit with my back against the tree and read.
The book wasn't very specific about how to change into an Animagus. It didn't require a spell, but took a lot of focus and determination. You had to feel it. I read the book all the way through once, then began my attempts to transform.
I knew I had to have looked incredibly foolish. I felt like an idiot, but I kept it up for about three hours before calling it quits and going inside for lunch. I read the book once again as I ate lunch, only glancing up from it a few times to look at Lupin, who was sitting at the staff table, eating voraciously. The effects of the potion had worn off apparently, though he still appeared thin and pale. Still, it was good to see him eating.
I was so absorbed in the book that I didn't notice when a small tawny owl landed on the table in front of me until it began to nibble my fingers.
"Ow!" I exclaimed, more surprised than hurt. I set the book aside.
"Hey there little guy," I said fondly, stroking his soft feathers. The owl hooted softly and clicked his beak, then lifted up his leg, to which there was a note attached.
"Oh you have a note for me, huh? Thank you," I said, untying the note. I gave the owl a bit of bread and let him dip his beak into my goblet of water before he flew away.
Curious, I unfolded the note.
Meet me by the lake in an hour.
~R.J.L.
I glanced up at the staff table again. This time Lupin caught my eye, smiled, and quickly glanced away. I looked back down at the note, smiling, wondering vaguely what his middle name was.
I spent the next hour in my dormitory, digging through my trunk, trying to find something cute to wear- a difficult feat, as it was winter and most of my cute clothes were tank tops and the like. I eventually found a soft, pale blue, cashmere sweater that I had borrowed from Mari last year. Despite the fact that she was older, Mari was smaller than me- shorter and skinnier- so the sweater was tight on me, but in a cute way. That along with my black jeans and boots made an acceptable outfit.
I brushed my hair several times, looking at myself in the mirror. I messed with it for about ten minutes until it was wavy and satisfied me. I added a little bit of makeup to my face- light blue eye shadow to match my sweater, mascara, and some cherry lip-gloss. Finally I was satisfied with my reflection, though I still wished Mari was there to verify. She was a lot better at the girly stuff than myself.
I made my way outside and when I saw Lupin standing by the lake my heart jumped in my chest. He was facing the water, his back to me, so he didn't see me approach. Smiling mischievously, gathered some snow in my hands and made a snowball. I tossed it at him and it hit his back. He whipped around, startled, then smiled when he saw it was me.
"How's it goin?" I asked, immediately feeling like an idiot.
He smiled even more.
"Lovely. You?"
"Eh, I spent the entire morning outside. Over there by that tree to be exact," I said, pointing to the tree.
"Doing what?" he asked curiously.
"Reading…and trying to turn myself into an animal. It's harder than it sounds. Don't suppose you have any tips?"
"Sorry," he said with a slight chuckle, "Why not ask McGonagall? She's an Animagus."
"She hates me."
"Oh yeah."
We stood looking out over the lake for a long time neither of us speaking. I figured he'd come to talk about what happened early Christmas morning, but didn't quite know how to start. Maybe he needed a little persuading.
I inched a little closer to him and laced my fingers with his. To my surprise and delight, he did not pull away. He sighed softly and squeezed my hand.
"So, you've reached a decision then?" I prompted.
"Well… I am quite fond of you…"
"And I am quite fond of you as well."
"But I'm…scared."
"Of what?"
"Of someone finding out. I could lose my job…"
"You're only staying a year anyway. Don't worry about someone finding out. If we do get caught…I'll tell Dumbledore I seduced you," I said with a faint smile, "I could say I used a love potion."
"…What happens at the end of the school year? It's not like we can have a relationship."
"I know that. …Can't we just have fun while it lasts?"
"You're right… but we have to be careful."
"Right. Not where anyone can see," I said and promptly released his hand, "Luckily, I have an idea. Meet me by the gate at eight o'clock tonight."
"The gate? Why?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"I'm not telling," I said with a grin, "Don't worry about it. We won't get caught."
"If we get caught I'm saying I caught you sneaking out."
"Fine. Want to build a snowman?"
"Wh-? Okay."
We began to roll up snow into three large balls, which we used to make 3-segmented snowman. We used rocks for his eyes and mouth and sticks for his nose and arms. I took my scarf and put it around the snowman's neck.
"What're you two doing?" asked a sour voice. I turned to see Snape walking along the path towards the gate. I abandoned the snowman and walked over to him. Lupin stayed behind with the snowman. I didn't blame him.
"We're building a snowman. Care to join us?"
"I think not," he sneered and continued walking.
I followed.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your business."
I made a face at him.
"Can I use the Potions classroom later? I want to try brewing a potion I found in a book."
"The door is locked."
"So? I know the spell to get in. I could've broken in, but asking permission seemed more prudent."
"Fine," he said irritable, "Just don't blow anything up."
"When have I ever blown anything up?"
As Snape walked away, I quickly made a snowball and launched it at him. Before it could hit him, Snape raised his wand, without even looking behind himself, and the snowball exploded. Snape glanced back at me and I went to hide behind Lupin.
"He's no fun," I said once Snape was out of earshot, "Want to build another snowman? Or how about a snow-wolf?"
Lupin smiled.
"Have you ever made an igloo?" he inquired.
"No."
"It's easy…with magic anyway," he said, pulling out his wand and waving it, "Iglu erectus."
Within seconds there was a perfect igloo right beside the snowman.
"Cool!" I exclaimed, "Can I go inside?"
"Of course."
I crawled into the igloo. It was big enough to sit comfortably inside and I did so.
"I could read a book in here," I called to Lupin, "This is awesome."
A moment later, Lupin crawled into the igloo.
"I haven't been in one of these since I was a kid," he said, looking around. There was barely enough room in the igloo for both of us and my heart had began to pound again, being in such close proximity to him. His light blue eyes looked questioningly at me. I touched his cheek gently then brought my lips to his. We began to kiss hungrily, my hands in his hair, his arms around me. Our breathing was ragged and uneven. When we stopped to catch our breath, Lupin chuckled quietly.
"I think we're melting the igloo, Olivia," he murmured, his warm breath tickling my ear, "…We shouldn't stay in here long."
I kissed him again quickly, then forced myself to pull away.
"I'll go first and make sure the coast is clear," I said, then crawled out of the igloo.
We went back to the castle after than and we parted ways in the Entrance Hall, after he promised to meet me at 8pm. I stopped by the dormitory and found one of my Potions books. Then I went to the classroom, opened the book to the page that had the Aging Potion on it, and began to gather ingredients…
That night at ten to eight I took a couple of sips of Aging Potion so that when I went out to meet Lupin I was in the body of a 28-year old. I charmed my clothes so that they would expand as necessary and applied a fresh layer of makeup.
When I made my way towards the Gate, I found Lupin waiting for me. He didn't notice me approach and when I stepped out of the shadows he stumbled back, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Lily?" he breathed, eyes wide.
"Uh, no," I said, frowning at him.
"…Olivia?"
"Yep. Aging Potion," I said proudly, "…Did you think I was Potter's mum?"
"Well the resemblance is uncanny…never mind. Would you like to go out?"
"That was the general plan, yeah," I said with a grin, "Hogsmeade?"
"Fantastic."
We passed through the gates of Hogwarts together, our wolf Patronuses keeping the dementors at bay. We walked slowly along the path together. After a moment, he took my hand, glancing at me and smiling.
"What's your middle name?" I asked curiously.
He looked mildly surprised.
"John," he replied with a smile, "Do you have a middle name?"
"You're going to laugh."
"How do you know?"
"Everyone laughs."
"I won't. I promise."
"Fine…my middle name is Turtle."
The corners of his eyes crinkled in suppressed laughter and he grinned at me.
"Ellen has a thing for the ocean," I said with a shrug.
"I think it's adorable," he said, still smiling.
When we reached Hogsmeade, Lupin led me into the Three Broomsticks. We went to a table in the far corner, away from the few patrons who sat around the bar, drinking. Madam Rosmerta came over and took our order- a glass of sherry for me and Firewhiskey for Lupin.
"You shouldn't be drinking," he said once she was gone, "You're underage."
I made a face at him.
"How long does it take the effects of the potion to wear off?" he inquired curiously.
"Two hours."
"Excellent," he said with a grin.
We stayed at the bar for an hour, drinking and talking. Afterwards we walked carelessly towards the Shrieking Shack, talking a little and, let's face it, snogging. We went through the hidden passage in the Shrieking shack back to Hogwarts grounds. By the time we reached the castle, the potion had worn off.
"Luckily I have a flask full for future usage," I said once I was my normal teenage self again.
"Yeah. I had fun tonight," Lupin said as we entered the Entrance Hall, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Most definitely. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Olivia."
We didn't risk a goodnight kiss, but I could tell from the look in his eye that he wanted to kiss me. He touched my cheek gently, sighed, and headed up the Grand Staircase.
I returned to my dormitory feeling quite pleased with myself and the night's events. I dressed in my nightclothes- black shorts and a green tank top- and crawled into bed. I had Amazing Animagi with me and contented myself to read it until I fell asleep, determined that I would become an Animagus before the next full moon.
Snape's POV
After the start of the new year, classes resumed. Hogwarts was flooded with students once again, whose main topic of conversation seemed to be the impending Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. If Ravenclaw won, Slytherin had a better chance of winning the Quidditch Cup.
The morning of the match I made my way down to the Quidditch pitch. I decided to sit in the Slytherin stands rather than with the teachers. At least this way I wouldn't have to see Lupin. I sat on the third row of bleachers from the front, close to the edge where the stairs were. I glanced around the sea of Slytherin students, half-looking for the glint of her red hair or even the pale-blonde hair of Draco Malfoy, the son of my Death-Eater friend Lucius, who would at least come sit with me if he saw me, but only because he was a suck up. I saw neither Draco or Olivia. I frowned slightly- it was unusual for either of them to miss a game- they both loved Quidditch.
Over the chatter of the students I heard her voice suddenly. From where I sat I could see the ground beside the stairs and I looked down to see Olivia standing there with Lupin.
"Come sit with me," she said to him.
"I can't, Turtle. I'm supposed to sit with the teachers," he replied. I wondered at the nickname.
"You're not required to. Snape sits with us sometimes. Sprout sits with the Hufflepuffs."
"Those are Heads of Houses," he pointed out, "I think someone would notice if I sat with Slytherins. They don't particularly like me, you know."
"They think your classes are interesting," she argued, "They don't not like you."
"The third years make fun of me behind my back."
"They're idiots No one's going to notice. Everyone will be watching the match."
It wasn't until after the match began that Olivia came and sat in the front row of the stands…with Lupin right beside her. I ignored them and tried to focus my attention on the game. Bits of their conversation kept floating back to me. I tried to focus on the commentary as I watched Potter zooming around on his new broomstick- a Firebolt, which had been sent to him anonymously over Christmas. There had been some concern that it might have been from Black so it had been stripped down, tested for curses, and eventually returned to Potter. I myself had gone over the broomstick several times and though I had found not evidence of it being tampered with, I still wasn't completely satisfied that it wasn't cursed or hexed.
During the last match before the holidays, dementors had shown up during the game. Potter had fainted and nearly been killed. Albus had been furious. I felt confident the dementors would not dare strike again but doubted myself when, towards the end of the match, hooded figures came onto the field.
I realized almost immediately that they weren't dementors, but Potter obviously did not. From far above the ground, he pulled out his wand. A Patronus shot towards the hooded figures- a corporeal Patronus. It was a stag, just as his father's had been. The crowd gave up a cheer as Potter caught the Snitch, just as the Patronus toppled over the hooded figures, which turned out to be nothing other than Draco, his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, and the Slytherin Quidditch team Captain Marcus Flint.
"What a low, cowardly thing to do," said Lupin, who looked shaken, probably by Potter's Patronus.
"What'd you expect? They're Slytherins," Olivia said with a shrug, "That was a hell of a Patronus though. You didn't tell me he'd progressed that far."
"He hadn't. This is the first time he's produced a corporeal Patronus."
'Oh. What was it anyway? A deer?"
"A stag…" Lupin said with a nod, "I must have a word with him. See you later?"
"Of course."
Lupin left the stands and went out onto the field, where a crowd of people had gathered around Potter. McGonagall was yelling at the Slytherin boys, her face a mask of pure fury. I left the stands and started towards the castle.
"Wait up!" a voice called. I turned to see Olivia hurrying to catch up with me. I paused to wait for her, though I wasn't sure I wanted to, and we continued towards the castle.
"Shouldn't you be talking punishments with McGonagall?" she inquired. I glanced sideways at her.
"I'll let Albus handle it. I could care less what happens to those idiots."
"Cool," she said with a grin, "Want to go work on the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"May as well."
I was awakened later that night when Sirius Black once again infiltrated the castle. He had made it to the Gryffindor boy's dormitory and nearly stabbed Ronald Weasley before fleeing. So once again I spent the entire night searching the castle and grounds, only to find nothing.
Security was increased around the castle after that. Several trolls now patrolled the corridors nearest to the Gryffindor Common Room. Flitwick was trying to charm the doors into recognizing Sirius Black. More dementors showed up at every entrance and they seemed even more restless than usual. I knew that if Black tried again, he would be caught, and I desperately wanted to be the one to catch him.
Olivia's POV
The tightened security after Black's second attempt at killing Harry Potter didn't stop me from going out onto the grounds to read or prevent me from going out with Lupin. I still worked diligently at becoming an Animagus and read all the books the library had about them. One evening out by the lake, all my hard work finally paid off.
I felt my bones begin to shrink and contort. Fur sprouted out of my skin. It felt like I was being compressed while hands clawed at my skin. I closed my eyes in discomfort but decided it wasn't completely unbearable.
When it finally stopped, I opened my eyes to find that I was on all fours. I lad light grey fur, long claws that didn't retract, padded feet- I was either a dog or some sort of-
"Wolf, of course!" I said excitedly. At least, that's what I tried to say- it actually came out as a combination of yips and barks.
I can't talk, I realized. Several of the books had mentioned this, of course. It had said that I would be able to understand other animals on a basic level. Curious as to what that meant, I started towards the forest un search of other animals.
The darkness of the forest was no longer dark to me. My wolf eyes could see anything. My ears picked up on even the tiniest of sounds. The first animal I encountered was a fox.
"Hi!" I said loudly, which of course came out as a loud bark. The fox gave a start and dashed away out of sight.
I cursed myself inwardly. I had to learn to keep my mouth shut. How did animals greet each other? I hid myself behind a bush to watch and to listen. Presently, I heard a bird flying overhead, chirping. A bird in a nearby tree responded. I knew, without knowing how I knew, what they were saying to each other.
"All is well," said the flying one.
"Wolf is there. No danger. All is well," replied the one in the tree.
Freaky, I thought to myself, looking around. I could smell a million different smells, including every single plant in the forest. With each smell came a different, deep-rooted sort of instinct that told me if the plant was good to eat or bad.
My ears pricked suddenly and all my senses focused on a squirrel which was foraging for nuts at the foot of a tree. My instinct told me this thing would be good to eat, but the human part of me repelled the thought.
"Snake! Snake!" cried the bird in the sky. All around me, small animals hid themselves. Several birds took flight. I cast around, looking, listening, and smelling. My senses were drawn to the thick yellow snake which was making its way slowly up a tree. I watched it curiously. I could sense it. I understood now what the book meant. I understood the snake. It was hungry, it smelled bird eggs, it was going to satisfy its hunger. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, an enormous black dog bounded up. It grabbed the snake and with a few swift snaps, killed it. The two birds chirped their delight. Slowly, the small animals emerged from hiding. Birds came back into the tree. The squirrel who had been gathering nuts scampered down his tree and continued to do so. The black dog was chewing on the snake. I stepped out from behind the bush. The dogs big, floppy ears pricked up suddenly and he turned to me quickly. I could sense several things from the dog- curiosity, and confusion mostly, but underlying that was a friendly greeting. He wagged his tail at me. I subconsciously did the same. I glanced over my shoulder at my tail- it was long and silky. I wagged it again experimentally.
The dog had walked up to me and was now sniffing me curiously. Up close I could tell he was an old dog, who had suffered much. His fur was matted and caked with dirt and mud. His fur was shaggy and he was thin. I felt sympathetic- no doubt he was a stray. If I was human I could clean him up and maybe find him some food.
Time to see if I can even turn back at all, I thought to myself.
A moment later, I was human again. The dog stared at me, eyes wide in shock. He circled me, studying me.
"Good boy," I said, glad that I could talk again. The dog wagged his tail and licked my hands. I crouched down to pet an scratch him. His tail started going like crazy and he licked my face. I laughed.
"Sorry if I scared you, boy. I'm not really a wolf, see. I'm a witch. I just discovered I can be an Animagus today. I've been trying for ages," I said to the dog. He wagged his tail and started into the forest.
He looked back over his shoulder at me, which I took as a sign to follow him. With a little effort, I changed back into a wolf and hurried after him into the forest.
After a moment, I realized the black dog was following his nose to water. When we emerged from the forest, it was near the river. The dog immediately knelt and lapped up some water. I copied him, trying to lap up water like a dog. I choked and coughed slightly. The dog let out a few quick barks that sounded like laughter.
"Oh shut it," I said, forgetting I was a wolf. It came out as a low growl. The dog laughed again. He lapped up water, slower this time so that I could see his tongue was actually scooping the water back into his mouth. This time when I drank I didn't choke.
I morphed back into a human.
"Okay doggy- you need a bath. Then, when I get back to the castle, I can bring you some food."
The dog looked towards the water and whined pathetically.
"Come on, now. It's just a bath. Don't you want to be clean?"
The dog heaved a sigh- which I didn't know dogs could do- and leapt into the water, splashing me slightly.
He flopped down in the shallows near the shore, looking at me and wagging his tail. I transfigured a rock into a large cup, which I filled with river water and poured over his back.
"Would be nice if I had some soap," I said as I washed the grime out of his fur, "…I'll bet I could make a potion that keeps fleas away. Potions are my specialty, you know? I want to be a veterinarian for Wizarding animals. I've invented a few potions for animals. I'm always looking to try new potions."
He wagged his tail excitedly and climbed out of the water. He shook the water from his fur and bounded into the forest once more. I quickly morphed and followed him.
He led me through the underbrush until we came to a pungent-smelling plant. He tore off a leaf with his teeth and pressed it to his flank where I had seen a nasty-looking flea bed. The fleas dropped off immediately. I transformed back into a human- which was getting easier- before the fleas could jump on me.
"Excellent, doggy. This'll be an excellent start for a potion. Do you know of anything similar?"
It didn't occur to me that I was talking to the dog as of he was a person because of the fact he did seem to understand me. The dog showed me 3 other plants which repelled fleas and one which relieved itching. I collected several samples from them all.
Eventually I realized it was exceptionally late and I started to make my way back towards the castle in wolf form. The dog followed me until we reached the edge of Hogwarts grounds. There he stopped and whined reluctantly. I didn't understand his reluctance, but knew nothing I did could convince him to come onto the grounds. I morphed into human.
"I'll sneak some food out for you tomorrow morning after breakfast. Will you be here?" I inquired. He wagged his tail.
"Now let's hope I can get into the castle," I murmured to myself.
Much to my panic, I found the doors to the castle locked.
"Shit," I said, "Shit, shit, shit."
I glanced at my watch. It was nearing midnight…maybe not too late…
I walked around the castle until I found the window to Lupin's office. At least, I was pretty sure it was the window to his office…
I picked up a pebble and tossed it at the window. It hit about a foot below it. I sighed. I wasn't as good at throwing as I was at, say, hitting…
I found a stick about the size of a beaters bat- I had been on the Slytherin Quidditch team my second and third year. I found a rock, tossed it straight up in the air, and hit it when it came down. The rock sailed towards the window and crashed through the glass.
"Oops," I said aloud.
Lupin came to the window, studied the broken glass, then opened the window and peered down at me.
"I got locked out," I whispered loudly.
"Wha-?"
I transformed quickly into a wolf, ran in a circle, and looked back up at him. He was staring down at me, silent. I transformed again.
"Come let me in, before I get caught," I said anxiously.
"Right. Of course. Be there in a minute, Turtle."
He disappeared. I had to smile- he had taken the middle name I hated and turned it into an affectionate pet name that I actually sort of liked.
I transformed into a wolf again and went to wait for Lupin. When he came out he knelt beside me where I lay in wolf form. He touched my face gently. I closed my eyes as he ran his hands over my head, ears, back, and tail.
"Remarkable," he said quietly. I inhaled deeply, relaxed. I could smell the wolf in him.
"How long have you been out here?" he asked me.
"Hours," I said, but it came out as a whine.
"Transform back. You can't talk in your animal form."
I transformed back.
"I know that. It's gonna take some getting used to. I've been out here for hours, exploring this form. And I've been inspired for new animal potions," I said, showing him the plants I had harvested. He smiled and shook his head.
"Come on," he said, beckoning for me to follow him into the castle.
"Did I wake you up?" I asked as I followed him.
"I was grading essays. I was half-asleep though. I thought I was dreaming when I saw you turn into a wolf."
"Want me to come upstairs and help you grade essays?" I offered,
"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said, "And I'm not sure I'd be able to get much work done."
He smiled briefly.
"Alright then. I guess this is where we part," I said as we reached the Entrance Hall.
"I'm afraid so. Goodnight Turtle."
"Goodnight."
I went down into the dungeons. I wasn't particularly tired and I was disappointed Lupin hadn't wanted me to come upstairs with him. I paused outside of the hidden entrance to the Slytherin Common Room, about to give the password, but decided not to. My hand found the herbs in my pocket. My mind was teeming with ideas for my new potion. I turned and headed for the Potions classroom.
Snape's POV
I awoke Friday morning and got dressed as I did nearly every day. I was tired and I desperately needed coffee. I started towards the Great Hall for breakfast, but stopped when I noticed the light on in my classroom. I threw open the door to find Olivia hastily chopping roots on the counter. There were three strange potions bubbling behind her. One was white and had swirling mist above it. Another was orange and had thick smoke clouds over it that smelled like pepper. The third was light green and smelled bitter- there was a spoon stirring it by magic as it bubbled.
"Oh hi," she said to me brightly, not looking up from her rapid chopping.
"Hi. How long have you been here?"
"What time is it?" she inquired.
"Almost 7:00."
"really? All night then I suppose."
"What're you working on?"
"A potion that keeps fleas off animals. I'm almost ready to test them," she said enthusiastically.
"Do you have an animal to test it one?" I inquired.
"Well, no."
"You could wait until the next full moon and test it on Lupin," I said, unable to help myself.
She spared a moment to shoot me a scathing look.
"Lupin does not have fleas," she said coolly, "And if you're going to be all negative you can leave."
"This is my classroom. I'm not going anywhere," I said, "…but I can find an animal for you to test on."
"Really? That would be a big help."
"Sure. No problem," I replied.
It didn't take long for me to find a cat lurking around the dungeon, searching for mice.
"Here kitty," I said, suppressing a yawn. The cat glanced at me, then ignored me.
"It's not like I want to be out here this early," I grumbled to the cat, "I haven't even had coffee yet."
The cat still did not come to me. I groaned heavily. I could just Stun it…but something told me Olivia wouldn't like that.
"You win this time, cat. I'll be back," I said to the calico.
I returned to the Potions classroom empty-handed. Olivia raised an eyebrow at me.
"I need something make a cat come to me," I explained as I searched through the store cupboard, "Ah!"
"Sleeping Potion?" she said with a smile.
I placed the vial of potion on my desk. I thought a minute- there would be food upstairs in the kitchen. With a wave of my wand, I summoned a plate which had five strips of bacon on it. I ate two of the strips and added Sleeping Potion to the other three. Olivia was still watching me as I walked towards the door. I paused.
"It's not going to hurt them," I said to her.
"Oh I know," she replied, "…you are doing a nice thing."
"So? I do nice things. I let you stay at my house, didn't I?"
"Ellen blackmailed you into that, didn't she?"
"Well, yes," I admitted- Ellen had played the 'you rescued her' thing until I had no choice but to take her, "It didn't take much convincing really. …You're not a bad kid. A tad stubborn on occasion and way too smart for your own good. You can be nosy, too."
"You couldn't just leave it with the compliment?" she asked, laughing.
"finish your potions," I said, smiling as I walked out the door.
I found the exact same calico cat, still searching for mice in the dungeons.
"Bacon, kitty," I said to it, setting the plate down. The cat's ears pricked up and it pranced over to the plate. Two bites later, it was fast asleep.
I took the cat back to Olivia, who conjured a blanket and made a bed for it.
"I need two more," Olivia said, "I have three potions to test."
"Of course you do," I said heavily, but really I didn't mind, "Give me five minutes."
Five minutes later I returned with two peacefully sleeping cats. I opened the door to the classroom to find Olivia sitting on the floor, playing with the calico cat who was now awake.
"Have you tested it yet?" I inquired.
"I was waiting on you," she replied, "…In case something goes horribly wrong."
"I don't think anything will go horribly wrong," I assured her, "I trust your intuition as a potion-maker."
"Thanks," she said with a smile.
"Of course I've been wrong before," I added quickly.
She scowled at me.
I watched as Olivia let a drop of each potion fall on a different cat. She did the orange potion first, dripping a drop on one of the sleeping cats. She got up close to the cat, brushing its fur the wrong way so she could see the fleas. She picked a few fleas off and looked at them in her hand.
"It killed them," she announced.
"Good," I said.
She looked neither proud nor disappointed, but continued on to the next sleeping cat. She let a drop of the light green potion fall on its back. She looked the cat over, frowning slightly. A moment passed and even from where I stood I could see the fleas fleeing from the cats back.
"Excellent," Olivia said with a grin, "Much more humane."
"Humane? Olivia, they're fleas."
"They're still alive," she said, "Haven't you ever seen a flea circus?"
"No. Have you?"
"Well, no," she admitted, "But it sounds awesome. On to the next potion."
She went to the final cauldron, conjured up a saucer, and ladled a little of the white potion into it. She turned to the calico cat, who was scratching a spot behind its ear vivaciously with its hind leg.
"I need you to drink this, kitty," she said, kneeling down and placing he saucer on the ground. Curious, I waited to see what would happen. The cat stopped scratching and looked towards Olivia. Then it stepped forward and sniffed the saucer tentatively.
"It's okay kitty. See?" Olivia said, dipping her finger into the saucer and bringing it to her lips.
"Olivia!" I said before she could taste it, "That could kill you."
"If something happens, just shove a bezoar down my throat," she said simply.
"That doesn't always-" I began, but she stuck her finger in her mouth anyway, "-work."
I watched her anxiously for any signs of poisoning. Nothing happened. The cat leaned down to lap the potion. Olivia sat there, petting the cat and looking closely at its fur. She did this for a bout ten minutes, then jumped to her feet, her green eyes gleaming with excitement.
"It works!" she exclaimed loudly, "It works, it works, it works! Yes!"
In her excitement, she hugged me. I scowled and pushed her away with one hand, though it was perhaps the hardest thing I'd ever done.
"What works exactly?" I asked dryly.
"The potion- it relieves itching and heals small tear in the skin or irritation from the fleas," she said proudly.
"Are all of these your first attempts?" I inquired.
"No of course not. I've been here all night. I've had several…well, complete disasters, really. But at least I cleaned up."
"You did. How are you going to attend all of your classes if you haven't slept all night?"
"I thought of that," she said, disappearing into the store cupboard and reappearing a moment later with a vial.
"Invigoration Draught… You know if you take a lot you'll end up crashing?"
"I'm aware," she said dismissively, "It's just for today. I'm starved…want to walk down to breakfast with me?"
I nodded briefly. We took the cats and left them outside the Potions classroom.
"I need to observe them for longer, to see how long it takes to wear off," she said, looking back over her shoulder at the cats.
"Perhaps you could get someone to let you test it on their pets? You can advertise on the bulletin board in the Common Room. Perhaps offer money," I suggested, "Once you know all the finer details, you could sell you potions to students for their pets, make back your money."
She looked at me in a curious sort of way and smiled.
"That is a…very good idea," she said.
"It's been known to happen."
We walked into the Great Hall together. Olivia went and sat at the Slytherin table with her friend Mari. I made my way to the staff table, pretending not to notice Lupin frowning slightly at me. I suppressed a smile as I walked past him and sat down to eat breakfast.
Olivia's POV
I ate breakfast quickly, took a swig of Invigoration Draught, and started stowing food away in my pocket, which I magically expanded. I hadn't forgotten about the stray from last night and I had samples of the potions for him. I left the Great Hall and was on my way outside when a voice stopped me.
"Turtle."
I turned to face Lupin, smiling.
"You have got to stop calling me that."
"Where are you off to?" he inquired.
"Test out some new potions I made. Find some strays."
"Please tell me you didn't stay up all night brewing potions."
"That'd be a lie, love."
"Olivia…" he said exasperatedly, "You're insane."
"Probably. I'm gonna go before classes start. See you during Defense class."
"Sure. Later," he said with a smile.
No one was out on Hogwarts grounds this early. I practically sprinted to the edge of the Forbidden forest, hoping no teacher was looking out their window. I was delighted to find the black dog waiting for me.
"See, I told you I'd be back," I said as I began to pull the food form my pocket, "…What's weird is that you understood me."
The dog smiled and wagged his tail, then began to wolf down the food I had brought.
"You need a name," I said thoughtfully, "I can't just keep calling you 'doggy'. How about Midnight?"
The dog paused in eating to shoot me what was definitely a disapproving look.
"What about Bob?" I suggested. He snorted.
We went through several names in the amount of time I took him to eat. Finally, when I suggested the name Blackie, he grinned and barked.
"Does that mean you approve?" I said.
He wagged his tail.
"Blackie it is, then. …Oh, I have something else for you."
He wagged his tail excitedly and began to drool as I rummaged through my pockets. His tail drooped when he saw the three vials of potion.
"It'll keep the fleas off you. I was up all night working on it."
Blackie looked anxious. He whined and tucked his tail between his legs.
"Don't worry. I've already tested it. It's even safe for humans. Two of them are topical- one kills fleas, the other repels them. Which one do you want?"
I could've sworn he rolled his eyes at me.
"Fine. I'll pick for you," I said, choosing the repellent, "Two drops should do it…"
Five minutes later, Blackie was completely void of fleas. He lay sprawled on the ground, looking full and content. I scratched behind his ears, then stood to go.
"I've gotta go. Classes start soon. I'll try to sneak more food out at dinner."
Blackie wagged his tail and watched me leave.
After my last class of the day, I made my way down to the Potions classroom to finish off this month's batch of Wolfsbane with Snape, with today being the beginning of the 7-day period before the full moon. When it was ready, Snape filled a goblet and handed it to me.
"To Lupin," he said. I half-expected a snide remark and was somewhat surprised when he didn't make one.
"What?" Snape said, for I was just standing there, looking at him.
"Hm? Nothing," I said, shaking my head and heading for the door.
As Lupin drank the potion, I sat in the chair in front of his desk, watching the grindylow swim around its tank.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" he asked me, setting the empty goblet aside.
"I suppose that depends on if you are or not," I replied.
"It's unlikely that I will feel up to going. You should go- have fun, be a kid."
"I've seen Hogsmeade a billion times. It's no fun without you."
He smiled.
"In that case, would you like to have tea with me tomorrow?"
"Just tea?" I asked with a flirtatious smile.
"Yes. Just tea."
"Yeah, alright. Want to hear about the potions I created?"
"Of course."
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Lupin, telling him about my potions. He tried to look interested and I knew he was pleased for me, but I could ell I was boring him to death. We walked down to the Great Hall together for dinner, after which I managed to slip outside, feel Blackie, and get back in before curfew.
I slept until late the next morning. When I finally did wake up, I felt immensely guilty that I hadn't taken Blackie breakfast.
"He's not your dog," I told myself as I got dressed, "You don't have to feed him. He managed well enough without you before."
I left the dormitory to find the Common Room empty, apart from a few younger students and Mari, who sat in a corner, her nose buried in a book.
"Whatcha doin?" I asked, walking over to her.
"Studying for my NEWT exams."
"No Hogsmeade?"
"No. You?"
"Nah. I'm going to have tea with Lupin later."
She looked up from her book and grinned knowingly. True to my promise to Lupin, I hadn't told her anything about our kiss…she'd figured it out for herself.
"Say, you don't know where the kitchens are, do you?" I asked suddenly, changing the subject.
"Of course I do. Have you ever noticed the other door in the Entrance Hall? The one the Hufflepuffs go into?"
"The one that leads to the corridor with all the paintings of food?"
"Yes! The painting of the silver bowl with the fruit- tickle the green pear."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Thanks Mari."
"No problem. That's what I'm here for, to share my wiseness with you young ones. …Shouldn't you be studying for your OWLs?"
"What're you, McGonagall? I'm not worried about exams. Later Mari."
I hurried upstairs to the Entrance Hall, looked around, and slipped through the door. When I found the painting, I tickled the pear. It began to giggle and squirm until it turned into a green door handle. I opened the door to find a large kitchen with a ceiling as high as that in the Great Hall. There were four long tables, identical to the House tables, which were being laden with more and more food by dozens of little house-elves.
"How can we helps you, miss?" asked one of the elves, bowing to me.
"would you like tea?" another asked.
"Food?" said another.
"Yes. I've several stray animals which I try and feed. If you have any leftover scraps or something-"
Within minutes I was given a whole, large ham, several pork chops, a loaf of fresh-baked bread and several other things.
"Thank you," I said to the house-elves, impressed, "I don't suppose you have a basket and a sort-of picnic basket, do you?"
One elf brought me a basket, which I charmed so that it would hold all the food.
"Will this do, Miss?" asked an elf at my elbow, who held a red-checkered table cloth.
"Excellent. You are all extremely helpful. Thank you."
"We are pleased to help, miss," said the elf who had given me the basket.
I hurried outside with the basket of food. When I reached the forest, Blackie wasn't there.
"Shit," I said and morphed into a wolf. I picked up the basket in my teeth- yuck- and followed Blackie's scent trail through the forest.
I followed the scent for a long time, until I came to a cave where Blackie was stretched out, dozing. He awoke when I entered the cave and immediately began sniffing the basket. I transformed into a human.
"Compliments of the house-elves at Hogwarts. I asked for leftovers, they gave me a feast," I said, spreading out the table cloth, "I know it looks picnic-y, but I figured no one likes dirt on their food. Especially food this good."
Blackie immediately began devouring food. I sat down on the table cloth and watched him eat. After a moment he came over to me and dropped a hunk of bread in my lap.
"Er- no thanks. I can wait until lunch. This is all for you."
He wagged his tail and wolfed down the bread. He looked at me a moment with his yellow eyes. He looked…thoughtful. Suddenly, he trotted out of the cave. I started to get up to see where he'd gone, but just as quickly he returned. I sat back down. This time, he dropped a pretty purple flower in my lap.
"Aw thank you, Blackie," Is aid, scratching behind his ears. He wagged his tail, licked my hand, and went back to eating.
"It's really freaky the way you understand everything I say," I said, absently twirling he purple flower, "…Maybe I'm just insane."
I smiled- according to Lupin, I was insane.
"That reminds me," I said to Blackie, "Stay out of the forest during the full moon. That's seven days away. There's a werewolf in these parts- he's not dangerous, but I think there are others who are. He's my friend though."
Blackie stopped eating and was looking at me curiously, his ears perked up.
"He's a teacher at the school. You can't tell anyone he's a werewolf though or he'll lose his job… as if you could tell anyone anyway! I really am insane," I said, shaking my head, "He's not a bad bloke though. He can't help the way he is. Poor Lupin."
Blackie jumped to his feet like he'd been stung by a bee. He circled the cave a moment, looked at me, and began to eat again. I didn't understand his queer behavior and shrugged it off as just a weird dog thing.
I returned to Hogwarts a short while later. I dropped off the empty basket and the table cloth I had borrowed in the kitchens, thanked the elves again, then headed upstairs to have tea with Lupin.
I found Lupin sitting at his desk. There was a tray on top of his desk which held a teapot, cups, mild, sugar, and cookies. I slipped inside his office, shutting and locking the door behind me. The grindylow in the tank poked its head out of the water to look at me. I swiped a cookie from the tray and walked over to the tank to peer at the grindylow. I took a bite of the cookie.
"What've you been doing all morning?" Lupin inquired curiously.
"Being a wolf in the forest…and feeding strays," I replied, not looking back at him. I stuck one finger in the grindylow tank, curious to see it would do. It grabbed at me suddenly. I jerked my hand away and took a step backwards…right into Lupin, whom I hadn't even heard get up from his chair. He chuckled softly and put his arms around me from behind. He rested his chin on top of my head a moment, then moved my hair aside and kissed my bare neck lightly, which sent a pleasant shiver through me.
"I thought I was just here for tea?" I murmured, smiling.
"I may have to rethink that," he said softly, his breath warm on my skin. I leaned into him and I could feel his erection through the front of his robes. My heart gave a jolt of excitement and nervousness. I turned to face him and all of a sudden, the flames in the fireplace turned green. WE sprang apart.
"Lupin, I want a word," barked Snape's voice from the fireplace.
I felt slightly panicky. Lupin touched my cheek gently and kissed my forehead.
"Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing to do with you," he assured me, "Wait for me here?"
"Of course," I replied. Lupin smiled and stepped into the still-green flames, then vanished.
I let out a sigh and sat down in his chair.
20 minutes later I had eaten most of the cookies and drank three cups of tea and Lupin still had not returned. I had made up my mind to go and look for him, when the door opened and he walked in. He looked even paler than normal and had an old piece of parchment in his hand.
"What's wrong?" I asked immediately, getting up from his chair so that he could sit down. He flopped into the seat and tossed the parchment on the desk, staring at it in disbelief. I unfolded it- it was blank.
"What's so special about this?" I inquired.
"It's a map."
I turned it over.
"No it's not," I said. He smiled at me wearily and pulled out his wand.
"I solemnly swear," he said hoarsely, "That I am up to no good."
Writing began to appear on the parchment.
Mssrs Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present 'The Marauder's Map'
"That's your handwriting!" I exclaimed, "Moony…"
"My nickname. We called ourselves the Marauders. James was Prongs, Pettigrew was Wormtail, I was Moony, and Padfoot…"
"Sirius Black."
He nodded.
"Filch confiscated the map from us ages ago. He never did figure out how it worked."
"Where did you get it?"
"Harry had it- I haven't the faintest idea how he came by it- and Severus confiscated it from him. Harry's been using it to sneak into Hogsmeade, which is very dangerous. I'm quite disappointed in him, really. Perhaps he is more like James than I thought…"
Lupin trailed off into silence, lost in thought. I picked up the map to examine it. It was a map of Hogwarts, which showed everyone as a dot with their name beside it. I found Lupin's office on the map and sure enough, there were two dots labeled Olivia Cain and Remus Lupin.
"Does Snape know it's a map?"
"Would I have been able to get it from him if he did?"
"Of course not. …Can I have the map?"
"Olivia," he said exasperatedly, "No."
"Just let me borrow it, just for a night," I pleaded, making a puppy-dog face, "I won't sneak out of the castle, just around it."
"…Not tonight. Mischief managed," he said, tapping the map with his wand. It disappeared.
"Fine. Do you still want to have tea?"
"Uhm…"
"It's fine. I'll go…brew potions or something. I'll see you later."
"Sorry," he said quietly. I shrugged, turned, and left the room.
I spent the next four days anxiously awaiting he full moon. Now that I was an Animagus, hanging out with a werewolf was going to be a lot more exciting. The day of the full moon I was full of energy and spent most of my classes fidgeting and spacing out. I wasn't just excited about running through the forest with Lupin- it felt like something big was going to happen, something important.
After dinner, I hurried outside to feed Blackie. He wagged his tail and licked my face.
"Now you have to make yourself scarce, Blackie. It's the full moon. Go to the cave- you should be safe there," I said to him. The dog wagged his tail, barked, and trotted off unto the forest. I headed back up to the castle to wait for Lupin, hoping that Blackie would be long gone by the time it came for him to change.
I found Lupin in the Entrance Hall, waiting for me.
"There you are," he said when I came in.
"Here I am," I said, smiling, "You ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be. …This might actually be fun."
We headed out into the forest together. It didn't take long for the moon to find him and turn him into a werewolf. After he was transformed, I morphed into my wolf form. I regarded him silently a moment. He now smelled predominately wolf, but I could still smell the human in him. I could also understand him on the level I understood other animals. I could tell that he was thirsty and also a little nauseous from transforming. I could sense his curiosity as well as his increased testosterone level and his instinctive desire to mount me. I felt my fur grow hot in embarrassment as I realized that, on an animalistic level, I wanted him to fuck me. He grinned at me, his green eyes shinning in amusement as he no doubt sensed my desire.
With a swish of my tail, I motioned for him to follow me through the woods. After a moment I began to run, following my nose towards the river. Lupin ran to catch up with me. I grinned back at him over my shoulder and ran faster, racing him through the trees and underbrush.
We ran around the forest before about an hour before I led him to the river. He crouched to drink. I flew past him and launched myself into the water. It was cold, but it felt good after running for so long. I surfaced and saw Lupin sitting on the bank, watching me, amused. I swam to him, grabbed him by his scruff- he yelped in surprise- and dragged him into the river. He came up coughing. I let out several bark-laughs and he snorted at me, then leapt at me, trying to knock me underwater. I overpowered him, however, and pushed him under.
We played this game for quite a while before heading back towards the castle, jumping, barking, running and howling the whole way. At last we came to a clearing that was close to the grounds of Hogwarts. There we stopped to wait for him to transform back. He flopped down on the ground, tired from our excursions. I lay down beside him, pressing myself close against him. He touched my paw with his and I buried my nose in his fur and closed my eyes.
He sat up when he began to transform, startling me out of my reverie. When he was human again, I changed back as well and took his hand in mine. We walked back up to the castle in silence. When we reached the Entrance Hall, I started to let go of his hand, but he squeezed my hand slightly and gently tugged me in the direction of the Grand Staircase. I followed without question. He tapped me on the head with his wand I became invisible.
He led me up to the office. When he turned to close and lock the door, I removed the Disillusionment Charm and when he turned back around I kissed him hungrily, pinning him to the door.
He seemed pleased and kissed me back. After a moment I began to fumble with the button on his pants. He stopped me with his hands and exhaled heavily. His hands were trembling and he looked down at me, uncertainty in his brown eyes. I met his gaze unfalteringly, no longer uncertain in the least about what I wanted.
I knocked his hands away and continued unbuttoning his pants. Within moments his penis was free. I stopped to admire it, never having seen one before. I began to touch him experimentally, seeing how he reacted. I knew what to do from the Muggle magazines I had read when I explored the town where Ryan lived. I licked him a few times, drawing ragged breaths from him.
"Wait," he said, pulling me up and kissing me, "…This isn't how this should happen."
He kissed me again, putting his arms around me. I pushed my leg between his, grinding myself against him. I wanted him bad now.
"I want you," I whimpered.
He pushed me gently backwards, kissing me, until I was backed against his desk. He put his hands on my waist and lifted me up and set me on the desk. As he kissed me, he slipped his hands beneath my skirt. He slipped my panties to the side and ran his finger over my slit. Slowly, he slid one finger inside of me.
"You're a virgin," he stated when his fingers met the barrier.
"Surprised?"
"Hm…no," he said decisively, "…I'm not going to break it."
"You're…not going to have sex with me?"
"Did I say that?" he asked with a smile, slipping his finger past the barrier, drawing a ragged gasp from me. He ran his thumb over my clit as he pulled his finger out, then slid it back in gently. It felt amazing. He continued, in and out, until I was dripping wet. He pulled his fingers out and concentrated on massaging my clit. He did amazing things with his fingers. He slipped his finger in at the last minute as I went overboard. It was sheer ecstasy- my whole body shook. He didn't withdraw his fingers until after my climax was over and I was left breathing heavily. He brought his wet fingers to his mouth and licked my juices off.
I dropped to my knees in front of him where his erection throbbed with need of release. I took his penis in my mouth. I flicked my tongue around the head. I massaged his balls gently and felt his body stiffen. He grabbed hold of the desk as he came. I caught his seed in my mouth and let it slide down my throat. I felt a little bit like gagging but refrained from doing so. Still I was glad when it was over. I stood and he pulled me to him to kiss me. We were too breathless to kiss for long and I clung to him, pressing my face against his shaking chest. He pressed a kiss on top of my head. I could feel his warm breath on my hair.
We stayed like that until we had caught our breaths and stopped shaking.
"Are you going to let me sleep in your bed tonight?" I asked quietly. He hesitated a moment.
"Yes. There's only a few hours left in the night anyway."
He led me into his room and to the bed.
I lay down and smiled as he crawled in beside me. He kissed me and I cuddled up beside him. He put one arm around me and laced his fingers with mine. I felt warm, comfortable, and satisfied and within minutes was asleep.
We only slept for a few hours before Lupin nudged me awake.
"It's almost time for breakfast," he murmured, kissing my forehead, "You should leave before people start to wake up."
"Mkay," I said groggily, crawling out of his bed.
I rubbed my eyes sleepily as I went into his office. Before I knew it, I was making my way down the Grand Staircase. I didn't see anyone, student or teacher, until I reached the Entrance Hall. There, I found Snape just coming out of the dungeons. We both stopped when we saw each other. I felt a sudden surge of guilt, though I wasn't sure why. He looked me over silently. I wondered how I looked to him and found myself wishing I'd had sense enough to brush my hair before I'd left Lupin's office.
"Please tell me you didn't spend the night with Lupin," he said quietly, his black eyes boring into me.
"Okay. I didn't spend the night with Lupin."
He closed his eyes and exhaled. Without saying anything else, he walked past me into the Great Hall. I started to go in to breakfast, but decided to hurry down and change clothes- and brush my sleep mussed hair- before I did anything else.
Snape's POV
Sometimes I hated knowing when people were lying to me. For the next few months, every time I saw Olivia with Lupin, I couldn't help but picture them fucking. My nightmares were always of them, together. I was miserable. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't wait for the school year to end so I didn't have to see them again. Lupin was only supposed to teach for a year and I hoped that the end of the year would also mean the end of their relationship.
About the second week of May I was out for a walk around the grounds one Saturday afternoon. Several students were sitting around, surrounded by books and notes, studying for their exams. Some were in groups, testing each others' knowledge. Others sat alone, their noses buried in books, frowns of concentration on their faces.
I was down by the lake when I noticed Draco Malfoy coming towards me, flanked by his friends Crabbe and Goyle. I'd known their parents, too- Death Eaters, of course, and just as slow and dim-witted as their offspring.
"Professor Snape," Draco said loudly. I stopped and waited for the boy to reach me.
"What is it, Draco?" I asked heavily, wondering what assignment he was trying to smarm his way out of this time.
"The headmaster wants to see you sir. He says it's highly important."
"Thank you, Draco," I said and started back towards the castle, wondering what had happened this time. Another Sirius Black break-in? A dementor attack? A curse? Anything to keep my mind off of Olivia and Lupin.
When I reached Dumbledore's office, I found him sitting at his desk waiting for me with a most grave expression on his face. I knew immediately something bad had happened.
"Have a seat, Severus."
"What happened?" I asked, not sitting, but gripping the back of the empty chair, "I know that look. What's happened?"
Albus sighed and looked at me sadly.
"…Ellen is dead," he said finally.
I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I stared at him, too shocked to speak. I took a few steps forward and collapsed in the chair in front of his desk.
"…H-how?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.
"A car wreck. She and a Muggle named Ryan Mathers-"
"Her boyfriend."
"-they were hit by a double-decker bus. Both of them died instantly."
"Jesus," I breathed, "…Have you told Olivia?"
"Not yet. I only just got the letter from the Ministry officials. I thought you should be the first to know."
"And I should be the person to tell her," I said firmly. Dumbledore nodded in silent agreement.
"I'll send for her," he said, getting up and leaving me alone in his office.
While he was gone, I pondered Olivia's fate. I tried to remember if Ellen and I had any living relatives left, but I could think of no one. After a moment, Albus returned and sat down.
"What's going to happen to her?" I inquired, "To Olivia?"
"Well, the Ministry will search records to try and find a relative to take her-"
"There is no one," I interrupted, "We have no family left. …Besides, she is adopted."
"…Then she will be sent to an orphanage."
There was a long silence. From what I knew of Muggle orphanages, they weren't nice places. Albus had once told me that the Dark Lord was brought up in an orphanage.
"Do the authorities know she is adopted?" Albus inquired.
"No. She was so young when Ellen got her, she legally passed her off as her own…"
"You mean when you rescued her. How many people do know she is adopted?"
"Myself, Ellen, you and Olivia…and whoever else she has told. She's quite open about it."
"You know, there's only two more years before she is through with Hogwarts and can legally live on her own."
"What's your point?"
"Well if someone were to take her in… it would only be for the Summer, really- she's at Hogwarts the rest of the time. That's what, nine months, at the most?"
"Albus-" I began.
"You are the child's only living relative after all."
"We aren't related!"
"On paper you are. Would you rather her spend the time in an orphanage?"
There was a long silence.
"…I'll think about it," I said finally, "But I'm not making any promises."