Chapter Title from "I Want You" by Savage Garden

"So you'll see it's the perfect opportunity, Headmaster," Alecto Carrow cooed, a simpering grin on her rather piglike freckled face. "Professor Aspenfell-Snape's class is where they receive sexual education, after all, and I will be covering the importance of blood and blood status now in Muggle Studies. Your wife and I could easily take on the responsibility of identifying potential partners and submitting marriage registrations to the Ministry."

"And has the Ministry spoken of implementing a marriage law, Alecto, or are you suffering under delusions of grandeur and trying to grant yourself a more lofty position here at the school?" Snape asked coolly.

Her thin, quieter brother raised a finger to speak. Amycus Carrow was a dangerous figure— handsome, reserved, with a small stature that deceived one into thinking he was harmless, when in fact the opposite was true. Amycus was the type to lure one in with a smile and shower them with polite praises while simultaneously subjecting them to masterfully crafted torture.

"It is only a matter of time, Headmaster Snape," the woman's brother spoke up. "The goal, after all, is blood purity. With your permission, my sister and I would like to propose such a plan to Thicknesse. You will need to bring your wife onboard, of course, but that shouldn't be too difficult, no? The Dark Lord has often shared tales of your abilities to subdue and control your goddess." Amycus's mouth formed into a leer, and Snape didn't have to tap into the dark wizard's mind to know the depraved images that lurked there.

Severus didn't even grace the subject of Rhiannon with an acknowledgment. "I think it wise that the two of you focus on educating our students so that the quality of our institution does not suffer. Hogwarts is a school, not the Ministry, and certainly not a brothel. The students' hormones already preoccupy their flailing minds without introducing fantasies and fear of forced copulation into the equation."

"Hmmph," Alecto replied. "I would question where your loyalties lie, Snape. You're awfully dismissive of a very well-constructed plan that would only further the Dark Lord's goals."

"And what do you know of the Dark Lord's goals?" Snape's voice was nearly a roar. "My loyalty is to the school, which is exactly why the Dark Lord placed me at its head." He forced his tone to even out a bit before continuing. "While as Headmaster I welcome input from my staff, my word is final. You will be notified immediately if my position on this matter changes, but until that day, I do not want it mentioned again. Now when I return next week, I want to see an actual lesson plan from both of you covering the first six weeks of fall term. Is that understood?"

Amycus gave a small smirk. "Of course, Headmaster."

Snape muttered curses under his breath as he made his way to a place off Hogwarts grounds that was discreet enough to apparate back home. The whole damn world had gone mad about sex— the Carrows salivating over forced pureblood marriages, and three members of his own household turning their house into a nightclub and embarking on polyamorous negotiations. His first visit that morning had been to his new office, where Dumbledore had made it clear that he was to check in with the portrait as often as possible. That would at least give him a valid reason to excuse himself from the seaside house if his fellow inhabitants continued to be so swept up in lust and emotion.

Severus didn't know what to make of Black's apology earlier in the week. It had sounded sincere enough, if a bit overdramatic and overlaid with the desire to appear a humble hero in front of his son. But Black always had a taste for theatrics, and Severus assumed Black had viewed the apology as a chance to demonstrate an important lesson to the child. Black's was a personality Snape never would have invited into his life willingly, but he supposed if they were to continue to be forced together both by circumstance and their wives, then the conversation in the kitchen was necessary and about as amicable as could be expected.

Rhiannon's excitement over the Muggle woman had waned a bit over the past few days, but Severus could tell it was because she was willfully delaying it. That was part of Rhiannon's game, to ride the unexpected twists and turns the universe presented to her and enjoy the build up just as much as the release. Severus was perfectly content to wait— forever, in fact. While his body had undoubtedly responded favorably to the sight of the women with limbs and tongues entwined, their lives were complicated enough without weaving some erotic web to trap and devour one another. He had to find some way to keep a clear head.

Today, his path toward a clear head would be potion-brewing. He needed to brew Exstimulo to improve combat spell-casting, Blood Restoratives, both Invigoration and Calming Draughts, Star Grass Salves for injuries, and Dittany mixed with silver in case of werewolf attacks, since it seemed Lupin didn't get very far in convincing the wolves to switch sides last year. Lupin himself would require Wolfsbane soon, and of course Rhiannon and the amorous Muggle woman required their contraceptive potions.

Snape would have to get Rhiannon to stop flittering about long enough to serve as an assistant with all of these demands, but today she was off in Diagon Alley procuring her supplies for the upcoming semester. Perhaps Black could assist? No, Potions was the wizard's worst performance in school, by far. He was far too animated and distractible, and hours behind a locked door with him would be a recipe for a headache. Tonks was at the Auror office, but he could ask Lupin. The werewolf was calm and astute enough to serve as an assistant.

Snape apparated onto the doorstep of the three-story stone house, taking note of the large scarlet and peach blooms adorning Colleen's thriving rose bushes out front. Black liked to insist she was a Hufflepuff; she did in fact have a rather green thumb.

The house was silent when he entered, all lights off save for a dim candle glow coming from the library down the hall. Although the living room was covered floor to ceiling in books, the library was still necessary to hold Snape's massive collection. Snape had to admit Black had done a fine job choosing a house with plenty of built-in storage for books and magical supplies.

Removing his outer cape, Severus made his way down the hall to find Colleen Black leaned over a stack of books, wearing a short black skirt and a blue silk blouse, her red gold hair in long curls falling over the polished cherry wood of the desk. It was an outfit she would have worn to her law office last year and seemed a bit much for lounging around one's own home, but Severus, always one for formal dress himself, did rather like her attention to her appearance.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Black."

She jumped a bit, having been fully absorbed in her book.

"Colleen," she reminded him, her carnation pink lips forming into a gentle smile. "And hello, Severus. How was work?"

"Miserable. I'll be attempting to distract myself from it in my Potions room today. Do you know the whereabouts of the wolf? I require his assistance."

"He took Ben to the bookstore in the village. With him turning five next month, Remus thought it would be good for him to start primary schooling here at home. Since it will probably never be safe for him to attend a Muggle school again." She frowned, a hint of sadness and worry in her voice.

Severus nodded. "Well, he lives with three professors, so I hardly think his education will be lacking. No need to worry in that regard."

Colleen smiled gratefully. "We are very lucky. And it will be good for Remus— give him something to focus on besides his worry for the baby."

"Unfortunately, I need him to focus on Potions today," Severus said, glancing out the window briefly, as he thought he saw a shadow pass along the lawn. He renewed the charm on the library window just in case. "I hate to admit I may be in over my head with today's workload."

Colleen's aquamarine eyes lit up, and she stood from the desk. "Let me help! I've been studying and I know I can at least help you prep ingredients. It's no different than a recipe, and you've tasted my food. I'm pretty good, right?"

Severus felt his eyes narrow as he assessed her. The last thing he needed was an inexperienced Muggle ruining every brew. He'd be better off working alone than having to teach and work at the same time. But she was so hopeful standing there, raising up a bit on her toes in anticipation, chewing her bottom lip, hands hooked behind her back. Gods, she was going to be a distraction on top of everything else. Black's wife was truly, very lovely.

"Where is your husband?" he asked in a measured tone. Snape had been down the road of Black's jealous rage before, and it wasn't a place he particularly wanted to be with so many other tasks at hand.

"Running on the beach," answered Colleen. "But he won't mind us working together. I told him last week I was going to ask you for a Potions lesson, and he didn't object."

"Oh, this was planned, Mrs. Black?"

"Maybe," she replied slyly. "I'm ready to be more hands-on with my studies. And I specifically wanted to ask you to teach me Dreamless Sleep. For Sirius."

"Your husband is suffering from parasomnias?"

"Yes, as long as I've known him. All related to Azkaban."

"Understandable. But Dreamless Sleep won't help him. It's only for temporary use, after an acute trauma. The damage done to your husband's mind is a lifelong condition. Twelve years under Dementors is a very long time, and most don't even survive to suffer these types of effects."

"Sirius is very strong," Colleen said softly. "I love him so much. Isn't there something you— we— can do?"

Her eyes were pleading, pure. Severus hadn't known many Muggles. Sure, there were plenty of Muggleborns in his classroom, but the only actual Muggles he'd interacted with long term were his violent father and Lily's despicable sister, Potter's aunt. Between his real life experience and the Dark Lord's rhetoric, his perception of their kind was far from positive. Of course he knew on an academic level that prejudice against them was wrong, but that hardly translated into affection or even respect. Colleen Black was different though. Dumbledore had even said it, the only time he'd met her, earlier that year. The old man had told Colleen that the goodness shone through her eyes.

"Come along, Mrs.— Colleen," Severus muttered. "I may have an idea."

"Dreamless Sleep and the Draught of Peace are extremely potent potions, Colleen. An overdose of either could have dire and permanent consequences— either your husband never waking or becoming a permanent shell. We are brewing and blending the two into a controlled dose of a new draught that is honestly nothing more than experimental. And the Draught of Peace is notoriously difficult to brew. I cannot entrust any element of its preparation to a Mug— to you. However the Dreamless Sleep— well, that is the potion I first taught to Rhiannon. She'd had five years of magical education, though, so clearly you are starting at a disadvantage."

"I'm a fast learner," Colleen insisted. "And a good listener, with a good memory. I won't disappoint you, or let Sirius down."

The angles of Severus's face were curled with doubt, but he began removing ingredients and tools from weathered wooden cabinets, setting them on the large rectangular table in the center of the room. Colleen had never entered his Potion-brewing space before, and it was certainly intriguing. She sauntered around the room, examining the various items suspended in a muted rainbow of liquids. Some of them were a bit stomach-churning, while others were beautiful, mesmerizing. There seemed to be an infinite number of ways to combine them all, to generate all sorts of wonders and powers.

Colleen's eyes fell on Severus again; he was waving his wand presumably to sterilize his cauldrons, lining up vessels in preparation to receive his brews, and laying glimmering silver blades of different sizes and shapes down against the butcher block surface. His pale, thick fingers were nimble as they worked, half covered by the crisp white linen of his sleeves. He was tall and broad, his black suit too heavy for the summer air outside the small window near the ceiling of the room. His magic seemed to be packed tightly in his sturdy body, like it would burst if he was angry, or provoked, or turned on.

Colleen had forgotten to breathe.

It's like the air went out of a room when he came in, Rhiannon's voice echoed in her head.

Sirius's power manifested similarly, yet distinctly. Sirius's lean muscles would twitch like they were alive with power, and his movements were like dancing electrical current. He always seemed on the brink of becoming a beast. Severus's was more like an elemental energy — like he truly did command the air in the room, or that he could light everything on fire and then extinguish it with a chill. Colleen's mind was starting to swirl as she imagined the two forces closing in on her. No wonder Rhiannon had been caught in the middle.

"Sit, Colleen," Severus instructed.

She obeyed, pulling a stool up to the large table. He pushed an open book toward her and indicated for her to begin while he worked at the far end of the table on the enormously complicated Draught of Peace. Colleen gulped. She had expected a bit more instruction from him. This was clearly a test, though he seemed to keep one eye trained on her to make sure she didn't screw up enough to endanger Sirius. She supposed it was lucky Sirius had given the man such a thorough apology.

Colleen laid her ingredients out in order, perfectly aligned, perfectly measured. She was feeling quite proud of herself as she consulted the text for her next move. The directions indicated that she shouldn't begin chopping or grinding ahead of time; each step should be completed in its entirety before moving to the next, to keep the integrity of the brew. So it wasn't exactly like working with food. Colleen would normally get the chopping out of the way first, sometimes hours ahead of time so assembly at supper time was easy. No, potion-making clearly required much more timed precision.

Step one was to pour in Honeywater and set it to a simmer. Colleen emptied the bottle into the copper cauldron then peered beneath it for some type of button, a lighter or an ignition, like in chemistry class. Nothing. Okay, maybe something flammable, that she could light with a match? Like a wick? Nothing. And no room to place a candle underneath. She was at a loss, but afraid to look like an idiot and ask for help.

"Something wrong, Colleen Black?" Severus's silky voice oozed into the air.

"I— I don't know how to heat the water," she stammered.

"A Muggle wouldn't, now would they? You see, Colleen, you need magic." He paused in grinding his moonstone and walked swiftly to her side of the table, pausing behind her. She could feel her shoulders sink with disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Colleen said shakily. "I really did want to do it myself." She glanced at Severus's dark eyes quickly and found them unreadable, so she shifted her gaze back to her copper cauldron. He stepped so close to the back of her stool that she could feel his heat in the air between them. It had been so long since she had been in close proximity to a Muggle that she couldn't even remember if she could sense their presence like she did that of wizards and witches. Magical beings seemed to transmit their very essence across the void — their heat, their feelings, their smells. Severus didn't smell like a cologne; the scent of his jacket was like opening a Potions cabinet or plunging one's nose into an herb garden. There was a smoky overtone to it, presumably from years of exposure to the magical heat he was about to apply so Colleen could proceed with her task. She imagined his earthiness combined with his wife's gourmand deliciousness, and being caught between the two. Then pouring Sirius's spicy, animalistic musk on top of it all. Colleen would surely die.

"Mrs. Black, would you care to abandon your thoughts of sensual pleasure long enough to apply the necessary magic to your task?" Severus's voice was low and hot in her ear as he bent to her level. The hairs stood on her arm, and she hoped he couldn't see them.

"You and Rhiannon really have to stop invading minds without consent," Colleen reprimanded him. "And it's Colleen."

Severus licked his lips and gave a slight nod, still leaning over her shoulder. "Yes, Colleen, that would have been a violation, had I indeed used Legilimency on you. But your lustful thoughts were written all over your face and in the tremors coursing through you. Reading them required no violation."

Colleen turned her head to face him, her eyes aligned to where his black tendrils of hair fell upon his wool collar.

A kiss or touch, or two...Rhiannon's voice echoed through her head again.

"Tell me, Colleen Black, do you desire my wife as much as she longs for you?" One raised eyebrow, a dark orb fixed on her face, a hard mouth torn between a sneer and a smile.

"I desire all four of us, together," Colleen replied, mustering every ounce of courage the universe afforded her in that moment.

"Hmph. So your desires do mirror my wife's. What should we do about that, may I ask?" Both eyes were on her now, facing her full on, his arms crossed in front of his chest. In her seated position, this put her head more on level with his...no. She would not look. She didn't want to know if he felt the way she did— that swift, forbidden rush.

Colleen took a deep breath. "For now, we finish Potions. So my husband can sleep better tonight."

Snape nodded. "Correct answer. Admirable answer. You are pure of heart indeed, Colleen Black." He withdrew his dark black wand from his pocket and placed it in her hand. The carvings on the handle were rough and raised, not runic like Sirius's, but more like iron scrollwork. The designs were confined just to the handle, whereas Sirius's was intricate all over. The body of the wand itself was perfectly smooth, and Colleen ran her thumb and forefinger over it. She immediately noticed Severus shift in response.

"Could you feel that?" she whispered.

"Yes," he murmured softly. Eyes fixed on her, he traveled back behind her, his fingers sliding between her arm and her breast to grasp her underarm.

Colleen's breath trapped in her chest. This was her and Sirius's magic. Was it wrong to experience it with another? It wasn't sex. At least not in this form. And the cauldron did need magic to set it alight. She was a Muggle— this was the only way. She bit her lip as Severus recited the spell, wondering what feeling would travel up her arm and if it would have the same effect as when Sirius conducted the magic. But no feeling came. She saw Severus's face twitch ever so slightly.

"Interesting," he declared. "It must be dependent on bonds."

Colleen felt a wave of relief rush over her. She hadn't really wanted to share that with him. In some ways it seemed even more intimate than sex — sacred— a reminder that what she and Sirius had would always reign above everything else.

Severus released her arm and took his wand, lighting the cauldron himself before going back to work on his end of the table. He glanced up often to supervise Colleen's work, giving nods of approval or slight tidbits of advice, but she was pleased to learn that she didn't require much criticism at all. Her attention to detail, her calm demeanor, and her drive to produce something to help Sirius all served her well. Severus returned behind her to supervise her final stirring of the brew, since that was the most crucial step. He took control of her hand to teach her the nuance of the wrist, assuring her that her method wasn't truly a mistake— just something that would benefit from a bit of tweaking. When she laid her eyes upon her completed, shimmering purple brew, she beamed with pride.

"A fine job, Colleen Black," Snape praised her, and she felt her toes curl in her shoes with excitement. It was like seeing an 'A' scrawled across her philosophy paper in her professor's expert hand.

With her portion of their special hybrid potion complete, she moved to sit across from him as he finished up his. She enjoyed watching him work. His movements were effortless and completely bereft of error. The result was the most beautiful turquoise blue liquid Colleen could possibly imagine.

"It's the color of your eyes," Snape observed quietly.

Colleen gave a small smile. "Sirius does always say he finds comfort in my eyes. I suppose it fits."

Severus nodded, his mind seeming far away all of a sudden.

"Let's blend them together," he finally said, reaching for one of the glass bottles they had filled with her purple brew. He took hold of a dropper and began testing micro-drops of each potion together on a glass side, watching them pool and observing any reactions. This series of tests seemed to stretch on forever while he worked to perfect it.

"See if your husband has returned," Severus finally instructed. "I want to administer a small amount under observation. I have another brew here that should counteract any negative effects at such a small dose."

Colleen nodded and stood, excited to present her husband with his gift and offer him some relief. She stopped in the doorway and turned back though, and Snape gave her a questioning look.

"I just want to thank you, Severus, and to apologize. I know you had an exhaustive list of things to brew today, and I took over all of your time. Perhaps I can be your assistant tomorrow? Help make up for it?" She tried to temper the hopefulness in her voice.

Snape gave her a slight nod, but said nothing further. Smiling, Colleen darted off to find Sirius.