Chapter 6
Friday felt like an agonizingly long time to wait. However, the day did come at last. Penelope woke up with butterflies in her stomach. Today she put on a dashing red set of dress robes. The cinch at the waist showed off her curves in all the right ways. She decided to wear her hair loose, and she applied a few different makeup serums to accentuate her features. Lastly she spritzed a little perfume on for good measure. Now she was ready for her date. That is, the one that was still nine hours away. She needed to distract herself or she would go mad waiting around.
She decided to go help Sprout in the greenhouse. Careful to keep her clothes clean, Penelope donned an apron and gloves, as well as thick ear muffs to protect her ears from the mandrakes. She and Sprout worked peacefully together until lunch. They stood back to look at their handy work after they had gathered a large pile in a wheelbarrow. "Nice job, Lark. I could use more hands like you around here. Maybe I ought to hire an apprentice to make the job go smoother." The older woman looked thoughtful, rubbing her chin and leaving a smudge of dirt behind. After they tidied up and put away the tools, Sprout stopped to pluck a small sprig with round leaves from Penelope's sleeve. "Ahhh yes, dittany. This bugger is mighty useful. Can heal all sorts of scrapes and things." Penelope looked at the little branch thoughtfully. "It's actually rather pretty."
"Would you like to keep it? Why don't you tuck it by your ear. By the way, you seem awfully dressed up today. Have you caught a man?" Sprout's eyes twinkled with mischief. Penelope dodged the question with a laugh, and then she stuck the dittany in place between her hair and ear. "I'll see you around Sprout."
Walking out to the grounds, she happened to spot her four-legged friend, accompanied by Hermione Granger's monstrous orange cat. "Why if it isn't Dog! And I see you've made a friend." She massaged both of his ears thoroughly and added, "I'm sorry, dearie, I haven't got a treat for you just now. I've been a bit distracted, " she leaned in as if sharing a secret, "Snape asked me on a date today. I would have told you all about it, but you haven't been around these past few days!" For some reason, Dog looked sullen. He huffed out a breath, and suddenly he grabbed ahold of her robes with his teeth. "No, bad Dog! What has gotten into you!" She yanked her robes away from him with a loud RIIIIIIIIP. "Now look what you've done! The robes are ruined!" She bopped him on the nose in disgust. Penelope turned back to the castle as Dog dashed away with his prized red fabric scrap.
"Someone's in a foul mood." Lupin remarked as she entered the main hall. The scowl on her face must have been that obvious. "A stupid forest mutt just took a bite out of my robes. They're new, and I have a date tonight." She punctuated her complaint with a huff. Lupin raised his brows, "A date, huh? Severus is a lucky man to get you to agree to that. And here I thought he wouldn't be able to convince you." Penelope looked at him in surprise, embarrassed at the blush that gave her away. "How did you know I was going with him?"
"Well he's been fawning over you for weeks now. It's clear for anyone to see. And I couldn't help but notice how he tries to guard you from me like a shepherd fending off a wolf from his sheep." Lupin smiled at his own analogy. Penelope didn't quite know how to respond, so they continued walking in silence. Was Snape already protective of her? "Come now, stop moping. You're a witch, woman. Mend the robes already." Oh yeah. She thought it was strange how she could just forget magic existed for a moment, almost like a muggle must feel. Soon enough, her robes were back to sorts and she and Lupin were seated in the Great Hall. They ate heartily, enjoying an assortment of sandwiches, bowls of soup, and roasted carrots. Lupin shared some truly bad puns that almost forced her to spew a large spoonful of cabbage stew with her laughter. "What has more lives than a cat? A frog, because it croaks every day."
"That's terrible, Remus!" She said with a smile pinching one corner of her mouth.
Behind her, footsteps approached, and a deep voice said, "Truly. You should stick to your day job Lupin. You would make a terrible jester. Looks excluded of course." Snape came to stop behind her, hands casually resting on the back of her chair. Lupin looked Snape directly in the eye as he added, "And here's the crook, come to round up its sheep."
"What the bloody h— is that supposed to mean?" Snape asked, anger lacing his words. Penelope stood and turned to face Snape, eager to avoid a cat fight between the two men. "Severus, have you eaten?" She asked sweetly. He glared at Lupin before turning to look at her. He blinked and looked her up and down in a way that made her visibly shiver. The dress robes were doing her all the favors she hoped they would. "Yes, I have in fact. Is that dittany?" Snape asked, smoothing his thumb across one of the small round leaves by her face. "Why yes it is. Sharp eye potions master. I found it in the greenhouse when I went to help Sprout this morning." He seemed to study the effect of the dittany framing her face before saying, "It's lovely. Say, would you care to take a walk with me?" Before she could agree, or even bid Lupin goodbye, Snape had started steering her out of the hall by the arm. Maybe he was shepard-like, she thought. Somehow, it didn't exactly bother her though. She thought of how Lupin had said Snape was mooning after her these few weeks, and it brought a smile to her lips unconsciously.
"I thought maybe we could begin our date a bit early. Maybe look around some of the shops. Or we could go to London if you prefer." Snape seemed to be in a more chipper mood out in the fresh air of the grounds. "Great idea. Let's walk around Hogsmeade shall we? It's been ages since I've tried a sweet from honeydukes."
They walked down the path to the village, sharing stories about the students and odd bits of news from the Daily Prophet. As they came to the gate, she felt the familiar cold of dementors increase. Snape grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Just a moment, we'll be past them." He whispered soothingly. His words seemed to warm her a bit. They walked through and after the dementors scrutinized them closely, they passed through to the cobblestone street. Penelope tried her best to ignore the vile memories and smell of blood the creatures brought to mind. "Jeez, if they weren't so effective at their job I'd like to toss that lot in a cell at Azkaban." She half hugged herself to warm up. Snape looked around to make sure the coast was clear before pulling her into a narrow alley between a clothing store and broom repair shop. He wrapped her up in an embrace, hugging her head beneath his chin. "Better?" he asked gently. "Much." she whispered. After a moment she was feeling warm enough to forget any bad thoughts stirred up by the dementors. She wondered if her arms around him were fending off any of Snape's sad recollections. She moved so that she could angle her head upward. "I know we're on this date to slow things down a bit, but…" she hopped up to quickly kiss him on the mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, but then he grinned wickedly. He held her tightly and dipped her backward for a deeper kiss that took her breath away. "Can't help ourselves, can we?" He smiled at her, making her feel woozy. Could she really be lucky enough to be the object of this man's affection? She giggled and grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the alley. "Come on, Severus. Let's have a look around."
Luckily, no students would be out to wander the village until tomorrow, so they could look around undisturbed. They filled a generous bag with sweets at honeydukes, saving some to split later on. In the joke shop, they entertained themselves by pointing out the simple illusion spells that each item used to create a trick for the user. Penelope was surprised how evenly matched their knowledge was. Then again, their backgrounds were well matched. A death eater and an auror. What a strange pair they made, she thought. Ex-death eater, she corrected herself. "What are you thinking about?" Snape asked playfully, noticing the serious look on her face. "Oh, um nothing." She couldn't tell him she was wondering if he still had the dark mark tattooed on his arm. And whether she would see it that night. "I was just thinking about how different we both are, and yet how much we make sense." He layed a warm hand on her head and let it slide down to caress her soft, straight hair. "We aren't so different, you and I. I wish I'd met you sooner. Really met you I mean. If I hadn't been so pigheaded in our school days… but no need to dwell on the past. Why reflect when we're having such a wonderful evening together? Let's head to the three broomsticks shall we?"
Madame Rosmerta sat them at a cozy corner table. Snape ordered a firewhiskey. "I'll have the same." Penelope chimed in, causing Snape's eyebrows to raise. "I learned to drink with the aurors. I grew a taste for the stuff. Still a lightweight though." She laughed. They got their drinks and became increasingly merry. Penelope stopped after a glass, not wanting to get drunk and ruin the most amazing night. Snape however was on his third. "Can you believe the Minister has entrusted me with catching Black? He even hinted at offering me a seat in the ministry. Though, I doubt I would leave Dumbledore here at Hogwarts. I owe the man my life…" "It would be very impressive, even if it's just for bragging rights alone. As well as getting a dangerous man off the streets." Penelope got the sense that Snape was a tad delusional about the whole thing with Sirius Black, but there was no harm in letting him carry on. "I'm going to freshen my drink at the bar." She said, deciding one more couldn't hurt.
As she waited for Rosmerta, she felt a tap at her shoulder. "Hello Professor! Fancy meeting you here!" She turned to see the last person she wanted to run into. Her Ex, Ludo, Bagman. "Oh. I thought I smelled something foul." She turned away, impatient to get her drink and go back to Snape. "You know, I found it hard to imagine you as a professor when I heard you had left the ministry. But seeing you here, I think it rather suits you. Come love, let me buy you a drink. For old times sake." He gave what she assumed he meant as a dazzling smile, but the unfocused look on his face tipped her off that he was pretty near wasted. "Old times? You mean like when you cheated on me with my best friend? Hard pass. I'm with someone else tonight." She had to edge around him awkwardly because he was leaning against the busy bar. He abruptly threw an arm around her shoulders, spilling some of his drink on her robes.
"It's been two years, lighten up, Penny!" He followed this declaration with a loud belch. She was overpowered by the stench, but before she could flip Ludo onto the ground, someone grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. She saw Severus, his wand leveled at Ludo's nose. His face seemed calm, but a throbbing vein at his temple revealed his temper. "This man bothering you dear?" He asked her, keeping his eyes on the man. Ludo's eyes darted around nervously. He smiled, hoping to laugh it off. "I was only-"
"Quiet you," Snape growled, turning to her questioningly. She looked at Ludo in disgust. "This idiot isn't worth the trouble. Let's go Severus."
As they walked out, she reached for his hand. He squeezed hers tight. "So, what was his problem? Do you know him?"
"Ludo Bagman. A grade A moron and unfortunately I dated him a couple years ago. It didn't last long, and I ended things when I caught him in bed with my best friend." She felt extremely annoyed. Here she was having a perfect night, when this had to go and ruin it. She felt Severus's eyes on her, but she couldn't meet them with the embarrassment and anger rushing through her.
After a few moments of walking, he said, "I should have hexed him for hurting you. By some miracle he got a chance with you, and then he used you like that? The next time I see Ludo Bagman, he'll get what's coming to him."
"It's ok, it's in the past now. Besides, I clearly dodged a bullet there. Let's forget about him. I've been having a wonderful time with you, Severus. Thank you for today."
He looked at her and smiled, "You have no idea how charming you are. I should thank you for giving me the pleasure." He kissed her hand, and she felt weak in the knees again. Apparently he just` had that effect on her.
Back at the castle, they stopped holding hands. Severus walked her to her room, and they managed to return to the light banter from before. She fished a peppermint toad out of the Honeydukes bag. "Toad? They're my favorite." He accepted it and stuck it in his pocket for later. "I was always fond of them myself. I never could afford many sweets growing up, but the toads and fizzing whizzbees seemed particularly good." They arrived at her room and suddenly she felt warm around the ears. She wasn't ready to say goodnight, not after such a great day together. "Um… Would you- Do you care to share a cup of tea?" She asked a little too quickly. "I'd love to." His voice was suddenly smooth and buttery, like he was whispering in her ear. She chuckled nervously and turned the key in the lock.
Inside, she couldn't help remembering the last time they were both in her room, when he carried her to her bed. Before she got carried away with her thought, she tapped the kettle with her wand to get it boiling. "You know, when we were kids here, I used to watch you in dueling club. I liked how you made your own spells." She smiled at the memory. Snape grimaced, "Yes I'm afraid those spells didn't do me any good in the long run. By the way, I went looking around the other day. I found that valentine you gave me."
"Oh great, I'll never live that down now." She pretended to be dismayed, but she was secretly touched. Did that mean young Severus had been sentimental to keep it?
She poured them each a piping hot cup. "There now, let's let these cool off." She turned to see Snape reaching for a box on her dresser. In a moment her hand held his down firmly, keeping the lid sealed on the box. "I wouldn't open that if I were you. It's a cursed item from Albania. Just a little hobby project of mine to disenchant it." He arched an eyebrow at her, "Interesting hobby." He moved his other hand to rest beside her and she realized how very, very close he was. He leaned down and kissed her on the neck. "You smell divine," he murmured. She remembered the perfume she'd put on earlier and was glad that it covered the stink of alcohol on her robes. That was the only logical thought she could process before Severus freed his other hand and began undoing each of her buttons, one at a time.
"Shall we?" He asked as he finished unbuttoning the robes at her navel. She felt his eyes linger on the cleavage between her maroon bra cups. As he reached a hand around her waist, she whispered, "Absolutely."Snape swept her up with an arm beneath her knees, and she held his head in her hands to kiss him with an intensity that surprised her. She brushed his lips with her tongue, and he laid her on the bed, finally peeling the rest of her robes off of her.
That night, Penelope fell asleep next to Severus, feeling more content and filled with happiness than she had in a very long time.