The next week at school was a mix of a nightmare and a dream, a nightmare for Mary, and a dream for Snape. After the news spread of their library tryst, Mary had been hauled off to Professor McGonagall's office to get scolded. Upon finding out that Mary had an ample supply of contraceptive potion she let her go with just a detention with Madame Pince. Snape got detention as well and they spent four hours in the library apart making sure the books were in their proper order on the shelves.

In addition to detention, Mary was faced with girls who either harbored bitter jealousy toward her or revulsion that she had gone so far in a public setting. Girls were knocking her books out of her hand, placing muggle condoms in her book bag, or spilling pumpkin juice on her in the Great Hall. The worst of it was when a seventh-year Slytherin had followed Mary almost to the Gryffindor common room after dinner and tried to drag her to a broom closet. Mary had hexed him before binding him and then reported him. He was expelled the very next day and left the castle before Snape found out what had happened.

Snape was having a very different experience from Mary. Guys from all of the houses were talking to him, laughing with him, and asking him who he was going to shag next. Girls were being more aggressive with talking to Snape now and a couple of them at different times even tried sitting on his lap (Snape would quickly get up).

Although their experiences were different, neither was upset at the other. Mary laughed off her troubles and Snape grimaced as he told Mary of the latest way a girl tried to flirt with him. Snape had been angry at first when Mary first told him of what was going on but after Mary assured him she could handle it and she didn't care he relaxed (at least, that's what he wanted Mary to believe).

Snape's black eyes darkened as he peered around the Slytherin common room. He had gathered all of the boys in their sixth and seventh years and sent everyone else off to their dormitories. The Slytherins before him wore varying expressions, some were afraid and looking down, others glared at him, and the rest simply looked bored.

"I want Crabbe incapacitated in some way," said Snape quietly.

He was seething. It had taken everything he had not to leave the castle the moment he had found out what Crabbe had tried to do to Mary. His rage had been nothing like Mary had ever seen before and he only controlled himself once he saw how alarmed Mary had become. Three days he had been stewing and now he was ready to take action, Mary didn't need to know.

"Why not just kill him?" asked someone sarcastically. Snape turned and saw it was a sixth-year by the name of Ward.

"This isn't a joke," snapped Snape. Several Slytherins winced at his sudden harshness.

"You all will find a way to help me…..or else."

Snape's ominous tone was not taken lightly by anyone in that room. The Slytherins that had been bored by the dramatics shifted their eyes to Snape when he said it. As much as everyone did not want to admit it they all knew that Snape was the most powerful Slytherin currently at the school and it would be wise not to cross him.

Snape kept his assignment to the Slytherins quiet and over the next couple of weeks he tried to put the matter in the back of his mind. He had given them specific instructions not to bother him during the school day and that he would only receive updates in the Slytherin common room. Updates had been slow, the only thing they spoke to Snape individually about was the fact that they were still devising a plan and that once formulated they would let him know.

A month had passed since the library incident. Mary and Snape were getting anxious so it was with great planning that Mary secured a nighttime reservation for the Prefects bathroom. The classes that day were going painfully slow and after Herbology was finished Mary dashed to the loo before her next class. She secured herself a stall before a rush of girls came in a few moments later.

"Did you see Mary's lip gloss today? Any redder and she may as well take a nighttime stroll in Hogsmeade."

Several girls guffawed at this.

"Say whatever you want about Mary," spoke another girl. "She has Severus and has had him from the sounds of it. I'd take tips from her any day."

"Shut up Jennifer, we all know why you want Snape," said a girl in a high-pitched voice. She giggled after she said it.

"Well Jennifer," said the original girl who had made fun of Mary. "I would be careful about emulating Mary. None of the guys respect her anymore. They all call her a tart, I heard them."

Mary banged the stall door open and stepped out. The girls stopped laughing and gaped at her in shock.

Mary went to the sink to wash her hands and looked for the kindest face in the gaggle of girls. A girl with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes looked at her with an unusual expression.

"Jennifer?" asked Mary. The blonde girl nodded.

"If you want tips I'd be happy to share."

The group of girls watched her carefully, silently, not moving.

"The first tip I have is to make sure you have plenty of this."

Mary took out the small glass vial of the contraceptive potion. She held it up to the light so the group could get a good look at it. With all eyes watching her she took out the stopper and drank it.

"The second tip I have for you is to have fun," said Mary. She turned to the mirror and reapplied her lip gloss before departing.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Snape quietly at dinner. The girls had wasted no time in spreading the fact that Mary was drinking a contraceptive potion to the rest of the school. Snape had found out in his last class of the day, Potions, and had to endure nonstop remarks from the boys about him whipping up an extra batch of it in class.

Mary was drinking pumpkin juice and trying not to side-eye the girls from the bathroom. She gazed at Snape's worried expression and sighed.

"They called me a tart," said Mary darkly. "I wanted to own up to it, it's the only way I can show everyone I don't care."

"Do you care?" asked Snape.

Mary's eyes pierced Snape, he recoiled slightly but didn't break eye contact before hearing her sharply say, "No I don't."

A few seconds passed as they gazed at each other, each seemingly trying to read the other's mind.

"We have a date tonight, you better be there," snapped Mary.

Mary grabbed her book bag and left the Great Hall with her head held high.