The ride to King's Cross Station was, thankfully, uneventful. Freddie patrolled the cars in her Animagus form, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Her kneazle hearing allowed her to listen in on conversations from outside the compartments, but she didn't hear anything worth reporting. Among the discourse of who was dating who and how they were going to spend their summers, students were of course talking about the Dark Lord's return and whether they really believed it or not. Some were doubting the story that Potter had told. A few even thought he might've killed Diggory himself and Freddie felt a pang of sympathy for the Boy-Who-Lived. She certainly knew what it felt like to have people think you were a murderer.
She avoided the compartment where Potter sat with his friends, not wanting to risk getting spotted by Granger again. She met up with Tonks every hour to share updates in a compartment at the front of the train they'd reserved. Freddie was starving as she made her way to the head of the train for another report. It was starting to get late and she knew it wouldn't be long before they reached their destination. She spotted Tonks coming from the driver's cab and waited for her. Tonks nearly tripped over her – for the third time that day – as they went into the compartment.
As soon as Tonks had shut the door behind them Freddie shifted back to human and sat on the seat with a groan.
"I'm starving," she groaned. "I should've thought to bring a snack."
"Here," Tonks said, pulling a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans from her pocket. "I snagged these from the trolley earlier. Want some?"
"Sure," she said and Tonks flopped down beside her to share.
"Anything to report?" the witch asked her. "The driver says we'll be in London in less than an hour."
"Nope. This is the most boring assignment ever," Freddie said, rolling her eyes.
"Reckon that's a good thing," Tonks said, popping a jellybean in her mouth.
"Yeah, I know. It's not like I want the train to be attacked. I'd just rather be doing something else, like brewing a potion."
"Potions Princess," Tonks teased and Freddie smiled. It had been so long since anyone had used her nickname. Daniel had called her that teasingly when they were first years and it had stuck. It never bothered her, even when some students tried to use it as an insult.
"Were you any good at Potions?" Freddie asked.
"Good enough, I reckon. You know how clumsy I am and Snape scared the heck out of me so that didn't help. I knocked over a lot of cauldrons in my day. I think it was third year when I accidentally knocked a whole beaker of Boom Berry juice into my cauldron. I tried to grab it but ended up tripping over my cauldron and flames shot out, knocking over every cauldron in the back row," she said sheepishly. "I had to stay after class and miss lunch to clean it up, then Snape gave me a week's worth of detention."
"Sounds like something he would do," Freddie chuckled.
"Reckon you had it easier, being a Slytherin. He was always easier on you guys."
"Not by much," she said with a slight smile, shaking her head. "But I never made a mistake like that. Not in Potions anyway. It's the only thing that ever came naturally to me."
"So what do you do these days? Professor Dumbledore mentioned you work at St Mungo's. Are you a Healer?"
"No way. I'm an assistant potion-maker. My boss is Potions Master Andrea Hawkins, she's really cool. I'm like second in charge there. I even have my own office," she said proudly.
"Wow! I never thought about St Mungo's having a brewing room before. I figured most Healers brewed their own stuff."
"Some of the older ones still do," Freddie said with a shrug. "But most of them like the convenience of having us do it. They're able to see a lot more patients that way. They don't have to spend all that time looking up recipes and hunched over cauldrons – which is where I'm at my happiest."
"Did you start working there right after you graduated?"
"Yep and I've been there ever since. Started out as an intern and just got my own office this year."
The girls spent the rest of the ride talking about Freddie's job at St Mungos and Tonks' job as an Auror. When the train finally came to a stop at the station there was a lot of commotion outside the compartment as students started to get their luggage and get off.
"Do we need to report back to Dumbledore?" Freddie asked, checking her watch. "I don't have much time before I have to go start the next batch of Wolfsbane Potion."
"Nah, I'll handle the report," Tonks assured her. "That sounds important."
"It is. Thanks for the candy," Freddie said, getting up from her seat and stretching. "I guess I'll see you around, Tonks."
"See ya Freddie."
An hour later Freddie was happily hard at work on the next month's batch of the Wolfsbane Potion. She'd stopped by a pizza place in Diagon Alley before popping into work and scarfed down two slices before getting started. The train ride had made her somewhat nostalgic and she was playing Daniel's Eagles record when the flames in her fireplace turned green. She looked up from the herbs she was chopping to see Snape carrying Ziggy through the hearth.
"Well hello," she said, amused, as Ziggy squirmed his way free of Snape's grasp and ran over to her. The kneazle purred as he rubbed himself against her ankles.
"He was looking for you," Snape said, approaching her workstation to turn the music down a bit. "I think he missed you."
"Did you miss me too?" she asked with a smile as he kissed the top of her head.
"I just saw you this morning."
"That's not a 'no'," she teased. He opened the pizza box she had left on her workstation and snagged a piece.
"How was your train ride?" he asked, leaning against the counter as he chewed.
"So boring."
"That's a good thing."
"I know. I didn't mind, really. Just wished I was here the whole time. Or back in bed with you," she said with a smile. He smirked back and finished his pizza before washing his hands.
"Perhaps I could help you with the Wolfsbane Potion," he suggested quietly. "Then we could go home together and resume our activities from last night."
"Home or back to Hogwarts?" she asked curiously. She hadn't been back to Spinner's End in weeks except to get clothes, not since she started staying with Snape at the castle.
"Whichever you prefer," he answered.
"Hmm...home," she decided after thinking about it a moment. "It's been ages since we last went home together."
"Very well," he said and started to prepare the next ingredient on the workstation.
Later that evening, when the potion had reached the point they could leave it for the next four hours, Snape and Freddie were ready to go home together. Freddie cleaned up her workstation, turned off the record player, and slung her bag over her shoulder.
"Ready to go?" she asked Snape as she gathered Ziggy into her arms. He nodded silently and they both Disapparated together.
When the three of them appeared in the dark sitting room of Spinner's End, Freddie let Ziggy down onto the floor. She lit a fire in the hearth for light and looked around.
"Sorry I haven't cleaned in a while," she said sheepishly, noticing the layer of dust on everything. "I haven't been home much. I usually just grab clothes from up-"
Snape silenced her by pulling her to him for a kiss.
"I don't expect you to clean for me," he said with a faint smile. "I'm never here."
"I know, but I used to. I mean, look at all this dust..."
"There's only one thing I care about at the moment," he said in a low voice. "And it certainly isn't dust."
Snape kissed her again and it wasn't long before he was pulling her work robes off of her. He kissed every inch of skin as it was exposed, starting with her neck and working his way down her chest. When he reached her panties he knelt before her to take them off and a shiver went through Freddie as his hair tickled her thigh.
"Are you cold?" he murmured, his breath warm against her lower abdomen.
"N-no," she managed then he pressed a kiss to her hipbone that made her legs go weak and she had to grab his shoulders for support. He smirked up at her, the light from the fireplace dancing in his brown eyes.
"Tell me what you want," he said, kissing her hip again though this time a little closer to the burning heat between her legs.
"Y-you," she said, her voice trembling. "I want you, Severus."
"Specifically?" he asked tauntingly. His lips brushed against her skin as he spoke and she tightened her grip on his shoulders, certain she was going to collapse. His hands were on her hips and when she didn't answer right away he gave her a firm smack on her left buttcheek. The slap rang through the room, startling her more than the feeling of it had and she gasped.
"I want you," she said again on exhale. "Inside me. Now."
"Ask nicely," he teased before pressing another kiss along her pelvic bone. This time she felt the tantalizing warm wetness of his tongue flick against her skin. She shuddered at the contact and felt her own wetness dripping down the inside of her thighs.
"Please," she said shakily. She almost couldn't get the words out, her mind was clouded with want and her whole body trembled at his touch. "Please, Severus."
She whimpered as he pulled his mouth away but a second later he was pushing her back on the couch. Her legs parted on instinct as he hastened to undo his pants. He was watching her, his eyes full of lust, as his cock sprang free. He moved between her legs but still he did not enter her, just looked down at her with a maddening smirk.
"Please," she whimpered again. "Severus, please, I need to feel you. I want-"
She cried out in delight as he entered her swiftly, filling her up. She tried to wrap her legs around him but the angle made it awkward. He grabbed her knees and pushed them up as he thrust into her on the sofa. It didn't take long before she was getting close and she wanted him to cum with her so bad that she was begging for it, urging him on. Suddenly he let out a cry – not of pleasure but of pain and surprise. He pulled away from her, grabbing his forearm with a hiss. It took Freddie a split second to realize his Dark Mark was burning and she scrambled to sit up on the couch.
"I have to go," he growled, then swore, something she had rarely heard him do.
He quickly fixed his pants and drew his wand. Confused, Freddie watched as he conjured his doe Patronus.
"Go to Dumbledore," Snape told the shimmering silver doe. It bowed its head then disappeared.
"What-?" Freddie started, but the look on Snape's face silenced her.
"I'm sorry, Winifred," he said grimly, his expression hard. His left fist was clenched tight in pain. "I have to go."
"I know. Be careful," she said softly. He nodded curtly then seemed to hesitate a moment before looking back at her.
"I'm sorry," he said again though this time his tone was gentler. "I love you."
"I love you too," she said and then he was gone, leaving her alone and naked on the couch with only the sound of the crackling fire and her own heavy breathing.