Halloween was approaching fast. The halls of Hogwarts was covered in pumpkins and spiderwebs and black bats. The ghosts sneaked up on unaware students and made them scream in horror, then laugh in relief.

Cora usually loved the holiday, and had something special planned for the Hallows Eve. It was the one day a year where the professors looked between their fingers at pranks and crazy outfits. She used to plan her pranks for weeks, and the last year Fred and George Weasley had attended, the three of them had a competition that almost ran out of control.

This year, however, the shivers actually ran down her spine when she thought about the 31th of October.

Her father wanted to meet again.

Neither Cora nor Severus had been called upon by the Dark Lord, since that horrid night a couple of weeks ago. And neither had a strong wish for it either.

It had taken several days until Severus was back to normal - despite the great nursery skills of their house-elf, Willow.

The following Monday after the incident, Cora didn't want to leave him to go to class. Severus had responded by giving her a stern look that she didn't dare to argue with.

"But if I hear anything about brewing potions for hours and exhausting yourself, I'm coming straight back!" Cora poked her index-finger in the direction of where he was sitting in one of the armchairs. She had made sure he was covered by a woolen blanket, had his books near him and a cozy fire going in the fireplace.

"Fine. No brewing." He gave her an exasperated look. "You're going to be late for class, wife." He picked up one of the books next to him and turned the pages nonchalantly. Of course he was going down into his potions lab, as soon as she left.

"Willow?"

"Yes, mistress." The house-elf suddenly appeared and stood by the coffee table, like a little soldier ready for command.

"Make sure that my husband doesn't extort himself."

The house-elf nodded firmly. He was prepared to take the assignment of watching the Headmaster, with the utter most seriousness.

The said Headmaster, however, was getting tired of their fuss. He placed the book resolutely in his lap.

"Cora, do I have to take house points from you?"

Cora stopped in her tracks on the living room carpet and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "You wouldn't."

"I would."

After a short staring contest, where neither seemed to budge, the house-elf was starting to get nervous. Tripping from one foot to the other, Willow looked between the two Slytherins. On the one hand, he felt a certain amount of loyalty towards professor Snape, after years of being his personal house-elf. On the other hand, it did make his job easier when miss Cora was adamant of her husband's bedrest.

"Uhm..." Willow began and raised a little, crooked finger.

"Fine. I'm going!" Cora rolled her eyes and shook her head in frustration. She took a last swipe over her husband's surroundings, with her eyes. He looked ok. Then she grabbed her bag and hasted out the door. If she didn't make a solid run for it, she was indeed going to be late for class.

Back in his comfortable armchair, Severus chuckled to himself. Holding house points over her head, had always been the easiest way to get through to Cora. She was way too proud to let the other Slytherins down.

"Could I get you something, sir?" Willow asked and peaked up at him with big, brown eyes. "A cup of tea, perhaps?"

"No, thank you." Severus leaned back into the armchair, and for a moment he considered to do as his wife had told him. Then he thought better if it. "Could you go to my storage and get me a jar of snake-skin, eagle-eyes and dried daffodils?"

"The mistress said -"

"My wife hates Herbology and still she goes to class. Doesn't she?" He raised an eyebrow towards the little elf, daring him to challenge him further.

"She won't be happy about it, sir." Willow twisted his hands uncomfortably in front of him.

"She probably won't." Severus gave him a patronizing look. Was she the headmaster of Hogwarts or was he?

He didn't need to voice the last question. It was written all over his face.

"It wouldn't be wise to aggravate her, sir."

"And why is that?" This was getting borderline ridiculous. When did she become more terrifying than him? Besides, the three potions in his lab needed serious attending to. The stasis spell on them only lasted for so long, and when the effect wore out, the potions could go stale. And then set him back months.

"Because your well-being depends on her."

Severus narrowed his eyes. Had he heard that correctly? Something about Willows demeanor made him stop for a second. Clearly there was something more to this. "Tell me."

"The Dark Lord put a blood curse on you. The happier the mistress is, the faster you will heal, sir." Willow bit his lip and watched how Severus eyes went darker than usual. His face was almost white when he responded.

"Find the ingredients in the storage and meet me in the potions lab."

"Sir?"

"Do as I say."

Willow nodded and popped out.

Severus drew in a sharp breath through his nose. He knew that the Dark Lord's curse had been particularly nasty, but he hadn't been aware of how much. The phrase "happy wife, happy life" suddenly got a new meaning to him, and he did not like it. Not one bit.

He tossed the woolen blanket aside, got to his feet and staggered across the living room. As he turned the doorknob to his potions lab, he felt a tremor go through his entire body, but he chose to ignore it. If he didn't find a solution to this conundrum, and fast, the outcome could be disastrous.

When he reached the table with the three cauldrons, he was delighted to find them still intact. He replenished the stasis spell on two of them and began to consider what to do with the third in the middle.

Just then, Willow popped into the lab, hands full of jars. He placed them carefully on the counter and sniffed. The potions in the middle both smelled and looked different than any potion he'd seen before.

"A healing potion, sir?" He looked up at professor Snape, who looked like he was about to faint. "Are you sure -"

"That I would like a chair, and a pair of hands to help me? Yes."

Willow sighed and conjured up a wooden chair for professor Snape to sit on.

"My hands are still too shaky to cut and slice the snake-skin, so if you would be so kind." Severus held up to wobbly hands. He hated that he had to ask for help with this, but he hated the curse in his body even more.

Willow did as he was told, and for the next half an hour he cut, sliced, squeezed and hammered. All under Severus' careful scrutiny.

Severus nearly tossed him out when he suggested that they replaced the daffodil petals with dandelions. Oh, how I've missed teaching dunderheads. Then he thought better of it. Dandelions would indeed be a better choice. However, he was too proud and stubborn to voice it out loud.

He simply nodded, and Willow began chopping the dandelions into little pieces. Then he sprinkled some of it over the cauldron, grabbed the silver stirring stick and looked up at him expectantly.

"Trice turns, sir?"

Severus nodded. "Clockwise."

Willow stirred three times, added more dandelions, then repeated the procedure. When he was satisfied with the amount, and the green color of the potion, he was about to ask what to do next. Instead his brown eyes widened in shock. His master's face was ash-grey.

"Sir?"

A small, crooked hand placed itself over a larger, trembling one on the counter.

Willow chastised himself internally for not paying attention to his master's health. The mistress would have his head for this, and rightly so.

"I think that will be all for today."

"Shall I -"

"Yes." Severus almost barked the order, and the house-elf jumped backwards on the counter. Then he sighed apologetically. "Please."

"Of course, sir." Willow didn't seem to be offended by the harsh tone, bless that elf. With a single snap, the clutter on the counter was gone and the potion was under a new stasis spell. As were the other two potions. Then he jumped down to the floor.

Severus closed his eyes and felt how his feet were suddenly lifted off the ground. He knew he looked ridiculous, floating across the living room carpet like a ghost, and with a house-elf as a tail. But there was simply nothing for it.

He sighed in relief when he felt the comfortable armchair underneath his bottom. His body was trembling and he wondered how badly the room would be spinning when he opened his eyes.

Maybe Cora had been right in fussing over him. After all, he was exhausted.

"I think I'll have that cup of tea now." He slowly opened his eyes. Definitely not! Way too swirly.

"Right away, sir."

Soon a warm cup of chamomile tea was placed in his hands, and a plate of biscuits appeared on the table next to him.

"Thank you, Willow." He lifted the cup to his lips, blew on it and carefully took a sip. The elf had been so kind to put a little bit of Firewhiskey into it.

Half an hour later, the cup was empty and its drinker was snoring lightly.

Without a word and touch, Willow raised the woolen blanket a little higher, to cover more of professor Snape's body. Then he made the flames in the fireplace burn brighter.

"Honey! I'm -"

Willow rushed to the door and placed a silencing finger across his lips.

"Oh! Sorry," Cora whispered and noticed her husband stir slightly in his armchair. "How's he doing?"

"He's alright, mistress, but he's tired." Willow whispered, and decided not to mention their activities in the potions lab. Right now his master needed rest more than his mistress needed the information. He shut down the vault in his mind and only showed her the memory of him giving professor Snape the cup of tea. "I've got it covered, mistress."

Cora looked down on him and gave him a warm smile. "Of course you do."

She glanced at Severus again and decided that he was indeed in good hands. Perhaps she could allow herself to go back to class after all.

The next couple of days, the same thing occurred. Cora left for class, talked to Draco about how to reinstate Quidditch, and came back to a sleeping potions master.

When Thursday came, Charms class was cancelled, due to professor Flitwick having a heavy cold. So Cora figured she would have lunch with her husband and ask Willow about how the treatment was going.

When she opened the door to their apartment, however, the living room was empty.

Cora went quietly to the bedroom - maybe he was asleep - but the bed was made and neither husband nor elf was in sight.

"They didn't…" she muttered, and looked suspiciously over her shoulder, towards the closed door to the potions lab. With firm, and a little annoyed, steps, she crossed the living room and carefully opened the door.

A whiff of cotton-candy-smell hit her in the face. Oh yes, they were down there for sure.

"Should we try the juice of the dung-beetle again, sir?" Cora heard Willow ask, and her husband groaned. She tiptoed nearer, careful not to be spotted by them. Both were so pre-occupied with their potion, though, that she could have coughed and they wouldn't have noticed.

"The juice did nothing for the potion, so it would be contra-productive," Severus said and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. After the success with the dandelions, they had met obstacle after obstacle. At times they'd been close to ruin the entire potion, but now it was bobbling merrily at a steady beat.

"More dandelions then?"

"That will only reduce the healing abilities."

Severus and Willow turned their heads in alarm.

Cora was standing just a few feet away, arms crossed over her school uniform and an ice cold look on her face.

"Yes. Indeed." Severus watched her closely as she stepped forward. Perspiration was occurring on his forehead, but only a little. Which confirmed two things to him - the curse was still intact, but his wife wasn't all that angry with him. Just concerned. Though her body language said otherwise.

"Any luck with it yet?" Cora stepped all the way up to the table and pretended not to be curious. They'd both lied to her, and she did not appreciate it. Though, by the looks of Severus' state, they had good reasons for it. His face was white and the healing skills of Willow had apparently reached an end.

"Not yet." Severus shook his head, feeling both defeated and depleted.

Cora's brows furrowed. She kept her arms crossed, and ignored the nervous looks from Willow. A thought had begun to form in her mind, and she tossed it silently back and forth, all the while pretending to be furious.

Severus drew a trembling hand across his forehead, to remove the sweat. Occasionally his black eyes darted up at Cora, wondering what she would do next. He felt so weak, and knew it had everything to do with her state of mind.

Suddenly the trembling in his hands stopped.

"Have you tried combining it with Felix Felicitis?" Cora asked.

"That- that might actually work." Willow looked with excitement from one Snape to the other. "Shall I go get some from the storage?"

"Please do." Cora kept her eyes locked on the cauldron with the potion, but a small smile was lurking its way across her lips.

"It has to be brewed from scratch, for it to work." Snape sighed, and dampened the mood a little for the other two. "And it will take days to brew."

The thought of brewing yet another potion - and a rather difficult one too - seemed to take the air out of his lungs.

In the corner of her eye, Cora saw how her husband almost sunk into the wooden chair he was sitting on. He had never looked so tired, and that caused her more concern than anger. She closed her eyes for a second and decided to let her anger go.

"Ok. I'll tell professor Sprout that I'm working on an extra curriculum project with you." Cora hung her cloak on a nearby stool. "No, I'm not having any argument on this." She held up her left hand towards Severus, who was about to object, and pointed her right index finger at Willow. "Scribble down the note and pass it to her. Gather the ingredients from the storage. Then let's get to work."

"Yes, mistress."

As Cora found a new cauldron and made the required preparations, she noticed how a little bit of color appeared in Severus' cheeks. It filled her with relief, but she still didn't like that they'd kept her in the dark all week. "I better get house points for this, though."

"I'll give you 20, if you manage it on the first take." Severus would have given her a hundred, but that would only skyrocket her ego.

"And you'll listen to me when I tell you to take a break and lie down?" Cora gave him a stern look as she rolled up her sleeves.

Severus rolled his eyes, but didn't argue.

"Very well then."

As the brewing commenced and the Felix Felicitis was added to the potion, Cora began to notice certain looks between her husband and the house-elf. Little comments here and there.

She tried to read Severus' mind, too scared to ask what was going on, but had a hard time doing so. There was also something about Willows protection of him, that made her skeptical. Was the house-elf angry at her for her father cursing his master? Or was it something else?

She silently argued that Severus was feeling better by the day. Even though he almost passed out when they slept together Friday night. Still something felt off.

When the healing potion was at a satisfactory level, for all three of them, Severus suggested he tried it on himself.

"We shouldn't test it on a rat or something first?" Cora couldn't believe he actually offered himself up as a guinea pig.

"We'd have to ask your father about what kind of curse he used first, before cursing the rat," Willow added, and got a harsh glare from professor Snape.

"What are you not telling me?"

"Nothing," Severus lied, and filled a small vial with the now dark green liquid. It smelled like a warm day in Spring. "It's just easier to try it on me. After my calculations it would be harmless. Either I'll get really happy, but not healed, or the curse will leave my body for good."

"Let's hope for both." Cora bit her lip and watched him eye the vial one last time. "You're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"It'll be alright, mistress."

"Alright."

"To your good health." Severus raised the vial like a glass of champagne at a wedding, then downed the liquid.

"No, to yours," Cora responded.

Severus lowered the hand with the vial again and licked his lips. Clearly the potion didn't taste bad. But did it work?

"Well?"

"I don't feel bad."

"That's good."

Both Cora and Willow nodded in unison, as if they had rehearsed it. They looked rather silly, but as long as the potion healed Severus, neither of them cared.

"How do we test it?" Cora asked.

Severus got to his feet and started pacing around the room. The trembling, the sweat and the dizziness was gone. But he too wondered how they could fully know that it had worked.

"Make her angry!" Willow piped.

"What? Why?" Cora turned sharply towards him. He took a few steps away from her on the counter.

"The Dark Lord put a blood curse on me," Severus explained. "So that unless I kept you happy, then I wouldn't be healed."

"He did WHAT?" Cora thundered. She was furious. Then another thought occurred. "And you two knew and you didn't tell me?!"

Willow jumped off the table and scurried over to where Severus was standing by a shelf. Both master and servant eyed the angry, little lady as if she was a tiger on the loose.

"We thought it best not to tell you." Severus raised himself up into his full height. By the glare he was receiving from his wife, there would surely be hell to pay very soon. He prepared for the tremor, or at least for a sweat to break out, but he didn't even feel a tingling in his fingers.

"Did it work, professor?" Willow asked. He too had noticed the steadiness in Severus.

"I believe it did." Severus looked at his hands and then at the fuming Cora. "I feel nothing. No connection with your emotions at all."

Cora blinked a couple of times.

On the one hand she was joyful that Severus was free of the curse, but on the other hand she was furious. He'd gone through something so serious, and had only told a house-elf and not his own wife.

"I need some air." Cora walked past him, but stopped by the door. "I'm happy that you're well again. Really I am. But the way you chose to lie about it? And the severity of the curse? I don't know if I can forgive you for that." She cast a glance at Willow. "Neither of you."

"What if I reinstate Quidditch?" Severus offered. He hadn't planned to do so, but seeing her grave expression, left him no other choice.

Cora thought about it for a while.

"It's a start," she admitted. "But don't lie to me again." She felt genuinely hurt by their actions, and wasn't ready to let it go yet. Trust didn't come easy for her, and if there was someone she had to trust, it was the two of them.

"We won't." Severus hoped she would see how sincere he was.

Willow shook his head too. His big ears flapped like beige bat wings.

Cora sighed. "I guess this makes us even, then." She was about to leave the lab again, when Severus turned towards their servant.

"Willow?"

"Yes, master?"

"Thank you for your assistant this last week. I'll take it from here."

"You're very welcome, sir." Willow made a little bow, then turned towards Cora. He knew it was time to leave the Snape's to patch up their marriage. "Mistress."

With a pop he was gone.

Severus closed the distance between him and Cora. He could see that his actions had hurt her, just like the prospect of an annulment had hurt him.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't want to add another burden to your shoulders." He wanted to reach out and touch her face, but let his hand stay by his side.

"I understand your motives. I just -" Cora looked down at their feet. Her green Converse shoes stood in stark contrast to his shiny, black leather shoes. "wish you hadn't lied to me. I can take things like this, you know. We're supposed to be a team."

"I'm not used to being in a team, I'm afraid."

This time Severus dared to take her hand in his and he squeezed it lightly. "But I'd like to be."

Cora nodded. She still couldn't get herself to look into his eyes. But her hand in his, felt good though.

"This marriage-thing isn't easy, huh?"

"No it's not."

For a little while they just stood there, holding hands and studying their feet. Then all of a sudden, Cora chuckled.

"What?"

"At least you won't pass out the next time we're having sex."

"I did not pass out!" he said defensively, but didn't miss the glint in her eyes.

"It wasn't far from it," Cora retorted and smiled cheekily up at him.

"Well, you try having sex after being cursed." He stepped closer to her, as if threatening to actually do so.

Cora didn't budge an inch. She held her ground and raised a daring eyebrow up at him. "We should test that. Maybe you're still under the curse."

She felt her pulse raise when she saw the ravenous look in his eyes. She didn't know where her courage came from, but he didn't seem to mind her being blunt. He picked up one of her brown locks and playfully twisted it between his fingers.

"It's not Friday," he said, not meeting her gaze. As if to give her the chance to back out of it.

"I know."

Severus smiled lightly. Then he placed a hand on her lower back and pulled her slowly closer. He didn't know if it was the potion, her beauty or that they were friends again, that did it, but he had to have her.

"Well then, to quote my wife: let's get to work," he said, before placing a kiss on her lips. He continued to deepen it, as they stumbled towards the bedroom. It felt good to have his strength back again.

As her husband ripped her shirt off, then tossed her skirt in the corner, Cora worked her way through his clothes.

When he tossed her on the bed, and then crawled on top of her, kissing her neck and caressing her body, she felt something she'd never felt before.

Butterflies.