Potions and Snitches
Snape and Harry Gen Fanfiction Archive

Author's Chapter Notes:
For this chapter I always had planned to do a little plot update, so it worked out well that it falls after my little hiatus. I'm a visual person, so I went through and created the Chalkboard that you'll read about in the second scene. To see it, you can go to the following website: https://flic.kr/p/2ndPbiL

DISCLAIMER: In the last scene I reference the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion. I wasn't able to find any canon references to it, so I went with the ingredients discussed on this site: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-ingredients-of-Wolfsbane-potions-and-how-are-they-made
The Cave

~~~~SS~~~~

Wednesday, 26 November 1997

The cave felt colder and damper than usual that night. It was almost as if it knew this night would forever live in the back of Severus's subconscious waiting for the right time to surface and it needed to stand out from the rest.

Over the time in his service, the young Death Eater tried hard not to put too much thought into how the Dark Lord selected his victims for this specific location - in choosing who received the 'honor' of this smaller, more intimate, more intense gathering compared to the more public summons. Until that night, he never felt the desire to unravel the complicated threads of the Dark Lord's decisions: which Death Eaters to summon, where to hold his victims, what fueled his latest raid. But as he stared down at the bound young muggle woman writhing in pain caused by the near constant stream of curses, the questions effortlessly floated into his mind. Why her? What had she done to earn herself this torture? Most importantly, how did her pain bring them closer to their goal of magical supremacy?

Once upon a time, Severus took enjoyment in seeing the muggles succumb to his magical powers. Back then, every muggle lying on the cold ground carried the face of Tobias Snape. It gave him ample opportunities to metaphorically show his late father what magic could do while simultaneously releasing his pent up aggression for the man. Except gradually, his vision of greasy black hair morphed into a soft auburn, then the angry black eyes became brilliant green ones until he could no longer deny challenging his views against muggleborns… and then muggles. Soon, even Lily's face dissipated, leaving behind the true faces of terror on their victims. What did torturing these people - in private, no less - do to free them from their life of secrecy? Eventually, his curses became weaker, and he hoped for a quick death for their victim.

"M-mar..." the bound muggle incoherently mumbled, a hint of her heavy French accent still recognizable through her pain.

Grateful for his custom mask to hide behind, Severus stared down at her, wishing it was the right time to end her misery in a flash of bright green light. But, unfortunately for her, they had a long night ahead of them.

"Sectumsempra!"

Severus jolted awake at the exact moment his body tumbled onto his bedroom's hard stone floor, his flannel pyjamas clinging to his body over a thin sheen of sweat. Lost somewhere between the cave and Hogwarts, the former Death Eater frantically peered around the room to get his bearings straight. A dream. A nightmare. No, a memory… an awful memory he hoped to keep hidden forever.


Suffocatingly sandwiched between an overly ambitious Arthur Weasley and a bored-looking Minerva, Severus fought off an oncoming headache as he impatiently waited for Albus to finally adjourn their 'New Order' meeting. On the outside, he left his typical stoic expression on display for his colleagues, but on the inside, his focus kept wandering back into the memory his subconscious forced him to relive as he slept.

Despite his best efforts to push them away, as the day dragged on, the nagging feeling inside of him refused to dissipate. What could have triggered such a specific memory to resurface from the locked depths of his mind? It'd been years since he dreamt of the cave, so to have not only one, but two, appear in a matter of months could not be coincidental. Given the timing of the body found in the cave, the first one after the flood made sense, but it'd been weeks since the Prophet's deep dive into the history of the damn cave. He'd had no reason to discuss it, or his own history within its damp, stone walls, not like when he answered Harry's dozen questions when the authorities identified the body - Caroline Jennois, Severus reminded himself - found there. If the memory occurred then, its reappearance would make more sense. Understanding its context was-

"Severus?"

The sudden sound of his name violently pulled Severus out of his troubled thoughts, causing the room to nauseatingly materialize before his very eyes. Albus stood in front of his desk, his hands clasped tightly behind his back, waiting for Severus's answer to a question he clearly had not heard. To make the situation worse, based on the headmaster's tense tone, and the other four attendees staring at him, this also hadn't been the Headmaster's first attempt to get the professor's attention.

"My apologies," Severus flatly replied. "Could you please repeat the question?"

To his credit, Albus kept any disapproving comments to himself, something Severus felt eternally grateful for. "I asked your opinion on Auror Samson's findings." He condescendingly swept his hand across the board. "Do you need him to go through his thorough update again?"

Severus scoffed. Had the information Samson presented been anywhere near as thorough as Albus suggested, his mind wouldn't have wandered. When he'd first walked into the office for the meeting, he foolishly hoped to get some kind of decent, collaborative information out of the gathering - after all, that was the purpose of having them. However, it quickly became apparent that between the six members, sadly, he was the most informed.

"No, Albus," He sternly answered, "I don't need to be caught up on the minute details."

Color coded in yellow, to stand out against the information presented in their first meeting, Severus reviewed the new measly pieces Samson reported on less than fifteen minutes ago. It didn't surprise Severus in the slightest to see the Three Broomsticks officially linked after the DMLE discovered the same dissolving spell signature embedded on the splintered wood of the fallen staircase. Regardless of him already believing the attack on his students to be related - the crooked stairs had to be held up by at least a dozen different structural enchantments prior to its collapse - it felt like a big step forward. Understandably, having one location where the spell was used meant nothing on its own. The DMLE could still argue two as coincidental, so to have three - Diagon Alley, the Slytherin Common Room, and the Three Broomsticks - out of four incidents where at least one student was involved could not be denied as a pattern. The purpose, though, remained a mystery; one Severus planned to investigate particularly closely.

With nothing else to add to the Three Broomsticks, he moved onto the Obcasio permit and its denial by the Unspeakables. This was where Severus expected to gain a more in-depth look at what Kingsley mentioned in his letter on Sunday - specifically the DMLE's theory on how the substance ended up on the Slytherin Dungeon windows. Unfortunately, Samson's information not only didn't touch on the magical sand's mysterious journey into the school, it didn't even provide any extra details for Severus beyond Kingsley's missive.

"Outside of being severely disappointed by the DMLE's pathetic amount uncovered in over a month, I have no questions about it."

"That was quite unnecessary, Severus," Albus admonished, with just enough of a smile to tell Severus he felt equally frustrated by their lack of progress. "Do you have anything to add? If not, this will be a rather succinct meeting."

As much as Severus wanted to leave to get ready to give Mae her first real taste of the Wizarding World, he'd be no better than Samson if he didn't bring his own information forward. He flicked his wand at the board to add Dr Taylor as a subject to the right of Jugson Gibbons.

"Dr Taylor is a muggle surgeon at the same hospital that treated Jugson and Gibbons after their attack," he slowly explained. "I also know he witnessed the attack on them as well as helped transport the pair to AE."

Albus's eyes lit up at the connection to the missing Death Eaters. "Samson, please consider speaking to the muggle liaison office about Dr Taylor-"

"Since when do you tell me how to do my job?"

"I'm merely making a suggestion, seeing as Severus uncovered-

"He's dead," Severus loudly announced to stop the petty arguments from increasing his impending headache. "He had… an incident… walking home through a construction site. A scaffold, of all things, collapsed onto him. Sound familiar?"

The group collectively nodded. Albus connected his name to the missing Death Eaters and then to the Three Broomsticks.

"I think we're going too far in saying it's related to the staircase," Samson challenged. "If it were truly a muggle worksite, the scaffolding had no reason to be supported by magical enchantments. It makes the dissolving spell worthless and coincidental, at best."

"I have to agree," Arthur Weasley hesitantly spoke up. "We almost never see muggle objects enchanted in such a way, mostly because it'd be too obvious. If a structure meant to hide in muggles' view was held together like the stacks on Diagon Alley, there'd be some major questions asked. Take the Tower of Pisa, for example. Muggles all over the globe flock to a phenomenon unknowingly created by our structure charms. If things like that happened all the time… well, there'd be no need for the Statute of Secrecy any longer."

Arthur had no way of knowing how much his statement would relate to Severus's evening. How would Mae react to seeing structures defying her knowledge of gravity? Had he properly eased her into what to expect in a matter of hours? What if she shunned his world, in a way too similar to his father? Suddenly, the cave memory didn't seem as random as he first thought.

"For what it's worth," Minerva said, "I see plenty of reasons to keep the muggle healer on the board. Perhaps between now and our next meeting, the Aurors will find out more about the circumstances of his untimely death."

Samson grunted at the cheap shot taken.

"There is also a possibility the muggle doctor is not a muggle," Severus added, then explained how the muggle authorities positively identified Dr Taylor emptying his bank accounts while the real Dr Taylor performed surgery at the hospital.

In the end, they unanimously agreed to keep Taylor listed, but removed the bridge between him and the Three Broomsticks, pending further investigation. Samson assured the team he'd check on the status of the case and Arthur offered to check if they received any reports of suspicious activity surrounding the construction site. If neither of those amounted to a concrete conclusion, Albus would then remove Taylor's branch from their ever-growing chart, claiming 'we need to stay as focused as possible'; as if Severus could ever forget that fact.

"Anything further, Severus?"

"Yes," he slowly said, unsure how to present his last piece of information in a way least likely to get Draco or Greyback killed. Although there'd be no mourning on his part if the werewolf mysteriously disappeared, he needed to protect Draco at all costs. And so, he made the split second decision to withhold their names. "I have it on good authority that we should investigate the circumstances of Talpin's and Ash's deaths in Azkaban."

"Good authority, huh?" Samson mocked. "I can't imagine which blonde haired, former prisoner you're referring to."

"Neither," Severus menacingly snapped. "And if you cannot respect my source's right to privacy - to protect him or her from retaliation - then perhaps I should move on."

Ever the voice of reason, Arthur jumped in. "I think we can all agree we don't want any harm to come to someone willing to help us out, no matter their status, especially if it might put the person in harm's way."

A pregnant pause elapsed before the auror grumbled, "Continue."

"There's not much more to add." Severus leaned back in his chair to casually rest his right ankle on his left knee. "My informant alluded to poisoning - one with a very subtle smell - during their meals."

This time, Albus was the one to get worked up. "Are you insinuating-"

"It's fine, Albus," Samson interrupted, arrogance pouring out of his words. "Every other week we have a guard accused of wanting to kill at least one prisoner... don't we all want to, right? It's a waste of time since they never come to fruition. I doubt this will either... but I'll bring it up the ladder."

"Thank you," Albus too kindly said.

The rest of the meeting continued with little substance. More than ready to leave, Severus intended to dart out of the office as soon as Albus released them - having already decided he was in no state of mind to lobby for the Felix Felicis experiment to Lucius as originally planned. Unfortunately, the headmaster had a different idea for him.

"Severus, please stay behind," Albus announced after his serious reminder to owl him should anything of importance occur before their next rendezvous.

Sulking back in his chair, Severus watched his four colleagues collect their notes and make their way to the coveted exit, reminding Severus of his school days back when Minerva - or Professor McGonagall back then - inevitably asked him to stay behind to lecture him on his abhorrent behavior towards Black or Potter Senior. As far as he knew, she never addressed the same issues with them, however he ignored the fact that if placed in her position, he'd likely reprimand his Slytherins in private.

Neither Severus nor Albus said a word to each other until Albus magically rearranged his office back into its usual configuration and he moved into the horribly uncomfortable chairs in front of his employer's desk.

"Is everything alright?" Severus asked, his face set in stone to hide his growing concern. "My Slytherins-

"-Are just fine, Severus," Albus interjected. His eyes shifted down to a small stack of parchment on the upper left-hand corner of his desk; the one closest to where Severus sat. "I asked you to stay behind to discuss a matter of more... personal... nature."

Curiosity piqued, Severus peered down at the parchment in question, taking notice of a bright white muggle style envelope laying upside down on the top. There were several logical reasons the Headmaster at a school for magic might receive post in a muggle envelope, but only two which related to him in a personal nature: Harry's medical situation or the adoption.

"Go on," Severus urged.

A satisfied smile appeared on Albus's wrinkled face. He ceremoniously picked up the muggle envelope - giving Severus a clear view of the unnecessary postage stamp as he flipped it over - to pull out a handwritten letter. "I received a very interesting piece of post from a Mr Silas Elms requesting an official statement as a personal reference in your adoption of Harry." he paused. "Harry Potter."

"Is there another Harry I'd be petitioning to adopt?"

He hadn't meant to sound so harsh, however, he let his question stand.

"Of course not, my boy." Albus pushed the paper to Severus, then folded his hands casually on the desk to wait for Severus to read it. Not that he doubted the other wizard's word since he'd listed Albus - as well as Minerva, Molly and Arthur, and Lucius - as a potential reference, he simply wished he would have been able to give some advanced notice to his references ahead of his solicitor's formal request.

Besides the official request to speak on behalf of Severus's ability to parent a teenage boy, the envelope also enclosed a letter outlining the requirements for agreeing to be a reference: including, but not limited to a written explanation of his relationship to Severus, a physical visit to Elmwood's muggle office in London, and an appearance at the muggle courts prior to the final proceedings. To Severus, it wasn't an insignificant amount of work - especially for Molly and Arthur, who, ironically, had almost no contact with the muggle world. As someone who considered himself a self-sufficient man, he became increasingly uncomfortable at the commitment he was asking his colleagues… his friends… to make for him.

"If this is too demanding-" he began, but was, once again, cut off by the headmaster, raising his hand in defense.

"I will gladly make this, and any other request available to your solicitor," Albus stated. "Before I do, though, I wanted to get more insight into a change of this gravity."

"Neither of us needs your permission," Severus reminded the other wizard. "Your interests in Harry appropriately vanished with Voldemort's demise."

"I'm afraid that's where you're mistaken." Albus held up the missive, scanning it as if it contained the answers to every unsolved mystery in the world. "I care about the boy, and I want to be sure your intentions behind this are serving the right person."

Despite his own wavering opinion on the subject, when challenged, Severus didn't hesitate to stand up - metaphorically and physically, against Albus's suggestion.

"Because Mrs Figg - of all people - is a more suitable alternative?! She's barely seen him! Hell, Lupin during a full moon would have been a better suited guardian. At least he'd make up for his ineptitude during the other three weeks of the month!" Severus's booming voice, combined with the crash of his upturned chair slamming into the stone floor, sent the two returned portraits scurrying out of their frames.

Albus mirrored Severus's stance. "She served a purpose," he justified. "I think we can both agree that at the time of his relatives' deaths, she was the best option Harry had for a quick muggle guardian."

No matter how much he wanted to, Severus knew hitting the wizard in front of him wouldn't help in the end. "Harry needed stability," he hissed through his clenched jaw, "someone he could rely on... someone to love him!"

"None of which he trusted you to provide when I decided on his guardianship." The silence that followed - validating the truth in Albus's statement - was almost unbearable. "And I'd go a step further to say that at the time you did not truly see this Harry for the child he is now. You've both come a long way in the past eighteen months, Severus, but are you sure you want this adoption as much for Harry's benefit as your own?"

Severus emitted a low growl. "If you think I haven't considered that question before starting the process, you don't know me - or Harry - as much as you claim to."

"If it helps, I've already written my official recommendation to support the adoption - with emphasis on your ability to care for Harry long after Mrs Figg's guardianship has ceased. I plan on sending it off to Mr Elmwood's office tonight," Albus offered, though the sentiment seemed too little, too late. He'd already cast his doubt on Severus's intentions.

Wary, the younger professor asked, "Then why did you put me through all of this if you made your decision?"

"Like I said, I care very much for you and Harry." Albus chose his words carefully. "As such, I want to be certain neither of you are going to regret making a lifelong decision based on his current circumstances and the threat of a limited window of which to act."

To this, Severus remained silent. What else could he say to defend his actions? He'd challenged himself over the same concept, but knowing where this version of Harry fell in his heart, nothing else mattered.

"Have you told Molly?" Albus asked right as Severus reached for the knob leading to his freedom. "You know, she's always thought of Harry as one of her own. I'm sure the news will be the definition of bittersweet to her."

This time, Severus did not turn around, unwilling to be dragged back into the depths of a conversation he didn't think he could handle.

"Then she should have beaten me to it," Severus growled. "She only had five bloody years."

With those parting words, he threw the door open more forcefully than needed, never once considering looking back, where he would have seen the satisfied smile upon his mentor's face.


"Is there a reason why you're pacing around here like a trapped Cornish Pixie?" Harry pointedly asked as Severus walked - paced, although he refused to admit it - across his sitting room for at least the sixth time.

Although there were plenty of perfectly logical reasons for his nervous actions - the haunting memory of last night, the pointless Order meeting, or Albus's unnecessary antics towards the adoption - he felt embarrassed to admit the true reason: his date with Mae in less than a half hour. He'd only get one chance to prevent Mae from fearing magic and for that, he needed to have a clear head to safely transport them into the Leaky Cauldron. Should he splinch either of them, she'd never be able to keep an open mind regarding it, no matter what other wonderful magical things he showed her. So naturally, Harry's harsh assessment of Severus's actions didn't exactly help his fraying nerves in the slightest.

Curled up on his side on the sofa watching two enchanted soldiers in a battle on the table in front of his face, Harry jumped at the sudden noise of Severus firmly dropping a Potions Journal he moved, unnecessarily, from his bedside table to the sitting-room table.

"I do not appreciate your commentary," Severus growled. Desperate for a distraction, Severus peered down at the two figures who made no move at the addition of the journal into their makeshift arena. "These are new," Severus said. "From Draco?"

"Neville, actually."

Unable to stop himself, Severus's eyebrows rose in pure shock. He would have gone through the entire school - muggleborns included - before guessing Neville Longbottom owned a set of Dueling Duos.

"Calm down," Harry scoffed, misunderstanding Severus's reason for concern. "The box was still sealed when he dropped 'em off. They were right angry, too… at being left in there for years."

A disappointed sigh accidentally escaped Severus's throat. Deep down, the professor had little doubt that had Longbottom actually used the set, his defense skills would be more on par with Harry and Draco's. For as hard of a time as he gave the self-conscious boy, in the last two years, he showed how his spell work far exceeded Severus's expectations.

"I can imagine they were none too pleased. These were quite popular back when you were-" he did some mental math, "- about six, I'd say… and honestly, I'm surprised the charms are still holding."

A comfortable silence fell between the two wizards as they watched the soldiers circle around the table. At almost random, one of them lifted his wand, but they casted no spells.

"Draco had several sets of these. He used to set up battlefields down the Manor corridors." Severus randomly offered, lost in the memory of the blonde-haired boy trying to convince the generals to protect his bedroom threshold. "His strategy in utilizing each soldier's strength at only eight was quite frightening."

"I'll be sure to ask him about it someday," Harry laughed. "I don't know about putting them in battles, though. These guys don't seem to know much or do anything really interesting."

"I suspect not." Severus chuckled. "They were designed for children, after all. I doubt you'll see much more than expelliarmus, incarcerous, or maybe a stupefy if it's getting heated."

"Hey now!" Harry exclaimed, obviously feigning insult. "There's nothing wrong with expelliarmus. If you remember, you're the one who taught us it."

"I recall the lesson well," Severus said just above a whisper.

Together they watched one soldier pull open the journal cover to use it as a shield against the other's weak, oddly blue colored spells, neither speaking. The spells changed from blue to yellow to red, finally burning a hold straight through the parchment cover, knocking down the cowered one to finish the duel.

"I told you they're not very good," Harry mumbled. "But they've been entertaining, so I keep them going."

Harry sat up so he could reach the two figures to place them back into the position required to trigger a duel. The moment his fingertips released, they took a step away from each other, turned, then began the show again, using the journal shield much faster this time around.

"So, why are you so nervous tonight?" Harry asked, though neither lifted their head to address the other. "I thought you and Mae were having dinner. You're not meeting her parents, or something, are you? She has a brother, right?"

"No!" Severus blurted out, the mere thought of meeting her family on top of the worry over his magic caused him to momentarily falter. Regaining his composure, he calmly added, "I am not meeting her father tonight, nor any other member of her family, thank Merlin."

The former spy saw right through Harry's fake shrug. The idea of him pretending not to care in hope of Severus explaining the real reason to fill the awkward gap elicited a strange combination of pride at his attempted cunningness and sadness over his obvious nature.

Eventually, Severus caved, although more out of his respect for Harry, than from the pressured silence. "I'm taking her to Diagon Alley tonight."

Harry's snide smirk made him instantly regret his decision to confide in the Gryffindor. "Can they find out she's a muggle?"

"They, who?"

"I don't know…" Harry frowned as he shifted himself into a more relaxed position on the sofa with his right arm draped over the back and the left resting on his stomach. "Anyone you pass? Tom at the Leaky Cauldron? The Prophet? The bloody Ministry? Scrimgeour, maybe? They won't be able to know she's a muggle, right?"

"No." Severus confidently answered. "There is no detection system to weed out the muggles from the magical. How would muggleborns get their school books and such?"

As odd as the inquiry might have sounded, it had its merits. Over the past few days Severus spent too many hours thinking about how to best handle the inevitable gossip surrounding their sighting, coming up with several horrible solutions from pretending they were business colleagues to disguising themselves in glamours. In the end, while he worried about Mae's safety, he equally didn't want her first impression of his world to be fear - something that would be impossible to prevent if he told her anything about the potential Death Eater threat. It meant at some point the Prophet would discover her plainly non-magical family tree, but it'd take them time to get there, time he intended to use to his advantage such as solving this damn possible Death Eater dilemma. And if push came to shove, he had no qualms about asking Lucius for help to keep her out of the papers, even if it meant being indebted to the man once more. There were no two better people to use that level of a favour on.

"You'll be out for the night, then?" Harry asked. The time of his voice combined with the slight reddening of his cheeks made Severus think twice about answering honestly.

"It's a possibility," he carefully replied. "Do you have something planned tonight?"

"Not sure yet," Harry said while running his finger around the threads in the blanket on his lap; obviously trying to hide his true intentions. "Hermione's already been panicking over end-of-year exams, so she's practically locked the lot of 'em up in the library. I figured I might stop by later if I'm feeling up to it."

Severus squinted down at the teen, wishing he could focus on the hint of mischief in his voice rather than the dark circles outlining his bright green eyes. Like every other month of his treatment, the week of his steroids left Harry agitated, restless, and although Severus never caught the Gryffindor awake at any odd hours of the night, he suspected he suffered from his typical insomnia as well. He probably shouldn't be going out, yet when facing his upcoming inpatient treatment, 'shouldn'ts' needed to be given a little more flexibility. Plus, if Severus was eventually going to be Harry's father, he wanted to respect and trust the young wizard to know his limits since the last - and most important - person to sign off on the adoption would be Harry himself.


The first time Severus ever walked into Diagon Alley, the engulfing magic amazed him as much as any muggleborn student. Growing up in the muggle world, the Ministry of Magic restricted his mother's use of it to inside their home, and unless used to benefit himself, Tobias's fists taught her to limit its use even further. This meant Severus had a tiny view of the true capabilities of his world as a whole, so seeing it used around every corner was a memory he'd truly never really forget.

With no previous reason prior to receiving his letter to visit the Wizarding marketplace, young Severus did not know what to expect when the bricks behind the Leaky Cauldron moved to give him his first sweeping view of the bustling, topsy-turvy street. Despite him wanting to, he and his mother didn't stay long - just enough to get his wand, robes, plus the few supplies his mother didn't have left over from her own Hogwarts days - but in that short time knew he belonged in their world. It certainly helped that his father never took advantage of the exception he'd receive as a muggle to accompany his magical wife and son to Diagon Alley. Not that Severus ever wanted the man to. He wanted - no, he needed - to keep his two worlds as far apart as possible.

Years two through five, Severus tagged alongside the Evans when they took the trip for Lily's supplies. Even if he didn't always need to replenish his measly item, he never turned down the chance to get out of Cokeworth for a few hours, spend as much time with Lily as possible, and heckle Petunia's complete disgust at every turn. After his falling out with Lily in their fifth year, going back to the bustling street never felt the same and in his final two years, the last thing he wanted was to be surrounded by buzzing school kids; particularly the astonished muggleborns. So, making his summer trip as efficient as possible, he picked through every single school book his mother saved and used extension charms to unwisely extend his school robes.

Since then, whenever Severus found himself in Diagon Alley surrounded by gaping muggles or muggleborns, he purposefully scowled and grumbled at their foolishness. But tonight, he knew he'd be throwing away his old mantra as he found himself genuinely excited to see Mae's reaction to such a personal part of his life.

Much to Severus's relief, the night started out well by Mae not getting sick from their disapparation to an alleyway on Charing Cross Road. It seemed as good a sign as any for how the night might go, or at least Severus that's what he thought until they arrived at the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and Mae stopped abruptly on the pavement.

"I'm not going in there," she decidedly refused. Her arms tightly crossed against her black wool coat emphasized her hard stance on the issue.

Momentarily confused, Severus peered at the same old building he'd been entering for decades. Staring almost in a trance, he felt embarrassed that it took him longer than it should have to understand the issue: to Mae, a pure muggle, the building would look decrepit and condemnable - an oversight on his part in planning out their date. In an effort not to draw even more attention to them, when their lack of movement caused a backup on the busy street filled with holiday shoppers, he took a hold of her elbow to move them over to the window of the bookstore framing the wizarding pub.

"Trust me, it's not as bad as it looks." Even as he said the words, his explanation sounded dubious. "There are… things… in place to make it appear unappealing to… people like you."

"People like me, huh?"

He shifted his weight nervously. "I can't speak freely out here, but if you come inside, I'll be able to explain it all in more detail."

"Severus," he winced at her use of his full given name, "I'm a woman who's lived on my own for over a decade now. Do you really think telling me to follow you into an abandoned, probably unsafe building so you can explain everything to me is going to help ease my mind?"

"You do trust me, right?"

She took his hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Of course I do, but this… it's asking a lot."

Any other time, he would've commended her on her cautious nature, especially considering she knew the 'crowds' he used to associate with were dodgy, at best. Now faced with the decision to make, Severus stealthily pulled his wand out of his muggle jacket to nonverbally cast muffliato.

"What'd you just do?!" His girlfriend demanded, her right hand slipping from his left.

In response, Severus lifted his hands - his wand stowed back in his jacket - to show he had nothing to hide.

"It's a privacy spell," he hurriedly explained. "It causes everyone around us to hear a muffled, buzzing sound rather than our conversation. Now we may speak freely."

Still unsure, Mae peered around at the unaware patrons walking past them. "How do you know it worked?"

Unable to stop himself, Severus gave a small chuckle. "I created it myself."

"Of course you did. How many more of these-" she waved her hand at his chest, gesturing to his wand, "-things have you created? And you can just do that? Make more? Like it's nothing?"

"Spells," he corrected. "Or charms will also suffice. And no, they're difficult to make, yet not impossible if one studies the proper subjects. Now would you like an explanation on the pub so we may continue, or would you rather stay out here all night?"

Her eyes squinted like she was trying to be angry at his bluntness, but her slightly upturned lips told a different story.

"Fine," she conceded. "Tell me why I should follow you into the creepy building."

Severus shook his head. "For one, what you see is an illusion. It's an enchantment - spell - to alter its appearance so that muggles won't bother entering."

"Well, it's working."

Seeing no faster way out of it, Severus took the next ten minutes to remind her, in detail, about how secretive the Wizarding World had to remain. Although more reluctantly than he would've liked, she eventually agreed to accompany him into the building; a decision he knew she quickly regretted - based on the tight squeeze of her hand in his - when they walked through the door. The walk to the back of the pub never felt so long for the professor. As expected, the couple drew attention from nearly every witch and wizard in the building. And while only Tom officially greeted them, the whispers surrounding them were enough to leave Severus concerned. What if he focused too much on Mae's reaction to the Wizarding World that he miscalculated the Wizarding World's reaction to her? Did he literally put a target on her back when they walked hand-in-hand through the door?

Don't think like that, Severus.

Thankfully, Mae's apprehension practically melted away when the first bricks moved to give her the first glimpse of Diagon Alley; making Severus breathe a bit easier as well.

"This is impossible!" She exclaimed, almost dragging him through the opening into the street. "It can't be real. I have to be dreaming."

Her absolute awe when they entered the street gave Severus a chill he'd never experienced before. It felt close to Harry's reaction when he saw the sea for the first time, but in a very different - much more personal - way. Acceptance. Her acceptance of his identity was unique to their relationship. Her acceptance of him began to finally heal the wound he created in himself by almost ending their relationship.

Mae's widened eyes never stayed in one place for long as they strolled the nearly empty streets. In an almost childlike manner, they moved from the moving book covers on display in the Flourish and Blotts window to the latest broom model levitating in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. Her excitement grew the further they went. The reality of their situation sank in sometime between Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - where, gratefully, Mae didn't ask to go in - and the Apothecary when Severus noticed the stares they elicited from the few patrons they passed. Lost in the magic surrounding her, Mae either didn't notice or care, but with each stare or whisper, Severus became more nervous. In a protective move, he gently placed his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder and, oblivious to his animosity, she snuggled into his arms. In response, Severus placed a small kiss on the top of her head- hating to end their embrace by his next move.

"If it's alright with you," he whispered, grabbing her attention away from the surrounding sights, "I thought we'd get my shopping out of the way, and then have a late dinner."

"You were serious about needing supplies?"

"Of course I was." He smiled down at her. "Why on Earth would you think I'd lie?"

She rolled her eyes, an act he found endearing only when done by her.

"Oh, I don't know?" She pushed off his shoulder to spin around on the cobblestone street, her arms outstretched. "Maybe because you thought you needed to make up a reason to bring me here?"

He pulled her back into his arms. "I'm not normally that subtle."

"Ha!" She snorted. "I don't believe that for a second. But yes, we can do your grocery shopping…" she trailed off, never finishing whatever sarcastic remark she had queued up on her tongue.

It seemed for the first time since they stopped in front of the potions shoppe, she noticed the fresh bat wings hanging in the window - the same window which shattered to pieces on the day of the Diagon Alley attack; when he assumed Harry's raw magic had somehow been involved. He closed his eyes to push aside the awful memory.

"If this is too much, I can make a separate trip back here next week," he offered. Not getting the ingredients that night would cut the deadline for Lupin's Wolfsbane closer than he'd like, but regardless of the lower than normal crowds, Severus refused to leave her alone no matter how fast he theoretically could get his required items.

The offer, though, seemed to have the opposite effect, and her face steeled as she pulled the door open. "Do you have any idea of the things I've seen throughout my years at work? After you, Mr Snape."

The little bell above the threshold rang as they entered, and Severus released a breath when the wizard behind the counter - the same former Hufflepuff student Severus saw when he met Kingsley there - paid them no attention. The fewer people noticed him in Mae's company, the better.

"So what're you shopping for, Professor?" Mae asked, walking slightly ahead of Severus. Without a hint of hesitation, she picked up a jar of prepackaged Newt Eyes off the shelf to her right, almost dropping it after she read the label. "Wait, a minute! Eye of Newt exists? Now I feel like I've been lied to my entire life. What's it used for?

Severus grabbed the jar to examine the floating orbs held in a thick yellow jelly. "They're most commonly used as a substitute for eel's eyes in the pediatric Bulgeye Potion."

Mae's face paled. "Does it actually…" instead of finishing her sentence, she pinched her fingers in front of her eye, widening them slowly.

"Yes, it actually causes the patient's eyes to swell," he explained. "And seeing as a newt's eyes are smaller than an eel's, it creates less pressure, therefore making it less likely to over inflate a smaller eyeball like a child's."

"You're having me on, right?" Severus shook his head. "When would anyone want to do that?"

Severus placed the jar back on the shelf to focus his attention on Mae. "Although we can heal most any ailment with magic," he started, "it doesn't mean we don't need help in the process. Should a child find his or her cornea or sclera damaged, a healer can repair it more accurately by enlarging the surface. Under the right conditions, it's not unheard of for a healer to repair the optic nerve using a Bulgeye Potion."

The impact of his words weren't lost on the muggle nurse. She understood how such a thing would be impossible for even the best muggle optometrist. But her optimism was short-lived, and a moment later her face fell.

"But you can't cure cancer?" She quietly asked.

He wanted to say no until he thought about his work at the laboratory. Someday, he hoped to make the right breakthrough and change it. "We have our limitations," he went with instead. "We also cannot cure anything damaged by Dark Magic, no matter what body part is affected."

Instinctively, she glanced down at his left forearm, apparently deciding not to ask the logical question Severus assumed would come next: what exactly is Dark Magic?

"You never answered me," she said, taking off down the dark aisle ahead of him. "If it's not Eye of Newt, what are you shopping for?"

"Powdered Silver, Dittany, and Valerian root out here," he rattled off the ingredients to Lupin's Wolfsbane, simultaneously measuring Powdered Moonstone from the bulk jar into a medium-sized phial. "And then we'll get the… Aconite-" at the last second he went with Wolfsbane's technical name to avoid bringing in the idea of werewolves, "-behind the counter. It's not available to merely anyone because of its high value."

She nodded, however Severus doubted she made heads from tails on the list.

"And you know what to do with all those… things?"

He intently glared at her, watching his every move. "Seeing as a good… friend… trusts me to make this particular potion for him each month, I hope I know what to do with all these ingredients."

Mae's curiosity about the unique ingredients and products continued throughout the entirety of their time in the shop. Regardless of how much faster their trip might have been without her near constant inquiries, Severus enjoyed explaining his decision to go with the silver stir bar over the brass to replace his old pitted one, and the few benefits lost when buying the pre-ground Valerian Root in order to save him processing time next week. By the time they approached the till, their relationship crossed a promising threshold. One where he no longer had to hide his true identity.

"Did he just use a quill to write out your order?" Mae slyly whispered into Severus's ear after the young Hufflepuff - Liam, Severus finally recalled - left the till to package up his Wolfsbane.

Severus nodded, a sly smile forming. He loved her inquisitive mind.

"But why?" She asked. "There has to be a better alternative. Like a pencil, maybe?"

"Certainly you've noticed the more simplistic lives we live?" Severus motioned to the lanterns above them.

"You mean old-fashioned," Mae teased. "You all live like you're still in the Dark Ages… except you have a really cool talent."

"Not being able to use electricity en masse has limited our ability to advance at the same rate as the rest of the world." Severus chuckled at her arched eyebrow; not buying his reasoning. "There are some families who choose to live in the non-magical world. Most are half-bloods, like myself, who have a magical and a muggle parent or muggleborns… a magical child born to two non-magical parents. For example, Harry and I both attended a muggle primary school until we moved to Hogwarts at eleven, so we have a solid foundation in your world-"

"You're all set, Professor," Liam interrupted, returning to the till clutching a brown pouch in his hand. "We could barely fulfill the amount of Wolfsbane- '' Severus winced at Mae's side glare, "-this time around. I've made a note for my uncle to increase our stocking quantity unless you don't expect to keep buying it as regularly as you have this year."

"I appreciate you keeping stock in it," Severus grudgingly answered. No matter how much Severus hated brewing Wolfsbane, he saw no logical end to his commitment towards Lupin on Harry's behalf.

Liam beamed at his former Potion Master's approval. "That'll be seventy Galleons, eight Sickles, and fourteen Knuts."

Severus pulled his money pouch out of his cloak pocket, feeling Mae's gaze upon him when they clicked and clanged, but stopped short of removing any of the coins.

"Shouldn't that be sixty-seven Galleons and change?" He suspiciously asked. "I added two stir bars and pre-ground Valerian Root to my usual sixty galleon order."

The clerk's hand twitched anxiously on the top of the wooden counter while reviewing the parchment receipt. "O-oh, I see the problem," he stuttered a moment later. "The price of the Moonstone went up this month. Something about a missing shipment or two a fortnight ago. Had you come in last week, you'd have paid the old price, but today… well…"

Severus gave the frigidity wizard a once over, then counted his exact change and almost silently slid the coins to him.

"What went on in there?" Mae exclaimed no sooner than the door to the Apothecary closing behind them; the crisp winter air greeting them back into Diagon Alley. "Were those gold coins-"

"The same as the one you picked up from Harry's hospital room floor?" Severus finished her sentence for her. "Yes, they were. It's part of our currency. Harry's friend - a witch born to two muggle parents, I might add - added enchantments to a set of them for Harry and his friend to use them to message back and forth."

"Like email?" Mae's eyes brightened, amazed at the beneficial use of magic.

Although puzzled by the term, Severus agreed for simplicity's sake. "To clarify my actions towards the young wizard in there, the products I purchased-"

"And then shrunk."

"Then shrunk," he patted his magically extended pocket containing the items, "are part of a routine potion I brew. It's already a costly one the recipient can hardly afford, therefore the increased cost will most likely come at my expense."

Her voice softened. "So you make this… medication… knowing the patient can't afford it?" Severus nodded. "Why?"

Severus asked himself the same thing, mid-brew, every month. Not wanting to bring up the details of Lupin's condition, he shrugged. "Like I said in there, he's a good friend. Plus, he's important to Harry's life and Harry's important to me."

Severus draped his arm around Mae's shoulders to guide them down the cobblestone street towards Theobold's Cafe and Tearoom -the same restaurant he had lunch with Nadine Walker on the day of the Diagon Alley attack.

Much to Severus's delight - particularly given his last memories dining in the establishment - dinner was a pleasant, uneventful affair. Mae fell in love with the moving pictures lining the quant dining room walls, drawing her attention to the surrounding room, as well as the attention of the other patrons to her. Loathe as he was to admit it, there was no other explanation for her blatant awe of magic than being muggle. Sitting across their small two person table tucked in the far corner of the room, near the picture window looking out onto the street, Severus knew he'd have to explain her blood status sooner rather than later.

A battle for another day - a phrase he said far too often lately was also one needed to live by or else he'd be easily overwhelmed.

Without a doubt, the part of the night Severus most enjoyed - the best part of his week, in fact - was the simple act of sitting across from his girlfriend and enjoying her company. As of late, their dates hardly counted since they were either at the hospital cafeteria or rushed between visits. And the night he went to her flat to apologize certainly didn't count. Therefore, if nothing else, Severus relished in the normalcy of evening and it helped him push aside everything brewing in his mind leading up to dinner.

Over their first glass of red wine, Mae spoke animatedly about the news she received from her brother the other day. Bobby and his wife, Lauren, found out their upcoming child was a daughter. Severus listened as Mae beamed in excitement at the reality of becoming an aunt and having a niece. The longer she spoke, the more her enthusiasm became infectious. It warmed Severus's heart so when the conversation shifted to him, he naturally stayed clear away from his own recent uncertainties. Instead, he focused on telling her every aspect of his dueling classes. He took pleasure in her wide variety of expressions as he introduced her to every magical creature he chose, found pride in his students when he answered how they fared against their creatures, and waved off her attempted praise over their success being a testament to his teaching. When it came time to order dinner, Mae's adventurous side showed up again. She looked past the more traditional English meals on the menu and chose Dragon Stew, only barely keeping a straight face while she ordered it. Severus always thought Dragon meat tasted rather gamey for his liking, so it made him nervous for her first literal taste of the magical world, but she enjoyed her meal, so he deemed it an overall success.

By the time they finished dinner, the temperature outside dropped at least five degrees and Mae reacted by snuggling deep into Severus's side. Not ready to end the night too soon, with a warm cup of tea in their hands, Severus turned them away from the Leaky Cauldron entrance to meander down the streets a little longer. When they reached the marble stones of Gringotts, Mae pushed off of him, and peered up at the beautiful structure.

"If I can get past all the stranger things I've seen tonight, like half of the items in the first store,this place really is amazing," she whimsically said over her shoulder when Severus approached her from behind. "I can see myself grabbing a book and a cup of tea, and just sitting on a bench pretending to read so I can secretly watch all the magic happening around me."

Severus smiled. After tonight, he had every intention of sitting there right beside her forever.

"So," Mae began as they walked arm in arm back towards The Leaky Cauldron, their date, unfortunately, coming to its end, "according to my diary, Harry's back in the hospital this weekend for his inpatient treatment, right?"

"Yes." The small notion of her having Harry's schedule marked in her schedule made his face heat in appreciation. "And hopefully, it's as uneventful as his first round of Cycle A. I don't think any of us can do another like his last one."

She bobbed her head in agreement, though, based on her slightly clenched jaw, Severus knew she was nervous about it. "He'll get another biopsy done too, then?" She quietly asked, almost afraid to broach the topic. "To see if he's reached remission?"

Suddenly, he stopped and, fueled by the awful memory of his breaking point at her flat after Harry's last biopsy, the air between them changed so fast, Severus almost brandished his wand, expecting to see dementors swarming the blackened sky.

"Yes. On Friday night, once we're checked in," his voice wavered slightly at what he knew he wanted to say next. "Listen, neither Harry nor I are good at admitting when we're scared… but the truth is… I know he's terrified to hear the results... and so am I. It'd be nice if you could be there… I know Harry would want you to be."

"And you?" Mae nervously chewed her lower lip, awaiting his answer. "Are you sure you want me there?"

"Yes," he said, never faltering, "I need you there, Mae. I've always needed you."

Her relieved expression calmed him in a way he found equally amazing and terrifying. To give someone so much power over him was still a foreign concept. Yet as soon as she wrapped her arms around his neck to bring herself in for a kiss, his feelings for her deepened to a level he never wanted to change.


Chapter End Notes:
Coming Up Next: Family

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