Never Piss Off a House-Elf

The Daily Wizard issued the next morning had the retraction on its front page. Hermione was a bit less than satisfied, but since Rita had at least done something, Hermione couldn't go back and hex the woman into oblivion. Severus learned from Satchel that Hermione wanted to do just that, though, and the resourceful little elf had managed to talk her out of it.


"The Miss wants to sees that Rita dead, Sir, but Satchel is being talking to her. Miss is not being hurting the other witch, now, Sir," Satchel had said smugly. Severus had been reading up on some obscure rose that only grew in caves when Satchel had arrived, crowing over his prowess in re-directing the Miss. He was not like other house-elves, and Severus wondered for a moment how different the elf would have been had he been placed in another family.


Probably would have turned into another Kreacher, Severus thought, shuddering. That particular elf even made Severus flinch. Elves didn't have the same restrictions that wizards and witches had, as their magic was old as time; Kreacher had performed some unmentionable acts for his treacherous family.


"Oh? And what did you say to the Miss to keep her from destroying Skeeter?" Severus asked, amused. Satchel really did find himself quite interesting and brilliant at times. It seemed to run in the household.


"Satchel is being telling the Miss that it would be hards to keeps the Master in lines iffen' she being in Azkaban," Satchel said, smiling. Severus sneered a the elf, whose ears flattened for a moment before he continued. "Maybe Miss should being here to keeps the Master in lines."


Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. He sorely wanted to hex the elf, just a bit, to remind him that he was back at the Manor, and technically was once again a servant to Severus himself, but he knew Hermione would be on him about it. He settled for glaring at Satchel instead, who just beamed back at him.


"Tell the Miss she should amuse herself today. I have work to do," Severus said, getting up from his chair. He'd played quite enough the last few days, between Headquarters, London, Diagon Alley, and the disastrous events from the Grangers to Skeeter's office. Satchel watched as his master left, sighing in relief at the empty room.


Miki appeared as soon as the coast was clear, her face bright and her eyes wide. She looked at Satchel, who shook his head. Miki hung her head and winked out of the room, away to wherever she went when she didn't want to be around Satchel. He sighed again, and he looked up to the ceiling.


"In-outie is good, but no-one is being warning Satchel about the after in-outie."

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Severus had retreated to his lab after the little back and forth with Satchel. The elf could be a bit unnerving. . . He had managed to get Miki on board with his plan to Slytherin-ize Hermione, but Satchel seemed to be on about Gryffindor-izing Severus. The thought terrified Severus for a moment, but he pushed it aside. He had more important things to worry about, like his project. Well, it was really more like two projects, twinned potions that Severus and Albus had been thinking about since Severus had become a spy for the Order.


Ever since Severus had realized the error of his ways, Albus had been on him about finding a away to hide or remove the Dark Mark that wizards and witches had taken, should they choose to return to the Side of Light. Severus and Albus knew that the Dark Mark shouldn't be removable, and the project had morphed over the years, until Severus had come up with a powdered potion that when tossed on a newly 'saved' Deatheater, it would use the Dark Mark itself to reveal whether or not the wizard or witch was reformed or trying to spy.


Now he was working on something to remove the Dark Mark from fully-reformed Deatheaters. The Marks on such wizards and witches had faded a wee bit with the fall of Voldemort, but they wanted to be fully rid of Mark of their mistakes. Severus in particular wanted to be rid of his Mark.


"It is my due for all those years of service. . . if the gods haven't seen fit to give me that respite, I shall tear it from their hands," Severus had invoked a Wizard's Oath with Albus as witness. Since that night, Severus had written yards, miles even, in notes on how to break down the magic that held the Mark to his body. He'd foolishly hoped that the end of Voldemort would be the end of the Mark, that it would continue to fade until it was no more, but as it stubbornly refused to leave, he stubbornly refused to give up on his potion.


The issue Severus was having was in stabilizing the potion when he added it to a base. The potion was toxic if ingested, but it was a strange consistency and would not stay where applied. He tried worm's wood root and fluxom bloom bases, but he was at loggerheads with the project. The potion would dissolve the first and solidify the other. There were more potent bases, but they would have to be accounted for in his brewing of Mark-dissolving potion. It was beginning to look impossible, and while Severus wanted to stop, his oath wouldn't let him.


"Damned bloody oaths. . ."

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Hermione was frustrated as well. She'd learned her way around the large house, and she'd finished all the work set her for the summer. She'd started noted in her new texts, and her things were disappearing at an alarming rate. She knew Satchel would never take her things and not return them, but she also didn't want to accuse Miki of stealing. She began to think that perhaps something else was afoot in the Manor, and she feared intruders and the like. Magical houses often had magical backdoors that new generations were never told about or that were lost to time.


She worked at her own tasks for a solid week while Severus worked on his own. They met for dinner most nights, but lunch and breakfast were usually singular affairs, with Miki and Satchel bringing food to each human whenever they knew Hermione or Severus needed the food. She knew on some level that she was lacking in human contact, but it didn't seem to bother her until her cell phone rudely went off as she was reading New Defense Against the Dark Arts Theory.


"Oi!" Hermione chirped into her phone as she flipped it open.


"So, the negligees and robes worked so well you haven't called me?" Raina's voice came through the line. Hermione almost dropped her phone. She'd completely forgotten about Raina's day off and the visit.


"Very funny, Raina. I've been absorbed in my books," Hermione tried to explain, but Raina just laughed her off.


"I'm well aware of that. Anyway, I ended up having to come into the store and cover for somebody that day. I wouldn't have been able to visit with you then," Raina said, and Hermione could hear things in the background. "I'm in Diagon Alley now. Care to join me?"


Hermione looked around. Miki and Satchel were off doing whatever they did when they weren't actively needed; probably getting their daily in-outie. Hermione winced at the thought; she was beginning to feel Severus's detachment quite keenly, though he would occasionally swoop in on her when she was in the music or drawing room, offering to take her outside for a bit of . . . recreation. He rarely spoke with her, but when he did, his voice sounded rusty. Hermione had caught herself drooling during a daydream about Potions class.


"Sure. I don't think anyone here will miss me," Hermione said, standing up. She shut her book and laid it on a table, carefully juggling her phone, book and her note-taking implements. "Where in Diagon Alley are you? Are you near the London end? I need to stop by and get a few things."


"How about you just apparate into Diagon Alley by Flourish & Blotts, and I'll meet you there? It's relatively central, and we can stop by Gringott's first and change our money. I haven't hit London with another muggle-born in ages," Raina said, enthusiasm evident in her voice.


"Alright. Then we can come back here for the night, unless you have plans," Hermione said, just as excited as her new friend. For a moment, Hermione heard her mother's voice in her head: Aren't you a bit old for a sleepover, Hermione? Hermione pushed the thought out of her mind, and she'd missed Raina's response. "Come again?"


"Sure. Severus okay with it? I haven't apparated to his place before," Raina asked. Hermione nodded before she remembered Raina was on the phone and not next to her.


"Yes," Hermione said. It was her house, too, according to what Severus had been saying and implying. If he didn't like it, he could tell Hermione later, after her guest had left. "Let me get changed, and I'll see you at Flourish & Blotts in about forty-five minutes."


"Sure. I'm in black today," Raina said, ending the call. Hermione stared at her phone. She knew she'd recognize Raina, no matter what, but she was concerned about the end of the call. She rearranged the room to her liking and left to find Severus. She tried his study first, then knocked on his labs door. There was no answer.


"Satchel! Satchel, find the master for me!" Hermione called. No answer. She looked at the time on her cell phone. She'd been searching for Severus for ten minutes; she had one more place to try, then she was just leaving a note. She trotted up the stairs, turned, and took a breath before knocking on Severus's door.


She rapped three times and the door opened. Severus was holding his marked arm, his face red. He glared at her, and Hermione fought the urge to back away.


"Yes?" He asked, his voice rough.


"I wanted to let you know that I was heading out for a bit to see Raina, and we'll be coming back here for the night. We may or may not be back in time to have dinner with you, so make sure you get something to eat. However," Hermione said, worming her way past Severus and into his room. "Seeing your condition, I wonder if I should."


"I will be fine, Hermione. The Mark twinges occasionally," Severus began, but he decided to not lie to her as much as possible. "When I try my latest project. Before you ask, it does have something to do with getting rid of the Mark, and no, you may not see my notes right now. Go out with Raina and we can discuss it later."


Hermione was a bit flummoxed. Not only did he know what she was going to ask, he told her about it and she was going to be able to look at his notes soon. She smiled at him and turned on her heel, heading for her rooms so she could get ready. Before Severus shut his door, she spoke one last time.


"We'll be back to have a late dessert with you Severus. Make sure you eat, or I'll order Satchel to make sure you do," Hermione tossed as she closed her door firmly.


"You could always be dessert if you're not careful," Severus said, but the door was closed.


Or so he thought. . .