A Wizard's Debt

In answer to some reviews, these ones really caught my eye:



luvhp

Okay, before i continue reading I just have to comment on Draco/Oliver!

If they HAVE to bear children for the marriage... I\'LL APPLY for the job, you couldn\'t possibly have matched two sexier wizards!(my avatar is of them at the premier of COS on another site)

Why are all the hot ones gay? LOL

Well… I’ll have a chat with the boys and see what they say, but I think the law looks on that as infidelity – so unless you’d be content with a turkey baster… lol.



Melissa Flint

You write beautifully though your A/Ns are a bit mental from time to time ;) Keep up the good work and keep the chapters coming

You think THEY’RE mental – you should see me in top form after too much sugary food!! If you’re a Yorkshire (or further North) person, you wouldn’t batter an eye lid at them luv! Lol! Its just summat an’ nowt t’me. Oh, and thanks for saying I write beautifully too!



slytherin-princess

I\'m really enjoying this story. I was wondering about the Michael thing tho. Good save! If ya need any help or a beta for your lemon chapt. (which\'ll be coming really soon?) drop me an e-mail on (blanked out so you don’t get spam)

Sorry luv, I don’t email anyone. One very rude person spoilt that for the rest of you. Once bitten twice shy, and I’m not prepared to do it again. Sorry. What’s wrong with Michael? It’s a very nice name! I remembered Sev was part muggle – so I threw in a part-muggle name. Made sense to me.



meankitty69

That was too funny. Severus needing to call in reinforcements for the corset. And then finding out that Lucius used to practice taking them off a pillow....too funny. lol Can\'t wait for more!

You weren’t the only ‘corset commenter’ – but the phrase ‘call in reinforcements’ mad me giggle! I saw Lucius and his pillow practice as what some of my male friends did with a bra! They were trying to learn to take them off with one hand! Lol! Though, I don’t think you can get a corset off one handed. If you loved Lucius playing with corsets – I have another fic: Corset Laces, with Lucius doing up Narcissa’s.



CB13

Finally, a "first time" that gets it right -

Now, this had me baffled, luv. I was purely basing the previous chapter on my own experiences – which could have put me off sex for life! It hurt like nobody’s business and I was on painkillers for TWO DAYS!! The only thing I was glad of that it was over pretty quickly – a blessing of a 17-year-old-virgin boyfriend (now fiancé) who was more nervous than me (that took some doing that night!). Trouble is, Sev wasn’t going to be over in five minutes, so poor Hermione (in my opinion). I was just trying to keep it real – and real as far as my own viewpoint went. I hope that answers the review appropriately?? I think it does?



vic

now to the cap: i\'m sorry for hermione, that her first time did hurt so much and i\'m rather glad mine didn`t (thx to ballett and sport *gg*)

love to read more - and please forgive me my mistakes in spelling or grammar - my mothertounge is german, not english...

greets, vic

Yep – I was seriously wishing I’d done ballet like all the ‘popular’ girls while I was at school THAT night! Lol!

Don’t apologise for any mistakes, I envy you in your bilingual ability! My cousin speaks fluent German, and explains polymer chemistry and business in it to her business partners too! I can manage a smidge of German, but not much. I scraped a C in my exams at 16 in German – but unless I’m booking a holiday, booking theatre tickets, ordering in a restaurant, asking where the loo is, giving directions or describing myself and family… well I can’t manage anything else!

Bitte! (And I think I spelt THAT wrong! Lol!)



bobbie

ok, this is pretty good, i hope you finish this one...i hope you post more soon..cant wait to read more.

I know I have a couple of unfinished ones – but I have vowed to myself that I WILL finish them, and soon! I have a rabid plot bunny gnawing at my brain – and that fic has an entire chapter-by-chapter plan and lasts exactly 20 chapters. I hardly ever plan chapter-by-chapter, I have a beginning, a clear middle and an end; but I normally write by the seat of my pants! I’ll have them complete ASAP!









Right, onto the morning after, a rather reflective chapter.







Hermione.



I woke with my eyelids stuck together, it was rather frightening to be awake but unable to open my eyes.



“Severus… wake up.” I said, reaching out for him in the bed and grabbing hold of something I thought was an arm.



“What’s wrong, and why are you trying to strangle me? Please let go of my neck.” He said, moving in the bed.



“I thought it was your arm. My eyelids are stuck together, can you help?” I said, sitting up before being hit with a wave of uncomfortable, intimate sorness. I hissed as I tried to sit up and settle.



“Careful.” Severus said, his arms around me propping me up with soft pillows before leaving the bed, “I’ll get you a pain potion and… something to un-stick your eyes.”



“Warm water and cotton wool – there’s some in the little drawer under the sink. I think I need to remember to take off makeup before going to sleep.” I said, shuffling gingerly to find a sitting position that was reasonably comfortable. I thought this pain was supposed to be over with now!



I felt the bed dip as Severus sat next to me before he gently bathed my eyes so I could open them. Though, I could quite happily open my eyes to that view every morning. My husband’s hair was tousled and scruffy, a few strands hanging over his eyes and other sections sticking up; he needed a shave, but the dark stubble gave him a dastardly and dangerous air, while the gentle smile made him cute. He wore nothing, except soft white cotton boxers, and they were rather tight.



“I’ll ask Narcissa for some of her makeup remover, it is of her own design and only she knows the full recipe – it is apparently better than the one sold by most cosmetic potion shops.” He said, wiping around my eyes with another piece of cotton wool to remove the smears he’d just created.



“Do I look like a panda?” I asked, wincing as the bed dipped as he sat next to me. It was a little alarming how sensitive I was and how sore.



“No. Narcissa’s waterproof mascara is just what it says – nothing but a proper potion to remove it – infact all of your makeup from yesterday has stayed on, even the lipstick. Your eyes are bloodshot.” He said, handing me a vial of a thick green liquid.



“Wow – won’t budge, won’t smudge, won’t kiss you goodbye… and with this stuff its true!” I grinned; Severus didn’t catch the muggle cosmetic advert reference. “What’s in the green sludge?” I asked, I haven’t seen anything like this before.



“A potion I found in an obscure book in the library during my Hogwarts days. I used to brew it by the bucket full – and charge other students seven sickles per vial, I was quite surprised at the custom I had for it. The potion was designed especially for the pain accompanying wedding nights over a millennia ago.” He looked thoughtful for a moment. “It is common knowledge among the Slytherins that there is a cupboard in the common room that contained several vials of contraceptive potion and this one. Poppy was hardly ever asked for either, but the house elves reported that the empty vials were found in all four common rooms. I think the Slytherins had their own little market for it and kept the takings – though I did always receive a large bottle of finest firewisky every Christmas; Filch has enjoyed the bottles for me.”



“Madame Pomfrey provided potion to anyone who asked her – I have asked on behalf of others not prepared to see her quite frequently. After visiting for five ‘friends’ she came to the conclusion that I was everyone’s ‘morning after errand girl’ and gave me the password to the cupboard that contained it.” I said, swallowing the hideous tasting slime down and fought not to throw it straight back up.



“Sorry about the taste – I couldn’t add any flavour to it – it didn’t work as quickly then. I had to give quite a few refunds for it.” He said sheepishly, looking cross. As a Potions Master, a problem so simple as flavouring was a real thorn in the side.



“You can’t brew contraceptives now.” I said, thinking of the students.



“No, but quite a few of the seventeen-year-olds will themselves be wed, so it will be a redundancy. There are other potions that reduce fertility slightly, but they don’t stop conception outright. It is the best I can offer them.” He said, looking perplexed. “I don’t look forward to having to ask each female student over seventeen whether they are pregnant before they enter my classroom – I will have to adapt the syllabus to cope with them. Potions can be highly damaging to pregnancies – it is why there are few female Potions Masters, or Mistresses, as I should say.”



“I think it is working already.” I said, the soreness abating; I debated going to the loo, but until the pain was completely gone, I didn’t want to chance walking.



“Give it ten minutes.” He yawned, looking at the bedside clock. “Half-past-seven… shall I call for breakfast? I don’t think we’ll get back to sleep.”



“Please.” I whispered.



“Full English, or something more continental?” he asked, calling for a house elf.



“Continental, I don’t think I could keep down an English breakfast after that potion.” I said, suddenly craving croissants with strawberry jam.



At the click of the elf’s fingers, three silver trays appeared, one containing a steaming English breakfast and a round of toast; one with a selection of pastries, preserves cold meats and fruit; and a third with a jug of orange juice, a jug of milk, tea and coffee.



“Thank-you very much, Tiffy.” I said, stroking the elf’s head as she trembled with glee at the praise, her Hogwarts tea towel ‘uniform’ was well worn but still gleamed brilliant white and was freshly pressed.



“House elves is happy serving new Mistress, Mistress is kind. We is liking kind mistress! We is bringing her breakfasts she asking for every morning until school is starting again!” she squealed, grinning before popping out.



“Eat as best you can, you had very little yesterday.” Severus prompted, digging into his breakfast with a ferocity that would rival Ron.



I eyed the delicious display and the glinting of the floral jewelled engagement ring and the floral engraved wedding ring. I hiccupped a revolting-tasting burp, reminding me of the night before. Suddenly the splendid and lovingly prepared tray had me miserable, especially with Tiffy’s happiness at preparing my breakfasts like this in the future.



The future wouldn’t be so bad with Severus by my side; but it didn’t stop it being frightening and unknown. I forced down a delicious jam-smothered croissant, barely registering the flavour as I contemplated my, our, future… I couldn’t draw any conclusions past returning from the honeymoon in two weeks time.



“Tea or coffee?” Severus asked, leaving a suddenly empty plate. Where did he put all that? That would have fed two people! How on earth does he stay so slim with a breakfast like that?



“Tea please.” I whispered, accepting the offered cup from the long-fingered hand with a glinting platinum band resting on the left hand’s third finger.



“Its alright, we are strong, we can face anything side by side, as equals.” He whispered, wiping away the few tears I had let fall at my less than hopeful musings.



“I hope so, Severus. I hope so.” I said back, leaning into his palm as he gently kissed me.