E Pluribus Unum

A/N - Wall of blockage looming, working as fast as I can to get through, don\'t kill me! Kate helping, really!!!

tamargirl - For lemons please see an \"Easy Job\"

Helen - Sadly, my computer doesn\'t read Russian, but it looked really neat (in unintelligble)

Deblovesdragon - Thank you

Droxy - Yes, I totally agree about Lucius, except for Shiv, who can write a sexy partly-reformed Lucius well, I dislike him reformed and prefer him very hot and totally evil.

IrishRavenX - Thank you

Deeble - Sorry, no blue fairy for Brinna.

Chapter 42 – Debriefing Harry

Minuet and Draco watched as Harry and the others were escorted in by the Aurors, her heart slowed and she felt the horrible fear easing as she saw that Harry was unhurt. She saw her mother, glasses perched on her nose, coming down the stairs from the library and stopping to observe the gesticulating and noisy group. It amazed her how it could hurt just to look at Harry sometimes. To know she couldn’t run to him and wrap her arms around him and kiss him in relief.

“Looks like Potter is intact.” Draco murmured in her ear and Minuet nodded in relief.

Professor Dumbledore appeared and there was general confusion as the Aurors, the students and the professors tried to ask questions, give answers and explain themselves all at once. Finally, they were swept off to a conference room to sort it all out, though Minuet noted that Uncle Severus snuck off with Professor Leblanc, nimbly avoiding any tedious explanations. Professor Leblanc looked flushed and bright-eyed and as soon as they were out of sight of the others, they sped off to his chambers.

Minuet and Draco exchanged a look of amusement and smothered their laughter with their hands. They sneaked back to the Common room with no one the wiser so they could fall over laughing in peace.


The next evening found Minuet with her feet swinging under the bench in the Potions Laboratory. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Neville sat with her. Harry looked chagrined, Draco irritated, Hermione subdued and Neville shell-shocked. The revelation that his most hated teacher was a spy for the Order had hit him hard.
Minuet wasn’t sure that a simple Obliviate wasn’t in Neville’s best interests right now, but Professor Snape had been adamant that no one cast any memory charms on Neville. He had looked quite green at the thought, actually. She would have to unearth that particular secret later.

“Where is Snape?” Harry asked finally with some impatience. She supposed he wanted to get his reaming out over and done with.

“From the look on Professor Leblanc’s face when they left last night, probably still shagging his brains out.” Draco sniggered. Hermione flushed bright red, Harry began choking frantically and Minuet busted up laughing. Neville, if anything, looked even more shocked.

“Who knew that a fight was her idea of foreplay?” Minuet gasped out still laughing. Draco went into whoops, almost falling off his chair he was laughing so hard.

“Slytherins.” Hermione said in disgust and shook her head at the slightly hysterical pair. Minuet knew that it was partly relief. When she had finally gotten Harry alone, aftuggiugging him hard for several long moments she had proceeded to tear a strip off his hide, her fury as much a reaction to her earlier fears as anything else.

“So what did the Weasel have to say for himself?” Draco calmed down enough to ask.

“He’s in love.” Hermione’s voice was flat and Minuet winced. “He won’t believe that she is of the Dark, he thinks I’m just jealous.

“He’s being controlled.” Draco pointed out, but Hermione shook her head.

“Regardless, whatever was between us is over. I love him, but I can’t forgive this.” Hermione was studying her hands and Harry was watching her with concern.

“If you can’t, you can’t.” Minuet shrugged. “To fall in love with some Dark Creature and not listen to all his friends who are trying to save his soul after everything that has gone on around here is just dumb anyway.”

“Did you all know about Snape?” Neville asked suddenly.

“Yup.” Harry shrugged. “It’s a secret though Neville, his life would be in terrible danger if anyone knew.” Neville rested his chin on his hands and sighed.

“What’s the matter Longbottom? All your preconceived notions about Slytherins going poof?” Draco muttered and Neville blushed at the words.

“No, because you’re still a prat, Draco.” Neville shot back with admirable courage. Draco was so stunned to hear Longbottom say something nasty that he gave a whoop of laughter and almost fell off his chair.

“Longbottom’s got a spine!” Draco crowed in amusement and Neville just dropped his head into his arms.

“Slytherins.” He muttered.

Harry simply smiled at the two of them. Minuet hopped down from her stool, still chuckling at the bonding rituals of adolescenys ays and went to find their errant teachers. She pushed through into Professor Snape’s private chambers, muttering the passwords as she went, and heard music playing. Curious she peeked around a doorway and stopped still at a sight she would never have expected to see.

There in the center of the living room floor, Professors Snape and Leblanc were dancing. Minuet knew the dance; she had watched her parents and others dancing it at countless balls and parties. But watching the two professors was somehow different, they thought they were alone and there was a part of Minuet that knew they would be embarrassed to know that anyone had witnessed this intensely private moment.

Professor Snape held the brunette DADA teacher close to him and she had her face turned up to his with a look of deepest love. One arm about her waist, the other holding her hand against his chest, his eyes on her with no apparent awareness of anything else in all the world but the woman in his arms. Minuet felt as though she had walked in to something so personal that she felt uncomfortable witnessing it.

They moved in perfect harmony, steps matched and he swung her out and then back in, turning her under his arm with a precision movement. Minuet had seen them dance at the Halloween Ball last year, but it had been a simple waltz, this was a figure dance, and it was incredible the way he spun her and she flowed away and then back responding to his lead with smooth grace. It was completely different from anything she had seen before. As the music ended he pulled her in against him again and kissed her. She wrapped a leg around him and he ran a hand along her thigh.

Minuet felt a flush rise up her face as she stared slack-jawed. She had known on an intellectual level that they must , bu, but to see the reserved and unemotional Slytherin kiss her brisk no-nonsense defense teacher with bone-melting passion sent her scurrying back to the lab. How was she ever to keep her mind on her potions classes when she now knew her dour professor to be capable of such tenderness and passion.

l, al, are they coming?” Hermione asked her and Minuet turned absolutely red at the question.

“Apparently so.” Draco retorted, seeing Minuet’s expression. He and Harry exchanged glances and then they both began to howl with laughter, while Neville, Minuet and Hermione just groaned.


The two professors came into the room about a half an hour later, looking perfectly composed and proper. Minuet found it difficult to merge the images of what she had seen with how they werw. Dw. Did all adults have this double life, the private passions and the outer cool?

She looked at Harry, she had hidden her feelings for him to protect him, had there been no constraints she would be dancing in the halls singing love songs to him at the top of her lungs. But the two professors had professional restrictions as well. After all, they couldn’t dance like that in the Great Hall; there would be a scandal. Minuet found her cheeks dimpling as she smiled.

Professor Leblanc raised an eyebrow at Harry with a look of stern disapproval.

“So has anyone screamed at you yet?” She asked him.

“McGonagall, Dumbledore, Pomfrey, Minuet and Remus.” Harry answered with a resigned tone. “Remus flooed especially just to ream me a new one.” He added with a sigh.

“Have you absorbed any information of note?” Professor Snape drawled with a look that Minuet recognized as amusement, though she doubt anyone but Professor Leblanc would guess it.

“I have, sir. I have accepted the fact that I am a reckless idiot who endangers everyone around me.” Harry said this with perfect calm and Professor Snape chuckled, which sent Neville Longbottom back into a near comatose state.

“As long as we are all clear on the issue, Potter.” He replied while Professor Leblanc waved a hand in front of Neville’s face.

“I think you killed him.” She snapped her fingers under his nose, but there was no reaction.

“Longbottom you dunderhead!” Professor Snape roared at the unmoving boy, who jerked back into motion, and smiled.

“There you are sir, you had me worried.” Neville told the Potions Master with a happy smile and Professor Snape just smacked his forehead with his hand.

“What did I do to deserve Gryffindors?” He cried with eyes raised to heaven.

“Would you like the fulst ost or just the highlights?” Professor Leblanc asked him with a broad grin and he shot her a look of intense loathing that sent the whole room into peals of laughter.

“I hate you all, just so you know that.” He muttered, arms crossed and brows lowered threateningly, as they collapsed around him howling with laughter.