Sub Rosa

A/N - Thank you for the kind reviews, Lady Aidil, Beth, Kate, as always, my wonderful Beta, thank you. Beth, I am glad you think so, sorry to give you so much to print. : )

Chapter 52 – Potions and Problems

Severus leaned back in his chair and sighed. He couldn’t imagine a worse fate than to be surrounded by Gryffindors. His private laboratory, usually his haven away from the student body, was presently filled with them.

Potter leaned over the cauldron, watching while Miss Granger dropped the next ingredient in. Mr. Weasley was laboriously reading out the instructions to her. Miss Weasley was chopping Hartshorne and Neville Longbottom was cowering away from his least favorite teacher, while sorting leaves and roots for Miss Weasley to prepare.

Minuet, the reason for this invasion, was settled on a stool, sandwiched between Draco and Potter. Her red-rimmed eyes and blotchy skin made her seem even younger and more vulnerable than she was. Her hand clutched a quill with a quivering desperation as she tried valiantly to concentrate.

Severus had set up the research group for the sole purpose of giving Minuet something to focus on, though he hadn’t told anyone that. He had arranged it, complaining that he lacked the time to perform certain experiments. Miss Granger had immediately volunteered herself to help him and the others had been drafted (or in Longbottom’s case, been bullied) into assisting as well.

It had worked. With the additional hours in the lab on top of her regular schoolwork, Minuet was too exhausted in the evenings to do much more than collapse into sleep.

There was an additional side effect that Severus hadn’t anticipated. Draco had long been Minuet’s self-appointed protector, but throwing him in with the Gryffindors had led to him being thrust into Potter’s company almost constantly. As a consequence, the two young men had struck up a very strange friendship, which seemed based on gratuitous insults that expressed a rather backhanded respect.

“Malfoy, nly nly you would put that energy into Quidditch you might catch the snitch once in a while.” Potter snorted as Draco wrapped up a particularly effusive discussion of the latest potions journal. Draco most eloquently stuck out his tongue.

“I liked the article about the alternate preparation methods for Fireweed.” Hermione admitted, giving Draco a shy smile from her side of the table.

“That’s because you have a brain, Granger, unlike Potter who has taken a few too many bludgers to the head.” Draco shot back, grinning at Hermione.

“This is so surreal.” Ginny Weasley shook her head at the sight of the Gryffindors and Slytherins sitting about and teasing each other.

“I agree completely, Miss Weasley.” Severus frowned at Miss Weasley and she giggled. He sighed inwardly; apparently whatever immunity Kathryn had to his sarcasm, it was contagious. Though, Neville looked as though he was torn between his natural terror of the evil Snape and his shock that Severus hadn’t eaten his precious Ginny alive for her temerity.

While contemplating whether the fun of tormenting Longbottom was worth the inevitable mishap that would surely follow, Severus was distracted by a familiar scent. A moment later Kathryn poked her head around the door and gave the room a general smile.

“May I come in?” Severus waved her in brusquely, but the students welcomed her with greater enthusiasm, especially Longbottom, whose fervent welcome might have been more appropriate for a Messianic return than for a mere teacher. He raised an eyebrow at the boy and cut him down to a stammered greeting.

“How did your tea with Mother go?” Draco asked with a deceptively casual air.

“Well, it could have been worse.” Kathryn temporized and Severus gave her a sharp look. Her return smile was a little strained and he wondered what had gone wrong. “She had company, an old friend.” Draco and Severus both paled, while the others looked at them puzzled.

“I have to get some things from the storeroom, would you help me?” Severus ushered Kathryn from the room, hisd agd against the small of her back. She was ice cold to the touch and he guessed that she had had a scare.

Once the door closed behind them she burrowed into his robes, holding him and nuzzling his neck. He closed his arms around her and could feel the tiny tremors that ran through her frame.

“I’m exhausted, Severus, I am only competent at Occlumency.” He felt a jolt as she said that; so Voldemort had tried a more direct approach to getting information from her. “I kept up a running litany of equations, but I had to maintain my outward façade and it was very tiring.” An understatement, he guessed from the way she was swaying on her feet.

With a strange feeling of déja-vu, he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the barren couch in his private rooms.

“You push yourself too hard.” He complained and felt her smile against his neck as he carried her.

“Everyone says that.” She murmured into his coat. He settled her on the couch, transfiguring it to a more plush version of itself and then transfigured an empty scroll into a blanket for her.

“Perhaps they are right and you are wrong.” He grumbled. She gave him that infuriating smile.

“You are very sweet.” She stretched languorously and snuggled down into the couch.

“I am not sweet!” He insisted and settled down beside her on the couch. She curled around him, her face already sleepy.

“Be nice, I just saved you from Narcissa and all her friends.” Her voice was becoming husky as she fought to stay awake.

“How did you save me?”

“I told them that I don’t share and they are to keep their claws off of you.” Her voice, even as tired as she was, had become quite fierce. Severus grinned at her.

“Jealous cat.” He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, where it was coming loose from her bun.

“Asshole.” She smiled sleepil him him and then drifted off to sleep.

Severus returned to the laboratory to find that Longbottom, Miss Weasley and Minuet had left and Draco, Potter, Mr. Weasley and Granger were deep in a discussion of Order business.

“If he is still there, we should tell Kingsley.” Weasley insisted.

“We can’t compromise the professors that way.” Potter replied with conviction.

“We could tell him that we know that he has been visiting her and to post surveillance.” Granger returned and Potter nodded in agreement.

“An excellent suggestion, Miss Granger.” Severus interjected and watched with interest as Granger blushed at his praise. Weasley rolled his eyes a little and Severus, slow to get these things, deduced that Granger’s relationship with Weasley didn’t preclude her having a small crush on her Potions professor.

He wondered how long this had been going on - long enough to be no threat to Weasley he guessed. He was surprised and strangely gratified, as he had never before been the object of a crush; well, not that he was aware of. He frowned outwardly and returned to the subject at hand.

“Kingsley should be told to keep an eye on Mother in general.” Draco shrugged and shot a grimace at Potter. “I’m afraid she’s a few bristles shy of a broomstick.” Potter nodded, but to Severus’ surprise he didn’t take the opportunity to insult Draco.

His delicacy at that moment, when his father or Sirius would have never missed the opportunity to take a crack at someone, was the final break in Severus’ understanding. Harry wasn’t James, he wasn’t Sirius, and he was his mother’s child in all the ways that mattered, despite his looks. The eyes really were the windows to the soul and Harry had Lily Evan’s eyes.

“I know that the ministry has discounted Narcissa, but we mustn’t.” Severus tossed an apologetic look to Draco and watched him shrug again.

“What about Minuet’s mother and sister?” Harry asked into the sudden quiet.

“I am arranging for them to be sent to my parent’s home. Helen has always gotten along with my mother, so it should be no problem.” Severus loosened his neck muscles, stretching and then sank onto a nearby stool.

Harry was watching him with that quiet intensity Severus had once mistaken for arrogance and now recognized as watchfulness. Harry was an untrusting soul, much as Severus himself was, and he didn’t believe in simple answers.

“What about summers?” Harry continued the interrogation and Severus was stly tly amused by the boy’s protectiveness.

“I will need to find out from Minuet what she would like best.” Severus allowed the slightest smile as Harry nodded in acceptance of his answer.

What was it Kathryn called Harry? Oh yes, the young prince. Looking at the young man before him Severus wondered if she wasn’t more right than she knew.