Woes of a Potions Master

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 8 ~ The Snapes Visit Diagon Alley

When Severus apparated to Diagon Alley, he strode straight for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, not caring who saw him. He needed to see the twins immediately. He pulled the shop door open and walked straight to the counter. The female clerk behind it looked up at him, and paled.

“I need to see Fred and George Weasley immediately,” Severus said, scowling at the girl.

“Y..y..Yes sir,” the girl squeaked, “One moment.”

She skittered into the back office. In a moment she returned.

“Go right in sir,” the girl said as Severus walked around the counter and disappeared into the back room with a billow of robes.

Fred and George were seated on the other side of the long table. Severus pulled out a chair and sat opposite them.

“Professor, you almost made our clerk quit,” Fred said, grinning at the Potions Master

“Yeah, she said a vampire was at the front counter. A day walker, and she wasn’t working in no store that served that kind of clientele,” George said, “We had to assure her that you were human.”

Both twins dissolved into laughter.

Severus watched them for several moments, then said, “You sent me an owl saying you had the ‘joke’ ready. Would you kindly swallow your mirth until after you show me the finished product?”

The twins wiped their eyes and Fred smilingly placed a small bottle on the table. Severus eyed it.

“That’s it?” he said. The tiny bottle hardly looked like it would do what he needed it to do.

“Yes, that’s it. I know it doesn’t look like much but it is highly concentrated. A little goes a long way,” Fred said.

“Yep. It’s a draught. Goes directly into the air and the victims breathe it in. We’ve set it to work only on those nineteen and under so no teachers are affected. It will do exactly what you want it to, Professor.”

Severus reached across the table and picked up the bottle and eyed it.

“You’re certain of this?” the Potions Master asked.

Both Fred and George looked indignant.

“Of course we’re sure,” they said in unison. “Money back guarantee,” Fred added.

“We’ll return every single galleon you gave us if that doesn’t fix you up,” George said.

“You’re right about that,” Severus growled, still looking at the bottle. “So what am I supposed to do with this?”

“Oh no, Professor,” Fred said, waggling a finger at him, “You aren’t going to do anything. We need to keep you in the clear. That’s part of our service. They won’t be able to connect you with the joke at all, though most likely you will be suspected, simply because of the nature of the joke. Now, we did a little research and found out that tomorrow morning at breakfast the Headmaster gives his monthly update to the student body, and it’s mandatory that all the students of Hogwarts be in attendance. That will be the perfect the perfect time to let this baby loose. Once it goes into effect, it will be evident at the next meal. The only way to break the spell is…”

And Fred told the Potions Master who was supremely delighted.

“It’s perfect, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley,” Severus said, giving them a rare grin of approval.

“All right, here’s how we’re going to get it into Hogwarts and spread around,” George said. Again the Potions Master was pleased and impressed. The twins really knew their business.

“I’m certain that by tomorrow evening, your problem will be permanently solved,” Fred said.

“That would be wonderful,” the Potions Master said, thinking about his wife. He wondered if he could get her to return tomorrow evening. If he could, she was in for a long and exhausting night. He felt himself throb a bit at the thought of it. A silencing charm would definitely be in order.

“Well Professor, that’s about it. You can head back to Hogwarts secure in the knowledge that your future happiness lies in our capable hands,” Fred said.

Severus’ face went deadpan for a moment. No matter what the twins believed, that was not a comforting thought. Then Severus stood up, said, “Thank you” and shook both wizards’ hands.

“I just wish we could be there,” Fred said wistfully.

“Yes,” George said, “But us showing up would give it all away.”

The two wizards looked extremely put out about it. Severus looked at them.

“I’ll send you a pensieve of it,” the Potions Master said.

Both wizards looked at him, broad smiles on their faces.

“That’s right decent of you, Professor,” Fred beamed, “Right decent.”

“Sure is,” George agreed.

“It’s the least I can do, if you two free me from this travesty,” Severus replied, shrugging off their gratitude as he headed for the door. “I’ll send it Monday morning.”

“Thanks,” the twins said in unison. They walked the Professor to the shop door. He exited, heading back to Hogwarts. He wanted to get out the doll and see what his wife was up to with Ginny.

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Hermione hurried across the school grounds to the main gates. She saw Ginny standing outside them waving at her with a large smile on her face while she was a good distance away. Hermione was dressed in jeans, a pullover sweater and a jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she wore trainers. Ginny liked to browse about. There was a lot of walking involved when Ginny went shopping. Hermione walked up to the gate, unwarded it and walked through. She warded it back, turned and got an armful of Ginny, who hugged her. The witch stepped back and looked at her friend. She saw the slight circles under her eyes.

“Sleeping alone doesn’t agree with you, does it Hermione?” she asked the witch quietly, as Hermione’s eyes welled up with tears.

She shook her head, then burst out crying as if her heart would break. Ginny held her, stroking Hermione’s hair and rocking her gently as she sobbed uncontrollably. She had held her misery in the whole time. She had no one at Hogwarts to share her woes with, not really. Sure, McGonagal would listen, but it wasn’t the same. Ginny understood how she felt about Severus. The redheaded witch understood her attraction to the dark wizard, while everyone else possibly with the exception of the Headmaster, puzzled over it, some even suspecting to this day that the Potions Master may have slipped Hermione an elixir to make her love him. But that wasn’t true.

Hermione’s sobs gradually subsided, and Ginny transfigured a leaf into a handkerchief and handed it to the witch.

“It’s going to be all right, Hermione. You’re going to make it right with the Professor. He loves you,” Ginny said, helping Hermione wipe her eyes.

“You don’t know how he’s been treating me, Ginny. He turns away every time he sees me coming,” she sniffed.

“I don’t think that’s because he doesn’t want you, Hermione. More than likely it’s because he does,” Ginny said, smiling at her.

“How do you know that?” Hermione asked her, still sniffling a little.

“Because I saw your husband this morning. He was going somewhere and leaving just as I arrived. I told him I was taking you shopping,” Ginny said.

“Did he say anything?” Hermione asked her, her amber eyes focused desperately on Ginny’s face, “Anything that makes you believe he still loves me?”

Ginny laughed.

“Well, he asked me if I were going to bring you to my house, and I told him we would stop by there for lunch. He made standing reservations for us to eat at the Three Broomsticks instead,” Ginny grinned at her.

“Why did he do that?” Hermione asked her friend.

“Because, Hermione, you know my house is full of wizards. Young, sexy, randy wizards…all the time. They hang out there. Obviously, the Professor knows this, and didn’t want you in their company. So he made reservations to keep me from taking you there. Now, does that sound like he doesn’t care?” Ginny asked her.

Hermione smiled.

“No. It sounds like he is jealous of me,” she responded.

“That’s right. And a wizard who didn’t care wouldn’t go out of his way to make sure you didn’t go to my house and be tempted or even be pleasured by my boy toys,” Ginny grinned.

“I don’t want any of them,” Hermione said evenly.

“No, I wouldn’t think so. The Professor is one sexy, dark wizard. Plus he loves you and from what you’ve told me, satisfies you,” Ginny said, “Why mess with something like that?”

She straightened Hermione’s jacket. Ginny acted more like her mother than she realized.

“Now, listen. We are going to Diagon Alley and getting you what you need to make your makeup sex something special for your husband. He is going to be very pleased after he gets over his initial shock. I’m going to tell you exactly how to act to get the maximum results, and I’m sure that it will appeal to you as well, once you get into it. Trust me, okay? I want to see you happy again with the wizard you love,” Ginny said, holding Hermione’s hand tightly to reassure her.

“Now let’s go,” Ginny said. And with the witch still holding Hermione’s hand, they disapparated…at the precise moment Severus apparated. Severus looked around. The sound of his apparation seemed extremely loud for some reason. He shrugged and unwarded the gates, warded them back and took off at a good swift walk over the grounds. He didn’t trust Ginny at all.

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Ginny and Hermione appeared in Diagon Alley. Ginny hooked her arm into Hermione and guided her through the crowds, heading for her brothers’ shop. When the sign appeared, Hermione stalled.

“Why are we going here?” she asked Ginny, peering in the window and seeing all the strange items Fred and George released on the wizarding public.

“Because Fred and George have the best faux bondage line in England,” Ginny said.

“Bondage?” Hermione repeated, her eyebrows raised almost to her hairline.

“Faux Bondage, Hermione. No one will get hurt. The items are charmed so they are accommodating. They don’t cause pain. They are just turn-ons. Now you said that Severus has a thing about makeup sex, where he really lays it on you, almost like payback, right?” Ginny asked.

She was being delicate. She knew that what the Potions Master did to Hermione was definitely payback for whatever wrong he imagined she did him. And she knew that turned Hermione on, whether she admitted it or not, otherwise the witch wouldn’t stand for it.

“Well, what you’re going to do is let him do just that, but in a very different way than he’s used to. He’ll get into it, I assure you. You’re going to let him punish you. And we are going to get the things you need to make it good for him. Remember, Hermione…this is a big spat…you left him, and he’s angry about it. This wasn’t a little argument. His normal way of getting satisfaction might not do it for him this time, because this was a real trial for him. You have to show him you’re sorry, not just lay there and be passive,” Ginny said.

“I’m not passive!” Hermione claimed.

“No, I know better than that. What I mean is you are going to offer yourself up for punishment because you’ve been a ‘bad girl’. You’re going to let him know that you’ve been a ‘bad girl’. You are going to admit it, and take what’s coming to you. He’s going to love it,” Ginny said, opening the door and pushing Hermione through.

Hermione looked around at all the doodads in the shop.

“Come on,” Ginny said walking to the back. A black curtain stretched across the back half of the store. Ginny parted the curtain and walked through. Hermione followed and felt a pulse of magic wash over her.

“What was that?” Hermione asked Ginny, “That magic I felt?”

“Oh, an age line. No one under eighteen can enter this part of the shop,” Ginny replied.

Hermione looked around, her eyes wide. She could see why not.

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As soon as Severus returned to his rooms, he retrieved the doll. Sitting down in the armchair in his study, he invoked it.

“Show me my vision of beauty,” he said to the doll.

Immediately the image of Hermione appeared before him. She was standing with Ginny in front of a shop. They appeared to be having a heated conversation. Hermione looked a bit reluctant, and he could tell Ginny was trying to convince her to do something. He scowled, desperately wishing that the twins had thought to put sound in the magic that worked the doll. He gazed at the shop. It was the Weasley’s shop. What was Hermione doing there? She didn’t do jokes. Ginny probably did though. He watched as Ginny opened the door and pushed his wife through.

Suddenly, Hermione’s image disappeared.

Severus sat up. The place Hermione should be still floated in front of him, but it was as if someone turned off the picture. It was dark and blank. The Potions Master scowled as he realized what had happened. Fred and George had blocked their own store, so husbands couldn’t see their wives’ purchases. Those bastards. Smart bastards, but bastards still.

Severus sat there, looking at the blank image before him. Well, he’d just have to watch it until Hermione left the store. Maybe he could get a glimpse of what they bought. He settled in. They were witches. Shopping witches. This could take a while.

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A/N: Fred and George are something else. Always looking out for themselves. Well, tomorrow morning Severus will get his joke delivered. And right now Hermione is at Ginny’s mercy. Wonder what they’ll buy? Sounds like the makeup sex is going to be very interesting. Please review.