Dating Habits of Wizarding College Students
Chapter 09 - Shopping With Snape
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I own no portion of the Harry
Potter world, including Severus Snape.
All characters and characterizations from the world are property of JK
Rowling. Dianthus
and other original characters are solely of my imagination, however.
I welcome comments and reviews,
including harsh criticisms and flames. I
may delete them after a time, to reduce my personal embarrassment, but rest
assured that I will read them and take any appropriate statements to heart.
I cannot emphasize enough that you
must read Dianthus Stories in order
for this tale to make any sense at all.
In fact, you’ll note that this is actually part III – parts I and II are
both contained in Dianthus Stories,
so go read that one first.
Also, smut picks up again in Chapter
Twelve, if that’s what you’re looking for.
That’s perfectly fine. But I say
again you may be a bit confused when you get there if you don’t slog through
the chapters leading up to it.
*****
Chapter Nine –
Shopping with Snape
Dianthus threw on
the bra and knickers and yanked on a clean robe.
“Now get out,”
Snape ordered, when she was finished.
“What are you
talking about?”
“This is repugnant
enough without you ogling me every step of the way.
He pointed toward the bedroom door.
Dianthus flounced
from the room. Snape slammed the door
behind her. She didn’t have any idea
what he was talking about, but she definitely wanted to know what he was doing
in there. She slipped her s ons on and
sat on the couch, fidgeting, until the door to her bedroom opened.
“What are you
doing?” she called.
“Wishi’d n’d never
been born,” he snarled.
She scrambled up
from the couch and ran to the bedroom door.
“Severus, what–”
But then she saw
quite clearly, what. He was standing in
front of her vanity, looking at himself in the mirror, wearing genuine Muggle
clothes and a look of unqualified disgust.
He had a long-sleeved Muggle shirt tucked neatly into black Muggle dress
pants. He was tugging at the collar as
if it strangled him.
Dianthus gazed in
wonder at him. “You have legs,” she
said.
“How do Muggles
wear these every day?” He adjusted the
crotch of the pants. “I feel like I
can’t breathe, Dianthus.”
“You can unbutton
the collar a little,” she said, moving to do it for him.
“That’s not what
can’t breathe,” he snorted.
She looked again
at the clothing. The shirt seemed to be
made of silk – it was very soft under her hand, in any case.
“I’ve had them,”
he said, still distracted by the pants.
“I used to have to wear them when–”
“Are the underwear
black, too?” she said gravely.
“Let’s just go, so
I can get out of this horror,” he growled, buttoning his collar again.
“You look quite
lovely,” she said. It was the
truth. She’d never seen him in anything
but robes, but he didn’t look out of place in the Muggle clothing.
pressed slacks, with their crease that looked like you could cut through ham
with it. And the shirt contrasted with
his fair skin, highlighting his delicate eyebrows and making his eyes seem that
much darker.
“I look like a
complete idiot,” he said savagely.
“You look very
nice,” said the mirror, in a subdued voice.
It seemed even the old battle ax was intimidated by Snape.
“You look like a
Muggle,” Dianthus assured him. She
caressed the front of the pants. “How’s
my little ma she she asked softly.
“Pretty fucking
unhappy,” he said grimly. “They call
these relaxed fit,” and here he grabbed at the pleats in the front of the
pants, “but they aren’t making me feel one bit relaxed.”
Snape seemed to know
where he wanted to go. He confidently
hailed them a taxi, astounding Dianthus again with his knowledge of the Muggle
world, and said in an authoritative voice, “Harrod’s.”
“That’s where
Melanie’s mum said we should go,” said Dianthus.
“How fascinating,”
Snape said. “But I would rather we not
talpan pan style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I don’t enjoy Muggle
transportation.” He held her hand
tightly as the cab weaved in and out of traffic, and tugged her quickly out of
the car when it stopped, before throwing several bills in through the driver’s
window. “Keep it,” he snarled, turning
away and dragging Dianthus behind him into the store.
“Severus,”
Dianthus whispered. “I don’t have any
Muggle money.”
“So?” he said with
a shrug, already studying the store directory.
Then he looked at her. “Do you
require make-up?” he asked uncertainly.
“D'>“Do I?” she asked
him.
“No,” he
said. He turned back to the
directory. “Ladies’ fashions,” he said
derisively. “Yes.
He flatly refused to get into the elevator, and so they took the stairs up
to the women’s clothing section.
Snape steered her
toward the evening wear, and began flicking through dresses at top speed.
through an entire rack without pausing once.
“Do I have any say in this?”
“Obviously, you
do,” he said, continuing to flip through dresses.
“Doesn’t seem like
it,” she said irritably.
“I’m looking for
something,” he murmured distractedly.
“Can I help you,
sir?” A saleswoman had come to Dianthus’
rescue.
Snape glared at
her. “Where are the blue ones?” he
demanded.
“Blue is not
really in fashion this season, sir,” sniffed the woman.
“I don’t give a
damn what’s in fashion,” Snape said coldly.
salesaleswoman looked extremely offended.
“Will you excuse
us for just a moment?” said Dianthus to the saleswoman.
him.
“She is supposed
to assist us,” Snape said stubbornly, glaring at the saleswoman again.
“She can’t offer
what they don’t have,” said Dianthus pleadingly.
saleswoman. Dianthus felt Snape moving
away down the aisle of clothing, continuing to flip through dresses, apparently
not at all interested in what the woman had to say.
The saleswoman
glanced up and down at Dianthus. “It’s
difficult to tell your body style with that on,” she said slowly.
at Dianthus. “But I think you might do
well with something like this.” She
picked up a dress and held it out. “Not
this color, perhaps, but the style might flatter your shape.
rage right now. Would you like to try it
on?”
“Sure,” mumbled
Dianthus, watching Snape; he was halfway across the floor.
The saleswoman led
her to a fitting room, and Dianthus unbuttoned her robe.
looking furtively around, pulled the zipper closed with her wand.
bite down hard on her lip to keep from laughing.
her skin, giving her a yellowish tint.
Not to mention that it was uncomfortably tight over her breasts.
thigh, and there were slits on each side up to her waist.
from it hurt her eyes. Her bra straps
peeking out of the bodice did not add anything to the effect.
you mind getting – uh – getting him for me?”
Snape poked his
head around the curtain of the fitting room, and Dianthus thought his head
might explode upon seeing the red monstrosity she was modeling for him.
wrenching the curtain closed behind him.
He was holding a quantity of blue fabric that matched her eyes exactly.
“She said this is
very popular,” whispered Dianthus, trying to control her amusement.<
st
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Snape reached around her and yanked the
zipper down, and then pulled the hideous red thing roughly up over her head.
laughter against his chest. When she
stood up, she realized he had unhooked her bra.
“Severus!” she
gasped, clutching the bra to her chest.
“We are in public!”
“This one,” he
grunted, holding out the dress he’d chosen.
It had slender straps like the camisole she’d worn the night before, but
the neckline seemed rather low, as did the back.
glance.
“I found it with
some difficulty,” he said shortly.
“You really like
silk, huh?” she asked him. It was lovely
to touch, soft and fluid in her hands, more like a nightgown than anything
else.
“I do,” he said,
watching her slither into the dress.
“Yes,” he whispered, as she lowered her arms.
caressing her br thr through the fabric.
“Yes, that’s what I was looking for,” he breathed, hitching the skirt up
her thigh, despite her giggling attempts to stop him.
“Everything
alright in there?” called the saleswoman pleasantly.
Dianthus clapped her
hand over Snape’s mouth, which was already forming an undoubtedly conteous
ous
retort. “We’re doing fine,” she replied,
just as pleasantly. She pushed Snape
away and removed the dress before he could start up again.
“I like that one,
too,” she said, as she pulled her robe shut.
“But I can’t wear a bra with it, Severus.
bra.”
“I am
his eyes gleaming. “We each have to make
sacris tos to have our night out in Muggle London.”
They exited the
stall and Snape imperiously handed the woman the blue dress.
red one didn’t really work out.”
The woman was
looking intently at the fabric in her hands.
“I thought this only came in black,” she said, as if to herself, while
she led them to the payment counter.
Dianthus glanced at Snape, who seemed very interested in searching for
lint on his sleeve.
“Did you do
something to that dress?” she hissed at him as they were walking away.
in a zippered bag.
“You’ll need
shoes,” he said calmly, taking her hand.
Snape kept
bringing her shoes with impossibly high spiked heels.
another pair with three inch spikes.
“Tell the salesman we want flats.”
“I thought women
liked things like this,” Snape said thoughtfully.
“Well, I don’t,”
she snapped. “They hurt my feet.
“Yes, they do,” he
said casually.
She settled on a
pair of sandals. “They look remarkably
like what you are wearing now,” Snape noted.
“They don’t look
anything like what I’m wearing,” she said hotly.
see?” Snape’s eyebrows rose, but he said
nothing.
Soon he was
carrying a small box as well as the dress.
“Just one more thing, then,” he said, taking her hand again.
this is enough?” she asked him uneasily, wondering what he had in mind.
money their purchases had cost.
“One more thing,”
he repeated.
Dianthus protested
again when he led them directly to the jewelry section.
away from the jewelry.
Snape ignored her
completely, but released her hand to hail the young saleswoman behind the counter,
who hurried over to them. “We’re looking
for sapphires,” he told her, setting the shoes and the dress on the
counter. “Quality stones only,” he added
severely.
“Severus,
no!” Dianthus said urgently.
“Yes, sir,”
chirped the saleswoman.
Snape followed her
as she walked along the counter to a sparkling display of sapphires.
running over his upper lip. Then his
eyes darted between the case and Dianthus, comparing colors.
“Let me see those.”
“Certainly, sir,”
said the saleswoman, and she handed Snape the box.
He plucked out one
of the earrings and held it up to Dianthus.
“What do you think?” he said quietly, twisting it so that reflected
light twinkled from it.
“I think it’s
beautiful,” she said truthfully. It was
a deep and brilliant blue teardrop, surrounded by tiny glittering diamonds, and
set into white gold. “But it’s too much,
Severus.” She couldn’t stop looking at
it.
“No, it’s not,” he
replied, pushing her hair over her ear and holding the earring up.
saleswoman, and he returned the earring to its box.
Snape.
“It’s too much,”
she repeated, disbelievingly.
Snape leaned in and
kissed her lightly. “No, it’s not,” he
said again. He turned and followed the
saleswoman to the cash register, leaving Dianthus to stare after him.
“You can carry
this,” he said upon his return, holding a tiny bag out to her.
“Severus,” she
said apprehensively, “I told you before that I don’t need to be petted.
“I know it’s not
necessary, Dianthus,” he said, with a crooked smile.
“I – I–”
“Please accept
them with some grace,” he said quietly.
Dianthus lowered
the bag. “I feel like I should give you
something,” she muttered.
“You already
have,” he whispered, bringing her left hand to his mouth and pressing the ring
he’d given her to his lips. “You’ve
given me you.”
more intently than before. Dianthus
heard the saleswoman sigh dreamily behind her.