The Potions Master\'s Apprentice

THE POTIONS MASTER’S APPRENTICE

Disclaimer: I do not own the HP characters; I have only borrowed them for your (hopefully) amusement.


He threw the letter down on his desk with a snort.

“I don’t know why I let him talk me into these things!” he said to himself. “An apprentice is the last thing I bloody well need.”

Severus picked up the letter and read it once more. She did have impressive qualifications, that, he had to admit. Her letters of reference were nothing short of glowing. Snippets of the letters seemed to jump out at him: “highly skilled”; “unusual insight”; “keen deductive and reasoning abilities”; “inquisitive, motivated, dedicated “; “you will not regret taking Elspeth on as your apprentice”.

Elspeth Warwick, from Canada, a foreign witch to boot…why did he have the feeling he was going to regret this? Damned Dumbledore always had a way to get round him, to make him do things he wanted no part of. This was one of those instances. Severus had finally begun to appreciate his quiet existence, revelling in the dull, utterly boring day-to-day routine of his life now that the Dark Lord was gone. Potter had vanquished Voldemort and had lived to tell the tale, thus freeing not only the world but Severus as well. His life of espionage, terror and violence had been replaced with the humdrum existence of a mere school teacher. Nowadays, the only terror in his life was to be found in the minds of the Hogwarts students, placed there and carefully nurtured by himself. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. A new crop of students would be arriving shortly – more fodder for his little penchant. The corners of his thin lips turned up slightly to allow a smirk to form. Not only new students, but a new apprentice as well.

“If it seems I am to be saddled with this creature, I may as well make the best of a bad situation. It could prove to be…amusing,” he said aloud to the silence of his room, “…quite amusing indeed.” The smirk transformed into a smile, albeit an evil one.

&&&&&&&

Elspeth arrived at Hogwarts late one Monday at the beginning of September. As she walked up the path from Hogsmeade, she was quite impressed with the sight before her. The castle was huge! So different from her school back home! She slipped in the front door and was surprised to find it quiet – there was not a soul about. Glancing at her watch, she realized that the students must all be in class.

“Hello!” she called out, but no answer came. ‘How am I supposed to find the Headmaster’s office?’ she wondered.

There was no signpost to indicate the way. There were so many staircases that Elspeth envisioned herself hopelessly lost and wandering for days until someone finally found her. This would not be a very good way to start – it certainly would give Professor Snape the wrong impression. This was something she did NOT want to do. She had made acquaintance with two witches who had done their studies here at Hogwarts. Elspeth could still recall their reaction when she had joyously told them of her upcoming apprenticeship with THE Professor Severus Snape.

Both girls had blanched, and as if rehearsed, asked her, “Have you gone mad, Elspeth?”

Elspeth had looked back at them in shock. She couldn’t understand why they would ask her that. She considered herself most fortunate, having been selected over so many other brilliant graduates. She would be under the tutelage of the best. Elspeth’s two friends proceeded to tell her exactly why they had reacted so. When they had finished, Elspeth exclaimed, “Dear Merlin, what have I gotten myself into!” Now, she found herself about to meet this man who could reduce the bravest witch or wizard to a quivering mass with just a look – words were not necessary, his regard was a lethal weapon.

Suddenly, Hogwarts came to life. Classes had let out and a veritable sea of students descended upon Elspeth. They seemed to come from every direction – down the stairs, out from this corridor and that, doors slammed and the air was filled with voices. Elspeth was so mesmerized by the sudden appearance of so many that she did not see the woman approach.

“May I help you?” she asked.

Startled, Elspeth turned and saw an older witch dressed in green standing beside her. She had a broad Scottish accent.

With a smile, Elspeth replied, “Oh yes, please! I am supposed to meet with Headmaster Dumbledore but I’m afraid I don’t know the way.”

The witch inquired, “And you would be?”

Elspeth blushed: she had forgotten to introduce herself. “Please forgive me. I am Elspeth Warwick, Professor Snape’s new apprentice.”

“I am Professor Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress. If you would follow me, please.” She set off briskly, up one of the many staircases. Elspeth quickly gathered up her things and ran to catch up.

“Thank you so much, Professor McGonagall. I was so afraid to get lost.”

“Quite,” came the terse reply.

They soon arrived at a statue of a rather hideous gargoyle. Elspeth wondered why she had been brought to a dead end.

“Chocolate frog,” called McGonagall and suddenly the gargoyle moved, the wall opening up to reveal a moving staircase. “Go on up; the Headmaster is waiting for you.”

“Thank you once again, Professor McGonagall,” said Elspeth as she hopped in a step.

“Good luck,” said the older witch. When Elspeth had moved out of sight, she added, “You’ll need it, my dear.”

Elspeth knocked on the door and timidly entered the room. She found a very old wizard with a long white beard sitting behind a desk. To his left was a much younger man, all in black, from his hair to his clothing, even his eyes were black as the night. She knew this must be Snape. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure they could hear it across the room. The older wizard looked towards her with kindly, smiling eyes and stood, beckoning her forward with his hand.

“Come in, come in, my dear,” he said gently. “Miss Warwick, I presume?”

“Yes, Headmaster. I hope I am not disturbing you.”

“Not at all. We were just taking tea, weren’t we Severus?” Snape nodded ever so slightly. “Would you care for a cup?”

“Thank you, sir. You are most kind.” Elspeth willed her hand to be steady as she took the cup and saucer and sat down.

“Dear me, I am forgetting my manners! Please allow me to introduce you to Professor Snape, Potions Master extraordinaire.”

“You are too kind, Headmaster,” said Snape with a nod of his head.

Elspeth stood quickly and placed her cup on the desk, managing to spill some tea into the saucer. She reproached herself for being so gauche and unrefined. She stood ramrod straight, a cadet presenting herself for inspection.

“I am honoured to meet you, Professor Snape. I would like to express my profound gratitude to you for accepting me as your apprentice. I realize that I am most fortunate to be here today.”

Elspeth’s hand went forward, but she withdrew it awkwardly when she realized Snape had not moved to accept it. He sat very still, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair, fingers steepled in front of his mouth, his ebony eyes betraying no emotion as he held Elspeth in his stare. As hard as she tried to fight it, a burning blush crept up her cheeks. She felt as if she were on trial, even though she had just arrived and had barely said a word.

At last he spoke, ”Miss Warwick, I am a perfectionist. If I were you, I would endeavour to remember that fact. I do not take kindly to…mistakes.”

“Yes sir,” she gulped. “I WILL remember. You can count on me, sir.”

“Yes, well that remains to be seen, doesn’t it, Miss Warwick,” said Snape coldly as he stood. “Headmaster, thank you for the tea. If you will excuse me, I have more important matters to attend to.”

“Of course Severus,” replied Dumbledore.

Just before leaving, he turned to Elspeth and said, “I expect you in my office tomorrow morning precisely at 8:00. Do not be late.”

Before she could utter one syllable, he was gone in a black cloud of billowing robes. Elspeth found herself sinking slowly to her chair, her knees no longer willing to support her weight.

Dumbledore regarded the young woman before him with a bemused grin. “Not to worry my dear,” he offered. “Severus’ bark is much worse than his bite. Biscuit?”

Elspeth smiled weakly and nodded, taking one of the shortbreads. Nibbling it silently, she tried to imagine what his “bite” might be like. She found it was too terrifying to even consider, a chill running down her spine.

Severus made his way back to his office, rather pleased with himself. He had just given the girl a taste of what was to come. He knew that he had been successful in instilling fear in her; he had seen it in her eyes. Good – there would be no tomfoolery or disrespectful attitude from this one. She was at his mercy. If she wanted to learn, by Merlin’s beard, he would see to it that she did – the hard way.

He considered the girl a little further. She hadn’t broken down under his scrutiny; he had to give her that. Severus had reduced more than a few to tears but Elspeth had succeeded in keeping her eyes dry. She had quivered and her hand had trembled, but not a drop fell to her cheek. This was a very tiny, infinitesimally small plus in her favour. She was very plain to look at – not ugly, but not exactly attractive either. She had mousy brown hair and even browner eyes. Her body was quite round; again, not fat nor thin, falling somewhere in between. The best he could say for her was that she was nondescript, with nothing that would make her stand out in a crowd. Severus considered this to be an asset. The likelihood of her being distracted by the opposite sex was very, very small. She would be free to devote herself to him and his work.

‘Yes, this might not be such a bad arrangement after all,’ he thought. If there was any good to come out of Elspeth’s time at Hogwarts, he would take full advantage.

Elspeth was so terrified to be late, she barely slept that night. She awoke too early for breakfast, showered and dressed quickly and then sat down to wait until it was time. She kept looking at the clock; it seemed to be at a standstill. As much as she was afraid, she was anxious to get her first day started. The sooner she faced Snape and showed him what she was capable of, the better. She felt that once he saw that she was serious and was most eager to learn, he would change his attitude towards her – at least she hoped he would. In fact, she prayed that he would.

The Headmaster had told her that she could take her meals in the Great Hall with the students and the rest of the staff, even though technically she was neither. Upon her arrival, Professor Dumbledore introduced her to everyone at the head table. It felt good to receive a warm welcome.

Hagrid, upon learning of her reason for being at Hogwarts said, “I’ll pray for yeh, me girl.”

“Hush now, Hagrid!” whispered Professor McGonagall with a toss of her head toward the door. He lifted his hairy head just in time to see Severus enter the Great Hall.

“Ta,” he said to Minerva with a wink.

“Good morning, sir,” said Elspeth quietly.

Snape glared at her and said, not to her, “Good morning.” There were murmurings of reply around the table.

Elspeth ate quickly, bid her goodbyes and left the table. When she was gone, Minerva asked, “Can’t you at least be civil to the poor girl, Severus?”

“I am sure I don’t know what you are talking about, Minerva. I am always civil,” replied Snape rather indignantly.

“In a pig’s eye!”

“I beg your pardon, Hagrid. Did you say something?” inquired Severus icily.

“I-I j-jest said it’s a big sky – luverly day, yeh know. That’s all, Perfesser.”
Minerva and Albus tried hard to stifle their laughter.

“You could try being a little more friendly towards Miss Warwick, Severus. After all, you will be working very closely with her,” offered Dumbledore.

Severus stood; he had had enough of this unsolicited advice. “In case you haven’t noticed Albus, I’m not the friendly type. I’ll bid you all good day.” Once Severus had stormed out of the room, the rest of the staff burst into gales of laughter. They really shouldn’t tease Severus, but the opportunity presented itself so infrequently that they couldn’t resist.

Elspeth knocked and entered Snape’s office at precisely 8:00, just as she had been instructed.

“Yes?” he inquired.

Elspeth cleared her throat. “If you please, sir – you told me to be here at 8:00 and here I am.”

Snape looked up at her briefly and said, “Yes, so I did. See to it that your punctuality remains throughout your tenure here. Sit.”

He arose and walked towards her, once again with his piercing gaze. “I will outline what is expected of you. Pay attention for I will not repeat myself. Is that clear, Miss Warwick?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You are to assist me with my classes. You will study the syllabus for each one and you will prepare all the ingredients that will be required for the day. Afterwards, you will clean up and store away the equipment.” He stopped talking and glared at her.

Realizing he was waiting for an answer she replied, “Yes, sir.”

“You will be present at each class I teach and will be ready to assist me as I see fit. Your duties will also include correcting assignments of the lower grades.”

Elspeth clenched her teeth but said nothing. She was more than capable to correct the homework of all grades, not just the juniors. Unfortunately, she was in no position to debate the point.

“Yes, sir,” came her reply once again.

“You will maintain the inventory of the stockroom, seeing to it that the proper levels are maintained. When in need to replenish the supplies, you will come to me with a detailed list for my approval. I will entrust you with the key to the stockroom. Do not lose it.”

Taking the key she said, “Thank you, sir. You can trust me.”

“Do you see that door, Miss Warwick?” She turned to the direction he was pointing.

“Yes sir, I see it.”

“That is the door to my private laboratory. You will not enter that door under any circumstances, do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly, sir.”

“Trust me,” he said, mocking her own words. “You do not want to encounter my wards. You will regret it, I promise you.”

“Your lab is out of bounds. Understood.” After a heartbeat she added, “Sir.”

Handing her a piece of parchment he said, “This is the class schedule. Learn it.” He took up the huge volume that contained the course outlines and dropped it in her lap. “You have exactly forty minutes to prepare the ingredients for the first class of the day. I suggest you put your time to good use.” With his last word he returned to his desk and began writing again, just as if she was no longer there.

“Yes, sir,” she replied and left immediately to begin her task at hand.

Elspeth was fuming. Her assignments were no more than scut work; he had her doing all the mundane jobs he did not want to do himself. How was she supposed to learn from him if all she did was this? It wasn’t fair! She had come to him as an apprentice, not a skivvy. Where she longed to be was on the other side of that door, in his private lab, helping him with his research. That was where she would learn what she had come to Hogwarts to learn. As angry as she was, she knew her status. As an apprentice, it was her place to do as she was told. She could not question his decisions nor make suggestions. Elspeth knew that if she was ever to be allowed into that hidden room, she would have to be the best damned skivvy she could. She set to work with renewed determination.

The days turned into weeks, soon becoming months. Severus had to admit, to himself anyway, that Elspeth was everything her letter of recommendation had said and more. He had begun very slowly to test her knowledge by drawing her into discussion as she worked beside him. He would ask a question here, posit a theory there, waiting for her to respond. Her answers were always correct and her analyses spot on. Gradually, the questions became more complex, requiring her to reveal more and more of her knowledge, her logic and her powers of deductive reasoning. He even began to share his current research projects with her, going so far as to ask her opinion on a small point.

Elspeth was of course thrilled with the direction he was taking her. Each and every correct answer she gave brought her one step closer to that forbidden threshold. Her life had suddenly become exciting, in more ways than one.

Elspeth couldn’t say exactly when it happened; it seemed to have crept up on her, taking her quite by surprise. It was wrong, completely inappropriate, improbable, unlikely, but she had developed certain feelings for the good Potions Master. She wasn’t in love with him, not by any long shot. No, it wasn’t love that she felt for Snape, but desire – burning, all-encompassing passion. He was not a handsome man; his body might be good, but she couldn’t tell under the frock coat and robes that he wore; his personality was horrible – he could be downright nasty and he was most of the time. Elspeth was at a complete loss as to explain why she wanted him so desperately, but all that she knew was that she did, big time. The only thing that even came close to explaining her need was that Severus Snape was a man of mystery. She knew nothing about him save for the fact he was an expert at Potions. He never spoke of his life – before coming to teach at Hogwarts or even now in present day. She knew not where he was born, about his family, if he even had one, his pastimes, his fears, his pleasures. She had never met anyone in her life that was so completely closed off from other human beings. Even his choice of wardrobe kept him hidden away form prying eyes.

Snape had a certain odour about his person. Elspeth was sure that he wore no cologne; he was just not the type, whatever that was. It was a mixture of his soap, his shampoo and the many herbs he used in his daily potion brewing. She would stand as close to him as she dared, inhaling deeply so that she could memorize that smell. Often, as she was preparing certain items for one of his classes, she would catch a whiff that reminded her of him. She would become immediately aroused, so strong was the odour’s effect on her. She found herself wishing she could bottle it, just so she could have it with her at all times.

Elspeth would lie awake at night, dreaming of what she might find beneath those soft folds of raven cloth. In her minds eye, she undid the buttons of his frock coat, taking her time, proceeding with agonizing slowness, making her dream lover writhe with sweet anticipation. When at last he could stand no more, Snape would take her, sometimes gently, more often than not, forcefully. He would ride her until they both collapsed into the throes of passion. Elspeth’s hands would caress her own body, mirroring Snape’s long fingers of her dreams. Although she knew that she could appear to be so, she was no virgin. She had had several lovers and she knew exactly what pleased her. She was not shy when it came to sex. Teasing and touching herself until she reached a crushing orgasm, she would call out “Severus” at the moment of her peak. Then and only then could she sleep, having quenched her desire for an all too brief moment.

Elspeth was no fool. She knew full well that her fantasies about Snape would remain just that – pure fantasy. It was driving her balmy but she tried to look on the bright side. At least her little obsession was providing her with an outlet for her sexual frustration. With little or no free time, the prospect of any real lover coming into her life was almost nil. For now she was semi-content with her so-called love life. It was the best she could manage.

One day, her first wish came true. Snape swept into his office as she was correcting some essays.

“Follow me,” he barked and entered his laboratory.

Elspeth sat for a brief moment at his desk, her mouth agape in shock. Had she heard and seen correctly? Did he just order her to come into his lab? Not wishing to spoil the opportunity that had just been presented to her, she quickly arose and ran to the door. Taking tentative steps, she crossed into paradise. His laboratory was neat and orderly, everything in its place, just as she had so often imagined. He had a number of potions brewing at once. Elspeth gasped when she saw the supplies he kept – she had never seen such an extensive collection before. She was certain he had absolutely everything one could possibly need. She fought the urge to run and explore, instead keeping still until she had received her instructions. Snape was sitting at his desk, writing furiously on a piece of parchment.

Handing her the parchment Snape said, “Do you think you can follow my instructions?”

Elspeth read what he had written; it was simple enough – what ingredient to add, when, etc. “Of course I can, sir. It seems clear enough.”

“Very well then. I will entrust this to you, Miss Warwick. My experiment is reaching its final stage but I have been called away on urgent business. You will record all of your observations?”

“Naturally, sir. I will do it in excruciating detail.”

“I must leave. Can I trust you not to snoop?”

“I will look at the experiment and nothing else. You have my word, Professor Snape. You can attend to your business with a clear mind.”

“I will return in a few hours. When you are finished, leave your report on my desk and return to your quarters. The laboratory will seal itself once you are gone. I will summon you if I have any questions.” With his last word he was gone.

Elspeth was on cloud nine! Not only had she been allowed to enter the inner sanctum, she had been entrusted with an actual experiment – a real-to-life, an honest-to-goodness, bloody fucking experiment! She would have leapt for joy had she been anywhere else. She needed to maintain decorum and treat the moment with the respect it deserved. She re-read Snape’s instructions several times and then went to gather the items she would require. She felt like a kid in a candy store as she stood before the supply shelves. She could spend hours, maybe even days going through each little bottle and package one by one. Perhaps one day, if she were very lucky, he would let her catalogue and maintain these stores as well. She quickly selected what she needed and returned to the worktable and prepared the ingredients. They were added to the cauldron’s contents at exactly the precise time required. Each time an item was added, Elspeth took note of what occurred, in very minute detail, just as she had promised. She was determined to do this right for she knew if she did, it would be her key back into this room.

Snape returned in a few hours, just as he had said. He went to the cauldron to inspect his experiment. It was not the colour he had anticipated. Had that fool girl done something wrong? He went to his desk and read her report. It was written clearly and neatly, in the great detail he was expecting. It seemed that everything had been done correctly. He summoned Elspeth to his laboratory once more.

“Sit,” he barked at her appearance in the doorway. When she had complied, he said, “I want you to tell me everything that transpired while I was away. Begin.”

She wanted to say that she had written it all down for him, but she did not dare. She began her story and he interrupted her many, many times with a myriad of questions, all of which she was able to answer to his satisfaction. It was not Elspeth who had gone wrong; it was the potion that had once again that had failed.

Before she realized what she was saying, Elspeth spoke, “Perhaps if you tried pulverizing the ginseng root and adding just a drop of Oil of Myrtle, it might produce the effect you are looking for, sir.” She held her breath, waiting for him to berate her for daring to speak out and offering her unsolicited opinion. She received the greatest shock of her life.

“I will consider your suggestion, Miss Warwick. Good night.”

“Thank you, sir. Good night to you as well.” Once out in the corridor, she allowed herself that little dance of joy. She had done a bang-up job tonight – she knew it but more importantly, HE knew it as well. This had turned out to be one of the best days of her life. It was definitely a “two-Severus” night for Elspeth. She slept very peacefully indeed that night.

The next day saw a new dawn for her career. Snape had used her suggestion and it had worked beautifully. From that day forward, she was not only his classroom assistant, but was in his laboratory as well. It was perfection on earth for Elspeth. She was given the keys to her “candy store” and was in charge of all ingredients, no longer needing his approval before replenishing the stocks. She would discuss with Snape as an equal. He would seek out her opinions, not that he would always follow them, but at least she was taken seriously enough to be asked. He trusted her more and more with each passing day until one evening, the shite hit the proverbial fan.

Snape returned to his lab late one evening to check on one of his little projects. It was in fact not so little – he had been working on it for the better part of a year and was almost at the end. Success was just within grasp. He strode to the cauldron confidently, cocksure of what he would find – a clear violet potion with a pleasing smell. As he neared the worktable, a most noxious odour hit his nostrils.

“What in the name of Merlin is that stench?” he cried aloud.

Peering into the cauldron he was dismayed to find a thick, lumpy concoction of a hideous pea-green colour. Where was his violet liquid? Holding his hand over his nose, he withdrew his wand and called out Evanesco banishing the cauldron and its contents into oblivion. How was this possible? That combination of ingredients could not produce such a stinking mess. He had not returned his ingredients to the storeroom. One by one, he picked them up and read the labels – everything was as it was supposed to be. He was even more perplexed. One by one again, he picked up the ingredients and opened the lid to smell each in turn. All was as it should. He held the last bottle in his hand – Extract of Solstice Sunflower. This was a very rare and very expensive ingredient. The plant only bloomed one day a year, on the dawn of the summer solstice. Snape took a whiff, expecting to find a pleasing floral scent. Instead his nose was met with the faint odour of fish and cabbage. The phial contained Extract of Ocean Stinkweed instead! His potion had called for only one tiny drop of extract, and since both were of the same colour, he had not noticed the difference. This was the reason for his failure. The Stinkweed had ruined his handiwork. Elspeth! She was in charge of the ingredients. This was her doing! Enraged, Severus summoned a house-elf to fetch Elspeth and to bring her to him immediately.

There came a frantic knocking at her door. “Who could that be at this late hour?” she wondered. Elspeth threw on her dressing gown and ran to open it. There, before her, was a tiny house-elf, the smallest one she had ever seen.

“Is there something wrong?” asked Elspeth.

“M-miss, if you be p-pleased,” it stuttered.

“What is your name, little one?” inquired Elspeth gently. The creature was trembling like a leaf, almost as if it had had the scare of its life.

“I is called Tinker, Miss.”

She bent down to speak, “Tinker, there is nothing to fear. Won’t you please tell me what it is that brings you here?”

“I has a m-message for you. Come you must, n-now.”

“Come with you where?”

“Him wants you, must be now. P-professor S-s-nape.”

Elspeth understood why poor Tinker was in such a state. Snape could put the fear of death in any creature. Her heart began to pound. Why would he be calling for her now?

“Can’t it wait until morning?”

“No, Miss.”

“Oh very well then. Please wait for me, Tinker, while I get dressed.” Elspeth moved from the door.

“NO!” screamed Tinker. “Come now. Can not wait. Him said him would have Tinker’s hide if I not bring you right away. P-PLEASE!”

Tinker was obviously frightened for her life. Snape’s words were just a figure of speech but the poor elf didn’t know that. “All right then, if Professor Snape insists. I’ll come along now.”

“Yes please, Miss. You must now come with Tinker. Him is waiting for you.”

Elspeth followed quickly along behind the little elf. Poor thing was practically running. This wasn’t good, no it wasn’t good at all.

Tinker rushed into Snape’s office. “Please sir. I is bringing Miss to you. I go now?”

“Yes, be gone you silly creature!” Tinker was gone in an instant. “Ah, Miss Warwick, how kind of you to join me at such a late hour. Do sit down.”

“Yes, sir.” He was being gracious! Elspeth began to quake inside.

As he spoke, Snape paced slowly around Elspeth’s chair. “You are aware of the experiment I have been working on of late?”

“If you mean the one you have been working on for almost a year, the one you are almost finished, yes sir I know all about it.”

“You know how much work I have put into it?”

“Oh, yes sir. It was a most complex potion. You must be relieved and gratified that you are almost done. Have you finished it, sir? Is this why you have summoned me here tonight?”

“Not quite. You are now in charge of all ingredients, are you not?”

“You know I am, sir.”

\"You are confident that all is in order where that is concerned?”

“Yes I am, Professor Snape. You know I am quite meticulous when it comes to the ingredients.”

He held out a potion phial for Elspeth to see. “Would you please be so kind as to identify this for me?”

She took the tiny bottle in her hand and read the label. “This is Extract of Solstice Sunflower.”

“You don’t say. Are you sure, Miss Warwick?”

“It must be as labelled, sir.” Something told her to open the bottle. “B-but I d-don’t understand, sir. This is Extract of Ocean Stinkweed. How can it be in this bottle?”

“You don’t know? You can’t think of a reason? Let me help you – it is in the wrong bottle, Miss Warwick because it WAS MISLABELLED BY YOU!” he bellowed.

“That’s not possible, sir.”

“OF COURSE IT IS POSSIBLE! HOW ELSE CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS?”

“I can’t explain it, sir. All I know is that it wasn’t me.”

“LIAR! NOT ONLY HAVE YOU MADE A GRAVE MISTAKE, BUT YOU DON’T HAVE THE DECENCY TO ADMIT IT!” roared Snape.

Elspeth was trying to remain calm, not an easy task in the face of a raging Snape. “I am not a liar. If you would calm down, sir, perhaps we…”

Snape got right up in her face. “DO NOT TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?”

“I’m sorry, Professor Snape, I was just trying to get you to listen to me.”

“I have listened to you. You are unwilling to accept responsibility for your error,” he said through clenched teeth.

“I will not accept responsibility for something I haven’t done. Please, I didn’t mislabel that phial.”

Snape ignored her. “Do you realize what you have done? You have cost me a year’s work! “

“You have your notes; you can start over again. I could do it for you.”

“SILENCE, IDIOT GIRL! THAT POTION TAKES A YEAR TO BREW!”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize,” replied Elspeth meekly.

“I had great misgivings about taking you on, Miss Warwick. In fact, I only did it as a favour to the Headmaster. I was afraid that I would rue the day. It seems that my fears have come to fruition. Your time here has come to an end. As of this moment, you are no longer my apprentice. You are dismissed, Miss Warwick.”

“Please, sir, can we not discuss this?”

“GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! I INSIST THAT YOU LEAVE TONIGHT!” he screamed.

“B-but you have to believe me, sir. It wasn’t my f-fault,” stuttered Elspeth.

Snape glared at her and through clenched teeth he growled, “We have been through this many times. I do not believe you. You are to leave. NOW! Or are you too stupid to understand what I’m saying to you, woman!”

Elspeth’s face was burning red with humiliation. This was a nightmare. Not only was her long sought after apprenticeship at an end, she would never see him again. She would never see her fantasies come to life. There had always been that tiny part of her that hoped it would one day happen. Now, her hopes were dashed. Unless…she had nothing more to lose, why not do it?

She looked up. He had returned to his desk. Elspeth gingerly approached. Her whole body was trembling, trembling with fear but also excitement at the thought of what she was about to do. She leaned down and his face turned towards hers in surprise. He was just about to roar at her once more when her lips touched his. Elspeth was surprised; his thin lips were surprisingly soft. He did not kiss back, and yet he did not pull away. He allowed the intimate contact. Realizing that he would not participate, Elspeth arose and walked away.

“I hope you don’t think I’ve changed my mind because of what you just did. If that is what you had planned, then you are to be sorely disappointed.”

“That isn’t why I did it.”

Snape’s eyebrows raised up in surprise. “I can not think of another possible reason as to why you would kiss me. It has to be some feeble attempt to seduce me so that I will let you stay.”

“If you will let me explain, sir.” Snape nodded; this was going to be rich. “I, like yourself, am not an attractive person…”

Snape cut her off, “So this was a mercy kiss? Thought you would give the poor ugly Potions Master a treat did you? How dare you presume to know about my personal life! I’ll have you know…”

It was Elspeth’s turn, “Will you be quiet! That is not what I meant at all. If you will keep silent for two minutes, I will finish what I was going to say.” Her eyes were flashing.

Snape was taken aback by her outburst. She had actually shouted at him. Nobody shouted at him. Strangely enough, he held his tongue and stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

“You scare me, Professor Snape. As I am quite sure you are well aware. Hell, you scare just about everyone here. But what you probably don’t realize is that…that in addition to scaring me, you also excite me. You excite me like no other man has ever done. I have been wondering what it is like to kiss you for some time now. Since you have dismissed me, I had nothing to lose. That is the reason why I did what I did.” She turned to leave.

“Stay where you are,” he commanded. Elspeth stopped in her tracks and turned back to face him. He stood and walked slowly to her, making a complete circle around her before coming to a stop at her side.

“So, Miss Warwick, I excite you, do I?”

“Very much so.”

“Are you…excited right now?” he asked with a silken voice. Not so long ago he had been screaming at her, his voice ugly and distorted by rage. Now, it was like thick honey, dripping over her, intoxicating her and making her go weak in the knees.

“Yes!” came her breathy reply.

“Show me.”

“W-what?”

“I said show me how excited you are.”

Elspeth couldn’t believe what she was about to do. She let her dressing gown slip to the floor, leaving her clad in only a thin, white nightgown. With her legs slightly apart, she slowly raised the hem of her nightgown until it was around her waist. She was exposing herself to him! Her hand slipped downwards and Snape watched as a finger disappeared deep inside. Elspeth slowly withdrew it, letting her finger graze her clit as she went. A small moan escaped her lips. She held her glistening finger up for him to see.

“I didn’t say you could touch yourself, Miss Warwick. You will do only as I instruct you to. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Suck your finger.”

She obediently did as she was told, licking up her own juices.

“Can you taste yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Does it taste sweet?”

“Yes.”

“Remove your nightgown.”

With trembling fingers, Elspeth undid the tiny buttons at her throat and let the garment pool at her feet. She took a step forward and pushed it aside with her foot. She stood silently, her eyes downcast. She could feel his gaze on her body.

Snape took in the sight before him. Her body was voluptuous; her breasts very large, with prominent nipples, her waist narrow leading to full, round hips. Snape was achingly hard.

“Turn around. Slowly.”

The sight of her back, tapering at the waist and then flaring out to form glorious globes of flesh in what could only be described as the perfect pear-shape made him twitch and grow even harder. Her face did no justice to her delicious body. He had never stopped to consider what secrets she might be hiding under her plain clothes. When at last she had made a full circle, she saw him wave his hand and the contents of his desktop moved to one side, revealing the smooth dark wood beneath.

“Sit on my desk facing my chair.”

Elspeth perched on the edge and held her breath as he approached. He stopped before her and Elspeth dared to look into his eyes. His gaze, as always, betrayed no emotion, revealed no excitement. He reached out and ran his hands lightly up her arms to her shoulders. The unexpected gentle touch made her shiver. His strong hands captured her breasts, kneading them, playing with them, appreciating their weight and fullness. He pinched and pulled on her nipples, teasing them to hardness. When he bent down and captured one of her nubs between his teeth, a low moan rumbled in her throat. His smell filled her nose as he worried first one, then the other nipple, sucking and nipping them to the point of painful delight. She longed to reach out and capture him about the shoulders, pulling him closer to her but she did not dare. He was in charge; he had not given his permission to touch.

As he sat on his chair, he issued a new command. “Lay back on the desk with your knees bent.”

He pulled the chair forward and ran his hands down the inside of her thighs and spread her legs apart. Elspeth had faint thoughts of embarrassment at her complete exposure to him, but they were quickly pushed aside. The anticipation of what was surely to come had taken control of her consciousness. She felt his fingers open her even wider.

Snape inhaled her musky fragrance. He could see a glistening pearl shining through the dark brown curls. The tiny nub was surrounded by elongated lips that were just begging him to taste. The call was irresistible. He darted his tongue out and flicked her clit quickly, causing Elspeth to cry out.

She had to see! She needed to watch him as he pleasured her! Elspeth brought herself up on her elbows just in time to see him capture one of her lips between his own. The sensation made her hiss and arch her back. Oh gods! He pulled on both of her lips at once and then let his tongue danced wildly over her clit.

“Oh gods!” she cried, no longer able to keep silent.

The tongue that had cut into her like a rapier, the tongue that was considered a lethal weapon, was now an instrument of pleasure. It danced and tasted, probed deeply and tickled lightly, swirling round and round, bringing her dangerously close to the edge. Suddenly, all sensation stopped.

Elspeth’s eyes sprung open and saw Snape sitting back in his chair.

“Not yet,” he answered to her unspoken question. She saw his hand undoing the lower buttons of his coat. “Get on your knees before me.”

Elspeth clambered down off the desk and knelt before Snape, waiting expectantly.

“Do I have to spell out what I want you to do, Miss Warwick? I should think it is quite obvious this time.”

Elspeth found her voice, “Yes, sir, it is.”

This was the first time she had been allowed to touch him. She brought herself in between his legs and reached out with her hand. Her breath caught in her throat – he was hard, very, very hard! She let her hand wander down to give his balls a squeeze and then back up again along his length. He made no sound, no movement, no sign of enjoyment. One by one, she undid the buttons of his fly and then reached inside to free his cock from the confines of his trousers. The length was average perhaps even a little smaller, as far as she could tell, but the girth – she gasped. He was very large - not at all like she had imagined. She could barely close her hand around it!

“Get on with it,” he said impatiently.

At his command she began to explore his cock, caressing it, stroking it, studying its colour and its shape, marvelling in its impressive size. She wondered how it would ever fit. His cock was dripping. She lapped up the drops with her tongue and then swirled it around the head, teasing the underside of the crown as she went. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her mouth around him, taking in as much as she could. To her great surprise and pleasure, she was able to go farther than she thought. Using her hand as well as her mouth, she began to pump up and down, giving him what she hoped was as much pleasure as he had given her. He was still completely silent. This was maddening to Elspeth! How was she to know if he liked what she was doing to him if he didn’t react? She attacked him with renewed enthusiasm; he had to be enjoying this!

After some time, Snape said, “Stop.”

Elspeth withdrew her mouth and pulled back, wondering if she had done something to displease him.

“Get up and stand by the desk.”

She quickly complied. He stood as well and came to her side. She watched as he freed himself completely. Such a sight! Snape was still fully clothed, robes and all, with just his huge, red cock and now his balls exposed. This was better than any of her fantasies!

“Lean forward over the desk.”

Elspeth leaned down and spread her legs apart. He was going to fuck her from behind! She quivered in anticipation. Her deepest, darkest desire was about to become reality.

She felt him draw near, his hands grabbing the full flesh of her ass. He caressed the globes firmly and then dipped one finger deep inside Elspeth. He withdrew some of her moisture and rubbed it on the head of his cock. Spreading her apart, he positioned himself at her entrance, hesitated for a brief second and then drove deep inside her in one quick thrust. Elspeth cried out, not in pain, but in pleasure. Snape held still, his cock bathed in a tight, velvet heat. It had been quite some time since he had allowed himself to partake of the pleasures of the flesh. The sensation was almost unbearable. He was sure he could feel her twitching all around him. Regaining his control, he withdrew completely, only to re-enter her to the hilt once more.

“Please, don’t stop,” she dared to beg.

He withdrew yet again, this time waiting for a few seconds before taking her again. It seemed to be an eternity for Elspeth.

“Is this what you want?” he asked throatily, as he plunged deeper.

“Yes!” came her quick reply.

“Is this what you have dreamed about?”

“Merlin yes!” Elspeth pushed back to meet him on every thrust. “Please, fuck me. Fuck me hard.”

“Say it again. Beg me to fuck you.”

She was at the point where she would say or do anything to get what she wanted. Hearing him say the word “fuck” was just icing on the cake. “Please, sir. Fuck me. Fuck me hard with your beautiful cock, sir. Please.” If he wanted begging, she would give him begging!

At her words, he began to pound into her harder and harder, his cock never completely leaving its burning nest. Elspeth continued to beg, her words liberally laced with moans and words of pleasure. Snape was getting very close.

“Touch yourself while I fuck you,” he commanded.

In an instant, Elspeth had found her clit and was rubbing it frantically. It didn’t take very long for her to come.

“YES!” she cried loudly. “OH FUCK YES I’M COMING!” She wanted very much to call out his name, as she did in the quiet of her own room, but this, she did not dare. He was still Professor Snape just as she was Miss Warwick. They were fucking, but the formal attitude remained intact. He had not given her permission to call him “Severus”. Snape was grateful his office was deep in the dungeons, far removed from everyone else. She surely would have been heard by the whole school otherwise.

He pumped into Elspeth three more times after her climax and then reached his own as well. He grabbed her hips and held her ass tightly to him, holding perfectly still and keeping totally silent. The only way she could tell that he had come was by his sudden stillness. She failed to see how anyone could keep silent at the moment of orgasm. Being loud was just so liberating. She had her answer – Snape was not a liberated man. His silence suddenly seemed to fit. His grip loosened but he remained inside Elspeth. She listened to him breathe – he was panting very rapidly. He had enjoyed it! A thrill shot through her.

He at last withdrew and Elspeth straightened up. She watched as he tucked himself back in and did up all of his buttons. His face was flushed and there was a sheen to his skin. He was sweating. Elspeth was even surer that he had appreciated their little interlude. He walked to his desk and sat down. Without looking at her, he said, “You may go now.”

“Yes, sir,” she replied. That was it. She had gotten what she wanted. It had been far better than she had ever imagined. It had at least been small compensation for the loss of her apprenticeship. She would be walking away with some very strong memories.

Snape watched as she bent down to retrieve her nightgown. He saw some of his come dripping down the back of her leg. He felt a twinge in his groin at the sight. She dressed and walked towards the door.

“Miss Warwick,” he called out.

Elspeth stopped and turned to face him.

“Yes, sir?” she inquired.

He regarded her for an instant and then said, “You may stay here at Hogwarts. That will be all for this evening.”

Elspeth bowed her head and said, “Thank you, sir. You are most kind. Good night, sir.”

Elspeth turned and walked out the door, a smirk gracing her plain features. She had won.

The End