Entry tags:

fic, millicent, minerva, snape, viktor

Special delivery for snapelike (part 2)
Title:  A Toxic & Tender Time part 2
Author/Artist:  odogoddess
Recipient's LJ name:  snapelike
Rating:  NC-17
Pairing(s):  Severus/Minerva, Viktor/Millicent
Word Count:  19,021
Warnings (if any):  h/c, adult situations, first-time, rough sex, near-public



pt. 1

~*~

By the middle of the second day, Minerva had fallen into a routine that would continue until Severus was on his feet. It was exhausting, but so long as she followed her own handwritten instructions on the board and noted down the times, it went smoothly.

Kingsley had been right; the kitchen was very well stocked, and after a bit of hunting around, Minerva found everything she needed.

The tea was Twinings Ceylon Looseleaf, not her personal favourite, but then she did not expect to find Mackwoods 160^th anniversary blend in most houses. The beautiful crystal pitcher, which was the only suitable container for tea she had found in the kitchen, had a built-in infuser, which took her a bit to become accustomed to, but was easier to clean. The tea kettle was lovely, a copper-bottomed steel that she found heated the water perfectly when she made the tea Muggle-style, although she heated the pitcher with magic.

There were steel-cut oats and the freezer of the Muggle refrigerator held handmade loaves of good old barley bread, with handwritten instructions on how long to bake them and at what temperature the oven needed to be. The stove and oven were, like the fireplace, fuelled not by wood, nor Muggle electricity, but by some form of gas. There were matches and dials with easy to read settings.

Soon the house was filled with the smell of baking bread. It was a nice counterpoint to the steady rain which continued to fall outside.

~*~

Dear Millicent,

Were you aware that your name stems from the old German name Amalaswinth?  It is two words,
Amal meaning labour, and Swinth, meaning strength.  I remember you from the tournament and
you are well named.  You are a strong girl.  I am fond of strong girls.

Your date for a meeting is fine.  I can meet you there at sixteen hundred hours.  I will,
of course, pay for your meal, since you are being so kind as to meet me.  

I look forward to becoming reacquainted.

Your servant,

Viktor Krum

* * * * * *

Dear Viktor,

I don't see how my name could come from a word that doesn't even sound like it.  Amalaswinth?  
You've got a date with me, you don't have to come over all flowery to try and impress me.

I'll see you on Friday.

Millicent

* * * * * *

My Dear Millicent,

I am not coming over all flowery, whatever that means.  I am telling the truth.  Your name really
does come from the old German word Amalaswinth.    

It came to England by way of the Normans.  In French, the word is Melisent or Melisende.  You English
changed it to Millicent.  Nonetheless, it is a good name and I like it very much, just as I like
your honesty and forthrightness.  There is fire in your words, as well.  I appreciate a bit of fire
in a girl.  

I look forward to our date.

Your servant,

Viktor

~*~

On the morning of the fourth day, Minerva woke to her alarm to find Severus blinking blearily on his side of the large bed. The mattress had dried and she'd been able to return him to it two days before.

"Severus?"

He turned his head, wincing at the movement, clearly weak as a kitten, but he recognised her.

"Minerva..." His voice was thin and gravelly. His expression grew wary and he struggled to look around, but the room was dim, the only light coming from a high window above the head of the bed that revealed the grey cloudy sky and rain falling outside. "Where? How long?"

"Easy, Severus," she urged, placing a warm hand to his shoulder and pressing him back to the bed. He frowned at the feeling of her hand on his bare shoulder and he shifted and frowned as he realised he was naked beneath the covers. Where was he?

She shifted her covers back and went around to his side, making him realise she had been asleep next to him. Where were they?

Her calm blue-eyed gaze steadied him. "You're safe. We're at a safe house. Kingsley sent us here whilst you recover, because you are in danger until all the Death Eaters are captured."

He frowned, clearly exhausted, but also confused. "Kingsley?"

"He's the new Minister. Don't worry, Severus, it can all wait. For now, you are safe and that's all that matters. You were very badly poisoned and nearly bled to death, but I'm taking care of you. You're coming along well."

He finally nodded, surprised at how much effort it took, and rasped out, "Potter?"

Minerva smiled. "He's alive, Severus. He lived. He slew Voldemort. Your memories aided him. It's all over, praise be."

Severus sighed, and finally relaxed back onto the bed, filled with such intense relief it was almost painful and he struggled to breathe evenly. After a moment, he turned his head away and she was surprised to see his chest hitch a little, shoulders trembling.

"Severus?"

He tried to turn away from her, but was too weak, and Minerva carefully cupped his cheek with a gentle hand. The moisture on her palm told her of what he was trying to hide, but she merely sat by him and pulled him against her lap, stroking his hair as he wept quietly in gratitude and relief.

She thought of the grieving man she had seen in the Pensieve, the man who had no one to turn to, and Minerva was glad she was with him now.






The bout of emotion left him drained and he passed out eventually, sleeping through the rest of the needed ministrations, to her relief. He only murmured slightly as she helped him achieve climax. Once again, he whispered Lily's name.

Minerva was disquieted to hear that he sounded wistful, his tone full of guilt and regret, rather than sounding eager or amorous. She was left to ponder how, even in his dreams, Severus did not indulge in fantasy.

~*~

She was not particularly profane, but looking through her trunk had Millicent swearing.

Finally, she chose to wear the dress robes she'd worn at the Yule Ball.

Having completed her NEWTs that morning, she was no longer a student, no longer a school girl. As such, she didn't want to meet Viktor Krum in her school uniform, but really, she had nothing nice to wear that wasn't more appropriate for a shop girl than for a date. Aside from the ball, no one had ever asked her out on a date, so she'd had no reason to purchase dressy, but casual attire.

Trying it on, she noted the dress was a bit short on her; she had grown a bit since fourth year; and a bit snug, but it accentuated what little figure she had. It showed off her nice long legs, at least, the one feature she knew some boys seemed to admire.

She hoped Viktor would appreciate it.

~*~

The next round of medications was followed by broth and a bit of toast, as well as Strengthening Solution, although Minerva still needed to feed Severus as he had almost no strength of his own.

Despite the various potions he was still extremely weak, only able to hold his head up for a few minutes, to nod or shake it, and to speak in his still raspy voice, but his motor coordination was almost non-existent, limbs still cool and heavy and largely unresponsive thanks to the effects of poison and extended bed rest.

He found he needed her help to position the jug she had for him to urinate into, although, to save them at least some embarrassment, she had done what she needed to under his covers, using deft fingers to ascertain the situation and placing his own stiff fingers around the jug to hold it in place. It had been all he was able to do, still abominably weak and despising his frailty.

No sooner had this bit of embarrassment ended, when she had set the jug aside, vanishing its contents and looked at him kindly, but sternly.

"You won't like this, Severus, but make no mistake, it must be done. Now, as you know, you're taking Anti-venom, along with various other potions, but it's not enough to rid you of the venom that settled in your system. I've had to massage you quite thoroughly to help you pass it. I'm afraid when I say I've needed to massage you thoroughly, I mean everywhere. It's important. You've been... passing some of the venom in various ways for the last few days."

Severus blushed, but nodded, eyes reflecting his apprehension, but also clearly too exhausted to do anything else, and she shook her head.

"Don't fret, Severus. This is needed. You nearly bled to death and didn't get medical attention for some time, so your circulation is still poor which is one of the reasons you're still so weak, and why I've had to massage you at regular intervals to encourage your circulation to return."

He nodded again, but began to shiver with reaction and she added in a quiet voice, "My thought, at first, was that I could do what needed doing in the dark, perhaps under the covers, but since you need regular bathing, as well, the issue is moot. Now, I know how I'd feel if our situations were reversed, so in the spirit of fairness..."

To his shock, she cast a Warming Charm, and began to remove her clothing.

Minerva McGonagall was a practical witch, and she well knew, now that Severus was awake, it would be difficult to get him to acquiesce to what needed doing, at least not without argument or possibly even needing to Stupefy him. This could set back his recovery and that she would not allow, anymore than she would allow embarrassment or dismay to colour needed medical treatment. The easiest way to deal with his indignity would be to reveal her own. Since they both needed a bath again, this would serve both purposes quite nicely.

When she was down to her chemise, Severus finally spoke in a rather faint voice.

"M-minerva?"

She met his gaze and unlaced her chemise, letting it slide off her, leaving her in nothing but a pair of eminently sensible bloomers. Severus, she noted, suddenly found the ceiling to be of utmost interest.

"Severus, you need a bath, and I need a bath, and frankly, I have discovered that I cannot give you one without getting so wet myself that it's easiest to just take one together. It's easier to give you a massage there, as well. So then," she added with a flourish of her wand that made the bedclothes slip off of his nude form. "Let's get on, shall we?"

Snape shivered, less from the temperature in the room, which was comfortably warm, than from his sudden nudity before her, and he could feel the hot blush that Minerva could see began along his ribs, near his chest, and moved upward until his face glowed rosy red. Despite it, however, he began to shiver uncontrollably as if he was cold. When he tried to move his arms to cover himself, though, they were stiff and uncooperative and he lay his head back with an expression of dismay.

"It's all right, Severus," she said reassuringly before walking to the bathroom, where she filled the tub and placed the foaming bath crystals in it.

This also gave her a moment or two to still her own pounding heart. Gryffindors had bravery in spades, but it wasn't always the foolhardy sort. Many had to grasp it with both hands and do what needed doing, and this was the case with Minerva McGonagall.

She was well aware of how Severus felt; she had more than a touch of trepidation herself, but what she'd told him was true. She knew exactly how she'd feel if their situation was reversed, and Severus was the one caring intimately for her. As such, she could not begrudge him the choice of levelling the field, making him less self-conscious and more amenable to what needed doing.

The fact that she had not been naked before a man, or anyone, really, in decades was something she chose not to examine too closely. She knew that while Nature had been generous with her blessings, giving her a strong, straight, healthy body, that Time had been less so. She rarely looked on her own figure, but she knew it wasn't what most men admired, even if she was still lithe and trim, her breasts were very small and not as perky as they once had been, and her skin had loosened with age. Still, she wasn't trying to seduce him, she reminded herself firmly, but make him feel more comfortable about having to be naked.

When she returned to the bedroom she noted his gaze automatically shifted from her torso to the wall to the ceiling and then back to somewhere in the vicinity of where her hat would be, if she had it on. She found herself somewhat amused at his discomfiture. Her students, she knew, would be scandalised, but then they didn't know her, really. Nor did Severus, although he was getting a bit of education now.

Without preamble, she carefully levitated him into the bathroom and, after checking the temperature of the water, gently set him within the tub, maintaining a bit of the charm as she had been doing, so as to keep him from sliding under the water.

He watched her with dismay, eyes flitting in panic from her crotch to her chest to her hair to the window, as she firmly pushed down her bloomers, revealing a surprisingly dark thatch with only a few silvery hairs. Then with a fussy precision, she stepped into the tub with him.

"There now. Nothing to be ashamed of. In my day, the Prefects all still bathed together at times, you know."

He considered this, glad of something else to focus on, then nodded. "I wondered why the Prefect's bath was so large."

"Now you know."

Without further discussion, she stretched out a hand for one of his and began to massage his fingers.

~*~

Millicent could feel the warmth and softness of Viktor's lips against her knuckles. When he straightened, she was surprised to note how dark his eyes were, almost black. Like Snape's...

Unlike Snape, Viktor Krum had grown muscular and very fit and tanned. He looked as sturdy as a young tree. His own eyes openly admired her form, and he smiled.

"Your dress is very pretty. I like it. Like the one at the Yule Ball, yes?"

Millicent was surprised he remembered. He smiled a little at her expression.

"I used a Pensieve," he admitted, "to recall the night of the ball. Your dress was most becoming."

Her opinion of him went up a few notches.

"Shall we sit and eat, then?"

~*~

Snape had nearly fallen asleep under Minerva's ministrations when her massaging hands slid to his hips, and he gasped at finding her so close to him.

Her petite breasts were barely covered by the water, and she was touching him rather intimately, and he did not know where to look or what to say or do. The partial erection he'd developed halfway through the massage surged to full strength. He was profoundly glad it was under the water, although he knew if she but glanced down it would be fairly obvious.

His expression was strained. "Minerva..."

"I'm sorry, Severus," she said quietly, gently sliding her thumbs along his hips. "Please don't fight it. This is needed. Just let me do what I must to help you fully recover."

She studied him, a bit troubled to find his bright, black eyes watching her uncertainly, almost fearfully. She sighed a little, then spoke reassuringly.

"I won't hurt you, Severus. We shan't even speak of it again if you wish. Now will you let me help?"

He released a gusty breath after a moment, staring pointedly past her shoulder, and then nodded, closing his eyes tightly. She sighed again, then released his hips to take him in her hands.

One wrapped around his rigid erection and he gasped. Her other hand cupped his bollocks. To her surprise, his bollocks surged up and away from her touch almost as soon as she cupped him. Then he gasped again, murmuring wordlessly, a pained sound, as he jerked slightly, then began to issue forth almost immediately.

She did not say anything nor in anyway indicate surprise. She merely continued to stroke out the remainder of his emission. The look on his face, she noted, was one of stunned disbelief.

She let him go and gently took one of his hands in her own. "Are you all right, Severus? Did I hurt you?"

He blinked at this then managed to meet her eyes, but, to her distress, he cringed slightly, then shook his head, looking away. The expression she had seen before he did, though, was one of guilt and self-reproach, and it bothered her greatly.

~*~

My Dearest Millicent,

I have not been able to stop thinking of you since our date.  I have not enjoyed
myself so much with anyone in a long time.  You are easy to talk to.

I hope you enjoyed yourself, too.

I should very much like to see you again.  Perhaps dinner?  If you are free,
I know a very nice place.  Would next Friday be too early?  Say nineteen hundred
hours?

Please let me know.  I look forward to much discussion.  Perhaps even dancing?
If you do not like dancing, we could go to the theatre or opera.  Whatever you enjoy.

Your devoted servant,

Viktor Krum

* * * * * *

Viktor,

Please feel free to call me Milly.

I enjoyed our date, too.

Dinner would be great.  Friday's not too early.  It seems far off, actually.

I've never been to the theatre or an opera, so I don't know if I like them or not.
Dancing is okay, but I don't like being stepped on.  

I'm looking forward to our date,

Milly

~*~

Severus was not sure what was worse about his treatment sessions, being nude, or the fact that his masseuse was nude, also. The added fact that she intended on massaging him to climax was disturbing for more than one reason.

Minerva had no way of knowing, he knew, that he was a steady customer at the brothel in Hogsmeade, which was just as he intended -- that no one knew. When he visited the Maidenfair, a hand-job was always what he requested, and he always kept his robes on and his face covered. It was part of a promise he had made to himself long ago, when Lily had turned from him. He'd sworn to himself he would never have sex with another woman.

Being sixteen at the time, he had quickly seen how untenable this promise was, so he had amended it to never having penetrative sex. Hand jobs, in other words, did not count, and since in magic, only a penetrative act constituted actual sex, this fit his requirements quite fortuitously.

So during all the years he taught, he had Floo'd to the Maidenfair every Sunday night -- and in his earlier years, every Wednesday night, as well, and afterwards, Floo'd back to Hogwarts, ready to face another week, secure in his promise to Lily and to himself.

Now Minerva was massaging up past his knees and there were no robes to cover his face. She had no robes, either, and it was a unique form of torture. Intellectually, he knew what she was doing was not sexual, it was necessary medical treatment, but his body did not seem to know that. This was partly because nearly every boy in his fifth year and above had found Professor McGonagall, and indeed, Professors Sprout, Vector and Hooch, worthy of the old Southern salute during the throes of puberty.

The other problem, if it could be called that, was that Severus had been raised by his mother to not only feel pride in being part of the Prince family, a long line of distinguished Slytherins, but also to hold a distinctly Wizarding view of women. To a Muggle, a 70 year old woman was elderly, someone to be respected, but considered frail and no longer attractive. To a Wizard, a 70 year old woman was barely reaching middle age and coming into the fullness of her magical power, strong, vital and a force to be reckoned with... not to mention highly desirable. Most fended off suitors on a regular basis.

He had been her student, eventually become her colleague, but part of him still well-recalled sitting in Transfiguration during Sixth Year, the year he had been almost totally friendless and constantly randy, listening to her lecturing and hoping like mad he wouldn't disgrace himself. Another, even more salient part, knew her to be a strong, powerful, and independent witch... a witch who had divested herself of her own robes in order to ease his discomfort, a witch he respected and admired.

He closed his eyes now and trembled as she worked.

Minerva noted that he grew hard as she massaged his thighs, but she ignored it, finishing near his hips, and shifting up by him to begin to rub warmth into his long, cold fingers. When she got to his chest Severus was trembling all over, and she recast the Warming Charm, although it did not stop his shivering.

By the time she worked her way to his pelvis, his cock was leaking fluid onto his belly. She placed a warm hand on one hip and he risked looking up at her. His lips parted on a soundless gasp.

From this angle he could see the pale pink of her nipples. They were the perfect counterpoint to the ivory of her skin. Oddly, the inane phrase, She's a lady, flitted through his mind.

He managed to tear his gaze away from her chest and croak out, "I'm sorry."

To his chagrin, she turned to face him and he was hard-pressed to keep his eyes on her face as she spoke. She managed a sympathetic smile.

"It's all right, dear. It's needed until you can do it yourself and I don't begrudge it, nor should you feel any shame."

He nodded, but managed to say, "You shouldn't have to do this, Minerva."

"There are a lot of things we shouldn't have to do in this life, Severus. You shouldn't have had to kowtow to a megalomaniac with delusions of godhead in order to save us all. I shouldn't have had to tell families that their children were dead. Harry Potter shouldn't have had to die at the hands of the monster just so he could live again and finally destroy him. Children you and I taught shouldn't have had to lose their innocence by fighting and killing in order to keep even younger children alive and safe. So I'm sure you'll excuse my believing that needing to give you a bit of release in order to get some poison out of your system is hardly worth getting bothered over."

She took his erection in one firm hand and looked at him as she began to stroke.

"We're both adults, Severus. This might be personal, but it's not criminal, and if you find a spot of pleasure in it, quite frankly, it's the least I can offer after how abominably I treated you this last year."

He did not know what to say, so finally he lay his head back and fought to keep from shifting his hips as she expertly worked his straining cock. When her other hand slid over his bollocks, he felt himself let go in shimmering, all encompassing waves of sensation.

Minerva firmly milked out as much ejaculate as possible, then spoke in a genuinely pleased voice.

"There is a lot less venom now, than before."

This comment made him open his eyes and stare at the pearly spatters laced with threads of greenish yellow that decorated his belly and her hands. He swallowed, making a face.

She scourgified the sticky mess, then began to gently wipe him clean with a dampened flannel, wondering if the short duration of this part of the massage would be detrimental, then decided that since he'd had an erection for nearly the whole of the massage to that point, that his genitals had clearly received enough blood.

~*~

"You're seeing a lot of that young Krum fellow. I thought you weren't going to see him until Friday."

Millicent blushed. "It seemed a pity for him to Floo in all the way from Bulgaria for just two dates."

"How many is it now?"

Millicent hid a smile as she replied, "Friday will be our fifth."

When she looked up at her father, his expression was mildly concerned. "Yes, but do you like him, sweetmeat?"

"He's all right," she demurred.

He considered this, then finally nodded.

"You were right. He reminds me a bit of Snape when he was younger. Mostly in the nose now, but Snape was also very serious. If he'd had the proper connections, he might have had a similar career."

Millicent considered this. "Was the Headmaster good at Quidditch?"

Edmund Bulstrode smiled reminiscently. "He played half of Sixth and all of Seventh year after the team's keeper got spattergroit over the Christmas hols. He was also hell at Gobstones as a Firstie. I reckon his mother taught him a thing or two, she used to be a champion. He just didn't have the necessary connections if he had wanted to play professionally. It's always been about who you know, not what you know, as the saying goes."

Millicent sighed. It was so sad to hear this in the aftermath of Snape's death. She wished she had known him better.

"Anyway, Viktor seems like a nice fellow. He is nice, isn't he?"

Millicent could not hide her smile this time and her father felt gratified to see it.

"He's brilliant, daddy."

"I'm glad, sweetmeat."

He patted her head in the way only he was permitted to do and Millicent sighed a happy little sigh that warmed her heart.

~*~

Every day since he'd first come to, he was able to move his arm and legs just a little bit more on his own. This coupled with his ability to sit up longer and not just sleep all day, cheered Severus greatly. On the fourth day since he woke, he finally grew curious enough to make enquiries.

"Where exactly are we?"

Minerva looked a bit sheepish.

"Truth told, dear, I've been so busy dealing with you that I haven't bothered to check. It's a safe house left by an operative who passed, per Kingsley. Somewhere warm, I gather, as he called it a desert, although it was raining for days since we got here. I think this is the first dry day I've seen."

"In that case it's not the Sahara or the Kalahari," he murmured with a bemused snort.

"He didn't say." She got up and headed for the door. "I'll put some tea on and see if I can ascertain exactly where we are."

Severus nodded, setting his head back against the pillows and sighing. He had not felt so relaxed in a long time. The last year at the school had been harrowing.

Minerva returned rather sooner than he'd expected, with a rather odd expression on her face.

"What is it?" He was suddenly, acutely aware that he did not know where his wand was. This disturbed him on several levels.

"There were some junk mailings in the box outside with the address. We're in the States. Somewhere in Arizona called Lake Havasu City."

"Is that near the Grand Canyon?" It was the only thing Severus knew about Arizona.

"I've no idea."

"Maybe you can find out when you go out."

"I don't think that will be anytime soon. The house is very well-stocked with food and supplies. I even found us Muggle clothes."

He nodded, but looked pensive.

"What is it, Severus?"

"Nothing. I suppose I was looking forward to living vicariously through you," he admitted ruefully. "I've never been one for lying in bed when I'm sick, and it's worse now, since I can't read." He waved his still somewhat uncooperative hands at her.

He was getting better and stronger every day, but she knew it must be frustrating.

"I'd be happy to read to you. I don't know what sort of books are here. The guest bedroom had a set of bookshelves. I'll see what they have."

Unfortunately, whoever owned the house was fond of Do It Yourself and cooking, which were the only sort of books the bookshelves seemed to hold. Minerva was dismayed.

"What sort of person doesn't read for pleasure?"

Severus shrugged. "I've no idea. I remember how surprised I was to discover some of my classmates didn't even know how to read when they arrived at Hogwarts."

She looked aghast. "Honestly?"

He shrugged. "Their house elves read to them in their own homes, and they'd been taught the spell so their books would read aloud. I suppose they figured it was all they needed. Most of them learned by Third Year."

She frowned, but said nothing further. "Well, I suppose we could just talk, or if worse comes to worse, there is an absolutely monstrous Muggle television in the sitting room. That might prove entertaining."

Severus snorted. "My father always wanted one of those. I saw a few things on the telly at a neighbour's house growing up, but it's been ages since I clapped eyes on one. From what I've heard the Muggle-borns tell, it's gotten rather puerile and sex-obsessed."

Minerva nodded and left the room, soon coming back with a large, bright yellow book in hand. Her tone was decisive.

"Fence Construction for Dummies, it is."

~*~

"I have to go back, Milly."

She leaned closer, eyes closing as she caught a whiff of his masculine scent, a mix of spices and musk that made her feel like swooning, except Millicent Bulstrode did not swoon. She left that to totty like Greengrass and Parkinson. She was a solid, sensible girl.

She fought her trembling knees and grasped his large hands, instead, and held onto him tightly as she spoke with the forthrightness he admired.

"I wish you didn't have to."

He kissed her hands and a funny sensation made her insides go cold, then warm, then shiver.

"I must. But we will write. And I will send you tickets to my matches. And after the matches we will go out. It will be good, you will see."

She felt a suspiciously dry sensation in her throat, followed by an equally suspicious prickling in the corners of her eyes, but Millicent Bulstrode most decidedly did not cry. That was for softies like Malfoy and Flint.

"When will I see you again?" There. That hadn't sounded at all quavery or weak.

"Very soon. I hope you will not be forgetting me."

She shook her head adamantly. "Never!"

He smiled then and pulled one of his hands free of her.

"This is good. But just in case, I would like for you to wear this, to remember me."

He pulled a very large, very elegant ring from his pocket and extended it to her. She stared at it, barely breathing.

"This was made by my great grandfather for his promised bride. It is silver for wisdom and light, mother of pearl for faith and innocence which is you, and unicorn horn for protection and virility, which is me." He smiled at how well the rather crude, thick ring fit Millicent's finger. On any other girl it would have looked gauche, unseemly. On Millicent it looked very fitting indeed.

"Will you wear my ring, Milly?"

He wasn't sure exactly how it happened, but he found himself with his arms full of trembling female, clearly struggling not to cry as she told him, in between firm and deliciously warm kisses, exactly how pleased she would be to wear his ring.

~*~

"Minerva."

It was time again for him to be massaged. Soon she would not have to, as the level of venom was dissipating, and his hands were losing their inflexibility so he would be able to take care of the matter on his own, but for now, she was still assisting him... and still undressing to do it, and it was this he wished to address.

She paused with her hands near the ties of her robe.

"Yes?"

He felt himself blush, but went on.

"You don't have to do that. Undress, I mean. I... it's not really necessary, I, uh, know this is something that needs to be done, and, well... you just don't have to do that anymore, truly."

She studied him and he met her gaze, even as his blush grew ferocious. To his surprise, her expression grew, by turns, hard, then sad, and finally, something he could not identify since she looked away and nodded.

"Very well."

She got up then with the tray of his food and left the room. He had the distinct feeling she was... disappointed in him. It was an impression he well remembered from first year Transfigurations when he'd proved unable to transfigure a pin into a piece of paper.

When she stepped back into the room her face was devoid of expression, and he swallowed. The memory reminded him of something that was more significant, at least momentarily, than his other concern.

"Where is my wand, Minerva?"

With that same expressionless look, she went to the closet where her teaching robes were hanging and pulled his wand from her pocket. She brought it to him and he sighed in relief to feel the magic flowing through him.

"If that's all, then--"

"No. I said something that disturbed you. What was it, please?"

Her eyes grew stern.

"It doesn't matter, Severus. Now if you don't mind--"

"But I do mind," he retorted, feeling his wand loosely clasped in his still clumsy hand and the power filling and restoring him. "Somehow I've disappointed you and I want to know what I did or said to do that. After all you've done for me, if I've hurt you in some way..."

"Don't be daft, Severus. I'm not hurt and I'm not disappointed. If anything, I'm impatient. Let's get this out of the way so we can get on with the rest of our day."

She was puzzled now at his expression, which was assessing her carefully. She grew impatient.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "I never before realised that you use that no-nonsense tone of voice to distance people."

Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "Severus Snape, are you reading my mind?"

He lifted a brow in surprise. "No. Just observation. I'd never seen it before, because..."

He drifted off at the realisation and then looked back up at her. "I'd never seen it before because I've never seen any other side of you until now. You never let down your guard with me before, Minerva. I didn't realise that until today."

She glared at him. "You're getting fanciful, Severus. That's not like you."

He snorted. "It's hardly fanciful when you were acting perfectly normal until I told you that you didn't have to undress anym--"

He stopped as he noticed her flinch and his expression gentled. "Sweet Merlin... Minerva, I didn't mean it like that."

She frowned now, uncertain and wary. "What the devil are you on about now? I swear, you fractious man, I think I preferred you unconscious!"

He drew in a steadying breath and finished his thought. "I didn't mean I didn't... enjoy ...seeing you undressed. That wasn't what I was trying to convey."

She stilled and her face became expressionless once again. "I see."

"No. No, you don't." He sighed, then gestured with his chin. "Please sit down. This may take a bit."

"You still need your massage, don't think for one minute you're getting out of it."

He shook his head impatiently. "Sod the massage. This is important."

She lifted a brow at this, then sat, rather stiffly, beside him. "I'm seated."

"Good. Minerva... what I was trying to say by asking you that was, well... frankly, you're really far too good a woman to be doing that for the likes of me."

She considered this, but said nothing.

"It's been very kind of you, more than kind. But, as kind as the gesture is, it's just not necessary anymore. We can take it as given and there's no need for you to, well, debase yourself for me. It's... unseemly."

Her brow raised again, and her voice was firm, although her eyes had grown bright and hard.

"I see. Very well, then. I apologise for subjecting you to my unseemliness. Now, let's get this out of the way. "

"No! Bloody hell, Minerva... stop deliberately misinterpreting what I'm saying!"

"What misinterpretation? You said yourself that for me to undress is unseemly. I think that's plain enough."

"No. You're not unseemly. I'm not trying to say nor imply that. Besides, look at me. I'd hardly be one to speak, would I? What I'm saying is... you feeling you have to do that for me is unseemly. Don't you see?"

She sat straighter. "I'm afraid not. I was doing it in the spirit of fairness. What I've had to do for you is very personal and I felt, once you were awake, that you would be uncomfortable and possibly even combative about it, so I thought if I levelled the playing field you wouldn't feel you were the only one being subjected to indignity and, I hoped, be cooperative."

He nodded. "I understand, Minerva, and it's been appreciated, believe me, but..." his voice trailed off.

"But what?"

He closed his eyes tiredly and sighed. "It's just that I feel it's not right. It's one thing for you to have to do that for me, but... you shouldn't feel you need to subject yourself to more... dishonour... on my account. That's all."

He lay with his eyes closed for a long time, feeling the sting of unshed tears, frustration this time, and wishing he were more facile with words. His useless, stupid tongue was always getting him in trouble. First with Lily, now with--

"Severus. Look at me."

He opened his eyes and focused on her. His eyes widened as her hands went to the ties of her robe.

"This is not dishonour." She unfastened the ties and pushed the robe off of her and he was transfixed. "It's evening the score, if you will, but not dishonour. What that madman tried to do, that's dishonourable. What Albus made you do up on that tower -- that's dishonour. But me stripping off before you so that you don't have to feel alone and ashamed and even soiled by what I have to do? Don't you dare insult me by saying it's dishonourable."

He swallowed. He didn't even realise he spoke.

"But you're a lady."

His sincerity was evident in tone and expression and Minerva's gaze softened and grew a bit moist.

"Ach... and you're a braw lad."

He smiled at this, a shy and almost boyish smile. She didn't think she'd ever seen it's like even when he had been a boy.

He reached for her with a stiff, but no longer cold hand and she took it in hers and kissed it, blinking tears away.

"Now, then. Will you let me help you? It's well past time for it and I don't want you to have a set back."

Severus nodded, then lay back and placed himself into her hands.


pt. 3