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Practice to Deceive	By : SailorSol Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 12424 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Disclaimer: Any characters & situations you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling. Any characters you don�t recognize belong to me. You can borrow them, but email me first and check on the characters.

Author�s Note: This story is AU after book 5. It contains NO REFERENCES to book 6 in any way, shape or form.

CHAPTER 11: SATURDAY SURPRISES

Lunch on Saturday at Hogwarts was a loud and merry affair. Astrid watched from the main table as students sat at different house tables and mingled with friends in houses other than their own. Gryffindors sat with Ravenclaws, who sat with Slytherins, who sat with Hufflepuffs.

Astrid didn�t see any Gryffindors at the Slytherin table. She also didn�t see Harry or his group anywhere. She did see Ron Weasley sitting at the Gryffindor table next to Nevillie Longbottom. Neville wasn�t paying any attention to Weasley, though. He was too busy paying attention to Luna Lovegood, who was sitting next to him.

Halfway through lunch, Harry walked through the doors with Draco, Hermione, and Ginny behind him. Accompanying them was a man that Astrid had seen pictures of. She wondered immediately what Hungarian Quidditch star Viktor Krum was doing in Scotland.

Her questions were answered when Minerva got up and met the group halfway through the hall.

�Mister Krum,� she said, smiling at him. �We certainly didn�t expect to see you again after the TriWizard Tournament. What brings you to Hogwarts?�

�I play for Scotland, now,� he told her, his voice carrying in the hall. �I remembered Hogsmeade, and I decided that I vanted to live here. I saw Hermione and her friend with Professor Malfoie in the village, and I came up here to see Harry.�

�Well,� Minerva said. �You are, of course, welcome here any time you�re not playing. I must insist, though, that you not come up during the week when there�s school.�

�Of course, Professor,� he said. �I vill of course comply.�

�Professor,� Harry said. �Is it alright if I make an announcement at dinner?�

�Of course, Mister Potter,� she said. �What kind of announcement do you want to make?�

Harry leaned forward and whispered to her. Minerva looked surprised, and then her face practically glowed as she clasped her hands together.

�My dear boy,� she exclaimed. �I�m delighted for you! This is exactly the kind of thing that people need to think about when war is looming! Let me congratulate you first!� She hugged him, and then Hermione and Ginny in turn. She shook Draco�s hand, and then shook Victor�s.�

�Please be our guest at lunch, and dinner tonight, Mister Krum,� she said. �News like this needs to be celebrated.�

�I vould be honored,� Victor said, smiling at her. He put one arm around Hermione, and one around Harry. At a nod from Harry, Draco led them to the Slytherin table.

As they sat down, Astrid pulled out her wand. She barely noticed that Max had entered the Hall and sat down next to her.

�Is something wrong, Professor?� he asked, his breath warm against her ear.

�Mister Weasley is going to explode,� Astrid said, nodding towards the Slytherin table.

�Going public, are they?� Max asked as he observed the group sitting down for lunch. He watched with curiosity as Hermione and Ginny received first hostile and then startled looks from other Death Eater children.

After a moment�s hesitation, greetings were offered, along with serving platters. He saw Pansy Parkinson look first at Hermione�s left hand, and then at Ginny�s. She smiled at them and said something that made all three girls put their heads together and start pulling out quills and drawing on parchments.

�WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?� the outraged voice of Ron Weasley burst through the Hall at a volume that was nearly magical. He strode quickly over to the Slytherin table and roughly grabbed his sister�s arm and started to pull her away from the table.

�Ginny!� he yelled as he pulled on the arm in his hand. �Have you lost your mind? Did Malfoy cast a spell on you? What are you doing over here instead of where you belong?�

�I am where I belong!� Ginny pulled her arm out of his grasp with a wince of pain. �I�m not a baby, Ron! I know what I�m doing!�

�Let her go, Weasley!� Draco�s voice carried over both voices.

Ron looked up to find himself the target of nearly two dozen wands, mostly wielded by Slytherins, but one was Harry�s, and one was Hermione�s.

�You�ve all lost your minds!� he cried. �Harry, how can you do this to me, mate? You can�t let them confuse you! You know as well as I do that most of them are gonna be Death Eaters!�

�Mister Weasley!� Minerva bustled forward, pulled Ron away from the Slytherin table and marched him towards the doors.

�I have never seen such an embarassing display in my entire life!� she ranted. �You just wait until I owl your parents about this! Your sister has the right to associate with any students she wishes, and so does Mister Potter! You are going to be in detention until graduation, if I have anything to say about it!� Her voice was cut off as the doors shut behind them.

�The dog and pony show�s over,� Astrid said, standing up. �Everyone go back to what you were doing before Mister Weasley interrupted you. Anyone with a wand out when I count to three will lose ten points and have to write three feet of parchment. One, two, three.�

By the time Astrid had reached �parchment,� every drawn wand was returned to its place. The quintet at the Slytherin table went back to eating lunch, and, in Hermione and Ginny�s cases, gossiping with Pansy Parkinson.

***** *****

When tea time came around, Astrid left Sarah in the care of Daisy. Heather and Keith had asked for some simple magical training, so Astrid had set them to memorizing some basic principles in the form of children�s rhymes. She wanted to make certain that they didn�t forget them.

She made her way to McGonagall�s office with a bottle in her hand. She was going to give the older witch a treat she had probably never indulged in before.

When she reached the office, the door was open, and she saw Minerva supervising while Ron Weasley scrubbed the floor of her office with a very small brush.

�I see I�m interrupting,� Astrid said, handing the bottle to Minerva. �I came for our hen party, but you�re supervising the resident hothead. Shall we reschedule for tomorrow?�

�That would be fine, Astrid,� Minerva said. �You don�t mind if I invite a couple of other friends, do you?�

�Not at all,� Astrid said. �But the hen party rules say no wizards. The only wands at that party should be wooden.�

�I was thinking of Madame Sprout and Madame Hooch,� Minerva said. �Pomona and Rolanda have been friends of mine ever since they started teaching here. You should get to know the rest of the faculty.�

�You�re right, Minerva,� Astrid said. �I�ll see you tomorrow for tea, then.�

***** *****

Lilith Evans didn�t return to the castle until nearly dinnertime. Astrid was sitting on the castle steps, reading a book on enchantments that she had purchased in Diagon Alley, when Lilith came walking up the road. She was wearing different robes than she had worn that morning, made of colored doeskin, and she was wearing a crown of late fall flowers.

�Where have you been?� Astrid asked, too concerned about her sister to keep up the charade.

�Meeting the Lord of the Forest,� Lilith said. �You were the one that told me to go see the Mayor.�

�Yes,� Astrid said. �Only because this was where mother was born. What did you find out?�

�Let me show you,� Lilith said, pulling off one glove. Astrid nodded and pulled off one of her own. As they clasped hands, both witches dropped their occlumency barriers.

�Merlin�s balls,� Astrid swore. �Is that really what making love is like?�

�As far as I can tell,� Lilith said. �I�m sure he went out of his way to make certain I enjoyed it, but if the boys at school were half that gifted � �

�I can see why the girls wouldn�t shut up,� Astrid finished for her.

�Your news is just as interesting,� Lilith said. �I�m going to make the pact on Hallows. Why don�t you do the same?�

�He certainly can�t stop me,� Astrid said. �I think Harry has asked his loves to marry him. I think that I should ask Severus before they announce it to the world.�

�I�ll be at your rooms tonight,� Lilith promised. �We need to finish that Potions Ingredient Identifier so that you can help get Professor Rumstead back on his feet.�

�Are you trying to put me out of a job?� Astrid asked.

�Look,� Lilith remonstrated her. �You have to take both Severus and Maximillian with you to Darkshire. Father required it. I would like to take someone with me. Professor Rumstead is the only one who qualifies.�

�Good point,� Astrid said. �I was looking forward to a night of unbridled revelry in Severus� chambers, but you�re right and the Identifier comes first. I just hope that Severus will understand.�

�Of course he will,� Lilith assured her. �Now, I have an announcement to make, as well. I hope dinner hasn�t started yet.�

�Not yet,� Astrid assured her. �Come on in. I think I�ll make my proposal at breakfast on Monday.�

�Why not breakfast tomorrow?� Lilith asked.

�Simple,� Astrid said with a depreciating shrug of her shoulders. �Potter�s in London for the weekend. I want him present when I tell Severus that he�s everything I ever wanted, and that nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life living with him and having his babies.�

�That will give the good Professor a heart attack,� Lilith observed, smiling.

�I do hope so,� Astrid said. �Now, shall we?�

�When do we let him know that he�s been had?� Lilith wanted to know.

�At Hallows,� Astrid said. �When we make an alliance and declare the thousand year Slytherin-
Gryffindor rivalry at an end because the two bloodlines are now one.�

�Ouch,� Lilith grinned. �Are you trying to give Dumbledore a heart attack?�

�Stroke,� was Astrid�s one word rejoinder.

The two witches entered the Great Hall to a buzz of conversation. Everyone in the school had heard that Harry was making an announcement at dinner, that he and Hermione and Ginny had sat at the Slytherin table at lunch, and the Viktor Krum was somehow involved.

When Lilith was noticed, several Ravenclaws called her over and immediately started filling her in on the latest information and speculations.

Astrid made her way to her seat at the instructor�s table. Heather and Keith were in their places at their little table nearby, and Sarah was in her floating cradle. One chubby arm was over the edge of the cradle with a fistful of Snape�s robes firmly locked in an iron grip.

�Good evening, Severus,� Astrid said as she sat down. �Has your ward given you any insight as to his announcement tonight?�

�Not my ward,� Severus said, smirking at her. �I did, however, receive a rather interesting visit from Mister Krum, requesting my approval of something he was about to do. Since my ward accompanied him and asked me to agree, I did so. I can only imagine that my ward�s announcement has something to do with that.�

�It�s almost a pity that Potter�s not here,� Astrid said. �If he were, I�d do something guaranteed to make his heart attack him, and Dumbledore faint dead away, at the very least.�

�Then you are in luck,� Severus said, and then became quiet as Astrid heard an all-to-familiar tread behind her as Sarah started whimpering.

�Good evening, Professor Tyler,� James Potter said.

Astrid turned to face him, only to have a bouquet of red roses thrust into her hands.

�A token of my affection,� he said smoothly, smiling at her.

Astrid narrowed her eyes as Sarah�s whimpers turned to crying that gradually increased in volume.

�Dessicare,� Astrid said. The flowers in her hands quickly dried and withered.

�Pulvis.� The flowers and their paper wrapping turned to powder which Astrid dusted off of her hands before pointedly turning her back on the very red-faced wizard.

�Go away, Potter,� she said. �I won�t say it again.�

She picked up Sarah out of the cradle and rocked her gently, trying to still her cries. She would not be silenced, though, until Snape took her in his hands and wrapped a corner of his robes around her. Surrounded by the scents she found familiar, the infant gradually stopped crying and quieted down.

Everyone was drawn from their pre-dinner gossiping by a shout from the entrance to the Great Hall.

Clarissa came running in through the open doors. Her hair was covered in green paint, and her robes had been liberally splashed with it. Astrid started to get up to help her, but Maximillian held up his hand.

�Her housemates will take care of her,� he assured Astrid. �Let them do it. This is how students form such strong bonds.�

�Very well,� Astrid said, settling back in her chair.

True to Maximillian�s word, Pansy and Millicent, along with a couple of other Slytherin girls, took Clarissa in hand. Multiple cleansing charms removed the paint from her robes and hair. Pansy and Millicent then accompanied her to the table and settled her between them for dinner.

When Dumbledore came in, Minerva stopped him and whispered to him. Dumbledore smiled and nodded, and then nodded to Harry, smiling confidently. His smile slipped a bit when he saw who Harry was sitting with.

The elderly wizard did his best to mask his concerns, and he smiled at Harry again.

When Dumbledore had taken his place, he personally tapped his goblet for silence. Everyone turned to look at him, some with excitement, and some with curiosity.

�I believe that young Mister Potter has an announcement to make,� Dumbledore said.

Every eye in the room turned to where Harry was sitting at the Slytherin table.

Harry swallowed nervously, and then he stood up and straightened his robes.

�I would like to announce that I�m engaged to be married as soon as I graduate,� he said.

He wisely waited for the immediate furor to die down before he continued. Astrid noted gleefully that James Potter looked like he was going to have a stroke. His face was turning an unhealthy shade of red. Dumbledore, on the other hand, looked as though he had just been informed of the deaths of his entire family.

�I have asked, and they have consented,� Harry finally continued. �I will be the one to speak for all of us. I will be marrying Virginia Weasley, Hermione Granger, Viktor Krum, and Draco Malfoy.�

In the stunned silence that followed Harry�s announcement, James got up, strode across the Great Hall, and grabbed Harry by the collar.

�ARE YOU MAD, BOY?� he bellowed. Harry cringed from him and all of the color drained out of his face. Anything else he might have said was stilled by a wand pointed directly at his nose. No one had seen Snape put down the baby and move, distracted as they were by the announcement that Harry had made.

�Get your hands off of my ward, Potter,� Snape said quietly. �If you do not release him by the time I count to three, I will be forced to do something � unpleasant. One, two, three.�

James not only did not release Harry, he twisted his fist into the collar, tightening the collar around Harry�s neck. Harry started struggling as his air supply was cut off.

Only Astrid, Flitwick, and the students at the Ravenclaw table seemed to notice that Lilith suddenly clutched at her neck and started struggling to breathe.

Knowing that Severus did not dare to take his eyes off of his enemy, Astrid pulled her wand out of its sheath and cast a spell with, literally, surgical precision.

�Sectum!�

Her voice echoed in the silent Hall. The cloth twisted around Potter�s hand came apart, and a vicious cut appeared on his hand. Harry fell to the floor, his hands going instinctively to his throat. He looked up at Potter with more loathing than before, and more than a little fear.

�Professor Tyler, that is enough,� Dumbledore said. His blue eyes were glittering at her like ice.

�What was I supposed to do,� she asked him in a fit of temper. �Was I supposed to just stand there while he strangled a student? I always believed that it was the duty of teachers to protect their students as well as teach and guide them. Please educate me if I am wrong.�

�You are not wrong,� Dumbledore said. �I would have preferred that you had used a less damaging curse, though. I would like you to apologize for cutting Professor Potter.�

�Certainly, Headmaster,� she said, smiling sweetly. �I will apologize to Professor Potter as soon as he apologizes for manhandling Severus� ward, nearly choking the boy, and frightening him half to death! Excuse me, I seem to have lost my appetite. I was here at breakfast, and at lunch. I haven�t the stomach for more, in more ways than one.� She scooped up Sarah and left the hall, Heather and Keith silently following in her wake.

After she left, Minerva turned to Dumbledore.

�She has a point, Albus,� she said. �James was choking him. She acted in the defense of a student, very properly in my opinion, and a student not of her house. I think it is James that owes apologies, and not just to his son.�

�Have you ever known James to apologize,� Dumbledore said to her. �He never even apologized to Lily, and he loved her deeply. He loathes Severus, and although he wants Professor Tyler, he does not love her. No, James will not apologize.�

�Miss Evans had an announcement that she wanted to make, as well,� Minerva said. �Perhaps she should wait until dinnertime tomorrow?�

�That would probably be best, Minerva,� Dumbledore said quietly. He pasted a smile on his face and walked over to where Harry was sipping pumpkin juice and shooing Hermione away from his throat, which was already showing a bruise.

�Harry, my boy,� Dumbledore said as he got closer. �I can�t tell you how happy I am for you! I wish you all long and prosperous lives, after Voldemort is defeated, of course! Now, do you feel up to eating, or should you go up to Hospital Wing?�

�No,� Harry rasped out. �I�m fine.� He glared over at James, who was nursing the cut on his hand.

�Look at this, Albus!� James exclaimed. �I won�t be able to fly for at least a week! You�re going to fire her, aren�t you?�

This request was met by vocal protests from the students, even the students that Astrid had punished. They were determined not to lose the best DADA teacher they had ever had.

�I think, James,� Dumbledore said after a few minutes. �That given the opinions of the students, not only will I not be firing her, but you owe Professor Tyler, and Harry, and Severus, an apology for your behavior.� He held up his hand to stop James as the other wizard opened his mouth to protest.

�We can discuss this in my office after dinner, James,� he said. �I don�t know about you, but I am more than ready to eat.� He walked back to the main table, and turned to face the assembled students.

�For those of you who are upset by Professor Potter�s actions, and do not feel like eating,� he said. �I will have the house elves make certain that food is available in your common rooms. I can understand how seeing a Professor manhandle a student like that can be distressing. By the way, Mister Weasley, I want to see you in my office after dinner. Your display at lunch was disgraceful.�

The Slytherin students looked at one another for a few moments, and then they all rose, as a group, and left the Hall, followed by Harry and his mates, and then by Snape, Max, and Professor Sinistra. She paused for a few moments at the Main Table, gazing pointedly at James, before she swept out.

After the Slytherins had left the Hall, there was a stirring at the Ravenclaw table, and most of the Ravenclaws rose to their feet and left, some of them supporting Lilith as they went.

Once they were free of the Great Hall, the Slytherins continued to their Common Room, with the exception of Draco, who accompanied Harry and the others, along with Snape and Max, to where Astrid�s quarters were.

***** *****

When Astrid arrived at her quarters, she immediately ordered food for Heather and Keith, as well as the baby�s food. She had been truthful when she said that she had no appetite. She put Sarah into a high chair and noticed that her hands were shaking, badly. She pulled out a calming potion, ingested it, and was grateful when she saw the shaking cease.

While Sarah was going through her normal routine of examining the magical high chair, Astrid walked over to a mirror and examined her throat. A thin line of red skin had sprung up, mute testimony to the Binding between the three of them.

She set up her notebook in the magical book holder that she had invented for such situations: times when you needed to research or study, but both hands had to be busy as well.

She sat down and started feeding Sarah, while she re-read her notes on the Potions Ingredient Identifier that she was desperately trying to perfect.

She had one prototype enchanted phial, which she intended to keep, that would identify what any potion was from a single drop placed inside the phial. Now, she wanted to perfect the original idea: an enchanted phial that would identify the ingredients and proportions of any mixture put into the phial.

She had barely finished the first set of notes, which contained the identification spell, when there was a knock on her door.

She put down the dish of puree, which smelled like mutton stew tonight, gave Sarah a water biscuit to mush on, and rose to answer the door, wand in hand. If it was Potter, she was going to curse him into next year, and the Game be damned. She�d pack up her familiars and her children and go stay in the village.

She opened the door with a curse ready, but the spell died on her lips. She stared at Severus, surprised to see him there, and was completely unprepared for Harry moving forward to wrap his arms around her in a completely chaste embrace, and then Lilith coming up on one side and wrapping her arms around both of them.

�Perhaps we should go inside,� Severus said. Astrid nodded mutely and started shuffling backwards, drawing her sister and adopted brother with her. She barely noticed that Harry�s future spouses also followed.

Predictably, in the interminable fashion of babies, Sarah broke the ice as soon as Severus was in the room.

�Dada!� she shrieked. She waved her pudgy arms and motes of light appeared in the around Severus� head and swam about as if they were alive.

Sighing in resignation, Severus walked over to where she was sitting and sat down where Astrid had recently been studying. He picked up the bowl of puree and spooned up a bit.

�Open your mouth,� he said. Obediently, Sarah opened her mouth, while her eyes were cataloging the new arrivals. She had seen Hermione and Draco in Astrid�s first DADA class, and she had seen Ginny from a distance in the Great Hall. Max was well known, of course, and she completely ignored Lilith and Harry.

That left poor Viktor to bear the weight of her regard. He was unaccustomed to infants, so he became uncomfortable after only a few moments. To get away from her eyes, he followed Hermione and Ginny to where they were perusing Astrid�s bookcases. Astrid had pulled out every book she owned on the dark arts, and several of her potions books as well. They were crowded into the bookshelf, and there were stacks of books in corners and on the floor in front of the bookshelves.

Severus� eyes were drawn to the notebook on its stand. He scrutinized the notes, his eyes narrowing while he considered the content before him.

�What is this?� he asked.

�Uhh,� Sarah complained, her mouth open like a baby bird�s. Severus� mouth quirked at the ends as he put another spoon of puree into her mouth.

�My humble apologies, My Lady,� he said. �I promise not to keep you waiting again. Astrid, what is this?�

�It�s notes for something I�m inventing,� she said. �I have something that will identify any potion from a drop of the potion. I want something that will identify the ingredients of the potion, and the proportions.�

�What do you believe the problem is?� Severus asked.

�I don�t know,� Astrid admitted candidly. �Lilith and I always traded off projects when we hit a stumbling block. I�ve been poking at this on my own, because I didn�t have Lilith.�

�Now you do,� Lilith said. �I�ll take a look at it, and tomorrow I�ll bring you my Space Saver Bookshelves and you can try to find out what I�m doing wrong.�

�She has a lovely collection of miniature books, � Harry offered, smiling.

�All blank, I hope,� Astrid said.

�Of course,� Harry said. �I�m sure that Flourish & Blotts is wondering what we wanted all those books for.�

�Have a look,� Astrid said. �Maybe you�ll find what I�ve missed.�

�Release,� Lilith said, directing her word at the book holder. Brackets, which no one had noticed until they moved, opened so that Lilith could lift the notebook to examine Astrid�s notes.

�Here�s the problem,� she said, after only a few minute�s perusal. �You forgot the praeceptum spell. In this context, it should identify the ingredients of whatever you put in the phial.�

�Let�s find out,� Astrid said. She watched Severus feed Sarah for a few moments, and then retrieved a phial from her potions worktable at one side.

While everyone watched, she cast several complicated charms and transfigurations on a crystal phial. When she was done, she beckoned Hermione over to her.

�I�m sure there must be a potion here that you aren�t familiar with, Miss Granger,� Astrid told her. �Choose one, and we�ll see if this works.�

Hermione looked at the potions worktable that Astrid had set up. Her eyes ran up and down the rows of phials, and then pulled out one holding an opalescent silver potion.

�This one,� she said. �I�m not familiar with any of them, but this one looks the most intriguing.�

Astrid took the phial from her and put two drops of the potion into the enchanted phial. She capped both phials, put the potion back, and then put the enchanted phial onto a sheet of parchment.

They all held their breaths while Astrid softly counted to ten. When she reached ten, the phial started to glow softly, and then words started to appear on the parchment.

The formula for the potion was long and complicated. Severus handed the puree and spoon to Max and walked over to read the formula.

�That almost looks like the formula for my Wolfsbane Potion,� he said softly. �But it�s not quite right. There�s too much wolfsbane and silver. I don�t use phoenix tears. This formula couldn�t possibly be the wolfsbane formula, and work.�

�Of course it�s not your formula,� Astrid said, a frown creasing her face. �It�s mine. It�s an improvement on yours.�

�That amount of wolfsbane and silver would kill a werewolf,� Severus argued.

�What do you think the phoenix tears are for?� Astrid snapped. �I�m not an idiot, you know. I am a Potions Master on my own. I extrapolated from yours, and I came up with this.�

�My profound apologies,� Severus said, bowing slightly to underscore the sincerity of the apology. �Why didn�t you just ask me for the formula?�

�I sent a letter,� Astrid said. �I never got a reply. My cousin was getting desperate. I didn�t have time to wait.�

�What happened to your cousin?� Severus looked genuinely interested.

�He was an auror-trainee on a routine courier assignment to Barnsworth,� Astrid said. �It�s the American version of Azkaban. They have a three-pronged system for containing prisoners. They use Dementors to keep the worst in line, but the Dementors are kept confined in one area. They use wizards and witches during the day. At night, various magical creatures are allowed to roam the halls freely. The creatures are trained to return to their pens at dawn.

�Well,� Astrid continued. �They use werewolves. The werewolves are employed as guards, and they are allowed to roam at will during the full moon. Normally, there are a few animals loose in the halls of the prison for them to slake their bloodlust on. My cousin was bringing some urgent documents to the warden in the middle of the night, and one of the werewolves had managed to scale a watchtower. It jumped him as he was flying out, and bit his shoulder. He shook it off and got the rest of the way home. His uncle, another cousin of mine called Striking Eagle, immediately purified the wound and healed it. They held their breaths until the next full moon.�

�They were too late,� Hermione said quietly.

Astrid looked at her sadly and nodded.

�Jason only half turned the first time,� she said. �They hoped that the curse was too weak because of the purification. They purified him again, hoping to eradicate it. He changed completely the next month.�

�Were you close?� Max asked, spooning another bite into Sarah�s mouth.

�We were as close as we could be,� Lilith answered for her sister. �We briefly thought about marrying him, but we didn�t love him like that, and he didn�t love us. He has a wife now; she�s a very good witch, and she loves him deeply.�

�How deeply?� Severus wanted to know.

�Deeply enough to offer to become infected herself,� Astrid answered. �Jason forbade it. As soon as I heard about the Wolfsbane Potion, I wrote a letter explaining the problem and requesting the formula. When I didn�t get an answer, Striking Eagle bought two doses. We used one to keep Jason quiet while we figured out the formula and looked for ways to improve it.�

�How did you keep him quiet with one dose?� Severus asked. �The type of research you�re talking about takes months.�

�First,� Astrid said. �We had time-turners, so it didn�t take as long as that. Second, I had already created the Beaker of Duplication. With a couple of alterations, it would duplicate a potion. The only complication was that it would only duplicate a specific potion.�

�That is still phenomenal,� Max said, scooping up another spoonful of puree. �Have you improved it?�

�The potion formula, yes,� Astrid said. �It will stop the transformation the month it is taken, and then it will prevent the transformation on the following month. It only needs to be taken every other month. I�m trying to increase the interval.�

�That is amazing,� Max exclaimed.

�Yes,� Severus breathed. He had not taken his eyes off Astrid. The expression on his face was that of a priest beholding his deity, and in a fever of ecstasy because of it.

Hermione turned and looked at each of her future spouses in turn, her eyes wide and her eyebrows raised in astonishment. None of them had suspected, even slightly, that their stern, cold Potions Master had such passion in him.

�I think we should go,� Harry said. �We�ll see you in the morning, Professors, Lilith.�

He led the girls, Draco, and Viktor out of the room and closed the door behind them, leaving the four adults alone with two children and an infant.

�Well,� Astrid said, handing the phial to Severus. �Drop two drops of the potion you isolated from the soup into this, and put it onto a parchment. Count to ten, and you should have the contents of the potion used to poison Mister Rumstead.�

�I will require assistance with the antidote,� Severus said, taking the phial from her and closing his hand over hers at the same time. �Alfred will require a long convalescence. He will be incapable of teaching for several months.�

�Not with your expertise in potions,� Astrid said, gazing up at him in near-adoration. �You�ll have him back on his feet in no time.�

�And you,� Severus said. �What will we do with you, once Alfred is capable of teaching?�

�I�ll be happy to assist you and Max, during the day,� Astrid said. �I plan on being able to announce the next generation of Snape by Christmas.�

�You do not intend to keep teaching?� Severus asked.

�After we�re married?� Astrid asked. �Not especially. Not until I�ve gotten my fill of pregnancy and babies. I�ve discovered that I like babies, at least taking care of them.�

�How many do you want?� Severus asked. He knew the lonliness of being an only child, as did most pureblood children. The Weasley family was a major exception. It was not surprising, though, that Astrid wanted a large family. The Evans family had tended towards at least three children per couple, and sometimes as many as six.

�Oh, at least four or five,� Astrid said. �I�ve been told that sometimes twins have twins themselves.�

�So you want eight or ten?� Severus asked softly. �You want them to be mine?�

�Well, at least half of them,� Astrid said. �I think Max deserves a chance at children, don�t you?�

�Of course,� Severus said. �But you are serious?�

�What do I have to say to convince you?� she asked him. �What about what I said the night of the welcoming feast? Did you think that I made it up?�

�I didn�t want to think that,� he said. �I just didn�t know what you could see in me.�

�Everything I could ever want,� Astrid said. To underscore her declaration, she took hold of the front of Severus� jacket, pulled him down to her level, and pressed her lips to his.

They pulled apart moments later when Heather and Keith both giggled, and Sarah started fussing. The father she had chosen wasn�t paying attention to her, and she didn�t like it. Severus left Astrid�s side to reassure the infant, and Astrid turned her attention to the other two children, to ask them if they had finished their dinner. When they assured her that they had, she told them that they could play quietly until bed time.

When they left the room, she turned to Severus.

�We both have work to do,� she said. �Identifying the poisons is only part of the job. Finding or making antidotes is something else entirely. We will have our time, Severus, and we will have it with Dumbledore�s cooperation, if not his blessing. Potter will just have to learn to deal with disappointment. Your friend Mr. Rumstead needs to be revived so he can get married, as well, and so that he can take over teaching when I get pregnant.�

Severus walked back to her and reclaimed the hand he had been holding. He pressed fevered kisses to all five fingers, and then thoroughly kissed the palm of her hand.

�I never thought this day would come,� he admitted as he clasped her hand to his chest. �I thought I would live my life alone, except for Maximillian.�

�Not as long as we live,� Astrid said. �Now, you had better go, before I don�t let you. I may not have much experience, but I do have an enthusiasm for a new subject.�

�As soon as Alfred is on his feet again,� Severus promised. �I will make certain that I teach you everything I know about the mating habits of Wizardkind.�

He reluctantly released her hand and stepped away from her.

�We had better go, Max,� he said. �Before my desires override my judgement, or my sense of duty.�

�Don�t worry, Sev,� Max said as he stood up and put down the empty bowl. �I�ll make sure that you don�t forget about poor Alfred.�

He took Severus by the shoulders, and steered him towards the door that led out into the hallway.

After they left, Astrid pulled the nearly forgotten trunk out of her pocket, restored it to its original size, and began pulling books out of it. Lilith accepted the books her sister handed her, while her eyes grew wide at the titles.

�How To Make Love to a Wizard,� Lilith read. �How to Drive Your Wizard Wild in Bed; Wind His Wand: Hands-On Penis Pleasure; 1001 Ways to Drive a Wizard Wild in Bed; 999 More Ways to Drive a Wizard Wild in Bed: Advanced Techniques; The Good Witch Guide to Bad Witch Sex; Witch-to-Witch: Techniques to Blow his Mind; The Erotica Magica: Magic in the Bedchamber; Jadu Kama Sutra: Magical Sex from India; Makura Hon: The Pillow Book. Are we going to read these?�

�Read them,� Astrid said. �Study them, memorize them. I may not have any practical experience, but I want to have more than a vague idea of what to do when the time comes.�

�How does he make you feel?� Lilith asked, sitting down and opening the top book.

�I feel like a cat in heat,� Astrid said, sitting down across from her sister. �He makes me want things that I�ve only dreamed about. I want to learn how to dance like Little Egypt so I can make him want me. I want to climb into his lap naked and put his hands in places that nobody but you and I have touched since we started growing up. I want to put myself in his hands, and his bed, so he can put out this fire that�s burning between my legs. I want to help him with his brewing, I want to have his children, I want to wake up for the rest of my life and look at his sleeping face.�

�I just wanted to be sure,� Lilith said. �I was worried that it might just be misplaced hero worship. You really are in love with him, though.�

�I don�t want to do it without you, though,� Astrid said firmly. �If you don�t want to marry them, then say something. Those months without you were enough. I�d rather never have him touch me than live without you.�

�Don�t even think that,� Lilith said. �Neither of them may be my Silver Knight, but their Alfred Rumstead sounds like he is, and there might be hope for Maximillian�s brother. Besides, you know that I admired your Gothic god as much as you did.�

�I don�t know,� Astrid said. �I don�t think so, about Lucius, without a personality transplant. However, I suppose anything is possible.�

�Well, then,� Lilith said, sitting back. �Why don�t you have the house elves bring us something to eat, and we get to work on a subject we�ve never studied before.�

TBC
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Practice to Deceive