Rom To My Private Dungeon

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Chapter 8

Maracuja was pleasantly surprised by this display of gentlemanly frivolity. \"Perhaps it is the fumes from earlier?\" she pondered. The two walked arm in arm. Snape was almost playful, leading the way. Well, as playful as anyone could imagine Snape being without uttering one of his trademark insults at someone. He pointed out paintings along the walls and told her stories about them. The portraits waved and grinned in return, occasionally introducing themselves.

\"Here is a portrait of the esteemed Cliodne. She was an Irish druidess who is known for her three magical birds that sang the sick to sleep and cured them. Legends say that she could take the shape of a sea bird or change into a wave. She also discovered the properties of moondew.\"

\"And here we have Wendelin the Weird. Now, I am aware that some consider me to have odd tastes in hobbies. But this witch is alleged to have enjoyed being burnt ae ste stake so much that she allowed herself to be captured 14 times in various disguise!\"

The two giggled conspiratorially and kept walking. Ignatia Wildsmith (inventor of floo powder, Snape pointed out) left her portrait and ran to Wendelin\'s. \"My word! Isn\'t he cheeky this evening?\" she gossiped with the portrait\'s inhabitant. \"Downright flirtatious!\" Wendelin replied. \"He actually giggled. It\'s scandalous I say! And talking about me no less.\" Ignatia rolled her eyes. \"Enjoyed that, did you?\" Wendelin snapped. \"Go floo yourself back to your own portrait then!\"

Snape and Maracuja continued on, down the stairs to the Great Hall antechamber. As the party room grew nearer, both could hear the sound of music-heavy bass thumping into the floors. \"Headmaster Dumbledore is in a dancing mood, it would seem.\" Snape uttered, his lips upturned slightly.

\"That should be fun to watch, the Headmaster, how you say, \'getting down\' on the dance floor.\" she replied.

Both let out a little snort of laughter. Snape did not let on that it might be more frightening than funny.

When they had reached the door, Snape held it open with his left hand. His right hand cascaded down her arm to her hand, then gently glided her into a spin. pir pirouetted into the room and found a small smattering of people watching.

Snape came up behind her, rested his hand on her lower back and whispered in her ear in hushed deep tones which gave Maracuja a brief sexual jolt. \"I regret I must tend the bar most of the night. But do save some room on your dance card for me.\"

Maracuja blushed and smiled. \"Why, Professor. That is regretful. And there I thought my card would be already nearly full.\"

Snape frowned, a twinge of panic pulsated in his chest.

Maracuja felt his sudden emotional drop. \"With your name, of course.\" She smiled.

A few early birds already in the room watched these two in playful interaction.

\"What\'s going on there? Professor Sinistra gossiped to Professor Sprout. \"Their chemistry is unmistakable.\"

\"Funny you should use the word chemistry.\" Sprout whispered back. \"I met her at lunch this afternoon. She\'s his summer intern!\"

Sinistra let out a shocked gasp. \"Ooooh, he is a lucky bastard. My last intern looked like he was half-goblin. Do tell me more!\"

***

Snape kissed her hand, bowed in a gentlemanly fashion and made his way to the bar. Now standing behind it, he stopped to take stock. Crystal bowls had replaced his cauldrons. As per his instruction, goblets were stacked to one side and in crates underneath. Various mixers, a variety of liquors, swizzle sticks and some fruits for the drinks were also conveniently arranged. Two house elves came waddling into the room, carrying heavy sacks. \"Sirs, you is never asking for ice before. We sorry to take so long. We never have ice for drinks in the castsirssirs.\" Snape took the sacks out of their arms and laid them in a cauldron. \"Yes, well, that will do.\" He said dismissively.

Slowly entrants arrived and greeted each other. Snape kept a surreptitious eye on Maracuja mixing in the crowd, eager not to be caught gazing at her. Unlike him, she seemed to converse so easily with others. After a few minutes, people began gravitating towards the food and the bar. His attention was called upon.

\"Severus, old man. So nice to see you again. How are you, mate?\" Professor Vector\'s husband sidled up, clapping and rubbing his hands together in anticipation of his drink. He was a portly but friendly middle-aged man with a bit too much hair on his knuckles.

\"I am quite well, thank you.\" Snape replied smoothly. \"What is your pleasure this evening?\"

\"Oh, I think you know.\" Mr. Vector winked. \"I\'ll take the tangy one, nice and strong with two fingers of Ogden\'s.\"

\"Funny that you should use the word \'strong\'. My brew is a bit more potent this year. Might I suggest some ice, perhaps?\"

\"Whatever you think is best, old man.\" He cheerily winked. And with that, Snape poured the first drink of the evening.

Snape stood behind the bar, praying for a miracle. The ice, he hoped, would water down the impending effects. Though appearing almost jocular on the outside, inside he was trembling. He did not look forwao ano anyone figuring out what had gone wrong. Worse, he had no particular desire to witness its effects in action-or, at least not with the likes of this crowd. He also stood pondering how to divert Maracuja from drinking the punch. If he was to follow Dumbledore\'s advice, he wanted to do things the right way. He liked this woman, and he needed to work with her. He found it neither prudent nor preferable to simply use her for a night of cheap sexual indulgence. He rather fancied the idea of spending time getting to know her. \"I must\" he repeated to himself, almost like a mantra, \"I must be circumspect, be honourable, be gentlemanly.\"

But the night wore on and the drinks started flowing. Snape betrayed his better nature, finding the high spirits in the room infectious. Before long, people were dancing, carousing, laughing. The thump thump of the bass pulsated through everyone\'s bodies. Snape tapped his foot against the floor in rhythm to the music, closing his eyes and noddins hes head. He absent-mindedly took a sip of his own concoction, realised what he\'d done, and tossed the cup\'s contents in the biBut But he soon found himself searching the crowd with greater interest, straining his mind to resist the small sip of potion he\'d ingested.

Snape\'s mind began to wander, and his libido made a struggling effort to assert itself over his will as his eyes fell upon Maracuja again. She was chatting amiably with another intern. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he\'d every seen. To him, she glowed. His mind began to hum. \"Be gentlemanly. Yes. Be courtly, be generous, be witty, be brave...ack! Behave!\"

Just then Madam Rosmerta came up to the bar and interrupted his thoughts. \"I\'ll have another, Thevvvvvvrus.\" She cooed tipsily. \"I am eeeeeeever thoooo glad I closed the bar tonight. Evvvvvv\'ryone is here! We\'re all having thutch a good time!\" She shoved her goblet closer in his direction.

\"Perhaps madam has had enough?\" he quipped, smoothly unhanding her of the vessel.

Rosmerta became insistent, but Snape new better than to give her any more of anything. He poured some pumpkin juice and threw a cocktail umbrella in for sport. Rosmerta did not seem to notice what she was drinking. Her eyes were set on Snape, eyelids heavy and a lascivious grin on her face. Snape saw the look on her face and a faint stroke of horror came over him. \"The bar.\" He thought. \"The bar must stay between us.\"

But Rosmerta did not think the same. She came around the side of the bar and pushed him up against the wall. He recoiled in disgust as she began rubbing her ample breasts against his front. His entire body stiffened and his hands fidgeted uncomfortably, grasping at air. Her peasant blouse began to loosen, and her breasts spilled out. \"Thevvvvvvrus.\" She purred. \"Don\'t you like me? Even a little bit?\"

To the side, Maracuja watched, amused and unseen by the two.

\"Like you...\" Snape repeated, almost a question. \"Like you. Why yes, Rosmerta.\" Her face gleamed back hopefully. Snape\'s voice lowered into a dangerous tone. \"I do like you. And what I like about you the most is your willingness to instantly obey and put \'those\' away. He pointed at her breasts. Now run lik like a good little barmaid, before you are even sorrier than you already are.\"

Embarrassed and disappointed, Rosmerta did as she was told. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.

Maracuja approached the bar laughing. \"That was impressive, Professor.\" She applauded. She looked around and gestured at the room. \"I thought your drinks were mild mood enhancers. What has happened his his room tonight?\"

Snape took every effort to suppress the redness in his cheeks. \"Eh, well, it\'s been a very stressful year, you see.\" He feigned an explanation. \"Perhaps people are more eager than usual to have a good time?\"

\"I see the woman you just waved away was certainly eager to have an unusually good time.\" She teased.

\"Yes, well, not everyone gets to have the good time they want.\"

\"So, what about that dance, then?\" she offered, swaying her arms and hips playfully. \"Must you stay trapped behind this bar all night? Don\'t you want to have a good time too?\"

\"Behave...behave...behave\" he repeated in his head.

Snape smiled weakly, but before he could speak, Professor McGonagall came up to the bar.

\"Severus!\" she sang, her arms oretcretched, her general demeanour very unlike her normal self. \"I feel so good tonight! Why, I don\'t feel myself at all. And I can\'t say that I mind! I daresay, we really ought to do this more than once a year. Why, you should market this stuff! What do you think? Your very own line of Snape beverages!\"

Maracuja grinned from ear to ear. \"You know, I haven\'t tried any yet. I think I\'ll have a go.\"

\"No\" Snape snapped bac lit little too quickly and a little too insistently. \"I mean, Minerva.\" He tried to r for for himself. \"My duties at Hogwarts and beyond make it much too impractical for me to pursue such a thing.\"

Maracuja was not fooled. In fact, her suspicions became acutely piqued as the tension in the room seemed to have gone up a notch from even a few moments before. Just as she was about to call his bluff, a loud tinkling noise rang out above the music and hum of the crowd.

The two of them spun around and perused the room. Looking up, Snape quickly sued ied it was Peeves who had caused the noise. It seemed he had crashed into a chandelier above them. The Bloody Baron was chasing him out of the room before he could inflict any real damage.

McGonagall drifted off unconcernedly. A small crowd of grinning, antsy, preening women had begun to form around the Potions Master. In the distance, Dumbledore was seen rubbing up against everyone on the dance floor. Professor Sprout was sitting on Hagrid\'s lap, playing with his beard as though affectionately untangling weeds. Madam Hooch grabbed McGonagall\'s hand and led her to a couch. The two started snogging and quickly became a tangle of limbs. Filch sat on a chair off to the side, petting Mrs. Norris furiously. Snape was horror-stricken. His worst fears were coming true before his eyes.

Maracuja took advantage of the distraction and dipped a cup in one of the bowls. She then expertly shooed the other women away from the bar and took a sniff of the drink and had a quick glance at Snape. His arms were folded in front, and he was tapping his foot angrily. He scowled and seemed paler and more nervous than a moment ago. She sniffed the drink again, took a sip and thought about what he\'d said earlier, along with the puff of fumes, which had put her in a daze. \"Specific ingredients. Steady hand. Magical infusion of...Oh my god!\" She spun around and had another look at the crowd. As the potion began coursing through her veins, she instinctually knew. His passion for her went boiling through those cauldrons. And from the look of things, it was a powerful, rolling bo
S
Snape brought his attention back to the bar and to Maracuja, who hid the goblet behind her back and addressed him amiably. \"Have you had any of your own elixir?\" she carefully enquired, trying to appear innocent.

Snape narrowed his eyes, but then decided it was an innocent enough question. \"Well, only a very small sip. I still have tod bad bar, you know.\" He answered coolly.

Despite the small amount of potion taking hold of her, Maracuja knew she\'d have to tread lightly if she were to get what she wanted. \"How long do these parties last?\" she continued. Won\'t you get tired standing here all night?\"

\"I am in possession of a great deal of stamina.\" He drawled. But no sooner had the word stamina left his lips than he regretted his choice of words. For their eyes had met and the unconscious message was clear.

Snape leaned against his side of the bar for protection. To his disconcerting discomfort, his prick was growing rapidly into a strong and painful erection, and his heart was fluttering madly.

Just then, Snape heard the sound of a familiar gait-a heavy wooden leg-thumping out of time with the music. \"Not a moment too soon.\" He thought to his relief. Never in his life did he think he\'d be happy to see Mad-Eye Moody, approaching the bar.

\"Fashionably late as always.\" Snape chided coolly.

\"Had to check the grounds first of course.\" Moody growled in return. Clutching his hip flask, he continued. \"And looking around this room, I can\'t help but wonder if it\'s safe to drink this year.\"

Snape scowled at Moody. But Maracuja interjected. \"I am Maracuja Feuer. And who are you?\"

\"Mad-Eye Moody, ma\'am.\" He responded. \"Pleased to meet you.\" His roving eye looked her up and down, and a salacious look camer hir his face.

Maracuja felt uncomfortable. \"If you\'ll excuse me, I need to find the ladies room.\" She pardoned herself.

Mad-Eye spun around to Snape. \"She\'s a hot one.\" He growled. \"You should see what she\'s got on under them robes!\"

\"Shut up, you dirty old man.\" Snape snapped back.

Mad-Eye rolled his magical eye over the bar, saw Snape\'s pulsating erection through the layers of wood and cloth, and looked back up at his face. \"Yeah, well, from the looks of things, I\'m not the only dirty old man here.\"

\"Mind the bar. I\'ll be right back.\" He scowled indignantly. This was not a conversation he wished to continue with the likes of Moody.

Mad-Eye amiably agreed and stepped behind the bar as Snape stormed off into the hallway. He was furious and needed to cool off in more ways that one.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, that not not what the cards held in store for him. As he flew down the stairs and exited the frooorsoors for a quick breath of fresh air, Maracuja turned around without looking and slammed right into him. The two stood breathless for a split second, then locked into a passionate embrace.

***
A/N: A shout out to my friends from the Harry Potter Lexicon Forum, who know about Snape brand beverages only too well.

The Harry Potter Lexicon gets full credit as my source for all the information about the portraits. Wendelin and Cliodne\'s bios are quoted nearly word for word. If you don\'t know about the Lexicon, go there now! It is an invaluable resource.

http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html