The Herbology Assistant

Chapter Twenty

Clarice had woken up the following day with the nastiest hangover you could ever imagine. Migraine, body aches, and... yep nausea. She threw the covers off herself and ran to the bathroom making it just in time. 

When she came out, she wrapped herself up in her bath robe and walked out to see Severus at her kitchen table. 

"Tea?" He asked her and she subconsciously tightened her bathrobe and shook her head. 

"I take it you don't feel too good this morning." He spoke and dropped the newspaper he was reading and she nodded. Severus stood up and walked towards her. 

"You look like hell. I'll be right back." He said and left her standing there. Not sure where he would have gone to, Clarice sat at the table and picked up the paper to read it. 

No less than five minutes later, Severus came back with two vials in his hands. He placed them on the table and sat across from her. 

"What are these?" Clarice asked. 

"This ones for your hangover. This one, however, is to make you stop talking in your sleep." He smirked which made Clarice blush heavily. 

"I don't actually do that... do I?" She asked nervously. 

"Only a bit." Severus said and pushed the vials towards her. He summoned two tea cups and poured out tea for the two of them. "Drink."

Clarice gulped down both vials and made a silly face.  

"Well, I didn't say it was pumpkin juice, did I?" Severus smirked.

"No, but you didn't tell me it tasted like troll jizz." She said while gulping down her tea to get the taste out of her mouth.

"Have much experience with that?" He asked her with that smirk still plastered on his face. 

"Rude." She giggled and looked at the time. 

"Are you going to Hogsmeade later?" She asked him. 

"No, I have... things to do." He said while reading the paper. 

"Hm, pity. Maybe I'll ask Lockhart to accompany me." She said seriously while sipping her tea. Severus smacked the paper down on the table. 

"Now, dear tell me, why you would do such a thing?" He asked her, not catching on that she was joking.

"Well, with everything going on and such, I figured I'd be safe with a big strong man by my side." She said while biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. 

"You'd be safer asking Hagrid, no Filius, instead of that buffoon. On second thought, perhaps I will join you." Severus said and looked to Clarice who was now bright red and laughing her head off like a maniac. "Clarice you little-"

"I got you!" She teased. "But please come with me, I'd love to do a little shopping." 

"Alright, fine, but only if you buy a Hufflepuff scarf for yourself. You need to start showing some house representation." He said.

"Says the one that only wears black." She said back. 

"Because it's the only color that looks decent on me." He said. 

"Green looks very nice on you, I'm sure other colors would as well." Clarice said. 

"Imagine me in yellow." He chuckled and so did Clarice. 

"Now I would die happily if I saw you in a bright yellow cloak." She said. "Wait a minute. I think I have one." 

"Absolutely not, Clarice, get back here." Severus chased her back into the bedroom just in time to see a hideous bright yellow cloak being pulled from her closet.