Amare Speculae

Chapter Seven

AN: So I am kinda sorry about this. Not really, but kinda. I really mostly meant for this to be a one- or two-shot and... Well, I have nothing else to do with this. They get married, have a happy ending, avoid being blown up by childrens' potions mistakes, blah, blah, blah. And I really am at my writing limit for this baby. I like it, I really do, but I just... my brain is not compatible with sustained happiness. So unless you want me to kill off a few people randomly it ends in about two chapters or so. Yeah.

Sorry bout that.

Actually, if you would like for me to kill off a few characters I can do that. Anyone for Hippogryph BBQ?

Just kidding. I think.

Anyway, enjoy!

~Kiro

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It turned out that Creed wasn't as good at keeping secrets as he thought he was. Or rather, his fellow Slytherins were too good at getting information out of him. Whichever way didn't matter, because by the time a week rolled around the entire school knew that Snape was seeing a student.

Reactions varied. Students were disgusted and intrigued. They likened it to a train wreck that they couldn't help looking closer at. The teachers ranged from furious (Minerva) to sympathetic (Fillius) to apologetically confused (Hagrid) to a fascinated distant curiosity (Sinistra). There were loud speculations as to who it could be coursing through the gossip veins of the school.

The first day the news spread to the teachers was very interesting to watch. Most professors, and more importantly, the headmistress, learned sometime halfway through lunch on Tuesday.

A trio of younger year Hufflepuffs was loudly conversing at the end of their table over who could possibly want the "mean greasy bat". Apparently they were much, much too loud, because McGonagall heard them and called them out.

"Misters Abrams, Hurst, and Hier, what is it that you are discussing?"
The three boys looked at each other before one grinned and called out jovially "Professor Snape is snogging students in his office after hours!"

Here he was interrupted by a girl two seats down.

"Not students, Jacob, student singular. I bet you they're in love."

The ex-Transfiguration professor's gaze had turned stony.

"That is a serious accusation, Mr. Hurst, Ms. Styx. How sure are you of this?"

The tiny Hufflepuff's joviality didn't abate and he called back just as ecstatically as the first time.

"One of the Slytherins saw him! He's a sixth year, I'm sure you can ask him if you're so curious, ma'am."

And so, she turned her stony gaze through the now-silent crowd to the Slytherin table.

"Well? Who has spread this story?"

A tentative Creed stuck up his hand. Between the combined glares of both Severus and Minerva, it was a wonder that he didn't fry on the spot.

"I- I did, Headmistress. But it isn't a story, miss. I really did see them, last Wednesday when McCloud blew himself up. I wanted to tell you earlier, Headmistress, but he is my head of house. I didn't mean to start rumors, either, honest, but the others stole my journals."

And if you thought that her gaze was bad before, now she was sporting a full-fledged Basilisk glare.

"Twenty points from Slytherin for not coming to me beforehand, Mr. Creed. Stop spreading rumors."

And the glare swung round to focus on the cause of the rumors.

"Oh, and Severus. If you would accompany me to my office. Now, please."
And the whispers began again as the two professors swept from the hall, Severus's face as stony as the wall.

~

Harry watched as his love exited the hall. He felt almost physically in pain. He had never wanted for Severus to get in trouble, never wanted news to circulate through school, never-

"Harry, last Wednesday, wasn't that the day you didn't come back to the dorms after your tutoring session with Snape?"

But Harry didn't hear Hermione's icy question. He was already half out of his seat and on his way out of the hall, after his soulmate.

~

"...with a... ...young... ...incapable of restraint... ...Head of House, you should... ...students will..."

Harry heard his Headmistress's words leak from the doorway as he reached the top of the moving stairway. For a moment he was tempted to stay there, or to leave and flee from her ire, but loyalty won out and he knocked on the door, interrupting a rather heated sentence.

A few moments later an irate Minerva McGonagall opened the heavy wooden door to glare at Harry.

"Mr. Potter. Surely whatever urgent matter has come up can wait until I am finished here?"

Setting his jaw, Harry shook his head.

"I'm afraid not, Headmistress. In fact, I think that you should let me in. It might help to clarify the situation."

In the moment that it took for the shock in her eyes to turn to an even fiercer anger, Harry had pushed past her into the office. He came to a stop next to his standing lover, who looked at him with a warning in his dark eyes. Harry met it true to form with Gryffindor stubbornness.

"Harry Potter, do you mean to say that-"

"Yes, yes I do, Headmistress. Severus and I have been seeing each other since January and will not be stopping any time soon." He turned to look back at the woman before the closed door. "I am sure that you have heard of Severus's most recently published potions accomplishment, no?"

The headmistress slowly and deliberately nodded her head with the type of exaggerated control that suggested that it was taking all of her restraint not to maul him right there.

"Yes. The Amare Speculae potion, if I am not mistaken, used to reveal one's soulmate through visual, olfactory, and presentient means. I am aware."

Harry nodded, but Severus stepped in before he could continue.

"Then you know that, as a confirmed and approved means of proving one's soulmate status, it negates any pre-existing school and legal regulations regarding intra-departmental and student-teacher relations?"

The headmistress began to nod before the movement was abruptly truncated.

"You mean-"

"That Harry Potter, Saviour of the wizarding world and annoying prat who nearly failed potions the last three years, is my soulmate. Yes, Minerva, that is correct."

The headmistress gaped at them for a few moments before giving a curt nod.

"Right. I suppose that all I can ask is that you be more cautious in the future."

Severus nodded sternly.

"I guarantee you that it will not happen again, Minerva."

Another nod from the matronly animagus.

"Good. Off you go, then, I do believe that lunch is nearly over and you both have classes to attend."

The two exited the office and, with a wink from Harry and a light-hearted scowl from Severus, parted ways.