𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 | ℒ𝓊𝒸𝒾𝓊𝓈 ℳ𝒶𝓁𝒻ℴ𝓎

Chapter 39: Potion making

It was already Monday and Catalina couldn't believe how fast the weekend has passed. She loved to work at Hogwarts, sure, but with all the exams and taking care of a toddler in her free time, it was exhausting. She just needed a vacation away from all the stress.

She walked through Hogwarts' corridors alongside Severus who was walking her to the dungeons, to her class. The corridors were empty as the students were already in their classes but luckily, Catalina had a free hour. The woman decided to just prepare the ingredients for the next class and set them aside to be easier for the students to access.

Unlike Snape, she was loved by her students. She had a motherly instinct towards them and she was always helpful and kind. The herbology professor, Neville, always kept teasing her about it.

When they reached the dungeons, Catalina turned to Severus and gave him a peck on the lips while raising herself on her toes and pulling his head down. She found funny how much of a height difference there was between them. "I will see you at lunch?" She smiled with her eyes glimmering.

"Always." He smirked. The Headmaster turned around and headed for his office with his robes giving him a dramatic walk.

Catalina sighed and opened the door to her class, almost jumping in fear as her eyes laid upon Draco who was standing there, finding support on her desk and reading a book he snatched from her library. "You're here!" He smiled at his best friend, closing the book with a tap and placing it on the desk.

"Draco." She smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"It's always 'Draco what are you doing here' and never 'Draco, let me give you a hug because you are my best friend." He teased her, extending his arms.

She rolled her eyes, smiling and went to wrap her arms around him, giving a tight hug. She chuckled at how silly he was. Everyone observed how after the war, Draco changed drastically. He was happier and willing to show his feelings whenever he had the occasion. In the absence of the Malfoy pressure, he was allowed to be himself. And Harry must have played a big role in this, as well as their children.

Catalina pulled away from him, still smiling.

"I need your help with something." He said, his face turning serious.

"Anything, Draco."

"I managed to get my father out of Azkaban. However, his time there with the dementors wasn't so pleasant. He often stares into space, becomes jumpy, and is really stressed over all." He explained patiently, earning a nod from Catalina.

"Can you brew me a potion that would help with that? I wouldn't ask you this if I wouldn't know that you managed to create a potion for your own panic attacks." He pleaded her with puppy eyes that were hard to refuse.

Catalina sighed in defeat, taking a step back. "I could. But you will have to wait for it. It could take up to three hours and I have classes in several minutes."

"I can't wait that long, I left the kids in Weasley's care and I don't trust him with them." He puffed annoyed.

Catalina laughed lightly at the realization that the old Draco was still there, inside.

"Could you maybe..." he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly "... bring it over tonight? At the Malfoy manor?" He knew it was too much to ask of her. Pushing Catalina to see his father wasn't the best thing considering on how everything went down.

"I thought you lived in Godric's Hallow?" She asked confused.

"Yes, but I have to take care of him until he feels better. He has no one besides me even though he was an asshole to me all my childhood, he is still my father." He said, sympathetically. "And my mom doesn't take the responsibility. She only helped me to get him out, but that's the most that I will get from her when it comes to him." He explained to her his family drama like he always did.

Catalina nodded, understanding his situation. Although Lucius terrified her, she owed it to Draco. He was always there for her. When she gave birth, when she found out she can't have any more children, when her parents tried to take her child away from her, telling her that she is an unfit parent and she will put the little one in danger with her foolishness. He was what you could call a real best friend.

"Alright, I will use the floo. Leave it open." She said.

"I will." He nodded, happily.

***

Catalina went to the Great Hall for lunch and took her seat next to Severus. He smiled at her subtly, not letting anyone notice it, especially the students.

"Mrs. Prince, I hope is not a bother to ask but..." the muggle studies professor went closer to Catalina's ear to whisper something that made her blush.

"Oh my..." Catalina chuckled. "Yes, sure. I can give you something like that to help with your husband's... problem." She chuckled a little too loud.

"Oh, Severus is lucky to have someone who knows how to brew a potion for everything." The muggle studies professor giggled, winking at Severus and making him scoff.

"Oh, trust me, Severus doesn't need that." Catalina started laughing loudly, making Severus put a hand on her thigh and squeeze tightly.

"My bad." She whispered to him, still unable to contain her laugh.

***

Catalina took the small vial of medicine that she just brew for Lucius and went to the floo. The woman inhaled deeply, preparing herself for the encounter with a former Death Eater. She would lie if she didn't admit that she was scared.

"The Malfoy manor." She pronounced the destination and clapped her hands once with the powder on them.

As the young witch stepped into the dining room of the Malfoy manor, her head started throbbing so hard that she had to bend forward and find support on the fireplace. A psychotic laugh echoed through her mind. "What the hell was that?" She whispered.

A chill ran down her spine as she looked around the gloomy room. The drapes were closed and everything seemed so dark. The furniture, the atmosphere.

Her feet carried her to a certain spot where she noticed that the dark floor was covered in a strain of dried, old blood that perhaps, couldn't be cleaned. She felt her stomach turning and her skin getting goosebumps. A terrifying feeling took over all her senses and she couldn't pinpoint why she felt that way.

"Miss Fawley." A deep, barely audible voice came from the doorway. She turned around scared, only to be met by a pair of dull, blue eyes that lost their sparkle, several strands of hair covering the said face with it's sparkle also gone and a bit of stubble. He was skinnier than she knew him and he looked sickly while finding support on his cane. His eyes were red and bloodshot with red strains around it. He looked at least 30 years older.

"Mr. Malfoy." She said with her voice trembling slightly in fear.

____________________________

For those of you who haven't read the books and are a bit confused over why Catalina's name is "Prince": Prince is the family name of Severus' mother. His father abused him terribly when he was a child to the point that he hated him. My theory is that Severus would never want his wife to take such a filthy name as Snape, as his father. So he gave her his mother's name. Hence the name of the movie "The Half Blood Prince" (he's not a literal prince).

Kisses.