The Herbology Assistant

Chapter Seventy Six

"This is delicious Claire," Remus said. 

"Thanks, it's something new I haven't tried yet."

"I like spaghetti." Elio said while trying to twirl his fork like his mom. 

Once they were finished, Clarice cleaned up the kitchen as Severus took Elio up for a bath. 

"Let's go finish in the study. I'll start brewing our first batch." She told Remus who followed her down the hall. Clarice had started by lining up the ingredients in order and turned up the cauldron. 

"Now I believe if we do a twelfth counter clock wise stir against clockwise... that should work. And if we lower the dose of moonwort and add an extra leg of newt... And-"

"Clarice do you need help with anything?" He asked. She held up her hand to stop him from talking as her nose was stuck in her journal.  

"And if we stir in the henbane first and the valerian second to last..." She continued on. "Ready?"

"Am I just watching you?" He asked. 

"Yeah, but I'll need you to taste test." She said while getting started. 

After a few failed attempts, Clarice had finally gotten a batch brewing that could possibly be something special.

"Try this." 

"Claire, I'm tired. These all taste horrid." Remus put his hands up defense. 

"Last one, I promise." She said while passing the glass off in his hand and watched him intently. 

"It's... good." He made a weird face. 

"Yes!" Clarice jumped up. "The goal was to make it taste like something you could drink every day."

"Every day?" 

"I know I should have mentioned this, but I knew you would think I'm mad. Anyways, this potion you'll have to take every day at the same time for it to possibly work... Sort of like birth control." She added with a snicker. 

"Funny... And on days when I should be transformed?" He asked. 

"This is supposed to skip your transformation. A cure as long as you take it every day at the same time." She explained. 

"Well what about next week."

"I don't think it will work that quickly so I would definitely still take the same precautions."

"Do I still take the wolfsbane?" He asked. 

"No, this is it." She bottled it up into a months worth of tiny vials and packed them in a crate. 

"Thanks Claire, I really appreciate you doing this for me." Remus said while he helped her clean up. 

"Anything for you. Please keep in touch and try and journal this first experience if you can." She hugged him gave a peck on each cheek. 

"What if I start to feel funny from taking this?" 

"That would mean it's working."

"And if it doesn't work?" 

"We try again in two weeks." She smiled. 

"See ya Claire," He nodded his head and went out to wish Severus a good evening but had found he was no longer present. 

"Merlin it's nearly 1AM, sorry I kept you this long Rem. Get home safe." She patted his back lightly and watched him apparate. 

Clarice tidied up the rooms down stairs before turning all the lights off and heading up to her bedroom. 

"You're really late." Severus muttered from his side of the bed. 

"Sorry, we lost track of time." She said while slipping out of her clothes and into a slip. Severus couldn't help but watch. 

"You guys seemed to be having a lot of fun." He said. 

"It was. I haven't experimented with potions in quite some time." She told him. 

"You laughed a lot." 

"Yeah..." 

"Hmph."

"Sev? You're not jealous are you?" She leaned up in bed. 

"I'm not jealous of whatever you and Moony have." He said in a tone and she scoffed. 

"Severus Snape what are you on about?" She whipped her head towards him. 

"Nothing." He grumbled. 

"You're jealous?"

"No, I'm not." 

"Well good. It's not like you own me." Clarice mentally rolled her eyes. She would never ever give Severus a reason to doubt her trust and loyalty, but something about seeing him jealous was slightly attractive to her. 

"You're right." He said. She laid down next to him, his back was still turned to her as she brushed her fingers lightly against his back. 

"I mean, what part of me do you own Sev?" She whispered in his ear. He remained silent, waiting for her next move. 

"Do you own my mind, perhaps?" She edged closer to him. "Or is it my laugh? No that's not right..."

She mockingly scratched her head for a second before placing her hand on his shoulders to massage them. 

"Was it you owned my knowledge?" She massaged deeper, kneading all the knots and easing  and releasing the tension he hadn't known built up from when Clarice first entered the bedroom. He remained unfazed until she stopped, pressed her lips to his ear and whispered. 

"Or is it my body you own?" She purred lustfully in his ear, close enough he could feel her warm breath and smell her perfume. Knowing how to get under his skin, she smiled slyly as he took a deep breath at the word. 

"What are you doing, Claire?" He finally asked her. His voice shaken from arousal. He went to turn around to face her, but her hands caught him and kept him in his place looking at the wall. It felt exhilarating to Clarice, being the one in charge for once. 

"I want to know which part of me you seem to possess." She traced the muscle down his neck with her pinky, touching all the scars he had across his back and finally tracing his v-line until she got to the hem of his boxers. She stopped abruptly. "For I have forgotten."

She pulled her hand away and turned around to place her back to his. 

"Is this because I was jealous?" He blurted out without even realizing what he had said.