Once in a Blue Moon

CHAPTER 9

Valentines Day - Hogwarts - morning

Pilar got out of bed that morning feeling sad. She had had such high hopes for this Valentines Day.

As she headed to the bathroom, she glanced at the table and stopped. A single blue rose was sitting on the table. No note. No tea. Just the rose.

She smiled. Perhaps things were getting better after all.

He opened the envelope - surprised to find a muggle valentine card. He studied it - and remembered the delight they had both had in finding muggle cards for special times in their short relationship.

This card was fairly typical - cupids, hearts and truly awful poetry.

He ignored them - and looked at the silver disc that was enclosed with the card. He knew what it was - but wondered how she thought he could listen to it here. Was she suggesting they go somewhere they could listen to it? He smiled. He knew exactly the place - it even had a CD player in the room. Inexpensive, cosy and he knew that she would love it.

He looked at the CD and smiled again as he saw the title of the song written on it. "Kiss from a Rose."

He picked up the card again. Her writing scrawled over most of the page - with only one word. "Love."

He got dressed very quickly, and checked the schedule. There it was - in 2 weeks they would both be off duty on the same weekend. If he hurried after breakfast, he could make the arrangements for a short getaway for the two of them, before he had his first class for the day.

He felt his body react at the thought of making love to her again - he had been in torture since their argument in December - the last time they had made love.

His face changed as he started to plan the weekend. The wait would be worth it.

Valentines Day - Hogwarts - breakfast

Valentines Day at Hogwarts was usually fairly uproarious. Owls almost colliding with each other as they delivered their burdens of valentines to students.

To his embarrassment, Harry was always inundated.

Then the whole school watched in awe as Snape's owl landed before him, delivering a large, ornate letter.

Somebody had sent him a Valentine.

He opened it and his face went purple. He glared down at the other end of the staff table to where Sirius and Remus where choking back laughter. They had not been able to resist sending the valentine to him.

It was big. It was lacy. It was pink. It was signed "with love and hugs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot & Prongs.

Snape contemptuously tossed it in the air, setting it on fire as he did so - the ashes falling to the table.

"Idiots," he spat, and picking up the owl, swept out of the room.

Dumbledore looked at the giggling teachers responsible. "I suppose you thought it was necessary?" he asked.

Black and Lupin stopped laughing. "Sorry Headmaster," they chorused.

Pilar had chuckled herself - but felt a bit sorry for Snape. It would have been embarrassing for him receiving that card. She went in search of him after breakfast.

He was in his office, but not snarling as usual. Instead, he was sitting at the desk, face in his hands. Was he that upset, she wondered.

"Severus?" she asked softly, and he looked up, his face contorted - with laughter. She watched as he hiccuped several times loudly and started to chuckle again. "So you're not upset?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I do have a sense of humour," he said, "That was a truly god-awful card! I'm not even going to speculate where they got it."

"You're a surprising man, Severus Snape," said Pilar, shaking her head in wonder at the man she had glimpsed. "Why the act?"

Like lightning his mood changed, and he snarled, "What act? If you don't mind, Professor, I have a class to prepare for."

Pilar left, confused. What was he hiding from? Why did he insist on portraying himself as a cold, nasty man, when she had seen a glimpse of a warm personality underneath it all?

She shuddered. Perhaps her exile had not been so bad as it might have been.

Valentines Day - Hogwarts - 10pm

Pilar looked at Sinistra and grinned. "Toss you for it. Looser has to do the Astronomy Tower," she said.

Sinistra looked at her. "Yes," she said finally, and pulled out a coin. "You call."

Pilar watched the coin fly through the air. "Heads."

It landed - tails. She laughed at the other teacher. "Not my night, obviously," she said. "Astronomy Tower here I come," she paused and asked, "Is it really so crowded up there?"

Sinistra shook her head, "Not usually - but then you never know. Valentines day, teenage hormones," she suddenly giggled, "Last year Snape found one couple in his potions dungeon."

Pilar giggled as well, "Ye gods," she said, "Was there anything left of them after he'd finished with them?"

"Not much. But the funniest thing was nobody could see who was more embarrassed - Snape or the students!"

With a laugh, the two teachers separated, and Pilar started the climb up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower.

She changed her mind about its lack of occupants as she flushed students from three alcoves on her way up. They were certainly more enterprising than she had been in her day!

She pushed open the door, and noted that the hinges had been freshly oiled. Raising her wand, she illuminated the room, and hastily put out the light when she realised that there were at least six couples in the room, all in various stages of dress or undress.

"Sorry to break up your little party," she drawled, "But I think it's time for you to all go to bed. Separately. You have five minutes before I light up this room again."

She heard rustlings and muffled giggles, and felt rather than saw figures going past her out the door and down the stairs. At the end of the five minutes she illuminated the room and saw with satisfaction that it was empty.

Idly, she walked over to the big window and sat down on the wide ledge. She had always loved this window - coming here often when she had been a student just to sit and dream.

She sat down and rested her head on one hand, looking out the window at the night sky. And she dreamed. Dreamed that she had not been exiled. Dreamed that they had married. Dreamed of forming a family.

He had watched her going up the stairs to the Tower, and watched amused as several minutes later a stream of students had run down.

After a few more minutes, he wondered what she was doing up there, and climbed the stairs.

He stopped at the door and looked at her sitting on the window ledge, looking as beautiful as his favourite photograph of her.

Moving swiftly across the room, he bent over and slipped his arms round her, kissing her forehead.

Pilar started, and then nestled back into those beloved arms, raising her face for a proper kiss.

With a sigh, they broke the kiss and he sat down with her in his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder, her arms round his waist.

"This is getting to be a habit, Remus," she said, "but I don't want to break it."

"Then don't."

"I'm supposed to be doing dormitory rounds."

He kissed her again. "Really?"

"Mmm. Really."

"So why are you here?"

"Dreaming. Just dreaming."

His arms tightened. "About what?"

"You, me, us. If we hadn't been separated. What our family would be like."

He caught his breath. It was the one thing he never tried to think about, it hurt too much. "Do you often dream about that?" he asked her.

She turned and looked into his eyes, tonight they were tired, and shadowed, and she remembered that there had been a full moon the previous night. She reached up and touched his face. "Always. And always knowing that if we were together, you wouldn't have had to face the wolf alone."

"No," he said abruptly, "I will always have to face the wolf alone. I would never risk you." Abruptly, he let go of her and stood, pacing the room. "You have no idea what it's like," he said harshly, "no idea about the terror I suffer when I transform back, wondering if I've killed."

She rose and came over to him, her hands on his arms. "But you never have," she said earnestly. "I've seen your scars. Seen your pain. Even when you are the wolf, Remus Lupin is still there. And whatever the wolf wants, Remus Lupin will not allow it." She shook her head wonderingly. "You are the strongest person I have ever known. In spite of everything, you have still remained true to yourself. And I admire that. I only wish that I had your strength. Perhaps if I had, then I would not have changed like I did. Been able to let the grudge go," and Pilar shook herself. "Anyway, the wolfsbane potion has changed your transformations. I don't mind spending one night a month with a wolf. After all, you'd have to spend more than that with a bitch!"

He laughed and hugged her to him. "My moody Pilar," he said, "Are you really that bad?"

"You cross me when I've got PMT and you'll discover that the wolf is a puppy compared to me."

"I'll remember that," he said, bending his head to kiss her again.

Pilar sighed, and gave herself up to the sensations of his kiss. Loving the feel, loving the loving. She pulled him closer, needing him to make love to her, feeling hurt when he pulled away.

"I have a surprise for you," he said.

Pilar pouted. "Unless it involves you making love to me here and now, I'm not really interested," she said, irritated.

"Really, Professor de Lisle," he said, his lips roaming over her neck, "That is not the way for Hogwarts Professors to speak to one another."

"And what you're doing is?" she asked, gasping. He chuckled, "It depends on the circumstances," he explained, his hands rubbing up and down her back, causing her to shudder more. "But I do have a reason. And I think that you will like the surprise," he said.

"So tell me," she said, "Then you can make love to me."

"One track mind," he said, not caring that his was following the same track, but determined that their weekend would be special.

"It's been two months, Remus. I can't really cope with you kissing me and not doing anything else."

"We have a free weekend in two weeks," he said.

Pilar had decided to take matters into her own hand, and had started nibbling along his jaw, "So."

He moved his head, allowing her more access. "I took a hint from the CD you sent me."

"That's nice." She'd reached his throat, her mouth working down the v of his shirt, her hands fumbling with buttons and slipping inside.

"Be good, Pilar," he said sternly. "I want to tell you about your surprise."

She moved her mouth to his nipple and nipped him lightly, causing him to gasp, "So tell me quickly," she said, exploring his chest, and moving her hands to his buttocks, drawing him closer to her.

He raised her head with his hand and kissed her again. "If you don't stop you'll never find out," he said, "And I know you'll want to find out."

The gentle teasing had gone from his voice. It held a tone she knew, one that she knew. One that meant he had made up his mind and would not be moved.

Pilar sighed and stopped her exploring. This had better be good. She knew he wanted her - evidence was pressed against her, but obviously whatever he was talking about was important to him.

"I'm listening," she said.

He took her hand and drew her back to the window, sitting down with her enfolded in his arms, the pair of them firmly wrapped in each other's arms and legs.

"I thought," he said, settling her, "that we could spend some time listening to a certain CD. And I noticed that we have a free weekend in two weeks."

"Your point, Remus."

"Well, this morning I made some arrangements at a certain little inn I know of - not too far from here," he couldn't help himself and he kissed her, "CD player, fireplace, enormous bed. You. Me. Friday night to Sunday afternoon."

"Oohhh! Remus!" Pilar turned and flung her arms around him, "How romantic!"

He accepted the kisses she pressed on him. "Actually," he said, "it wasn't so much romance as a desire to be able to have you all to myself," and he grinned down at her, his grin pure seduction, "and I rather fancy watching you wander round naked."

She giggled and rubbed herself against him, "Do you now," she said teasingly, "what makes you think I will? Apart from the fact that I can't stop myself doing what you want?"

He became serious. "I also want more than anything to be able to wake up with you in the morning."

Pilar felt her eyes fill with tears. "I want it too," she said softly, "I want it more than anything I've ever wanted in my life."

He held her close, desire had fled for the moment, and all that remained was their abiding love. "I really do think that I just may be in love with you, Pilar de Lisle."