Astoria entered Severus Snape's place of business and residence cautiously. She was here for two reasons. No one knew of either of them, but Daphne would not be pleased about it. Daphne would have to know. The idea had been floating in the back of Dean's mind the last time Astoria had seen him. It was a good idea, provided she could persuade Snape to agree. After lasy night, she had decided it needed to be done.

"Professor Snape?"

Astoria knew he did not consider himself a professor any longer, but she could think of no other way to address him. Mr. Snape just sounded wrong, and she highly doubted he'd allow her the use of his given name.

Sighing, his eyes falling closed as the radiant blue potion in the cauldron continued to simmer, Severus looked toward the curtain hiding him from the blonde in the front of the shoppe. Setting the pipette he'd been stirring with down, keeping the potion with stasis charm, he made no rush to greet his former student.

"Miss Dolohov," he said, after looking at her for a long moment. It was hard to read a Reader, mostly because so many thoughts, both their own and not, swirled in their heads. He'd learned not to try. Not because he was unable to do it with enough focus, but because he normally didn't care enough.

"I would like special potions for contraception. I would not want to end up pregnant with Marcus' child before it is time for that. Would you be able to help?"

She'd get to the other in a moment.

Severus rose an eyebrow. "I think there is quite enough pregnancy in your family at the moment." He didn't move to grab the vial. He knew she was not only here for a contraceptive potion. She could have owled for that. She had an alternate reason for bothering him. "Was that it?"

"It actually wasn't, and you really aren't going to like this." Astoria took a deep breath. "Is it safe here? Can I speak freely? Should we go in the back? This is sensitive."

"Do you honestly believe that anyone would be clever enough to break past my wards?"

"No," Astoria said, eyeing him. "But what I did not know was whether or not you had bothered to ward the shop and not just your living quarters. This is about the Liberi."

He shook his head, heading for the back. He'd get her potion, and she would leave. This was not going to happen again.

Astoria followed him. "Daphne's in trouble. Real trouble with them. You know what she's doing. They only wanted her to brew for them. Well, with the pregnancy, she can't."

Astoria stopped and whispered.

"I saw what they do to her because of this."

"Then you know very well that I will not be helping," he all but snarled at her, spinning to face her. "I will not be manipulated into fighting for a cause I have no stake it, Miss Dolohov. Bandying the lives of others in front of me will do no good, former student or not. Daphne is the one who got it in her head to spy, and she has put herself in the position she finds herself in."

"I'm not trying to manipulate you! I won't ask Blaise," Astoria shouted. "He'll not do it just to watch her die. I can't have that. I will do anything. I can't be without her, and I won't lose my nephew. Please. I will pay, of course. Just please help me."

"Begging is useless, and you well know it." He held the black vial out to her. "I do not know who developed the thought in your head that I clean up the messes the Slytherins in my house have made, but it is wrong."

"I'm cleaning it!" Astoria thumped her chest hard. "I just want to employ your services to do so. You know full well I can not brew to save my life, so I am going to hire you to brew to save Daphne's! She's doing so well. I want to see how she turns out now that she's growing up finally. The world is better with her in it."

Severus looked at her, his face impassive. "You want me to brew," he said, finally. "Just make potions."

"That and not tell anyone you are the one doing it for me. No helping, no listening, no dual roles. Just brewing potions."

"Brewing potions for possibly dubious purposes," he clarified. "They were not having Greengrass brew headache potions to fill their cabinets."

"No. They weren't," Astoria sighed. "In fact, something she did do once is about to catch up to her in a big way, but I'd really rather her not be locked up and her child taken from her. She'll do something very bad if that happens."

"And you come to me for this because you know I can live with someone's death, even a phantom someone, on my conscious. I've done it before, so you assume I can do it again."

"That isn't why," Astoria whispered, moving a little closer. "I was hoping you cared that Daphne would be able to finish her journey, that you cared about keeping her from being a monster."

"I have watched several of my charges turn into monsters, most by their own decisions. I am not responsible for the choices of others, just of my own. It's a rule that you would do well to learn," he said, holding the potion out for her again.

"So watch her turn into something else. She can. Daphne just can't do it alone. Help us. They aren't going to see me coming, but that's only if I don't have to worry for Daphne. I'll owe you, and though you do not think so now, I will be someone you will want a favor from one day. I promise."

"Promises are for children," he said, dropping the potion. He watched her move quickly and grab it before it could shatter on the ground. "You'll be paying for the potions, just as anyone else would."

"I believe I already said I would do so. Either myself or my associate will pick the potions up. Daphne will never be here."

"Your associate? If this is happening, there will be no one else involved." Severus reentered the front of the shoppe, knowing that she was following. "You do know that if you had just told me you wanted me to brew for you, without telling me the reasons, it would have been easier on you."

"Well, then let's pretend I did. You're just brewing for me and sometimes Dean Thomas might pick it up for me. There. Situated."

Severus glared at her as she stood in front of him, a smile on her face. "Owing me a favor has never been a happy situation for anyone, Miss Dolohov. I hope you know what you're asking."

"I probably don't. I probably won't like what you ask when you call it in either. I don't care. Daphne is more important to me than any indignities I might suffer."

"Never ask for more than you can handle. Nine galleons."

Astoria took the money out and paid him. "I'm a Greengrass at heart, sir. We always ask for more than we can handle."

Astoria thought loudly. Thank you. She had to say it, but she knew he would not want it actually said.

His face did not flinch as he put a finger on the coins and pulled them across the wood towards him. "You'll need more in three months."

"I know," Astoria said smiling.

She liked playing the game with him. He was not easy. Still, Astoria was better for having spoken with him. It had been a while since she's had to work to achieve anything. She felt she had made Daphne a bit more safe.


{SUMMARY} Astoria asks Snape for a favor. He is reluctant, but agrees. Hope she knows what she's doing.