"Severus, its so beautiful" Catri sighed "but how did you get reservations? I’ve heard the wait is over a year."

"He has friends in high places" a cheerful man with light brown hair and chocolate eyes said. Walking towards them, the man held out his hand "Welcome Professor Snape, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you again." Turning towards Cat, he added "And this must be the lovely Miss MacLeod. Truly a pleasure to meet you." he said as he kissed her hand.

Seeing the confusion in Catri’s eyes Severus explained "Aloysius Puck, the owner and a former prefect of Slytherin"

"Please, call me Al." he said to Cat "And welcome to Arbor of the Moon’s Enchantment. I must say Miss MacLeod, I have been waiting to meet you for quite some time now, ever since Professor Snape contacted me."

"Really" Cat said suspiciously "and how long has that been. . .Al." she asked as she watched Severus blush slightly.

Laughing merrily, Al replied for Severus "Long enough for me to set aside a very special spot for a picnic in the woodland grove. . . .Very romantic, may I add" he said with a wink.

Cat hung her head as her cheeks burned with embarrassment, "oh Severus" she said softly "what exactly are you planning." She felt his fingers under her chin, tilting her head upwards so he could look into her eyes. His thumb lightly brushed over her lips as his hand moved to caress her cheeks, smiling at the warmth of her blush .

Severus melted when he saw the tender look in Catri’s eyes "I am hoping to show you how special you are to me. I want our time together to be as special as possible. After all, we barely have any time alone at school. I must take my opportunities when I can."

Al couldn’t help but smile at the tender way Professor Snape treated her, it was such a change from the cold demeanor he and the other students had come to associate with Snape. Al had always wondered if his old potions teacher would ever find happiness, if he would be able to find someone who could see past his harshness. Al’s eyes narrowed momentarily as they caught an odd reflection from Snape’s pocket. "Why don’t you wait here at my table" he suggested as he grinned broadly "I just need to make sure everything is ready." Al practically skipped off as he made his way to the back, he had to find his wife and tell her what he had just seen, she would never believe him, never.

"Well what’s gotten into him?" Catri asked, looking curiously at Sev "Or are you two up to something?"

Severus shook his head as he pulled out a chair for her. "Honestly Catri, I have no idea what he is up to. He always was excitable, I cannot tell you how often I had to .. .oh no."

Catri immediately froze, she had seen them too "Not tonight, not now" she sighed as she hung her head "I think I should leave Sev"

"Absolutely not" Severus insisted as he stood in front of her, blocking the view of the half dozen or so ministry members who had just entered. "I know most of them, let me go over and speak with them. I am certain we can avoid any confrontations." he assured her. Looking intently into her eyes, Severus waited for her to nod in agreement before he quickly kissed her "I except you to be here when I return my dear." he told her as he picked up her hand and squeezed it gently "I have great hopes for us."

Catri smiled as she watched Severus stride masterfully across the dais, she loved it when he insisted on protecting her. Never mind the fact that she could destroy everyone here and barely break a sweat, or simply disappear into thin air at whim. He saw himself as her protector and he seemed to take great pleasure in proving to her how capable he was. . . .

Al weaved his way through the crowded kitchen looking for his hostess, and sister, she would be able to keep Professor Snape and his girlfriend happy while he added a few special touches to the grove. "Krisandra, over here sis." he waved to get her attention "Two glasses of red wine to the couple waiting at my table. it’s a very special night for them, and I want them kept happy" Al yelled to his hostess as he darted thru the kitchen to the back to make a few last minute preparations.

Krisandra threw up her hands in frustration "We don’t have anyone to take them over, two of the girls are out sick, and the Ministry party just arrived. I don’t have a free server left. I‘ve already spread them thin as it is, I‘m serving and coordinating now, I don’t have a spare hand left"

Al paused and rubbed his temples, "What about that idiot you put in coat check? Surely she can manage walking two drinks to a table."

Krisandra gave him a half hearted grin, "My but we are desperate, aren’t we?" not getting a laugh out of Al, she sighed "Right, idiot with the drinks it is." Krisandra signaled to one of the servers who was dashing about, trying to keep up with her orders. "Oiy, Kelly" she yelled "on your way out, tell that girl in the check room to get her scrawny butt in here. Al wants her serving"

Kelly came to a dead halt "What?! That idiot! You have got to be kidding me, she’ll ruin our reputation with her mouth."

Krisandra sighed "I know, and she’ll probably spill everything she’s handed. But we’re desperate and Al says get her."

Kelly grimaced as she picked up her orders and quickly took them to her table. She smiled sweetly as she delivered the food, then walked to the check room, wrinkling her nose at the smell of acrid smoke as she approached. "Didn’t Krisandra tell you about not smoking those things? They’re disgusting" Kelly sighed as she watched the look of contempt cross the woman’s face. "Listen Esmeralda, I don’t really care if you like it or not, we have an image here and you don’t fit. But, according to Krisandra, we’re desperate, and they want you to deliver some drinks. Think you can managed that? Or is your brain tired from sitting on it all night." Kelly added as she turned and walked away, not waiting to hear the answer. . . .

"Al, … Al.. Is that who I think it is?" Corrinski Puck asked her husband "Is that her?"

Al smiled brightly as he kissed his wife on her cheek "Yes, that’s her. She’s much prettier than I thought she would be. And I don’t think I have ever seen Professor Snape smile like that."

Corrinski rolled her eyes "I don’t think I’ve ‘ever’ seen him smile period." Peering around her husband, Corrinski tried to get a closer look at the woman "Did you give them the woodland grove? The secluded one?" she asked

Al rolled his eyes dramatically "Now Cori, what sort of host would I be if I didn’t give my guests what they needed?" he teased "Of course I gave them the grove, in fact, they’re the only ones in the grove tonight" he winked.

"Oh Really?" Cori replied, then looking critically at her husband she added "Is he planning something special tonight? Do you know something? Something you’re keeping from your loyal and loving wife?"

Al placed his hands over his heart, pretending she had stabbed him "From my dear, sweet, loving, and terribly clever wife? Never, perish the thought beloved." he grinned as he wrapped his arms around her "However I did notice a package in the professor’s pocket, one that looks remarkably like a jewelry box" placing his fingers over his wife’s lips as she gasped, he added "That is pure speculation on my part, don’t go getting all excited and telling your friends stories."

"I don’t tell my friends stories" Cori pouted at Al, "Only Cissi, and she never tells anyone a thing, she’s very good at keeping secrets."....

Krisandra sighed and rubbed the back of her neck "What a night" she sighed as she made her way to the bar to order the wine for Al’s V.I.P.’s. As soon as she saw the bottles hovering and zooming through the air, she knew she had better be prepared for anything.

She shook her head as she watched the bartender work his own magic. He had opened his shirt at the collar and rolled up the sleeves, revealing just a hint of the muscles that rippled under his crisp linen shirt. He was juggling bottles of liquor, pouring their contents as he tossed them into the air. Krisandra grimaced as she heard him start up with his limericks. He was smiling slyly and winking knowingly at some of his regular customers, or in other words, camping it up terribly:

I am Bacardi Bob,
Entertaining is my job,
I make your drinks
I also try to make you think
I listen to you philosophize
I listen to you tell your lies….

"Hold it right there sweetheart" Krisandra teased "I know the rest of this one, You’ll only end up in trouble" she smiled brightly as she leaned over the bar and gave her husband a quick kiss. She sighed softly as he wrapped his muscular arm around her waist and pulled her closer, lifting her off the ground, before finally releasing her.

Bob grinned mischievously and winked at some of the patrons as he released Krisandra from his embrace. "Now, now gentlemen" he teased "just remember to keep this to yourself. The last thing I need is for my wife to find out about her." he grinned wickedly as he turned back to Krisandra and did a double take. "Oh, wait" he said melodramatically "you are my wife. My mistake." he grinned widely as he waited for her to respond.

"That’s right, loverboy, I’m your wife" Krisandra replied sarcastically "Honestly, you think you’d be able to get that right by now, after all, if I can manage to keep all four of my husband’s straight you would think your handling one would be a breeze." She paused as some of the customers began laughing at their little game.

Bob simply raised one eyebrow and went back to mixing drinks and making up rhymes:

I have a life,
I have a wife,
So of course I have a life of strife….

Krisandra tossed a bar towel over his head "Keep it up and I’ll make up a rhyme of my own." she warned him playfully.

"Really, and what sort of rhyme would that be?" Bob asked as he removed the towel and smiled at his dear wife. His eyes twinkled with warmth and happiness, he loved the way she would play along with him, it was the thing he loved most about her.

"I’m not sure, but you can bet hex and sex are going to be mentioned."

Bob gave her a look of mock horror "Darling, honey, my dearest, sweetest bride" he grinned "what can I, your loving, attentive husband do for you?"

"Oh stop" Krisandra laughed, "you’re just impossible. And I need two glasses of red wine for Al’s guests over there. And just as a warning to you darling, Al has lost his mind, you know that idiot we threw in cloak check?"

Bob froze "He’s not letting that thing out amongst the guests I hope." He shuddered when his wife rolled her eyes. "Yep, your absolutely right dear, my poor brother-in-law has lost his mind."

"Very funny" Esmeralda spat "you two act like it takes a brain to do this or something."

"That ‘something’ would be class" Krisandra shot back. Circling Esmeralda like a shark, Krisandra narrowed her eyes and scowled "Button the shirt ALL the way up, pull down the skirt, stand up straight and keep your trashy mouth shut." she handed Esmeralda the silver tray with the glasses of wine "Just take these glasses to that table, set them down and come back, think you can handle that?"

Esmeralda gave her a sickly sweet smile "Of course Miss Krisandra". Esmeralda could feel the couple glaring at her as she walked away. "As if they are somehow better than me," she hissed under her breath as she stalked towards the table "and who the hell is so important that ‘I’ have to be bothered to serve anyone. . . . And these stupid drinks won’t stay still" she growled as she watched the wine splash over the serving tray. She looked over to the table and noticed only a young woman sitting there "Oh wonderful, a redhead" Esmeralda huffed as she approached the table. She had always hated redheads, especially since her run in with Lily and Cat, what she wouldn’t give to have a second chance at those two. Slamming the tray onto the table, Esmeralda glowered at the petite red haired woman, waiting for her to turn to look at her.

Cat looked up when she heard a bang and felt a splash of liquid on her hand, looking up at the server; Cat practically froze in surprise and anger. Taking a deep breath, Cat held her head high, refusing to allow anyone, especially a tramp like Esmeralda ruin her evening. "Thank you." she said simply as she acknowledged the glasses of wine and turned away again, pointedly ignoring the woman.

"YOU" Esmeralda hissed, "What do you think you’re doing here. This place is for decent people, human people. You have no business being anywhere near here."