Disclaimer: This story has been written using JK Rowling's Harry Potter universe and nothing I made up. I feel so sad, anyway I don't own the characters and I am not going to try to claim them no point. Plus if there is anything else I nicked, my apologies consider everything disclaimed.

Author's Note: Yes another story, sad aren't I, someone shoot me quick before I write another, yes I think I need shooting now. 'MEDIC!' as one of my friends likes to scream. Anyway, this story is going to turn into a rather odd romance I think. You should be proud of me, I'm going to try to use all cannon characters. WOH! I hear you cry. Yes I was surprised too, but as usual Snape is the star cause I can't seem to stop writing about him. Anyway this is a Snape and... Rosmerta fic... or will be... I think. Don't ask me why but that bar maid knows a lot more about stuff than she should.

Can I entice you to read...

The Purveyor of Poisons

Crepusculum

I look in the mirror and what do I see, many things but mostly me. *

"Don't you do anything but sit in these dungeons like you can't wait for the night to come and remove the sunlight from the equation?" McGonagall asked as she tried to round up the staff to take the trip to Hogsmeade most weren't hard to convince, none required coercing. The thought to washing away their memories of a horrible years worth of teaching at the final day of term wasn't difficult to persuade of most, well almost all. Severus Snape, now there was a difficult character. He didn't want to know - ever.

"Just because the rest of you feel the need to drown your sorrows in the bottom of a tankard, doesn't mean I wish to do the same!" He snapped continuing to sink lower and lower into his chair until his shoulders were level with the arms of it. The folds of his majestic black robes giving him an almost king like posture, anyone would think him capable of likeness with Henry II; 'Who will rid me of this turbulent priest!'

"Oh grow up Snape, no one wants to see you sitting down here wallowing in self-pity - again!" She said shortly leaning an arm on the doorway, getting the feeling she'd be standing there waiting for a while before he even began to give her a straight answer.

"Who said anything about wallowing? And who watches me that meticulously? All I want to do is have some peace and quiet, the year has been a long one and I don't think you need telling what is going on Minerva." He arced a dark eyebrow narrowing his hollow black eyes meeting hers before she looked away knowing full well that he had a harder task for the future than she could even begin to comprehend, he risked so much, asked so little. Perhaps peace and quiet wasn't too much to ask though she did wish her colleague would try to have a little more fun. But then again a debt to society, to Dumbledore was something he owed, and Severus, being Severus, would pay the price for the Headmaster's trust with his life if he had to.

"Then what did you plan to do? Dance the fandango?" She retorted sarcastically hoping that sinicism may cause him to break an old habit and stop him growing so long in the tooth.

"Well, actually," he grinned maliciously before returning to his normal lazy state of facial expression. "I, Minerva plan to do what I normally do. Reflect upon what has happened this year and beg that next year certain students don't manage to find my classroom." He wasn't joking, she could tell by the determined look in his eyes that washed over the rest of his face like a storm rising.

"Do your prayers ever get answered?" She said coolly, all he could feel was sadness for a past lost and a future wasted because of everything he had to do to be believed again... to be trusted by the wrong people in order to gain that of the right.

"Of course they don't, I believe that is why I still have a job here. Wouldn't that make a lot of sense Minerva?" She looked at him in a strange manner, his behaviour was twisted and contorting itself with every passing phrase, she wasn't even sure of his mood anymore.

"So I can't get you to come and join us then?" She muttered sadly trying to get him to join them one last time. What's the point?

"For the last time, I don't want to join you in your crazed drinking binge you silly old witch!" He snapped shortly not thinking about what he was saying.

"It's only a bit of fun, not a binge you cantankerous old bat!" She snapped slamming the door to his office. Perhaps that was a little too much, he mused... well she went... maybe not.

Severus Snape got out of the chair behind his desk his robes falling neatly round his feet in a gentle rustle as he began to stalk towards the cabinet leaning forwards from the cold stone walls like it too no longer wanted to be there. Was it really that bad? Perhaps it was, but then anything is debatable, he thought as he opened the silver handled door to the cupboard and looked in on the various potions he had created, some for good... others for bad but all made for a purpose darker than any thought possible.

Veritaserum... now there was a potion designed for something so devious he couldn't even begin to contemplate it. Stages for the depressed, what side am I really on? Perhaps I'll try... couldn't hurt... wouldn't cost much... just your soul... Only the soul. He thought to himself looking at the intricately carved stopper. What can be taken if it's already lost? He placed a slender finger over the stopper pulling the small bottle from the cupboard like a giant plucking a small child from its bed.

From here to the bottom of a brandy glass, he thought absently pouring the Veritaserum into a large glass and running his finger round the top of it making it sing... should I, shouldn't I...? The choices we make... one thing leads to another. Perhaps I should give in to temptation just once... could fun be all that bad? You have been there once Severus, part of him said. When you were young and not so foolish. Foolish is as foolish does... No man is an island.

He considered this... it was true, no man was an island, though existence alone was far easier than trying to be one with another. Being only half of a whole was one thing... thinking someone could fill the rather large bitter hole in his heart was another.

"Bah!" He snapped pouring the transparent liquid to the floor dropping the glass, causing it to smash into many shards upon the ground, he looked at it calmly and lowered him gaze lazily. "What a mess..." he muttered shortly, getting out of his seat and marching out of his office being sure to grab his cloak on the way out and with a swish of black cloth closed the door and descended upon the corridor out of the dungeons, like a shadow dissolving into the night.

::~::~::~::

"Do you think that man will ever get a life!" McGonagall said shortly as she took a seat in The Three Broomsticks next to Professor Flitwick. "Honestly the nerve of that man!" She continued hotly, "I've never been so readily insulted!"

"Do not forget Minerva that Severus has a difficult task ahead... not many people are prepared to do that, at the risk to their own person. Perhaps he's better off where he is," Dumbledore said looking sadly over his half-moon spectacles.

"Well..." an awkward pause sat over the rest of the staff as the all seemed to drift into some kind of quiet reflection. "How about a drink?" McGonagall said finally not wanting the pause to remain.

"Good idea!" Boomed Hagrid who had already had one but was ready for another. "Rosmerta!" He called as a witch with sparkling turquoise high heals and soft velvet robes of deep purple with a few sequins around the hem.

"What can I do for you all?" She smiled genially, as a note pad appeared in her hand, dealing with the drink requests of the entire faculty bar one was going to be quite a task. Well not really...

"It's quite strange to see us celebrating the end of another year yet what is happening on the horizon? Yes, there was a job well done, but I don't see where the need for all this is. Voldemort has risen again, surely there is something more to fear not to be thankful for." Professor Sinistra said thoughtfully as the rest of the staff hurled orders at the good tempered bar maid.

"If we spent forever worrying about it no matter how important or undismisable it is, we should at least grant ourselves the chance to have a little bit of fun. Or at least the chance to try to sweep it under the carpet just once before the problem becomes so severe we'll not have chance to relax for only a second. I think we should take the opportunity to enjoy ourselves while we still can," Professor Sprout said before calling to Madam Rosmerta for a Butterbeer... well no one could call her an alcoholic.

There was a stiff breeze around the table as the door opened in The Three Broomstick... the summer rain resounded about the room as a silence fell causing everyone to look at the door. Standing hunched up in the doorway, cloak shielding itself was a tall figure dressed in black. Some rain drops were resting on the cloth that had yet to penetrate the fabric, as a flurry of cloth was allowed to hang to the floor, leaving the figure of a tall aristocratic man standing proud, haloed by the door frame.

Severus looked from one side of the room to the next, everyone seemed shocked to see him there. He swept some of the raindrops from his shoulders with the index and middle finger of his right hand and looked back at the staff. McGonagall looked especially surprised and annoyed to see him, but he had been rude to her. Something he had no intension of apologising for, it was more than his jobs worth.

"You decided to join us then Severus?" Dumbledore said brightly using his wand to cause another chair to join their table, for some reason though Severus didn't look at the older wizard, his eyes were drawn to the smiling waitress whose long curly chocolate brown hair and charming brown eyes were enough to bring rays of sunshine to anyone's day... stop looking at her, fool! He snapped at himself before looking back at Dumbledore and joining his colleagues at the table.

"What's your poison Professor?" Madam Rosmerta asked in a cheery voice after having got round the rest of the staff with relative ease, Severus however seemed to create an uneasy atmosphere amongst the other men and women. There was another cutting silence.

"Arsenic, but I don't believe you'd be liable to serve it," he said coldly, she gave an uncomfortable cough. " So I'll be quite happy to settle for an Idilisk Screw," he muttered, Dumbledore looked at Rosmerta calmly who was writing it down and looking back at him with a quizzical look on her face.

"Now who's the raging alcoholic?" McGonagall said shortly. Snape short her a blazing glance.

"Well I'll be right back," Rosmerta smiled with a hint of reserve in her eyes.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said watching as Snape took his seat and watch the other members of staff like a bear with a sore head as they tried to enjoy themselves, he could have sworn McGonagall was looking at him and thinking, 'kill joy!'

"So what finally got you to come here?" Sprout asked a quirky smile on her rosy red cheeks.

"I decided that I should get out once in a while... might start to rot if I stay there," he said running his fingers through his greasy hair as he dropped his cloak to the seat.

"Bit late for that," McGonagall muttered shortly, Severus ignored her. There was a second uneasy pause before Sinistra broke it with a little shrill laugh when she watched Snape's expression, the rest of the staff then began to talk amongst themselves while Madam Rosmerta sorted the drinks.

It was quite easy to remember what they had ordered, she didn't even know why she had bothered to write it down it wasn't like she couldn't remember, she could remember a lot of things; like Professor McGonagall liked her drink straight no messing, Professor Flitwick always had the same thing no matter what... Professor Snape would always take the drink in the strongest way possible in the hope that he'd give himself some form of hang over from hell as a punishment which she was always able to deliver... none of the other staff knew this though. It was often on a school night, she knew she shouldn't indulge him but... it was interesting enough to watch.

It was an interesting profession, being in a pub amidst drunken people, you become prior to more information that perhaps you should do, it made her the most knowledgeable witch in Hogsmeade of matters of the secretive sort. The kind of person that was always trusted and no one ever suspected. Not that she had anything to hide.

She looked along the back of the counter at all of the spirits before making a glass fly under all of them as each released a shot of the liquid. It didn't mould into the next but floated leaving each individual liquid clearly visible. That will kick as it goes down, she thought a smile curling on her lips as she looked towards the hook nosed teacher.

When she was finished preparing the rest of the drinks she headed over to the table with two trays full of drinks, this was where good balance came into play as she weaved through all the other tables of drunken wizards trying slap her backside as she walked by.

"Your drinks Professors," she smiled handing the drinks out amongst the teachers, who appeared to be relaxing for once.

"Thank you Rosmerta," Dumbledore smiled a twinkle in is sapphire eyes.

"That's quite all right, Professor," she smiled again. She was a very strange witch her face had a Mediterranean look to it though she was most certainly English, she was graced with the look of an Italian and a crystal clear English accent like she didn't have a region, unlike Hagrid who you could always tell was from Somerset. His voice had the kind of tone that was nice, but always made you think he sat in a field all day chewing a piece of corn, if he had been a Muggle he would most certainly have been a Farmer; 'Ge' off my tra'er!'

Severus took his drink from her looking into her deep brown eyes again thinking that she was hiding something. It wasn't clear what, though perhaps it was just what she was thinking, he didn't know what it was, it wasn't like he could read minds. He just liked to give the impression he did.

"Enjoy your drink Professor," she smirked giving him a wink. He looked around the table at the rest of the staff, some of whom were grinning at him. He narrowed his eyes and downed the drink in one trying not to concentrate of the taste as the liquid ripped its way down his throat causing him to cough though the after shock.

"Well that certainly did have a bite to it," he wheezed as he began to regain feeling down his oesophagus.

"We aim to squeeze," she said as she walked away, the rest of the staff burst into laughter while he continued to clear his throat. The six p's Severus, remember them well, prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

::~::

People are strange, when you're a stranger. Faces look ugly, when you're alone. Women seem wicked, when you're unwanted. Streets are up even, when you're down.

('People are Strange,' by The Doors.)

::~::~::

* Okay I can't remember where I heard that but if I borrowed it from something consider it disclaimed.

Author's Note: Okay I don't know why I started this, it seemed like a good idea at the time, to be honest, I was in a strange mood, aren't I always. Anyway yeah! Puppygirl suggested the pairing Snape/ Rosmerta, and I thought it seemed like a strange plan but yeah, one I felt like writing. I should be doing some work at the minute only I can't be arsed, so hey I'm not going to, and I failed a test I took today I just know it. URGH! Anyway I shall go now.

I.C. Fire

silver_shadow54@hotmail.com