Disclaimer: I do not own the characters with which I am about to play. They belong to the one and only JKR, I promise to put them back in much the same fashion as I found them.

A/N: Nowhere near cannon, in fact apart from the fact that the people and places mentioned in this story were created by JKR this fic is completely AU. The leads in this repast are MM & SS, to read it as I have intended you will need to have in mind that a close - but at the beginning of this story not yet sexual - relationship exists between them, I have also played with their ages and want this story to reflect the fact that they are only 15 years apart – Minerva being the elder.

I cruelly abandoned my muse some years ago and the lack of updates to my stories reflects that. I do not know when I will update my chapter fics next but I am still working on them.

As always I welcome - no scrub that - beg for feedback. MA

The Uncertainty of Inscrutability

By Morgana-Alex

Minerva ran and ran through the corridors of Hogwarts trying to tire herself out, but even in her animagus form she was unable to shed all the nervous tension she had accumulated in the last few hours.

Stopping just outside Severus's rooms; his personal rooms she transformed back in to her human form; raising her hand to knock she hoped that he would forgive her this intrusion.

"Who's there?" called a disembodied voice.

"Serverus, its Minerva." To the point answering only the question he had asked aloud.

"One moment." He called while lowering the many wards he placed upon his chambers.

"Come in Minerva." He ushered her in, laying a hand on her shoulder as he checked the corridor to make sure they had not been observed. Closing the door and re-raising his wards he turned to face his uninvited but not unwelcome guest.

"Minerva may I get you any refreshments?" Always polite, never asking as many would 'why have you disturbed my precious time alone."

"Thank-you Serverus but no…." her pause he took as his cue.

"Then what may I do to assist you?" He asks as she gazes up unseeing, their familiarity with each other negating the need for them to speak these words aloud but propriety dictates that some form of courtesy is observed.

"Oh Severus I truly do not know why I have disturbed you at this unearthly hour." Minerva rose from her seat to pace the room. "But I needed to tell you…I needed to talk to you about…" tears were forming in her eyes threatening to fall as he walked to meet her and stop her pacing by placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Minerva please whatever it is you want to say you can say it, there is no need for such stalling between us. After all this time you know that anything you say to me will be kept between us." His heart racing, if something had upset Minerva it had to be very bad indeed.

"I have just come from my stint of guard duty at St Mungo's, I have just watched as they…as they brought in Amelia's body…her eyes Severus were so vacant. I've seen death before even been its cause on occasion in times of war, but to see her…her eyes Severus were the most soul destroying thing I have ever witnessed." Minerva sank to the floor and the potions master followed her, holding her shoulders close as he sat behind her trying to gather as much of her body to his as he could. He wished he could tell her that he didn't know, that he hadn't known about her death, but the unspoken between them remained. Minerva had always been his tower of strength and yet on very rare occasions he had been hers; he always wondered why she chose him to run to and not Dumbledore, a lingering doubt as to his own worth, which if voiced Minerva would spend an inordinate amount of time explaining just how his doubts were unfounded; so it wouldn't be something he ever brought up in conversation again.

As her sobs began to abate she turned slowly in his arms, until they were chest to chest, a witch with a tear stained face and puffy eyes looked in to the almost inscrutable face of the young man before her.

Minerva's left hand reached out to touch said inscrutable face and as her fingers danced softly down his cheek the potions master stilled her hand, but he did not remove it, he just held it in place drawing on its warmth; revelling in that simple gesture and committing it to memory.

Minerva closed her eyes willing her body just to feel the man before her, willing her mind to empty of all painful thoughts, all hurtful images of soulless eyes until she was left with nothing but him, nothing but this man who had given the world so much and thought himself unworthy of anything in return.

It was with a heavy heart that Severus opened his mouth to speak; they had been at this point on a number of occasions but had never crossed over; every time he had been noble and asked the question now on his lips and they had both decided it was perhaps for the best if that particular line wasn't crossed. Yet ask again he would, for her sake, for her reputation, for her honour.

"Minerva are you sure you want this?" His voice held both the question and the doubt in his tone, every syllable dripping with the contempt he held himself in; why on earth would she want him – was the gist of the thoughts running through it head; coupled with the silent plea of don't let her walk away again.

Minerva didn't answer his question with words; it was time they stopped playing games, time they stopped denying themselves a small piece of happiness, time they started living as dear Amelia could no longer; Instead she opened her eyes and gently pulled his face closer to hers; Severus tried half heartedly to stop her but as their lips met neither one of them could refute the fact that this – what ever it was - was desperately wanted.

Their kisses became frantic and bruising as they tried to get as close to the other as was physically possible, the passion that had built up between them for the years they had taught together spilt over in to the intensity of their every movement. Their hands pulled unceremoniously at each article of clothing and robes were discarded like yesterdays daily prophet, teeth were careless as they left marks in the flesh, lips and tongues traced long hidden contours memorising every inch as if this was the only time they would get this opportunity.

In a brief moment of clarity Minerva managed to guide them into Severus's bedroom, assuring comfort for what was promising to be a long night…

Minerva stirred first; though no rays of sun found their way into the depths of Severus's chambers her body was attuned to the fact that the sun had already started its assent. As Minerva's eyes opened and took in her surroundings she was startled to recognise that the bed she currently occupied was not her own.

Severus felt the sudden shift in atmosphere from impossible calm to almost frightened kitten; he was not yet fully conscious as he stretched out and his arms collided with something warm and soft…

…he knew that something wasn't right, his bed was not soft nor was it particularly warm first thing in the morning, he had no familiar to keep him company, the only logical conclusion was that a person be it witch or wizard was beside him. He thought back to the previous night and a smile appeared on his face, he now knew who lay beside him.

Minerva closed her eyes again willing herself to remember just what had happened last night, to recall whose bed she had slept in. Thoughts of her dear friend Amelia lying lifeless at St Mungo's threatened to overwhelm her again, before a brief glimpse of Severus holding her gathered to him on the floor of his chambers.

Minerva turned her head towards her companion, hoping against hope that it hadn't been a dream that she was in fact lying beside her long time friend. At the same time Severus turned his head to face her.

"Good morning Minerva." Severus's tone was neither harsh nor confident; his first thought was that upon seeing his face the witch would run from his bed never to return.

"Good morning Severus." A small uncertain smile accompanied her words, had she made a fool out of herself had she ruined their friendship or was this the start of something else?

Minerva sat up taking care to pull the sheets so that she remained modestly covered, she wondered if in the cold light of day he would regret what they had shared, that he would be disappointed by the 'old' witch he now saw before him. Last night had been about comfort and base need, how could a man so young – who could have any witch he desired - want her

Severus moved to mirror her reclining stance, not bothering to cover his scared pale chest. If in the cold light of day she could not bear to look at him he would know she thought of last night as a mistake, how could someone as perfect as the witch before him think of him as anything other than a monster.

"Severus, I can see the look in your eyes I know this ravaged old body is not a welcome site; I can see that you think last night was a mistake." Tears were now dripping unashamedly from her eyes. "I'll leave you to…" she made to leave the potion master's bed.

It took Severus seconds to break out of the shock that she had not fled because of him; he then threw out his arms to catch the departing witch and proceeded to show her just why he didn't think of the night before as a mistake.

The End

A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed reading this short fic, please press that lovely button and leave me a review; also if you didn't like my story please let me know why. MA