A/N: Just a bit disappointed that I only got one review…where the heck is everybody! I know I promised some of the other characters in here, and they will be coming along soon…but they'll just have to wait until Cicely and Severus get a little more acquainted :o) Don't forget to R/R.

"Amor Vincit Omnia"

By Silver Willow

Chapter 2

Flopping into a comfortable leather armchair, Cicely pushed her fingers absently through her hair. She'd managed to get her quarters looking somewhat homely; the previous occupant hadn't held much by neatness and organisation. It was with a sense of satisfaction that she perused her surroundings; she'd managed to move her possessions in before most of the staff had returned.

Her books were lined neatly on a bookshelf in the corner, impeccably kept as always. She'd also arranged two armchairs by the fire, side by side. Not that she'd get the chance to have company, but she liked to imagine another person to spend her time with.

Cicely didn't like spending so much time alone. Back home, she'd lived with her mother, her uncle and his girlfriend, and they had employed a house-elf. She loved having family around her; she felt more confident, more protected.

But at Hogwarts, she felt somewhat isolated. Minerva McGonagall was friendly enough, but she was older than Cicely. The same went for Professors Binns, Dumbledore, Sprout and Flitwick. All willing to make Cicely welcome, but Cicely wanted company of her own age.

Severus Snape was the only person near enough her age apart from the seventh years. But she dismissed that thought right away; Snape didn't want company. He was happy to spend his time alone, and often avoided social events like the plague. It had been the same at her Leaving Ball; he had spent the night in a corner, scowling at seemingly everybody.

The sharp way in which he'd greeted her that evening almost changed her mind about viewing him from another perspective. There had been no need for his hostility towards her. She was a Professor now, just like him. She had hoped that he might have at least treated her with civility.

Making up her mind, she got up suddenly and flung her cloak around her shoulders, and strode out of her quarters.

Snape groaned inwardly. He didn't know how the Gryffindors dared to hand in work like this.

"Absolute rubbish…" he muttered, through gritted teeth, scrawling a snide comment on the parchment with his quill. The only half-decent one he'd marked so far was Granger's. She at least appreciated that to write a good essay, one had to actually work. And Potter's had been fairly good. But Snape wasn't going to tell him that. Oh, no. He wasn't going to praise Potter for work that he could do with minimal effort. It would only serve to increase the size of his already overlarge head.

A bang on the door disturbed him from his marking, and he groaned again.

"Come in," he said, in his usual cold voice. He didn't look up, until the visitor cleared her throat.

"Evening, Professor," said Cicely, removing her cloak. Snape sighed. Damn and blast it all. Couldn't he have any peace now?

"Yes, what is it?" he asked, impatiently. Cicely sighed and seated herself in the chair opposite Snape's desk, and fixed him with her piercing blue gaze.

"Please feel free to take a seat," replied Snape, dryly. "Well, come on. I haven't got all night."

"If that's how you feel, then I'm sorry I wasted your time," retorted Cicely, feeling nettled. Snape sighed, defeated. He waved a hand towards the chair before him, indicating that Cicely should sit back down.

"I wanted to know exactly what you have against me," said Cicely, bluntly. "No, I'm serious, Professor," she said, as he sighed in exasperation. "We're working together now, and I think I have the right to be treated with respect by you."

"You didn't make my life easy in your years here, for a start," Snape began. "I began to think at one point that your main purpose in life was to vex and infuriate me."

Cicely giggled. "Nice to see you still sporting the trademark sarcasm, Professor."

"Thank you," remarked Snape, dryly.

"You just did it again."

"You're annoying me now, Miss O'Malley."

"Fair enough," replied Cicely, with a grin. "Look, I didn't come here to argue with you."

"Then why exactly did you come?" asked Snape, feeling exasperated. "It certainly seems as though you have."

"Oh, for goodness' sake," said Cicely, angrily. "I wanted some company and thought I might find it in you."

There was an awkward silence between the two, and Snape's lips curled into a scowl.

"Well, you were wrong," he said, flatly. "I prefer to be alone."

"Why?"

"Stop that."

"Stop what?"

"That!" Snape got up and pushed his hands despairingly through his hair, and Cicely stepped towards him uncertainly. "You're being persistent and annoying."

"Thanks. I love you too."

"Shut up."

Cicely grinned as Snape swept around the room, clearing papers and books. She assumed it was his way of controlling his anger.

"Why do you have to constantly torment me?" he snapped, turning to face Cicely. "Honestly, it's like you've not grown up since you left Hogwarts at eighteen."

"Well, you're no day at the beach either!" exclaimed Cicely, feeling angry. "You know, I really hoped you might have changed. But then again, I don't suppose a Nundu can change its spots, can it?"

Snape sat down heavily in his chair, and ran his hands through his hair again.

"What do I have to do to make you leave me alone?" he asked, wearily.

"I just wanted your company," said Cicely, softly. "That's all, Professor. It's not much, is it?"

Sighing heavily, Snape leant back in his chair. Damned Gryffindors. Why did they have to be so persuasive? Perhaps it was just her eyes. They were quite piercing.

"Don't you have a familiar you can confide in?" he said, trying another approach. Cicely frowned in thought, her forehead wrinkled slightly.

"I have a cat," she said. "But she can't talk, so there's little much point in me saying anything of relevance to her."

"Fair point," replied Snape, absently. "But I really can't understand for the life of me why you'd want to talk to me. I trust you haven't forgotten your thirty-nine detentions with me in your school years?"

"Hell no," retorted Cicely, indignantly. "Do you know how long it took me to get those Tubeworm entrails from underneath my fingernails?"

Snape smiled wryly in reminiscence. "I can quite imagine. Anyway, you still haven't answered my question. Why the sudden desire to talk to me?"

"Like I say, you're the youngest person here who I can talk to about things that matter," said Cicely. "I don't think I'd get sensible conversation out of any of the students, do you?"

"I'd like to think you could change that," said Snape idly, twirling a quill between his slender fingers. "The past Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers weren't exactly what you might call suitable for the post."

"My uncle used to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts here," said Cicely. Snape glanced at her, interested.

"Who?" he asked, keenly. "Quentin Fitzherbert?"

"Nope," said Cicely, with a grin. Snape sighed thoughtfully, then groaned.

"Not Gilderoy Lockhart?" he asked, hoping he was wrong. Cicely shook her head again, grinning.

"Nope," she said, cheerfully. "Try about two years ago."

Snape thought back to the Professor of two years ago, and groaned once more under his breath.

"Remus Lupin," he said, trying to rid his voice of the grating sarcasm. Cicely laughed softly, much to Snape's annoyance.

"What is it now?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"You don't have to beat around the bush with me, Professor," she said. "I know you and Uncle Remus have never got on together."

"That's perhaps an understatement," replied Snape, dryly. "It's perfectly true; I detested your uncle and his friends when they were here at school with me. I'm sorry if that offends you, but I don't intend to lie to you."

"Why should it bother me?" asked Cicely, candidly. "It's not my business to pass comment."

Snape surveyed Cicely with a slight approval. The girl had grown up a lot since her years at Hogwarts. Perhaps he'd even enjoy having her company.

"I'm impressed," he said, getting up and moving to the fireplace.

"How so?" asked Cicely, intrigued.

"You've grown up a lot," he said, turning to face Cicely once more. "I see you have learnt the art of discretion since leaving school. You certainly appear to have adopted a mature attitude."

Cicely blushed. "Thanks, Professor. I must admit, you're not as prickly as you were when you were my teacher."

"Thank you," Snape remarked, dryly. "I appreciate your observations."

There was an awkward silence, in which Cicely stared at the fireplace, whilst Snape returned to his chair and picked up his quill once more.

"Professor?" asked Cicely, after a short pause.

"Yes?"

"Do you go to the Hogsmeade weekends when they come around?"

Snape glanced thoughtfully at the desk, twirling his quill between his fingers. "Sometimes. It depends whether I'm in a mood to deal with hormone ridden, overexcited teenagers or not."

Cicely giggled. "Always the eternal optimist, I see."

"You'd think it strange if I wasn't."

"True, Professor. Very true." Cicely glanced up at him again. "Well, I don't suppose you'd like to take a trip into Hogsmeade next weekend? That is, if you're not busy," she added hurriedly.

"It depends if I have any free time to go," he replied shortly, not looking up from the stack of parchment in front of him.

"Oh," said Cicely, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Well…I…if you change your mind, let me know. Then I can make other arrangements."

Snape didn't reply, and Cicely bit her lip awkwardly. She should have known it was too good to be true. Severus Snape wasn't about to change just upon her arrival. Stupid girl, she told herself angrily.

"Well, I'd better be going," she said, softly. "I've got work to do for tomorrow's lessons. Hagrid's kindly taken delivery of a Pinkyhorn for my fifth years."

Still no reply. Cicely thought it best not to push it, so got up from her chair and wrapped her cloak around herself.

"Perhaps I'll see you later, Professor?" she asked, somewhat timidly. Snape glanced up at her for the merest of seconds, and her breath caught momentarily in her throat. His dark eyes seemed to bore right into her, yet his gaze had evoked some kind of strange feeling inside her. Kind of like…excitement. She shook her head slightly and straightened up.

"Probably tomorrow morning," he replied, casually. Cicely allowed a timid smile to escape her lips, before leaving the room in a whirl of black velvet.

Snape pushed his fingers through his lank hair and sighed thoughtfully. Now why on earth had he done that? The girl was only trying to be friendly to him. It wasn't like she had much in the way of company here anyway, just as she had pointed out.

He frowned slightly, and shook his head in reply to his thoughts. Maybe it was best not to get too close to her. She might read too much into it.

Chance would be a fine thing, said his conscience wickedly. Snape scowled slightly, and gave his conscience a mental kick in the shins.

Anyway, who says she's interested in you, the voice continued poisonously. She's way too good for you. You really think a twenty-four year old woman like her wants a man like you? Ha! That's laughable!

Snape growled under his breath and got up from his chair, making a mental note to stop talking to his conscience so much. It really wasn't healthy.

A/N: Sorry about the delay in posting chapters…I've had a lot of work on as of late, and a lot of rewriting to do. Chapters should be coming up more frequently now…feel free to e-mail with regards to progress of other fics.