Severus had chosen this city due to its size. It was more than large enough to become lost in, inconspicuous. A trait he desired after too much time in the spotlight. Judging by the waves Ixora gave and received, he might have been wrong.

It was clear she was well known here, and he felt out of place beside her. If she was a witch, surely some of the others were magical, too. How many would know who he was? How many would speak of him in hushed tones after he had left? He should never have agreed to this.

He could have left, should have left. It would be easy to pop into the loo and disapparate. She'd be angry with him, any person in their right mind would, but he didn't plan on being in her presence again. Disappointing her now would be far from his biggest regret.

Despite the pull he felt towards the bathroom, his potential freedom, he followed her across the bar anyway. His legs seemed to have a mind of their own, that or perhaps he was little intrigued about where this could go, Lily prattling on beside him.

"I don't know why you had to agree to this, can't we leave?"

"Shh." He insisted the sound forced through his teeth. "We won't be long."

"Why are you here at all?" She admonished and Severus was quiet, he wasn't sure how to answer that one. Instead he ignored the looks of angered curiosity, the attempts at conversation, and trudged on ahead.

Ixora had chosen a table that wouldn't necessarily be called secluded, but remained out of the throng of people. The noise just quiet enough that the two of them could think, converse, without the struggle of yelling to be heard. Sometimes, he supposed, being in a crowd is the best place to keep secrets.

She ordered him a vodka, without so much as a question to what he wanted or giving an opportunity to decide for himself. It wasn't what he would have chosen, but it would serve its purpose. "You're quite the enigma."

Her head flipped towards him, a glare and a coy smile playing on her face. She wasn't sure if she should be offended. "And what do you mean by that?"

"You gave a hello to nearly everyone in this room and then immediately secluded yourself here. You speak English, but your accent suggests it isn't your first language. And you so willingly display your wand." He gestured to the stick which laid openly on the table.

"Mein, mein, du bist aufmerksam, tetapi saya bukan satu-satunya teka-teki.

Severus lifted his hands in defeat, unable to help the glower that crossed his features. "Now if only I could understand the answer to my question."

"Picked a good one, didn't you?" Lily hissed beside him and he ignored it.

Ixora smiled, her eyes falling away from him and to the table. "You're attentive, but I'm not the only puzzle."

"It's my job." He punctuated with a sip of the clear liquid that was placed in front of him. Returning his glass to the table, his hand hovered as he realized his mistake. "Was my job."

"And what exactly was that?" Her eyes twinkled with curiosity.

"It's not important." He swallowed, realizing for the first time that day that it was the first of September. Barring Azkaban, as he tended not to include that area of his life, he had spent this day of the last seventeen years at Hogwarts. Another seven if you counted his schooling.

In his realization, he had stared absentmindedly into the space in front of him. It was only the sudden, familiar intrusion that broke his thoughts. He stood with a jerk, banging his knee on the table. "Those aren't yours." He snarled, turning to go. This had been a mistake. Lily gripped hold of him, watching him without able to really doing anything. He was thankful, at the least, for the pressure of her hand on his wrist

She stood too, facing him down, unbothered by the venom in his voice, his face. "Most wizards aren't so practiced in occlumency. I was unaware that you'd notice, let alone shut me out so forcefully."

He rubbed at his kneecap, soothing the ache he had created. "A person's knowledge on the topic does not dictate its morality. There are other ways to learn about people."

"Speak to me then. You appear to have a habit of drifting off and forgetting that I'm there entirely."

To his amazement, he hesitated. After over twenty years of living a life of solitude, he found it difficult to give up the one person who paid attention. He grumbled at himself, glancing at his abandoned drink, and resumed his spot at the table.

"Most New Yorkers speak English. It's not unusual that I should." She explained, rushing on to answers his questions of earlier before he could clarify that that wasn't what he meant. "English is not exactly uncommon here either. Choosing to use it when approaching you was merely luck. And I, unlike yourself, tend to be a friendly person. A hello does not mean that I know someone."

"And the wand?" He prodded, ignore the snide comments she had made toward his intelligence. It had been his subtle attempt at asking where she was from, not for a history lesson on New York.

"Convenience. I'm not afraid of appearing insane should a muggle question it."

He sucked his teeth in thought. "You've always lived here then? I assume Hogwarts is out of the question?"

"Niet, Ilvermorny, the American school

"And exactly how many languages do you speak?"

"A fair few." She blushed slightly, taking a gulp of her own, previously forgotten drink. "You were a professor?"

His upper lip curled, taken back by the sudden question. "Did you see anything else?"

"No." Her response was solid. "You shut me out before I had a chance." Rather than seeming disappointed in herself at that, she seemed disappointed in him.

"I was." He responded slowly. "But it was never my intention."

"How long?"

"Seventeen years."

She sputtered on her drink. "Seventeen years in a career you never intended? How…admirable?"

The corners of his lips twitched almost imperceptivity, her choking proved her lack of knowledge about who he was.

She nodded to his left hand. "That explains the lack of a ring. Children?"

"Merlin, no. I spent enough time around the little brats, Godric forbid I have some of my own." As if that was the only reason. The lack of a partner was certainly another factor. He kept his eyes forward, not in the mood to see the scowl that had crossed Lily's face.

"I can't stand the beasts either." She gave a wrinkle of her nose.

His eyes found her neck, the faded tattoo that was nearly identical to his and found himself overwhelmed with curiosity. "How long did you serve?"

"Eighteen months." She huffed. "More than enough. Yourself?"

"Just over three years, although I was originally facing twelve."

"Taik, Severus." She laughed, leaning back in her chair. "What did you do?"

He grimaced in an effort to come up with a more suitable explanation than the truth. This was his second chance, he didn't have a desire to create the need for a third. "Assault." It wasn't technically a lie. He'd hurt his fair share of people, only to a different degree than she would likely think. "An old student of mine is an auror, he…" Severus shook his head. There were too many adjectives he could use to describe Harry, and for once, not all of them were bad.

"Assault is a very general description. I'm going to need more than that before inviting you back to my place."

He opened his mouth to respond, but found himself shocked instead. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, absolutely not." Lily hissed beside him. "You can't go back with her, you can't"

Severus held a hand up to show that he wasn't interested in her argument and her mouth slammed shut.

Ixora looked on in curiosity, her words pausing at the unusual exchange before she continued in hesitation."What did they do? Look at you the wrong way?"

Exist, does that qualify for an answer? And what in the bloody hell did she mean "her place"? He glanced around the pair of them, checking for any prying eyes or over attentive ears. He wasn't daft, her suggestion meant sex. Should he accept the offer, she would see him naked, see his mark. If she was going to be disgusted, furious about it, he preferred to initiate the reaction while dressed and in public. Spare himself the embarrassment if nothing else. "I was a death eater."

He expected her to recoil, to leave, but instead she peered over the top of her glass in confusion. "I wasn't aware death could be eaten."

Severus' lips tightened with the closest thing to laughter she would receive. "It was what the Dark-" He cleared his throat, such a term no longer necessary. "-Lord Voldemort called his followers."

"You're a blood purist then?"

For the first time since their meeting, he detected a hint of disappointment in her voice. "No. I was too stupid for my own good."

"Stupidity is something I can handle." She pushed her chair backwards, standing. "Shall we?"

It was his turn to choke on the briny liquid, resulting in an intense burn down the back of his throat. "I don't know what you're aiming for here, but you won't be getting it from me." He lifted himself from the chair, procuring a few notes for the both of them and placing them down. "It was…pleasant." His lip curled. "To meet you, Miss Ixora."

His fists were shoved into the pockets of his robes as he forced his way through the growing throng of people with Lily once again trailing invisibly behind. His head pounded from the interaction, the combination of noises, and his breathing began to accelerate. Suddenly the door which had seemed only meters away a moment ago had vanished behind the crowd. He was trapped.

Severus turned on his heel, no longer sure which direction he should go in. The air around him was musty and too hot. He fought to draw in each breath, growing panicky and more confused. Patrons bumped up against him in the small space, it was because of that he didn't notice the hold someone had on him. It was only when he felt the yank behind his belly button, as though he'd been caught by a fish, did he realize Ixora had followed him.

The crowd formed into a blur, disappearing in front of him to be replaced by the private surroundings of a home. He vaguely registered her guiding him into a seated position, instead having focused on the oxygen that didn't feel so heavy. His head hung between his knees, eyes squeezed shut as the adrenaline in his veins diminished.

"You were determined to get me here one way or another, weren't you?" He asked when he no longer felt on the brink of collapse.

"I can't say I mind the company, but a panic attack wasn't my first choice. You don't like crowds, do you?"

Severus felt her hand on his back, too intimate for their short time spent together, but he didn't shrug it away. "People in general tend to be a nuisance."

"Including me?" She asked in mock offense.

He opened his eyes finally, staring at the wood floor beneath his feet. "Especially you."

He heard the unmistakable huff of laughter at his response. "I can take you home."

Home. "I don't entirely have one at the moment." That had been his task for tomorrow, instead having focused tonight on pleasure. A foolish mistake.

"Is there a friend, an old colleague you could stay with?"

He thought about the stack of letters still in his pocket, in the shrunken rucksack with the rest of his things. Whether they held apologies or words of hatred he wasn't sure. He wasn't privy to find out by asking for a place to stay. "No."

"You mentioned that student of yours? The auror?"

"I would rather die." Potter wouldn't take him in even if he tried. Sure, the boy's visit had been…pleasant…he assumed. It wasn't as disastrous as their previous encounters while at Hogwarts. But, to rely on the boy for a bed was out the question.

"There's a wonderful park bench across the street, only covered with the occasional spot of excrement."

"Precisely what I look for in a good night's sleep." Severus sat up, facing her. His vision still swam slightly, but this time ending up with his face pressed against a sticky, grime covered pub floor wasn't a possibility.

"I guess that leaves the option you previously turned down."

There were hotels, that had been his original plan, but now the thought of interacting with a new human being was far too much. "I guess so."

Xxxx

Her red hair whipped around her face in the wind, strands having freed themselves from the plait hanging down her back. He brushed a chunk that was tickling her away from her freckled face only to have it return.

The breeze had a similar effect on the sky blue, summer dress she wore, billowing around her knees. The exposed skin of her arms bumped in the chill and he embraced her to keep her warm. The affection was returned, her own arms crossing around his back.

The tips of his fingers found her waist, and worked in gentle circles, causing her to squirm. She laughed at the touch, begging him to stop between breaths and he did. The beaming smile that had played on her lips dimmed, her eyes fluttering shut as her lips grew nearer. His own lids closed in anticipation of the kiss.

"Snivellus." She hissed

His eyes flew open again at the dreaded nickname, her voice filled with displeasure. Her forked tongue flickered from her lips, her eyes thinning into an almond shape instead of the large, round ones he was used to. Her irises yellowed, pupils morphing into black, snake like slits. Her lips parted to speak, words coming in a series of hisses he couldn't understand.

He was left frozen, clinging to the snake like woman looking back at him. Her mouth opened, barring pointed fangs. Before he could move, she lunged at him, striking again and again. Her sharp teeth tore into his flesh, blood pouring from his wounds. His throat, his face, his chest, every available part of his body was subject to a bite as he began to resemble ceviche rather than man.

Severus sat up in a cold sweat, hand going immediately to his throat. It was sticky and wet, and he pulled his fingers back in fear. Illuminated only by a gently glowing street lamp, he found only the glimmer of sweat.

He pat the sofa beside him next, searching for the apparition of Lily he had grown so close to in the time that passed since the attack. Of course, she chose now of all times to ignore him. Maybe it was for the best, after the dream he'd just had

He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself and focus on the unfamiliar surroundings. It took a moment for him to place himself, confused by the objects that weren't his own. He gripped the itchy, wool blanket that had covered him and was now soaked through with his salty sweat.

It was only a dream. He tried to reason, not fully believing his own words. The bite on his throat ached and he felt it again. He was unsure if he was imagining the pain, but that didn't help soothe him.

He stood, pacing the floor in his bare, and equally sweaty feat. His hands were clasped behind his head, limbs trembling slightly when a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Nightmare?"

He turned, finding Ixora leaning against the doorway, a silk robe tied loosely around her waist. "Did I wake you?"

"Not at all, I regularly wake up at four in the morning to the screams of men."

He felt his face flush in the dark.

"Tea?" Before he could answer, she made her way to the kitchen, popping a kettle on the stove. "I find the muggle kind tastes better."

Still shaking, he sat on a stool behind the marble counter top. "Why are you being so nice?"

She spoke, her back to him. "You and I aren't so different Severus."

"How quickly you completed your examination of me."

Wordlessly, she left him, disappearing into a different room. He sat there in confusion, unsure if he should follow, if he should finish the drink. Before he could come to a conclusion, she returned. A copy of The New York Ghost in her hands. "I thought you looked familiar." She threw it down in front of him.

Hogwarts Headmaster Arrested for Ties with You-Know-Who

Beneath the headline was a moving picture of him being led away. His head was bowed, allowing his curtain of black hair to conceal him, but apparently, it hadn't been enough.

"I don't understand." The back of his throat burned with bile.

The kettle began to whistle, and she poured the boiling liquid into two cups, the string of tea bags hanging out of each. She placed one in front of him and wrapped her fingers tightly around the other, inhaling the steam.

With a free hand she dragged her left sleeve downwards, revealing a mark he hadn't expected. He stared at the intertwined skull and serpent, identical to the one he bore. "If that was meant to answer questions, it only raised more. Why did you pretend to be clueless?"

"To see if you'd tell me the truth, if you'd use an excuse."

"You already know everything, then?"

"No. I had my suspicions, but it was only when you used occlumency that I started to put the pieces together. I dug for this when you fell asleep on the couch." She gestured to the Prophet. "Knowing that I'd heard of you before. I haven't read it."

His brows knitted together, creating a crease across his forehead. "Why not?"

"I figured you'd tell me if you wanted me to know."

There was a new found light heartedness in him as he took a sip of his tea. "It would do well for others to exercise such a control over their curiosity as you have." He thought back to the attempted legilimency of earlier. "Although I suppose you fall into both categories."

She smirked again, coming to sit beside him. "I suppose you're wondering about my beliefs the same as I wondered about yours?"

"I can't disagree with that, no."

Her mouth quirked sideways in thought. "Let's say I didn't always make the best decisions."

"And you do now? Bringing home strange, dangerous men is considered a good decision?"

She laughed openly at his question. "You seem about as dangerous as a bunny rabbit."

"Yes." He sneered. "Well, we'll continue to let you believe that."