What's Love Got to Do With It

Disclaimer: Everything from the Harry Potter universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. The only characters belonging to me are Alex Black, Leo Snape and Ashlyn Rae.
Author's Notes: All right! I think we've come pretty close to an end to this story. One or two more chapters are in my plans at the moment.

- Alexandra, you don't understand. We need to find him…
She didn't say anything, but her eyes shot imaginary bolts of lightning across the table at Dumbledore. He was sitting behind his desk looking imploringly at her.
She would help him. Oh, she would help him all right…
- When hell freezes over! He deserves everything he gets, and then some! He stood us up, and he could have blown the whole thing… He could have gotten the Army caught…
Alex threw herself into a chair at the other side of Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore looked gently at her.
- You are disappointed in him, aren't you Alexandra?
She didn't say anything, but sat there like a sulky six-year old, with a sour look on her face.
- You helped him out, you trusted him, and he betrayed you…
- You damn right I'm disappointed!
Alex stood up so abruptly that the chair she had been sitting in fell backwards and hit the floor.
- I'm disappointed and I'm angry… God, I'm so mad at him I could kill him if I had the chance!
Oddly enough, Dumbledore smiled.
- …And you're worried…and you love him as a friend, or maybe even more…
Alex was so surprised at his words that she didn't know what to say. She looked at him, dumbstruck. Had he really gone stark, raving mad?
- He's alike you, Alexandra, and you feel it even if you don't see it. Why else would you trust him? You, who have never actually trusted anyone before, not even your father… But you trusted him with your life. In the face of a struggle against Deatheaters he was the one you chose to cover you.
- And he was one of them…

Her voice had lost some of its force, and her hands, which had been on their way to smash into Dumbledore's desk, stopped halfway. She turned away from Dumbledore, towards the fireplace, resting her face in her hands.
Dumbledore took a step towards her, and put his hands gently on her shoulders.
- Yes, he was, Alexandra, he was, but he is also so much more. He is not only his father's son…
Dumbledore smiled
- … He is Leonard Nathaniel Snape, formed by the world he has known, yes, but also with his own spirit in it all. He is Leonard Nathaniel Snape like you are Alexandra Louise Adelaide Sophie Black, and you two are similar creatures, whether you like it or not.
Alex straightened up, stroking a strand of hair away from her eyes, and then she turned to Dumbledore.
- Talk to Ashlyn Rae. She's in control of everything technical when it comes to the Army. She'll be able to track the signal of the tracking device he has… Tell her I said it was ok to tell you…
- Thank you Alexandra, I will do that…
- Can I go?
- Yes, yes you can go. But remember, Alexandra, love means everything…
Without another word Alex made her way from Dumbledore's office and back to the Gryffindor common room.

It's out of my hands now she thought. What will be will be.
She didn't feel like going to sleep, so she sat down in one of the chairs close to the fireplace.
The worst thing is…Dumbledore is right. I do care about him, more than I'll ever admit to anyone, including him. But what does it matter anyway? I can never be more than on speaking terms with him, at the most.
Love means everything…
Alex shook her head slightly.
What does he know? Nothing! Love is nothing more than a stupid, secondhand emotion that never did anything except cause trouble.

The hospital corridor was quiet. The forthcoming war had yet to make a large impact. But it wouldn't be long before more people than an ex- Deatheater and ex- Dumbledore's Army member lay in there. He had survived once again.
Leo Snape.
An old wizard, known to most of the wizarding world, accompanied the young man. Albus Dumbledore.
- Good evening, Leonard. How are you feeling?
The young man, who now sported a scar on his right cheek, opened his eyes. He blinked a few times as if to focus his vision, and seemed to relax a bit when he saw that it was Dumbledore sitting by his bedside.
- I'm ok, I guess…
Dumbledore smiled gently.
- Good. I hope you realise that you are lucky, Leonard. Not everyone would have survived such treatment without lasting injuries.
- I know.
The young man slowly tried to move in his bed, as if to make sure that his body still obeyed him.
- I hope you also realise that you have someone to thank for this. You would not have survived much longer if we had not found you…
He looked puzzled up at Dumbledore.
- Who would that be?
- A young woman named Alexandra Black.
- Oh really… His voice suddenly dripped with sarcasm. … and why, if I dare ask, should I thank her?
Dumbledore smiled again.
- Because, when she could have left you to die, she helped us find you, even if she, to use her own words, could have killed you if she had the chance. We would not have found you Leonard, if it were not for the fact that you had a rather nifty little tracking device on you, given to you by Ashlyn Rae. And Ashlyn Rae would not have done so much as open her mouth to reveal anything about you, if it wasn't for Alexandra.
Think about that for a while Leonard. And think about that you owe Alexandra an apology. You let her down, and still she came to your aid when you needed help…

Dumbledore said nothing more, but left the room as quietly as he had come. Leo, whether he really wanted to or not, lay in deep thoughts for a long time.