Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot and I WILL SUE!

I've only got half an hour to write this chapter before my mum kicks me off, so here goes nothing...

BTW, regarding the whole McGonagall-Donovan thing, there are TWO Transfiguration teachers. And I know Bella and Snape fought earlier too.

Chapter Ten

Severus had been genuinely surprised at what had happened over the previous week. His worst enemy, Bellatrix, had dragged him out of bed to help her sister, then he was invited to hang around with she and her sister; a feat that was fast making him popular with the other Slytherins. There was also the fact that he was enjoying hanging around with them; they were actually really funny people. And as for tonight... Bellatrix had waltzed into the common room in a bra and shorts; something that had caused him to smirk with pleasure, and she hadn't made a vicious comment directed at him all evening. Severus wasn't entirely sure what her father had done when he found out she had lied about Andromeda, but he knew it wasn't good and he knew she was hiding how upset she was about the whole thing.

"... Little rat thinks he can grass me up does he?" Bellatrix was happily ranting on about all the things she was going to make her cousin and his friends pay for. "You should have seen the way my mother looked at him though; she could tell he was a greasy little kiss-up. I think my father would have too if he hadn't been desperate for another reason to frickin Crucio me..." She narrowed her eyes at the thought. Severus glanced at her in shock. Of all the cruel things he thought her father did, he never imagined that he would use an Unforgivable on his own daughter.

"Your father uses Unforgivables on you?" He asked, cautiously. As much as he enjoyed their arguments, he didn't want to wreck a chance at the two of them either humiliating or hurting the Marauders.

"Hell yeah, all the time. Of course, he needs an excuse and it doesn't help when people go to him with stories about how I locked my traitor of a sister in with a muggle..." She shot him a grin. "God but I paid for that one."

"My father's just the same." Severus admitted, drawing his wand as they drew closer to the Entrance Hall. "But at least you don't have to put up with an elder brother. He doesn't need an excuse."

"Bummer." Bellatrix said. "I personally don't understand why the thick moron doesn't pick on Andromeda. She's the filthy blood traitor that ended up in Ravenclaw and is actually dating a Muggle. I hate seeing the smug look on her face when she watches him..." She trailed off and fell into silence. "So what kind of animals are the Marauders? Vermin?"

"Pettigrew's a rat." Severus chuckled, knowing that would please her. "Black is a dog and Potter is a stag... I followed them down the passageway once when Black lured me there. He was hoping that Lupin would rip me to pieces, but Potter got the cold shoulder at the last moment and saved me."

"Little shits." Bellatrix shook her head and couldn't quite suppress a grin.

"Something funny?" Severus asked slowly, watching her feeble attempts not to laugh.

"Yeah..." She grinned, stepping away before she spoke and keeping an eye on his wand. "You owe a Gryffindor your life!" She burst out laughing and ran the rest of the way across the Hall. Severus stood frozen for a moment with his mouth hanging open before taking off after her with his wand drawn.

"When was the last time you had a duel, Snape?" Bellatrix called through the crisp air, dancing backward away from him.

"I had a duel yesterday actually with Potter." Severus replied, absently and coolly firing a spell at her. She ducked and fired one back, causing him to double up, winded. Her malicious cackles spurred him forward.

"And who won? Shit, you son of a-" She cursed, the grin returning once she was upright again. "I'll bet it was Potter wasn't it? I'll bet you just couldn't find it in yourself to harm him, not after he saved your life... d'you know, I'll bet if you asked him nicely he'd marry you." With a shriek she dove out of the way of the rally of curses sent her way from Severus' wand. "Temper, temper."

"It's amazing the resemblance between you and Sirius, you know. Not only do you have the same arrogance, but you also look alike." Snape smiled nastily and repelled the hexes with a lazy flick of his wand.

"I could say the same thing for you and a mountain troll. Okay, spells aren't my strong point, but you look pretty weak. When was the last time you had a normal fight... with your fists?" Bellatrix had a malignant glint in her eyes that sent a shudder down Severus' spine. Struggling to conceal it as an idle stretch, he smirked.

"You really think, Black, that you could beat me in fight?" He drawled, storing his wand safely back in his robes and squaring up to her. She was spared thinking up an answer by a howling from the trees to their right.

"And that would be Lupin." Bellatrix said. Severus glanced in her direction, searching for any signs of fear. Her expression was unfathomable, but a second later she had grabbed his arm and started pulling him in the direction of the howl.

"Just out of curiosity, are you mad? That werewolf would rip us apart if it caught our scent." He said, raising an eyebrow. Bellatrix let go of his arm but continued walking.

"Fine, so go back. Coward. I personally want to let my dear cousin know that I'm aware of his little secret. I'll fight you in the castle afterward." She added over her shoulder. Severus grinned despite himself and followed her into the trees. Mist blocked their vision for anything past a few trees in front, and the both of them drew their wands cautiously.

"Bellatrix!" The voice caused them to both spin around and direct their wands at the sneering figure of Sirius Black. "And what are you doing out here with Snivellus at this time of night? A little... midnight rendezvous?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Bellatrix sneered. "But no. I just thought I'd let you know that I know about your little secret... I see Lupin isn't here. Where is he? Out for a... moonlight stroll?" Smiling victoriously at the look on her cousin's face, she led the way past, making sure to slam into his shoulder on the way.

"You tell anyone and I'll kill you!" Sirius bellowed over their shoulders.

"Well you'll just have to wait and see, wont you cousin?" Bellatrix shouted back. Severus smiled at her magnificent way of leaving her cousin seething. He didn't have long to ponder on this thought, because the second they walked down the steps to the dungeon she had him pinned to the wall with her wand at his throat. "Shall we test how good you are in a duel?" She asked innocently. Allowing the sneer that he reserved just for her to cross his face, Severus balled up his fist and punched her violently in the stomach. She cursed and grinned, bringing up her knee to his crotch and looking particularly happy when he swore loudly. Their wands clattered to the floor forgotten, as he used her moment of distracted glory to pounce, kicking her legs from under her and pinning her to the cold stone floor. Lowering his face until it was barely an inch from hers, he smirked malignantly.

"Impressed yet?" He asked quietly. His fleeting feeling of contempt increased as her eyes flashed when she realised she was stuck. But then she did something that completely threw him. Moving so fast he didn't have time to think, she brought her face up and violently kissed him. It turned out to be all part of her master plan. Once she felt his grip on her wrists loosen from shock, she wrenched her face away and kicked him off her, pinning him down against the icy tiles and acting as though nothing had happened.

"Not really." She finished coolly, flashing him a bright grin and stretching luxuriously. "I'd still say you're a bit weak."