Typical Disclaimers Apply

A/N: Cue montage music!

--

Dumbledore stared deep into Snape's eyes, as though he was searching for something. "So," he whispered, "you're saying that you're absolutely sure you want to go along with the plan?" The corners of his mouth pulled down and his heavy silver eyebrows creased together. Snape glared at him.

"It's not like I have any choice, is it?" he spat. He could feel his anger at Dumbledore bubbling up in his stomach. Couldn't he just accept his choice and move on? "Do this or die, that's what I agreed to." He looked away towards some broken instrument lying on the floor. "Either way I lose Esme."

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded. "So that's what this is about."

"She told me she loved me," he murmured.

"And she won't love you if you're dead. She certainly won't love you if you kill me. In fact, it's likely she'll try to kill you."

"She's not mine to lose," he sighed.

"No," he agreed, "she isn't. Right now you have to focus on the good of the world. If you do this and you stand by the school, you'll be protecting her and her family. One day she'll realize that. If you refuse, and you let the bond kill you, then they'll all be left at the mercy of the Death Eaters. You have to do what's right, Severus."

Snape sighed, "I'd still rather get the girl."

--

"One of your many younger—ahem—'siblings' is in the hospital," Snape said flippantly as he passed Esme in the hall. For a second, her heart stopped.

"WHAT?"

"It is our belief that he was poisoned," he said, just as coolly.

"Oh. Well, that's not a huge problem."

"It seems Mr. Potter saved his life."

"Oh, we're talking about Ron? I figured someone poisoned Harry!"

"Esme, don't you find it curious that your brother's talents in Potions have increased ten-fold since the beginning of the year?"

"Nope."

"Really? Not at all?"

"Uh-uh. I don't even teach the boy. You, on the other hand, do. By the way, please stop giving my husband third-degree burns."

"He stops getting burns once he learns not to 'challenge me to a duel' in the middle of class.

"But he's a boy, Sevvie! He doesn't learn!"

--

"Esme darling, have you noticed that, ever since I was paired with Snape and you with Slughorn, life has been somewhat, oh, what's the word, calm?" inquired Sirius, one morning between classes.

"Not really," Esme shrugged. "Students are nearly getting killed left and right; Harry keeps coming to me with his suspicions about Snape; Hagrid's moping over a spider; and, I swear to the gods, I walked into the girls' loo yesterday and Draco Malfoy was sitting their sobbing. Honestly, can't he sob in his own toilet?"

"I think you're missing the point there…."

"What I'm saying is that something's probably going on, even though we don't know what it is," she said icily.

Sirius stayed quiet for a few minutes. When he spoke, his voice was soft and clear. "Esme? What do you know about what's happening?"

"Me?" She widened her eyes. "I'm just an innocent school teacher. I know nothing."

"Yes, I completely believe that. But seriously, this could endanger your many siblings, and I know that means more inheritance for you but…"

"But nothing. If I find any information I'll tell you. Now, however, I must work on my OWL exam." She flounced away.

"Yes, but now I know you're lying," Sirius muttered.

--

"SNAPE!" Esme cried, bursting into his office. "I have many questions for you!"

"And you're willing to ask me them without drugging me? That's an improvement."

"What gives you the idea I didn't drug you? Anyway, I need to know what's going on."

"Well, not much," he shrugged. You see, it's early April and, while most people are preparing their students for exams, I've barely taught my class a thing due to your husband. Other than that, there's not much you need to know."

"I'm serious, Severus. I want to know what's going on between you and Draco. Harry told me he saw you two together, and I want some answers."

"Tough. You know too much already. You're a major target for about a dozen Death Eaters, and if I tell you any more you'll probably be our number one enemy."

"Well, if I'm going to be a target, I may as well be the number one target."

Snape jumped out of his seat, suddenly angry. "Is this all one big fucking joke to you?! These people are serious Esme! Bellatrix Lestrange wants you dead, and she will stop at nothing! Do you hear me? Nothing." Esme sat there, stunned.

"They really want to kill me?"

"Probably. But really, who doesn't?"

--

Slowly, Esme and Snape began to drift apart. Realizing that she was teaching a group of students who had to actually prepare for major tests, Esme had begun to teach like a normal teacher. Snape, on the other hand, became more and more anxious whenever he was around, well, anyone. Teachers rarely saw him, and Sirius had taken over most of his classes. This, of course, worried Esme. She still wasn't sure whose side he was on. He hadn't said, "I'm on your side, whatever I do will be for the good of mankind," so she couldn't be sure he was good. But still, he was her friend! In all the years she'd known him he'd seemed morose, angry, sadistic, cold, unfriendly, bitchy, unpleasant…the list goes on, but he'd never seemed outright evil!

This bothered her beyond belief. It felt like they'd stopped talking because of her, but she still couldn't figure out what she'd done!

However, all things changed on a fateful morning in June when Dumbledore announced that he and Harry would be leaving for about a day. Esme hadn't thought twice: Dumbledore had been teaching Harry privately for almost the whole year. Snape, however, slipped outside of the room halfway through the meeting. No one had noticed that he'd left, what with his "I'm going to fade in with the wall" personality of the past few months. Everyone just went on with their classes, feeling only that vague feeling of impending doom that had followed them for nearly two years.

Life was normal until midmorning hit, and, well…

"What the fuck do you mean by 'There are Death Eaters inside the school'?!"

--

A/N: Yes, that last line is Esme. Why the quick filler? I want every story except the last one to be under twenty chapters. God only knows how long the DH story's going to be.