The first challenge in the Tri-Wizard tournament arrived, and Tam was horrified when she learned what it entailed. The contestants were to retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. Each competitor would have their own dragon to face off against. Poor Harry was the last one to have a go.

Tamara had wanted to sit with Severus to watch but he told her that because of Karkaroff that it was best if she didn't. She decided to sit with Hagrid. He knew a lot about dragons, she knew, and it felt like a good thing to be near another who she knew would be rooting for Harry.

For the most part, seeing the contestants against the dragons was exhilarating. When it came to Viktor Krum's turn though, the Durmstrang Champion's tactics did not sit well with Tamara and Hagrid. He blinded the dragon and in her pain and confusion she ended up stepping on and crushing many of her own eggs, thereby killing her babies within. Tam cried out in horror, and Hagrid started swearing angrily that it should be against the rules. Tamara grabbed his hand to comfort him and told him that she agreed wholeheartedly.

Finally seeing young Harry go up against the Hungarian Horntail made her sick to her stomach. She could tell Hagrid was nervous too, as his grip on her hand became painful. She was glad for the companionship though, and tried to be as reassuring as possible to the big man. Thankfully, Harry made it through alive, and managed to get the egg. Tam and Hagrid both jumped up and cheered, and she found herself flung up into the air by her large friend in celebration.

One evening Severus was called to a meeting after dinner, and when he got back to his quarters afterwards he was even more on edge than he had been before.

"All right what is it?" Tam asked, worried.

His expression was pure poison. "Bloody dancing" he spat.

Tam was sure the confusion must have shown on her face because he heaved a huge irritated sigh before he explained.

"The Yule Ball. It goes along with this ridiculous bloody competition and I've just been informed that the house heads are responsible for making sure that the students of their houses know how to dance. How in the bloody hell am I supposed to do that? I don't dance. In fact I'd rather go up against one of those sodding dragons."

Tamara put her hand over her mouth so he wouldn't see her grinning and coughed to cover the giggles. It didn't work, and the look he shot her was savage.

"Well I'm affiliated with Slytherin house too, and I amthe Magical Performing Arts teacher aren't I? I'll help you."

He raised an eyebrow at her, but looked relieved. "Help? I think it would help immensely if you'd just do it for me."

She shook her head. "Do it for you? That doesn't sound like you. You don't cop out of your duties like that."

"I do not dance Tamara and with good reason. I wouldn't have the slightest idea what to do. Honestly can you imagine me flitting about the room with some Slytherin chit attached to me? The very thought makes me feel ill." He looked so desperate she had to feign a choking fit to cover her laughter.

Once again the glare she received was venomous.

"How about you flit around the room with me attached to you?" she offered, feeling guilty for laughing. "We can show them that way. I'll give you some lessons first and then I'll lead you without making it look like I am. Nobody will know the difference. It'll be fine I promise."

The next day she gave him a lesson during a free period. He spent most of it sulking, but what dancing she had been able to get him to do actually hadn't been half bad. She assured him that he'd be fine if he gave it a little more effort. He didn't believe her and was so annoyed by the whole thing that he changed his password and wouldn't let her in that night.

As her luck would have it, they were both on study hall duty the following day and she got her chance to give himthe silent treatment.

Disgruntled by her being mad at him he did his best to get her attention by tormenting the students. Ordinarily such behavior didn't impress her but today he was doing it in a way that though the students thought he was being as grumpy as ever Tamara recognized that he was actually being deliberately silly.

When Ron Weasley was talking too loud Severus gave him a swift swat upside the head with a book, and threw in another one for Harry Potter as reward for his frantically trying to warn Ron that Snape was coming.

He kept peeking at Tamara over the notebooks he was checking, and when Hermione Granger went to turn hers over to him he snatched it so theatrically Tam could hear the wind whistle across it.

Catching Ron and Harry still talking he snuck up behind them and pausing to dramatically pull up his sleeves, he reached down and shoved both of their heads down to focus on their books.

It was all Tam could do to keep herself from laughing out loud, and when she finally rewarded his efforts with a grin his satisfied smirk actually did make her giggle. She just couldn't help it.

That night she gave him another dance lesson and this time he put a bit more effort in, although she could tell he was still miserable about it.

"All right, I'll just do it" she said finally, feeling sorry for him.

His expression was questioning.

"Tomorrow we'll gather up the Slytherins and show them all how it's done. You talk to them because you're their head of house, and I'll do the dancing. Does that make you feel any better?"

"Yes!" he said. "Thank you."

She gave him a sly smirk. "You are very welcome Sweet… on one condition."

Now he looked nervous. "What?"

"You have to take me to the ball. As your date."

To her surprise, he actually smiled for a second. "I'm afraid I can't" he said. "Karkaroff would certainly notice that. I think everyone would notice that."

Disappointed, she had to admit that he was right. "Ok, yes, I agree. You could dance with me once though. That doesn't necessarily imply anything but polite colleagues right?"

He snorted. "I thought the whole point of you taking this duty for me was that I do not dance? If I won't do it in front of only my own house I won't do it in front of the whole bloody school."

"One little dance won't kill you and I'll do all the work I swear! You're actually doing pretty well now you know. There's nothing to worry about. Please?"

"Absolutely not. Tamara as my friend; don't make me choose between humiliating myself in front of my own house or in front of everyone."

She sighed, knowing that she cared too much about the git to force him. "Ok, ok. I'll do it anyway… but you owe me Mister!"

In spite of her lack of date (there was no way she'd ever even think of going with anyone but Sev) Tamara decided that it wouldn't hurt to dress up anyway for the ball. She decided to get out the green velvet dress she'd worn to the Malfoy's Christmas party two years ago, knowing that Severus would remember it. She noticed that he stared at her in it more this time than he had before.

Tamara was annoyed to see Karkaroff stuck close to Severus so that she really couldn't talk to him. Oh just bugger off already would you…she thought to herself.

As the Tri-Wizard champions all entered with their dates she finally managed to sidle close enough to Sev that he would be able to hear her, and when Karkaroff left to dance with a witch she didn't recognize she took her chance.

"Sev please dance with me once" she begged.

He looked straight ahead and didn't turn to her when he spoke. "No."

"Oh come on! McGonagall's dancing with Dumbledore for crying out loud! This isn't fair." She had an evil thought and grinned. "Right, when Karkaroff's finished with that lady I'm going to ask if he wants to dance with me, since you don't."

He still didn't look. "You will not."

"Just try me Severus Snape."

With a growl of irritation he reached out his hand and she took it triumphantly. She led him while making it look like he was leading her, and they made a very elegant looking couple. She'd always admired his graceful way of moving, and she got quite a rush from getting to dance with him and feel that movement firsthand. She wanted to hold him close to her while they danced, but that was out of the question, she had assumed, so she was shocked when he pulled her up against him.

"Merlin's beard…" she whispered in his ear. "Filch is dancing with his cat."

Severus chuckled, and the vibration of it through his chest up against hers made her want to kiss him.

After the song ended he reluctantly let go of her and said "I have to be here for a few hours as a chaperone but I'll meet you later on if you like."

She nodded. "I'm going to have a word with the Headmaster about having more dances and making sure not to invite scary people so I can dance with you as long as I like" she mumbled, pouting.

He smiled and walked away from her.

She decided on a whim to go over and ask Mrs. Norris the cat if she could cut in, and had a quick dance with Filch. Tamara figured it would do the old boy's morale some good. She couldn't decide who looked more shocked, him or the cat. When she looked in Sev's direction she caught him smirking at her and shot him a wink.

After Filch she managed to snag a dance with Professor Dumbledore. "I see your lessons with Severus went well for him" he said cheerfully.

"He told you about that sir?"

"Oh yes. It came up when he was pleading with me not to make him dance in front of the Slytherins."

Tamara laughed.

His eyes sparkling, he went on "It was very kind of you to take care of that for him Tamara. Although I did wonder… how exactly did you convince him to dance with you tonight?"

"I told him if he didn't I would dance with Igor Karkaroff."

"Ah, I see! Well done."

Tamara would have tried to get in a dance with Hagrid, as she was very fond of the gamekeeper, but she didn't dare ask the Beauxbatons Headmistress if she could cut in. He and Madame Maxime didn't part all night. Tam was happy for him.

Exhausted and a little bored, she decided to go and wait for Severus. She fell asleep before he got back, but since she woke up the next morning in his bed rather than where she had dozed off on the couch, she knew he had been back at some point and thoughtfully moved her.

In class on Monday the Weasley twins were telling stories about the ball, and Tam learned that Severus had spent much of his time searching empty carriages to scatter the couples of amorous teenagers who were hiding in them for a snog.

Fred gave Tamara a naughty grin and said "We figure he was bitter about not getting a chance to snog his own dance partner."

George snickered "Yeah that would make anyone cranky."

Tam's eyes widened, but thankfully the other students didn't seem to have any idea what they were talking about. Darn those boys and their gift of keen observation!

"That's quite enough of that speculation, thank you!" she warned, though she was unable to fight back a smirk. The twins both grinned at her cheekily.

The next event in the Tri-Wizard tournament involved the competitors jumping into the Black Lake. Apparently an important person to each contestant had been taken and was being held captive at the bottom of the lake by the mer-people. Harry, rescuing not only his friend Ron, but also the little sister of Fleur Delacour, was awarded second place for outstanding moral fiber. Tam was proud of him, and sent off an owl to Remus about it.

That night, Bartemius Crouch was found dead in the forest. When Tam asked Severus what he thought was going on she could tell he knew more than he was saying, and that he was worried. She spent the night in his room again, wanting to be near him.

The next night he was even more agitated. "Tamara I have something to explain to you. I didn't do so before because the less you know the safer we both are, but… I feel the time has come for you to know more about my past."

She wasn't sure what to say, so she simply nodded.

"Igor Karkaroff was a death eater" he said. "Do you know what that is?"

She nodded. "Yes. They're followers of Him" she said.

"Yes. Karkaroff came to show me something. He has a mark on his left forearm. It looks like a tattoo, but it is burned into the skin with magic. It's called the dark mark. With the disappearance of the Dark Lord the marks were fading over time but now… now it appears they are blackening once again. He thinks this means that the Dark Lord is close to returning."

Tam shuddered. "Fantastic." she groaned. "I was told that they do notreform. No wonder you don't like him. What does this have to do with you though?"

He suddenly seemed intently focused on something over the top of her head rather than meeting her eyes. She knew immediately that whatever this was about, it was not something he was looking forward to explaining. She felt her palms start to get sweaty.

"Sev?"

He sighed, and unbuttoned his left sleeve. He pushed it back, and still not making eye contact, held out his arm for her to see. There on his inner forearm was what looked like a black tattoo of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

Tamara tried hard not to show her shock, but her stomach felt like it was full of lead.

"I was young" he whispered "and very foolish."

"You aren't… you aren't still a…"

He shook his head. "No. Not for a long time. Before the Dark Lord disappeared I went to Dumbledore and defected. I was a spy for a while, providing information that I hoped would be useful."

He started to push his sleeve back down but Tamara grabbed his arm to get a better look. She ran her fingers over the mark but when she saw the look of misery on his face she pulled his sleeve back down for him and buttoned it back up.

"Dumbledore and I both believe that the Dark Lord will return, and Karkaroff is right that this is a sign. When the time comes I will be summoned and I must once again be a go-between. The Dark Lord will believe me a spy for him all the while I am actually providing information to Dumbledore. This is, obviously, a dangerous undertaking and that is why I felt you deserved to know the truth."

Tamara put her arms around him, feeling tears start to fill her eyes. She deeply regretted her comment about death eaters not reforming.

"You're very brave" she whispered. "I don't want you to do it, of course, but I'm proud of you. Very, very proud of you. Anything I can do to make it easier, just say the word."

He didn't say anything, just hugged her back. Inwardly he was reeling from shock. She hadn't run away in disgust, or given him that look of suspicion that he was used to from those who knew the truth. She hadn't tried to interrogate him, or even bothered to ask why or how could you? No. She had hugged him and told him she was proud of his bravery. Sometimes he wondered if his dear little friend had actually been sent straight from heaven to make his life easier.

He held her tight for as long as she seemed to want to hold onto him, and though he wouldn't comment on it, he took a great deal of comfort from her acceptance.