Camaraderie

It was in Potions class the next day that Alice and Severus first saw each other. They were sitting painfully close to the Gryffindor side of the classroom (an unofficial divide), so Alice did not want to have any sort of conversation about the previous day's encounter. They were making boil cure potion, and once they were sitting Alice immediately began to work on preparing the ingredients, giving Severus no more than a nod. Severus, after a moment, began preparing other ingredients, and the two worked in an uncomfortable silence.

Alice was crushing snake fangs when Severus first spoke to her. "It's going to snow soon," he said, matter-of-factly. The fangs made a more violent cracking sound, an indication that his voice had shocked her a little.

"You mean today, you think?" It had been very cold that morning.

"Hard to tell. Bring a coat, anyway," he whispered. Alice hadn't really thought that they might actually meet again that day. She had even hoped it might blow over. Apparently Severus had other plans.

"Alright."

There was no conversation as they finished adding the ingredients to the potion. Severus pulled on his brewing mitts and took the potion off of the fire, which Alice smited. They added the last bit of porcupine quills and the potion. It was an immensely simple potion, and Severus remembered that he may have brewed it in his first year. In fact, he may have brewed it the previous year. He pulled out his own potion's textbook (they had been using Alice's far less tattered one) and opened it to the page on boil cure potion. Notes had been written in the side column:

"No improvement the second time around. Someone needs to teach these kids how to brew."

There was also a note on adding the porcupine quills after the potion was taken off the fire, but that was obvious to Severus. He was about to close the book when he saw Alice eyeing it.

"You write in there often?" she asked. It seemed like a strange question to Severus.

"Just notes to myself," he answered.

"I've seen you writing in it. When you asked me to..." Alice's whisper faded to nothing. No one was even listening.

"It's just a potions book, Alice."

"You were writing a spell."

"I do that, as well."

"Impressive. Well done," Slughorn was standing over their shoulders, placing his spoon into their cauldron. "A perfect example of boil cure potion. You two may go."

The two cleaned up their table and left, having been the first to complete the potion.

"I'll go first, you meet me there, alright?" Severus suggested, having already brought his coat. Alice nodded, but he was gone before she could verbalize her agreement. Alice went to the Gryffindor girl's dorm and searched through her luggage for a winter coat. Finally, she found one, and began to leave. On her way out, though, she ran into Lily.

"Oh! Sorry, Alice!" They had ended up on either wall of the doorway, facing each other.

"Sorry," Alice responded, coat still in hand.

"You're in a rush."

"Not really." Alice immediately tried to slow her breathing to seem less suspicious. Lily eyed her.

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere, really."

Lily's eyes narrowed, but she soon shrugged. "See you later, then."

"Yes, later," Alice agreed and then made her way through the castle. Her first step outside was met with rather chilly air, and Alice wished she had worn a sweater under her coat. But soon she was at the Willow, touching the knot and entering the passageway towards the Shack. She realized that they were lucky it was so late in the year, otherwise it wouldn't be dark out so early. Severus was already in his seat when Alice entered their room. She didn't know how long he had been waiting for her, but he didn't have a coat himself.

"You must be freezing," she stated, unaware that she had even spoken.

"Hardly. I love the cold."

"I don't suppose I should be surprised."

"I hear they have a tendency to compare me to a vampire in the Gryffindor dorms." Alice had no response, she merely sat down in her own seat. They found themselves engulfed in the silence. Alice could not recall a more awkward meeting with a boy in a very long time.

"Alice," Severus shocked her with the mention of her name, "I do want to get some work done tonight, if you don't mind. Make this meeting worthwhile of more than just an awkward silence."

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I'm just...never mind. Where should-"

"You're just what?"

"Sorry?"

"You were saying something. I'm interested."

Alice was so confused by Severus' behaviour. He seemed so collected.

"I was just thinking. It's not important."

"Maybe I could see what you're thinking?" Severus suggested, leaning in towards her. Alice leaned as far back as she could into her chair.

"I think...I think that is unnecessary at the moment."

"Maybe I already know what you're thinking."

"I think you do. I think we should...talk about Occlumency."

"Of course," Severus agreed, leaning back. Alice tried to find a good place to begin. She considered the science of the art (too confusing), her experiences (too personal) and even the history of Occlumency (too dull), but she couldn't find the proper piece of information to start on. Finally Severus chimed in again. "Maybe we should just go back to the castle." He began to stand.

"No!" Alice said, more shrilly than she had intended to. She stood up, annoyed with herself, and paced towards the bed. "I'm sorry. I'm not myself. I'm very confused right now."

"Why?" Severus remained seated.

"I think you know why!" Alice turned on Severus, slightly angered by his ability to stay so cool within the situation.

"Please, enlighten me." Now Alice was very angered.

"Oh, you are so- you are so-!"

"I'd like to know what I am, thank you," Severus stood.

"I would like to know why you insist upon staying so ignorant to the conflict we have...you have...created...yesterday, when you decided it would be a good idea to- to- oh, I can't even speak right now!"

"Then stop," Severus suggested. Alice took a deep breath in, trying to remember the last time she yelled at someone. But as she exhaled, she noticed that Severus was in very close proximity to her, and before she knew it he had taken hold of her arms and was kissing her once again. This time Alice took a little longer to pull away, but she certainly did so with more passion.

"I don't understand why you are doing this to me!" She yelled at him, sitting on the bed behind her. Severus looked a little neglected.

"I...I can't explain it. If you would like me to stop, I promise I won't do it again."

"I don't want you to stop." Severus took a step backwards, leaning onto the nearest chair. "I mean...not necessarily. I mean..." Alice had trouble looking Severus in the face. "Do you want to kiss me? Is that it?"

"I think I've made that much quite clear."

"I'm sorry...I misspoke...I mean, are you attracted to me? Because I certainly do not see why you would be. As far as I can tell, you're not exactly very fond of me."

Severus could not recall a more challenging girl to decipher. "Yes. I'm attracted to you. Does that upset you?"

"Not...necessarily. This is all very sudden. I'm sorry."

"Alice," Severus began, lightly, "I think that the question here is not whether I'm attracted to you, but whether you feel similarly about me."

"You mean...do I like you?"

"In...childlike terms, yes."

Alice hadn't given this much thought. She supposed she must. She thought of him often, she enjoyed his company, but she hadn't even thought of them as friends before. How could she be attracted to him in...that way. And yet, when he kissed her, it was quite clear how she felt about him. She just hadn't figured it out before.

"I suppose I must be. Yes, I mean. I am."

"Well then, I think our situation is quite clear. You and I are both the most talented in our year, we converse quite successfully, and we are both clearly attracted to one another. It seems only natural that we should begin to be...more than friends."

"But we're not friends, Severus."

He looked shocked by this. "What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry," Alice couldn't find the words to explain herself. "I don't think we are friends. I mean...I didn't, before. Did you?"

"Well...I suppose not. No. But...perhaps that's because we were already like this. Interested in each other in a different fashion."

And then Alice understood. She and Severus were never friends because they were always more than that. They appreciated each other in a different way from the start. And Severus was right...they did make sense. Their skill sets matched them together almost undeniably. But there was still one large issue.

"You're in Slytherin," she stated.

"You're in Gryffindor."

"I'm sorry. I've never done anything like this."

"You've dated before."

"Yes, but...that's different. Dating and...being with someone are two different things."

"And of course, we have the added challenge of our peers being mortal enemies." Alice giggled at this.

"Yes."

"And yet...I think it's something worth...exploring. Would you agree?"

"You've given this some thought?"

"Very much so." Severus turned the chair he was leaning on and sat in it. "I, for one, could not care less what my peers say about us. I'm far superior to them and they'll never admit it, but they know they won't succeed much without me in their ranks. I'm safe."

Alice would have found his statement more than pretentious if she didn't know it was true. "My peers are...friends. They're my friends."

"Then they should respect your decisions and support you. Or wouldn't they be more like enemies?"

"You're right." Alice was feeling better about the situation already. Lily was her friend, she would accept that Alice had made a choice for herself, even if she didn't agree.

"And we would still practice Occlumency and Legilimency, and continue our search for the perfect Wolfsbane potion."

"I suppose we would just be doing so as...well..."

"Are you willing?"

Alice took in the offer.

"You're asking me to...be with you? Right?"

"Yes."

"Then...yes. Yes, I will."

"Fantastic! Alice, I am so happy."

"So am I, Severus."

Some time passed, the two of them merely grinning at each other. It was the most bizarre beginning to a relationship Alice had ever heard of.

"Well...I suppose we should...go inside then."

"Yes."

Severus stood, leading the way out. The two walked awkwardly through the passageway, and when they reached the door, Severus swiftly kissed Alice on the lips.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked.

"About as sure as you are," Severus responded.

"Should we tell...you know...everyone?"

Severus paused. "Let them figure it out on their own," he decided. Alice liked the idea of that. Before leaving ahead of him, she very quickly reached for his face and kissed him again.

"Goodnight," she whispered, and ran for the castle.

Severus still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, but he supposed that going with his own gut for once couldn't end too badly. He began his own journey to the castle, loving the cold night air as it began to lightly snow.