A/N: I know it's not much, but I wanted everybody to know that I haven't given up on the story... I just have no time to write u.u' and I was also blocked.

A couple days ago I had a longer chapter ready to be posted about the dinner with Minerva's friends where they all played 'Truth or Dare' but fortunately I didn't posted because it was terrible.

I'm not saying this one is a great chapter... but it's definitely better than what I had... I'll try to post something else tomorrow, but I can't promise anything, this is going to be a really busy (and strange) summer for me. Sorry.

ENJOY ^_^


MY MASTER

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55

When a friendship is over

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by Saeshmea


We walk down the streets of London while the sun hides behind the tall buildings of the city and soon we're in front of the beautiful Victorian house that holds The M Club.

I wonder if the neighbours of this mansion know anything about what goes on inside, if they suspect about the sinful activities that happen so close to their homes… I guess they don't, after all, it is a wizards club and we do have our ways to keep our secrets.

I follow Severus walking at his left and one step behind, he holds the door opened for me and I go in first, and wait by the door for him to step ahead so I can keep following from my position.

"Mr. Snape, Ms. McGonagall, welcome to The M Club," says the gentleman behind the counter of the lobby without any need to hear our names previously, "what can we do for you tonight?"

"We'll be having dinner in the restaurant," Severus says, taking out from his pocket a small tinkling bag and leaving it on the counter, "and we would like the Malfoys to meet us by chance when they arrive."

The gentleman takes the bag and without even checking if they are real galleons inside – twenty coins, to be precise, that I counted myself – he puts it in his pocket and writes something down on a parchment, probably a note for himself to remember the task.

"That will be no problem, Sir," he says, and after that my Master takes off his cloak and commands me to do the same. We hand them over and make our way to the dining room.

All I can think about as I follow Severus across the bar and into the restaurant of the club is Alastor. Tomorrow we'll have to report everything to him and, being honest, right now I am more eager about seeing Lucius Malfoy, than Mad-Eye Moody.


"That must be Alastor," Augusta guessed after someone knocked at the door and I stood up, glad to have a reason to walk away from the special plate that Severus had prepared for me, even though I didn't think it was Moody at the door.
I closed the door to the studio out of the habit when I stepped into my office, because it could have been a student, and I don't like them seeing my private rooms, especially when I have guests.
But it was not a student.
"Alastor!" I said when I saw him standing in the corridor, "I thought..."
"You wanted me to come, didn't you?" he barked - his good eye fixed on my feet, his magical eye hiding from any light -, and he intended to come in, but I blocked his way with my arm.
"All my friends are inside, Alastor," I warned, "I don't want any arguments tonight."
"I'm not here to argue," he said with a low voice.
"Then, look at me, please," and I took my hand to his chin, "I miss you, Alastor," and he raised his face, "I miss my friend," and he finally looked at me with both his eyes, and I smiled.
"I miss my friend too, Minerva," he said, "but when I look at you, I don't see her anymore."
I lowered my hand and my smile faded immediately. He walked in and I closed the door, not daring to face him because his words just hurt more than any slap and I didn't want him to see me crying.
"If that was true," I muttered, failing to hold my tears anymore, "you wouldn't be here, Alastor."

"Well, I wasn't going to come," he admitted, and he stepped in front of me and dried my tears with a white old handkerchief he took out from his pocket, "but if there is any chance we can heal our friendship by having dinner together, I'll take it," he said, and he offered me his arm so we could walk together into the studio.


We follow a waiter to the table and before I kneel down on the floor, Severus pulls out a chair for me and commands me to sit down.

"This is meant to be a romantic dinner," he says when I frown, confused, "you should be sitting like a lady," and he walks behind my chair after I've sat down, takes my wrists and ties them up to the chair so that my back is forced in a stiff position. "Comfortable?" he asks.

"Yes, Sir," I reply, knowing no other answer would be admitted, and he bends slightly over to kiss me in the lips before taking his seat.

On the table next to us there are two women talking over dinner while being fed by two submissive men. They look at us briefly as if checking if they might know me or my Master, and then they return to their conversation.


The dinner was great. We talked about Samuel, Pomona's baby, and how she'd handle it when he'll be old enough to come to Hogwarts as a student;

"You won't be the first teacher having her kids in the school, Pomona," I said, thinking of Flitwick, for example.

"I know, but being away of your family is part of the experience of going to school in our world," she insisted.

"He'll do fine, honey," Hans calmed her, "besides, it's still a long time before the time comes."

We also talked about Augusta's grandson, and how he's barely speaking besides already being two years old;

"Kids understand everything, my dear," Dumbledore explained, "what has happened to his parents has been a big trauma and he feels it, he'll talk when he has something to say."

"I hope so," Augusta muttered in resignation.

Poppy and Aberforth barely joined any conversation, but they seemed to be having a real good time together. They left at the same time and I'd swear I've seen him leaving the school this morning as if he'd spent the night, but I could be wrong.

In fact, everybody left pretty early.

"It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Severus," Augusta said, "you're young, but I can see the good in you, so keep doing whatever it is you do to make her so happy."

"I will," he said, and after that we moved to the office leaving Severus with the dirty dishes.


"What if Malfoy doesn't come tonight?" I ask after our plates are served: lasagne and a French red wine that smells as delicious as it tastes when my Master reaches a glass to my lips.

"Master Malfoy for you," he says, "unless you want to visit the dungeons again," he says, and I remember that devilish chair he used to torture me the last time we were here. "He will come," he adds very sure of his answer, and as if it had been stage, Malfoy suddenly crosses the doors, followed by his wife.

...


"I must say, Augusta," Alastor muttered taking his cloak from the hanger, "I thought you'd have a harder time dealing with the boy's past, but you certainly…"

"Alastor!" I interrupted him as soon as I realized where this was going, but it was too late.

"Past? What past?" she asked.

"You don't know?" Moody asked, and then he looked at me, "You haven't told her?"

"Tell me what?" Augusta asked, confused, and not without reason, because I had panic written in my face and Alastor had a smirk hidden on his lips.

"That her boyfriend was a Death Eater."

"What? Minerva, is that true?" Augusta turned around to look at me, probably hoping I'd say it was just a joke, a very cruel joke, but it wasn't, so I nodded.

"He's a good a man," I said, "you saw it tonight."

"A good man who killed and tortured innocent people during the war," Alastor added.

"Enough," Augusta made him shut up before I could reply, "Alastor, I'm sure that if Minerva hadn't told me this was to protect me, she was probably waiting for the right time, because she is a good friend, and you know that;" she said as if she could read my mind, and then she turn towards me again, "Minerva, I'm not upset that you kept this from me, but now that I know I'm sure you will understand if I ask you not to visit me for a while, especially with Mr. Snape," she said with tearful eyes, and I myself began to cry, "He makes you happy," she added, taking my hand, "and I don't want my feelings towards his past to spoil that for you. You deserve this happiness."

"Augusta…"

"No, dear… Don't feel bad for loving him, you've done nothing wrong," she kissed my cheek and then she left, not waiting for Alastor to walk with her.

"Minerva…" he said.

"You had no business telling her," I said, "I'm tired of this Alastor, I'm tired of fighting for a friendship you don't care about anymore," I looked at him in the eyes and concluded, "I think your love for me has reached that point where it becomes hatred, and I am not interested on feeding such feelings."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that It'll be better if we put some distance between us, Alastor, before one of us hurts the other for good."


The waiter takes them to a table close to ours, and before they sit down they spot us and Malfoy approaches Severus to greet him.

"Having dinner in the club too?" he asks.

"Indeed," Severus says, "would you like to join us?" he suggests, "I can use the conversation and my dear sub could use some extra hands to feed her," he says, and I wonder if he had it planned, if he knew Malfoy would come accompanied this time, if he wanted Narcissa to feed me while the talk to have an entertainment.

Malfoy looks in his wife's direction and commands her to come.

"Good evening, Severus," she says, standing at her husband's left, "it's nice seeing you again," she smiles and looks at me, "you too, professor."

"We'll be joining Snape for dinner," Malfoy explains while he takes a seat, "you'll be his slut's hands for tonight."

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TO BE CONTINUED…