Chapter 20.

DISCLAIMER: All I want for Christmas is my Snapey. . .(thanks, strange song writer!)

Hahahahahahahahahaaa. . . I'm gonna Enjoy this. . .

Hey, hey, Ambrosius, you gotta wait for answers!! Lol!!

It Did Not Bode Well.

Snape watched the clock on the wall in dread. Ten minutes. He should go. What would Dumbledore ask? Probably something about the mark differences between Slytherin and Gryffindor, again. Or. . .or what?

Snape left his office, and made his way the Head Master's office.

He got to the gargoyle, and paused again. He hadn't been hurrying, but there was time still. Three minutes. Dumbledore couldn't know about Draco.

He gave the password and mounted the staircase. Two minutes. There was no way Dumbledore could know about Draco.

He reached the top. One minute. No reason why Dumbledore should know. None at all. He was being paranoid.

He knocked. Paranoid. That was it.

"Come in," called Dumbledore's voice from behind the door.

Snape entered and sat down opposite Dumbledore, who was looking older than Snape had ever seen him before.

Dumbledore sighed before he did anything. He didn't look at Snape as he started to talk.

" This is going to be. . . difficult, Severus. And I'm not even sure how to begin."

Snape felt ill. What little colour there was in his face drained, leaving him as white as one of the ghosts. Dumbledore didn't notice.

". . . have you had many girlfriends, Severus?"

Severus stared. What the. . .?! Where did that come from?!

". . .sorry?" asked Snape, thrown out by the totally random content of the question. Dumbledore didn't appear to be listening.

". . .or should I say boyfriends?"

There was an uncertain pause.

Oh My GODS!!!!! He knows, he knows, he KNOWS!!!!

"A-hem. I fail to understand you, Professor," play safe, he told himself.

"Why did you never tell me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, finally looking a Severus.

"Tell you what, Head Master?"

"That you are gay, Severus. It would have saved me a lot of time," answered Dumbledore.

"The question never arose, " he answered, coolly. It was obvious that Dumbledore now knew what he was for sure. How? What else did he now?

"I suppose. . .still," sighed Dumbledore. He made no indication that Snape should leave, so he stayed, uneasy, while Dumbledore thought.

". . .this is where it gets really awkward," Dumbledore, said, to himself.

Snape heard, and shifted warily in his chair.

"How well do you know Draco, Severus?" He questioned, after much thought.

Snape drew a ragged breath. This was not good. HE KNEW!!!!!!

" Barley. I teach him, and I am the head of his house. I knew his Father well, but that was before he was born," lied Snape. Dumbledore was watching him like a hawk.

"Severus, I have to congratulate you on one thing. If I didn't know otherwise, I would have believed you. You are a very good liar. Unfortunately, I know otherwise," Dumbledore said, quietly, still watching, waiting for Snape's reaction.

Snape froze. he really did know. He knew everything. This was the end. He would be thrown out of teaching, outcast. . .

"Really?" he asked, in a mildly curious voice. "What is it that you know?"

Dumbledore leaned forward onto the desk that separated him from Severus.

"Too much. For your liking anyway. I was there. Last night, I was there, " intoned Dumbledore, his brow drawn into a frown, his blue eyes flaming with anger.

Snape died inside. Oh gods. . .

"Ah," he said, unable to think of anything else to say.

"Yes. Ah, indeed. Maybe you'd like to explain exactly what you were thinking?"

Snape stopped himself from looking away, or guilty, or showing any sign of emotion at all. He would have to deal with this.

"I wasn't," he answered, quietly.

"That would explain a lot. Unfortunately for you, I don't believe you. You are not the kind of man to randomly pick a student and then . . .," Dumbledore glared.

Snape looked away. So much for that, he thought. Why had he? Was it just because he looked like Lucius? Or did he, gods forbid, actually have. . .feelings? . . .for Draco?

"I need to know why, Severus. What you have done, is highly disapproved of. . .By rights, I shouldn't even be asking you for excuses," said Dumbledore, softly. His rage had diminished on seeing Snape battle with himself to hide his feelings.

"I know. It wasn't. . .it wasn't supposed to happen. . ." answered Severus, quietly.

"I can imagine. I take it that that was not the first time though?"

Snape steeled himself. Dumbledore would not like this at all.

"Second"

"Ah."

Silence filled the room like treacle, thick and hard to break through.

"What happened the first time. . . ?" asked Dumbledore, cautiously.

Snape sighed. He should have known that it would come to this.

"Draco had received the letter, informing him of Lucius's death. He was upset, and came to find me. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I had also heard the news, and did my best to comfort the boy. " Snape paused. This was extremely embarrassing.

"Go on," commanded Dumbledore.

Snape closed his eyes briefly, before opening them and continuing,

" We went into my room, where we talked, for about half an hour or so. Well, Draco talked, and I listened. He was upset, as you would expect. He was about to leave, when. . .when. . ." Snape closed his eyes again. Dumbledore said nothing, for which he was grateful for. "And then, he kissed me," Snape finished.

"Was that it?" inquired Dumbledore.

Snape winced slightly.

"No. I took leave of my senses then, too, apparently. "

Neither said anything for a while, both digesting what Snape had just said.

It did not bode well.