Disclaimer and such -

All things not Allosia belong to JKR.

Some sweetness before all hell breaks loose.



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Allosia Hemrand and Severus Snape strolled through Hogsmeade, speaking amiably about very little at all. While the trip there was short, it had been less than pleasant, as they had to fly directly into the wind. It had left their eyes watery, and Snape's lungs feeling particularly sore.

He knew that Allosia noticed it and had in fact expected it when she had seen what the air was like, but he was happy enough that she was refraining from mentioning it for a change.

"So do we have any particular agenda today?" he asked her.

"Not really. Wander around, shop, drink," she said.

"Avoid students," he added.

At first Allosia thought he was adding that to her list of reasons for being here, but then she registered Draco Malfoy heading straight towards them with a large grin and an almost ridiculous swagger. "Well, this looks exciting," Allosia muttered, as they came to a stop.

Snape took a step out to meet Malfoy. Allosia saw this immediately as both an attempt to shield her from the annoyance and as a statement of authority over both of them.

"Mr. Malfoy," said Snape imperiously.

"Sir, so nice to see you outside of Hogwarts."

Snape arched an eyebrow. "Is there something you want or shall Professor Hemrand and myself nod a greeting at you and be on our way?"

"Well," Malfoy started, lowering his voice just a tad. "I just wanted to make sure you were coming to the party."

"I've sent my RSVP to your father's social secretary. I had hoped, but I now see that was in vain, that you would have the good sense to have both some discretion and trepidation about the upcoming events."

Malfoy paled at little at this. "Obviously, I am quite excited at the honor of joining my family in its business and political endeavors."

"No doubt you are, Mr. Malfoy, but I assure you, the beginnings of such things, are neither easy, nor simple and strike me more as a cause for relief at having survived them, than for celebration." He looked at him very pointedly.

"I will consider that Sir, thank you for your advice."

"Good day then, Mr. Malfoy. Allosia?" He said holding out a hand to her. She took it, and as he led her away, felt him squeeze it entirely too hard.

She counted their steps, and at twenty, Snape muttered, "They get younger and younger," and sighed.

"You were?"

"Twenty, when it was formalized, so to speak, but then, I am not a Malfoy."

"Does he even know what he's getting into?"

"Would you be more or less horrified if I said yes?"

"Oh."

"Shall we find ourselves some hot beverages and a warm corner somewhere?"

"I'd like that, but I have a shopping errand first. There's a hat I want."

Snape raised an eyebrow. She was taking him shopping with her and they hadn't even actually had sex yet. He was horrified.

Grasping at least some of his thought process, Allosia scolded him, "don't look so horrified, it won't take but a moment."

"As you wish." He was making every effort to accommodate her, as he knew he was likely to need much accommodation from her next weekend.

His ability to contain himself faltered somewhat when he saw the hat. It was almost a tophat, but slightly less rigid in construction, made out of a black velvet, and surrounded at the brim with black ostrich feathers. It was absolutely lovely, but then Allosia put it on. It made her look positively tiny, and although she was quite slight, tiny wasn't a reaction one often had to her. He must have made a face, because she looked annoyed, and then drew herself up menacingly. Then it worked.

"For formal occasions, I hope?" he asked.

"And moments of whimsy," she added hoping to put just the slightest bit of fear in him.

As the hat was packaged and she paid, she let him know that drinks and warmth would now be acceptable.



The Three Broomsticks was fairly empty. It was late afternoon, and people were just beginning to filter in off the streets of Hogsmeade.

"What would you like?" he asked, turning to her.

"Mulled wine," she said and he smiled slightly at the choice.

"Why don't you find us a table?" he asked, handing her his broom to deal with as well.

She nodded, and went to a booth towards the back that had enough room to stow their broomsticks and her rather large hatbox.

By the time she had managed to settle herself and their things, he arrived with their drinks and slid into the booth opposite her.

She reached for her drink immediately, to warm her hands. He lifted his glass slightly off the table and gestured towards her with it.

"A toast," he said.

"To?" she asked.

"Small refuges," he said, smiling at her, and then looking around the bar.

She tipped her head to one side, as if to say, fair enough, and sipped at her drink.

They sat in silence for a while, each obviously distracted, and lost in their own thoughts.

"You should be aware," he said, suddenly looking up, "that I've spoken to Dumbledore."

"About the party?"

"Yes, that too. I meant, about," he paused here,, unsure of whether to say this or us. "um, I'm sorry, I feel foolish here. I just thought he should know the situation between us, under the circumstances."

"Oh!" She said, finally registering what he meant. "Of course, that's fine, how did he take it?"

"I think he was amused at my awkwardness about it, but he didn't seem to consider it an issue."

"Well, that's good," said Allosia feeling awkward herself.

"Yes," he said nervously, and nodded before sipping at his drink again.

Allosia smiled to herself. Making Snape uncomfortable was a peculiar sort of pleasure.

"Next week," she said after a long pause.

"Yes?"

"Is there anything I can do, to help, under the circumstances."

"I thought we weren't going to talk about this today."

"I thought we weren't going to run into Malfoy today either, and I felt the way you grabbed my hand afterwards."

Snape ran a hand through his hair. "I can't imagine what you could do, but I'll think about it, alright?"

"Thank you," she said. Mentally noting that in any normal interaction, he would be the one saying thank you. She let it drop though.

Quiet descended on them again, and as he stared past her lost in thought she took time to study his features in a way she hadn't had the presence of mind to before. They were strong and it was clear to her that he enjoyed them this way, knew how to use them to create desired effects, usually fear. She knew, as it was hard to miss gossip or opinions of any sort at Hogwarts, that many found him unattractive, but what they really meant was unfamiliar and frightening. If he cut his hair, dressed less severely, and just plain smiled from time to time in a way that wasn't predatory or sad, he would seem to be an entirely different man. That man however would be both unremarkable and unreal, and have a face that people liked, only because they never bothered to look at it closely. He would be invisible then, instead of this strange forceful presence. She liked him this way though. That his face could be so painfully expressive, and also so cold, was no doubt a Slytherin trait. In fact she imagined that all great Slytherins had features this unusual, eyes this dark. She smiled slightly then.

"What are you thinking about?"

She was startled, but knew she shouldn't have been. He always watched the periphery more than the center.

She thought about lying, and then decided against it. "I was studying your face."

"I can't imagine why," he said dryly, taking a sip of his drink.

"Because it interests me."

"A careful choice of words." His voice held an unsteady tone, and she was unclear as to weather he was amused, or about to get angry.

"A truthful one. The way you express yourself through it, the way you command your features, is very precise. I suspect most people don't have the nerve to pay attention to you in that way, but I would say, it is quite a gift." She paused then. He seemed interested and puzzled, but not angry. "I was imagining, that perhaps all great Slytherins had that quality."

Snape snorted at that. "Have you looked at the children in my House?"

"I have. I have to suppose that none of them are great Slytherins."

He nodded at this. "There are one or two who I suspect will find their way to interesting achievements, when given the space to develop their talents for more than survival and pettiness."

"I'm glad," she said pursing her lips and nodding.

"You, by the way," he said extending one long finger towards her face, "could have been a very great Slytherin."

Allosia's eyes widened at that and she positively beamed at him.

"An unusual reaction," he commented.

"You saw me sorted," she stated.

"Yes."

"It was a school record for time, if you'll recall."

He nodded.

"The other option was Slytherin."

"And you chose Ravenclaw?"

"No, I saw myself as the intelligence and reassurance behind great power. I liked the notion of smiling into a king's ear and being left alone to read while others debated."

"You should have been in Slytherin," he said with small hint of amazement in his voice.

"No. I would have learned a type of vanity from too many of your housemates that would have weakened me."

"And so you were put in Ravenclaw, so you could one day be a snake," he said with a somewhat amused and malicious tone.

"I think so, sometimes, yes."

"And is that the big secret of Allosia Hemrand?"

"I suppose it was at one point. I've never told anyone before. But it didn't worry me, if that's what you mean."

"You were never afraid of us."

"Oh yes I was. I just didn't have a problem with that."

He lifted his glass and drained its remaining contents before replacing it loudly on the table. "Another?" he asked, pointing at her nearly finished wine.

"Yes, and food, definitely food."



They stayed at their table until well past eleven, eating and drinking in their own small world of the booth. They noticed no one who entered the bar, and few noticed them. Those who did, left them alone.

They returned to Hogwarts with more ease than they had left it, blessed by companionship, food, drink, better wind and in Snape's case, darkness. As they trudged up the damp slope to the castle, he said, "You'll be staying with me tonight." She didn't argue.