Serverus Snape swept down the corridors before pausing at the front of the teachers lounge, there was an extraordinary amount of laughter coming from within. He waited for a moment for a brief lull in the clamour inside before pushing the door open. He walked in on Elayne Strachan mid flow. She so had the other teachers involved in what she was saying that nobody seemed to recognise his grand entrance.

'So there I was, hanging off the broomstick with one knee hooked over it, two red caps clinging onto my hair about a hundred feet above the' She paused and glanced at Professor Snape who was staring at her flatly. She grinned at him with a smirk. 'I guess you want me to drop everything and come with you this instant right?' Snape stared at her with quiet disgust and a flash of levity crossed her face. She smiled sadly at the other teachers. 'I'm afraid I have to cut short the story tune in next week' She grinned and there was a faint smattering of chuckles from teachers who got the joke. Snape turned on his heel and she followed him in silence until she got to the door. Elayne turned and with an exaggerated wink said 'don't wait up.' Serverus's stomach clenched as she ever so casually affronted his dignity.

'Telling the teachers stories again?' He whispered as the door swung closed on them. 'You were always good at that.' Elayne blinked at him before he moved away from her, she followed with a slightly aggrieved look.

'What? Keeping people entertained is a criminal offence now?' Her eyebrow flickered in barely contained levity. 'Oh right I forgot the 'no fun ever' rule. Must keep that one in check.' She frowned at his back as he did his best Dracula impression as he swept away from her. With a quick motion she turned her fingers into a make shift cross and hissed silently at his back.

'I saw that.' He intoned without turning his head. She blinked and ran after him.

'Okay how? How?' He remained silent as he flowed away from her as if on castors. 'Aww come on tell me' She followed him down the hall her brain working frantically.

*

He took her down to his work area in the dungeons and she looked around before stepping inside. 'And Elayne Strachan, this was your life I guess you decided that entropy was the way to go after all?' She asked him indicating the décor.

'It is useful.' He told her before taking his regular position on the podium in front of the rows of desks. She looked around the room quietly and frowned.

'Yeah I bet, have a lot of problems with werewolves around here do you?' She asked indicating the wolfsbane growing in a pot on the windowsill. He frowned at her.

'You weren't told much about your predecessors were you?' She frowned and shook her head. His head cocked slightly and if she hadn't known better she would have said his eyes were amused. 'Indeed.'

'So, what's the task I'm to assist you with?' She asked absently as she looked across the potions on his top shelf. 'Hey I know this one, it's illegal in five countries.' She stated simply taking it down off the top shelf to have a sniff. He appeared beside her and snatched the bottle with a frown.

'This being the major reason I enjoy living in Britain today.' He replaced the bottle. 'Would you consider it beyond the reach of your inner child to listen for a very short five minutes?' He asked. Elayne snorted.

'Certainly if you've gained the ability to be interesting since the time I was in your class.' She bit back at him.

'A person of greater wisdom is always difficult to listen to, I imagine you find it hard to listen to anyone.' The bitter irony that laced his voice would be cutting to nearly everyone.

'Oh be still my beating heart, Snape considers me to be a moron, and since we know how much I crave his good opinion' Except possibly Elayne.

'Now we have the pleasantries out of the way I will cut this short, considering how scintillating I find your presence.' Elayne snorted and assured him it was mutual. 'I was asked by Dumbledore after the reascension of Voldemort to get in touch with the people who are in his inner circle and assess those creatures likely to go over to his side.' He paused and waited for her response. She flicked her eyebrow lazily.

'And why you? And how would you know' She paused and looked at him, eyebrows knotting and then simply staring, slightly dumbstruck. He smiled sinisterly at her and raised his chin, thoughts were racing round her head, the main one being what she verbalised next. 'Oh that explains everything!' Snape blinked in mild surprise. 'Sorry, there was a theory amongst my year that you were Satan. You see, we weren't far off.' She grinned at him flippantly. 'Interesting, I spent months following your kind, I always wondered what made you guys tick.'

'You might have spent time working through the outer fringes of death eaters. I sincerely doubt you garnered any knowledge of how the inner circle works.' He stated simply. 'You're to assist me in all this, but, as nobody would ever truly believe that a famous bounty hunter would ever wish to become a death eater I'm afraid I will have to place you under an imperius curse if you are to asisst' He said that word with maximum distaste, 'me.'

'No, I know the sorts of things you're likely to make me do, absoloutly not, forget it.' Her face winced involuntarily.

'You judge me by your own standards.' Snape's voice was acid.

'Damn right I do, I'd adore seeing you making an arse of yourself.' She grinned. 'Well, more of an arse.'

'Well I already assume that you've already dealt with enough humiliation in your life, so that has little appeal. Of course we have the other alternative but I doubt it's an option either of us wishes to take.' She raised an eyebrow at him.

'Sorry Darth, I'm not ready to join the dark side.' She told him and at his blank look muttered something about pop culture in the wizarding community. 'There has to be another alternative.' She shifted slightly in her seat and frowned.

'If you can think of an alternative I would be happy to hear it at another time. If you can think that is.' He walked across to the door and opened it, gesturing her out. She walked stiffly past him.

'Leave you to your crypt shall I?' She asked acidly.

'And I shall leave you to telling children's fables to the other teachers.' She turned on him, a sore spot hit.

'Snape, you call me a liar again and I'm going to kick your arse.' His face stretched in a vicious little look and leaned forward.

'Elayne, you're a liar.'

*

Harry and Ron stared at each other across the bedroom after sitting up at the large bang that rocked the castle. They blinked as it was followed up with a few short shudders and both ran downstairs through the Gryffindor common room, down towards where the noise seemed to be coming from. 'Not that I'm afraid or anything but isn't a little stupid to be running in the direction of the noise, it's going to attract the teachers.' Harry winked at Ron conspiratorially and flourished the invisibility cloak. Ron hadn't realised he was carrying it, that was the problem of an invisibility cloak, it being invisible when draped over an arm and everything. He flung it across them and they made their way down to the dungeons. What they saw in a quick snatch through the doorway stunned them.

'Wasn't that Professor Strachan? Was she fixing Snape's hair or something?' Ron asked in surprise.

'I think she was doing considerably more than fixing Snapes hair Ron.' Ron's cherubic face twisted slightly.

'Eww.' Harry rolled his eyes.

'Come on, quickly.' He said running towards the door before it shut.

*

'Ack, would you put that wand away you cheating little wretch!' Elayne screamed at Snape as she ducked yet another curse and pulled out her own 'Expelliarmus.' She screamed the split second after Snape shouted the same thing. Her head snapped upwards as she followed the trajectory of her wand as it richocheted off the ceiling.

She studied him for brief moment, managing to duck the petrification curse he sent her way and sprinted for the front of the class. Elayne managed to find a small amount of cover behind the desk. She heard Snape approaching it across the room, glass crunching underfoot, she drew herself into a crouch and balanced on the palms of her hands. She saw his wand poke round the corner before he did, bloody coward, she sent her foot out and with a large crack hit the base of his hand as the curse he shot at her caught her in the face. Both bellowed in surprise and drew back slightly. Elayne felt her face and it felt moderately normal, mind you she wasn't really aware of what her face looked like from day to day.

'What the fuck did you do to me you wand dependant prick?' Her voice was slightly breathy as she tried to assess the damage, she stood up and saw Snape going after his wand that had landed close to her. 'Oh not again.' She muttered and kicked the wand under the low desk, some maintenance type person would have to unscrew it to get it out.

They stared at each other for a moment and Elayne grinned at him ferally, his eyes already searched the area for her wand and they both frowned when it seemed to have disappeared. 'Fine then Elayne, on your terms.'

'Oh it was always on my terms.' She stated snidely. 'Come on then great poobah of the death eaters, show me why I should fear you.' He sneered at her. 'Not so tough without your Oooofff.' The sharp exhalation of air as both of his hands slammed into her chest made her briefly light headed.

'I always considered your penchant for discussion idiotic.' He stated to her lifting his head, perfect for the uppercut she aimed under his chin.

'Maybe, but right now you're fighting someone who's been fighting vampires for years.' She stated as she cut his lower lip. He staggered away from her slightly getting tangled in his robes.

'Oh yes I can imagine what the vampires thought, run away, there's an anaemic girl come to poke me with a pointy stick. You must have terrified them.' His kick caught her in the side and she crashed into the desk.

'I only considered what my, good' She brought her knee around in a short pivot as he came forwards and slammed it into his stomach. 'buddy Snape would have done. Sent the vampires running.' His responding elbow to the chin was accented by his next comment.

'You probably bored them with your constant chatter.' She brought her foot down onto his leg behind his knee and he snarled. After a moment he brought his hand round in a slap across her face and they broke apart slightly.

'Oi! Bitch slap that was you fight like my mum!' Elayne shrieked and swore she heard some giggling off in the corner.

He stared at her and she suddenly realised they were both panting heavily, Elayne wouldn't admit it but she was in a moderate amount of pain. 'I can only determine from that, your mother's fighting ability didn't rub off on her daughter.' He replied through pants and she waved his comment away as they both tried to catch their breath through the blows to the stomach they had each received.

'Fuck it, can't be arsed.' She panted. 'You win.' He nodded and went to turn away. 'Despotic wanker.' She said between pants. She hadn't truly expected the proper rugby tackle he gave her sending them both careening into some shelves. The books thundered to the floor in a steady stream and Elayne winced at the bruises forming on her back. She panted and leaned against the bookcase as she slid onto the floor wincing slightly as the odd heavy tome bounced off her head. Snape looked down at her and flopped down opposite her. Their breathing was becoming easier after a few minutes.

Elayne stuck out her hand. 'Good fight.' She said with a grin. He stared at her suspiciously.

'I don't like you.' He stated.

'I don't like you either but grant that it was a good fight.' He nodded and shook her hand. 'Interesting to work with you.' She said leaning her head back.

'Likewise.' He stared at her. 'Sort out your eyes.' He told her and she blinked. She crawled over to a mirror and frowned at the cat's eyes she had received from the curse Snape had shot into her face.

'Interesting. Where's my wand?' He pointed beside her and she frowned, certain it hadn't been there before. Picking it up she pointed it at her face. 'Oculus normalis.' She stated and felt the strange tingle as her eyes became normal again. They both looked up as the door opened and Professor MacGonagal strode in and stared at them. Elayne watched her face as she took in the scene and then stared at the two teachers. 'Why do I think Ravenclaw is gonna lose some house points for this?' She asked under her breath

Author's note~ Welp... I enjoyed that... hope you did... they so needed that scrap...