Disclaimer: Not mine, no infringement, no money. Got it?

A/N: Welcome Grace! Thanks for taking the time to offer your comments, and thanks so much for the review on my other short fic! *gives Grace a high five*

No1 - Welcome to WW&S! Thanks for posting!

Emlahey - Thanks, love. Glad you like my version of the illustrious potion master.

Gryffindorseeker - are you saying we might have a Gryffindor rooting for Snape? Well, now that's something. *grins*

Jig - Is that Portugese? Anyway, what the heck does it mean? Now of course I can't give anything away, but I promise you both Remus and Severus will be ok when this is all finished.

Nytd walks in the door looking a little frazzled. "I knew that was a bad idea."

Sirius walks along with her. "Now what makes you say that?" he asks with a grin.

"Oh, come on! Teaching you to drive was bad enough. I never should have let you take the wheel on the turnpike," Nytd scolds.

Sirius laughs at her a little. "Really, Nytd, you worry far too much. You need to have more fun," he says with a wink.

Nytd glares at the tall animagus. "And I suppose you call being pulled over by three state troopers a bit of fun? It's probably just as well that I had my eyes closed and didn't see how fast you were actually driving."

Sirius runs his hand through his hair and smiles sheepishly. "Well, it all worked out ok, didn't it?"

Nytd shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."

"See? Just a bit of harmless fun after all," Sirius points out.

Nytd finally reluctantly agrees and smiles, but she can't help wondering how long the three troopers will take to recover on the side of the highway after the dark haired wizard hit them with the memory charm.

Confrontation ~*~

The next night Snape was pacing in his rooms as he thought about Lorien. Her unexpected response to his compliment the night before had confirmed his suspicions that she must actually feel something for him. It was becoming clearer that there was definitely something between them, and he intended to find out just how far it went.

He thought about going to find her and then hesitated, mentally berating himself for the thought. 'And just what would you say to her, Severus?' he asked himself. He admitted he did not have a satisfactory answer.

"Just forget it," he said aloud, as he forced himself to sit down. He reminded himself that she was already involved with Lupin, and although the thought of the possibility of stealing the witch's affections out from under the nose of the handsome werewolf held a certain amount of appeal, he also didn't want to cause her difficulties.

He sat there and thought some more. She had saved his life, and for that he was indebted to her, but it was what she said to him after the fact that was causing him the most consternation. She told him she knew he was worth saving. The witch had thought so even when he himself at times questioned if it were true, and she had said it without hesitation.

If she thought he was worth saving, then perhaps she might think he was worth being with? Snape rose form the chair again, and determining that he was not going to let the Gryffindors corner the market on courage, summoned what he could of his own and went to find the Ravenclaw healer.

He went to the hospital ward first but saw it was empty. He was about to let the door close, but then thought he would look in her office. "Lorien?" No answer, but he peered into the office anyway.

Lorien was asleep at her desk, with her head on her arm and a pile of medical records before her. Her hair hung in her face.

Severus stepped into the office and gently brushed the hair away, and then rested a hand lightly on her shoulder for a minute, debating whether or not to wake her. He never heard the infirmary door.

Lupin closed the distance between himself and the dark robed wizard quickly, and he startled the man when he spoke in a very quiet but slightly hostile voice. " I would remove my hand, if I were you."

Snape deliberately left his hand where it was for a few seconds longer, and then turned slowly to stare at the Defense professor. His eyes flicked out the door briefly, indicating that they should step away from the sleeping witch. He walked across the room with Lupin on his heels.

Lupin spoke first again when the two men had crossed the room. "I want you to leave her alone," he snarled. "I don't want you near her, Snape."

Snape answered calmly, but there was more than a hint of menace in his voice. "How nice. Now, that's not entirely up to you, is it Lupin?"

"I'm warning you, now," Lupin growled.

"You're warning me?" Snape snorted. "And are you implying that the woman is not free to make her own decisions?"

"Of course she is!" Lupin snapped back.

" I see. So perhaps you threaten me merely because you feel...threatened?" Snape asked with a sneer.

It was Lupin's turn to snort. "Hardly. I don't trust you. That's all."

"Or perhaps you don't trust her?" Snape asked him.

Lupin snapped. "Don't be ridiculous. Of course I trust her. She's been completely open with me about your friendship from the beginning."

Snape folded his robes and his arms across his chest and let the werewolf continue.

"I know that she's spent time with you. I know that she cares about you, and Merlin-knows-why I know she thought your life was worth saving," Lupin said, raising his voice just a little. " I don't want you taking advantage of her, Snape. I don't want her hurt in any way! Am I being clear?"

"Perfectly," he snarled back at the brown haired wizard as he uncrossed his arms. Snape drew himself up to his full height and took a step toward Lupin. "You narrow-minded Gryffindor twit! You only see me as a Death Eater, don't you? A dark wizard that can only be up to no good? You believed the moment I began to even tolerate the woman that I had ulterior motives. It took nothing for you to assume my intentions were less than honorable, and I bet the thought that I might actually care for Lorien never entered that foolish head of yours."

"It doesn't matter," Lupin said, not backing down and shaking his head emphatically. "You can't be trusted. You proved that the night you were hurt."

Snape raised an eyebrow at him.

"Don't give me that. You know perfectly well what I'm talking about," Lupin snarled. "Lorien told me what happened."

"She did, did she?" Snape's voice was calm. Too calm. Lupin never noticed.

"Yes, she told me how concerned she was for your safety, how she pleaded with you to be careful, and what did you do in return?" Lupin was fairly ranting now. " I'd say that's taking advantage of her, Snape! How dare you touch her! How dare you kiss her!"

Snape turned and walked slowly to the door that led out and spoke quietly. "She told you all of that?"

"Yes, she did," Remus answered angrily.

Snape hesitated with his hand on the door and turned. His black eyes glittered dangerously as they locked on the werewolf's gray ones, and his voice was velvet soft when he spoke. "And did she happen to tell you that she kissed me back the second time?"

Lupin was stunned.

"I thought not." The Potions master left the room.

Remus felt as if he'd been slapped. He wanted to tell himself that Snape was lying, just trying to stir up trouble, but he knew what the dark robed wizard had said was true. Lorien hadn't lied to him, but he knew she hadn't told him the whole truth either.

He turned back toward the office and stopped short when he saw Lorien standing silently in the doorway. "How much did you hear?" he asked her.

"Enough," she said quietly as she headed for the door out of the ward.

"Lorien." He caught her by the arm.

"I'm not talking to you." She pulled her arm away and continued walking.

He caught her again. "Wait."

She turned on him. "Don't tell me what to do," she snarled. Remus let her go without a word. This was obviously not the time.

Lorien was mad at herself but she was mad at Remus too, and she muttered to herself all the way past Poppy's rooms about overprotective Gryffindor men.

Snape listened to her talking to herself as she approached, from where he stood leaning against the door to her room, and he spoke as she neared him.

"Huh. Disgraceful the way he behaved," he said with a touch of arrogance. "Getting so possessive and staking out his territory like the wolf he is. He might as well have lifted his leg on a tree."

She eyed him for a minute as she shoved her door open and he followed along behind her as she walked inside. "That may be true, but you're not exactly high on my list of favorite people right now either," she said. "What were you doing, telling him that?"

"Evidently being more truthful than you." He said it matter-of- factly. He intercepted her hand easily when she tried to slap him and held onto it.

"Get out," she said.

"No," he replied, still hanging onto her hand.

"Yes. Out!" She pulled her hand back.

"No," he said very softly.

She made an exasperated sound and threw up her hands as she headed for the bedroom. "It's late. I want to go to bed."

Snape spoke to her back as she disappeared through the bedroom door. "I must admit, that is a bit more than I had in mind at the moment." He smiled wryly to himself as he got the anticipated response.

Lorien reappeared quickly with a look of indignation on her face. "How dare you!" she said as she came back toward him angrily.

He snorted and looked amused. "Oh please. Tell me the thought has never crossed your mind." He stood with his arms folded across his chest.

She stared at him with her mouth open, shocked by his audacity.

He unfolded his arms and walked around her as he spoke. "Try telling me, Lorien," he began as he circled her slowly, "that the thought has never occurred to you." He moved up closer behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He leaned his head forward to whisper in her ear from behind. "Go on. Tell me."

She closed her eyes when he moved the hair away from her neck. "Tell me you've never thought about this." He kissed the back of her neck. "Or this." He kissed along her throat and then stopped and turned her around gently. One hand slid to the small of her back and his fingers pressed there firmly. The other he placed under her chin.

"Look at me," he ordered gently.

She looked up at him and he knew he had her. He lifted her chin and ever so gently kissed her. Again his lips barely brushed hers, and again. She felt herself giving in and leaned in to try to kiss him harder. He pulled away a little and smiled. "So you have thought about it, Sylvanesti."

"Yes." He heard her admit softly. So. It was true. She cared about him enough to save his life, and she had thought about being with him. Evidently in more ways than one by the way she was willing to kiss him now.

"I rather thought so," he answered her, and his arms went around her tightly as he kissed her passionately for a long moment.

It was the next thing he did that surprised them both. He let her go and stepped back. "Good night, Lorien," he said quietly.

"You're leaving?" She sounded puzzled.

"Yes," he said.

"But..."

"You're not ready," Snape replied, not believing he what he was hearing himself say.

She thought she felt pretty darn ready, but she looked at him questioningly.

"That," he began, indicating the bedroom, "is not all I want from you. If it was, I would have had you that night in the dungeon."

She hated to admit it, but with the emotions running as high as they were that night she realized it was probably true.

"There are....issues that I believe you need to resolve?" He wasn't really asking a question. "You have a decision to make, my dear. A very big decision. I will not interfere further until you have a chance to make up your mind. When you do, whichever way you decide, you must make it clear."

She nodded slowly, knowing he spoke the truth. "Severus?"

He hesitated at the door as she came to him. She kissed him once more." Good night." She turned and walked into her bedroom as he left.

Snape walked back to the dungeon kicking himself the whole way. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he asked himself repeatedly.

He thought about the way she had looked at him, the way he sensed her imminent surrender and couldn't believe he'd walked away.

But while a small part of his mind agonized over the missed opportunity for a physical encounter with the witch, the remainder realized he had done the right thing if he was playing for keeps. It was a gamble, he knew, but it wouldn't be the first time he knew the reward might outweigh the risk.

Albus Dumbledore sat in his office trying to decide what should be done next. Cornelius Fudge had insisted that his people had things under control, but Dumbledore knew that meant that the Ministry wasn't taking the warning seriously enough. He wanted to press the issue further, but he wasn't convinced himself that the Death Eaters would go through with it since they knew that he knew.

He sighed. Better to play it safe, and he sent another owl to Alastor Moody. Moody took everything seriously, and also knew the obstacles that Dumbledore faced when dealing with the ministry.

Now, about Severus. He was sure he wasn't going to be able to keep the wizard from going himself, since he was so convinced that something was still going to happen. It would probably be a good thing to at least have him in the area. Who else would know better what they might have planned?

Then there was the matter of apparation. Severus was effectively stranded as long as the mark on his arm was that clear. The only way he could see around the situation was to send someone with him.

He would have very much liked to have sent Sirius, but sending the fugitive from Azkaban to the heart of the Auror Training Center was obviously not a good idea, and he didn't know how long the tentative truce between the two men would last. He would only send Sirius later if he absolutely had to.

Lupin would have been his second choice, but with the tensions mounting between Remus and Severus over the Nemorosi witch, he figured that was a bad idea as well.

The remaining choice was obvious. It had to be someone that Snape trusted and the headmaster knew Lorien was the best candidate. Having the Mistress of the Healing Arts at the site might also be a good idea if any sort of a conflict actually occurred. Dumbledore sent Fawkes to retrieve her.

Lorien sat before the headmaster, listening to his dilemma. It took her no time at all to agree to go, since she thought that having medical personnel present was a good idea, and she wanted to see to it that Severus stayed out of trouble.

"You know there could be considerable risk?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes. I understand," replied Lorien. "I want to do whatever I can to help fight against Voldemort."

"Very well. Be ready. I'll keep you informed," the headmaster told her. "Thank you Lorien."

She nodded solemnly and left.

Dumbledore sent for Lupin and Black next.

The large black dog transformed once inside the headmaster's office, and Sirius went to sit next to Remus before the white haired wizard.

"Gentlemen, it's been arranged. I'm sending Severus to meet Alastor Moody at the Auror Training Center, and Moody has promised that he'll have a few extra pairs of hands with him. You two I want ready here as backup."

Both men nodded, but then Remus questioned the headmaster. "What about the Dark Mark? Snape'll be in trouble if he tries to apparate."

"I've taken that into consideration already, and that's why I'm sending Lorien with him. She can get them both back and forth quickly," Dumbledore stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" Both men were surprised, and Lupin was out of his chair and leaning on the headmaster's desk.

"You can't possibly send her," he said with alarm. " It's too dangerous! We'll just have to find someone else."

"Remus, it makes sense for her to go," Dumbledore said gently.

"No. You can't send her." Remus was adamant.

Dumbledore quietly finished the argument. "She's already agreed."

Lupin sat back down with a defeated attitude.

"I understand your concerns, Remus, but Lorien can take care of herself, as I'm sure you are aware," the headmaster said patiently.

Lupin nodded as Black looked at him sympathetically.

Snape arrived as the two men were rising to leave the headmaster's office, and Dumbledore watched as Black gave Snape a brief menacing look before walking past him. Lupin and Snape regarded each other with icy stares and then the werewolf was gone as well. Things had obviously deteriorated between the two men further.

"You're as popular with the Gryffindors as ever, I see," Dumbledore said to Snape.

Snape sat and looked at the older wizard. "Apparently they don't like the company I've been keeping," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I see," was all the headmaster said.

"Severus, things are in place for Halloween," Dumbledore began. " I've arranged for you to meet Alastor Moody at..."

"Mad-Eye Moody? Are you quite serious?" Snape asked caustically.

"Yes," said Dumbledore quite firmly.

Snape let him continue.

"He's promised to bring at least a little help to keep watch over things," the headmaster added.

"And how am I supposed to get there to meet him?" Snape asked.

"Lorien's going with you," Dumbledore replied.

"What?" Snape blinked at the headmaster, unsure about what he'd just heard.

The headmaster shrugged. "She's a better choice than Lupin or Black."

"No!" Snape said defiantly as he stood. "It's too dangerous. I won't have it."

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise and then so did the younger wizard's. Snape resisted the sudden urge to clap a hand over his own mouth and he sat down and leaned his forehead on his hand dejectedly. "I sound like that bloody werewolf," he muttered.

"Understandable, Severus," Dumbledore said kindly.

Snape looked up finally. "Fine. The witch goes."

Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad you see things the way she does."

"You asked her already?" Snape asked.

"Yes," said Dumbledore.

Snape rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

A/N: I love this chapter. It's all worked out - six more chapters to go before the end of the story, gang. We pick up the pace again from here to the end. Time for some action with the romance, yes? (No, not THAT kind of action! This is PG-13!) *rolls eyes*