Disclaimer: Everyone is JK Rowling's, I'm just borrowing them. I promise I'll not hurt them. And I have no money, I'm a poor University student.

Warnings: a little bit of slash like Harry kissing Draco and Snape kissing… I won't tell… :)

This is the betaed version…, so big thanks for my wonderful beta, Pottergirl!

Midnight meetings

Chapter Three

It was half past midnight, and Snape was sitting alone in the Great Hall, all alone in the dark. The Potter boy had been carried off by Dumbledore, and he was in a foul mood. That boy snakes off like that and the Headmaster gives him permission to be around Draco all the time. He should have taken points too…

But… In truth he didn't mind the results. Draco needed friends when he woke up, and Potter and his friends were the sort of people who befriended everyone who needed help. And damned if the youngest Malfoy wasn't in need now.

Which made him wonder…

He heard footsteps. It couldn't be a ghost, he mused, ghosts don't have feet to tramp the halls, Potter was out cold thanks to Dumbledore, and he didn't know any student who would be willing to risk the Headmaster's wrath this time. So, either it was a teacher, or…

He grabbed his wand and waited for the intruder.

A small shade of light crept in the Great Hall, it made the silky darkness a shade lighter, and Severus was able to make out a thin hand holding a candle. The man belonging to the hand stood unsure and was staring blindly in the darkness as if searching for something.

"I am here, Lockhart." Severus said, standing up.

The man stopped and spotted him in the eerie light. He quickened his footsteps and came closer.

"Albus said that you were here. I am to take your place from now on. I'll watch." he said, voice and face tired.

"Don't be ridiculous!" scoffed the Potions Master as he grabbed the hand holding the candle and pushed it against the other's face. Lockhart jumped a little, but stood his ground. "You are too pale and tired to watch. You'll fall asleep standing up."

"Well, thank you for your concern, Severus, but I think I'll be able. And you can't spend the whole night here when you have classes to teach tomorrow." said the man, smile lighting his tired face. He resembled Lupin a little with his wise, warm smile, and Snape hated the thought. And when angry, Severus Snape was a dangerous beast.

"For your information, I'm not concerned about *you*, I am concerned about the *children* wandering the halls in dangerous hours. And I would *kindly* thank you if you would call me *Professor*, or perhaps *Professor Snape*." He sputtered, half speaking, half hissing the words as curses.

Lockhart's face melted first into confusion then into fear and anger as he was kindly asked to call the Potions Master formally.

"I… I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way. Was it now or did we know each other before? Maybe when I was teaching here, before the accident?" he asked, as polite as he could be.

"Oh, you could say that, Lockhart. But I wouldn't call that teaching. Blabbing about how wonderful and pretty you are, not teaching anything to the children, worrying about beauty and fame, and endangering two students, no, trying to curse two students is not what I call an accident."

Gilderoy went very pink, a very flattering color Snape's mind added and he cast his eyes to the floor.

"Yes, I did many things, or at least I heard that I did very petty things, but I can safely say that I'm not that man anymore. Because I don't remember, and because I don't want to be. I am a fully trained auror, and I do what I have to do… And I would never ever hurt anyone willingly. Well, not friends. I can't talk about enemies." he spoke in soft, hushed tones, baby-blue eyes searching Severus' onyx ones for any hint of warming up, but finding nothing.

Snape stared at him for a long time, then he walked around the table, and nodded to the blonde.

"Well then. If you really are so sure of yourself, I'll go and retire for the night. Please feel free to sleep on the table if you realize that you are who you are. I won't mind, I know you." And he stalked away.

Gilderoy looked after the man and stared. He remembered that voice. He remembered that stalk. He called after the man.

"Wait! Please!" The Great Hall was full of his melodious voice for a minute, and the man stopped. But didn't turn. Gilderoy had to catch up with him if he didn't want to raise the whole castle with shouting. He ran to the man, worn blue robes flapping. "I remember you. When you walked away it just clicked. And I remember your voice. I know that I… I…" He tried to find the exact word as he was under that intensive black gaze.

"You what? That you ridiculed me? Yes, you did that. Made me out to be a fool in front of the other teachers." His voice was once again cold and impassive, regarding the man in front of him like a useless thing.

"No! I mean, I remember that we kissed. I don't know if kissing means being a fool, but---"

"Being chased by you, kissed by you in the teacher's room, found then and there by said teachers and then pleading with me to finally leave you alone, not to send you any more love letters and not to kiss you after you said no… That is what I'm talking about. And of course it took Albus all his contacts in Witches Weekly not to print your cleverly written love story about an ugly, lovesick ghoul at Hogwarts chasing pretty, helpless little Gilderoy Lockhart. That is exactly what I am talking about. Now, please leave me alone." He spat out, disgusted.

Gilderoy stood there frozen, buts and whys on the tip of his tongue, and he was unsure. Did he really hurt that man so much? Would the man kill him if he told him he looked good? Or should he kill himself and save him the trouble? His courage won out.

"Professor Snape! I think you look handsome, I surely wouldn't call you a ghoul!"

The impact was enough to pull down the castle. The man turned slowly, Glare in place, looking like the promised very painful death was not long in coming, and he stalked to the trembling blond man like a cross between a shadow and a murderous vulture with glowing eyes. Gilderoy had time only to swallow before the man grabbed him on his throat and squeezed.

"You. Think. I'm. Handsome? Then you surely wouldn't mind a kiss, would you?" And he clamped his mouth over the other man's.

Gilderoy had time to suck in a breath after his neck was released and before the thin, chapped lips clamped onto his. The kiss was brutal and demanding, fingers tearing his hair, nails scratching deeply his scalp, teeth biting his lower-lip, a tongue tasting of mint invading his mouth as he cried out in pain. But… as he softly caressed the tongue with his own, as he was biting softly, carefully the chapped lips, as his fingers wound trough the oily hair and massaged the other's scalp the man slowed down. Gilderoy felt the hesitancy as the man felt. He kissed back and then took over the kiss. He made it soft, slow, tender, as he wished it would be, and the man, reluctantly followed. For two seconds. Then the blonde was pushed away.

Gilderoy lost his balance as the heel of his shoe was caught by an outstanding stone and he landed painfully on his stony bottom.

"Ow… Why the hell did you do that, Snape?" He looked up at the man, hurt written all over his face and felt his blood run cold.

Hate reflected on the other's stony face and a mocking smile.

"Payback time is over." He hissed as a satiated snake. "And don't you ever dare to touch me again." And he turned and stalked out then, leaving a completely floored Gilderoy Lockhart on the hard stone floor.

TBC

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