A Proposition

"Headmaster, I must return to my class," Snape's voice demanded from behind the old man as they headed toward his office.
"Argus is already headed down to attend to them," Albus informed lightly as he ascended the staircase to the next floor. "Aletta, you have no class at the moment, correct?"
"Yes, this is my free time for the day," she said as Snape turned his head to glare at her once again. "Will you stop doing that!"
Severus glared at her even more, if that was possible, and his eyes looked incredibly unnerving, "I am not doing anything!"
"Children!" Dumbledore said a little louder than usual from ahead of them. "Please try to behave yourselves."
Snape growled at being called a child and sped up so he was next to Dumbledore and as far away from Aletta as he could get. Aletta helped increase his distance from her by slowing down her pace.
They had soon arrived the statue of a gargoyle and Albus exclaimed his password to it, "Pop rocks!"
Severus rolled his eyes as Aletta giggled at her uncle's new password.
"I take it you enjoyed the candy I brought to you?" Aletta asked as the trio walked up the staircase to Dumbledore's massive office.
"Yes, very much so," he said gleefully as he walked over to his desk to sit down.
Aletta peered around at the office she had only once been in. Fawkes, Albus' phoenix, was sleeping peacefully on his perch while little planets and orbs zoomed in every direction along the ceiling. The walls were swathed with bookshelves crammed with Muggle books, Wizarding books, and books in all different languages. Next to her uncle's desk stood a huge globe that revolved magically.
"You two may sit down," Albus said as he gestured toward a couple of chairs in front of his desk.
Snape took his seat swiftly with a sort of cat-like approach from his previous standpoint next to Fawkes. Aletta sat down slowly, trying not to turn and look at Snape, whose narrowed slits of onyx were now penetrating into her skull. Dumbledore seemed to notice the tension between the two and spoke into the silence.
"I presume that you both are wondering why you are here," Albus said as he scrutinized his two employees. They both nodded and Albus nodded in response.
"Then I suspect that it is my duty to enlighten you," he added as he chuckled at Aletta's perplexed expression. Severus, on the other hand, was quite reserved and composed. He was used to this sort of thing. The war had caused him to have frequent visits to this office in order to receive important information. It had made his job as a spy a trifle easier. And most of the time, he was the one informing Albus about Voldemort's plans. But the war was over, and Severus had not seen Albus this grave. Sure, he was chuckling and smiling. But his eyes had no hint of happiness at all.
While Severus was pondering these notions, Albus had stood up to meander over to Fawkes, who was now awake and twittering softly. He started to stroke the phoenix's multihued feathers gently, and it seemed to purr contentedly like a cat.
"I am fortunate that I found you two bickering in the corridor," Albus continued as Snape glared even more at his last comment. "However, I did not bring you two here to punish you both with a slap on the hand for a little brawl."
"We were not brawling, Headmaster," Snape snapped defensively and Aletta couldn't help but let out a small cluck.
"The hell we weren't!" Aletta exclaimed sarcastically as she pivoted her head to glower at him.
"We were not-,"
"Silence!" Dumbledore shouted quietly over the squabbling professors as Fawkes squawked. "Please, I beg of you, just settle down before any one of us dies!"
The two shut up immediately. When the Headmaster had that tone of voice, which was not very often, it meant to stifle yourself and listen. Neither of the two even opened their mouths to apologize.
"Thank you," Albus said with gratitude. "As I said before, I do not have any vast concerns about your last quarrel, except that I wish for you two to behave like professionals and not children. Professors are to act as role models for the students as well as teach them."
Snape grunted and Aletta apologized in reply. Albus strolled over to his desk chair and sat down.
"Although, I do have a colossal fear for one of our students. It seems that one has had the Memoria Curse cast upon him."
Aletta's eyes squinted in wonderment as Severus stood up to pace the room.
"Impossible!" Severus snapped as he turned to face Dumbledore. "No student would be able to perform such a dark spell!"
"Which means that it must have been a Death Eater, Severus," Albus said gently as he watched the infuriated man start to pace the room once again.
As Severus speeded back and forth, thinking of a possible curser of the student, Aletta asked her uncle, "And what, per say, is a Memoria Curse?"
Before Albus could answer, Severus swept over to her in a matter of seconds and snarled, "You are a professor that teaches how to defend against the Dark Arts and you have the impudence to ask what a Memoria Curse is? But then again, why am I so surprised?"
"And yet you still have the nerve to insult the Headmaster's great niece right in front of him? Bravo, Mr. Snape. Bravo!" Aletta shouted at him as she stood up to her full height.
The two glared at each other, looking as though they were about to kill each other with their evil stares.
Albus walked over between them. "I am afraid I was mistaken about you two."
Both professors stopped their stare of death and looked at their mentor.
"Ron Weasley is in the infirmary now, his memory is gone and may never return. I was hoping that I could count on both of you to fetch the ingredients for the potion that could revive him. Seeing as you two can't stand to even be in the same room together, I am afraid that I will have to fetch some other professionals that can actually communicate with each other."
Albus walked from between them and toward his office door. Both of the professors looked at each other, but not with hatred. Severus had a thoughtful look while Aletta smiled sadly at him. Severus felt his heart leap with excitement. She sure knew how to make his organs do awkward things. Hell, she probably didn't even think he had a heart. Severus knew that he wanted to get along with her deep inside, but his exterior just wouldn't allow him. She would enter a room, and his stomach would do flips until he felt he couldn't hold his composure anymore. Why was it that only seconds ago he felt like strangling her . . . and now he just felt like holding her. It was an embarrassing feeling. But mostly, it was time to apologize, he thought, for Albus and . . . for my heart.
"Albus?" Severus murmured at the old man that was just about to exit his office.
Albus turned around and his eyes glittered maddeningly, "Yes, Severus?"
"I'll -," Severus cleared his throat. "I'll do it."
Aletta smiled at him and the corner of Severus mouth twitched up ever so slightly.
"That is if you still want to come with me?" he asked her thoughtfully, but not exactly kindly.
Aletta was secretly screaming "YES!" over and over again. Only seconds ago she was ready to sink her fist into his overly large nose. She knew she found this cynical man attractive. And he had almost smiled at her. She found herself beginning to actually like him. Before it was, well, his looks. Now he seemed even more beautiful.
"Of course," she whispered as she looked deep into his striking, black eyes.
"Excellent!" Albus cried exuberantly. "Harry and Hermione will be thrilled!"
Severus' eyes darkened and Aletta frowned. She guessed that it was the mention of either Harry or Hermione's name.
"Oh, what rotten luck!" Albus said. "I had you two miss dinner. And, actually, so have I," he chuckled. "It is just about at the end of the feast, so I will appear and explain everything before the students and faculty retire for the night. You two, however, may head down to the kitchen and grab some food there."
Without another word spoken, Albus left, leaving the two professors uncomfortably alone.
I have a question, is anybody reading this? I might remove it.