Chapter 14- I Don't Know How
She can kill with her smile, she can warm with her eyes
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reviews what she wants you to see
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me
She can lead you to love she can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free
Yeah she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me
Oh she takes care of herself she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time oh and she never gives out
And she never gives in she just changes her mind
And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden
And she'll cut you and laugh while you're bleeding
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself cause she's always a woman to me
hmm...
oh she takes care of herself she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time oh and she never gives out
And she never gives in she just changes her mind
She's frequently kind and she's suddenly cool
And she can do as she pleases she's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted she's earn her degrees
And the most she would do is draw shadows and know that
She's always a woman to me
hmm...
-She's Always A Woman To Me, Billy Joel
"Dammit!" Raine Trinity cursed loudly as she sliced her finger with the knife.
"Five points from Ravenclaw, Miss. Trinity," Snape strummed from his desk as he slashed a big red mark on the paper he was grading.
Blood trickled down her finger as she ceased from chopping the dried caterpillars on her desk. Raine was about ready to throw the chopped up insect pieces in Snape's greasy face! She was pissed at everybody today. Especially Draco Malfoy. And now Snape had to deduct points from her house to make the matter worse. Draco's irritatingly handsome face smirked at her as she stood to show Snape her wound. As she passed Draco's desk at the front of the room, she swore she heard him murmur her name to one of those fat friends of his. She stopped walking and turned to him.
"Hello, Mudblood," he drawled quietly so Snape couldn't hear him.
"How many times do I have to tell you!" she snarled. "I am not a mudblood!"
"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Miss Trinity," Snape said without glancing up from his paper work.
Can that greasy git do anything else except deduct points? she asked herself as her fellow Ravenclaws glared at her.
Draco coughed to get Raine's attention. "Your muddy blood is contaminating the floor."
Raine suddenly whipped out her wand and yelled, "Goosempra!"
Before Draco could duck, he was instantly turned in to a goose. Draco the goose flopped to the ground and he honked loudly. He flew up and perched on the desk, his eyes ablaze with fury. The students snickered uncontrollably as Snape's attention was now brought to the scene before him.
"Detention, Miss Trinity!" he snarled as he stood to undo the spell.
When Draco was brought from his goose state, he yelled, "Mudblood bitch!"
The Slytherins snickered, but stopped when Snape also gave him detention. Raine smirked as Draco gave her a look of pure hatred.
"And get yourself up to the Infirmary," Snape snapped at Raine as he distinguished her bloody finger. "We don't need you vitiating the classroom!"
Raine left swiftly without another backward glance. She was glad to be away from Draco and Snape. As she made her way down the corridor, she saw Aletta making her way toward her. Aletta was not dressed in her usual attire. Instead of black robes she was in bright green, velvet ones.
"Where are you supposed to be, Raine?" she asked gently as she stopped in front of Raine.
Raine was just about to tell her when Aletta had conspicuously seen her cut. "Potions, I take it?"
She nodded and Aletta amusingly grumbled something obscene about Snape. Raine suppressed a snort as Aletta walked toward the Potions classroom. When she reached the door, she gesticulated Raine to follow her back inside. When they entered, Snape peeked up from his work and failed to see Aletta.
"I thought I told you to go-" he stopped mid-sentence when he did detect her. "Are you in need of something, Aletta?"
Damn, Aletta thought, I caught him in a pissy mood. "Well, I saw Raine did not have an escort to the Infirmary. You do know that injured students need to be brought to Madame Pomfrey by a professor?"
Snape scowled at Aletta and deftly swept himself from his desk. He advanced on the two females with an almost dire type of stride.
"Are you presuming to tell me that I'm not aware of how to do my job?" he asked menacingly as he backed Aletta out into the corridor.
Raine followed, assuming that she was supposed to.
"Because I can guarantee you," he whispered dangerously as he backed her up against the stone cold wall, "that I know exactly what I am doing."
"Oh, but of course," Aletta joked as she felt her heart race. "Though I don't fathom why you would send her up to the Infirmary for that sort of scrape when you are bound to have a potion that can treat it."
"Now hear this, Miss Dumbledore," he sneered quietly as he leaned even closer to her. "I will not be spoken to that way! You know very well that I do not have the time nor the patience to attend to such a wound! Now . . . I have a class to teach and students to attend to, so if you don't mind, I think it is time for you to take your ignorance elsewhere!"
Aletta was torn between confusion and fury, which made her feel a strange sense of vertigo. He could be such a sweet gentleman one day, and the next he'll turn into a complete bastard. This is just too much, Aletta thought, I can't deal with this man. Her eyes traveled from his chest to his dark, heartless eyes. She saw not the man that she conversed with last night, but the same cynical man that she met the first day she came to Hogwarts.
"Then perhaps I should back out of our little voyage," she started calmly and slowly as her eyes searched his. "That is what you wanted all along, isn't it?" she turned to Raine and added, "Come, Miss Trinity. I believe you have a cut that needs attending to."
Raine breathed deeply, for she had almost held her breath during the professors' little disagreement. She was baffled by the way these two professors communicated. Her dark emerald eyes met Aletta's briefly before she started off down the corridor. Aletta followed but halted when she heard Severus' voice call to her.
"No Aletta," he said quietly. "I don't want that anymore."
She turned to look at him. He almost seemed apologetic, but only his eyes did. Severus still had on his impassive expression. Severus didn't know what was happening to him. Just the way she had looked at him made him feel . . . rotten. He never felt remorse for the cruel things he had said in the past, nor cared if it hurt the person he said it to. But this woman . . . this inconceivable woman could make him do anything she wanted him to. He hated to admit it to himself
"Then what do you want, Professor?"
Snape approached her until his body was inches from hers. He hesitated, but took her hand in his. Looking down at their entwined fingers he murmured, "I want you . . ." he started but paused. This caused Aletta to blush furiously. Severus realized he hadn't finished his sentence and added quickly, "to come with me."
Aletta smiled and squeezed his hand, "Very well."
He rapidly let go of her hand and drawled, "I know this is quite sudden, but tomorrow is when we take our leave. Unfortunately, Albus has planned a 'Going Away Party" so to speak."
Aletta giggled as he rolled his eyes at the thought of the gathering, "Yes, I know. My friend who will be taking over my classes is attending it."
Severus nodded and heard a loud crash from inside the classroom. He growled and swept off without another word. Aletta heard him chastising the poor culprit.
"Uh, can we go now?" Raine asked, the impatience clear in her voice.
She nodded and rushed Raine to the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey was very displeased with Aletta for bringing Raine so late. She didn't feel like explaining why she was tardy to such an uptight nurse. After Aletta had bid farewell to Raine, she headed off to her quarters. She had quite a bit to do before the party came.
* * *
"MAYA!" Aletta yelled excitedly.
Aletta ran down the steps in her yellow flowered dress to greet the strawberry-blonde beauty at the Hogwarts gates. The green-eyed girl grinned and sped up to meet her best friend.
"Hey, bitch!" Aletta joked as she finally reached Maya.
"That again?" Maya laughed as she hugged Aletta.
Aletta laughed and took some of Maya's luggage. "Well, the party's in a half and hour. Did you want to go get ready?"
"Sure," Maya agreed as they walked up the path together.
The two females were three steps into the hallway leading to the dungeon stairs when Aletta heard the approach of footsteps behind them, and her muscles stiffened automatically. It had to be Severus. She had no idea were he was before, but with his cat-soft way of walking she knew it was him.
The desire was there to pretend she didn't hear the firm strides of the man walking behind them. She might have ignored them if she hadn't seen Maya glancing over her shoulder. There was no choice except for Aletta to do the same.
No ebony-black eyes met the sparkling challenge of hers. Instead she saw the darker softness of Sirius Black's gazing warmly at the now halted Maya. Relief shuddered through her. It wasn't a welcome reaction. She wanted to be more poised and in command than this when she met Snape face to face.
"May you introduce me to your beautiful friend, Aletta?" he asked smoothly as he gazed at Maya, clearly appreciating what he saw.
"Maya, this is Sirius Black," Aletta introduced, but explained about him when she saw the question in Maya's eyes. "His name was cleared, as you know. And the reason he is here, is to take over Professor Snape's classes."
Maya gave the handsome, black-haired man a small smile and outstretched her hand, "I'm Maya Claire. A friend of Aletta's."
Sirius willingly accepted her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his soft lips and pecked it gently. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Claire."
"Call me Maya," she said, as her cheeks blushed to a light pink.
Sirius gave her one of his dashing smiles and nodded his head before he continued down the corridor. Maya reached up to tuck a strand of her hair, which had fallen loose, behind her ear.
"He's . . .," she murmured as she walked on down into the dungeon with Aletta, "cute."
"Yeah right!" Aletta mocked. "Considering the fact that you were practically drooling!"
"I was not!" Maya protested loudly until she saw the knowing look in Aletta's eyes. "Okay . . .maybe I was a little bit."
And with that they both laughed and joked until they finally reached Aletta's quarters.
* * *
Aletta sat at the mini bar in the Great Hall, swiveling the martini she was holding around and around. As of now, the glittering substance in her glass was her only entertainment. Parties were never something she would consider a fun time. This party had started an hour ago, and already she was losing her interest in the dancing and merry conversing between the guests. Arthur and Molly Weasley had chosen to join the little hullabaloo, though they were understandably grave. Aletta couldn't tax them. How else were you supposed to be happy when you knew you had a son up in the hospital wing asking what his name was? The Weasley's sadness made Aletta's determination boost a good deal. Her thoughts of the family were disturbed as someone sat next to her.
"A whiskey on the rocks," His silky voice made her feel like drinking it, just so she could get a taste of heaven.
"Right away, Mr. Snape!" an elf on the other side of the bar squeaked, as he elicited a whiskey bottle from the shelves below the table.
In less than a minute, Snape's small glass of liquor was placed before him. He took a generous swig of it before he turned his dark gaze to her. She didn't return the gaze and downed the rest of her white chocolate martini. The two future adventurers sat in silence. The music, which had been a fast rock song, had now switched to a slow jazzy one. The sound of slow jazz always comforted Aletta, especially the song on now which was called "Sweet Pea" by Miles Davis.
"If I'm ever forced to choose a favorite kind of music, it would be jazz."
Aletta jumped slightly and turned to smile at his handsome self. She noted that he looked markedly handsome tonight. She didn't know why, since he was wearing his usual attire. Maybe it was the way the candlelight brought out his chiseled, drop-dead beautiful features. Or the way his sophisticated, aquiline nose made him seem so labyrinthine and anointed. Or, perhaps, the way he was smirking at her right now because of her display of staring at his natural, dark beauty.
"Miss Dumbledore, I know my nose is unusually colossal, but I don't think gawking at it will make it taper off."
Aletta quickly averted her gaze to her empty martini glass. "Sorry. I wasn't staring at it. I . . . suppose I'm just a little dazed and disoriented tonight."
Snape's arched an eyebrow and purred sarcastically, "I conjectured you were a woman that would enjoy mentally incompetent parties such as this one. Though judging by your jaded, cloyed expression and your absence from the exciting festivities around you, I'd say not."
"That's for sure." Aletta laughed.
"Then I am no different from you, Miss Dumbledore," He replied softly as his glittering black eyes examined her angelic features. "The Headmaster has a soiree for the staff every month, which I unfortunately, cannot avoid."
"He forces you to attend?" Aletta asked baffled as she licked her finger and started to ring it around the rim of her crystal glass.
"Not physically or verbally, of course," he replied as he started to become annoyed at the loud ring that was now sounding from her glass. "But how he does impel me to go, I am still pondering."
"Maybe it's because he's such a kind man, that you can't even stop yourself from giving him his every wish," she said, knowing how her uncle had always done the same thing to her.
"Perhaps," he replied, thankful that she had now desisted in the glass ringing.
Snape marveled at how dazzling she was. Her moves, her speech . . . heavens, her body! She was in a white dress that hugged her curves and voluptuous, bosom beautifully. The dress reached down to just above her knees and was strapless, which accentuated her tan shoulders beautifully. Driven by his own lust for her, he did the unthinkable.
"Would you care to dance?"
Aletta turned to him, surprised that he would even consider dancing at such a public gathering. She could tell that he now regretted what he had asked.
"Never mind," he murmured quickly as he downed the rest of his whiskey. "I'm sorry-"
"I would love to," Aletta replied quietly as she set down her martini glass to stand. When she stood, she offered her hand to him.
"A lady should not offer her hand to a gentleman," Snape said quietly as he stood without taking her hand.
"I'll remember that when I come across one," she shot back softly, and he chuckled deeply as she took his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor.
Snape held both of her hands and swayed back and forth gently at first. Aletta giggled, took his left hand, and placed it on the small of her bare, soft back. He kept his right hand in hers and they started to slowly sway to and fro with the soft jazz. After about five minutes of dancing, Aletta gained the bravery to lean her head and gently rest it against his shoulder. The music and his touch made her lose herself completely. His musky, male scent didn't help either. The song lazed on, and Aletta became even more entranced by the man she was holding on to.
"Are you frightened?" his silky, deep voice whispered in her ear.
Aletta took her head off his shoulder and looked up into his endless, starry eyes. "Of what?"
"Tomorrow?" he said as he held her tighter to his taut chest.
Aletta gazed at him for a while and whispered back, "I suppose I am a little."
Severus squeezed her hand and said, "You don't need to be," Aletta gave him a questioning smile and he added gently, "I promise you that I won't let anything or anyone bring harm to you."
"Thank you, Severus. I can see that you have already had a talk with my uncle."
Severus nodded and leaned toward her so she could rest her head on his shoulder again. The two professors didn't talk for the rest of the song, or the party. After they finished their dance Aletta walked over to join Maya, who was intently talking to Sirius. They had been together the whole night, and Aletta had a feeling that Maya had finally met her guy.
An hour after she had finished her dance with Severus, Albus had asked her to join him for a walk out in the Hogwarts gardens.
"I can assure you, despite the circumstances with Ron's memory loss and the dangers you will face, that you will have a good time," the old man said gently as he passed a rose bush. "You may not be aware of this, but when you both reach that certain spot in the Dark Forest, you will be alarmed by the beauty of it."
Aletta turned her curious eyes on him and she stopped. "What do you mean?"
Her uncle stopped as well and turned to her, "Aletta, when a person looks at the Dark Forest, they see ugliness and danger. They are correct in a way, but not quite. You see Aletta, the further you go into the forest, the more beautiful it comes. It's almost an opposite of a normal one. I'm sure the forests you have come across, are beautiful on the outside . . . and dark on the inside."
Still finding it hard to believe that the Dark Forest was enchanting on the inside, Aletta had another question that was bothering her. "Uncle Albus, why is it that you chose Severus and I to get you the ingredients?"
"Well . . . Severus was ideal for the job because he knows the ingredients' appearance, and how to take care of them until you return," Albus had now continued walking, and so did Aletta. "And you Aletta. You were ideal for the job because you possess the knowledge to protect against unfriendly spells and animals. Therefore you can help protect Severus, as well as yourself."
"You don't think Severus is able to protect himself?" Aletta asked.
"I have no doubt of his abilities of protecting himself. Plus I know that he prefers working alone. But you, my dear, can keep him company and back him up when he does get into a unsafe predicament."
"He doesn't like company," Aletta said quietly. "I know that we are getting along now, but when that first trouble comes, I just don't think we can stop ourselves from killing each other."
Dumbledore had now stopped and turned to Aletta. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, "The greatest good you can do for each other, is not to just share your riches, but to reveal to the other, their own."
Aletta smiled and said, "I know, Uncle. I really do. But I just don't know how . . ."
"You both are, each of you butterflies with only one wing; and you can only fly by embracing one another."
"He wouldn't allow it," Aletta said gently. "If I even try and get close to him, I suppose he would shun me away. I just don't know how to get him to appreciate the friendship I am showing him."
"You will know how, Aletta," Albus whispered as he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. "You will know how."
Her uncle leaned over and gave her a hand a small peck before he left her to think about Severus.
She can kill with her smile, she can warm with her eyes
And she can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reviews what she wants you to see
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me
She can lead you to love she can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free
Yeah she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me
Oh she takes care of herself she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time oh and she never gives out
And she never gives in she just changes her mind
And she'll promise you more than the Garden of Eden
And she'll cut you and laugh while you're bleeding
But she'll bring out the best and the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself cause she's always a woman to me
hmm...
oh she takes care of herself she can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time oh and she never gives out
And she never gives in she just changes her mind
She's frequently kind and she's suddenly cool
And she can do as she pleases she's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted she's earn her degrees
And the most she would do is draw shadows and know that
She's always a woman to me
hmm...
-She's Always A Woman To Me, Billy Joel
"Dammit!" Raine Trinity cursed loudly as she sliced her finger with the knife.
"Five points from Ravenclaw, Miss. Trinity," Snape strummed from his desk as he slashed a big red mark on the paper he was grading.
Blood trickled down her finger as she ceased from chopping the dried caterpillars on her desk. Raine was about ready to throw the chopped up insect pieces in Snape's greasy face! She was pissed at everybody today. Especially Draco Malfoy. And now Snape had to deduct points from her house to make the matter worse. Draco's irritatingly handsome face smirked at her as she stood to show Snape her wound. As she passed Draco's desk at the front of the room, she swore she heard him murmur her name to one of those fat friends of his. She stopped walking and turned to him.
"Hello, Mudblood," he drawled quietly so Snape couldn't hear him.
"How many times do I have to tell you!" she snarled. "I am not a mudblood!"
"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Miss Trinity," Snape said without glancing up from his paper work.
Can that greasy git do anything else except deduct points? she asked herself as her fellow Ravenclaws glared at her.
Draco coughed to get Raine's attention. "Your muddy blood is contaminating the floor."
Raine suddenly whipped out her wand and yelled, "Goosempra!"
Before Draco could duck, he was instantly turned in to a goose. Draco the goose flopped to the ground and he honked loudly. He flew up and perched on the desk, his eyes ablaze with fury. The students snickered uncontrollably as Snape's attention was now brought to the scene before him.
"Detention, Miss Trinity!" he snarled as he stood to undo the spell.
When Draco was brought from his goose state, he yelled, "Mudblood bitch!"
The Slytherins snickered, but stopped when Snape also gave him detention. Raine smirked as Draco gave her a look of pure hatred.
"And get yourself up to the Infirmary," Snape snapped at Raine as he distinguished her bloody finger. "We don't need you vitiating the classroom!"
Raine left swiftly without another backward glance. She was glad to be away from Draco and Snape. As she made her way down the corridor, she saw Aletta making her way toward her. Aletta was not dressed in her usual attire. Instead of black robes she was in bright green, velvet ones.
"Where are you supposed to be, Raine?" she asked gently as she stopped in front of Raine.
Raine was just about to tell her when Aletta had conspicuously seen her cut. "Potions, I take it?"
She nodded and Aletta amusingly grumbled something obscene about Snape. Raine suppressed a snort as Aletta walked toward the Potions classroom. When she reached the door, she gesticulated Raine to follow her back inside. When they entered, Snape peeked up from his work and failed to see Aletta.
"I thought I told you to go-" he stopped mid-sentence when he did detect her. "Are you in need of something, Aletta?"
Damn, Aletta thought, I caught him in a pissy mood. "Well, I saw Raine did not have an escort to the Infirmary. You do know that injured students need to be brought to Madame Pomfrey by a professor?"
Snape scowled at Aletta and deftly swept himself from his desk. He advanced on the two females with an almost dire type of stride.
"Are you presuming to tell me that I'm not aware of how to do my job?" he asked menacingly as he backed Aletta out into the corridor.
Raine followed, assuming that she was supposed to.
"Because I can guarantee you," he whispered dangerously as he backed her up against the stone cold wall, "that I know exactly what I am doing."
"Oh, but of course," Aletta joked as she felt her heart race. "Though I don't fathom why you would send her up to the Infirmary for that sort of scrape when you are bound to have a potion that can treat it."
"Now hear this, Miss Dumbledore," he sneered quietly as he leaned even closer to her. "I will not be spoken to that way! You know very well that I do not have the time nor the patience to attend to such a wound! Now . . . I have a class to teach and students to attend to, so if you don't mind, I think it is time for you to take your ignorance elsewhere!"
Aletta was torn between confusion and fury, which made her feel a strange sense of vertigo. He could be such a sweet gentleman one day, and the next he'll turn into a complete bastard. This is just too much, Aletta thought, I can't deal with this man. Her eyes traveled from his chest to his dark, heartless eyes. She saw not the man that she conversed with last night, but the same cynical man that she met the first day she came to Hogwarts.
"Then perhaps I should back out of our little voyage," she started calmly and slowly as her eyes searched his. "That is what you wanted all along, isn't it?" she turned to Raine and added, "Come, Miss Trinity. I believe you have a cut that needs attending to."
Raine breathed deeply, for she had almost held her breath during the professors' little disagreement. She was baffled by the way these two professors communicated. Her dark emerald eyes met Aletta's briefly before she started off down the corridor. Aletta followed but halted when she heard Severus' voice call to her.
"No Aletta," he said quietly. "I don't want that anymore."
She turned to look at him. He almost seemed apologetic, but only his eyes did. Severus still had on his impassive expression. Severus didn't know what was happening to him. Just the way she had looked at him made him feel . . . rotten. He never felt remorse for the cruel things he had said in the past, nor cared if it hurt the person he said it to. But this woman . . . this inconceivable woman could make him do anything she wanted him to. He hated to admit it to himself
"Then what do you want, Professor?"
Snape approached her until his body was inches from hers. He hesitated, but took her hand in his. Looking down at their entwined fingers he murmured, "I want you . . ." he started but paused. This caused Aletta to blush furiously. Severus realized he hadn't finished his sentence and added quickly, "to come with me."
Aletta smiled and squeezed his hand, "Very well."
He rapidly let go of her hand and drawled, "I know this is quite sudden, but tomorrow is when we take our leave. Unfortunately, Albus has planned a 'Going Away Party" so to speak."
Aletta giggled as he rolled his eyes at the thought of the gathering, "Yes, I know. My friend who will be taking over my classes is attending it."
Severus nodded and heard a loud crash from inside the classroom. He growled and swept off without another word. Aletta heard him chastising the poor culprit.
"Uh, can we go now?" Raine asked, the impatience clear in her voice.
She nodded and rushed Raine to the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey was very displeased with Aletta for bringing Raine so late. She didn't feel like explaining why she was tardy to such an uptight nurse. After Aletta had bid farewell to Raine, she headed off to her quarters. She had quite a bit to do before the party came.
* * *
"MAYA!" Aletta yelled excitedly.
Aletta ran down the steps in her yellow flowered dress to greet the strawberry-blonde beauty at the Hogwarts gates. The green-eyed girl grinned and sped up to meet her best friend.
"Hey, bitch!" Aletta joked as she finally reached Maya.
"That again?" Maya laughed as she hugged Aletta.
Aletta laughed and took some of Maya's luggage. "Well, the party's in a half and hour. Did you want to go get ready?"
"Sure," Maya agreed as they walked up the path together.
The two females were three steps into the hallway leading to the dungeon stairs when Aletta heard the approach of footsteps behind them, and her muscles stiffened automatically. It had to be Severus. She had no idea were he was before, but with his cat-soft way of walking she knew it was him.
The desire was there to pretend she didn't hear the firm strides of the man walking behind them. She might have ignored them if she hadn't seen Maya glancing over her shoulder. There was no choice except for Aletta to do the same.
No ebony-black eyes met the sparkling challenge of hers. Instead she saw the darker softness of Sirius Black's gazing warmly at the now halted Maya. Relief shuddered through her. It wasn't a welcome reaction. She wanted to be more poised and in command than this when she met Snape face to face.
"May you introduce me to your beautiful friend, Aletta?" he asked smoothly as he gazed at Maya, clearly appreciating what he saw.
"Maya, this is Sirius Black," Aletta introduced, but explained about him when she saw the question in Maya's eyes. "His name was cleared, as you know. And the reason he is here, is to take over Professor Snape's classes."
Maya gave the handsome, black-haired man a small smile and outstretched her hand, "I'm Maya Claire. A friend of Aletta's."
Sirius willingly accepted her hand, but instead of shaking it, he brought it to his soft lips and pecked it gently. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Claire."
"Call me Maya," she said, as her cheeks blushed to a light pink.
Sirius gave her one of his dashing smiles and nodded his head before he continued down the corridor. Maya reached up to tuck a strand of her hair, which had fallen loose, behind her ear.
"He's . . .," she murmured as she walked on down into the dungeon with Aletta, "cute."
"Yeah right!" Aletta mocked. "Considering the fact that you were practically drooling!"
"I was not!" Maya protested loudly until she saw the knowing look in Aletta's eyes. "Okay . . .maybe I was a little bit."
And with that they both laughed and joked until they finally reached Aletta's quarters.
* * *
Aletta sat at the mini bar in the Great Hall, swiveling the martini she was holding around and around. As of now, the glittering substance in her glass was her only entertainment. Parties were never something she would consider a fun time. This party had started an hour ago, and already she was losing her interest in the dancing and merry conversing between the guests. Arthur and Molly Weasley had chosen to join the little hullabaloo, though they were understandably grave. Aletta couldn't tax them. How else were you supposed to be happy when you knew you had a son up in the hospital wing asking what his name was? The Weasley's sadness made Aletta's determination boost a good deal. Her thoughts of the family were disturbed as someone sat next to her.
"A whiskey on the rocks," His silky voice made her feel like drinking it, just so she could get a taste of heaven.
"Right away, Mr. Snape!" an elf on the other side of the bar squeaked, as he elicited a whiskey bottle from the shelves below the table.
In less than a minute, Snape's small glass of liquor was placed before him. He took a generous swig of it before he turned his dark gaze to her. She didn't return the gaze and downed the rest of her white chocolate martini. The two future adventurers sat in silence. The music, which had been a fast rock song, had now switched to a slow jazzy one. The sound of slow jazz always comforted Aletta, especially the song on now which was called "Sweet Pea" by Miles Davis.
"If I'm ever forced to choose a favorite kind of music, it would be jazz."
Aletta jumped slightly and turned to smile at his handsome self. She noted that he looked markedly handsome tonight. She didn't know why, since he was wearing his usual attire. Maybe it was the way the candlelight brought out his chiseled, drop-dead beautiful features. Or the way his sophisticated, aquiline nose made him seem so labyrinthine and anointed. Or, perhaps, the way he was smirking at her right now because of her display of staring at his natural, dark beauty.
"Miss Dumbledore, I know my nose is unusually colossal, but I don't think gawking at it will make it taper off."
Aletta quickly averted her gaze to her empty martini glass. "Sorry. I wasn't staring at it. I . . . suppose I'm just a little dazed and disoriented tonight."
Snape's arched an eyebrow and purred sarcastically, "I conjectured you were a woman that would enjoy mentally incompetent parties such as this one. Though judging by your jaded, cloyed expression and your absence from the exciting festivities around you, I'd say not."
"That's for sure." Aletta laughed.
"Then I am no different from you, Miss Dumbledore," He replied softly as his glittering black eyes examined her angelic features. "The Headmaster has a soiree for the staff every month, which I unfortunately, cannot avoid."
"He forces you to attend?" Aletta asked baffled as she licked her finger and started to ring it around the rim of her crystal glass.
"Not physically or verbally, of course," he replied as he started to become annoyed at the loud ring that was now sounding from her glass. "But how he does impel me to go, I am still pondering."
"Maybe it's because he's such a kind man, that you can't even stop yourself from giving him his every wish," she said, knowing how her uncle had always done the same thing to her.
"Perhaps," he replied, thankful that she had now desisted in the glass ringing.
Snape marveled at how dazzling she was. Her moves, her speech . . . heavens, her body! She was in a white dress that hugged her curves and voluptuous, bosom beautifully. The dress reached down to just above her knees and was strapless, which accentuated her tan shoulders beautifully. Driven by his own lust for her, he did the unthinkable.
"Would you care to dance?"
Aletta turned to him, surprised that he would even consider dancing at such a public gathering. She could tell that he now regretted what he had asked.
"Never mind," he murmured quickly as he downed the rest of his whiskey. "I'm sorry-"
"I would love to," Aletta replied quietly as she set down her martini glass to stand. When she stood, she offered her hand to him.
"A lady should not offer her hand to a gentleman," Snape said quietly as he stood without taking her hand.
"I'll remember that when I come across one," she shot back softly, and he chuckled deeply as she took his hand and pulled him out onto the dance floor.
Snape held both of her hands and swayed back and forth gently at first. Aletta giggled, took his left hand, and placed it on the small of her bare, soft back. He kept his right hand in hers and they started to slowly sway to and fro with the soft jazz. After about five minutes of dancing, Aletta gained the bravery to lean her head and gently rest it against his shoulder. The music and his touch made her lose herself completely. His musky, male scent didn't help either. The song lazed on, and Aletta became even more entranced by the man she was holding on to.
"Are you frightened?" his silky, deep voice whispered in her ear.
Aletta took her head off his shoulder and looked up into his endless, starry eyes. "Of what?"
"Tomorrow?" he said as he held her tighter to his taut chest.
Aletta gazed at him for a while and whispered back, "I suppose I am a little."
Severus squeezed her hand and said, "You don't need to be," Aletta gave him a questioning smile and he added gently, "I promise you that I won't let anything or anyone bring harm to you."
"Thank you, Severus. I can see that you have already had a talk with my uncle."
Severus nodded and leaned toward her so she could rest her head on his shoulder again. The two professors didn't talk for the rest of the song, or the party. After they finished their dance Aletta walked over to join Maya, who was intently talking to Sirius. They had been together the whole night, and Aletta had a feeling that Maya had finally met her guy.
An hour after she had finished her dance with Severus, Albus had asked her to join him for a walk out in the Hogwarts gardens.
"I can assure you, despite the circumstances with Ron's memory loss and the dangers you will face, that you will have a good time," the old man said gently as he passed a rose bush. "You may not be aware of this, but when you both reach that certain spot in the Dark Forest, you will be alarmed by the beauty of it."
Aletta turned her curious eyes on him and she stopped. "What do you mean?"
Her uncle stopped as well and turned to her, "Aletta, when a person looks at the Dark Forest, they see ugliness and danger. They are correct in a way, but not quite. You see Aletta, the further you go into the forest, the more beautiful it comes. It's almost an opposite of a normal one. I'm sure the forests you have come across, are beautiful on the outside . . . and dark on the inside."
Still finding it hard to believe that the Dark Forest was enchanting on the inside, Aletta had another question that was bothering her. "Uncle Albus, why is it that you chose Severus and I to get you the ingredients?"
"Well . . . Severus was ideal for the job because he knows the ingredients' appearance, and how to take care of them until you return," Albus had now continued walking, and so did Aletta. "And you Aletta. You were ideal for the job because you possess the knowledge to protect against unfriendly spells and animals. Therefore you can help protect Severus, as well as yourself."
"You don't think Severus is able to protect himself?" Aletta asked.
"I have no doubt of his abilities of protecting himself. Plus I know that he prefers working alone. But you, my dear, can keep him company and back him up when he does get into a unsafe predicament."
"He doesn't like company," Aletta said quietly. "I know that we are getting along now, but when that first trouble comes, I just don't think we can stop ourselves from killing each other."
Dumbledore had now stopped and turned to Aletta. He took her hand and squeezed it gently, "The greatest good you can do for each other, is not to just share your riches, but to reveal to the other, their own."
Aletta smiled and said, "I know, Uncle. I really do. But I just don't know how . . ."
"You both are, each of you butterflies with only one wing; and you can only fly by embracing one another."
"He wouldn't allow it," Aletta said gently. "If I even try and get close to him, I suppose he would shun me away. I just don't know how to get him to appreciate the friendship I am showing him."
"You will know how, Aletta," Albus whispered as he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. "You will know how."
Her uncle leaned over and gave her a hand a small peck before he left her to think about Severus.
