Chapter Two:
Pain. Blinding, searing pain. Severus Snape hunched over, gasping for air. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Remus smiling down at him knowingly.
"Like I said, one week and you can piss painlessly. Until then, long, cold showers. Very cold." Remus laughed.
"That little wench!" Severus hissed, stumbling over to the couch.
"I warned you, Severus. She's a feisty one."
"Excellent." Severus smirked.
"Uh-oh…I know that look! What are you planning?" Remus asked worriedly.
"You'll see. When I'm through with her, pissing properly will be the least of Miss Tonks' worries."
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Snape slipped into his seat. The meeting would soon come to order. Two weeks of waiting. Now it was time. He watched as she slunk into the room, tripping over Remus' cloak as she fell into Moody's lap. The gruff Auror helped her up and set her carefully into the seat next to him, shaking his head and laughing at her clumsiness.
"No, No, Tonks. It's no problem. I'm used to it by now." he growled.
Tonks flashed him an apologetic smile through the color rising in her cheeks. She let her eyes wander around the room. All of the usual people were here. Moody and Remus, of course. And Bill, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George, Kingsley, Emma Cook, Amanda Leonard, Alan Blanchard, the only noticeable absence being Sirius. The meetings were always empty now that he was gone. But someone else was…Tonks' eyes settled in the far corner of the room. She could barely make out a figure hidden by shadows. Tonks' face broke into an evil smirk, as she sauntered over to his corner.
"Hiding?" she asked sweetly.
"What would be the point? You're still here." Severus bit out.
"Ah, still hurts, then?" she grinned mischievously.
"No. Remus was correct in his calculations. I can now 'piss properly', as it has been over a week." Severus sneered.
"Yes, I have very good aim."
"I'd like to test that theory sometime."
No one could have mistaken the hidden meaning of his statement. Tonks blanched. She quickly returned to her seat and waited for the meeting to begin, always aware of his eyes on her.
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Severus smirked. He could see the blush rising in her cheeks as he watched her hair fade from black to pale blonde. Loosing control of her appearance, first sign of nervousness. Tonks spotted the slip up and her hair quickly deepened to black again. Her eyes never traveled to his corner, and she shot up from the table at the end of the meeting.
"Miss Tonks?" Severus called before she could escape.
Tonks froze mid step. Her shoulders slumped and she slowly turned, grimacing, to face him. She nodded her head in acknowledgement, and waited. Severus led her into a deserted hallway of the large house.
"I hope you realize that you're little, violent act, was a fluke. I was merely caught off guard and should you try again, you would fail." he sneered.
"Is that so?" Tonks asked, anger growing.
"Yes that is so."
"And if I should try again, how would you stop me?" Tonks asked.
"I believe you remember my comment from before the meeting?" Snape asked silkily.
"Y--no." Tonks said defiantly.
"Then maybe I should remind you?" Severus whispered in her ear.
Her ear? How did he get so close? Too close! Tonks panicked and pushed his chest away, forcing him into the wall and bearing down on him angrily. Snape smirked.
"Remus was right again. You are a feisty one, aren't you?" he commented dryly.
"You evil, wicked, wretched, insolent, demeaning, overbearing, repulsive, horrendous, slimy, twisted, demented, sardonic, foul, rude, vulgar, audacious, impudent, horrible man!" Tonks hissed.
"You forgot sarcastic and ill-mannered." Severus stated mildly.
"YOU ARE SO DAMN INFURIATING! HOW CAN YOU STAND TO BE SO…SO--?"
"Charming? Evasive? Cunning? Suave? Attractive?" Severus whispered the last word.
"No!" Tonks shook her head, moving away from him. "No, no, not, …no!" she muttered distractedly.
Snape held back a laugh as he slipped soundlessly out of the hallway. He could hear Tonks' continued mutterings fade as he left he house. When she turned to look at him defiantly, she faced only and empty wall.
"Severus?" She whispered, but only silence answered her.
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Severus stared around the Great Hall with disgust. He'd lost his appetite for breakfast already. He watched silently as the students giggled and yelled across the halls at each other. The only table upholding some dignity was Slytherin. Severus smirked proudly at that, until he caught Draco Malfoy making obscene and suggestive gestures at Hermione Granger from across the Hall.
The rustling of a hundred owls interrupted Severus' thoughts. The owls soared through the Hall, dropping the morning post to their respective owners. A large gray owl dropped a sealed letter onto his plate. It was shaking slightly, and glowing a faint red. A Howler? Who in their right minds would send him a Howler? His question was answered when the letter burst into flames and a loud voice filled the hall, echoing off the walls.
"SEVERUS SNAPE! ARE YOU DULL? YOU WILL PAY! HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME AFTER LAST NIGHT? IT WAS AMAZING! AND I WAKE UP THIS MORNING TO FIND MY BED EMPTY? YOU'LL COME TO REGRET THE DAY YOU WERE BORN IF YOU EVER LEAVE MY BEDSIDE AGAIN, SNAPE!"
The voice faded away and the entire hall stared in shock at the Potions Master. Severus stared blankly at the spot where the howler had once been, and now there lay a single slip of parchment. He picked it up cautiously, and read:
I believe you asked; now I'll answer:
"Charming?" No.
"Evasive?" eh.
" Cunning?" Pure Slytherin.
"Suave?" Very.
" Attractive?" Definitely, Severus. Definitely.
Severus stalked out of the Hall, glaring at the students and staff alike on his way to his dungeons. He was furious. How dare she? But still he thought of the last words of her letter, and intrigue clouded his anger.