Chapter 10

Snape looked at his watch. He'd been standing there for ten minutes already. She was desperately late. "Severus! I'm so sorry! There was thing. . ." she scrunched her nose up. "Thing. . . that came up." She was dressed in Muggle sports clothes. "I was going to be dressed as a Muggle. . . jogger." That really explains the make-up, Snape thought.

"We better go." They disapparated outside of Harry Potter's house. Snape changed his appearance, to shorter brown hair and changed into Muggle clothes. Similar to what he'd worn on his first proper date with Tonks. They looked at each other, and then sat on a bench outside of 4 Privet Drive.

The silence took over, and it wasn't comfortable. Both wanted to say something, or any noise to stop how uncomfortable this was, but neither knew what to say.

There was an owl hoot. The owl disappeared through the top window of number 4. "I guess that's from Ron and Hermione," Tonks said. "They were writing a letter when I left." Snape grunted.

"Y'know, I was thinking this afternoon how boring the living room is. I mean, I like white, but don't you think it could do with some colour?" Snape grunted again. "Yeah. I agree. I wonder if. . ."

"Nymphadora! This was already awful without your non-stop chatter in the background!" Snape snapped. Tonks closed her mouth.

"Sorry. . ." she mumbled. She stood up and walked towards the small park. Snape sat there, watching her retreating figure.

Tonks sat on the swing, thinking. She had probably annoyed him beyond all accounts. She glanced at her watch, and stood up again and sat down on the bench once again.

"Y'know, You never told me why you never replied to my constant owls," Tonks said, sadly, after a while.

Snape didn't look at her. "Well, I thought it was great, 'till your friend told me the truth." Tonks looked at him confused. "The dare."

Tonks didn't know what to say. She was well beyond sorry and couldn't believe it. And it had obviously hurt him. "I. . . I don't know what to say. . ." she started.

"Don't bother. It was a long time ago now, and I don't really care." Snape stood up, and looked around. "I'm gonna go back, get somesupplies from number 13 quickly. See you in a minute." He disapparated.

Tonks sighed and found her lip twitching. That only ever happened if she was upset or really angry. She knew which it was. A single tear drifted down her cheek, and she washed it away as Snape apparated again. "Food." He handed her a ham sandwich, which she started instantly.

"Severus. . ." At the same time, he said her first name. They both laughed nervously.

"You first," Snape said.

"I was just thinking. I know how much I hurt you. . ."

"It didn't hurt me. I knew it would happen," Snape retorted.

"But I really would like. . ."

"Miss. Tonks, I don't really care! You did that, and I didn't expect you to. I thought you were different. But you just the same as every other woman I've been interested in. I thought you were mature. But you're still young."

"That was then! I've grown up! I'm different! And you may think it was all just a dare, but I felt for you!" They were both standing up, facing each other.

"Well, it certainly didn't seem that way!"

"Well it should!" They were inches away from each other.

"I hate you even more than I did the other day!"

"Not as much as I hate you miss. Tonks, I can assure you!"

Then, the anger, pain they'd felt since the day they stopped seeing each other, came pouring out. They broke the kiss suddenly, not noticing Petunia Dursely watching from the living room.

Neither knew what to say again. They sat on either end of bench, casting side-long glances at each other occasionally. They were both stunned at the passion of the kiss, and yet hated it at the same time.

It would help if he wasn't such a damn good kisser, Tonks thought.

I bet she's been planning this for months, Snape thought. I really wish it would happen again. . .WHAT!

- -

It was a meeting the next day. Harry would be arriving in a few days, and the arrangements needed to be perfect.

"And, I suppose that I better not go. Remus and Moody should go. That's all. Oh, and Sirius, how's the cleaning going?" Snape smirked at Sirius and was walking down the hall when he bumped into Tonks who had rushed in with her wind-swept hair.

"We need to talk," Snape said suddenly, and grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. He closed the door and Tonks sat down.

"That kiss last night. . . it was all emotions. Anger coming out. It meant nothing. It means nothing!" Snape said. Tonks studied him.

"Then why is it all you can think about?" she asked. He looked into her eyes. Those eyes. There always had been something about them. . .

"It's not!" he snapped.

"Don't lie Severus, I'm not stupid." She stood up and they stood looking at each other. Seeing no way out, Snape moved his face toward hers. "I thought it was stupid?" Tonks said.

"What can I say? I changed my mind." She giggled as he pulled her closer.