OK everyone. I am putting this chapter up with 16 since they both are rather short. Let me know what you think.

Chapter Fifteen

"Hey Alex, care to join us for lunch?" Lia asked walking into the empty potions classroom. Alex looked up from the pile of essays she was grading. Ever since she had asked for something to do, Snape had been giving her piles of papers to grade.

"Yeah, sure. I can finish this later." Alex said and stood up. Snape walked back into the room with the book he had been previously looking for. He looked slightly surprised to see Lia down in the dungeons. It wasn't a place she frequented often.

"I'm going to lunch. Did you want to join us?" Alex offered. Snape just looked at her and moved over to his desk and opened the book.

"I'll take that as a no." Alex sighed. Snape said nothing but continued shifting through the book. "Fine. I'll be back later." The two girls left the classroom and headed up the stairs to where Remus and Fiona were waiting.

"What was that?" Lia grinned as they walked along the corridors.

"What was what?" Alex asked, glancing at her friend.

"You asking Snape to join us. I would have thought that you would be looking for any opportunity to be away from him." Lia said.

"I just feel sorry for him I guess." Alex shrugged. They came to the kitchens and went inside to where Remus and Fiona sat waiting for them.

"Miss Alex! Miss Fiona! Can Dobby get you something to eat?" Dobby asked appearing in front of them. Both girls grinned down at him.

"Thanks. I'll have a salad with a light Italian dressing and a glass of pumpkin juice." Alex said. Lia indicated that she would have the same.

"Took you two long enough." Fiona grinned as they sat down.

"Sorry. Alex was busy asking Snape to join us." Lia teased. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Why would you do something like that?" Remus asked as if offended.

"I was just trying to be nice. Geez… you would have thought I asked You Know Who to join us." Alex replied.

"I still can't believe that you two established a truce." Fiona said shaking her head in disappointment.

"It wasn't like we had a choice. The Headmaster made us. But the look on the students faces was priceless when we were being nice to each other!" Alex laughed.

"Yeah, from what Ayla told me Fred and George are in some major trouble with all the houses. Seems they can't pay everyone back from the betting pool." Lia commented, taking a bite of her salad.

"That reminds me! Severus owes me ten galleons!" Alex cried out. "We made a bet on if the students would fall for the prank or not." She explained seeing the curious looks on the three faces.

"Enough about Snape. Are you guys going to the Yule Ball?" Fiona asked.

"Yule ball? What's that?" Alex asked curiously.

"It's a dance held on Christmas evening. They had it last year and they are continuing it this year since it was such a hit." Lia explained.

"Oh! It sounds like fun. I should be able to go. I'm leaving about a week after that." Alex said.

"What do you plan on doing when you get home?" Remus asked. Alex frowned thoughtfully.

"Well I have my graduation in January. But then I am not sure what I'll be doing. Maybe teaching." She shrugged. She wasn't one to really worry too much about the future. She figured that she'd worry about it when it comes.

"I wish that you'd be able to stay here. Too bad we don't have a potions position here for you." Fiona said, grinning. Alex just shook her head as she began to dig into her salad.

"What I want to know is what is going on between you two." Alex smirked, waving her fork between Remus and Fiona.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Remus denied but couldn't help but blush.

"Yeah sure ya don't." Alex laughed.

"Well you see, these two dated for a while back in our 7th year but our friend Remus screwed it up by dumping her." Lia explained.

"Typical male. Always have to screw things up." Alex laughed heartily.

"Ouch! If I knew this was going to be a male bashing session, I would have taken my lunch elsewhere." Remus replied with a smile.

"So you two are getting back together?" Alex asked. Both blushed and smiled, refusing to fully answer the question.

"I get it! I'll stop now." Alex laughed, throwing her arms up in surrender. "But I must get going anyways. I have to finish those papers before the next class."

"All right. We'll see you at dinner." Lia smiled. Alex waved and left the kitchens, heading back down to the dungeons.