Chapter Twelve

"It went better than I expected," answered Severus Snape.

Dumbledore released an audible sigh. "I am greatly relieved. You have performed magnificently as always, Severus."

A slight inclination of his head was the only acknowledgement of the compliment. He had not told Dumbledore even half of the truth, but neither had he lied. The Headmaster could usually see right through fabrication, therefore he had learned to weave the facts into a tapestry of his own design. It was neither truth, nor fiction, but his version of reality as he saw fit to reveal to others.

"If I may take my leave, Headmaster, I really must get some rest."

"Of course, of course. Sleep well."

Severus swept out of the Headmaster's office, his mind overwhelmed with thoughts. He needed a very long slumber before he would be able to sort through them. How in the world he was supposed to balance his act between Dumbledore, Alex, Lucius and the Dark Lord, he did not know. Things were complicated enough. There were benefits, though. Because his relationship with her was no longer a death sentence, he could take full advantage of the woman's passion. It had been a long, long time since he had had a relationship that he could engage in publicly, much less that he so completely enjoyed. It would be interesting as well to discover what elements came together to create Alexandria Borgin.

On the other hand, he had been hoping that, after today, Lucius Malfoy would no longer be a problem for her, instead he still needed only the slightest provocation to kill her, even less as she had caused him such injury the night before. He had not seen him that angry with any one person since Harry Potter had thwarted his effort to revive the Dark Lord and freed his house elf. The stupid boy still had no idea how close he had come to death that day. Luckily, between Albus' wards and the Dark Lord's interest, her safety was slightly more assured than before . His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was the hope that he could trust her enough to choose the right side, though he certainly couldn't blame her if she didn't.

Alex awoke the next morning with a sense of great hope. Once again, she had managed to spit in Death's eye and live to tell the tale. She had received a letter late yesterday afternoon from Dumbledore stating that Lucius was no longer out for her blood and that Severus had agreed to be her tutor at least until next term started. It would still be possible to open the shop in a few days and today she could have breakfast in peace while chatting with Nina. Things were definitely looking up again.

Opening up her wardrobe, she chose an all-black ensemble with a crisp, white, high-collared blouse beneath just because it reminded her of Severus. He had said that theirs was just a lustful tryst, a meaningless one-shot deal, but she hoped that he was allowing his frustration to speak for him. He had gotten less sleep than she had, after all, and his stake in this was higher than hers because he actually cared what happened to one side or the other.

Alex found herself doing everything she possibly could with her new wand just because she never tired of the extreme feeling of control. It was exactly as Ollivander said, as if she'd been casting spells incorrectly her entire life. The difference was immeasurable. Maybe she could become a decent witch, after all. Closing the door to her shop with a flick of her wand, she headed for Nina's with a spring in her step.

Nina immediately smothered her in a motherly embrace when Alex entered. "Oh, my dear, I was so terribly worried for you! Albus assured me that you were alright, but I have positively ached to see you again."

Alex grinned broadly at the sight of Nina running this way and that, preparing breakfast as she chattered incessantly about how worried she had been and how angry she was that Albus hadn't forced her to go to the Ministry and file a report. "I distinctly heard you mention Lucius Malfoy to Severus, but Albus insists that you were delirious from the poison and had no idea what you were saying or indeed whom you were speaking to. And I must admit that I found it odd that he would have any reason to harm you. But, if you couldn't identify your attacker, you could at least have had the Ministry search the place for evidence of him. Not that Albus and Severus aren't as good or better than anyone the Ministry has, but really!" She slammed a towel on the counter before she hefted the heavily-laden tray to a nearby table.

"I hope you're in the mood for apple-cinnamon, dear. Here's a nice cup of coffee, black, just the way you like it. Just eat your breakfast and let me look at you." She spoke the last words breathlessly as she plopped down into the chair opposite Alex and sighed with relief. Alex couldn't comply, though. She was too busy laughing at the woman's uncharacteristic tirade.

"Well, it may seem funny to you, my dear, but for a while there I thought I'd gone and let someone do you in." Nina wiped her eyes on her apron.

"Nina, my welfare is hardly your responsibility. Besides, Dumbledore was right. I'm perfectly fine. See. I'm eating muffins and drinking coffee just like I did my first day here. Thanks to some tremendous wards on my shop, I can rest easy while I'm there, and Severus Snape has kindly agreed to tutor me in defensive magic. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh, no, my dear. Severus is awfully harsh. Can't one of the other professors make time for you, Minerva or Flitwick, perhaps?"

"I don't want anyone else, Nina. He saved my life. He's been nothing but kind to me and, truth be told, I find him to be very attractive."

"Do you, now? Well," she sat back and folded her hands over her belly. "Who would have thought? Does he know how you feel about him?"

Alex smiled and turned her attention to her muffin. "I think I've given him some indication, yes."

"Well, don't play too hard to get, dear. That one is going to need some encouragement."

"I'll bear that in mind." Alex reached into her pocket for her coin purse, but Nina took her hand gently.

"Breakfast is on the house, today, dear."

"Nina--"

"No arguments, young lady. Besides, Master Malfoy left enough gold yesterday to cover your meals for a month."

Alex forced a laugh at this. A memory of pale hair entwined in her fingers swam in her mind an instant before she pushed it away. Damn that man.

"You will be here for breakfast tomorrow, won't you?"

Alex embraced her warmly. "Of course I will."

"You have a good day, Alex."

"You too."

Eeylops Owl Emporium had been noisy, smelly, and dark. But, as Alex left with a beautiful and remarkably smart great gray owl, she was feeling very warm toward the place anyway. So many firsts in this new home; her first Mother-figure, her first wand, and now her first companion animal, an owl at that! She named him Zephyr without any deliberation.

It was difficult keeping her eyes on the avenue ahead while gazing fondly at her new companion. It was, in fact, only when a large shadow crossed her path that she looked up completely. What she saw made her wish that she hadn't. Lucius Malfoy, resplendent in a black cape, lined in green silk stood just a few feet in front of her, eyeing her with pure malevolence. The thrill of terror that swept through her was enough to ensure her complete silence. He, in turn, spoke not a word but gave her a single, slow nod and proceeded down the Alley as if she was beneath his notice.

Damn, the man was breathtaking! He either had a team of very well-trained mediwizards on his payroll or she had dreamed the whole encounter with him.

As soon as she got home and removed her boots, she began to make the place more habitable for Zephyr. She set up his perch next to her desk and opened the window in case he wanted to fly. The idea of keeping him cooped up in a cage just didn't sit well with her. After filling his bowls with owl treats and water, respectively, she sat at her desk and grabbed a piece of parchment from the stack.

Dear Severus,

What do you think of my owl? Isn't he a beauty? His name is Zephyr if you care to address him directly. Please inform Dumbledore that I followed his instructions and now have a reliable mode of communication.

I am writing to express my sincere gratitude for the care that you bestowed upon me when I was injured. I don't believe that I have done so yet, and I am ashamed of my rudeness. I'm afraid that I allowed my gratitude to resolve itself into passion and never actually spoke the words that I should have. For that, I apologize.

I do not regret our time together, Severus, even if it meant nothing to you. I have not been that close to another in many years and it meant the world to me, to feel your skin against mine and taste the sweat of your passion. You were wonderful, and I would take nothing for the experience. Indeed, I hope to repeat it someday.

Perhaps we can spend some time together, just the two of us. Would you care to join me for dinner at my home tomorrow evening? I would love to discuss my upcoming lessons with you. Please let me know if you are free around six o'clock or seven. It would be my pleasure to have you all to myself for a few hours without worry of interruption.

Always,

Alex

Ps. I saw Lucius Malfoy on Diagon Alley this morning, looking as perfect as ever. He deliberately stepped into my path and then moved on without saying a word. Any idea what that was all about?

Alex spent the rest of the day finishing the task she should have completed two days ago; cleaning the shop, refinishing the counters and display cases and mending the chipped glass in both. It was a long, grueling set of tasks, but it gave her great satisfaction to see the place shining like a new galleon by the wee hours of the morning.

She had taken a brief break when Zephyr had returned with Severus' reply and decided to read the letter over lunch. It was the first meal she had cooked on her uncle's stove and it turned out to be a spectacular disaster, complete with flaming rolls and an exploded potato. Obviously he had enchanted it to cook faster than a muggle microwave. This was a hell of a way to find out, but better today than tomorrow when, hopefully, Severus would be there. Munching an apple, she opened his letter to find out.

My dear Alex,

It is I who should extend an apology. I should not have left you so abruptly while you were so obviously in pain, but I was in a desperate hurry to release you from the threat that Malfoy represents.

I, as well, harbor no regret about our time together. I was wrong for referring to our lovemaking so callously, but I felt that my weakness had placed us both in great danger. Marry that with the disgust I was feeling at the destruction of that scroll ( you were correct about my desire to possess it) and you can imagine that I was not myself. As a matter of fact, I do not believe we've ever had the opportunity to talk when I was not wholly occupied with some other concern.

It is with this in mind that I accept your invitation. I would be honored to be a guest in your home. Six o'clock would be most convenient for me, if it is still acceptable to you.

Sincerely,

Severus Snape

Ps. Lucius was no doubt reestablishing his dominance by allowing you to see that you did no lasting damage to him. You did well in allowing him to do so. He will now feel that you are sufficiently convinced of his superiority and may leave you alone for a time.

With a smile of satisfaction, Alex stashed the letter in a desk drawer. Her relief at the soft response given by the naturally irascible potions master was considerable. She had harbored a tiny fear that he would feel she was being too forward, but he didn't seem the type to let stuffy ethics get in the way of his own pleasure. It was good to know that her initial impression of him was correct.

Her only real problem with Severus was the way he could slip right past her guard. She felt far too comfortable with him and that was a detriment if she wished to keep any of her skeletons in the closet where they belonged. She hadn't missed his immediate interest in her father, and his subsequent questions had made her extremely uncomfortable. The memories that he had managed to revive were not pleasant ones. They reeked of blood and guilt and desperation, and she had no desire to relive them.

Severus would simply have to understand that her life was never going to be an open book. After all, she hadn't noticed his leaping to reveal his secrets to her. Most of what she knew of him she'd had to guess.

He was a double agent, managing to keep a foot in the respective camps of two deadly wizards. He felt extremely guilty about something he had done that was directly related to Lucius Malfoy's hostilities; probably the poison was his own formula. It hadn't escaped her that he had known exactly how to cure her. After all, it stood to reason that the dark wizard he 'served' would want to take full advantage of his knowledge of deadly potions and his ability to create more. He had also denied his desire for her uncle's scroll, as if she wouldn't see it in those lovely black eyes. What else was he hiding behind that foreboding exterior? More than his share of secrets, no doubt. And a passion that had swept over her like a tidal wave, leaving her aching for more.

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Siverfey: I just love plot twists. Plodding along with the same story line gets really boring. I'm flattered that this is as fun for you to read as it is for me to write.

Arwen78: I thought the same thing about Lucius' comment. Severus may not be the most romantic suitor in the world, but what's his is his. Period. I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Maranna: Sorry about the "cliffies." Hope you'll forgive my love for them and keep reading.