Chapter 3

J.K. ROWLING owns all characters except for Laurel who I created myself, I am not doing this for money, only the pure enjoyment of the thing. So ends my lame little disclaimer, okay? Don't sue!

More introductions, background info, and angst and romance around the corner people! R/R please :)

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She'd never known eyes so kind. As she breathlessly gripped Albus Dumbledore's hand with her own, she was thankful to be in the wake of their glow once again. She had a peculiar affinity for people with kind eyes, and she smiled cheerfully at the Headmaster.

"Dumbledore," Laurel heaved, she was still out of breath from her physical and mental exertions on the moving staircases. She jerked her arm pointedly out of Snape's grip. "I'm so pleased you thought of me for the position here at the school." There was a loud disconcerted snort from behind her, but she continued to ignore it's sullen owner and focused her mind on Dumbledore.

His eyes twinkled at the pair of them, he was obviously curious about their state of disarray, and particularly of Snape's mental sanity.

"Ahh, Laurel," he said jovially. "It's so good to see, why I haven't seen you since you were a girl! It seems as if you have simply blossomed overnight." Snape grudgingly flicked his eyes over Laurel's perfect form and back again without letting on to his fellow companions.

"I'm afraid that I had a bit of... trouble, arriving on time," she said discreetly. At this Snape began to look at the rows of sleeping Headmasters portrait's that lined the walls, each one was snoring louder than the next. Laurel's glance flickered to where Snape stood, totally engrossed in the sleeping paintings, and then back to Dumbledore again.

Sensing her meaning he assured her, "Severus is a spy within the Dark Lord's circle, I trust him wholeheartedly." At this announcement, Laurel was tempted to look at Snape once again to be reassured of who he was speaking of, but kept her eyes focused on Dumbledore. "He's the one who tipped us off to your kidnapping, he was the Death Eater assigned to intercept your owls."

She was quite reluctant to say any words of encouragement, but thought that thanks was in order. 'I'll do it later,' her mind noted very vaguely. Being able to restrain her eyes was hard, restraining her tongue was even harder. She turned to Dumbledore and blurted, "Well they barely got there in time, perhaps my owls could be intercepted a bit quicker next time?"

At this comment, the sleeping portrait Snape was "admiring" - blurred, and his vision was once again, becoming tinged with red. He gathered his cloaks up around him and stomped over to where Laurel stood, a mischievous grin decorating her heart-shaped face. Dumbledore simply widened his eyes in slight alarm as Snape opened his mouth to unleash his verbal anger upon her. Then - the most amazing thing happened.

Laurel reached up and hugged Snape.

A look of utter disbelief and horror, washed over Snape's face all in one moment and Dumbledore couldn't hold in a snort of laughter. The poor man looked positively traumatized, not to mention pink in the cheeks at such an outward display of affection. If that wasn't bad enough, Snape almost went into cardiac arrest when Laurel gently leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Headmaster," began Laurel calmly, after disengaging herself from Snape. "Where is my room?" Snape was still standing rigidly in his primary position next to Laurel, he had lost the use of his vocal chords for some strange reason, and was swallowing profusely.

Dumbledore gestured to a piece of parchment that flew into his hand, and he handed it to Laurel. "Just follow the little red dot, you're room is in the first sector of the dungeon." She smiled gratefully at Dumbledore and lifted her purse from it's position on the floor, where she'd dropped it after "thanking" Snape.

She turned to leave and was bewildered to see Severus, still standing where he was. After the way she had acted towards him, she was expecting at least a little bit of anger from him. To her surprise, he just stood there, swaying slightly from side to side and feeling his face, which had turned the color of Laurel's eyes. She furrowed her brow and walked towards him to say goodbye again, he didn't even move when she accidentally walked too close to him, so she backed away a little.

"Thank you, Proffesor Snape," she said kindly. "I hope to see you at breakfeast in the Great Hall tomorrow?" Laurel didn't notice Snape's lip curl in a tiny smile as she glanced down at her parchment for the location of the Great Hall. When she looked up it was gone, replaced by the blank look that had been occupying his face.

She looked curiously at him once again, and proceeded to exit the office in her usual grace. As the door clicked shut behind her, Snape began to breath again. Dumbledore and Snape stood in silence for a long time then, neither knowing what to say. Dumbledore went around to the other side of his desk and sat down, clearing his throat slowly. He glanced up once again to see Snape still standing where he had been 5 minutes earlier.

"Headmaster?" Snape finally spoke.

"Yes, Severus?" was Dumbledore's expectant reply.

"Did that woman attack me?" he asked darkly.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows in a surprised expression, answering, "Not that I was aware of Severus. Why do you ask?"

Snape shook his head and muttered, "Nothing...nothing..."

Another 5 minutes had passed when once again Snape called out Dumbledore's name.

Dumbledore looked attentively over his glasses at Snape, "What is it Severus?"

"Could you perhaps perform a simple memory spell, I seem to have forgotten how to use my legs?"

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The sound of scurrying could be heard coming from Laurel's room as she approached, causing her to frown. Who was in her room? She flung open the door with all her might and furiously swept the room with her eyes.

She saw near her bed, the cause of the noise. Two small elves had been warming her sheets for her arrival. She gasped in surprise and dropped her purse on the stone-covered floor of the chamber.

The elves in turn gasped also. Both parties stood in silence, giving the other a once over.

"Hei-" she cleared her throat. "Hello, I'm Laurel." The miniature elves just gave each other terrified looks and proceeded to inch their way along the outer edge of the room towards the door. "Do you speak English?" she tried again and again. "Parlez-vous français? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Parlate italiano?"

The little elves merely squeaked in protest when she leaned down and offered her hand to them in friendship. Laurel groaned inwardly and was wondering why she was so "scary" to everyone around her. She moved aside with a sigh, obviously knowing that they wished to leave without speaking to or touching her for that matter. The two elves rushed by her quickly and out the door, one wore a tea cozy and the other wore a maroon-colored sweater with a large W knitted across the front of it.

She thought to herself about unpacking but realized that all her bags had been on the iron bird that had in fact, been taken by the same terrified human hostages that had left the moment the Death Eaters had dissaparated.

She shivered, and was a tad bit annoyed at herself to see that the little elves had not been able to succeed in their duties due to her untimely entrance into the chamber. She was too proud to knock on a fellow teacher's door to ask for a robe or nightgown of some sort-

The first five minutes she lied in the large bed anyway.

She grumbled and slid her feet back into her dirtied sandals, she liked having her feet free. When she wore shoes it was as if she couldn't even breath, much less walk. Tripping over a trash can, her face twisted into a grimace as she reached her door and unlatched it. Standing out in the hall, she wasn't quite sure whether to knock on the teacher's quarter to the right or to the left. She ultimately went left when she realized it was the only one with a light on anyway.

Hopping in place to keep warm, she knocked impatiently on the unsuspecting teacher's door and waited expectantly. There was a loud, obnoxious sigh as the door was opened and she looked up to greet- Snape.

"Oh," she said a little too downfallen. In turn, Snape's eyes narrowed in disbelief at the young woman knocking on his door at the dead of night. Not that he was doing anything important, just flunking a few annoying Gryffindors, but apart from that he was frustrated in a way no woman could understand.

"Ms. Millan," he said with the slightest touch of disdain. "May I help you? I'm sure you can find the Great Hall very well on your own-" he stopped his bitter diatribe however when he saw the state she was in. Hair more unruly than ever, cheeks flushed, and her teeth chattering uncontrollably. He opened his mouth of invite her in to warm herself, but was interrupted by her quavering voice.

"I know you don't like me very much," she said shaking. "But could I please, perhaps, borrow some sort of night clothing? I'm afraid I've left all mine on the iron bird that was taken by the Muggles."

For the first time since she'd met the Professor, his eyes softened slightly and he moved aside. Laurel's eyes widened and she hopped into the warm chamber happily.

"Th-th-th-tha-th-" she began to chatter.

"Stop right there," Snape said gruffly, striding over to his minimal wardrobe. "Here," he muttered while shuffling through the wardrobe. "Take this."

He tossed an extremely large purple dressing gown towards her general direction, and her gaze followed it as it landed at her feet. Looking up, she noticed his eyes narrowing slightly and she hesitantly averted her eyes back to the dressing gown, quickly picking it up.

"I appreciate your kindness Proffesor Snape," Laurel spoke quickly. "It will be most helpful tonight." She turned to go, her dirt-ridden sandals shuffling across the floor. She heard a disgruntled noise as she slid across the stone covered floor to the door.

Snape's words stopped her in her tracks however.

"Here." he said roughly. Turning she saw him holding out a large fur-trimmed blanket. Smiling brightly she came over to him as gracefully as she could and relinquished it from his hold.

"Thank you," Laurel murmured, her eyes shining happily. Snape just motioned towards the door as he sat down at his desk once again and picked up random papers, shuffling them as he muttered.

It was only when she was closing the door to Snape's chambers when she saw his bed, blanketless. Hesitating she debated on whether or not to enter again and argue over his decision to give her his only source of warmth on this cold evening besides a dying fire.

However, his demeanor suggested she rile against the feeling. It was probably not many times when he would be inclined to be as chivalrous as he was. Smiling softly, Laurel clicked the chamber door shut and mouthed, "Thank you." She turned away and walked discreetly into her cold housing facility.

From somewhere inside the room she had previously exited, a shivering Snape grinned and chattered, "Your welcome."

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NEXT IS CHAPTER 4! YAY! R/R FOR CHAPTER 2 PLEASE :) THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS THUS FAR! :)