Severus was fuming, why should he care who she slept with! A startling thought occurred to him then, why 'should' I care who she sleeps with? Jealousy? Not an emotion he'd ever experienced before, he dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. It's that Black, I hate that bastard, and now he's interrupting 'my' work!

As Snape prepared ingredients, he recalled the events of the past weekend, how it had felt to have her as the aggressor. Not at all unpleasant to have a beautiful, intelligent woman kissing him, caressing him out of her own free will. He had actually felt strangely satisfied at her desire, although somewhat questioning the intelligence behind any woman wanting him. I was actually stupid enough to think she was starting to care for me! His mood began to darken again at the thought of her out whoring herself with Black, but then like she said, she'd screw anyone wouldn't she.

They worked silently and quickly over the next week, Taranis tried to ignore the ache in her heart when she thought about their last fight. They had fought before, but this was different somehow. Harry and Ron had apologized for getting her in to trouble with Snape, especially since she had to spend a lot of time with him now. Hermione had a comment about boys being 'incredibly' stupid when it comes to such things.

Sirus had asked her out to dinner early the following Saturday, she had accepted, but was now beginning to regret that decision. Snape doesn't want me, he's made that clear on several occasions, why should I feel bad about dating. I shouldn't, she decided and squared her shoulders as she nervously told him she'd be taking off at five that day.

"Another rendezvous with your lover?" he drawled.

Taranis just looked at him, the question did not dignify a response, and they didn't speak again at all before she left.

Snape was seething at the thought of her going off with Black. He smiled mischievously, perhaps I'd best tag along, make sure of her safety and all, he mused. Grabbing his Invisibility Cloak he headed out of the castle and waited, following her as she left and headed to Hogsmeade on foot. Bastard can't even come and escort her to town! He entered the restaurant behind her an took a spot in a dark corner where he watched her greet the other man with a smile, no kiss, he noted. He couldn't hear what they were saying from where he stood, Sirus seemed to be having a good time. Taranis, while she was laughing along with him, flinched occasionally as if something he'd said had bothered her.

After dinner he followed them out of the restaurant and heard Taranis turn down his offer of a night cap at the Three Broomsticks. Apparently, Severus saw, Black was going to attempt to be a gentleman after all and walk her home. He followed closely behind them as they walked, and listened to their conversation.

"Last weekend was so great, I still can't believe 'you' drove that motorcycle!"

"Why is it so difficult to believe that I would know how to run a simple piece of machinery?"

"Well you are a chick," Sirus stated, "and when you got up to sing with the band? Man that was so hot."

As they came up to a small path off to the right Black grabbed her hand and pulled her in that direction, "come on honey, there's something I want to show you, this way."

"Look Sirus, I really want to-"

"Relax, we'll just be a minute," he said as he pulled her down the path, not realizing Severus was behind them. As they came into a small clearing, he pulled her down to sit beside him on a log.

"Well," Taranis started, "it's a clearing, with a log, how, 'nice'."

"You are absolutely gorgeous you know," Sirus said leering at her.

"I am also a bloody brilliant professor, with a cheery disposition and a great sense of humor."

"Ah, but that's not important when you've got such a great body," he added as he put his hand on her leg.

Severus flinched as he listened, for someone with such a reputation as a ladies man, Black certainly must rely on his looks rather than his charm.

"Come here honey," the man said as he pulled her over for a kiss. Taranis kissed him back for a moment and then put her hands up to his chest to push him back.

"Look Sirus, I had a nice time this evening, but I really don't think this is such a good idea."

"Sure it is, come here."

"No, I'm sorry but I just don't have those sort of feelings for you, I think it best if we called it a night," Taranis stood to leave and Sirus stood too, and grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.

"Give me another chance honey, it'll be really nice I promise," he started as he pulled her head toward his and pressed her mouth against his own.

Taranis, Severus noticed, did not kiss him back. He realized with amusement that they obviously hadn't spent the last weekend having sex after all.

Taranis stepped back after he had stopped hissing her and turned to leave with a furious look on her face. "Come on honey, stop being so frigid, I'll make it really good. You want me I know you do."

Severus could see the look of dark anger that crossed over her features and saw her, she yelled, "I said NO!", ball up her fist and slam it right into that bastard's face. Black stumbled and fell backward grabbing his face, which, much to Snape's amusement, was starting to bleed. As Black looked at her in shock, Taranis whirled to leave. Severus quickly Apparated as close to the school as he could, hoping that Taranis didn't hear the tell tale 'crack' of him doing so, and ran quickly to the school stopping in the hall.

He waited in shocked amusement and as Taranis walked down the hall he stepped out. "Have a nice date professor?"

She stopped, startled, "oh, Severus, um sure," she said, absently cradling her hand.

"Are you ok?" he said stepping forward and grabbing her hand to examine it, it was swollen and starting to bruise, "what happened?"

"Oh, I, ah, fell. It's nothing."

"You must have fallen on something hard?" he looked up at her quizzically, "we really should get you to Madam Pomfrey."

"No, that's not necessary. I really hate the hospital. I'll be fine."

"Nonsense, come with me then, I have something in my stores that should suffice," he took Taranis by the arm and led her to his office, trying to suppress a grin.

As he put some salve on her hand, "what did you say you fell on?" he asked innocently.

"Er, a, rock," Taranis said quietly.

"A rock, indeed? I would have thought something more like a face?" He took in her look of shock and could control his laughter no more.

The rich baritone of his laughter washed over her, "how?" How indeed! "Severus Snape were you following me?"

"And you think I'm arrogant, that bastard. Pow, oh the look on his face, how I wished I had a camera," he was laughing so hard he was bent over, "ye gods Taranis I will savor that moment for the rest of my days."

Taranis, however was not laughing. "How dare you follow me Severus! What right do you think you have?"

Severus looked her in the eye, "I just happened to be in the area, accidentally of course."

"I'll bet you just happened to be wearing an Invisibility Cloak too!"

He parted his hands in acquiescence, his face still plastered with that silly grin. "I still don't understand why you went out with that pompous git in the first place."

"I though he was nice, the girls thought I needed a date, and, well I am a woman, it's nice to feel wanted as such."

"Oh and he wanted you didn't he? POW!"

As Snape started to laugh again, Taranis glared at him, the jerk, she thought, but at the same time his laughter was contagious. She couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face, "I did get him pretty good didn't I."

"A date he will not soon forget?"

She was awash with the laughter of the moment, and suddenly felt very at home with the potions master. Without thinking she reached over to tickle his side and he jumped, leering at her mischievously. I can't believe he's ticklish she thought and as she reached over to pinch him again found her arm trapped by his hand and he started tickling her with the other.

"Severus stop! ," She laughed as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp she grabbed him above the knee and squeezed.

One good turn after another and they soon found themselves rolling around on the floor trying to best each other. Severus unfortunately ended up with the upper hand, and Taranis screamed with laughter as he sat on top of her, pinning both of her hands with one of his and tickled her ruthlessly.

"Ah ha hum," came the cough from the door where Dumbledore stood eyeing them with an amused look of curiosity. They both jumped to their feet and began to straighten their robes, "while the students may not be surprised to hear screaming coming from these quarters Severus, I, myself thought it best to come and check. I trust everything to be in order?" They nodded silently at the twinkle in the old man's eye. "I am glad to see you two getting along so well," he nodded his head, "perhaps a spell to block the sound would be a good idea in the future. Yes, well carry on you two," he said with a flip of his hand as he left.

Taranis and Snape stood in silence for a few minutes, looking around the room at everything but each other, finally Taranis said, "if you don't like me dating it's too bad, it's your fault I went out with Black in the first place."

"What? And how is that?" he frowned at her.

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a confident, haughty look, "if someone else was snogging me once in a while, I wouldn't need to go looking for some attention would I?"

Severus felt his mouth open and as she left he stood in silent astonishment. That woman, will never cease to amaze me . . .