Author's Note - THANK YOU!!! Um, sorry, pardon the screaming. Thank you for your comments. I'm so glad that my story's giving you a giggle or three. Much as I like angsty-Snape stories I just love finding a way to use his deadpan humour and have some fun.
This chapter will answer some of your questions about the last one and, hopefully, keep you smiling.
K
P.S. Sorry for taking two weeks to post this chapter. I had a battle getting everyone back into character.
Disclaimer - see part 1.
---------------
Wizards Honour
Part 16
---------------
"Darn!" Aurora muttered. 'Why,' she thought, 'didn't I realise this earlier?' She finished getting dressed and stared at her reflection in her tower bedroom mirror.
It was one hour to the New Year's Eve dinner and Aurora had just realised that convincing everyone that Snape and she were joking was not the end of the matter.
"You're losing your edge." Sinistra told her reflection firmly. "How are you going to get yourself out of this mess if you don't keep you wits about you? Hmmm?"
Her reflection gazed silently back at her.
---------------
"Grrrrr."
"I say, he's got a posy."
"Ssssh!" The Grey Lady hissed at Sir Nicholas and Snuffles. The trio peered out the gap between the partially open door of the unused classroom and the doorframe. Silently they watched Professor Snape climb the uppermost marble staircase on his way to the Astronomy Tower.
"This is a grave turn of events, gentlemen." The Grey Lady said when the Potion's Master was out of sight. "If I am not mistaken, Professor Snape is paying suit to Professor Sinistra."
"Deuced unfortunate," Sir Nicholas replied, then hurriedly said, "Your Pardon for swearing in your presence, my Lady."
The Lady nodded politely.
"Grrrr. Rowwwlf. Grrruuffl."
"If you wish to partake in the conversation, Wizard Black," said the Grey Lady, "kindly do so in human form."
Snuffles was ignoring the female spectre and was staring at the far wall of the classroom. He growled again then barked when the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar floated through the wall.
"Spying, my lord Baron?" The Grey Lady stared imperiously at the Ghostly Knight. "No doubt loathsome behaviour of that ilk caused your transmogrification into your spectral form."
"I beg your pardon?" Sir Nick scratched his ghostly forehead. "His what did what?"
"Spying made him a ghost." The Fat Friar replied. Surprised, everyone looked at him. "What?" The Friar looked at his stunned audience. "Hufflepuffs do have brains, you know."
"You are playing a dangerous game, my Lady," hissed the Baron. "No one crosses me and survives."
Snuffles snorted and the Fat Friar muttered, "Uh, Baron, I don't think that will scare someone who is dead."
"She knows what I mean," hissed the Baron, darkly. "Interfere any more with the Slytherin Professors and I will have you banished from Hogwarts." The Baron turned on his ethereal heel and floated back through the wall.
"Oh dear me, oh dear me," muttered the Fat Friar while he followed the Baron.
"My Lady, we should stop this now." Sir Nicholas said cajolingly. "The Bloody Baron's threats should not be taken lightly."
Snuffles nodded his agreement.
"No! Who died and made him King Ghost of Hogwarts?"
"Uh, he did?"
"No," the Grey Lady stamped her foot, which made no sound. "I shall stop Professor Sinistra from making a grave mistake. She is half Ravenclaw and that excludes her from the Baron's ban." She crossed her arms and floated quickly through the ceiling towards the Astronomy Tower.
"Except that she was sorted into Slytherin and hired as a Slytherin Professor," Sir Nicholas yelled after her.
"Deuced females. Can't exist without them, can't exorcise them." He shrugged and walked out of the open door, Snuffles trotting at his heels.
---------------
Professor Snape knocked on the door to the Astronomy Professor's private quarters and waited. 'Why,' he scolded himself, silently, 'are you nervous? It's only little Aurora Sinistra for Merlin's sake.'
Aurora opened the door and looked up at Snape. He watched, momentarily tongue-tied, as she stared at the small bunch of flowers he held in his hand. After a few moments she smiled.
"Clever idea, Severus." She pulled the flowers from his unresisting grasp. "But shouldn't you have waited a few days and given them to me in front of someone to make it more believable?" She turned before Snape could reply and walked into the room.
Severus Snape scowled. This wasn't going as he had planned, he was supposed to give the flowers to her not have her take them from him. He'd have to check his reference material when he got back to his quarters but he was sure that was what was supposed to happen. And why in the world did she want witnesses?
"All right." Sinistra said bossily, "I've been thinking and -" She turned back towards him. "What are you doing out there? Come in here and listen to what I have to say."
"Do I have a choice?" No woman was going to nag Severus Snape if he had anything to say about it.
"Uh, sorry. Was I nagging?"
Snape raised his left eyebrow and gave her his, well-practiced and honed on first year Gryffindors, yes-that's-exactly-what-you-were-doing sneer number three.
"Oh." Sinistra blushed very slightly then said brightly, "Good, that'll make it all the more believable."
"I beg your pardon?" Snape prowled up to the woman who over the last weeks had annoyed and frustrated him more than just about anyone ever had, including Sirius Black and the Weasley twins.
"If we are to make this work we have to know more about each other." Sinistra replied. "Otherwise we won't be able to convince anyone that we're serious."
"What are you talking about, woman?" Snape winced inwardly at the acidic tone in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound like that but her words were so darn confusing.
"Moody, of course." Sinistra stared up at him. "We have to convince the gamblers that the whole Wizards Honour thing is a big joke. Then, we have to convince everyone that we are serious so that Moody knows he's lost his money."
"No!" The word escaped before Severus could stop it.
"No? Why not?"
Snape thought quickly, he had to come up for a reasonable explanation for his outburst. He didn't want her to know it was because he was disappointed in her response. She might work out how he felt about her and he wasn't ready to surrender that piece of information.
"I've changed my mind about the bet." He said hurriedly.
"I thought that was a woman's right." Sinistra smirked then fell silent when Snape glared coldly at her.
"The odds for the 'It's All A Joke' wagers are merely 2 to 1," said Snape, warming to the idea that had suddenly occurred to him. "We want to make Moody really suffer, do we not?"
"Yes." Sinistra replied, warily. "You aren't going to permanently hurt him are you, Severus?"
"No." Snape smirked. "We are going to make him have to pay out on a 150 to 1 wager."
Sinistra pulled the list of odds out of the top of her boot. "150 to 1," she muttered as she scanned the list.
"What!" She yelled as she found the entry. "Are you sure, Professor Snape?"
"Positive." Snape said calmly.
"But - but -." Aurora sat down abruptly on the floor. She stared up at him. "Severus, isn't this playing with fire?"
Snape bit back a smirk and glanced down at her. "For a woman who throws occupied birdcages into fires you appear to be surprisingly squeamish about a mere trick."
"I wouldn't call 'fall in love and stay married' a mere trick!"
"But Professor, we aren't legally married so there is nothing to concern you. We simply have to convince Moody that we're in love and staying together." Snape took hold of her hand and pulled her to her feet. "And," he added silently, "I can convince you to really marry me in the process."
"Why do I have the feeling that this is a bad idea," Aurora whispered under her breath. "A very bad and dangerous idea."
To be continued
This chapter will answer some of your questions about the last one and, hopefully, keep you smiling.
K
P.S. Sorry for taking two weeks to post this chapter. I had a battle getting everyone back into character.
Disclaimer - see part 1.
---------------
Wizards Honour
Part 16
---------------
"Darn!" Aurora muttered. 'Why,' she thought, 'didn't I realise this earlier?' She finished getting dressed and stared at her reflection in her tower bedroom mirror.
It was one hour to the New Year's Eve dinner and Aurora had just realised that convincing everyone that Snape and she were joking was not the end of the matter.
"You're losing your edge." Sinistra told her reflection firmly. "How are you going to get yourself out of this mess if you don't keep you wits about you? Hmmm?"
Her reflection gazed silently back at her.
---------------
"Grrrrr."
"I say, he's got a posy."
"Ssssh!" The Grey Lady hissed at Sir Nicholas and Snuffles. The trio peered out the gap between the partially open door of the unused classroom and the doorframe. Silently they watched Professor Snape climb the uppermost marble staircase on his way to the Astronomy Tower.
"This is a grave turn of events, gentlemen." The Grey Lady said when the Potion's Master was out of sight. "If I am not mistaken, Professor Snape is paying suit to Professor Sinistra."
"Deuced unfortunate," Sir Nicholas replied, then hurriedly said, "Your Pardon for swearing in your presence, my Lady."
The Lady nodded politely.
"Grrrr. Rowwwlf. Grrruuffl."
"If you wish to partake in the conversation, Wizard Black," said the Grey Lady, "kindly do so in human form."
Snuffles was ignoring the female spectre and was staring at the far wall of the classroom. He growled again then barked when the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar floated through the wall.
"Spying, my lord Baron?" The Grey Lady stared imperiously at the Ghostly Knight. "No doubt loathsome behaviour of that ilk caused your transmogrification into your spectral form."
"I beg your pardon?" Sir Nick scratched his ghostly forehead. "His what did what?"
"Spying made him a ghost." The Fat Friar replied. Surprised, everyone looked at him. "What?" The Friar looked at his stunned audience. "Hufflepuffs do have brains, you know."
"You are playing a dangerous game, my Lady," hissed the Baron. "No one crosses me and survives."
Snuffles snorted and the Fat Friar muttered, "Uh, Baron, I don't think that will scare someone who is dead."
"She knows what I mean," hissed the Baron, darkly. "Interfere any more with the Slytherin Professors and I will have you banished from Hogwarts." The Baron turned on his ethereal heel and floated back through the wall.
"Oh dear me, oh dear me," muttered the Fat Friar while he followed the Baron.
"My Lady, we should stop this now." Sir Nicholas said cajolingly. "The Bloody Baron's threats should not be taken lightly."
Snuffles nodded his agreement.
"No! Who died and made him King Ghost of Hogwarts?"
"Uh, he did?"
"No," the Grey Lady stamped her foot, which made no sound. "I shall stop Professor Sinistra from making a grave mistake. She is half Ravenclaw and that excludes her from the Baron's ban." She crossed her arms and floated quickly through the ceiling towards the Astronomy Tower.
"Except that she was sorted into Slytherin and hired as a Slytherin Professor," Sir Nicholas yelled after her.
"Deuced females. Can't exist without them, can't exorcise them." He shrugged and walked out of the open door, Snuffles trotting at his heels.
---------------
Professor Snape knocked on the door to the Astronomy Professor's private quarters and waited. 'Why,' he scolded himself, silently, 'are you nervous? It's only little Aurora Sinistra for Merlin's sake.'
Aurora opened the door and looked up at Snape. He watched, momentarily tongue-tied, as she stared at the small bunch of flowers he held in his hand. After a few moments she smiled.
"Clever idea, Severus." She pulled the flowers from his unresisting grasp. "But shouldn't you have waited a few days and given them to me in front of someone to make it more believable?" She turned before Snape could reply and walked into the room.
Severus Snape scowled. This wasn't going as he had planned, he was supposed to give the flowers to her not have her take them from him. He'd have to check his reference material when he got back to his quarters but he was sure that was what was supposed to happen. And why in the world did she want witnesses?
"All right." Sinistra said bossily, "I've been thinking and -" She turned back towards him. "What are you doing out there? Come in here and listen to what I have to say."
"Do I have a choice?" No woman was going to nag Severus Snape if he had anything to say about it.
"Uh, sorry. Was I nagging?"
Snape raised his left eyebrow and gave her his, well-practiced and honed on first year Gryffindors, yes-that's-exactly-what-you-were-doing sneer number three.
"Oh." Sinistra blushed very slightly then said brightly, "Good, that'll make it all the more believable."
"I beg your pardon?" Snape prowled up to the woman who over the last weeks had annoyed and frustrated him more than just about anyone ever had, including Sirius Black and the Weasley twins.
"If we are to make this work we have to know more about each other." Sinistra replied. "Otherwise we won't be able to convince anyone that we're serious."
"What are you talking about, woman?" Snape winced inwardly at the acidic tone in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound like that but her words were so darn confusing.
"Moody, of course." Sinistra stared up at him. "We have to convince the gamblers that the whole Wizards Honour thing is a big joke. Then, we have to convince everyone that we are serious so that Moody knows he's lost his money."
"No!" The word escaped before Severus could stop it.
"No? Why not?"
Snape thought quickly, he had to come up for a reasonable explanation for his outburst. He didn't want her to know it was because he was disappointed in her response. She might work out how he felt about her and he wasn't ready to surrender that piece of information.
"I've changed my mind about the bet." He said hurriedly.
"I thought that was a woman's right." Sinistra smirked then fell silent when Snape glared coldly at her.
"The odds for the 'It's All A Joke' wagers are merely 2 to 1," said Snape, warming to the idea that had suddenly occurred to him. "We want to make Moody really suffer, do we not?"
"Yes." Sinistra replied, warily. "You aren't going to permanently hurt him are you, Severus?"
"No." Snape smirked. "We are going to make him have to pay out on a 150 to 1 wager."
Sinistra pulled the list of odds out of the top of her boot. "150 to 1," she muttered as she scanned the list.
"What!" She yelled as she found the entry. "Are you sure, Professor Snape?"
"Positive." Snape said calmly.
"But - but -." Aurora sat down abruptly on the floor. She stared up at him. "Severus, isn't this playing with fire?"
Snape bit back a smirk and glanced down at her. "For a woman who throws occupied birdcages into fires you appear to be surprisingly squeamish about a mere trick."
"I wouldn't call 'fall in love and stay married' a mere trick!"
"But Professor, we aren't legally married so there is nothing to concern you. We simply have to convince Moody that we're in love and staying together." Snape took hold of her hand and pulled her to her feet. "And," he added silently, "I can convince you to really marry me in the process."
"Why do I have the feeling that this is a bad idea," Aurora whispered under her breath. "A very bad and dangerous idea."
To be continued