Snape apparated and slumped down against a convenient tree. This time the Dark Lord had not been in such a good mood. But he had information this time. He had got it from Voldemort himself, as Lucius would never have given it. He had the rest of the names, and some dates. He also had been ordered to lure Kaira out of the castle so that she might be taken to him. He had tried to object, told him that he was being watched closely by Dumbledore and that the girl would never go anywhere with him. Voldemort had had a innovative suggestion. He did not attempt to conceal his amusement at Snape's obvious distaste for the idea.
Voldemort wanted Snape to form a 'relationship' with the girl. She would then trust him, and follow him into the grounds and to where the Death Eaters waited. It would also give him an excuse to be with her, and Dumbledore would not snoop. The Dark Lord found the idea very entertaining.
He had tried one last time to protest that the plan might blow his cover. Voldemort had replied that at this precise moment, he didn't care about Snape or his cover. He wanted the girl. A second agent at Hogwarts, one that wasn't constantly under the Headmaster's eye, and one in charge of Defence Against the Dark Arts, would be invaluable. Especially one Auror-trained.
Snape pulled himself up and began the walk back to the castle. He would need more than a dreamless sleep potion tonight.
He considered briefly not going to Dumbledore. He could do as the Dark Lord wanted and try to buy some time as he developed the 'relationship', or try to foil the trap without revealing that he was doing so... maybe that would work. But, he decided, he was going to go to the Headmaster. He owed him. Dumbledore would probably know that he wasn't telling him something as well.
He made his way to the Headmaster's office and poured out the whole tale. First, he had given Dumbledore the other names and the dates he knew, then told him about the plan for Kaira.
"Well, Severus," said the Headmaster. "You've done excellent work. We will be able to protect those families as best we can, and there can be something done about Kaira as well." He paused a moment, tugging his beard. "I want you to carry out the plan as Voldemort told it to you. Firstly it buys us some time. Secondly, we can arrange to accidentally be there when you are to deliver her to the Death Eaters. You cannot be blamed for that, and the Death Eaters can share or hopefully take the blame from you."
"You want me to go through with it?" Snape choked.
"Yes, I do," Dumbledore replied.
"But... but..."
"Kaira is a stronger figure than you realise, Severus. If it will save her life, of course you must do it."
"But... how am I to... I don't know anything about..."
"Come now, Severus. You know the sort of thing to do. Take her to Hogsmead, talk to her, sit with her at meals, that sort of thing." The Headmaster seemed to find Severus' discomfort amusing. His eye twinkled. "As it is you, you may wish to start by just smiling at her occasionally and being nice."
Snape glared at him.
"Alright," he replied, shortly. "I'm going to get some sleep."
He left the office, hearing Dumbledore say:
"Goodnight, Severus. Sleep well."
He didn't reply.
When he got back to his rooms, Snape didn't go to sleep. He sat, for a while, with a bottle of whisky.
How could Dumbledore ask him to do this? It was fine for Voldemort to ask it, the Dark Lord liked to make his servants do things distasteful to them, but Dumbledore? He wanted Snape to lead the girl on, make her think he loved her! It was cruel, even if it did save her life. And then there was the fact that he was not exactly an expert on seducing women. How was he to make her accept him, like him, let alone love him?
She was an attractive woman. Why on earth would she want a sarcastic potions master for a friend?
The following day, he did nothing. He was too nervous that she would suspect something. And definitely too nervous that she would instantly reject him. That would be dangerous for her... he suspected that a certain Malfoy might be watching carefully. Draco reported to his father, and it would be dangerous for Snape to forget that.
However, when she smiled at him at lunch, he did not turn away or glare. He nodded very slightly to her. She looked slightly surprised but also pleased. Perhaps this would not be the trial he was expecting.
As he walked down the corridor on his way to the dungeons, a student tripped and spilt a bottle of water that they were carrying on his hand. He turned, ready to give the brat a detention, until he noticed the distinct smell of garlic. He fought back laughter. Evidently Kaira's class had been studying vampires.
"I'm sorry, sir, I'm really sorry," stuttered the student. "I..."
Snape quirked an eyebrow.
"I am not a vampire, Mr Healall," he told the boy. "And if I wasn't so impressed with the fact that you actually brewed a potion on your own I would have you in detention for a month. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir,"
"Now give me that," he said, taking the rest of the potion. "If it is accurate, you will be fined ten house points. If it is not, it will be fifty. Now go."
The student scuttled away, looking thankful to be alive.
As soon as the brat had gone, Snape laughed quietly to himself, and strode off to his classroom.
Once his next class had gone, he went to find Kaira. She was tidying up her office and trying to find a space for a pile of scrolls.
"You have been studying vampires with your third years?" he asked.
"I set them homework on it," she answered. "How did you know?"
"I just had one of them try to use the vampire protection potion on me."
Kaira tried unsuccessfully not to laugh, putting one hand to her mouth.
"Oh dear," she chortled. "I hope you didn't hurt the child."
"No. I didn't even give him detention."
"I'm surprised,"
"I was so amused by the idea that I was merciful," he smiled slightly. "And the fact that he had brewed it on his own, out of class, impressed me. I'm going to test it later, and deduct points on the basis of how accurate it is."
"That's a good idea," she replied, impressed.
"If it happens again, I might be less merciful," he told her, "So you might want to warn them."
"Okay. So you didn't screech and turn into a bat or run away?" she teased.
"No," he replied, what might have been another smile being suppressed. "I shall see you later, Kaira,"
Kaira watched him leave, slightly confused. She would have thought Snape would have never settled for so slight a punishment, and he had smiled. What had put him in such a good mood?
When she had her class that Joe Healall belonged to, the one she had set the scroll on vampires, again, they were eager to tell her about their adventure.
"He thought it was funny!" a Hufflepuff who had been hiding nearby said. "Once Joe had gone, he started laughing! And he only took the ten points."
"I think you found that rarest of things, Professor Snape's sense of humour," she told them. "I'd better not do it again, though. He came to see me and warned me that if it happened again he wouldn't find it funny any more. So you might want to let anyone else who has a desire to check that Professor Snape isn't a vampire that they are putting their life in jeopardy!"
"Yes, Professor Elmsford," they chorused.
"Now, onto the lesson. Now you've done your reading on vampires – and found out that Professor Snape isn't one – we are going to study them in class. We will go over the work in your scrolls, then add to it and also work on spells to use against them."
Snape wondered if he could set the vampire potion to the same class in his lesson. That would be amusing. It wasn't on the syllabus, but perhaps he could fit it in anyway. He had analysed Healall's potion and found it to be decent. It would have caused a vampire problems. It was just a good job he wasn't one! He deducted the ten points, and kept the rest of the potion in a phial on his office shelf as a souvenir.
Later that day, in the staff room, McGonagall came up to him.
"I here you've proved that you are human after all, Severus," she smiled, sitting down.
"No," he replied, sardonically. "Only that I am not a vampire. I'm sure there are other things I could be,"
McGonagall laughed.