Chapter 3. NEGOTIATIONS WITH SNIVELLY

She knocked at the Snape's door. There was no answer. She knocked again. Nothing.

'Jesus, Seve-e-e-rus, ple-e-e-ase, open! I'm fre-e-e-e-zing here!' she sang, jumping on her one leg, trying to warm up.

Tonks knocked again and again, until she heard an angry roar:

'Fuck! Who the hell is it!'

'Snape, it's me! It's Tonks!' she shouted, happy with a thought of getting somewhere warm.

'Tonks? It's almost two in the morning!' the door hadn't opened yet, but the voice moved closer.

'Gosh, Severus! Can you hurry just a little! 'Cause if you don't…'

The door opened and she saw Severus, who was half-naked and was holding a blanket that was tightly wrapped around his waist.

'Good night… am…'

'It's more like a morning,' said Severus, shivering already from cold.

'May I come in?' asked Tonks. "Or I'm awfully disturbing you?'

'No, you're only disturbing my peace,' he grinned as Tonks came in and closed the door behind her.

The place was a complete mess, noticed Tonks, trying not to show disgust on her face. However Snape understood her.

'It's not like this usually,' she said scornfully, 'but I haven't been here since September.'

'I see,' Tonks glanced at Severus's odd dressing, which consisted only of one blanket.

'I'll dress and you make yourself comfortable,' he noticed her watching him and hurried into his bedroom.

He seemed to be less cold and distant than usual. Actually everyone had changed since Sirius's death … and changed to worse, Tonks thought. But now that she had a plan, it was to end very soon. Except she had to be fast – Sirius's body had already been buried, but his soul, his spirit hadn't left yet completely… Every wizard after dying was given time… a month to be exact… so that he'd choose whether to leave a ghost of his or not. Two weeks had already passed and Tonks was afraid she'd be late… to catch his spirit and awake it. It reminded her of necromancy, only she wasn't gonna make a zombie out of Black's dead body, what she wanted to do was to return him back to life…

She blinked, noticing that Snape was already standing for several minutes, leaning back to the wall with his back, and watching the dreamy expression of her face. She looked at him again.

Wait, did he have his head washed? His long black hair fell on his eyes, sparkling with purity…

'I s'pose you came to talk business, ha?' asked Snape.

'Yeah, I did,' said she.

'Well, lets get down to it then, shall we?' he cleared the table in front of Tonks and brought two cups of coffee. 'Shoot.'

'Well, it's about Sirius… Sirius Black…' she paused as Snape's face first turned red and angry and then returned to its usual paleness.

'And how on earth can I help you?' he didn't sound angry, but he sounded like ready to be angry.

'You're good in potions,' mumbled Tonks losing her confidence.

'Black's dead and no potion can help him.'

She gulped down sobs and Snape seemed to be shocked by how sensitive she appeared to be.

'Um… may be you could tell me what exactly you want me to do,' Severus hesitated, trying to make her stop.

Tonks was surprised by how gentle he was… perhaps, she thought, you can only understand what the person's really like after you awake him in the middle of the night and start asking to help someone, whom he more than hates…

'I want you to make a potion,' said she finally.

'Okay,' Snape nodded. 'What kind of a potion?'

'Reincarnation one,' Tonks held her breath, waiting for Severus's reaction.

'But it needs more than just ingredients!' he said coldly after a long pause. 'And that's illegal!'

'I know, but will you make it for me?'

'No,' said Snape coolly.

'Severus, please!'

'If I get caught, I'll be doomed, Tonks! And I don't want that, savvy?'

'But…'

'NO!'

'Are you the best potion genius I've ever known or are you not?' she stood up and suddenly slipped into yelling... but then weakly collapsed on her chair again. 'Please.'

Snape set opposite to her with his mouth opened in astonishment. She knew he hesitated in his answer… He was selfish, cold bloody Slytherin, Tonks thought, but if he was cold it didn't necessary mean he had no heart.

'Oh, fine…' he grinned darkly.

'Thanks, Severus, you're the best!' she jumped up, currently being in a state of bliss. 'I owe you my life! See you tomorrow in the Order!'

She ran out of the messy house into the fresh air. She was good, wasn't she? There were only few things left to arrange, Tonks thought, unwilling to imagine the possibility of a failure.

'Ta da da da da da… Ta da da da…' Snape stood by the window, moodily watching the witch run away, singing some old song…