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Chapter 5 Witchy Woman

woo hoo witchy woman she got
the moon in her eye
She held me spellbound in the night
dancing shadows and firelight

Eagles "Witchy Woman"

Snape entered the staff room at 5:00 for the staff meeting that Dumbledore had called to explain Alexis' presence at Hogwarts. Taking his usual solitary seat in the far corner of the room he waited for the meeting to start.

Snape had with his usual discipline forced all thoughts Alexis and her delectable rear out of his mind. He would escort her to Diagon Alley on Friday and then ignore her when at all possible, which should not be all that difficult. A woman as attractive as she is would not voluntarily seek out someone like him. He knew his limitations as well as he knew his strengths. The only women he had ever attracted had been the ones seeking the Dark Lord's power. They had used him to get close to the Dark Lord and Snape had used their bodies for his own pleasures. With the fall of the Dark Lord his options were limited to those he could purchase at an hourly rate.

When Dumbledore arrived everyone quickly found their seats. Dumbledore began the explanation that he and Minerva had concocted for Alexis' presence at Hogwarts. He asked the teachers who had taught her to not be surprised if she did not remember them or the lessons. Everyone would be asked to evaluate her and if necessary to give her refresher lessons.

When Dumbledore had finished answering everyone's questions it was almost time for dinner. Everyone was chatting and fixing drinks waiting for dinner to be served. Snape looked up as Dumbledore approached, "Where did you leave our visitor?"

"She was heading towards the library when I last saw her."

Madam Pince, the school librarian, overheard their discussion, "Yes, she came in and introduced herself and asked for a copy of Hogwarts, A History. She was reading it when I left to come to the staff meeting."

Dumbledore had a twinkle in his eye that Snape did not trust at all, "Severus, since Alexis knows you, would you be so kind as to fetch her from the library and let her know dinner is about to be served?"

With barely controlled impatience, Snape nodded and headed out the door.

Entering the library he did not see her at first. Hearing a noise he headed toward the back shelves. On the third to last row he found her, stretching as high as she could trying to reach a book. He could not help but notice how her robes had ridden up to show very shapely legs.

He quickly stepped up behind her and impatiently reached for the book, at the same moment Alexis had given up and stepped back, right into Snape. It felt like she had run into a brick wall. Turning quickly she found herself staring at the top fastenings of his robes. Raising her head the next thing she focused on was his thin, firm lips. I wonder if he loses control when he kisses or if he maintains that rigid composure? Lifting her eyes with difficulty she found herself caught up in his obsidian stare.

Snape realized his mistake as soon as he felt her body move against his. The deep breath he took did not help as it caused her scent to flood his senses, vanilla and roses. She turned to face him, bringing a whole new level of tension to his already overheated body. Looking down at her, all he could think about was if she would taste as good as she smelled.

The sound of a book thudding to the floor broke the spell. Taking a careful step back, he bent to retrieve the book. "Dinner is being served in the staff room," handing her the book he turned and walked away.

Alexis had to lean on the bookshelves because her legs would just not support her. Taking several deep breaths, she could still smell his unique scent of musk and spices. Wow, that was intense!

Gathering the books she had found she made her way to the staff room. Slipping in quietly she found that people were filling their plates from a buffet and taking seats at a long table. Dumbledore was waiting for her by the door, "I have asked everyone not to bombard you all at once. They will introduce themselves whenever they have a chance. Now go get something to eat and take any empty chair."

After filling her plate at the buffet, Alexis turned to find that she was one of the last to be seated. Looking at the table she saw five empty places, the one at the head of the table was obviously being left for Dumbledore. There was one between Professor McGonagall and someone who must be Professor Sprout. The ladies both looked up and smiled at her invitingly. Alexis then noticed that both seats on either side of Snape were empty.

Taking her plate she headed straight for the empty seat beside Snape. Pulling her chair out she settled down and smiled at the stunned expressions on the faces of the staff across from her. Apparently Snape was not a popular choice for a dinner companion.

Snape was surprised when the chair beside him was pulled out. Looking around the table he spotted two other empty spaces next to more congenial company. As the person seated themselves he was able to catch the scent of vanilla and roses. His body responded to the remembered stimuli. He almost sighed before he caught himself, she is not going to be all that easy to ignore.

Alexis was tired. Dinner had been a bit of a strain. Trying to remember to answer to Alexis or Miss Draluck and trying to remember what she was supposed to remember and then remember what she would have no possible way of knowing had left her with a pounding headache.

She slipped out of the staff room smiling a good night at Dumbledore and headed down the corridor. Five minutes later she was totally lost. She sat on the base of a statue of a warlock holding a wand and what looked like a severed troll's head: not exactly pleasant company in a dark, drafty corridor. She was rubbing her aching head thinking longingly of a long soak in a hot bath when she heard someone walking toward her. A pair of highly polished black boots stopped in front of her and a waft of musk and spices told her who had found her.

"Perhaps a Gryffindor would have a better chance at house points…" was the quiet murmur.

"The way I feel right now, Hufflepuff has a better chance of winning the house cup then I have of finding my rooms."

"Are you ill?" was the surprising question.

When Alexis looked up at him with a brow quirked in inquiry at his seeming concern, Snape continued, "I would find it bothersome to have to escort you to the hospital as I have more important things to do with my time."

"Well, then it is a good thing that I only have a headache. Now if you will leave me to wander in peace, I may be able to find my room in time to leave it for breakfast," Alexis gave Snape a half smile and waited for him to leave.

"Follow me." Snape turned and headed down the corridor without looking back to see if she would follow.

Alexis got to her feet and took off after him. At least with all this running up and down stairs and through corridors I won't have to worry about gaining weight.

Snape led her down several flights of stairs and through the entrance hall and then down another flight of stairs into the dungeons. She wondered where he was taking her since her rooms were on the fourth floor but didn't have the breath to ask him.

She followed him through a doorway and into a classroom. Looking around at the long tables and the shelves full of slimy looking things floating in clear liquid, she realized she was in the potions classroom. Snape had disappeared through a doorway in the back. Alexis sat on one of the stools and leaned on the table trying to rub the ache away from her head.

A vial with a light blue liquid was thrust in front of her nose. "Here, drink this," Snape offered.

Without even questioning what it was, Alexis downed it like a shot of Tequila.

"Are you always so trusting?" Snape sneered. "I could have given you anything."

"Well I figured it must be some type of pain potion. Veritaserum is a completely clear potion, not light blue, and you are too much of a perfectionist to use any truth potion but the strongest. You are also too smart to poison me with something that could be traced back to you."

"It is a simple pain potion," he admitted. "It should take effect shortly."

"Also," Alexis cast a smile at the puzzled Potions master, "for some odd reason I do trust you."

"You shouldn't." Snape could not help the words that were falling from his mouth, "You don't know me or what I am capable of doing. I am not a character in your precious books. I have done things you cannot imagine and if it is necessary to protect this school I will do those things again."

"Sounds like I can trust you as long as I am not a threat to Hogwarts," Alexis said with an intent look at the stiff figure in front of her.

"Perhaps," was the icy reply.

"Thank you for the potion, my headache is gone," Alexis breathed a sigh of relief. "Now if you will point me in the general direction of my room, I will leave you to get on with your important work."

"I will escort you to your room."

Snape seemed not to be in his usual hurry. The slower pace allowed Alexis to memorize the route since she did not have to concentrate so much on just keeping up with Snape. Alexis memorized the size, shape, and frame of the paintings rather than the subject matter. The subjects of the paintings at Hogwarts did not always stay in their original frames.

The Lilac Girl swung open at Alexis' "Welcome" and Alexis took the first step into her room which put her closer to being level with Snape. Following an impulse she did not fully understand, "Professor Snape?"

"What is it now?" was the impatient reply.

And with a mischievous smile, Alexis, stood on her tiptoes and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of Snape's mouth, "Thank you for the potion and the escort to my room," and finished entering her room.

The painting started to swing closed and the stunned Potions master had to move back or get hit. He still felt the shock of the kiss on his skin. Just a little to the right and it would have landed full on his lips. His body reacted in what was becoming an uncomfortably familiar tightening to that thought. What kind of game was she playing? Could she be flirting with me?

Deciding he would take a wait and see approach, Snape headed back to his lonely dungeons, unconsciously rubbing his fingers on the spot where Alexis had kissed him.

Alexis woke early the next morning to a pounding on her chamber door. Crawling out of bed she pulled on the bathrobe she had found in the armoire in her room and stumbled to the door. Opening it she found an immaculately dressed Snape impatiently waiting on the other side.

"If you do not hurry and get ready we will both be late for breakfast."

Alexis blinked at him sleepily and then yawned and said, "Come in while I get ready, it will only take me a minute."

Snape stepped into the room and Alexis waved at the chairs next to the fireplace. "Maakkke yo'slf comf'ble," she yawned and headed to the bathroom, stopping to grab the clothes she had found with the bathrobe in the armoire and taken the time to lay out the night before.

Snape settled into the chair facing the bathroom and noticed that there were library books scattered on the floor around the other chair: Potions for Beginners, The Complete Guide to Simple Transfigurations, 1,2,3 Easy Charms and Spells. Picking up the potions book he thumbed through it.

Five minutes later Alexis came out of the bathroom in a knit dress that hugged her curves and showed a generous length of leg. Snape looked up from Potions for Beginners as she bent forward to brush the back of her hair giving him a brief glimpse of well-rounded cleavage.

"Let me grab a robe and I'll be ready," Alexis said over her shoulder.

"Tell me, if I asked you for a bezoar where would you find one?" Snape questioned as they headed to the staff room.

Giving him a smug smile Alexis responded, "In the stomach of a goat."

"And what is the difference between aconite and monkshood?"

"They are the same plant."

"And if I were to add lion fish spine and wolfs bane to an infusion of wormwood and willow bark what would I get?"

"A deadly poison that would cause a horribly painful death," this with a wrinkled nose.

Snape continued to question Alexis as they made their way to the sideboard to fix their breakfast plates. After settling in the same seats they had sat in for dinner the night before, Snape started questioning Alexis about why certain herbs were used in place of others that seemed to have the same properties. They continued in this vein as the other staff arrived for breakfast. Finally Dumbledore rescued Alexis from Snape's questions as she was starting to hesitate in her answers and Snape was starting to get impatient.

After breakfast Professor McGonagall gave Alexis a schedule showing when the different professors would be evaluating her. Her first evaluation would be with Professor Flitwick in ten minutes. Her meeting with the Draluck family attorney was Friday at 3.