Disclaimer: Not Jo, as she prolly has resolutions like, must be adored by millions and make more money than the Queen. I just want my writing to be adored, or at least liked a lot, by my readers!


Chapter 28- New Year's Eve

As the morning sunlight streamed into an upper window of The Burrow, Harry was lying on his cot in Ron's bedroom, watching the rays shine against the wall and thinking about his private New Year's resolution. His eyes darkened in determination. He wanted to find a girl to care about him, make him laugh, and think about boy/girl stuff instead of Voldemort, and everything bad that had ever happened in his life. He'd be a good boyfriend; he'd care about her and make her laugh too. Over the last few months, The Famous Harry Potter had become The-Boy-Who-Was-Very-Interested in the opposite sex. Harry knew he was much too interested in one particular member of the female gender, but he resolved to get a grip, stop crushing on someone who would never look at him the way he looked at her- starting tomorrow.

"What's so funny?"

Putting on his round glasses, he turned his head. Green eyes met blue. Ron's hair was sticking out on the side he'd slept on. Harry grinned, "Girls"

Sitting up and running his hands over his face, the red-head smiled back,

"Girls?"

"Yeah. Remember how we wanted someone to write a book so we'd know how to deal with them? Well, I've been thinking that some things, you just can't learn from a book...they have to be lived to be learned...hands on experience, I guess."

"So that's what mum's 'live and learn' saying is all about. Girls...fancy that. I'll tell her what you said at breakfast, mum's so pleased when we follow her advice."

Harry was horrified until he saw his friend's shoulders shaking. He threw his pillow at the freckled face. Ron caught it and threw it back. They had a rowdy pillow fight that brought Fred and George bounding upstairs with their bolsters to join the fun.

In the afternoon, Harry sat once again on his cot and tried to gather the courage to do an experiment. All day, he'd been thinking about how he should try and see if he and Ginny might have something- kiss her and find out. Heading for the door, he decided to go for it, and made for the stairs. Looking down, he saw Ginny on a lower landing and called down for her to come up. When she did, he waved her to a seat on Ron's bed. He stood by the window feeling like an idiot, because his plan wasn't going very well.

She looked nervous. Her brown eyes kept darting to the door, even while she talked to him and spouted something about knowing if you liked someone by being satisfied if you could just stare into their eyes. Harry wondered how much experience the girl really had if she actually believed that. He tried to casually ask if she thought a friend would make a good girlfriend, but she shook her head and said there had to be chemistry, and it couldn't be forced. He countered, "What if you don't know if they'd make your heart beat faster because you've never kissed them? Don't you think you should kiss them? Like this?"

What followed would be burnt into Harry's brain forever. He sat beside Ginny, gently turned her face to his and kissed the pale pink lips of the girl who stared at him with shocked eyes. Her mouth was...nice...he guessed. Her breath wasn't bad, and her face wasn't...wet...like Cho's had been. She didn't cry either. But neither did her lips move against his... After a moment, his stopped moving against hers. Harry was disappointed. He'd hoped that sparks would fly and he'd want to press her down on the bed and kiss her breathless. Instead, he felt...nothing...and wondered if she thought he was as stupid as he did. His eyes opened and saw her still staring at him, stunned. It was the final straw. He threw himself back on the bed and covered his face with his hands, shaking helplessly. Ginny asked concernedly,

"Harry...are...you alright?"

He laughed openly, and after a moment, Ginny joined him. He told her the kiss was almost as bad as kissing Cho. She was understandably surprised. After all, hadn't her brother told her all about Harry's 'big kiss'? Yeah, right, big disaster, more like. Didn't anyone realize how much mucus a person who was crying produced? It was gross. He'd been so excited before the kiss and afterwards he'd felt like a failure because he hadn't made her or himself happy. He hadn't wanted to confess his misery to the friends who were so pleased for him, so he just stayed silent and let everyone think he and Cho were some great romantic couple, when they were anything but. Now he'd tried it on with Ginny, and all he could think about was how awful it was- he was a selfish failure. Harry wondered if kissing Luna would be just as big a fiasco. He wouldn't even allow himself to think about kissing anybody else.

"What's going on?"

Poor Ronald, he looked so hopeful as his bright gaze flickered between his sister an his best mate. Harry wasn't going to make the tall boy's dreams of calling Ginny Mrs. Potter come true. Ron would have to continue to worry about what kind of bloke was going to try and lay a hand on his baby sister. The girl's smirk as she strolled out the door made Harry wonder if she didn't already have her eye on a guy that her brother wouldn't approve of. Of course, he wouldn't approve of anyone other than his best friend, so that was a moot point.

"I mean it Harry, what happened in here?"

Briefly considering saying, 'nothing', he instead took off his glasses, polished them on a sleeve, and then confessed hurriedly after pushing them back onto his face, "I wondered if Ginny would be a good girlfriend since we're friends so I kissed her."

"And...?"

Unruly black-hair shook, "Sorry, mate...it was like kissing my sister."

"Oh."

"Yeah, it would've been great, but...there's got to be something, chemistry, whatever, right?"

The other boy suddenly found the Chudley Cannons poster very fascinating. Not looking at his friend, Ron said,

"I wouldn't want a girlfriend I didn't like kissing. That's kind of the whole point, isn't it?" The freckled brow creased as he added quickly, "You can want to kiss someone, like kissing someone even though they wouldn't be a good girlfriend though, right?"

Into Harry's mind flashed a vision of full red lips coming so close to his mouth… Hoping to halt some confession of Ron's that he didn't want to hear, much less feel compelled to reciprocate, he cleared his throat and said, "Sure. It happens, no big deal, we just forget about it, move on- right?"

"Right"

Unable to stand male bonding one more bloody minute, Harry clapped his mate on the shoulder and challenged him to a game of Wizard Chess. Downstairs, the two set up the board and Harry made the first move. Fred and George wandered into the room and Fred placed a flagon on the board.

"Happy New Year, Harry"

"Hey, it was supposed to be 'Here's a back to school Consolation Prize'!"

"Oh, right, sorry George- I got excited."

"What's that?"

Harry looked at Ron. He'd gone and asked the twins to do him a favor, without knowing if they would be successful, so he hadn't told his best mate. Now he wondered how hisfriend would handle the news. Fred winked at him while George nodded in a 'Leave the explaining to me, mate' manner and said easily,

"It's Polyjuice Potion. Harry told us before Christmas that you guys wanted a way to get into Snape's rooms, make sure he was really working for the Order- find proof if he wasn't. Mundungus came round the shop with a box of interesting things that'd dropped off the back of a broomstick, if you know what I mean. We got this for you. Groveling in gratitude will be accepted now."

Grinning in relief as Ron looked impressed, not angry; Harry said, "Brilliant!"

"You're my favorite brothers!" Ron grinned.

"What do you mean they're your favorites?"

Laughing at Bill's irate query, Harry quickly snatched the flagon and put it into his pocket. Fred bent down and whispered,

"It'll only be good for a couple more weeks, so use it right away when you get back, alright?"

The boys nodded and turned their attention to their game. After a few more moves, Ron asked,

"So, are you going to be Snape, or do you want me to be the greasy git?"

"I'll do it." Harry's adamant statement was met with relief that made him smile. Inwardly, he was disturbed at how his New Year's Resolution was broken before the year had even begun. The only thing Harry desired to do more than get information on Snape was to try another experiment.


Staring down at the ruins of what was promised to be 'Lamb Vandaloo to die for!' in the cookery book One Minute Feasts- It's Magic, Tonks was torn between crying and having a temper tantrum. After sniffing, temper won out. The metamorphmagus hurled the ruddy book out Remus' kitchen window. Below, she heard a child say,

"Lookit, Timmy, an angel has dropped you a birthday present for your mum!"

The hands that had been about to send the funereal remains of the disastrous dish after the book lowered. Now she couldn't even have a good rant. Little kiddies would learn bad words and go home, repeat them, and spend New Year's Eve with a bar of soap in their mouths. Bloody stupid book, with its ruddy stupid spells that weren't properly written, she was sure of it. How the disgrace to cookery tomes everywhere had become a best-seller she'd never know. Perhaps she should send an anonymous letter round to the Ministry Intelligence 'Misuse of Magic' department...that blasted book was probably bewitched with a 'buy me' charm.

"Is it safe to enter?"

Remus was leaning on the counter separating the minute kitchen from the cozy dining/lounge/library and doing a poor job of suppressing a smile. She picked up the blackened wimberry pie and hefted it in one hand while threatening, "Say one word about my domestic skills and this will be decorating that silk shirt Lorelei gave you for Christmas."

"I wouldn't dream of it. I've told you before that it wasn't your cooking that won my heart."

Lowering the pie, because a wolfishly grinning Remus was an inspiring sight, and his words made the 'I'm a bloody domestic failure' feeling dissipate like magic, the silver haired woman with golden eyes sighed, "What will we do now? They'll be here in an hour and I've got no dinner to serve. I can't serve them takeout again!"

Her lover's eyes were glinting mischievously. He admitted,

"When I heard the...er...commotion down here, I used the fireplace upstairs to talk to Lorelei and Snape. They agreed to meet us at that restaurant we went to before. So no worries, my love..."

Short spikes were hard to toss huffily, but she managed. Using her wand to vanish the remains of her dinner from Hades, Tonks tried to brush past the man smirking at her. See what happened when he hung round Snape...he started smirking...and darn it all...it was adorable! Warm hands grasped her shoulders before warmer lips brushed her mouth. She pouted, not about to let a little snog make everything all better. He deepened the kiss. She sank into the embrace and told herself a big snog was a whole different can of tubeworms.

Wearing a little white dress, because Lorelei's mum was having a black and white ball, she was glad the siren had assured her the term 'ball' didn't mean that long gowns were mandatory. Tonks was relieved, because the thought of swanning around trying not to step on the train of a bloomin' ballgown would've made her stay home and snog Remus some more. Hmmm...maybe that was what she should still do...

"No second thoughts, we're going, and I'll snog you later. Lorelei promised me they'd stay out of the folly tonight, just for us."

Reluctantly admiring the amazing beading on the dress, the changeable woman pretended she didn't know what Remus was blathering about. Had she ever once mentioned how disappointed she'd been that the big bad wolf hadn't gobbled his little Red up at 'Granny's House'? No she had not, so why would the siren assume, and suggest, and why would he even mention...unless...he wanted to...? The predatory smile he gave her made her grin.

Strolling into the restaurant, Tonks had to admit that she felt sexy. Men's heads turned to watch her pass by and women were admiring her dress almost as much as they were admiring her partner, who oozed animal magnetism in his black evening suit. Lorelei and her date were already waiting in the circular booth they'd sat in before. The halter of the siren's black evening gown showed way more creamy skin than decent, but the men didn't mind. Accidentally elbowing Remus as she slid in beside the other woman, the silver haired professor said dryly, "Aren't you cold?"

"I'll keep her warm."

Golden-eyes met black that she knew were Snape's and yet...weren't. The Potions Master had taken a feature disguising potion of some sort and so looked like someone different, with shoulder length black hair, black eyes, and a smirk that wouldn't stop. The skin tone, features...especially the nose, thank Merlin...were so pleasantly attractive no one would ever suppose a dour professor was lurking beneath the handsome mask. Unless he lifted his brow like that while sneering at a person's quite understandable shock over a seeing a bat transformed into a...non-bat.

''Tonks, Remus, I'd like to introduce you to my...date...Alexander Severus." The loony siren began giggling as she explained Snape's mother had named him after a Roman Emperor who oppressed his people way back in 222AD. Beside her, 'Alex' began scowling as Lupin broke into laughter.

"Alexander Severus Snape? Your mother really saddled you with initials that spell ASS? Merlin, if we'd known back in school, the Marauders would've really made your life a living...oh, sorry."

"For what...being honest about your little band's goal to torment me at every turn? I was just thankful you weren't Ravenclaws, and intelligent enough to deduce my name from school records."

"Alex..."

"Remus..."

The men made an effort to be congenial, which didn't seem as odd when Snape wasn't looking like his usual sardonic self. Lorelei was sparkling with happiness over being able to spend time with her...whatever...in public...in a way. A thought struck the metamorphmagus, and she asked, "Why are we having dinner if there's going to be food at the party?"

Leaving off staring dreamily into eyes that were still too black and piercing, even if they were shaped differently, the spiral-haired woman replied,

"Oh, party food's always that posh nibbly stuff that never fills you up and I was really craving..."

"Lamb Vandaloo, for everyone...our chef's specialty tonight...enjoy."

Gaping at the dishes that were set before them, Tonks looked around the table. Everyone had suspiciously innocent expressions on their faces. Feeling her cheeks start to heat, the silver-haired woman said ominously, "Think this is funny, do you?" The men chuckled while Lorelei gave a peal of melodic laughter that had diners turning and staring. Picking up her fork, Tonks took a bite and admitted that it was much better than anything she could've conjured. Deciding to be gracious, she allowed her friends and lover to have their little laugh. She'd have the last laugh...after dinner, when she dragged them over to the karaoke room and made them sing for their supper.

Remus had a lovely voice, and for such a thoughtful, introspective, man, he could be quite outgoing. The song Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire brought back lovely memories. The wolfish gleam in his eyes when he stared at her told her he felt the same way. Grrrrr...what gorgeous lips you've got- the better to snog me with... Her soft snickers caught Lorelei's attention.

"Don't laugh; he's got a marvelous voice."

"I don't think Tonks finds the singing humorous."

'Alex' might look different, but his voice sure stayed as darkly insinuating as ever. Not that he was wrong, but still... Remus had finished, so part two of her revenge, served...not cold...but at least lukewarm...was ready for implementing.

"Alright you two, you're up next." The stunned look on Ass...no Alex's...face was priceless. Really made her night... Lorelei stood, leaning down to plead,

"Please, sing one song...for me?"

Slightly envying the woman's use of siren sex appeal, and glad Remus wasn't round to get an eyeful; Tonks felt her warm fuzzy glow of satisfaction fade. When the man curled his lip at her before slipping an arm around his partner's waist and accompanying her to the small stage, a feeling of dread crept in. Remus sat down beside her and grinned,

"This should be amusing."

Amusing wasn't the right word. The first hint that her plan had backfired came when the pair didn't need words to the song. The ultimate proof came when Lorelei gave 'Alex' a look and a sway that made men all over the room sit up straighter as she sang. Snape joined her in the duet of Baby it's Cold Outside, with a surprisingly mellow voice.

Talk about a pyrrhic victory. Maybe if she'd paid attention in History of Magic all those years ago, she would've known that this would work out about as well as a land war in Asia. So much for getting those two to sing onstage being a fine joke...the joke was on her. She closed her eyes to block the vision of the pair kissing at the end of the song. Her own lips were brushed with smiling ones that murmured,

"Don't get worked up over this, Little Red...save your energy for when the big, bad wolf huffs and puffs and blows your house in."

She smiled and kissed her wolfish sweetie, uncaring that he'd fractured a fairytale.


The moment Lorelei found the Personatus Potion in Moste Potente Potions, she'd been filled with the eagerness of a giddy schoolgirl. The solution was fiddly, full of hard to find ingredients and requiring chanting to the four winds at midnight, on a full moon, to make it. The potion had rested in a stasis box until New Year's Eve.

After Apparating to Marina's London home on the last day of December, the pair had slipped up a back stairway to Lorelei's room. Severus had amused himself by looking through her things, picking up books, orbs and looking through drawers. When she'd told him no man had ever lain on her bed, he'd promptly dragged her over to it and pressed her body into the mattress while pressing delicious kisses to her neck, and face, and mouth. Tracing his splendid features with her fingertips later, she'd admitted that while she looked forward to spending time with him in public, she'd miss his face.

"I'd think you'd be glad to have a handsome partner, for a change."

How silly he was about his looks. She'd reassured him that sexy, striking, and sardonic beat plain and boring handsome any day of the week, and twice on New Year's Eve. Severus was so smart...he'd picked up on the suggestion right away. Unfortunately, he couldn't carry it out because they had to get ready to meet Tonks and Lupin. Poor Tonks had ruined dinner, and Remus had wanted to know if they would mind going to the restaurant instead. Of course they didn't.

When she opened her wardrobe, Snape had been floored by the room of clothing and spent a long time vetoing one dress after another before he finally approved of an evening gown that bared her back. What excellent taste he had. With the help of the house elf Silky, her hair, which she left down, and her makeup, which she'd done up dramatically, were perfect. After admiring Severus in his tux, she'd watched him drink the Personatus Potion and stared as his features shifted into something blandly appealing. Her distress must have shown in her eyes, because his now fuller lips had pursed irreverently as he said,

"Don't worry; I'm still me on the inside."

"You're voice is the same too...and your smirk- it's uncanny! Oh, thank Merlin!"

Why he was so amused over her relief that Snape remained detectable in the new 'Alexander Severus'- his first and middle names, after a Roman Emperor, how appropriate, she'd never know. She was just glad that he was pleased. During dinner, she'd enjoyed being able to stare at him openly and hold his hand. What others took for granted, she experienced gratefully. Perhaps she'd gone overboard during their karaoke song, but who could blame her? Severus...Alex...had sung with her...in public...and looked at her with midnight fires burning in his eyes. At the end of the song, the way he'd sung, 'Baby its cold outside' had driven her to kiss him, but he'd delved his fingers into her hair and ravished her mouth all on his own. It wasn't until she heard Tonks yell 'PDA!' that she'd been able to collect herself to step back and blushingly wave to their whistling and cheering audience. Remus was grinning at his partner when they returned to the table before leaving for the ball. Hair as bright as silver confetti had shaken while his lover demanded,

"What's so funny?"

The handsome brown-haired man had snickered,

"It seems my darling chameleon...that you only object to other people's public displays of affection."

"Shut up. We weren't on stage, it's hardly the same thing...I don't want to hear another word about it or the only display of affection you'll get will be a cauldron full of boiling water, wolfie..."

Lorelei had decided not to ask for an explanation. The two couples had Apparated to Marina's and joined the throng of partiers looking to end the old year in style.

Now gazing in appreciation of Silky's...and her mother's, hard work, the siren smiled in remembrance of the evening so far, and looked forward to spending the rest at Sev...Alexander's...side. Her mother winked at them after kissing everyone on the cheeks. Jean Luc smiled and shook the men's hands between hugging and kissing the women. Her lover frowned sourly at the affection, which made him look so Snape that she sighed. Hearing it, the corners of his mouth turned up. Then, as if the thought had just occurred that he could react however he wanted since no one would know it was him, 'Alex' grinned. The shock of seeing an un-self-consciously happy smile on his face almost made Lorelei faint in shock. Her eyes grew wide as her jaw dropped. Beside her, she heard Tonks gasp and Remus chuckle. Smirking, Severus/Alex told the other couples 'Excuse us' and swept her off to dance.

"Is this the proper distance for a waltz?"

The sardonic query made her smile. She'd been enjoying the feel of his body shifting and brushing against hers too much to care if they were 'proper' and she told him so. He pulled her even closer. After the dance, they saw Tonks waving and joined her.

"Can you show me a loo?"

"Sure"

As the women moved to leave the men for a short while Alex said petulantly,

"Why the devil do women have to...powder their noses...with another woman in tow?"

"So they can talk about us, mate."

Lorelei didn't know if her partner was more taken aback by the thought of women discussing men or being called 'mate'. She blew the stunned man a kiss and promised to return soon. The friends giggled as they headed toward what was euphemistically titled a 'powder room'. A hand grasped the siren's arm as they passed a column and a plummy voice declared,

"Sweetie, darling, don't you look lovely tonight. You remember me don't you? I'm Eddy Zabini, a dear, dear friend of your mother's..."

The frizzy-haired woman was wearing a white dress that almost glowed in the dark; it was encrusted with so many sequins. Smiling politely at the woman her mother called a 'social-climbing pureblood snob'; Lorelei replied that of course she remembered her, and her friend Mrs. Malfoy. She introduced Tonks to the women and complimented them on their children, who had been a pleasure to teach. Preening, the women simpered happily, and remarked in carrying voices to each other once the professors had started walking away,

"Cissy, I almost didn't recognize her, she's put on weight."

"Yeah, right, in the chest, the lucky witch...that dress though...hideously plain..."

Inside the dressing area of the guest lavatory, Lorelei was stunned to see the reflection of a familiar face beaming at her in the mirror.

"Lora, gosh, I hoped we'd run into you at a party, girlfriend, but I was beginning to doubt...Justin's going to be so psyched to see you!"

Tonks was gazing quizzically from one face to the other. Lorelei introduced her friend to Cameron and said quickly to the bubbly blonde, "Hey, why don't we...surprise...Justin. He'll love it. Right next door is a study. I'll wait there and you can go get him, lead him there and...what a surprise he'll have!"

The wide smile that lit the American's famous face was almost child-like in its happiness. After admitting that yes, Marina was her mother, and replying 'oh really' to the news that Justin had said their hostess looked very familiar, Lorelei waved the woman on her way to go get her boyfriend.

"What was that about? Did you really sing with that wizard gone Muggle? Why would you want to surprise him?"

Staring at her friend, she made a decision. "Can't say, yes, and can't say...I need you to go back down and tell the men I'm fixing my dress or something. I'll be back in fifteen minutes, tops. If I'm not...come looking for me."

Tonks argued another moment then shook her head in exasperation, threatening to be pounding on the door in fifteen minutes. Nodding her thanks, Lorelei slipped into the next room and concentrated hard in order to perform a wandless shielding charm. No sooner had she done it and taken a deep breath, than the door opened and Justin strolled in. He smiled at her, pouring on the charm in waves that were almost visible. Too bad for him, she wasn't affected. He said coolly,

"Hello Lora, or should I say Lorelei...I didn't forget about you, after the party. Couldn't trace you, though, until I bought a chocolate frog, of all things, and saw your mum smiling up at me from her card, looking so much like you. I finagled an introduction, and she was quite happy to tell me all about you, your little 'singing hobby' and how you're a teacher, of all boring things. She invited me to her party, and I've been looking forward to this reunion of ours ever since."

He took out his wand and pointed it at her, his now dramatically short dark hair giving his boyish face a menacing look his angelic blond locks had hidden from the world. Amazing how British he sounded when he wasn't playing the American Pop Star. He smiled nastily,

"After I do a couple Memory Charms, the only thing you'll remember is how much you regret not giving me a little something to remember you by. You're going to want to do something about that."

She braced herself, but didn't feel a thing as the spell dissipated around her. He stared in disbelief that she was unmoved. Lorelei ordered, "Break your wand"

Justin's face became expressionless as he took his wand and broke it in half, allowing the pieces to fall on the floor.

"You're not a wizard. You're an American Pop Star."

He repeated after her, his voice changing from clipped to one with the merest trace of a Southern accent,

"I'm not a wizard. I'm an American Pop Star."

"You're tired of England; you want to go back to LA."

Again he internalized what she said and spoke the words as though he'd thought of them.

"You love your fans. You treat them nicely, shake hands, sign autographs...you treat your girlfriend as best as you can, for as long as she puts up with you."

She couldn't change his personality, unfortunately. All she could do was nudge the Pop Star in a kindler, gentler direction.

"This party is boring. You want to go back to your suite and have your people arrange for you and Cameron to fly back to LA as soon as possible."

Watching the blue eyes blink, focus and then smile warmly at her, Lorelei felt not one twinge of regret. She made herself return his hug and wished him the best as he told her that, no offense, but there weren't 'a lot of fish around here shakin' their jelly' and he was heading back to LA 'ASAP, baby'. Her heart jolted when 'Alex' became visible and moved from his position just inside the room to open the door and silently allow the other man to leave.


The moment Tonks returned without Lorelei, Severus knew something was wrong. The metamorphmagus looked away as she told them that her friend was 'fixing her dress'. A more transparent attempt at fabrication would be hard to find. Inclining his head, the disguised Potions Master sarcastically confessed needing to find a loo himself. He'd headed for the stairs without another word, and heard Lupin tell his partner,

"Let him go."

At least one person understood the utter futility of trying to dissuade him from his goal. A slender, familiar looking man was walking up the steps with a blonde who was attractive, but smiled too much. Her words snagged his attention.

"C'mon, Justin, don't ask me any more questions, I told her it would be a surprise, okay?"

"Her...who is this mystery woman Cameron...Lora....?"

"Ohmigods, I totally blew the surprise, didn't I...could...could you just pretend to be surprised?"

"Sure baby...don't worry...there'll be a surprise, alright."

Snape walked past the door as the man stopped, told his companion to wait for him downstairs, and entered. Bringing out his wand, the lean man quickly performed a disillusionment charm, and followed the other man into the room. Inside, he almost blasted the bastard for saying he'd tamper with Lorelei's memory and then... Only the knowledge that Misuse of Magic had to be a proven act, not a threat, stayed his hand.

He clenched his wand in a fist while the wizard said his spell. His wand almost dropped to the floor when Lorelei, impervious, told the man to break his wand...and he did it. Disbelieving what he was witnessing, Alexander Severus Snape felt like the ass his initials spelt as he watched the man be reformed into a Muggle Pop Star bent on getting back to his fame and fortune in America. Impulsively, he broke the charm, became visible, and opened the door for the other man to leave.

"Thanks, dude."

Ignoring the cretin's words, Severus waited for the door to shut before speaking, "Do you realize that I could have you transported to Azkaban for what you just did?"

She pressed her lips together and nodded. He asked tonelessly, "What kind of compulsion magic did you use?"

"Irresistible Voice...it's a hereditary ability...not many of our family manifest it, though. I think I'm the only one in three or four generations."

"How convenient...how many have you bent to your will in such a manner...am I one of them?"

Her eyes filled with tears. He ignored them and listened impassively as she tried to explain,

"No, no, it's not like that...its defensive only. I can't hurt anyone with it, or make someone fall in love with me...Severus, please...believe me...Justin used unforgivable curses on Muggle fans and then made them forget with memory charms. The same charm he wanted to use on me. I only did it to protect innocent people and it won't hurt him- he's happier as a Muggle. If he wasn't, the Voice wouldn't have worked."

"So you say"

They stared at each other, at a loss what to do. He had no intention of reporting Lorelei to the Ministry and they both knew it- but that wasn't the real issue. The true question was trust. Could he trust that she'd told the truth about her ability- that she'd never used it against him before and never would? Her eyes grew wide, as if she'd thought of something. Gaze remaining steadily on his, she admitted,

"I know it's hard for you to trust, to believe words...but you don't have to..." She swallowed and said, "There's another way...Legilimency..."

"No" Snape hesitated, unwilling to break into her mind. Her lopsided smile was heart wrenching,

"You're not forcing me- I want to do it. I've opened my heart and my arms...why not my mind?"

Solemnly, he nodded, and raised his wand, paused, then said, "Legilimens!"

A barrage of images raced across his vision. Seals surrounded a little girl who was swimming in deep blue water. The girl was older, and staring wistfully out a window, watching children playing on the lawns of Hogwarts. Marina was crying and her daughter was trying to comfort her and direct the house elf in packing. A goblin was clinking his glass of whiskey to hers. Concentrating, Severus narrowed his focus. A young girl was backed into a corner by a wizard trying to touch her- she mouthed 'go away' and he did. Image after image of men, young and old, drunk and sober, trying to touch, trying to coerce, refusing to take no for an answer until they were told to and were unable to resist the command flashed into his mind.

Subconsciously, he must have been satisfied by what he'd seen, because the visions changed into a shifting collage of images that began with an invisibility cloaked woman staring at a wizard standing on the front steps of Hogwarts. He sneered, she sighed. She shivered at the sound of his voice in the infirmary, got lost in his eyes sitting at the staff table. Brief glimpses of their relationship sped by his inner eye. Severus was overwhelmed by the emotion that was illustrated time and again as he saw himself through her eyes, watched her lose herself in his arms. Pulling away , mentally as well as physically, he lowered his wand and turned his back, trying to control his reaction, his feelings.

"I love you."

He knew. That was the emotion that illuminated her memories of him, whether she was dissolving in laughter or pleasure. He was ashamed that he'd taken advantage of her willingness to share anything and everything to 'see' for himself how much she loved him. It was more than he deserved. Snape felt two slender hands clasp his and raised his eyes to meet the ones waiting patiently for his reply. His lips curved, "I love you- and I trust you."

"I know"

He smirked. She sighed. They kissed. Tonks rushed into the room, shouting,

"Alright, what's going on in...oh my gods...not again!"

They laughed and followed the muttering woman back down to the ballroom. Ignoring cheeky remarks and questions from a nosy metamorphmagus, Severus/Alex swept his lover onto the dance floor. He pulled her flush against him, his right hand on her lower back, his left grasping her right while her other hand rested on his shoulder. Lorelei's eyes sparkled while she sang along to 'Let's face the music and dance', and mirrored his movements as they slid into a Tango.

The music, the embrace, and sensual rocking steps of the dance, added to the tempting knowledge that his actions were seen as those of a stranger, not the Head of Slytherin House, combined to make Snape throw caution to the wind. He lowered his mouth to Lorelei's. Her muffled moan was music to his ears, but the gasp that followed a few moments later hit a sour note. Disengaging himself, Severus turned and saw what had startled his lover. Their underworld students, not content with making nuisances of themselves at the Fire Festival, were now rudely gaping several meters away.

Glaring at Malfoy and Zabini, if it even was Zabini, he curled his lip at their astonishment. Lorelei was grinning like a schoolgirl at the suspicious disapproval on the boy's face. He lifted his eyebrow and smirked at the teens, before ignoring them to concentrate on the woman who had wrapped her arms around his neck and started swaying against him as the band played an instrumental tune. Severus slowly maneuvered them toward the door, where he planned to fulfill his lover's 'Gone With The Wind' fantasy and carry her up the stairs to prove her 'twice on New Year's Eve' theory and end one year while beginning the next with love.


A/N: I bet you wondered when 'Justin' would return! Had to have the New Year start with a clean slate, take care of some excess baggage. Thanks to K8ebug for the PDA idea- more proof of how Reviews inspire! lol. Love Nat King Cole singing The Christmas Song and Holly Cole's version of Baby its Cold Outside. Diana Krall's version of Let's Face the Music and Dance makes me want to tango too! Hope you enjoyed the chappie...let me know in a Review...it would certainly make my New Year Happy!