A/N I've been waiting to write this chapter for so long.

(JKR laughs) -Who on earth would want Snape in love with them? That's a very horrible idea

Chapter 10 friends and foes

Ellen herd the door slam marking Severus's exit, She wondered why he was angry now instead of when she had broke his nose.

After fifteen short minutes Ellen stepped into the corridor and started up to the great hall. She was happy, for the first time she could wear one of her most favorite dresses. It was long, jet-black, in the style of a gothic/regency dress with long sleeves that flared out at the base. She fell in love with it as soon as she saw it and had to buy it, she knew she could never wear it anywhere but a Halloween party or something, But now was the perfect time. Along with her knee-high high heels and her short hair, flaring out to make it look like it defined gravity she looked like Vampira (if she had long black hair) or some sort of gothic queen.

'Miss Ellen you look stunning!' Dumbledore exclaimed when she entered

'Thank you.' She said she silently agreeing

'Don't you agree Severus?' he asked Snape who was standing near adjusting one of the lamps on a table. Ellen was glad he had had at least changed for the night. As he turned he was awed at seeing her but pushed that down inside him before anyone could notice.

'I'm glad to see that for once you fit in with your surroundings.' He said curtly.

'I think you can do better than that Severus.' Dumbledore said to him. Snape looked her over properly.

'You look nice.' He said stiffly and turned away.

'He isn't very good with compliments.' Dumbledore explained with a smile.

After the students piled into the Hall the dinner started. Ellen sat at a staff table with Hagrid and Poppy and Madame Prince. They had come to call it the reject table, as none of them were teachers. All though dinner Ellen could feel Moody watching her, she knew that he wanted her under the mistletoe. The music was about to start and she could see Moody start to come towards her. She had an idea to get away from him for the moment. She pretended to have a pang of self-consciousness so she went back to her room to check her make-up and hair but she knew both were perfect. Coming back to the Hall she heard the strange music that would fill the night. The doors of the great hall were closed; when she opened them she was expecting some sort of Rocky Horror Time Warp dance sequence. Luckily it wasn't, it was just normal ballroom type dancing.

Nearly as soon as she entered, Moody came over, bowed and pulled her into an awkward dance. She kept on tripping over his foot and he kept on standing on her. Even through this, he was determined not to let her get away.

Snape was watching her being pulled around the dance floor, she had been so careful so avoid Moody at the start of the night but now that was all in vain. Why was he watching her when he was so angry with her? And why couldn't he stop watching her? He was so absorbed in watching Ellen he forgot to look out for the person he was avoiding.

'Severus can we talk?' The low worried voice of Karkaroff said behind him. Severus, unable to think up a plausible excuse, had no choice but to follow. On the way out he passed by Ellen, Moody had now lead her into a slow, awkward, waltz.

'Help me' She mouthed as they went past. He probably would have helped her but he was angry with her and he was caught in his own unwanted situation.

Ellen finally got away from Moody, when she said to him that she had something urgent to tell Dumbledore about Snape, knowing that Moody hated him. She quickly escaped outside where she was guaranteed to get away from him. She took a stroll around the castle she found Snape and Karkaroff doing the same thing. Snape looked like he really didn't want to be there, he was blasting random things with his wand. Even though Snape didn't help her she thought she might as well help him. She felt she owed it to him.

Severus blasted a flower that was growing out of the thin layer of snow on the ground. Karkaroff was saying something to him but he stopped listening a long time ago. Ellen came rushing up to both of them.

'Professor Snape, Dumbledore requests a word with you.'

Severus had no idea what Dumbledore wanted him for, but just as Ellen turned away she winked just so he could see it.

'Oh, right of course. Sorry' he said to Karkaroff 'this is important.' He walked off not knowing where he was going. He walk around the grounds of the castle for a bit knowing Karkaroff would go back inside to try and find him again. Fed up, he went and sat on a rock wall that enclosed a small oak tree close to one of castle's walls. Someone tugged at his hair from behind. He turned around, Ellen stood behind holding onto the tree.

'Your hair is really gross did you know that?' She wiped her hand on his shoulder. Snape mumbled some remark. 'Its nice out here, cold but nice, serine even.' Dreamily she blew frost out of her mouth.

'Here' Severus got up, took off his cloak and held it out to her. Ellen took it suspiciously.

'Why are you being so nice to me?' She asked wrapping the cloak around her; it was warm and comforting. She sat down beside him.

'Why not?' He shrugged he had no idea why he was being nice. He wasn't angry with her anymore, he found that he couldn't be, there was just something about her.

'Its very difficult to dace with someone with a fake leg.' Ellen said changing the subject. She took off one of her right shoe and sock and massaged her ankle.

'How did you manage to get away from Moody in the end?' He asked he didn't really care but he thought it would start convocation.

'Well, he was very desperate not to let me go and he was slowly edging me towards the mistletoe.' She grimaced at the thought 'Anyway two dances after you passed me I twisted my ankle, after he tried to spin me. I couldn't dance anymore but I didn't want to tell him about my ankle because I knew he would want to help me so I made up an excuse...' Severus raised his eyebrows 'I told Moody that I had something urgent to tell Dumbledore...about you. So now Moody thinks you're up to something. Sorry.'

'No harm done, he thinks I'm up to something already.' He picked up Ellen shoe. 'No wonder you twisted your ankle. Look how high it is.' The heel was at least six inches high. 'How on earth do you walk?'

'Its not that hard, I have higher shoes than that.' This was the most civil conversation they had ever had, and they were talking about shoes.

'Does your ankle hurt?' he enquired. She was still massaging it.

'Yes, but I can handle it.' She added quickly.

Snape scooped up a handful of snow and pressed it to her ankle.

'Better?'

'Much, thank you.' Ellen smiled and held the snow there. They sat in silence for a while neither knew what to say. Ellen still wondered why Severus was being so nice. Severus silently hated himself for being so out of character; why was he being so nice? Wasn't it just hours before that he was so angry her? The stone that they were sitting on started to make him cold.

'Shall we go back inside?' He asked

'Yes I suppose, though I don't really want to go back into the ball.'

'I wasn't suggesting the ball. I meant just to go back inside.'

Ellen brushed the snow from her foot and pulled on her shoe and sock. She got up as though she was unhurt. 'Are you ok?'

'Fine, this isn't the first time and it won't be the last. I know how to handle pain.'

'That's make two of us.'

They went down to Severus's office.

'God!' Ellen exclaimed 'its colder down here than it is outside.'

Severus flicked his wand and the empty fireplace burst into flames. He sat down, and opened one of his desk draws and withdrew a bottle of whiskey.

'Drink?'

'Yes.'

Two glasses appeared out of nowhere. They say quiet with their drinks. Severus was immersed with his thoughts. He was still perplexed why he was still being nice to her, it wasn't a characteristic normally associated with him. Maybe he was being nice because she was being nice. She had said once that she thought they could be friends; maybe this was what it was like to have a friend. But were they friends?

'You said once you wanted to be my friend.' He said out loud, trying to wok out his thoughts

'I still do'

'But you think, as I recall, that I'm a horrible prick.' He was making a case against himself.

'True,' she stopped to reflect, 'but you intrigue me Severus Snape.' She finished her drink. Then gave him a brief peck on the cheek and quickly left him before he could respond.

Now he was really confused.

A/N what do you think?