Disclaimer: None of the recognizable characters and settings belong to me. They are all the intellectual property of J.K. Rowling. I'm just playing around with them for the fun of it…no monetary gain is sought.

This story is dedicated to scatteredlogic for her cherished friendship and all her invaluable help.

Chapter Thirteen: Venus and Mars

Minerva sat back in her chair and set her teacup down on the saucer that she held in her lap; the click of china touching china was currently the only sound to be heard. Albus Dumbledore sat across from her in another easy chair before the fire in his office. The flames crackled brightly and cast a warm cheery glow over both of them as they enjoyed their morning meal together. She watched thoughtfully as the powerful wizard frowned in consideration while he leaned forward to ponder his choice of the pastries that sat on a small table between their feet. Selecting the proper pastry seemed to be of paramount importance at the moment, Albus did always take eating sweets far too seriously.

Having a private breakfast with the Headmaster had always been a cozy and friendly time, something to be enjoyed and savored, a respite from the often harried nature of the rest of her day. Yet today it didn't seem to have that comfortable feeling to it at all. There was a feeling of unease lodged deeply in the pit of her stomach, and the sight of the sugary confections that her companion seemed to think so important seemed totally unappealing. She'd always thought of Albus as one of her dearest friends and had enjoyed her somewhat privileged position in his life as friend and confidant. The chats they often had over morning tea had always been something to look forward to, until Ian came to Hogwarts.

Suddenly, she didn't see herself in the role of helpmate or confidant. No. Unfortunately, the most apt label that she could see being applied to her current position…was pawn. Well, perhaps the situation wasn't quite as dire as that. Pawns weren't viewed by their masters as particularly powerful pieces, and they were almost always expendable. The best she seemed to be able to hope for at the moment was that while there was no doubt that Albus was using her, he at least found her of value and perhaps not particularly expendable. She hoped not anyway. Maybe she held the rank of rook or bishop. A slightly bitter smile crossed her face. Definitely not Queen, though. The last thing she felt like at the moment was the most powerful piece on the playing board.

Dumbledore sat back with his choice firmly clutched in his fingers. He took a bite of the confection and smiled in satisfaction. Once he'd swallowed, he gazed across at her and gestured towards the plate with his prize. "Are you sure that you don't want a pastry, Minerva? The house elves have truly outdone themselves this morning. You're missing a real treat, you know."

She nodded agreeably. "I'm sure they're wonderful, Albus, but I'm really not in the mood for sweets. I'll do fine with my porridge and tea, thank you."

"Suit yourself, my dear. I firmly believe that every day should start off with a sweet, though. It helps to set the tone for the entire day. If you start off smiling, it makes it that much easier to carry it through your day."

Minerva leaned forward and placed her now empty teacup and saucer on the table, along with her napkin. "Well, I'm afraid that I haven't had that much to smile about lately, and I hardly think a sugary bit of pastry from the kitchens is going to sweeten my mood."

Dumbledore nodded sympathetically. "I know that it's been difficult for you having Ian here, and I know I've asked a lot of you. I'm sorry that it's been necessary for you to spend so much time with him, but I do think it's highly important that we discover just what the man is up to. And no one is more likely to be able to discover his reasons for being here than you are. Did your talk last night reveal his motives at last?" He watched her carefully.

Well, at least the man had let her eat her breakfast before bringing up her evening with Ian. She only hoped that having to relive the unpleasantness of the night before wouldn't threaten to bring breakfast back to haunt her.

"No, I didn't learn anything new last night. Ian swears that the only reason he took this job here at Hogwarts is to see me once more and to persuade me to come back to him. He even promised to divorce his wife if I'd consider marrying him again." Minerva grimaced at the memory.

Dumbledore noted the skepticism that was written all over her face; it agreed with his own thoughts on hearing that statement. "Somehow, I get the impression that you don't believe him." He smiled in sympathy.

Minerva threw up her hands in exasperation. "Of course, I don't believe him, Albus; would you? The man said he loved me. In the entire six years of our marriage, he never once used the word love in relation to me. He loved his horses, he loved his wealth, he loved his home and all the lovely possessions in it…but he didn't love me. I was a means to an end, and ultimately I failed in my duty."

With a bitter sigh, she sat back in her chair turning to focus on the fire. "No, I was replaced in his life a long time ago, and he was glad to be rid of me at the time." Her voice faltered slightly then grew hard. "He'd have been happy to see me dead. I have no doubt of that. There's no way he loved me then, and I certainly can't believe that all these years later, with almost no contact between us in the intervening years, that he suddenly loves me now. He wants something from me, but I'll be damned if I can figure out just what it is."

"I'm sure that you're right, Minerva, and I'm also sure that it's very important that we do all that we can to discover exactly what that something is. Severus said much the same thing when I spoke to him."

Her eyes widened, and she turned back to the Headmaster in surprise. "Severus? What does Severus have to do with this?"

"Ian approached Severus late on Sunday afternoon for a little chat. Apparently when he arrived here, he brought with him a message from Voldemort."

"V-Voldemort. Then Ian's mission here has to do with him and not me after all," she exclaimed with a feeling of alarm mixed quite liberally with relief.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. The message simply told Severus that he was supposed to help Ian out in any way that he could. That it was important that Ian succeed in attaining his goals. It didn't tell him precisely what those goals were."

"Did Ian tell Severus anything?" Surely not, otherwise why would Albus have insisted that she continue to spend time with Ian.

"Apparently, Ian didn't want to be too specific about his aims either, but he did make it clear that he wanted you back. So whatever Voldemort wants, it also seems to have something to do with you."

Disheartened at this answer, Minerva slumped back into her chair before turning her worried eyes to her friend once more. "So we're back to me again. Did Severus believe him?"

"I think so." Dumbledore watched her carefully. "Like you, he seemed to think that there was probably more to it, though. Ian didn't impress him as a man deeply in love, but more as a man with a mission to perform."

"A mission that's apparently aimed squarely at me." Minerva bit the inside of her lip and sighed. "I still can't believe that Voldemort wants anything from me. What possible use could I be to him? Ian certainly isn't going to be able to persuade me to change my allegiances, and I can't believe that either of them would be stupid enough to believe otherwise. Besides, if Voldemort had some deep dark plan for me, surely Severus would have heard of it by now, but he's as puzzled as we are."

"Perhaps not, my dear. Severus isn't privy to everything that Voldemort does or thinks, unfortunately. We've been surprised before, and undoubtedly, we will be again."

"Hmmm…well, I still can't see it," Minerva asserted firmly. "I think it's far more likely that Ian simply wants something from me for himself. I just wish I could figure out what it is."

Minerva gave a short exclamation of disgust. "Well, it's all speculation anyway, at this point. We simply don't have enough facts to go on yet. I do wish that Severus had told me himself that Ian had spoken to him, though."

"Would it really have mattered that much?" Dumbledore's bright blue eyes stared comfortingly at her over his spectacles.

"Oh…perhaps not," she stated with a hint of aggravation in her tone. "But it still would've been nice to know. I'd just like to know everything that man is up to around here. Especially if it has anything to do with me."

"Well, Severus didn't tell me until fairly late on Sunday evening, and this is the first chance I've had to discuss it with you. He may not have wanted to worry you with this. That may also be why he chose to speak to me about it and not you."

She nodded automatically, but her mind lit on another possibility. Perhaps, the true reason was that Severus was still so annoyed with her for running out on him when he kissed her on Friday evening that he still wasn't prepared to speak to her. That was the most likely scenario, it seemed to her. Regardless of his current feelings about her, she really did need to speak to him soon, to put a temporary halt to their arrangement. Though if they continued on the way they were going, it wouldn't end up making much difference. After all, they hardly spoke to each other at the moment as it was, much less did anything else together. A thought that she suddenly realized depressed her quite a bit.

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As Minerva came out from behind the Gargoyle and started off down the corridor, she saw Snape turn the corner and head straight towards her. Her steps faltered, and her heart began to pound harder as she watched him move down the hallway. Once more he was moving with his characteristic gliding walk, no hint of his injury remained to mar his movements. The folds of his black robes swayed easily from side to side as the silky material wrapped around his long legs with each step. He radiated power as he prowled up the corridor, and her breathing sped up as she watched him close the space between them.

She could feel her hands go cold as she realized that since she really needed to speak to him, here was her opportunity. He wasn't going to be happy with their conversation, though. Somehow, none of the conversations that they'd had lately had been easy ones. She regretted that deeply, but she simply couldn't see any way to change things. As long as Ian was nosing around, poking into her life, she couldn't afford to spend too much time with Severus. As she'd realized when speaking to Albus, it was past time that the two of them discussed that, and it appeared that now might be as good a time as any to bring it up.

Severus' face was set in cold, rigid lines, and he seemed reluctant to acknowledge her existence as she stopped him and asked if they could speak for a moment.

"I'm in a hurry, Minerva. You haven't seemed to want to spend too much time in my presence lately. Why must that change now when I really don't have the time to devote to watching you pull away from me and run off?"

The man had a voice like dark chocolate, smooth and seductive when he wished it to be. It could also pull the moisture from your lungs with its dryness and cut deep enough to draw blood if he desired. You never had to wonder if he was displeased with you. A few words tossed in your direction were usually all that was necessary to let you know exactly where you stood with him.

Obviously, she'd been right about why he hadn't spoken to her. She wasn't very high on his list right now. That made it even harder to broach the subject that she needed to discuss, but there really wasn't any choice. Hopefully, she could make him understand. With nervous eyes, she scanned the corridor as she heard voices in the distance.

Her hand shot out to grasp a nearby doorknob. "I'm not planning on running off any time soon, Severus, but I also promise that I won't take too much of your time. However, we do need to speak for a moment. Please. It's important."

Reluctantly, he conceded to her request with a halfhearted frown. "Very well. I can spare you a few minutes."

She nodded in response and opened the door, checking inside the room to see if it was empty. It was. "Let's go in here, shall we? We'll have a bit more privacy."

With a single nod of assent, he followed her into the cold, empty room. Dust had collected fairly liberally on the floor and on the sills of the windows. No furnishings remained to even indicate the last use that anyone had put this particular room to. Instinctively, Minerva lowered her voice in the slightly echoing space as Severus closed the door and turned around to face her. "Thank you for speaking to me."

He didn't respond, instead he merely crossed his arms impatiently and waited for her to continue. She just stared at him for a moment, not sure exactly how to broach this subject…wishing that she didn't have to. Sadly, she realized as she stood there and looked at him that all she really wanted to do was to throw herself into his arms and kiss him passionately. She didn't dare to take the chance though. Suddenly, it seemed as if unbearable eons had passed since they'd last…since she'd felt… Oh, hell.

Uncomfortable with the way her thoughts were going, she dropped her suddenly burning eyes away from his cold and piercing gaze and tried to keep her voice level as she spoke. "I think it would be best if we ended our arrangement, Severus. Only temporarily, while Ian is nosing around poking into everyone's business. It wouldn't be a good thing for either of us if he discovered our relationship, after all. I wouldn't want to compromise your position in any way." She tried desperately to make it sound reasonable…yet it felt anything but.

Her voice echoed in his ears… "I think it would be best if we ended our arrangement"… He heard no more, he didn't need to, he'd known it was coming, anything else had been just self-delusion. As soon as he'd seen her kissing her ex-husband in front of the entire school, he'd known how things would end for them. She'd been pretending for days that this wasn't what she wanted, yet any time he touched her, she'd pull away with some foolish excuse. Finally, it appeared she was willing to be honest. Well, he could be honest, too.

"Very well," he stated coldly. "That's your right, and I can't say that I haven't been expecting it because you've made your feelings quite clear."

"What?" she whispered in confusion as she raised her eyes to his once more.

"You lied to me about Standish, Minerva. I'm not an idiot. Ever since he arrived, all your thoughts and time have been taken up by him. You can hardly keep your hands off the man, even in public."

Shock rippled through her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could he have possibly come to this conclusion? "No. That's not true…" she protested firmly, but he cut her off sharply.

"It hardly matters. It's not really my concern what you do with your time…or who you give your body to. I'd been planning to put an end to our arrangement anyway. The novelty has certainly worn off." So much for honesty. Suddenly, he felt the need to hurt her, to pay her back for the way he'd been feeling lately.

He sneered unpleasantly down into her shocked face. "I'm sure that you won't be that difficult to replace in my bed. You were simply convenient, Minerva. Nothing more. I prefer younger flesh beneath my fingers anyway." He paused and then tossed an afterthought her way. "You weren't even that good."

She felt as if she'd been slapped. "You always seemed to be eager enough to have me there, Severus. I know you enjoyed it," she threw back.

"Of course, I did. I'm a man. I always enjoy it." The sarcastic tone of his voice made her wince. "That doesn't mean the experience can't be improved upon. I've had a great many bed partners who were far better than you, but why turn down what's convenient and freely offered unless something better is available at the moment? As I said, I'm not an idiot."

Frozen in place, she looked back at him in a daze. "No," she whispered softly. "Apparently, I was the idiot." She dropped her eyes away from his to hide the pain that threatened to overflow. "I guess we don't have anything left to say to each other then."

Snape eyed her coldly. "I certainly don't," he stated flatly. With a final look of disdain, he turned around and exited the empty room without a backward glance, his footsteps and swirling robes kicking up a small cloud of dust in his wake. After the door closed behind him, she could still hear the clip of his heels echoing down the corridor outside taking him out of her arms forever.

Dazed, she just stood there and watched the dust settle to the floor once more as she listened to the fading sounds until no hint of his passing could be heard any longer. Her fingers dug deeply into her arms causing pain to her recently bruised flesh as she hugged herself tightly in the cold and empty room. Why did she suddenly feel so bereft? It had been her choice to end it…her decision. Though she hadn't wanted a permanent break, did it really make that much difference? It was only sex anyway…wasn't it?

Refusing to let her mind wander down that path, she took a deep breath to steady herself, blinked back the foolish tears that had sprung into being at his words, and exited the room determined to return to her routine and put the Potions master out of her mind as soon as possible. With everything else she had to concern herself with at the moment, she couldn't afford to spend time crying over a man who was far too young for her to be involved with in the first place, regardless of the limitations they'd put on their relationship. If he wanted to act the injured party and flounce off in a snit then so be it. She'd always managed her life just fine without Severus Snape being a major part of it; she could do so again with no problem whatsoever.