Disclaimer:  Everything recognizable from the Harry Potter universe belongs to J K Rowling, no infringement is intended to any copyright holder

Beloved on this Earth

~ 0 ~

For a second shock held Lois utterly still in his arms as his mouth closed over hers, quickly taking the opportunity to deepen the kiss when she didn't immediately protest.  By the time she had gathered her thoughts sufficiently to even consider being outraged by his actions, she was mired in pleasure so deep she doubted the school collapsing around her ears would have made her pull away.  Snape's hands still grasped her upper arms where he had placed them to drag her towards him as the kiss began, but for Lois it wasn't close enough; she gave a protesting moan on discovering his firm grip was effectively pinning her arms to her side and preventing her from twining them around his neck as she wanted to.  Denied that pleasure she melted bonelessly against him, sinking blissfully into the kiss. 

Her sudden capitulation seemed to bring Snape to his senses and he froze briefly before reluctantly disengaging his lips from hers, pushing her gently away from him as he did to hold her firmly at arms length.

Lois stared up at him dazedly, her breathing harsh, her whole body thrumming with awareness, completely bewildered by his action. Why the hell had he stopped?  As the question was running through her head, Snape suddenly seemed to realise his hands were still curled around her shoulders and he quickly released his grip, dropping one of his hands to her waist in a steadying gesture that she was intensely grateful for.  She wasn't sure her legs would hold her at the minute.

'Does that answer your question?'  He rasped, his breathing almost as heavy as hers.

'Umm, question?'  Lois murmured confused.  She had never been so affected by a kiss in her life - the man had magic lips.  Even in her current state she could still be amused by that thought - he literally and figuratively did have magic lips and what very fine work he did with them too.  Another nice bonus – as if she needed one - was that the headache she had woken with appeared to have completely disappeared now.  The curative properties of Severus's lips, she mused vaguely - that alone had to be worthy of further study.  With awareness slowly returning, she looked up into his face to find him focussing rather warily on the slightly dreamy smile she still wore, his own expression hidden behind hooded eyes.

'Whether my objecting to people suspecting we were sleeping together meant that I in someway found you physically unappealing, which I hope I have clearly proved that I do not.  However, that is no excuse for my behaviour.'  He apologised stiffly, removing his hand from her waist and taking a step back.  'I shouldn't have manhandled you like that.'

'Manhandle?'  Lois parroted, having difficulty making sense of his rapid explanation. 

'At the time it seemed like the quickest method of convincing you that I in no way meant to disparage you with my words the other day.'  He explained distantly in control once more, his breathing already returned to normal.  'When I spoke about others deriding the possibility of us being … involved my concern was for your reputation, not mine.' He assured sincerely.

'Oh.  Oh of course!'  Lois rushed to say, stark disappointment clearing the last traces of fuzziness from her mind - trust Severus to ignore the social niceties and get straight down to the most efficient way of solving a problem.  Still it was rather an extreme method of proving a point, even for him.  Her tongue snaked out unconsciously to lick her dry lips, uncertainty slowly beginning to spread.  Her doubts were quickly wiped out as she watched intrigued as his eyes dropped immediately to her mouth, seemingly hypnotised by her quick action.  That was… odd.  Not the reaction of someone who had been merely attempting to prove a point.  Testing her theory she licked her lips again, slower this time and saw him swallow convulsively before lifting his arm to run a not quite steady hand through his hair.  Pleasure burst through her – he most definitely had kissed her because he wanted her, whatever he said.  Liar, liar robes on fire, chanted a singsong voice in her head. 

'Well?'  He said loudly breaking into her thoughts.

'Well what?'  She asked distractedly having totally missed whatever he had said.

'Do you accept my apology?'  He snapped impatiently.

'Oh yes!  Of course.'  Lois beamed.  'You know Severus…'

'Good.'  He interrupted quickly seemingly not wanting to hear what she had been about to say.  'Because there is actually a rather important matter we need to discuss.'  He continued, the seriousness of his tone temporarily pushing all thoughts of confronting him out of her head.

It was probably for the best right now anyway.  This morning had been disturbing enough as it was – waking up in a strange bed, discovering Dumbledore and Snape waiting at the castle like worried parents, arguing with Severus and then of course that fantastic kiss out of the blue.  The last thing she needed was Filch wandering in, mop in hand, to find her wrestling Severus out of his clothes in the middle entrance hall, which she was about two seconds away from attempting.  She was pretty sure he wouldn't object now either. 

'Well what is it?'  She prodded when he didn't immediately speak.

'The spells you cast on my classroom…'

'Not that again!'  She exploded.  'I said I was sorry…'

'Wait a minute!'  He held up a hand calmingly. 'If you will just let me explain; I am not talking about what you did, I am talking about what you undid.'

'What do you mean – undid?'

'When you left my room after our argument all of the magical alterations you had made were reversed.  I simply wanted to find out if you were aware of what you had done?  I didn't hear you use a spell and I know you couldn't have used your wand because you left it behind on my desk.'

'I didn't reverse the charms.'  Lois protested bewildered.  'When I went you still had a pleasant classroom instead of that chamber of horrors you apparently prefer.'  She pointed out caustically, finally remembering her anger with him over that.

'Ah yes… well as I have already explained Lois, I was simply concerned about the possible damage you were causing your reputation with your actions.'  He said calmly. 'I was also not in the best of moods following a rather trying week and an encounter with Sibyll Trelawney, who had also raised the exact same concerns in her own inimitable style.'  He continued with a dark look.  'My annoyance mixed with having to endure Trelawney's nonsense was a rather dangerous combination and unfortunately the very next thing I encountered was you and your gift.  Needless to say I reacted rather badly.'

'Yes you did - I'd spent hours working on that dungeon.  And I'd enchanted a card for you too.'  Lois was unable to resist saying despite being pacified by his explanation; she hadn't had much to do with Professor Trelawney, but she could well understand how her veiled insults trotted out under the guise of having "the sight" could infuriate even the most placid of people and Severus was most definitely not that.

'Will I actually be receiving it now that I've apologised?'  He asked with an enquiring lift of his eyebrow.

'Oh!  Well you see… I didn't think you'd want it after everything you said.'  Lois explained.  'And since then it may have got a little… ripped into tiny pieces and thrown in the bin.'  She finished in a rush.

Snape's lips twisted with amusement at her reluctant confession.  'No less than I deserve.'  He conceded fairly.

'I'll buy you two next year.'  Lois promised, smiling herself now.

'Thank you.'  He said with an acknowledging tilt of his head.  'And I will endeavour to react in a more gracious manner when you do.  Now where were we?' He asked returning to their previous subject, all levity fading in the blink of an eye.

'I was telling you that it wasn't me that removed the charms.'

'As I suspected.'  Snape muttered to himself.  'I have already discussed this with the Headmaster and he has mentioned he would like to speak to you about it.  Since we are all awake so unusually early this morning,' he said with a flash of sarcasm. 'We may as well make use of the fact and go and pay him a visit.'

'Now?'  Lois questioned surprised.  'There isn't a problem is there?'  She asked, worry evident in her tone.

'I'm sure there will be a simple explanation.' He assured her briskly ushering her out of the entrance hall. Arriving at the statute that guarded the entrance to the Headmasters chambers minutes later, Snape waved his hand at Lois to indicate she give the password.

'Fruit and Nut.' She promptly supplied, smiling as she watched his lips curl in distaste realising he couldn't bring himself to say it.

'How very apt.'  He muttered with a disparaging shake of his head allowing Lois to enter before him.  Quietly tapping the door to his office, Dumbledore's chipper voice immediately bade them welcome and Lois hid a disappointed sigh - she had half hoped he had gone back to bed.

'Ah Lois, Severus!'  Dumbledore greeted them pleasantly. 'You have managed to sort out your misunderstanding I trust?'  He asked with an approving smile seeing the two of them together.

'Yes thank you.'  Lois managed hiding a grin of her own.

'Actually Headmaster this isn't a social visit.' Snape interjected firmly when Dumbledore appeared to be about to probe further into their reconciliation.  'I've brought Lois to see you to discuss the incident in my dungeon.  As I suspected she had no idea what had happened.'

'I see.' Dumbledore said a perplexed frown appearing on his brow, before quickly standing to shepherd them to chairs in front of his desk. 'Lois tell me, when you left the room do you recall wanting to return it to its original state?' He asked when they were all seated comfortably.

'I don't know.'  Lois said thinking back with difficulty; she hadn't been particularly rational at the time.  'I probably wanted to but I was too angry to stay and try.  Does it really matter though?  I mean when I first came here I read about children doing magic when they're upset - and I was very upset.'  She said with a quick accusing look at Snape, who Dumbledore was amused to note, actually appeared almost guilty before his face swiftly returned to its usual impassive lines.  'It was probably just that wasn't it?'  She asked, tensing when she saw the troubled look the two men exchanged.  'What is it?'  She demanded warily.

'Well Lois from what Severus told me you managed to reverse all the charms that you had put in place previously.  The only things that did not revert to normal were the tasks you carried out by hand.' 

'Ye-es.' She agreed slowly, still not seeing what point he was trying to make.

'When children magically make something happen they are casting a spell, an unintentional and unknowing spell, but casting one nevertheless.'

'Well that's what I must have done too.'  Lois said promptly.  

'No you reversed a spell already in place and not just one.'  Dumbledore explained. 'It appears as though you used Finite Incantatum, something an unaware witch could never do because they know no such spell.  The only reason children can cause magic is because they are experiencing a momentary surge of emotion that triggers an instinctive reaction, but they wouldn't be able to undo it again – which is one of the main reasons the Ministry has an Accidental Magical Reversal Department.  To actually practice real witchcraft Lois, as you have seen this past few months, both knowledge and ability is required.'

'I don't understand Professor - what are you saying?' Lois asked confused.

'Truthfully I don't know myself exactly.'  Dumbledore admitted.  'Magic without a wand is possible.  Everyone is able to do it to some degree, but in most cases it's a very weak and diluted magic, not really strong enough to be of much use other than for the most basic of spells.  The problem is reversing a specific spell isn't basic and not only that Severus tells me you didn't use any words.  Now while I have come across a few people able to do silent magic and as I said, we all have the ability to create magic without a wand up to a point - but not using either Lois, that is a little… unusual.'  He finished carefully.

'But I do need a wand and the words.'  Lois insisted. 'This was probably just… well I don't know what it was, but there must be a reason!'

'Perhaps an experiment?'  Snape suggested watching Lois closely as her hands twisted together nervously in her lap.

'Excellent idea Severus!'  Dumbledore smiled.  'I should have thought of it myself – I'm sure a small test will help us get to the bottom of this.'  He said with an encouraging nod at Lois who was chewing her lower lip anxiously.

'Okay.  What should I do?' Lois asked standing up.

'Something simple I think.'  The Headmaster mused holding out his hand for her wand, which she had pulled from her pocket.  'How about Wingardium Leviosa - you know that spell?'

'Yes - one of the first ones Fillius taught me.'  She agreed as Dumbledore produced a feather for her and placed it carefully on the edge of his desk.

'All right then Lois and don't forget - think the words don't say them.  Off you go!'

Lois closed her eyes and for a cowardly second considered not even trying.  She didn't like the sound of this at all.  What if she really could do spells without words?  What if she got annoyed after she'd learnt one of the Unforgivable's and accidentally hurt someone.  Or killed them.  The possibility of that made her decision for her, if she was going to be a danger she needed to know.  Concentrating on the spell with all her might, she cautiously inched her eyes open a second later, enormously happy to see the feather unmoved.  Feeling more confident she opened her eyes wide and tried again, practically screaming the words in her mind this time.  Still nothing.

'It didn't work.'  She said with a relieved puff of air.

'It certainly didn't.'  Dumbledore agreed, his head tilted musingly to one side.

'But how do you explain what happened Headmaster?'  Severus asked moving to stand beside Lois, who was extremely grateful for his comforting closeness.

'Hmm, I suppose the anger you were experiencing could have caused a sudden spike in your magical ability.'  He mused rubbing his beard.  'Tell me how are the rest of your classes going?'

'Okay I think.  I'm still having some problems with Transfiguration but that's all really.'

'And your work with Poppy?'

'Good.  She says I'm doing really well actually.' Lois admitted pleased.

'What about your empathic skills?' 

'Oh that - we seem to have hit a bit of dead end actually.  The meditation you suggested is going all right but the problem is finding anyone to practice on.  If the children come to the Infirmary with something serious, Poppy can't hang about while I'm trying to see if I can pick anything up and I haven't had much luck with minor illnesses.  Poppy says she's got an idea for something else to try, but she's not sure if she can arrange it yet.'  Lois informed him easily.  She had never been entirely happy with the idea of possessing empathic abilities and now that it seemed she might not have done, she had to admit there was a definite element of relief.

Dumbledore nodded a thoughtful expression on his face.  'It's possible I suppose that beginning such intense training at your age has made your magical abilities a little unstable in extreme situations.  I'm sure it's only until you're further along in your studies and your control increases.'  He hastened to reassure when Lois's eyes widened worriedly at his words. 'After all, your magic has been repressed for a good many years and now it has suddenly been given an outlet.  It may be that this was an episode of accidental magic similar to that which a child might experience, but altered by the fact that you actually do know magic.' 

'So does this happen a lot with people like me?'

'Ah Lois yours is a rather unique situation, there really is no frame of reference to compare it with I'm afraid.  It's actually quite an exciting development really!'  The Headmaster enthused.  'Although given that we have no definite explanation for what happened, it might be prudent to carry out some research into the subject.  That way we can see if there are any other documented cases of adults discovering they were a witch or wizard.  It could give us an insight into what happened to you and even if it doesn't, I expect you would enjoy comparing their experiences with your own.'  He smiled kindly.

Lois managed a sickly smile in return.  Exciting wasn't the word she would use.

A hand on her elbow had her turning towards Snape enquiringly.  'It doesn't appear there is anything more we can do right now.  Why don't you return to your room for a while before breakfast?'  He questioned.

'Yes I think I will.'  She agreed, keen to have some time alone to absorb everything that had happened that morning.

'We can leave this with you then Headmaster?'  The younger man asked already guiding Lois to the door.

'Certainly Severus.  And Lois, please don't worry about this; in all likelihood it will never happen again.  Don't forget you have been in the castle for a number of months now and nothing of this nature has happened before and you weren't able to lift the feather just now either.  Even if you should experience another episode I'm confident the ability will burn itself out as your skills and control grows.'

Lois nodded relaxing a little looking into his calm blue eyes.  'I'm sure you're right.'  She agreed gratefully before following Severus from the room.

**

Sitting at breakfast an hour later Lois was feeling much better after a change of clothes and more than one cup of hot sweet tea.  Her improved mood was also helped by the fact that she had spent most of the time in her room attempting again to perform silent magic, without even a glimmer of success.  Whatever had been going on the other day, she realised to her great relief, it was looking more and more likely to have been a one off. 

Less pleasant was the amount of attention her reappearance at the staff table had caused. The other Professors were all obviously curious as to how she had Snape had managed to patch up their differences between dinner last night and breakfast this morning, but Lois made no attempt to enlighten them.  She was just standing to leave the table as the post owls arrived, when Remus pulling on her sleeve stopped her.

'Lois this is for you.'  He smiled handing her a package addressed to him that he had already half opened.  Lois promptly sat back down to examine it with interest; she didn't know a magical soul outside of the school so she had never received any mail before - not even second hand.  Pushing open the wrapping on the parcel Lois recognised the packages she had brought in Hogsmeade yesterday along with her jewellery and gloves, all of which she must have left behind in her room at the Three Broomstick this morning.

'Good grief I forgot about this stuff!'  She said with a wondering shake of her head, cautiously rattling the sweets Harry had asked her pick up for him to check for damage.  

'You're not safe to be let out on your own.' Remus teased.

'I wasn't on my own.'  Lois reminded him standing again. 'And you're no better.'  She said triumphantly, handing him a single brown sock that she had just spotted peeping out from underneath one of her new robes, which definitely didn't belong to her.

Remus gave a soft chuckle quickly stuffing the sock into a pocket before anyone saw. 'I wondered where that had gone!' 

A quick tug on her elbow pulled her away from Remus's side and she found herself practically frog-marched from the Hall via the back entrance.

'Where exactly were you last night?'  Severus demanded once they were alone, ignoring her muttered complaints.

'You know where I was; with Remus in Hogsmeade.'  Lois pointed out huffily, securing the parcel with difficulty. 

'Yes, but you have yet to explain why you didn't return to the castle until the early hours of this morning.'  He practically snarled.

Lois avoided his eyes.  There was no way she was admitting she had spent the night drowning her sorrows until she was so disgustingly drunk she couldn't be trusted to make the journey back. 'We were talking and lost track of time.  Once we realised how late it was, it seemed sensible to stay there rather than making the trek back in the dark.'  She shrugged.

'And did you have one room or two?'  He questioned darkly.

'Two of course!'

'So why then were your belongings returned to Lupin and not you?'  He demanded.

'I don't know.  Probably because Rosmerta didn't know my full name I suppose and there's not a lot of point sending a separate owl for a sock now is there?'  She questioned sarcastically, secretly delighted by this sudden show of blind jealousy.

'Is that the truth?'

'Of course it is!'  Lois said growing impatient herself now.  'Remus is hardly likely to want to sleep with me anyway.  Because he's gay?'  She reminded him when he looked at her blankly. 'You can't have forgotten – you told me!'

'Of course, my mistake.'  He agreed his frozen expression slowly beginning to thaw.  'It has been something of a long night.'  He admitted pinching the bridge of his nose.

'Has it – why?  Did you stay up all night?'  Lois asked curiously, pleased by the idea of him sleepless with worry over her.  Jealousy, concern and a kiss all before lunch.  Today was shaping up very nicely indeed.

'No.' He growled, 'I simply meant I was working until quite late and then, as you may recall, I was up earlier than normal this morning.'

'Oh.'  Lois said slightly disappointed but quickly shaking it off. 'So how did you know I was in Hogsmeade?'

'Poppy told me when I went to the Infirmary to see you to try to discuss what had happened in my classroom.  After I discovered where you were, I set up a spell on the main door to alert me to your return.  When I awoke this morning and realised that the alarm had not sounded, I was naturally concerned for your safety.'  He said coolly.  'I bumped into Dumbledore on the way to check the spell, which is how we both came to be there when you arrived.'  In truth he had spent most of the night pacing his chambers willing the alarm to go off.  When it hadn't by first light he had continued his pacing in the entrance hall ready to pounce on her the second they arrived back.  It had been while he had been completing a fourth circuit of the ground floor that Dumbledore had come across him and despite his best efforts, Snape had been unable to convince the older man to return to his rooms.

Lois gave a quick nod at his explanation and a thick wedge of hair fell forward over her left eye as she did so.  Before she had chance to push it into place, Snape reached out and looped it behind her ear an intent look on his face as he smoothed the hair back, seeming fascinated with the way the light reflected across the pale strands.  Lois looked up into his dark eyes and the flare of desire that suddenly burned bright there halted the breath in her throat.  His hand dropped slowly away and he took a step forward lowering his head towards hers, before freezing abruptly, his eyes focussing sharply on something over her right shoulder.  With an annoyed growl he straightened quickly and stepped around her, his face tight with anger.

'Mr Weasley and Weasley, please do not insult my intelligence any further; I am fully aware of your presence – your hair is casting a red shadow.' 

Lois spun round to see the twins stepping hurriedly out from behind a large bronze figure of an eagle, looking highly chagrined at being discovered.

'There is a reason, I trust, that the two of you are lurking behind a statue and spying on the private conversations of staff members?'  He asked with dangerous softness.

'Oh yes!'

'Definitely!'

'And would you care to enlighten us as to what it is?  Within the next five seconds gentlemen if you please.'  Snape ordered in an arctic tone. 

'Well we weren't spying obviously Professor Snape.'  George protested in a dignified manner.  'Lo – er, Miss Scott, asked us to see her after breakfast this morning, but when we looked up at the staff table, she'd gone.  Luckily while we were on our way to class we heard her voice, so of course we came to look for her.'

'We didn't want to interrupt your conversation so we thought it best we wait – unobtrusively  – until you'd finished, before letting her know we were here.'  Fred finished the tale, an innocent expression on his face that looked horribly out of place.

'Indeed?'  Snape said sceptically.  'Lois, does any of this sound even vaguely familiar to you?'

Lois looked over into identical pleading expressions.  She visited Harry quite regularly in his common room and as a consequence she knew most of the Gryffindor students by sight and because of their connection to Ron, she naturally knew Ginny and the twins rather better than that.  But even if they hadn't been Ron's brothers, there would still have been no escaping Fred and George – they spent nearly as many hours in the Infirmary as she did.  In fact they had been there just yesterday.

'Oh yes, it must have slipped my mind.'  Lois lied reluctantly.  'How are you this morning boys?'

A look of quick relief spread across twin faces.  'All better.'  Fred said heartily holding out his hands for inspection.

'Almost there.'  George reported cheerfully holding out his own hands, the left of which was perfectly normal the right however, was nearly twice its original size, which was still a huge improvement on yesterday. 

Their latest invention was a pack of playing cards that seemed perfectly normal on first impression.  However, random cards within the deck had been impregnated with a variant of Swelling Solution they had created themselves. When the doctored cards came into contact with the skin for long enough, the Swelling Solution caused a sudden ballooning of the hand to gigantic proportions that should - in theory - deflate naturally after a few minutes.  Their newest product, Fred and George confidently assured her, would "amuse and delight the whole family (ages four and over)."  

Unfortunately their calculations had apparently been slightly off and five hours after testing the prototype pack, they still had hands large enough to be seen waving goodbye from the top of the astronomy tower.  At this point the twins had cheerfully conceded defeat and taken themselves off to the Infirmary and the scolding that inevitably awaited them from Madam Pomfrey

'So you did ask to speak to them?'  Snape questioned Lois suspiciously.

'Yes.'  She said feeling incredibly guilty. 'Although I meant up in the Infirmary of course.'

'Very well. Speak to Miss Scott.'  He said giving the twins a hard look. 'But if you are even a minute late for your next class you will have detention.  With me.' He barked before sweeping away down the corridor without a backward glance. 

Lois stifled a small groan watching him go, she was pretty certain he knew that she was lying.  She turned to fix the twins with an accusing stare.

'Sorry.'  They said simultaneously looking shamefaced.

'Oh that's not good enough by a long shot – why were you spying on us?' Lois demanded.

'It wasn't just nosiness Lois, honest.'  Fred assured her.  'Harry's been really worried about you lately - you know with your… abnormally high Snape tolerance levels.'  He continued delicately.

'As you know, Harry's practically one of the family Lois, so naturally his concerns are our concerns.'  George said generously. 'And of course Harry's very fond of you which means…'

'You consider me an honorary Weasley–Potter hybrid by association?'  She questioned outwardly resigned, but actually quite touched.

'Exactly.'  George beamed pleased she had grasped the reasoning behind their actions so quickly. 'We noticed him dragging you out from breakfast and then when we spotted the two of you talking so seriously, we thought we'd hang around and make sure everything was okay.  I have to say, Snape certainly looked intense just now; for a minute there I thought he was going to kiss you Lois!'  He confided laughing uproariously at the thought.

'He might have if you two hadn't turned up.'  Lois muttered under her breath aggrieved.  George plainly didn't hear over his loud laughter but Fred's eyebrows rose in surprise before a slow grin spread over his face and his eyelid dropped in a sly wink at Lois.  She rolled her eyes in exasperation before fixing the two of them with a commanding stare.

'Okay then gentlemen this is what's going to happen.'  She said firmly when she had their complete attention.  'There will be no more spying on Professor Snape or myself in any form.'  She warned sternly.   Much as she liked the twins she knew them well enough by now to realise showing even the slightest hint of weakness around them was deadly.  'And there will definitely be no more covering up for you.  Next time you get caught you're on your own.  Are we agreed?'  She asked with a stern look.

'Scout's honour.'  Fred swore solemnly.

'That might reassure me slightly more if I seriously thought for a second either of you ever were scouts.'  Lois said dryly.  'But I mean it - I'll let Professor Snape deal with you next time.'  She promised.

'Don't worry Lois, we won't do it again – Snape's detentions are worse than Filch's.  How did he know we were there anyway.'  George questioned his twin wonderingly.

'Well the tag must have told him I supp…' Lois said her eyes widening in horror as she quickly put a hand to her mouth cutting off the rest of her words.

'We're tagged?'  Fred demanded horrified.

Lois shook her head nervously. 'I didn't say that.'  She rushed into speech, looking around the deserted corridor warily.

'It's okay Lois, we won't let on you told us - we'll take it to the grave.'  George promised hastily before turning to his brother.  'That makes sense when you think about it.'  He said unable to hide the underlying pleasure that they were worthy of such extreme measures.

'I know you didn't mean to, but thanks for warning us Lois.'  Fred said seriously.  'We've suspected for a while now the Professors would try something like this – we've got a lot planned for this last year.  We want to go out with a bang not a whimper.'  He misquoted smiling wickedly.  

Lois worryingly suspected that they meant that literally. She grinned as the two of they said their quick goodbyes, walking back down the hallway talking in hurried whispers.  Maybe spending the next couple of days dousing themselves with spells trying to find non-existent magical tags would keep them out of trouble.  She doubted it.

**

Sitting in Severus's chambers later that night Lois looked over at him a fond smile on her face.  It was a little scary how relieved she was that they were talking again - even doing nothing more exciting than simply being in the same room as him while studying, she felt contentedly as if all was right with the world.  His feelings on the matter of their repaired friendship were, as usual, less clear.  When he had invited her to his chambers at dinner, she had hoped that he was planning on picking up where they had left of this morning.  Unfortunately a glass of wine was apparently all that was on offer, but she supposed that was a step in the right direction – she normally only got tea.  She took another sip of the excellent wine and noticed him absently doing the same over at his desk where he sat, head buried in scrolls of parchment muttering insults under his breath as his quill slashed angry red lines through entire paragraphs.  She watched amused, as an evil smile lit his face as he scribbled an obviously failing mark on the top of the unfortunate student's parchment with a flourish. 

He really was the grumpiest, foulest tempered, most objectionable man she had ever met, but looking at him now all she could summon up was mild exasperation.  I don't know why I love him, she thought with a small grin that froze in position as she heard the words echo hollowly again in her head.  Love?  When the hell had that happened?   Just a couple of days ago she had been confidently assuring Moody that she wasn't under the influence of a True Love potion and now all of a sudden this?  What had happened to "plenty of time" and "no need to rush?"  Where was her slow, non-terror inducing slide into love?  Gone, she admitted panicked; if she hadn't been so preoccupied with everything going on around her, she would have realised that the chance for that had long since passed.  How could she have been so stupid?  She had obviously been in love with him for a while now and had completely missed, or, more truthfully, ignored all the signs that pointed so obviously to that.  She reached up a shaky hand to yank at the neck of her robe, frighteningly feeling as though she were choking.

She must have made some sound in her distress, because Snape immediately raised his head and looked over at her questioningly.  'Is something wrong?'  He asked seeing her wide-eyed stare.

'No!  I have to go.' She said hurriedly, jumping up when he stood and started to walk towards her. 

'But…' He began before she held up a warning hand.

'I have to go.'  She repeated dashing from the room as if the devil himself was behind her.

She only made it down two corridors before her shaking limbs simply refused to hold her a second longer and she slumped backwards against one of the damp stone walls, sliding noiselessly down it to sit on the cold floor.  What was she going to do?  Accepting that she wanted him had been easy; accepting that she loved him was another matter entirely.  What's your problem?  Argued a mocking little voice in her head.  You had to have known this was coming? 

Perhaps she had, somewhere, carefully shielded in the back of her mind, she acknowledged mournfully, but she had expected the love to develop months, maybe even years down the line.  Certainly far enough in the future to give her time to adjust and maybe even prepare herself for the horrible possibility of losing him.  Looking back on her decision not to shy away from pursuing a relationship with Severus, she saw now she hadn't been as brave or as honest as she had thought.  She had refused to give her emotions their true name and her reaction to discovering her love for him proved that deep down, she had cowardly hoped on some level to keep her heart safely intact, so that if the terrible day did ever come when she lost him, she would be able to go on.  Not easily maybe, but with time and hard work she would be able to get past the crushing grief as she had been forced to do before.

And what if something does happen to him?  The annoying voice questioned again.  Will you feel better knowing you wasted precious moments because of fear?  Of course she wouldn't and not only that, she realised, she was also guilty of being morbidly pessimistic.  Just because his role was dangerous didn't necessarily mean it was hopeless.  If anyone could pull it off, he could, she thought with a flash of pride.  And really what difference would it make now if they had ten years or ten days together – she loved him and it wasn't going to go away.  The acceptance of that simple fact brought with it unexpectedly, not more fear, but instead a blessed feeling of serenity

In fact thinking about it logically, apart from the mind numbing horror his spying induced, everything was pretty damn fine.  She loved him, this morning had proved conclusively that he most definitely wanted her and there were no major obstacles in their path.  The only other real cloud on the horizon was that while he seemed fond of her, he obviously didn't love her back.  Yet.  Severus was so innately distrustful, gaining his love might take a while, but the task certainly wasn't impossible.  She had faced steeper odds before; after all it had to be practically a million to one shot that the two of them had ever even met in the first place.  Still that wasn't what this was about right now she thought, a tingling excitement zipping through her veins.  She was in love and she had plenty enough for two.

Filled with renewed determination she heaved herself from the cold floor and had actually already started back towards his room before she realised she had no plan as to how to proceed next.  Her efforts to be sweet and obliging had obviously gone unnoticed last week and even after kissing her this morning, he had seemed more wary of her reaction than hell-bent on ravishing her on the spot.  Poppy had been right when she warned that she was going to have to be more aggressive in her approach.  Her joking suggestion that she wait naked for him in his chambers certainly held a lot of appeal right now, Lois thought amused – at least there would be no mistaking that message.

Five minutes later she stood back outside his chamber door.  After sucking in a deep calming breath, she twisted the handle and entered the room without knocking to find Severus sitting back behind his desk, a pensive expression on his face which quickly changed to surprise at her sudden reappearance.

'Lois?'  He said standing and walking swiftly towards her stopping only inches away to take in her glittering eyes and flushed cheeks.  'Why did you rush off like that?'  He asked examining her closely.

'No reason…  I mean er… it's okay now.'  She assured, her nervousness making her voice slightly breathy.

He reached out his right hand placing it palm down across her forehead obviously checking for a fever.

'I'm not ill!'  Lois insisted batting his hand away not wanting him to think she was delirious with a fever, which if he touched her burning skin would be exactly what he would suspect.  Her left leg jiggled nervously as she looked around the room assessingly, displeased with her current position.  She moved hastily away from his nearness and the direct lamp light she was currently standing under, feeling much happier in the shadowed alcove near the wall, only the flickering firelight illuminating her now.  'I am a little hot though – do you mind if I take off my robe?'  She asked innocently her heart hammering.

'Of course not.'  He said carefully watching her intently, obviously hoping he would be able to find the answer to her odd behaviour in her face.

Taking a deep breath Lois drew her wand and with a quick wave of it, her plain black robes were gone.

'Is that what you've been wearing under your robes all this time?'  Snape asked hoarsely, his eyes wide and startled as he took in her slim form clothed in nothing now but lacy underwear, her skin gleaming gold under the warm glow from the fireplace.  'I thought you wore muggle clothing.'  He said blinking twice in rapid succession, as though he imagined his vision was at fault.

'A matter of personal preference.'  Lois teased repeating his words back to him from so many months ago.  Thankfully the feelings of terror that had been swamping her since she had decided on this plan of action, were beginning to recede slightly on seeing the heated desire that had flared instantly in his eyes at the sight of her.  However, when a full thirty seconds had passed and the only definite sign he had given that he was wasn't actually carved from stone was a convulsive swallow, her awkwardness returned full force and she began shifting her weight nervously on her cold, bare feet. 

'Severus.'  Lois prompted when she could stand it no longer.  'Ten minutes ago this seemed like a quirky and romantic way for a first night together we'd always remember but…'

'First night?'  Snape asked sounding slightly bemused.

'Yes first night!'  Lois squawked indignantly, eyes shooting sparks.  'I don't go in for one night stands Severus Snape so if that's what you've got in mind you can just…'

'No!  No.  That's fine. That's… perfect.  I… You just took me a little by surprise for a second.'  He assured quickly.

'Well okay.'  Lois mumbled mollified.  Her embarrassment was rapidly returning now that the flare of panic his words had caused had passed, and she was beginning to feel very exposed once more.

'As I was saying this seemed like a good idea ten minutes ago, but if you don't do something pretty damn quickly Severus, my clothes are going back on and quite frankly, I don't think I'm ever taking them off again!'

Her nervous words seem to free him from his frozen stillness and he sprang into action, long strides eating the distance between them as he stopped millimetres away from her, staring down into her flushed face intently.  'Are you sure about this Achelois?'  He asked urgently. 'Because if you aren't you have exactly two seconds to change your mind.' 

Relief flooded her entire being at his impassioned words and fevered expression.  Despite her sureness that he wanted her after this morning, a nervous clamouring had begun that couldn't be quietened when he hadn't immediately responded to her actions just now.

'Time's up.'  He muttered swooping down to capture her lips, his arms wrapping tightly around her and lifting her from the ground until only the tips of her toes touched the floor.  The glorious sensation of his hands on her bare flesh was sending pinpricks of fire rushing along her nerve endings as she sank eagerly into his hard body, reaching up to bury her hands in his hair and pulling him deeper into the kiss.

With a reluctant groan he pulled away from her when breathing became a serious issue, but only for a second.  As they both gulped hasty oxygen into their starved lungs, Severus took the opportunity to press soft, biting kisses down the side of her neck and Lois tilted her head wantonly to allow him better access.  In some small, still lucid corner of her brain, she was distantly aware she had never before in her life felt such all-encompassing passion; her body no longer seemed to belong to her and she blissfully allowed it to continue purely on autopilot.  All thoughts fled as he turned his attention away from her neck, trailing a necklace of kisses along her collar bone.  Lois dropped her hands from his hair to clutch at his shoulders for dear life, aware it was only his hard arms wrapped tightly around her that was keeping her upright now.  He lifted his head at the feel of her short nails biting into his flesh to stare down into her face, his pupils dilated with pleasure, his nostrils flaring slightly.

'You are so beautiful.' He murmured softly, almost accusingly but his touch when he reached out to trail long fingers from her temple to her jaw was exquisitely gentle.  'I wonder sometimes if you're real.'  He said almost to himself cupping her jaw and rubbing his thumb slowly across her sensitised bottom lip, causing Lois to suck in a sharply indrawn breath at the rush of pleasure his simple caress caused.

While her needy heart craved his whispered compliments - whether they were true or not - the sane, rational part of her mind demanded that he not feel obligated to say them just to please her. Severus simply wasn't a hearts and flowers type of man and she didn't expect him to try to make himself into one for her sake.

'Severus, it's okay – you don't need you to say those things.'  Lois murmured touched beyond measure that he had even thought to try.

He stilled suddenly, looking deep into her eyes before pressing his lips to hers in a soft, tantalising kiss unlike all the others that had gone before. 'I do.'  He said quietly bending to scoop her into his arms and cradling her high against his chest as he strode quickly towards the bedroom.

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A/N    Hope that was okay chaps - I don't want to be corrupting any fragile little minds, so I thought it safer to err on the side of caution.  Hope no one's too disappointed.  Also some of the reviews last time mentioned being worried that the last chapter was the end of the story, so I thought it worth saying that this isn't the end either.  Miles to go – well a few more chapters at least :)   And really - thank you again everyone for all your reviews!