It's about time. Again, I hope you like it and please review.

Chapter Ten: In Which the Unexpected and Uninvited Invites Itself In for Tea

Sprout, Eleanor, and Celaene were sitting there around the table in the staffroom, contentedly drinking their tea, eating biscuits, and chatting happily about students, grades, lesson plans, and, among the two older women, men. Celaene contributed very little to that part of the discussion, though it was amusing to hear Sprout account Flitwick's attempts to steal her heart, and funnier still to listen to Eleanor tell them about her third husband. Celaene was just pouring herself another cup and adding milk when another person arrived.

"Hello, Severus," Sprout greeted him.

Celaene smiled stiffly and Eleanor didn't respond at all.

"Well, come have some tea," the Herbology professor commanded.

Uncertainly, as if he was not sure he was supposed to, he walked over and poured a cup of scorching liquid into a cup before transferring it—steam and all—directly and immediately into his mouth. Eleanor stared. "Don't you burn yourself?"

"No," he replied abruptly, helping himself to a biscuit.

"Are you feeling better?" Celaene inquired. She was genuinely concerned about him, and she didn't know why. Normally, she'd have just shrugged off his illness, not worried about it.

"Not entirely," he said carefully, not meeting her eyes.

"Is there anything I can do?"

At this point, Sprout and Eleanor exchanged significant looks and excused themselves, giggling.

Snape looked at her cautiously. She stared determinedly at her cup of tea. He stepped forward. She stepped back. They waited.

"Sinistra—"

"Snape—"

They spoke at the same time, stopped, looked away, then looked back at each other.

When Celaene had been in her second year at Hogwarts, she and Severus had rather high regard for each other. Each being who they were, they were shy of each other and unwilling to talk, but Celaene's sisters Elektra and Alcyone had nudged her into it, so, being younger than them and unable to shake them off, she'd approached him. It was probably that that made them dislike each other now. Celaene, following her sisters' advice—which had been meant to embarrass her, as siblings do to each other—she had walked up to him in front of the entire class and asked him out. He had run, she had chased him, and he had cursed her, knowing that Potter and Black would take that opportunity to taunt him for weeks and weeks.

But there was no one there now.

Snape stepped forward and grabbed her hand, closing his pale fingers over hers. She looked up at him, seeing something new in his black eyes. Almost awe, but not quite.

"Snape…"

"Sinistra." He was very close to her now. She could smell smoke on him from potion fires and several herbs. His hair was touching her upturned face. Celaene closed her eyes, anticipating his next move…

And his lips touched hers, once… and then again… and again.

"I hate you," she whispered between kisses.

"Liar. Tell the truth, Sinistra," he said teasingly.

"Well, I would hate you if I didn't—"

"Love me?" She felt his hands on her back and it felt good. She nodded slowly.

And then their moment was slaughtered cruelly by the uncharacteristic giggles of Sprout and Eleanor, who were standing in the door. They both looked up and sprang apart as though they'd been caught breaking a law. Celaene turned away, busying herself with the teapot, and Snape collected the books he'd set down. Both were turning furiously red.

"Oh, don't mind us," said Eleanor.

"Yes, go right on doing whatever you were doing…" Sprout added.

Celaene made to exit the room quickly, but, passing Snape, she whispered to him, "The new password to my tower is 'Vega'," and she left in a hurry.

Finally! They were getting rather annoying about it, I was getting sick of writing about them hating each other!