The Long Game

Chapter 4.

The next day Xiomara came down to breakfast early and in a remarkably good mood. She sat with the 5th years happily chatting about the day ahead. Snape came down shortly after but sat as far away from the group as he could. He was paler than usual and there were dark smudges under his eyes. He looked unwell and in a truly foul mood, even by his standards. Xiomara looked across at him several times and tried to catch his eye but he wouldn't look up from the black coffee he sat nursing. At 8.30 he stood and started to bark instructions at the 5th years.

'Won't Xavier be leading us to the Ministry today?' she asked.

Snape did not even look at her 'He seems to have been detained and I have no intention of waiting for him. You can wait or do your job, as you see fit.'

Xiomara walked to the front of the crocodile and silently lead the cowed fifth years to the Ministry. Before they had even arrived, Snape had already taken points off all the pupils, including his own Slytherins.

Once the children had been assigned to their various mentors for the day, Snape stalked off to the Library. Xiomara made to follow him but decided against. Maybe he had had a row with Accalia or maybe he was unwell. She would try to talk to him at lunch. In the meantime she thought she'd cheer herself up by looking at some of the innovations in broomstick technology that the R&D boys were working on and if she was lucky they might let her fly one of the confiscated flying carpets around the test area. The R&D labs were in the basement of an impossibly large annexe that was enchanted to be larger on the inside than the outside. It was the only way to be able to test flying devices in Central London without running the risk of being seen by Muggles. As she headed down the stairs, she was surprised to find Xavier heading in the same direction.

'Hello gorgeous,' he smiled down at her.

'Where were you this morning?' she demanded 'Severus was in a foul mood and he wouldn't wait.'

Xavier, looked uncomfortable 'I had to help Mother with something at the hotel and it took longer than expected. Was he very trying?'

'He was appalling. It's almost as though he's raging about something but I can't think what,'

Xavier hesitated for a just a second before saying 'Look, I just have to deliver these potion samples to the labs so that we can see how effective the various formulae are at repelling chizpurfles. Do you fancy getting a coffee and having a chat? I have an idea that I might know what's up with old Snape.'

Xiomara waited on the stairs until he came back and then they headed off to the staff canteen together, hand in hand.

Xavier sat her down and fetched coffee and biscuits 'I think we may need the sugar.'

'What's the matter? What's happened? Did he have a row with Accalia?'

'Worse than that I'm afraid … he's in love with you.'

'Oh for God's sake not you too. What is wrong with everybody? Don't be so bloody stupid.'

Xavier took her hand 'Xio, listen, Mother knows Severus better than almost anybody else. She knows how his mind works. She swears that he is in love with you. But what is worse is that she knows that he saw me leaving your room last night.'

Xiomara had gone pale. 'How can she possibly know that? How can she know that he saw that?'

Xavier squeezed her hand tighter 'One of the House Elves saw him standing in the shadows watching us.'

'Oh bloody, buggering hell. Does she think that we…?'

'No, no, I had a long chat with her this morning and she knows what happened between us yesterday. I told her that after I pointed out to you that you had spent the entire evening talking about Severus, even you couldn't deny how you felt about him any more. I also told her that the time we spent in your room was spent discussing ways of getting him to notice you. She actually laughed at that and said "I don't think it is possible for a man to be more aware of a woman than Severus Snape is of Xiomara Hooch"!'

Xiomara just groaned 'Oh God Xavier, what am I going to do? I've only just come to terms with what I feel and I've already blown it. At the very least he'll think I'm an unprofessional tart and at the worst… well I'd rather not think about.'

Xavier put his arm around her and pulled her into a hug. Just then Severus Snape walked into the canteen. He took one look at the couple, glared at them and then turned on his heel and swept out. At this point even Xavier gave up all pretence of cheerfulness and just rested his head in his hands and groaned 'Could our timing be any worse? This would be farcical if it were funny.'

Snape stormed out of the Ministry and into the cold air. What was wrong with him? Why did he give a damn what she was up to? He'd just spent the most unproductive morning in a library since he first learned to read. The only person he could think of to talk to was Accalia. He headed back to the hotel to seek out one of the very few women he counted amongst his friends. Narcissa was another good friend but she told Lucius everything and he had no intention of letting that poisonous popinjay have a laugh at his expense. It was bad enough to know that Xavier was a viper in his bosom; actually it was rather too impressive for a Hufflepuff, now that he thought about it. It was that bloody woman; she seduced Xavier; probably used a love potion; after all she was nothing special. By the time he arrived at El Sueño he had almost convinced himself.

Accalia took one look at Severus' face and lead him into her private chambers. He sat in silence, at a loss for words, sipping the drink that she placed in his unresisting hands.

'Severus, you and I both know that the hardest thing in the world is to be honest with oneself and yet it is the only survival skill that really counts. One must see through the hype and the spin to the underlying truth. That skill brought us both through the war safely. Don't lose it now. There is no need for you to tell me anything but you must see clearly for your own sake.'

They sat side by side in silence on the sofa for over an hour. Then, very slowly, very painfully Snape looked over at Accalia and nodded his head. She looked into his eyes and briefly squeezed his hand. As she went to order lunch her eyes were twinkling and a smile played on her lips.

Snape's failure to make an appearance at lunch came as a great relief to the 5th years but left Xiomara feeling miserable. She spent the afternoon with the R&D team stress-testing new broomsticks but even the exhilaration of stunt flying at speed could not dissolve the cold hard lump in the pit of her stomach or the pain in her chest. It actually hurt to breathe. At six, when it was time to go home, she headed towards the meeting point with some trepidation. Would he be there? Would he talk to her, acknowledge her existence? As she rounded the corner at the top of the stairs she caught sight of his billowing robes and her heart lurched in her chest. It was Snape and he seemed more his usual self. He was cold, sneering and detached but that rage that had seemed to burn within him had gone. She didn't know what it meant but he did at least nod at her as she walked past him to take her place at the head of the crocodile.

Seven-thirty. Time for dinner on their last night. Tomorrow they would all portkey back to Hogwarts straight from the Ministry. There was no polite way to get out of it. Xiomara made herself presentable, adjusted her dress robes and slowly headed towards the special lift, which a gaggle of 5th year girls in dress robes were holding for her. As the lift doors closed she saw Severus come out of his rooms and head towards the staircase. He, too, was formally dressed. It was funny, she thought, how she had never before realised that her eyes were always drawn to him and she was always aware of his presence. In a more charming man it might have been called charisma. The thought amused her and by the time she entered the dining room her face was lit by a smile.

The dining room had been decorated with real fairies and soft music was playing. Accalia was giving last minute orders to the House Elves and Xavier was pouring drinks for the guests. The 5th years were already happily guzzling butterbeer. Dinner was formal, for a change, and Accalia sat at the head of the table with Severus to her right and Xavier sat at the foot with Xiomara to his right. The 5th years were distributed in between. Xavier and Xiomara talked mainly of Quidditch and kept the pupils amused with sporting anecdotes. Severus was largely silent and when he spoke it was softly so that only Accalia could hear. Xiomara, surreptitiously watching their interaction, felt a stab of jealousy at the intimacy they shared so easily. She had never seen Severus so comfortable with anyone.

After dessert the whole table was magicked away by the House Elves. Accalia and Severus led the guests into a dance. Xiomara was so stunned to see Severus dance that she couldn't stop staring and didn't hear Xavier asking her to come out on to the patio with him.

'Xio?' He persisted, as he took her arm.

'Sorry, Xavier, I just can't believe that Severus can dance. Where are we going?', as he led her outside.

'I want to smoke this cigar and Mother absolutely will not permit it in the hotel. Also I wanted a final chat with you, before you leave. I don't know when I'll see you again and I'm not much of a letter writer.'

'Nor am I,' laughed Xiomara 'but I do hope you'll come and visit sometimes. We can scandalise the staff by pretending to have an affair.'

Xavier lit his cigar and looked down at her. 'Do you remember that match you played in the European Cup against the French just before you retired from Professional Quidditch? It went on for three days and you never even looked like giving up. You won "Player of the Match" for that performance and a standing ovation. Half your team mates had collapsed from exhaustion but you kept the seeker safe until he could catch the Snitch. You were magnificent. I thought Severus would hex every French witch and wizard there when they started barracking to have the referee send you off.'

Xiomara choked on her drink 'Severus? He was there? What was he doing there?' she asked stupidly. 'I didn't know that he had any interest in Quidditch.'

Xavier took her free hand in his and kissed the top of her head 'Severus took me to that match. My father had died earlier that year, my Mother had withdrawn into herself and Severus wanted to help. So he started to get me interested in Quidditch. He handles a broomstick pretty well and what he doesn't know about the rules isn't worth knowing. You know what a perfectionist he is.' Xavier laughed softly 'Of course knowing the rules, isn't the same as observing the rules.'

Severus stood against the wall, drink in hand. Accalia was dancing with one of the Gryffindor 5th years who was blushing tomato red. He could see Xavier and Xiomara on the patio. Love's young dream, he snorted to himself. At least Accalia had helped him to focus his mind and his will and regain his self-control. Dumbledore had been right, of course, curse him. He was attracted to Xiomara and probably had been for a very long time. She was an exceptional woman with beauty, strength and brains and she deserved the very best. Xavier was an attractive young man with good prospects and they made a handsome couple. Someday he might even be able to wish them every happiness; but that day was not today. Today he just wanted to drown his sorrows and tomorrow he wanted to survive the few hours until the group returned to school. He longed to get back to the peace and solitude of his Dungeons.

Outside, Xavier and Xiomara continued their conversation, unaware that they were being observed.

'What shall I do, Xavier? This isn't a Quidditch match. I don't know how to win this one.'

'Well why don't you approach it as if it were a game. As I recall you were just as good at using mind games to throw your opponents as you were at match-play.'