"Paradise is always where love dwells."- by Jean Paul F. Richter

Chapter 10: Thoughts

Severus leaned back and took a break from grading papers. It had been two weeks since New Years Eve, and while he knew that Faith didn't hate him, he didn't know of her other feelings to him…if she even had any.

But they had kissed…so could that mean that she felt the same for him as he did her?

Then again, Faith had been upset and she might have taken it as a kiss between two friends.

But what about Halloween? There had been a connection there right?

Severus sighed deeply and rested his forehead against his cold desk. Everything was very confusing.

Severus bent over his Transfiguration notes as he sat in the Great Hall. A hard slap to the back of his head caused him to hit his face on the table. Sirius Black let out a bark of laughter.

"Hey Snivillus," he sneered. Sirius was about to say something else when a wand shot out and caught him underneath the chin.

"Leave him alone Sirius,"

"My dear little Faith," Sirius beamed. He took a hand and lowered her wand.

"Wanna go to Hogsmede with me?" he asked with a smile that Severus knew made many girls swoon.

"Oh, let me think about that, um No." Faith snapped with a frown.

"Why?"

"I have to wash my hair," she smiled mockingly. Severus smiled to himself as he thought of a way to royally aggravate Sirius.

"Faith?" he asked. She looked at him, "Will you go to Hogsmede with me?"

"Sure Severus," Faith looked at him and then Sirius, "I'll go with you," Sirius opened and closed his mouth and then walked off in a huff.

"Thanks Severus. I don't know what I'm going to do about him," Faith groaned sitting down next to Severus.

Severus sighed and got up from his chair. He looked out his small window and watched, as the Hogwarts grounds became flooded with moonlight. He left his classroom to take a stroll on the grounds. It was a peaceful and cool night. As he rounded a corner he could barely make out the sound of harsh whispers. Thinking he had found some students out past curfew, he made his way towards the whispers.

What he saw was not students but Lucius Malfoy and Faith. Lucius had his wand raised pointed directly underneath Faith's throat. Faith was backed up against a tree as Lucius whispered to her.

"Expelliarmus!" Severus shouted coming out into the open with wand raised. Lucius's wand went flying and he turned his attention to Severus.

"Severus! Still protecting this mudblood filth! What did I tell you about her?" Lucius roared as he reached into his robes and pulled out a small trinket. He grasped the trinket tightly and disappeared.