Chapter Eight: Winner Takes All
Evelyn snuggled into her pillow with a smile and a sigh. She was warm and her cushion had taken on a wonderful balmy sent. Later she became vaguely aware of the rise and fall of her bed. It was a nice fixed rhythm in time with the steady boom of something or other. Rise and fall? Boom? Balmy? She wrinkled her brow and thought until she felt her pillow shift. Reluctantly she raised her head and opened her eyes sleepily. Her glasses were pushed up onto her forehead and even there they felt skewed. Everything was blurry yet she could make out her 'pillow'. Severus' thunder struck face swam in and out of focus. In her youth she would be well across the room and brandishing her wand or some other large club – like object. But Evelyn wasn't in her youth. And he was very comfortable, warm, and smelled like… damn. She blinked slowly and yawned.
"Good morning Severus." She said laying back down again.
Severus looked at the nearby clock, 5:25 on a Saturday. Let her sleep. The majority of his body said. He had woken to find a weight on his stomach, yet also in his arms. He then found that his neck was in protest. He looked down at the weight and found that it was Evelyn. She was asleep her arms around his middle, his arms around her shoulders. She was cozy within his embrace. They must've fallen asleep sometime last night. Last night. Well it was over and done with. The apology had been easier than the hours of agonizing build up. After the apology they had set together talking, like they hadn't been going threw hell previously. The last thing he remembered was Evelyn's head resting upon his shoulder as they conversed. She was now sleeping in his arms. She felt like she belonged there. Carefully he slid down so his head wasn't hanging off the armrest he was too tired to realize this action brought her forehead to cradle between his chin and shoulder, against his neck. He drifted off with the scent of her hair filling him.
When he woke the second time at 8:45 Evelyn was still cradled against him and she was still asleep. Her snores were gravelly and loud. Her mouth was open and he felt dampness on his collar bone. Her sleeping form wasn't angelic but he still regretted having to wake her up.
"Evie. Evie, time to wake up." He said, she didn't stir. He tried giving her a little shake but nothing resulted again. It was time for drastic measures.
"Hufflepuffs are ass sucking pussys." He said. Evelyn shifted.
"Yha, well Slytherins are big headed, small penised bastards." She replied sitting up. Her glasses were wonky and the laurel she had meticulously placed in her hair had fallen out and her chocolate locks were everywhere.
"Good morning." He said smiling; she returned the sentiment as she stretched, her back arching, breasts getting limelight. He couldn't help but look… When she returned to her normal posture he noticed that his buttons had left deep red imprints on her left cheek. He reached out and lightly touched them.
Severus' long fingers brushed her cheek softly.
"You have head lines." He said, he didn't sound right. She then noticed a mark over his lips and chin, probably from her glasses. She ran her thumb over it.
"So do you." She replied. His lips while thin were also firm, but not hard. They sat for a moment his hand on her cheek, her thumb on his lips. There was a different look in his eyes. She felt the earth stand still. Just as suddenly as the spell was cast it was broken. The pair burst into laughter and dropped their hands.
"It's nine; I should get back to my rooms." Severus said standing, Evelyn stood with him and they walked to the door. He made his exit. Evelyn stood for a moment looking at the door, but not seeing it. Her hand came up and touched her cheek.
"So just where were you?" his mirror asked the second he entered his bedroom.
"I fell asleep in the staff room." He said preparing for a bath, he could only imagine what the glass would say if he told her the truth. Before he got into the tub he stood for a moment touching his lips.
"Know what game is tomorrow?" Evelyn asked Snape one breakfast a few days later.
"Slytherin and Hufflepuff." He replied automatically. Evelyn smiled a wicked smile.
"Care to make a little wager?" she asked him.
"I'm listening." He said.
"Well I was thinking along the lines of a winner take all type of arrangement." Evelyn began.
"Like loser has to wear the winning team colors?" he suggested already visualizing her in green and silver robes.
"That's good. And the looser buys dinner at Rosmerta's in their looser get – up." Evelyn added.
"Do we have a bet?" Severus asked extending his hand. They shook on it.
The game was about to start as Severus and Evelyn took their seats in the teacher's stand. Severus was dressed from head to toe in Slytherin spirit; he smiled viciously at his friend. She was wearing a slightly more subtle brand of team spirit. She had borrowed his black cloak and had accented it wit bright yellow. She returned his smirk and asked,
"So how do you feel about yellow?" His response was lost in the start of the game.
The game was by no means a clean one. The Slytherins were inhuman and spent more time sending their opponents to the line than they did anything else. The Hufflepuffs could win just on penitently shots alone. Evelyn was screaming herself hoarse, a mixture of praise, censure, and obscenities adding to the roar of sound in the stadium. Severus too was yelling. Both had forgotten everything but their inborn need to dominate.
The next morning Severus was again late to breakfast. As he walked to the staff table he hard his surrounding get quiet. Then he heard the hisses of hundreds of friends whispering to on another. He continued walking, his head held high. Evelyn gave him a warm smile as he took his seat. She didn't say anything, but her eyes sparkled and danced.
"Remind me again the final score, Severus?" Madam Hooch inquired nicely from down the table Evelyn had told her about the wager. Severus set his jaw and replied tersely,
"390 to 170. Hufflepuff wins."
"And who caught the snitch?" Hooch asked.
"Wasn't that Slytherin?" Evelyn said sweetly. Severus glared at her.
"I hope you're amused." He said. Evelyn laughed and ate a bit of toast.
"If I remember correctly you were the one who suggested the wardrobe." She said. "And don't forget you owe me dinner as well." Severus muttered something under his breath that she preferred not to comprehend, it couldn't have been good. Severus stabbed his eggs with a touch more venom than usual and refused to look at her. She knew he was mad as hell, but hopefully he'd see the light.
Tessa made sure to be right on time for potions, she had a feeling that she was going to need to avoid loosing points for being late if at all possible, with him dressed like that she had a feeling that she would loose enough points just from her laughter. Professor Blair had been less than forth coming as to why Severus Snape was wearing a canary yellow robe over his standard black suit making him look like a stanch Hufflepuff fan. Blair had only cryptically responded I have a feeling that he is very much regretting that bet he made. She was the first one of her class down there. She could hear through the door that Professor Snape was yelling at some Seventh year, more than likely a Gryffindor. The class finally got out and she moved out of the way to let her upper - class – men. She tried to shrink into the shadows as the Slytherins filed out, but it didn't work.
"Tessa Darlin'" a voice said, Tessa swore mentally. A tall Slytherin with a bad hair cut and many, many white heads came over.
"Hello, Ezra." She said, trying to make her tone as impersonal as possible. The Slytherin stood very close to her; Tessa took a discreet step back and found the wall. He'll have to leave soon or he will be late for class. Tessa told herself.
"Hogsmead tonight." Ezra said. He was just tall enough that she had to look up to see anything but his Adam's apple.
"So it is." She said. He was really starting to freak her out. It had been coming on gradually, but now it was on full and strong, hopefully one of her classmate would come and rescue her soon. She really wanted to ask Snape about his loyalties.
"Are you going with anyone?" he asked her. Tessa swallowed.
"I...I would be, but I...I have detention you see." She said. Her gut was telling her that even if she said she was going with Neville he would still be a problem. At least if she stayed in the castle she could avoid everyone. Neville would be disappointed, and he definitely couldn't be told…
"Miss Melee." She heard Snape say from the doorway to his class. She turned to face him, brushing Ezra, who was still looking at her. Tessa had never been happier to see her bad tempered potions master before in her life. "Mr. Kriechen don't you have a class to be attending?" Ezra bid his professor good – bye as well as her. She gratefully rushed into the classroom.
Severus had been standing in the door preparing himself to be laughed at again when he noticed Tessa and Ezra off to his right. She had her back to the wall and was stammering something about detention. He wondered what she had done in another teacher's class to earn herself such punishment. From what he heard she was a saint in every other class and to every other teacher.
"Miss Melee?" He said she turned to him, looking oddly grateful to see him. Perhaps she was just looking forward to laughing at him. He told Ezra to go to class and Tessa rushed to get in his room. She set down her books and dropped into a chair. She was still early and as of yet there was no one there with them.
"You're early." He said.
"Wanted to make sure I was on time." Tessa replied. She gave him a smile. "I had a question."
"I see." He said. "Why do I get the feeling that it isn't over memory potions." Since there was no one there he felt a bit more at ease and allowed himself to be a bit friendlier to his favorite Hufflepuff still under his authority.
"No actually, it's about your loyalty. Loose a bet on yesterday's match did you?"
"As a matter of fact I did." He replied.
"Who's reaping the reward?" Tessa asked. She was repressing giddiness over him actually speaking with her like a normal person.
"Evie – Uh, Professor Blair." He chided himself for his slip. "She was at one time the very best keeper this school has ever seen." It was true Evelyn was an amazing keeper in their time.
"A keeper for Hufflepuff?" Tessa asked.
"Seventy – five to Seventy – eight." He didn't tell her that he was also on his house team for those same years.
"No wonder."
"Speaking of wonder," A thought had popped into his head. "Who gave you a detention if not I? Or have I forgotten something?"
"Oh…that." She said her smile fading. "Have you ever lied to get out of a date?" He hadn't. Severus didn't want to press the subject, but he had gotten a funny feeling about the whole thing. More students filled in and Severus slipped back in to character.
"Severus! Ready to go out for super?" Evelyn said smiling at him when he came to see her after their final classes. He had gotten use to the snide remarks about his attire; he just pretended that they were complaining about his hair or something like that. Evelyn was looking radiant.
"Let's just get this over with." Severus said it was a Hogsmead visit night so there would be no tape to cut for the last of his wager to be fulfilled. There was no point in prolonging the torture.
To say Rosmerta was surprised was like saying that Severus deeply regretted agreeing to the bet. Some things were undisputed fact. However she said nothing and sat the pair in a back corner. There were a fair number of students in the Three Broom Sticks; they were sitting in noisy groups in the front. Severus and Evelyn ordered their drinks, a cup of tea and a whiskey respectively. The pair sat thumbing threw the menus, and when their drinks came they were ready to order.
"You seam distracted." A voice from the next booth said.
"I…I've done something stupid." A different voice replied. Severus peeked over the back of the booth to see who was speaking, he knew the voice. It was Tessa Melee and Neville Longbottom.
"What is it?" Evelyn asked him when he turned back to face her.
"Lots of things. Ever have to lie to get out of a date?"
Evelyn and Severus made their way back to the castle with the students. Severus was still mulling over Tessa and Neville. She could do much better than that idiot.
"Neville is a good boy, Severus; I don't see why you're so upset." Evelyn told him. "Whoa." She said catching herself as she miss stepped. Severus also caught her and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. They continued on.