Severus cursed the Hogwarts anti-Apparition wards as he hurried up the path to the castle. Once past the gargoyle, he knocked impatiently on the Headmaster's door.
When Albus opened the door, he said, "Severus, what an unexpected surprise?"
Severus shoved his way into the office and pulled up his sleeve. "Look," he insisted. The Mark had never been very visible and was now only the barest trace of a shadow.
Albus closely inspected the younger man's arm. "How dark was it?"
"Not much darker than this," Severus replied. He was still catching his breath.
"I don't think it is sign that Voldemort is back, but it may be a sign of your proximity to him."
"That was my thought. If it is true that he has not returned to full strength, then we should find him now and be done with it. If the Mark became more visible in Greece, than that must be closer to where he is hiding."
"I have had agents looking for him since the incident with Professor Quirrell. Without a body, he is most difficult to locate." He suspected Severus would offer to lead the search.
"I could find him. The Mark must get darker the closer I get to him," Severus said insistently.
"I doubt a week would be enough time to locate him, even with the Mark to guide you. I will notify my agents southeastern Europe is a likely area."
Severus could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Albus, you must let me look for him. I am the only one…"
Albus raised his hand, asking for quiet. "Severus, I must do nothing of the sort. I will not risk you. We still do not know how Voldemort would react to your return. There are undoubtedly questions about your loyalty after the hearings, your employment here and the incident surrounding the Philosopher's Stone."
"He's vulnerable. We must act now," Severus insisted, trying not to sound desperate.
"You have always trusted me. I ask that you continue to do so. If the Mark had been more visible I would be more concerned. I believe that had you gone to Greece last year, you would have seen the same results. Now, you have not taken a vacation since you began your employment. Enjoy your time off."
Severus looked at that smile and it was all he could do to maintain his calm. He couldn't believe that Albus was being so cavalier about the Dark Mark.
h
Athena paced around the garden again. This was her fortieth loop of the day. It had been three days since Severus had left without much of an explanation. He hadn't even sent her an owl. After he left, she had sent an owl requesting to have the Floo Network reconnected and had taken to sleeping on the sofa in the main room, in case he arrived by Floo. He hadn't.
He had told her that the Dance had nothing to do with his leaving, but she had begun to doubt that over the last three days. She should have known that he would not be pleased by her behavior. He had always hinted that he thought she was influencing him somehow. For her, it had been an expression of her feelings. The Dance allowed you to say things that could not be conveyed with words. He was the first man to see her Dance.
Even though she had said she would stay, she was beginning to doubt he would return. Her bag was already packed, so it would be very easy for her to leave in the morning. Perhaps she could find him at Hogwarts and apologize. She had also composed a letter thanking her father's friend and apologizing that they didn't stay the entire week. She knew how much trouble her father had gone through to get the villa.
Thinking she heard a sound in the house, she ran back inside. "Severus?" When there was no answer, she assumed it must have been one of the house elves. She sighed and decided that moping around the house wasn't doing any good, and decided to go talk to the Dryads. They probably wouldn't offer any useful advice, but it would be good to talk to someone.
h
Severus had spent three days searching southeastern Europe. He was thoroughly exhausted from Apparating. The strength of the Dark Mark had not changed no matter where he went. He had finally given up and decided to return to the villa. Only after he arrived, did he consider how much time had passed. What if she hasn't waited? Doubt crept further into his mind when he saw no signs of inhabitation.
"Attie?" he called out as he searched the common areas. He ran outside and checked the garden, but didn't see her there, either. She's left, he thought as he went to the bedroom to confirm his fears. Opening the wardrobe, he saw that it was empty. I have been a fool. I should have trusted Albus and returned. Instead, I went on that fruitless search and learned nothing. He sank onto the bed, pushed up his sleeve and looked at his arm. The same faint mark was there, unchanged for the last three days.
He traced the faint outline with his finger as he mulled over his options. He should return to Hogwarts and try to apologize, but he was much too tired to Apparate. Instead, he flopped back onto the bed and fell into an exhausted sleep.
As the first rays of sun drenched the bedroom in warm yellow light, he woke. His first thought was to reach next to himself on the bed, but he found he was alone. Making only a quick stop in the bathroom, he decided to be on his way. There was no point in having the house-elves here prepare him breakfast; he would eat back at Hogwarts. He took one last longing look at the room. It really wasn't that unpleasant a room, he thought as he remembered the things he had hoped to do, but never would. He grabbed the bag he had not had a chance to unpack and, with a crack, he was gone, never noticing the small bag next to the dresser.
h
Athena woke on a bed of moss. She could remember singing and talking early into the morning with the Dryads. They must have led her here so she would have a comfortable place to sleep. She saw they had also brought her the sandals she had left in the clearing on Friday night. There was nothing more for her to do here; she should return to Hogwarts. Surely, Severus would have contacted her if he intended on returning. Thankfully, it was only two more months until the end of term. She was sure that she could convince Albus there was no need for here to stay until the end of term banquet. The sooner she could leave, the better.
When she returned to the bedroom, she saw the bedspread was mussed. Someone had been there last night. She summoned the house elf. "Mystros, was someone here last night?" she asked nervously.
"Yes, Mistress, the gentleman you are here with was here."
Athena felt her heart skip. He came back. "Where is he now?" she asked impatiently.
"Forgive, Mystros, he does not know. The wizard was not saying where he was going when he left."
She looked around the room and saw that his bag was now gone. He had come here to get his bag and left. He obviously had no interest in seeing her. She had driven him away. "Thank you, Mystros," she replied sadly.
"Will Mistress be wanting breakfast?"
"No, I will be leaving very soon. You may go." Slowly, she changed back into her robes. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to Hogwarts right away. He was probably there and she didn't want to see any more of him than she had to. She had bared her soul to him, only to be rebuked. She decided to return to the Leaky Cauldron and remain there until Sunday. There were plenty of sights to see in London.
h
Sunday morning. Time to return to Hogwarts. Athena was really dreading this day. The last few days, she had lost herself in the wonder of the museums, churches and cathedrals. Now, as she was packing her trunk, she had to decide what she would do.
She would finish out the school year, but she needed something to keep her mind off her idiotic mistake. As her mother had said, there was always Remus. He could help her forget Severus, make the rest of the year more bearable. It would be easier than apologizing to that obstinate man, yet again. That man was impossible and if he couldn't accept her for who she was, she wasn't going to change for him. Remus accepted her for who she was.
Taking one last look around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, she shut her bag. With luck, she wouldn't have to face Severus until dinner.
On the long walk back to the castle, she had a lot of time to think about what she would say to Severus. Most of it seemed overly dramatic and idiotic. She decided the best route would be to just ignore him. If he couldn't be bothered to say a proper goodbye, she couldn't be bothered to speak with him either. Let him make the first move this time.
h
Severus had nearly paced a rut into the stone floor of his office. Every time he sat at the desk to work, he kept wondering where she had gone. He had expected her to return to Hogwarts, but she was not here. The house-elves had confirmed that she had not returned. It was Sunday; she should be back tonight. He hoped she would be back tonight. Of course, he still had no idea what he would say.
He arrived at dinner early, not wanting to miss her. He went through the motions of eating, waiting for her arrival. Why was I such a bloody fool? Why didn't I listen to Albus? I'll tell her I was a fool.
When she arrived, she didn't look at him and sat at the far end of the table. In fact, she made a great show of sitting next to Remus and flirting with him. He could feel the anger welling. So, that's where she was. She left me and ran back to her precious werewolf. She is welcome to him. I'm too good for her. He stabbed maliciously at the food on his plate. He couldn't believe he had lost sleep and valuable work time worrying about her.
h
Athena strode confidently into the Great Hall. She had made her decision and would stand by it. She took the empty seat next Remus. "How was your Easter holiday?" she asked cheerfully.
"Relaxing. I did some reading and made some preparations for the lessons for the rest of the year. And you?"
"I've had better, but I did enjoy the London museum tour."
He wasn't sure what to make of this discussion. He had gotten used to her avoiding him over the last few months, and spending most of her free time with Severus. Now the wind seemed to have shifted, and with it, his fortunes. "I've always enjoyed the museums, though it has been some time since I've been to any of them."
She pointedly ignored Severus, giving him what he deserved. "I've always liked museums, even Muggle museums, especially the natural history ones. I always like to see how they explain the use of magic in ancient cultures."
He laughed along with her. "That is entertaining, isn't it?"
"Father used to take us all over the country to different museums. He used to bring brochures home for us to choose our next adventure. I was thinking of traveling Europe this summer, continuing the museum tradition."
"That sounds like an excellent way to pass the summer." He had dreamed of travel, but had never been able to afford it.
The two of them continued having a pleasant conversation through dinner. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Severus acting petty and childish, and she derived perverse pleasure from his behavior.
h
Albus had been quite surprised to learn that Severus had returned to the castle alone on Tuesday. He knew that Severus was socially awkward, but he had already survived a weekend alone with Athena, so he must not be completely devoid of social grace. The real question was, what had Severus done to bollox it?
He remembered Severus talking about wanting to search for Voldemort. He hoped that Severus had not carried through with that idea. Once he saw the way Athena pointedly ignored Severus, he began to suspect that was exactly what his Potions Master had done. And he had obviously not informed her of his intention to conduct a search.
With the way Athena was flirting with Remus, he knew he had to act quickly. He watched Severus storm quite theatrically out of the Great Hall. On his way out of the Great Hall, he stopped by Athena's chair. "Athena, could you stop by my study in fifteen minutes? I'd like to discuss your plans for final exams."
"Of course, Albus. I'll get my notes and meet you there."
"Excellent." He wandered off humming to himself. Sometimes, people needed a little push to see things clearly. He had always enjoyed providing that gentle nudge.
Once in his study, he Flooed down to Severus' office. "Severus, I've been reading through your draft on the Wolfsbane Potion. I have a few points I would like to discuss with you."
"Now, Headmaster?" Severus asked tersely.
"If you please," Albus replied.
Severus sighed. "I will be up shortly. I must secure my office first."
Albus continued to hum to himself as he boiled a pot of water for tea. He waited for the knock at his door. When he heard it, he said, "Come in, Athena." Once the door opened he faced her, teacup in his hand. "Would you like a cup of tea? It's chamomile-lavender."
She didn't want to be rude. "Of course, thank you. I think you will like the ideas I have for exams. I've figured out some interesting ways to charm some of the Muggle artifacts so that they will work properly and I'm going to give the students tasks to complete using the artifacts."
"That sounds like an excellent idea." There was another knock at the door. "Excuse me," he said, as he rose to answer the door. "Ah, Severus, thank you for coming so quickly."
Severus stiffened at the door. "Why did you insist it was urgent for me to discuss the paper if you were already occupied?"
"Since the two of you worked together on the paper, this is for the best." He looked at Athena sitting stiffly in the chair, with her back to Severus, and Severus glaring at the back of her head. "Of course, it might be better to discuss the paper later. Once the two of you have resolved your differences." He slipped out the door.
Severus spun back to the door once he heard the latch, but found the door locked. From experience, he knew that magic would be futile. He began pacing the room like a caged tiger. I will not give her the satisfaction of speaking first. She's the one that didn't wait for me.
Athena sat in her chair, sipping her tea. Surely, Albus wouldn't keep them locked in here for too long. She would merely wait for the Headmaster to release them.
h
After half an hour, they still hadn't said anything to each other. Athena was beginning to wonder if they would be released. "He can't keep us in here forever, can he?"
"I wouldn't put it past him," Severus snarled.
"You can't be serious?" She was shocked.
"I'm quite serious." He tried the door once more, but it still wouldn't open.
The last thing Athena wanted was to be trapped with Severus, and the one way to end their forced isolation was to actually talk to him. She didn't want to do that either, but it was better than being cooped up with him for eternity. "Why didn't you stay?" she asked.
He replied impatiently, "I told you why. I had something important I had to do, something that couldn't wait. Why didn't you wait? I told you I would come back."
"I did wait." She stood up and poked him in the chest with here finger. "Unlike you. I waited four days. Do you know what I found on the fourth day? I found that you had come back, grabbed your bag and run."
He grabbed her hand to stop her from poking him. "How can that be? You were gone when I came back. That's why I didn't stay."
"I wasn't gone. I was out in the woods."
"The wardrobe was empty. You were gone." No, I couldn't have made a mistake. You were gone.
"That's because my bag was packed. It was sitting by the dresser. I talked to Mystros and he told me that you had left early that morning. Obviously, you didn't want anything else to do with me. You should have just said that you didn't like the Dance and were offended by it. You didn't need to make anything up." She turned away from him, afraid she would cry if she didn't.
"You weren't gone?" he asked softly.
"I told you I would wait," she whispered. She could feel a hot tear running down her cheek, and wiped it on her sleeve.
He wrapped his arms around her. "I thought you were gone. That you were mad at me."
She placed her hands over his. "I was, but I still wouldn't leave. Were you mad about the Dance?"
"No. I rather enjoyed the Dance." He hadn't known anything like that existed.
"Then why did you run out like that?" She still couldn't face him.
"Please don't ask me to explain. It's best if you don't know. I ask that you trust me. Just know that it was extremely important for me to leave." I have been such a fool. Please forgive me, he added silently.
"Sev, did it have something to do with that mark on your arm?" she asked as she turned to face him.
"DON'T," he realized he was shouting when she flinched and lowered his voice, "don't ask me about that again."
"I've been hurt by keeping secrets before. I don't want it to happen again. I need to know what happened." Her entire demeanor showed that she was begging him to tell her. "I have told you my deepest secret, bared my soul to you and you can't tell me why you left?" She was getting angry again.
He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I can't bare my soul to you, to anyone. I need you to accept that," he said softly.
"I can't accept that." She pulled away.
"You can't accept that I have a part of my life I want to shield you from, yet you are willing to go back to a man who did the very same thing? A man you said you did not want to be with since you could not be sure why he was with you?" Her behavior was infuriating him. Women were incredibly irrational.
She became indignant. "At least I know what he is. I don't know what you are. I'd rather have a known evil than some unknown evil."
You don't know how right you are. I am a murderer and worse. "You would rather have an empty relationship than what we had?" He had to win her back to his side.
"What did we have? It was no relationship. That was lust, the same I had with Remus. At least with him I will have a sense of trust, even if it didn't come easily. I don't want to talk about this anymore." She headed off to another part of Dumbledore's study, trying to put as much distance as she could between her and Severus.
He counted to ten slowly. She would go back to the werewolf that lied about what he was, but she wouldn't stay with him, when he had told no lies, only refused to explain something that was best left buried. Even after she had claimed she accepted he had things he couldn't tell her about. He beat on the door. "Albus, open the damn door. I know you're out there and your little plan isn't going to work." He tugged at the doorknob, to no avail.
He looked across the study and saw Athena flipping through the pages of a book. He knew how much he had hurt her, but it was for her own good. After pacing for a few minutes more, he threw himself into a chair and started brooding.
h
Over the course of the next hour, he watched her examine the various instruments in the study and flip through several tomes. She then moved to the upper level. From where he was sitting, he couldn't see her. After half an hour, his curiosity was starting to get the better of him. That, and the fact there were numerous other, more useful, things he could be doing, rather than being one of Albus' lab rats.
As he started climbing the stairs to the upper level, he said, "Until we resolve our differences, he will keep us locked in this room."
"Then you had best start talking. I'm not the one keeping secrets," she replied coldly, never looking up from the book she was reading.
"Haven't you ever had to trust someone in your life? Someone that was keeping a dark secret, one that had to remain hidden?" How could he get through to her, make her understand, it was for the best she didn't know.
"Not when it was something like this. You ran out on me at a very romantic, intimate moment. You are the first man that I have ever danced for. I need to know that I was not responsible for driving you away." She slammed the book shut.
"I told you, it wasn't you…"
"It was that thing on your arm, the scars on your chest," she interrupted angrily. "I've heard that before, but I need to know more. What is it about that thing on your arm that would cause you to change so dramatically? It's obviously something more than your past, it has to do with the present as well, doesn't it?"
He sighed. "You are being obstinate."
"No more so that you," she snapped back and buried her nose in the book again. She still was not entirely sure that her Dance was not the reason he had left.