A/N: I altered the canon slightly to fit my purposes, please forgive me.
Mysterious Hearts
~~~Choices~~~
The rest of the year passed quickly. Severus kept his word and kept an eye on Quirrell even going as far as to threaten him one night. Which in retrospect was probably a bad idea seeing as how he had Voldemort in the back of his head. But at the time it seemed like a good way to go.
After Christmas he and Tonks talked regularly through the floo system. He told her of many things that had been happen at Hogwarts. How he as the resident watchdog always had to make sure that the Potter boy was following the rules, which he was not. One night not long before the end of the term Severus flooed home to spend the evening with his wife.
"Nymph," he said as he dusted himself off.
"In the kitchen, Severus," she called. Severus headed that way stopping only to place his papers on the coffee table. He paused when he heard his wife's angry raised voice.
"NO! I DON'T WANT TO RETAKE THE BLOODY TEST," she screamed. Severus entered the kitchen and just waited to the fight between Tonks and Kingsley to end.
"Why not, Dora?" the auror asked, "You have the ability."
"I SAID NO, KINGSLEY," she shouted near tears and Severus could not take it any more.
"Just what in Merlin's name is going on here?" he asked glaring at the auror, and then looking at his wife.
"I just think that Dora, should take the auror test again," Kingsley said hoping that the usually irate potions professor would not hex him.
"I don't want to retake it Kings," Tonks said quieter, "I failed it once, I don't want to go through that again."
"But you have the talent, Tonks," Kingsley said, and then turned to Severus, "do you not agree that she could do it."
"That is not up to me to decide," Severus said, "I think you should leave."
"I think you are right, wouldn't want her to hex me," Kingsley shrugged, "see you both later."
"Bye Kings," Tonks called after him. She turned to Severus and put her arms around his waist and he pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you."
"What was that about?" Severus asked again as they walked to their couch. He sat down and she lay down on the couch and placed her head in his lap then smiled up at him.
"You remember me telling you about taking the auror exam and failing?"
"Yes, you told me that if you fail one section you fail the test," Severus replied as he ran his long fingers through her hair.
"And I failed, the section I fail was stealth," she told him, "and I do not want to put myself through that again."
"But you can do it Nymph," Severus said, "I have faith in you."
"Thank you, love," she grinned, "but let me choose when I want to do it."
"Alright."
"And you being the sneaky bastard that I love can teach me how," she said winking at her husband, "we can even practice at Hogwarts."
"That would be priceless," he laughed.
"Severus."
"Yes."
"It dawned on me that we never had a proper honeymoon," Tonks told him as her eyes drifted shut.
"That we haven't," he replied, "what should we do to rectify this?"
"Go somewhere over your break from Hogwarts, and I can take vacation days."
"Well then, my dear, where should we go?"
"Somewhere far from here and our duties," she sighed dreamily, "somewhere exotic."
"What about somewhere small, and isolated?"
"An island."
"Which one?"
"Barbados or Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, or New Zealand."
"I take it I have a choice?"
"I just don't know," she replied with a yawn, "Tomorrow I will work on planning it and give you options."
"Alright," Snape replied. He grabbed his papers and continued grading as Tonks napped on the couch.
Snape returned to Hogwarts and threw himself into preparing his finals. Nightly when he could not sleep he patrolled the hallways. About two weeks before the end of term he was sitting lethargically at the desk in his laboratory. He was thumbing through a notebook when a knock came on the door. He grunted and Albus poked his head in the room.
"What are you doing awake, Severus," the headmaster asked. Severus shrugged.
"I cant sleep," he replied, "may I do something for you, headmaster?"
"No, I was just wondering if you were alright," Albus said and then he took on a contemplative look, "and I wanted to tell you that I will be in London in two days."
"And you are telling me this because," Severus prompted.
"Because I trust you, and I need someone to keep an eye on the castle."
"Don't you have a deputy headmaster?"
"Severus, I just want you to know, you see almost everything that happens here."
Albus did indeed leave on business and that just happened to be the day that Harry Potter went to go and try to save the stone. Severus had been lurking around in the halls watching out for Quirrell. He had been tailing the professor when he had gotten side tracked by some students. He got up to the third floor and the forbidden hallway only to see that Fluffy the three-headed dog was sleeping. Severus growled and took off to find Dumbledore. He had just left that evening when the Gryffindor trio had entered the room.
Severus stalked through the hall, scaring all the students. He growled and snarled the password, "chocolate frogs."
The door appeared and then he flew up the stairs. He searched for a note from Dumbledore. He found nothing. He penned a note to Dumbledore and flooed to his rooms. From there he flooed to his flat in London.
"Tonks," he bellowed frantically.
"What's wrong Severus," Tonks asked.
"I need to find Dumbledore," he said, "was he at the ministry today?"
"Yes, for some time this morning," she told him, "do you need any help?"
"No, stay here, I seems I was right about Quirrell," he muttered, "sometimes I hate being right. If he happens to pop up here please send him to Hogwarts and tell him that it is about the stone mirror."
"Alright," she replied with a puzzled expression on her face. Severus kissed her quickly.
"I love you," he told her right before he flooed to the Leaky Cauldron.
"Professor Snape, what can I do to you?" Tom asked.
"Have you seen Headmaster Dumbledore?" Snape snapped.
"Nope, can't say I have," said Tom. Severus growled and stormed out of the pub. He searched all though out Diagon alley and he found Dumbledore in a small café with some old friends. The host stopped Snape.
"I am sorry sir but there is a waiting list."
"I am not here to eat," he hissed. Severus fixed his deadly glare on the young man, "I am looking for someone, that happens to be in here, NOW LET ME THROUGH."
His cold and demanding voice rang through the now quiet restaurant. Dumbledore frowned and stood up in time to see his potions master shoving through the crowd that was standing there as they waited to be seated.
"Severus," Albus said as the younger wizard stopped in front of the table.
"Headmaster you need to be back at Hogwarts, now there," Severus said.
"What is the matter, Severus," Albus asked.
"It is about the stone," Severus said cryptically. Dumbledore's eyes widened and he grabbed the younger man by the wrist and dragged him out of the restaurant.
"What?" he demanded.
"Quirrell, is going after the stone," Severus snarled, "and guess who is going after him?"
"DAMN," Dumbledore snapped and apparated to the gate of Hogwarts. Severus growled and followed him back to Hogwarts. When he got back to his rooms, Tonks was in the floo.
"Did you find him?" she asked
"Yes."
Severus took his usual seat besides Albus at the head table. He smirked when he saw the banners hanging. Slytherin again, it was the seventh year in a row. Minerva sat down on the other side of the headmaster and glared at the Head of Slytherin. Dumbledore stood and welcomed the students and then announced the house standings.
*"In forth place, Gryffindor, 312, in third, Hufflepuff, with 352, in second, Ravenclaw with 426, and in first, Slytherin with 472."
Severus smirked again as the Slytherin table erupted into cheers. Dumbledore congratulated the Slytherins and then decided that the most recent events needed to be taken in to account. There was protest amongst the students. Severus turned to look at his mentor with a stunned expression. He could not believe it.
*"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last minute points to dish out. Let me see. Yes…"
*"First --- to Mr. Ronald Weasley for the best played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years, I award Gryffindor House fifty points."
Severus glowered at Dumbledore.
*"Second --- to Miss Hermione Granger…for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House Fifty points."
*"Third --- To Mr. Harry Potter for the pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award Gryffindor House sixty points."
Severus could not stand it, not only was Dumbledore awarding points for rule breaking he was doing it in a way that humiliated the Slytherins.
*"There are all kinds of courage," said Dumbledore smiling, "it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr. Neville Longbottom."
Severus eyes flashed dangerously as Dumbledore changed the colors after declaring Gryffindor the winner of the house cup. He forced himself to shake Minerva's hand. Every time that Albus tried to include him in the conversation Severus merely snipped at him or ignored the headmaster and his twinkling eyes."
Once the feast was over Severus waited until all the students had left the hall and he then swept out after Dumbledore.
"Headmaster," he said in a dangerously cool tone, "If I may have a word with you in private."
"But of course Severus," Dumbledore said and the two wizards walked silently to the headmaster's office. Once inside Fawkes landed on Snape's shoulder and affectionately pecked him on his neck. Albus grinned.
"I don't know what this bloody bird sees in me," Severus grunted.
"Fawkes is a good judge of character, Severus," Albus said sitting down behind his desk. He gestured for Snape to sit. "What can I do for you, child?"
"Don't give me that act, Albus," Severus snorted, "and you know why I am here."
"Mayhap, Severus, but I shall like to hear you tell me in your own words."
"All right then, Headmaster, just what the hell where you doing?" he demanded.
"And why pray tell do you mean," Albus said, "Surely you do not mean awarding points where they are do."
"Oh," Severus scoffed, "I see now that I was going about this the wrong way, I should be rewarding insolence, rule breaking, lying, and nearly getting yourself killed because of your stupid Gryffindor bravery."
"That is not what I am trying to do here," Albus attempted to placate the raging anger that Severus was known for. He failed miserably. Severus stood up sharply from the chair, and Fawkes knew when to leave the potions master be.
"Then what were you trying?" He shouted as he slammed his long, graceful hands down on the desk. "Are you trying to play favorites?"
"Severus, I have never played favorites," Albus said rising to face the irate potions brewer in front of him.
"Of course not," came the sarcastic reply.
"Those points were deserved." Dumbledore told him. Severus could not contain a snort.
"Fifty points for chess, and logic?"
"You deny that they deserved them," Dumbledore asked.
"No, just not fifty, and sixty points to Potter for, what Albus, nearly getting killed by confronting a wizard that would not hesitate to kill him, I guess that points should be awarded for stupidity."
Snape began to pace around the room.
"I was making a point," Albus said.
"What was the point, I have so much fun when I use the-boy-who-lived to humiliate the Slytherins."
"That was not what I had attempted to do."
"Well that is what you did do," Snape hissed, "they are not going to react to kindly to you because you humiliated them in front of their peers. So tell me what had been your plan."
"I awarded the points the way I did for a reason, Harry did not win the cup; Neville Longbottom did."
"Yes, the brats will remember that, Longbottom might, but everyone else will see it as Harry Potter."
"That was not my intent."
"Well that is what happened," Snape bellowed, he had stopped pacing and was glaring at Dumbledore, "surely there could have been a different way."
"Like what?"
"Award the points sooner so that the Slytherins would not go to the hall expecting to win and then give Longbottom his points. That way everyone would remember it."
"That would have been a good idea."
"Isn't hindsight great," Severus sneered.
"Severus," Albus scolded. Severus looked at him and grinned.
"You have just made one of the worst mistakes ever."
"And what is that?"
"Slytherins, who already believe you favor the Gryffindors, now they see it as if they were correct and the other houses are beginning to see it that ways as well."
"You do not know that."
"Yes, I do," Severus said, "you told me once recently that I knew just about everything that happens in this school, and I do."
And with that he swept from the room with out even a words notice, Albus sat down at his desk and placed his hands on his temples, that conflict was one for the pensive.
Severus glowered and swept through the halls to the Slytherin common room. Several demanding Slytherins greeted him and wanted to know why. The oldest students were clumped in a corner, muttering. It would have been their seventh straight year winning the cup they felt betrayed, they had gone through all the trouble of winning only to lose at the last moment. The younger ones did not understand why they lost it, it had never happened that way before. Severus attempted to pacify the mob that had grown.
The angry group dissipated and Severus went to walk the halls once more in an effort to sooth his mind. He had applied for the Defense of Dark Arts post, but knew that he wouldn't get it. He walked over to a large willow by the lake and sat down. He closed his eyes as he leaned back against the trunk. He heard the footfalls and opened one eye; he was rather surprised to see Professor Flitwick beside him.
"Don't be too angry with him," the charms professor told him. "He doesn't understand."
The two professors sat there talking about the events of the year. Flitwick smiled sadly when he told Severus that Dumbledore that told him that he had a list of prospective professors and Snape was not in the list.
"Lockhart," Snape growled.
"Apparently he has improved over the years."
"He was incompetent as a student," Severus said.
"He was not that bad." Flitwick told the younger professor. He grinned as Severus raised a haughty eyebrow and then amended his earlier statement, "Perhaps he was."
"He was not that much older than I, was he in Malfoy's year?"
"Yes."
"Merlin help Hogwarts," Snape said.
"You can say that again, my friend," Flitwick said.
To be continued…
* Taken from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone