A/N: Sorry about the delay, finals week happened, and the chapter was eluding me. Enjoy!

Mysterious Hearts

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"You wanted to see me, Headmaster," Severus said entering Dumbledore's office quietly.

"Yes, Severus, please take a seat," Albus said offering a chair and lemon drops. Fawkes flew from his perch to land on Snape's shoulder after he declined the sweets. Snape winced slightly and his hand went to pet the bird as he fondly nipped an ear.

"I thought that I should be the one to tell you who the new defense of the dark arts professor is, Severus," Albus sighed sitting down across from the younger wizard. He absently twirled his beard between his thumb and index finger. "I'm sorry Severus, but your application to the post has been rejected again."

"I understand," Snape said curtly.

"Do you, my boy," Albus asked cautiously, "as a potions master, Severus you are irreplaceable."

"I understand, Albus," Severus changed the subject and was still petting the young phoenix, "was it Fawkes' burning day?"

"Yesterday," Dumbledore told him, "as I was saying Severus, I have hired a new professor and I need a favor from you."

"Yes, Albus," Severus rose an eyebrow.

"I wanted you to hear this from me first, Severus," Albus said anxiously, he was worried about how Severus would take the news about Remus Lupin coming to Hogwarts.

"Did you have a point," Snape asked.

"My choice for a professor is a little unconventional."

"Well, Hagrid is the new care of magical creatures professor, so I know it can't be him."

"Severus he has a condition and I need you to brew him a potion every month."

"What kind of condition, Albus," Severus asked his suspicion arousing, "what potion."

"Well, Severus…" Dumbledore paused, "he is a lycanthrope."

"You want me to brew the wolfsbane potion," he declared, "might I be permitted to know whom it is for."

"Remus Lupin."

"And if I refuse?"

"I can not force you to brew this potion, I know how difficult it is."

"That is not the problem, Albus, I am always up for a challenge, but…"

"Now Severus please put the past behind you, this is a prudent safety matter, don't you agree."

"I think that it would be prudent to build him a cage, Albus, and lock him in," Severus sneered.

"SEVERUS!"

"You saw how well letting a werewolf run loose in the past went, and now you are bring that threat into the school."

"He would not the first threat that I brought into this school, Severus," Albus said pointedly, and it did not take a stretch of the imagination to know whom he was talking about. Severus stood sharply nearly knocking the bird from his shoulder.

"If you will excuse me, headmaster," Severus said formally before leaving the comfortable office.

"Severus," Albus started, "that's not what I meant."

"I understood you message perfectly clear, headmaster," Snape stiffly said sweeping from the office. Albus watched him go with a sad smile on his face. He sat down hard at his desk and placed his head in his hands. What had compelled him to say that? He silently berated himself once again for failing Severus when he was a student.

Severus swept though the halls down to his dungeons. He turned and growled when he felt someone's hand on his shoulders.

"Oh, that was a bad growl," his wife stood there with a grin on her face, "what's wrong."

"Nothing," Severus hissed, not hiding his anger well, "what are you doing here?"

"Ministry business, checking out the grounds for escaped convicts and places they could hide."

"I see," came the clipped response from Snape.

"Now are you going to tell me what is wrong?" Tonk's soft demand jolted Snape from his thoughts.

"Pardon?"

"I lost you for a moment, Severus," Tonks grinned and checked her watch, "shit, I have to go, I will find out what is wrong later."

"Alright," Severus told her as he kissed his cheek, "I will be here."

"Bye, lover," she winked and scurried on way. Severus stood there with a goofy look on his face, his anger at Albus almost forgotten. Severus smiled inwardly and headed off to his lab to take inventory and work on some potions.

Tonks went to Hogwarts later that night, and smiled when she saw Snape reading a potions book, almost oblivious to everything. She made a clumsy attempt at sneaking up on him.

"You should avoid tripping on the rug next time," came the haughty voice of her husband. Tonks stood and glared at him. She grabbed his book and placed a marker in it and tossed it gently to the nightstand.

"What in Merlin's name," shocked Snape began but was soon silenced by lips on his and someone in his lap.

"I missed you," Tonks said as she caught her breath, "what was wrong?"

"Nothing."

"That may work with the headmaster, but he's not married to you," Tonks said, waiting for an answer. She pursed her lips when she didn't get one. She changed her approach; she leant over her husband and grabbed the book for the table. She opened it to the pages that he had been reading. She raised an eyebrow the page was on the wolfsbane potion.

"Interesting," was her only comment, "someone hire you to make this potion?"

"You could say that."

"And what would you say?"

"It was a request that I was not in a position to refuse."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The headmaster made it perfectly clear that I was to brew this potion for his newest professor."

"He hired a werewolf to teach," Tonks said slightly intrigued at the thought. Werewolves were often discriminated against in the wizarding world. She herself had only met two werewolves and had mixed feelings about them. "The wolfsbane is a safety measure, right?"

"Yes, it is currently the safest thing besides a cage."

"Severus, I know you have had dealings with werewolves in the past, but who can you say that about someone you don't know."

"Nymph I know this particular werewolf, quite well." Tonks' eyes widened, as she understood.

"Albus hired Remus Lupin."

"Isn't he the one that nearly killed you," she asked taken aback by the disregard Dumbledore had for Severus feelings on this issue.

"Yes, the joke that was played on me by the marauders."

Tonks shivered. Her cousin the convict was behind that joke, she remembered her mother talking about it with her father at the time.

"So what are you going to do?" she asked gently.

"I have no choice because the safety of the students in this school are of the utmost importance, so I brew the potion for Lupin."

To be continued…