OMG! I know it felt like an eternity since I have updated... actually it has! I hope that this update was well worth the wait! I know the next chapter will be for sure. I have been teaching fifth grade writing, and it was absolutely impossible to write my own story while reading 92 essays a week! Let's just say... I was so sick of writing! It is summer and that means UPDATES! Please review and follow! Every time I get an email saying someone left a review, I get so excited! Thank you for waiting so patiently and especially to all of those that have been reading my story since the very beginning! You have waited entirely too long for this! I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 12 – Skeleton of Something More

Tonks didn't know how to feel about Snape taking up for her. She felt better knowing Remus got to hear an outsiders view on the situation, especially since Snape hates him, but her emotions were still confused about it all. She waited in the room until the coast was clear and headed to her assigned patrol duty location. During her duty, there were so many thoughts going on in her head. One thought being… Why would Remus touch my leg under the table? Another thought that couldn't escape her mind was, Why did he think Snape fancies me? It was a conundrum that Tonks couldn't solve on her own, yet she tried throughout her patrol to figure it out.

As the night turned to early morning, Snape patrolled his part of the grounds. In hopes to find something useful, Snape had been reading his book, Deadly Curses of the Dark Arts, during his duty. He couldn't find the cure for Miss Bell's curse, and it bothered Snape because he always knew what to do. After all, he slowed down the spreading of Dumbledore's curse when he placed the cursed ring on his finger. He had a gut feeling that Draco was behind Katie Bell's attack, but he just didn't want to believe that Draco would take that risk without consulting him. Deep down Snape knew that in order to cure Miss Bell as quickly as possible, he must at least try to ask Draco about it. He desperately needed to break the curse before it did any neurological damage to the poor girl. Once he finished the book for the third time that day, he decided he would speak to Draco right then. After all, both of their lives were on the line.

Snape reached the stone wall to the Slytherin Common Room Entrance. He whispered, "Pure Bloods," and an entrance revealed itself leading him straight to his desired destination. As Snape made his way down the stairs, he heard voices whispering in panic, "Hurry, put it away. Someone is coming." When Snape appeared into the view of the culprits, he wasn't surprised to find Pansy Parkinson and her crew.

"Oh, Professor, what a surprise!" Pansy stated innocently.

Snape's face was serious and his tone sarcastic. "Indeed. What a surprise to see you students up at this time of night."

Pansy tried to play it off as if it were sleep insomnia. "Well we couldn't sleep, sir."

"And may I ask, why?" Snape asked in disbelief.

"We were a bit shaken up from the attack on Katie today." Pansy tried to seem afraid and vulnerable, but the look on Snape face showed her that he wasn't buying a single word. She continued, "…But now that you're here…" Pansy looked Snape up and down with admiration, "…we feel much safer."

Snape's expression was inexistent. He was used to the Slytherin girls flirting with him. They admired him because he was the Dark Lord's right hand man. Snape retorted sarcastically, "Yes, because you care so much for the well-being of the Gryffindor students." He rolled his eyes and looked over at Millicent Bulstrode commanding, "Miss Bulstrode, go fetch Draco for me. Tell him to meet me outside the common room." He turned his attention to the other two girls and ordered, "As for you two ladies, go back to your dormitories."

The two girls sighed in disappointment, especially Pansy. While the other girl walked up the stairs, Pansy walked over to Snape. Once the other girl was out of hearing range, Pansy asked flirtatiously, "-But, sir… Are you not going to punish me? I mean… I could use a nice punishment from you." Snape had too much going on to deal with this ridiculousness, he couldn't believe Pansy was going to try and flirt her way out of this.

"Of course, I almost forgot…" Snape teased, Pansy's eyes lit up as though she actually had a shot with her professor. "I'm deducting twenty-five points for your friends, and fifty points for your ill-disciplined performance, Miss Parkinson."

She had a pouty look on her face, which was probably the same expression she used to manipulate boys her age and asked bravely, "Professor, don't you feel like fifty points is a bit much for some innocent flirting? I can't help myself!" She bit her lip seductively as she awaited his response.

"You know…listening to how pathetic your attempt was… I say that was worth fifty. Now… seeing as though you truly believed I would change my mind is worth seventy five. What do you think?" Pansy rolled her eyes and stormed off. Once Pansy stomped up the stairs like a spoiled brat, Millicent retrieved Draco.

Snape turned and exited of the common room, Draco following a short distance behind. Snape walked down the corridor a bit farther until he reached his classroom. As soon as Draco entered behind Snape, he immediately asked uneasy, "Do you have a message from the Dark Lord?"

"No, Draco, I need to discuss other matters with you." Snape stated with relief.

Draco jumped to conclusions and asked eagerly, "You mean how we are going to complete our mission?"

"Not that either." Snape replied with annoyance in his tone.

Draco was aggravated and "What else could be important enough to drag me out of bed at this time of night?"

Snape was not in the mood to deal with a teenage attitude, so he decided to cut to the chase and ask bluntly, "Where were you when the attack occurred? I need to know."

Draco immediately became aggressive and replied, "Why does it matter? It's not like I had anything to do with any of it!"

Snape knew how to read people quite well, and he could tell that Draco was hiding something. Snape confessed, "Well, the package was meant to be delivered to Professor Dumbledore, and I believe that raises some suspicion."

"Yeah and I'm sure I'm not the only person who has it in for that old bat." Draco pointed out with cheekiness.

"You dare take that tone with me? After everything I am doing for you! Both of our lives are on the line for this, and I will not have you kill us both due to your ignorance." Snape realized that he was out of line. For all he knew, Draco could actually be innocent. The curse that was on that necklace seemed quite advanced for a sixth year student; however, Draco also has outside help from other Death Eaters. "Look, a girl is going to die if I can't figure out a way to stop this curse. I would hope that if you knew a way I could stop this, you would assist me."

"I had nothing to do with it." Draco stated as he walked out of the classroom.

Snape was too frustrated to try and stop him. About that time a loud chime sounded in his classroom notifying Snape that it was two o'clock in the morning. Knowing it was time to meet up with Tonks, he rapidly headed to the seventh floor corridor as his cloak billowed behind each step.

Seeing Tonks' red, long locks from afar, teased Snape's emotions with every step he took closer to her. Identical is all he could think when he saw her. The paranoid voice in his head wondered if she figured out who Lily was, and he wondered if she was playing games with his emotions on purpose. He took a deep breath and pushed those crimpling thoughts out of his mind and spoke calmly, "How did your night go?" He desperately wanted it to be Lily's face that greeted his when she turned around.

"The usual, nothing." She said as she turned around. Snape could see that something was upsetting her. Before Snape could ask her what was on her mind, Tonks opened up to him. "I feel so useless."

"Useless? How could someone like you ever feel useless?" Snape was stunned by his words, but he couldn't help but wonder why someone that has everything going for them would ever feel useless.

"Not doing my job. I was ordered to do one thing, patrol Hogsmeade, and a girl was attacked in the same place I was supposed to be patrolling." Snape understood exactly where Tonks was coming from. He also was in the same place as she. "How are they ever going to take me serious and give me a shot if I keep messing up?"

Snape stretched out his arm and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're not useless. You've got to start thinking logically. Don't beat yourself up about something that was out of your control. Today was out of our hands and I, as well as multiple other chaperones, all share the blame. The girl was attacked in the loo by a cursed object, not right in the middle of town square. There is no possible way to catch everything. " Snape took his hand off her shoulder because he didn't want to make this moment awkward and uncomfortable for her."

"Unless…" Tonks responded seriously.

"Unless what?" Snape asked seeming intrigued, he couldn't think of a solution.

"Unless we start escorting every student to the loo!" Tonks joked cynically.

Snape answered honestly, "Well I'd be damned to be a part of that duty!" Tonks laughed out loud. Hearing Tonks laugh made him chuckle.

Tonks was flabbergasted; she had never heard Snape laugh, and she was sure she was the first to witness it. "He laughs… I feel privileged to witness such a celestial event." Tonks added humorously.

Snape got serious and reacted "Well…don't get used to it."

Tonks felt sad and retorted disappointingly, "It's a shame… you have a nice laugh and smile."

Snape tried hard not to blush, and he didn't. He kept his strong stoned face blank. "Well it's getting late and I've got a lot of research to do in order to stop that curse." Snape hurriedly stated before the conversation got even more awkward.

"Do you need any help?" Tonks questioned politely.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll manage. Goodnight Nymphadora." Snape said as he turned around and began leaving toward his private chambers.

"Goodnight, Professor." Tonks replied.

Snape turned around and added. "Please…call me Severus."

"Alright." Tonks agreed and added.

Snape was surprised by her response. "That's it?" Snape asked.

Tonks seemed confused by his question and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I thought you might say, "Only if you call me Tonks" or something along those lines."Snape sassed.

Tonks chuckled, "Actually, I don't mind that you call me by my wretched name."

"Really? If I'm not mistaken, you hate to be called by your first name. I remember numerous occasions where you've insisted I call you Tonks." Severus remarked.

Tonks inquired jokingly, "Then why have you tortured me all these years?"

"I find annoying you quite enjoyable." Snape confessed. Tonks could not believe he was telling her this. "So why don't you care now?" Snape questioned, he couldn't help but wonder why she would let him be the only person who called her by a name she despised so much.

Tonks smirked, "I don't know. I suppose I just like the way you say it. Goodnight, Severus."

She turned around and walked away, leaving Snape dumbfounded. He didn't know what to think of her response and she couldn't believe she just flirted with her ex professor. She blamed it on both of them being sleep deprived. Tonks thought that all she needed was a solid nights rest, and she would be able to think straight in the morning. Little did she know that there was a lot more to come of this night then she would've ever dreamed of.