Dance with the Evil
Leonor started quickly to greet more guests, a simple way to distract herself. Luckily, St. Mungo's and the ministry provided plenty topics to talk about. There was no trace of Severus. Leonor felt suddenly offended by his absence listening to all the compliments of the supernumerary male guests. The drinks made Leonor a little tipsy. Slughorn recommended the best bites of the buffet and Brian prowled around the few younger witches like a bitch in heat. Matteo asked Leonor to dance. They returned breathless from the dance floor after a modern interlude of the band.
"I hope I can come to the guild celebrations next year. It's much better than I thought." Matteo shoved Leonor to a bar stool ordering a refreshing sparkling lemon water. She giggled lightly. "Even the older guild members behave livelily. Mr Fawley is as old as Dumbledore! Look how he moves with his cane! You thought the guild is a bunch of elderly nerds, didn't you?"
Matteo downed the water in one go and shouted hilariously, "Yes, I thought all potion masters are wet blankets like Snape and the Slytherins! Snape loomed in the corridors of the school and still sulks around tonight as if there's nothing better to do." Leonor hid her shock about Matteo's opinion by turning to place the empty glass to the bar. Surprisingly she looked straight into cold grey eyes.
"Tut-tut! What an accompaniment, Ms Scott!" Lucius Malfoy's sighed slick with a disgusted look at Matteo. "The guild is failing recently. A Hufflepuff, if I'm not mistaken, a half-blood or even muggle-born?" Lucius tilted his head, sneering with disdain before continuing after a little pause. "Leonor, you don't mind if I call you by your first name?"
"Not at all, Narcissa, Lucius, a pleasure to meet you!" Leonor nodded to the pair of pure-blood aristocrats. Narcissa frowned about the informal address, but Lucius took the gall indifferently. Leonor felt sick being on the first name with the Malfoy's. It foreboded nothing good.
"What was your name again?" Lucius addressed Matteo making a grimace.
"Matteo Romano, Sir," replied Matteo abjectly. The potions department of St. Mungo's received recently a generous donation from the Malfoy's. Everybody knew it.
"What about your ancestry? I never heard of your family name." Lucius words suffocated in a quiet snarl of an approaching dark clad person.
"I never understood why a Hufflepuff excelled in potions. I believe the sorting hat is senile as much as the chairmen of the potions' guild." Severus kissed Narcissa's hand.
"Severus!" Lucius and Narcissa's sneer changed briefly into something like a real smile. "I'm sure you can introduce us!" Lucius sneered again at the stiff teenager.
"Romano get us a drink, an old sweet Sherry if you can memorize it," said Severus bitingly calm. Matteo looked at Leonor as if he expected her to protest but left speechless when Snape fluttered a kiss on her hand as well.
"A pity, he's not shrewd enough to make a good Slytherin. Not all wizards proof the achievements of the family," said Severus thoughtfully.
"Indeed?" asked Lucius businesslike.
"Mafia, old Italian family," answered Severus glaring into the direction of Matteo who instructed an elf and disappeared quickly into the crowd. An elf served the Sherry promptly.
"At least he knows how to instruct vermin—," said Narcissa in the usual sniffy intonation and the conversation changed blessedly.
After a while Leonor admitted to herself that the talk with the Malfoy's was partially pleasant; Severus kept them smartly off all dangerous topics. Narcissa listened to the last reports about Draco. She spoke about gardening and the flowers and insisted on another visit by Leonor. Narcissa was one of those bored, rich wives who defined themselves through the success of their husband. Nevertheless, she was smart — likely able to control her husband without being too obvious. She loved her son and family and didn't approve much of Lucius' show about gaining power through the hands of You-Know-Who. A trace of fear created a shadow behind the haughty look every time Lucius started to speak about the rising dark power. She relaxed when Severus changed back talking about something else.
XXX
The guild's annual celebration was in full swing. Fairy lights gave the garden a colourful touch. The party was nothing of the anticipated dry and elegant affair despite the beautiful white china, the crystal goblets and the culinary art.
Lucius Malfoy urged Leonor to dance, and she lost the battle of excuses when Severus asked a displeased Narcissa with a smug grin. It only left the possibility to take Lucius' arm and resign for once. Severus spoke with an unfathomable expression until Narcissa's arrogant attitude vanished and a nice smile appeared on her face. Surprisingly Lucius wasn't a bad dancer, but very busy to put himself in the limelight. Leonor just needed to nod to support his self-projection. She eyed Severus while listening to Lucius; likely he was about to avoid any contact. He had not even tried to make a bridge between their minds using Legilimency. His barriers were strong, and he just seemed to let them down for seconds talking to Narcissa. Leonor managed the mix of sad or jealous feelings; whatever she wished would not change Severus' intentions in public. The music stopped with an announcement of the band. They played a medley of well-known wizarding tunes and everybody was asked to change partners. Leonor flew from one embrace into another. She whispered a brief warning to Matteo before another man asked for attention. When the music slowed down she looked for Severus but couldn't find him. The Malfoy's left and a group of curtseying elves held their cloaks until they disappeared with an effusive farewell to Fawley and Burke. Leonor's feet ached. She just dreamed of a hot shower when Burke tore her apart from a ministry worker of the medical regulation office.
"My dear Leonor, a waltz please!" Burke gestured to the band, and they changed obviously to one of the chairman's favourite songs. "I cannot let you go already. The rosy cheeks look good on you!" Eldred Burke twinkled before starting a light-hearted small talk. Leonor stifled a yawn. More and more guests left through the entrance hall; the couples on the dance floor were finally thinning. After a while, Burke murmured about a partner change and moved suddenly to the opposite side. Before she knew it, they danced next to Severus and Alice. Alice beamed and Severus looked strangely relaxed. Eldred stopped and leaned forward to Severus whispering something. As a consequence, Severus nodded a quiet "Thank you" and bowed stiffly to Eldred Burke and his wife. Whatever the old couple told him, Severus looked with gratitude and satisfaction at them. "Good night Leonor," called Burke. Alice twittered and waved happily "See you soon!". Leonor and Severus eyed each other awkwardly. Leonor broke the silence.
"I suppose it's time to leave?"
"Not yet." Severus embraced her, and they started to move to the song of the band. Leonor got once again lost in the darkness of his eyes.
"Thanks for saving Matteo. I tipped him off."
"That's not worth mentioning. Certain dark magic is even feared amongst old-established families." Severus held Leonor even tighter.
"You've made Alice very happy tonight."
"You've made them happy, Leonor."
"I'm not so sure if it was just me alone," grinned Leonor mischievously. Severus didn't answer and another melody began.
"Greengrass Sr, the owner of Borgin & Burke's and Blaise Zabini's mother know of the potion," said Leonor thoughtfully.
"Did you talk to them about it?" snorted Severus alarmed.
"No, of course not! Eldred and Edward just mentioned that they've supported the idea and will receive the formula in the next weeks. Only Burke and Fawley know about all the names; nobody knows of the other supporters."
"I hope they take the secrecy serious!" Severus gazed around and Leonor couldn't figure out if it was disbelief or caution.
"You are beautiful," said Severus after a while and looked down at Leonor, glanced briefly at the little diamond in Leonor's neckline, before they performed another rotation and Severus looked nervously into Leonor's eyes as if he planned an indecent suggestion.
"Thank you, but how can you know? You've not been there most of the time," said Leonor with a small disapproving smile.
"I wouldn't be so sure in your position! It doesn't need much time to recognize a pretty woman." A satisfied grin curled Severus' lips. "Did you enjoy tonight?"
"Not as much as I enjoy it now."
The moves required no effort to be passionate and complete. They understood each other, a perfect match on the dance floor that obviously made them both happy. Severus stroked Leonor's cheek before the black eyes locked with the brown, a definite gesture of understanding before returning to the presence. A genuine smile moved briefly around Severus' mouth before the scowl returned.
"You look tired." Leonor did not miss the accusing undertone.
"I'm dead beat," answered Leonor fondly and stifled another yawn.
"I meet you at the willows," hissed Severus in an instant and left Leonor standing on the dance floor. Something broke, the words comprised something final. She looked after him, surprised by the change in tone. Leonor shook her head about the strange coldness in his voice before making a round to say goodbye to the remaining guests. She found Matteo and Richard at the bar. Matteo couldn't contain a smug triumphant sneer.
"Snape's a git. No manners to leave you on the dance floor!" The steely smell of alcohol increased the bite of the disgusting remark. "You have got a bad taste, Leonor!"
"You have got a bad breath, Matteo. Good night!" Leonor sounded calm forcing herself to leave quickly. She had to wait for the butler and the elves to retrieve her cloak. She detested the besotted snicker of the two men but was paralysed to move out of earshot. A room divider blocked Richard and Matteo from view.
"Matteo, be quiet. She won't listen to you," whispered Richard.
"Mum says she rushes headlong into disaster."
"Maria and you do nothing good with the hostility against Snape. He's a very skilled potions master. Dumbledore employs him for years. Maria should speak to Leonor like a friend, not like a sore goose. Leonor is stubborn and inexperienced."
"Inexperienced?"
"She rebuffs all good men, Brian for instance. She refuses to date, or to even get close to anyone male."
"You mean she's a virgin?" Matteo giggled.
"She's single, with her looks, in her age!" hissed Richard, but it was enough proof to the roguish boy.
"You mean there's something wrong with her?"
"She's a bit mysterious, coming from the U.S., travelling Europe, working for Gringotts," mused Richard. "She's an excellent healer. There's also no denying that Snape has a liking for her. He's better dressed than at all guild meetings before. A tall and confident man meanwhile compared to the hunched boy when he applied at St. Mungo's. Dumbledore said that Snape treats Leonor better than anybody else at Hogwarts."
"Snape has greasy hair!" said Matteo and juddered from another glass of fire whiskey.
"Yeah, not everybody is lucky to have a mop of curly hair! If he's stuck above steamy cauldrons all day, there's not much to do about it." Richard dishevelled Matteo's hair.
"You sound like my father!" growled Matteo.
"You should listen to your father. He's right. Leonor looks happy in the company of Snape and you should keep a distance to the muggle girl, or you will be a father in next to no time!"
"That's different!"
"Francesco and I are concerned that this girl is only attracted by your magic and nothing else."
"You've no proof!"
"—and you cannot prove that Snape uses Leonor!" Richard drowned his goblet. "Let's leave. It's late and I talk too much if I'm drunk," hiccuped Richard and both swayed towards the last remaining St. Mungo's colleagues.
XXX
Leonor fled the entrance hall when she finally received the cloak. She felt ashamed — ashamed and damned. She just wanted to make it work with Severus. It would prove all the gossip wrong! Tears welled from her eyes, and she wiped them away with her sleeve. Unfortunately, she was no virgin and it rocked all efforts to live a normal life in a bad way. She just couldn't shake it off.
Severus waited at the same spot as upon arrival. "It's about time—," he scolded.
"The staff was busy to get my cloak!" Leonor snapped at him suppressing the urge to talk about the gossip. She cursed and grabbed Severus' outstretched arm fiercely and within a second, they landed on the edge of Hogsmeade.
"Why are we here and not at my home?" said Leonor upset.
"We part ways," answered Severus coolly.
Leonor considered the stormy grey eyes, they were hard and unmoving. She felt like breaking to pieces.
"You rant against delivering the Wolfsbane every month and now you leave me here with Black living in the woods?"
"You can transport yourself to the house. I did the duty ordered by Dumbledore," hissed Severus.
"I wanted to learn about the spell on the rose; the rose you gave me at my birthday. I thought you would stay, but if I'm only a duty—," said Leonor defeated. She desperately wanted to be with him, to be hugged and kissed, but she knew she'd lost when another flood of tears shot into her eyes. She felt pathetic.
"Pull yourself together!" snarled Severus and disappeared with a satisfied sardonic smile on the lips. The words were full of disdain. Scorn twisted his face and left the affectionate love behind. The precisely working mind was torn between sweet memories and the bleakness of the future to come. He replaced the pain in the brown eyes quickly with a regal smile of a pair of beautiful green ones.