"Here, monsters, monsters," said Buffy softly as she made her way through the cemetery in Hogsmeade. Overall, the night had been quiet. Buffy had been hoping for at least one vampire to pummel.

Severus Snape irritated her to no end. He was so arrogant, presuming that she would be incapable of teaching. Acting as if she learned nothing over the past seven years. She may not be able to channel the Dark Lord of Spooky like Severus did, but she could be pretty commanding.

Something distracted Buffy from her thoughts. There was a slight orange glow against a mausoleum. Maybe there would be some action tonight.

Buffy silently made her way to the tomb. Someone was leaning against it, smoking.

"You know, that will kill you," said Buffy, "If I don't."

She gasped when the figure looked up.

"Hey, love," he said, inclining his head.

"You! What are you doing here?" Buffy asked angrily.

"I have a poker game at the Hog's Head, if you must know."

"You followed me to Scotland!?! This is sick!"

"Actually, I'm from the U.K. so it's like you're following me," he said grinning wickedly. He took a drag off of his cigarette.

"I missed you," he said, leaning back and blowing out the smoke.

"Shut up, Spike," said Buffy.

"What? Don't act like you didn't miss me."

"What are you doing here? And I would never miss you," Buffy said crossing her arms across her chest. Neither of them noticed the hooded figure creeping among the tombstones.

"Well, if you must know, there's a bloke that's going to help me get this chip out of my noggin."

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"That's for me to know," he said, winking. "I might tell you, if you want to," Spike reached an arm around her.

"No!" Buffy said, wriggling out of his grasp. "Never again," she said softer.

"That's not what you said the last time."
She punched him, hard. The back of his head bounced against the mausoleum.

The change was instantaneous. The demon's eyes glowed yellow.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of you punching me around!" he snarled.

"Then stay out of my way!" Buffy shrieked.

"Gladly! One day I'm going to wipe that smart smile off of your face," Spike's face reverted to its normal form as he stalked off into the night.

Buffy stormed off in the opposite direction.

The cloaked figure walked out of the shadows.

Severus Snape watched as Buffy made her way back to Hogwarts. An owl with the message to meet Lucius Malfoy at the Hog's Head had been waiting for him outside the window of his personal quarters after dinner. He didn't know why Lucius wanted to meet him. Overhearing Buffy arguing with the man, Spike, had simply been fortuitous.

Vampire, his mind corrected.

Buffy Summers had evidently engaged in relations with a vampire. Sex, a more primitive voice in his mind corrected, She had sex with a vampire. This was certainly a most interesting facet of Miss Buffy Summers. A Slayer fucking a vampire. He chuckled as the wheels in his mind turned, wondering how he could use this knowledge against her.

Snape's footfalls echoed hollowly as he walked into the Hog's Head. The outer bar area was empty. Severus nodded curtly at the barman who pointed at which door Snape should go through.

Severus pushed open the door. He acted as if he'd never seen the bleached-blonde vampire sitting across from Lucius.

"Severus," Lucius said, nodding at him.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Severus asked, seating himself next to Lucius in a rough wooden chair.

"Him," said Lucius, indicating Spike. "He's a vampire. He wants an audience with the Dark Lord."

Severus nodded as if this were new to him.

"Why should we allow you to see the Dark Lord?"

Severus's eyes et the vampire's eyes. His mind was dark but not impenetrable. He saw an image of a cold, white room, a kind of holding cell. Then he saw an image of Spike trying to bite Willow, but failing.

"I'm proposing a deal," said Spike. "The U.S. government inserted this chip in my head so now I'm practically defanged. I want it out. I want things to be like they were before."

"You think the Dark Lord would deign to help you?" asked Lucius.

"I think old Moldymort would kiss my feet if I delivered the Slayer to him."

Lucius winced at the bastardization of his master's name but said nothing.

"You've killed a slayer before?" asked Lucius.

Spike held up two fingers.

"I've killed two."

Severus was silent as he viewed more images from Spike's mind. An image of Spike having sex with Buffy. Why did he find that arousing? He asked himself. Another image, of her rejecting him, Spike trying to force himself on her. Then just feelings. Feelings of shame, arousal, anger. Most of all the desire for vengeance.

"How have you heard of the Dark Lord?" asked Severus.

"Who hasn't?" asked Spike simply. "Anyone with an ear to the underground knows Voldemort is back."

"You would do well to be respectful of the Dark Lord," said Lucius, his nostrils flaring.

"Why? You're going to tell him anyway, I know you are. You're not going to miss the chance of being the man who arranged for him to kill the slayer. No, you're not going to miss that," said Spike, leaning back in his chair and smirking.

Lucius looked at Severus who was looking intently at Spike. For all his crudeness, the vampire was smart. Lucius, on the other hand, was foundering, torn between his greed and his desire to serve his master. The Malfoys were what you got after centuries of cousins marrying cousins.

"We could tell the Dark Lord of your plan," said Severus smoothly, "And he might not be interested. Are you willing to accept that possibility?"

"I'm planning on doing the slayer in anyway."
"Well tell the Dark Lord. Don't contact us until we contact you."

Spike extended his hand and Severus shook, then Lucius. Lucius left the pub and disapparated with a loud rapport.

"Hey, are you up for a game of pool?" Spike asked Severus.

Severus's answer was to leave, his cloak trailing behind him.

"Didn't think so," said Spike.

Neither of them noticed the face watching from the window.

Buffy had initially walked back to Hogwarts. Great, she thought, my two least favorite people living near me. Her curiosity had been piqued, though, and she had ended up walking to the Hog's Head. She severely doubted Spike's poker story. It was easy enough to find the room with Spike in it. Buffy had climbed on a pile of crates to get a better view. She watched with curiosity as Severus entered the room. She couldn't hear what they were saying but at the end they shook hands. It looked like they were making a deal.

Well, this was something. Buffy had suspected that Snape was up to no good, now she had proof. Proof of what? She didn't know but she didn't like the idea of Snape and Spike getting friendly. And she didn't like the look of the pale, pinch-faced man with the cold eyes.

A sharp crack startled Buffy. Someone had just disapparated. She jumped off the crates and peered around them. Severus was walking back to Hogwarts. Buffy was determined to find out what happened in the Hog's Head. The alley she was in led to a side street. She followed the street. From there she could see Severus and follow him without him seeing her. He walked quickly, his cloak flaring out dramatically behind him. The street Buffy was on led to the cemetery. She hopped the cemetery fence and strode confidently towards the rapidly receding figure of Severus Snape. It would look like she had just been out on patrol.

He should have been surprised by her. She could have startled him into jumping and making a most unmanly sound. She didn't, though. Second before Buffy strode alongside him, Severus's alert mind detected the presence of another person. Psychically, she may as well have announced her presence with a mariachi band and fireworks. Typical, he noted, She lacks any self control.

"Fancy meeting you here, Severus," said Buffy, walking next to Severus chummily.

She presumes to use my first name, fumed Severus. His steel-trap mind noted that he seemed to always fume when he was around her. Unbidden, and image of Buffy straddling Spike flitted into his mind. Control, man! He thought to himself.

"Yes," he said, folding his arms and quickening his pace. Maybe she would take the clue and leave him be.

"Out for a walk?" Buffy asked.

Cease and desist, you clumsy girl, he thought.

"Yes," he said.

"It's a nice night," she said. "A nice night for a walk."

"Is there an end to your ceaseless prattle?" Severus asked, resolutely staring ahead.

"I'm getting there," she said, undeterred. "I was just going to say that it's a shame that everything seems to be closed."

Severus slowed and looked at her.

"Even the Three Broomsticks is closing early. Everything looks closed except the Hog's Head."

They had come to a stop. Realization was creeping upon him.

"Where are you coming from, Severus?" Buffy asked.

He looked into her eyes. Images of himself as viewed through a window floated across his vision then stopped abruptly. She had averted her eyes from his and shook her head quickly. Buffy had sensed him in her mind. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion as he answered.

"Nowhere. I'm just walking, if that's acceptable?"

They started walking again.

"Sure, whatever, it's up to you. Just be careful, there are bad things in the dark."

"Is that a threat, Miss Summers?" he asked icily.

"Not a threat," Buffy said smiling slightly, "Consider it a warning. From someone with experience."

They walked the rest of the way to the castle in silence.

Buffy turned to Severus at the castle stairs.

"You know, we really have to do this again sometime. It's been, well, I'll just say it's been. You really know how to show a girl a good time," then she turned and loped off into the night.

Severus was reeling as he watched Buffy leave, going to who knows where.

She really is the most infuriating girl, he thought. Much worse than Granger, she may be even more infuriating than the Boy-Who-Constantly-Breaks-the-Rules.

He walked alone through the empty, silent castle. Peeves had the misfortune of interrupting Severus.

"Out of my way, Peeves!" he barked.

Peeves started to laugh riotously. Severus pointed his wand at him and Peeves found himself jammed into the nearest keyhole.

"Sugar quills," Severus said to the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's door.

Severus found himself taking the revolving stairs up to Dumbledore's office two at a time so he was slightly breathless as he knocked at the door.

"Come in," said Dumbledore.

Severus found Dumbledore sitting in a squashy chair sipping a cup of tea.

"What are you doing here at this late hour?" Dumbledore indicated that Severus should sit down and conjured another teacup for him.

"We have a problem," said Severus, recounting his after-dinner meeting.

"So, it seems the slayer has made an enemy, I can't imagine why," Snape sneered.

"This is very serious indeed," said Dumbledore. "Have you told her?"

Severus snorted. "She's impossible to talk to, her butchery of the English language is appalling as is—"

A knock at the door interrupted what else was wrong with Buffy Summers.

"Come in," said Dumbledore again.