Severus and Tonks went back to her flat, pouring over the copies of paperwork that she had taken from the office. "Isn't this… against the rules?" Severus asked, taking one of the forms from her, eying it suspiciously.
Tonks grinned. "It is, but I had to. I had to work on the case outside the office, and anyway, it's so much more convenient now."
"It's not like you expected this," he muttered, scanning the useless form.
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway." She groaned, balling up a sheet of paper and throwing it across the room. "There is no bloody proof! The Ministry won't just believe i us /i either!"
"Most wizards would rather burn in hell before they believed anything I had to say."
Tonk's eyes softened and she frowned at him. "That's not true."
"Like hell it's not. I had to endure death threats when you went missing," he told her without a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Speaking of that, you should tell people you are back and safe. It would probably be wise to would avoid mentioning me in the messages, but I know people are looking for you."
She shook her head. "The only person who is important to me already knows." Reaching up, she laid her hand on the side of his face. He leaned into her hand automatically, and didn't bother to move away. He loved the feel of her hand against him; it was soft and warm.
He sighed. "You're delusional, Tonks."
She grinned. "No. I'm the only one who sees you the way you really are."
Turning his head slightly, he kissed her palm. "You're delusional, but for some reason, it's to my benefit, so I won't complain."
She grinned asher eyes flickered over to the paperwork. Seeing how hopeless it seemed, she groaned. "What are we going to do?"
He grinned at her wickedly. "Get proof."
With wide eyes, she asked, "How on earth are we going to do that?"
"Clare and Leo have to be aware you are gone by now. We should go and confront them."
"Confront them? They are murderers! They can't be trusted. Why should we risk our lives now? We need to find tangible proof to get back up!"
Severus' eyes darkened. "I'm a murderer."
Tonks closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "No—Look, let's just not go there, okay?"
"Tonks, I am a murderer. I know I am; you know I am."
"Severus! Just… how the hell are we going to confront them without back up? They are I psychotic /I murderers. We can't very well just waltz up to them and tell them to go to the Aurors headquarters to confess!"
"I didn't say we do that," he said slowly, sitting down. He grabbed her hand, and she sat down on his lap. She curled up, pulling herself closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder. "We are smarter than they are, Tonks. We can think of something – a real plan."
Tonks closed her eyes, sighing in contentment. "Fine, you think and I'll sleep."
"You're tired? Why didn't you say something?" His voice was harsher than he had intended. He glanced down when she didn't reply to see that she was already fast asleep on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her small body, pulling her close and pressing his lips to her hair. "Just sleep, Tonks, just sleep. I'll figure something out," he promised to the sleeping girl in his arms.
He felt strange. He wanted to protect this woman with all his might, but he didn't know how. His heart did flips when she looked at him with those brown eyes. She was so much younger than him, so much less haunted, yet she never looked at him with distrust. She always looked at him with affection. The words she spoke stabbed at his heart, making him wish she could actually believe her.
But he knew better than to believe her. Once this case was solved, she'd be off again, finding another man to stare at with those brown eyes. Remus may be married, but there were plenty of men still left for her – good men who were not pariahs. She deserved men that were not social outcasts, hated, and murderers. She deserved someone she could hold her head up high with when she walked with them.
He stroked her hair gently, hating the new feelings washing through him. The only time he ever felt this way before was many years ago when he was with Lily. But he had lost Lily, too, and then he had killed her. Perhaps it wasn't with his hands, but he had killed her anyway, he'd signed her death warrant.
Scooting closer to him, Tonks sighed in her sleep. He dropped his hand, pulling her close rather than causing her to stir in his sleep again.
Deciding he was getting nowhere thinking of Tonks, he turned his mind to the problem of Clare and Leo. They i were /i murderers and despite all the research, no one knew for sure why they had killed Clare's brother, Craig, in the first place. It was the unknown and if Severus was right, it was the key to solving this.
Even if Clare and Leo hated Craig, they could have just kicked him out their lives rather than murder him. They were a married couple; they could have just moved away and start a new life where her brother couldn't find them. But they had resorted to murder instead, causing an end to a life.
Severus involuntarily shuddered, thinking of what he had once resorted to.
"Severus?" Tonk's whispered sleepily, looking up at him with tired brown eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, love," he whispered, kissing his hair as she dropped her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes yet again. She was asleep instantaneously. He sighed, trying to think of a reason for the murder.
"It doesn't make sense," he said out loud, throwing his head backward in frustration against the wall behind him.
Tonks stirred again, looking up at him. "What's wrong? And don't you dare say nothing!"
He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall. "It doesn't make sense, Tonks," he told her, thinking she might be able to come up with something that he couldn't. She was intelligent and she had a lot more time on the case than he had. "There is no reason to for the murder in the first place!"
"Oh yes there was," Tonks said, yawning.
"What?"
"Their father died and left the money to both siblings. Leo had a gambling problem and the couple was hard up for money. Killing Craig freed up his money for them to take."
"What? That wasn't in the paperwork."
"It wasn't? It must have been in the paperwork I have at the office then."
"Well, greed is a reason for murder."
"One of the seven deadly sins," Tonks said in a soft voice. She glanced up at him through her long lashes. "Lust is another one."
He cleared his throat, feeling his body respond to her suggestive tone and look in her eye, and slowly pushing her away. "You really should get in contact with your friends and let them know that you are safe."
"I told you. The only person who is important to me already knows."
"But there are other important people in your life, Tonks. You know this. They have been looking for you and worried. I had to endure death threats they were so worried," he reminded her gently. In truth, he didn't care about the death threats or whether her friends knew she was safe. He just wanted to get away from her so he could gather his thoughts and willpower.
She looked so tempting, looking up at him with her beautiful brown eyes through long lashes with a sexy look on her face that clearly said what she was thinking. Knowing this would be over as soon as it started, he knew he couldn't give into temptation now matter how hard it was.
Giving him an annoyed look, she sighed and stood up. "Fine. I'll send out an owl to Auror headquarters. They can get in contact with everyone else."
"Of course they will," he said abnormally agreeable. She eyed him suspiciously. Leaving him alone in the living room, she headed to the kitchen where her owl was waiting for her. Severus leaned back in his seat, trying to calm down. She had a way of exciting him without meaning to, and when she meant to, well, when she meant to it was nearly impossible to ignore.
It took her only a moment to write the owl and send it out. Before he knew it, she was back in the living room, curling up next to him on the couch. He draped his arm around her shoulder as she dropped her head on his shoulder. "It's always money, isn't it?" she whispered.
He nodded. "Greed is a powerful thing, Tonks."
She looked up at him; her brown eyes were dark. Leaning forward she pressed her body against his, capturing his mouth with hers for a searing kiss. He opened his mouth under hers and she swept in to taste and tempt him gently. His hands moved up to cup her face, keeping her still as his mouth plummeted hers with vigor. Her hands moved to grip his hair, pulling it gently as the kiss grew even deeper.
Abruptly, knowing he had to put a stop to things when her hands drifted down over to begin to try to push this robes from his shoulders and disrobe him, he pulled back, pushing her away as he let her go. "We can't Tonks."
"Severus," she whispered into his mouth, pressing her small, warm body against his.
"Tonks, we can't," he repeated, his voice raspy and breathing hard.
She leaned forward again, pressing her lips to his as she whispered, "Severus, I want you. Is that so bad? Don't you want me?"
"Tonks," he groaned, feeling close to giving in and taking her right then. She was so willing, so beautiful, and so feminine. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate on all the reasons he shouldn't go there.
"Don't you want me?" she repeated in a soft whispered, brushing her lips against his.
"I want you, Tonks. Merlin, do I want you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her against him. His mouth crashed against hers and she opened her mouth over his, allowing his tongue to slide in and taste her deeply.
She tasted sweet. She was felt perfect against his body, pressing up against him with lust in her kiss and touch. His hands combed through his hair as his hands reached up once again to cup her face.
Her hands moved down suddenly to pull at the hem of his robes, trying to get them off. He pulled back, knowing this was the last time he'd be able to do this. "Tonks, we can't. We have to figure this out before anything—"
"Severus, you want me. I want you. What the hell is your problem?" She was breathing hard, glaring at him with intense passion in her gaze.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, feeling unnaturally gentle and affectionate. She brought out something new inside him, something that he didn't even hate. "Not tonight. After all this business with Clare and Leo, we will…"
"Then you will sleep with me?"
He chucked, hugging her tightly. "Then we will see what happens."
She pulled back and rolled her eyes. "When did Severus Snape become a gentleman?'
Shaking his head he said, "I don't know."
Curling back up against him, she whispered, "Gentleman or no, I will get my way."
He laughed. "What is that supposed to mean?"
She looked directly into his eyes. "That means, Mr. Snape, that I will have you. You are the most important person to me remember? Like it or not, I'm not letting you go." She kissed him gently.
He smiled reluctantly. "Unless you are still tired we should go get those papers from your office."
"You are so one-track minded," Tonks muttered with a frustrated grin.
"So are you," he said softly.
"At least my mind is focused on something for both of us to enjoy." Her mouth lingered close to his, a playful smile on her lips.