A/N: Hello there! So sorry for the LONG wait! School and stuff are making a habit of getting in the way. But I'm back now!
Many, many thanks to Miss Shannon for her continuous feed back and to Lady Lanara for faving, following, AND reviewing! Lollipops to you both! O-
The Serpent and the Star – Chapter 5
Severus Snape was not one to judge.
He had lived long enough as a spy to learn that a book's cover does not always show its contents, and it is a mistake, sometimes with dire consequences, to act based upon assumptions.
However, there was just SOMETHING about Aurora Auriga Sinistra that annoyed him to no end. Perhaps it was the smooth black hair that fell in loose curls to her shoulder blades, or the espresso-brown eyes, or the pale, graceful hands. Most likely, though, it was the smirk and the wit that was so similar to Snape's own.
This was reflected in their first (or second) meeting. During lunchtime, Snape had had the misfortune of being seated beside Poppy Pomfrey, who kept insisting he pile more and more food on his plate.
"Really, Severus, you must eat more!" she exclaimed, eying the half-eaten roll and meager heap of vegetables which currently resided on his golden plate. Severus shooed her away from his food thrice before giving in and allowing her to dump carrots, potatoes, peas and chicken on his platter by the forkful.
To escape her constant badgering about the state of his health, Snape had taken to hiding in his quarters, making his way through the expansive library Dumbledore had granted him in his quarters. There were potions books old and new, Defense Against the Dark Arts tomes with the latest hexes, jinxes and curses (many did not know dueling was a hobby of his), and Astronomy books, both myth and fact. His mother had lulled him to sleep with stories of Hercules and Orion, Artemis and Hydras. The stars had been a bit of beauty in those cruel summers, a handful of glittering stones to ease his pain as he stared at their majesties.
The only guests allowed in his quarters were Minerva McGonagall, who Severus had found to be a caring but not mollycoddling individual and a good person to share a firewhiskey or some scotch with, and Albus Dumbledore, who had the password and would come whether Snape wanted him to or not.
But today, when he was headed back to his quarter feeling uncomfortably full, though he had barely eaten half of what Poppy had put on his plate, he spotted a figure trailing behind him. Quickly, he spun around, brandishing his ebony wand, only to find Aurora Sinistra standing behind him.
"Why are you following me, Professor Sinistra?" he inquired with a scowl fixed on his face.
"I didn't get a chance to properly introduce myself at the welcoming party, but I see Albus has done it for me. Aurora Sinistra, Astronomy professor. And may I ask, what brand of grease have you dipped your head in? Your hair's looking marvelously lank." She smirked.
Snape glared at her. He even brought up the First-Year-Piss-In-Robes glare. She kept that smirk painted on her face, unperturbed.
"Well, I'm glad you noticed." He drawled, trying to appear bored. His calm words, though, were contrasting magnificently with his twitching eye.
"Oh, no." she blinked "It was less of a matter of me noticing then it catching the torchlight and half-blinding me."
And with that she swept away, her shoes making a delicate tapping sound against the stone floor of the dungeons.
Snape couldn't care less that his hair was probably shining with grease from all the potions and neglect, he told himself.
He did, however, wash his head a few times extra that night.