Black Inhospitality
"Do you often make a habit of accosting strangers in dark corridors?" Velvety disdain engulfed the surrounding blackness. His insinuation coiled around her… slow and deliberate. She trembled slightly before composing herself. The icy embarrassment of whose chest she was touching (and subsequently prodding) flooded her awareness.
"For trespassing, you're lucky that Witherwings doesn't rip that smirk off your Death Eater mug." Tonks muttered scathingly. Lazy hippogriff was likely snoozing soundly on Sirius's bed and did not even make a squawk of alarm when someone entered the house unannounced and clearly uninvited.
"The door was unlocked." Severus explained arrogantly as if unconcerned by her threat. Lying git, he probably removed the wards on purpose to prove his point about the security of the manse.
"Have you ever heard of ringing the doorbell?" I'd like to ring his bell. The idea of magically kicking Snape out with a giant boot appealed to her sense of whimsy.
"Gracious as always. Such hospitality is to be expected of the Black Family." He found it curious that the annoyingly cheerful Tonks countered his remarks with such blatant hostility.
"Shall I offer you tea and crumpets then?" The evident sarcasm belied the civility of her words. If you want a lapful of tea and honeyed crumpets pelted at you, I dare you to accept my invitation Snape.
"That won't be necessary. I am not in any particular mood to extinguish a fire in the kitchen today." Tonks bristled at his snide retort. She recalled an incident in her Newts potion class where she accidentally set ablaze the dungeon. The insufferable man knew how to target the jugular. "Incidentally I left my bezoar back at the castle."
"Aside from insulting my cooking, to what do I owe the displeasure of your company?" Counting to twenty, the young woman struggled to temper her anger's edge. If she lost control, how would she explain to Hogwarts's Headmaster the reason why his potion master was found strangled in the Order's headquarters. Then again the satisfaction of committing Snapeicide might be worth a stint or two in Azkaban Prison.
"Will you at least consider turning on the lights? Or are you thinking of accosting me again?" He sighed as if bored with the situation. In actuality he found their verbal duel vaguely amusing. His last question was guaranteed to infuriate the feisty chit.
"Afraid of the dark are we? Don't worry your virtue is safe with me." I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot staff. Cheeky, that was extremely cheeky Nymphadora Tonks.
"The darkness does not bother me it saves my eyesight from the unnatural magenta of your ridiculous hair." He whispered cruelly, his breath tickling her ears.
"I suppose that an old bat like you would be very used to lurking in the shadows." Not very original, but she rewarded herself 10 points for the comedic timing. Although she did not want to face her grumpy ex professor, she also did not want to hide in the dark trading quips all morning. Feeling along the walls for a light switch the impatient auror tripped over the carpet and stumbled in typical Tonksian fashion. During her descent she grabbed the nearest tapestry which sent them both crashing to the floor.
"As usual you are the epitome of grace." Severus stiffened when he felt her feminine form sprawled over top of him. The scent of apples and newly fallen rain hit him like a bludger between the eyes. Silky hair spilled across his face as she rolled away with lightning speed.
"Sod off Snape. Help me look for my wand." Choking on dust, she tried to free herself from the tangle of robes and tattered brocade. Searching for her wand, her fingers came across something long and rigid, startled she let go immediately.
"That's not your wand." He coughed as more dust enveloped them.
"Lumos." Examining the glass vial in her other hand, Tonks was relieved. "Enough of the chitchat why are you here?"
By wandlight his eyes glittered like twin shards of jet, fathomless and impenetrable in their intensity. He watched her as if deciphering her thoughts. A sheet of hair the color of sin obscured the angular planes of a face not handsome by any particular stretch of the imagination. Pallid skin untouched by sun and hawkish nose aside, there was something undeniably dangerous and charismatic about this man. Admittedly he had nice lips if not for the perpetual scowl and crass comments spoken by those lips. And his voice… the timbre alone could seduce angels to plummet from grace. Please this is Snape we're talking about. Snap out of it Tonks. Mentally she smacked herself upside the head.
"I am here to give Lupin his monthly supply of Wolfsbane Potion." He pulled more vials from his cloak without ceremony and thrust them into her hands.
"He is not here." She confessed quietly, looking downwards in dismay.
"Surely you can see that he receives them." Snape replied with growing impatience. The quavering in her voice made him uncomfortable.
"I don't know where he is. I doubt he will return anytime soon." Glancing away from the speculation in his expression, Tonks folded her arms and turned away as if to flee.
"You and your werewolf had a spat?" His tone was surprisingly neutral for an insensitive misogynistic berk. He recognized that look of pain, the dark circles beneath the eyes and reading her behavior accurately he suspected it had to do with Remus Lupin.
Gripping Severus Snape by the robes she yanked his face close to hers. "That is none of your concern!" Her silvered eyes were thunderous with rage seen only in avenging Valkeries and a fierce domestic goddess known as Molly Weasley.
"No it is not." That was the closest semblance to an apology he would ever admit. Hesitating for a moment, it seemed as if he were about to say something else but instead he walked briskly towards the front entranceway. The werewolf is not worthy of your tears…
A/N: Don't you wish that you could choose who you love and who you want, especially when they're not always the same person?
"By My Side" by Inxs - "Glycerine" by Bush
"All Night Thing" by Temple of the Dog
"The Warmth" by Incubus - "Come Undone" by Duran Duran
"Dyer Maker" Led Zeppelin
"The Sweetest Perfection" by Deftones (originally by Depeche Mode)
"Love Song" by the Cure - "Wicked Game" by HIM (originally by Chris Isaak)
"Tainted Love" by Marilyn Manson (originally by Softcell)
"Eye" by Smashing Pumpkins
"We're in this Together" by Nine Inch Nails - "It's No Good" by Depeche Mode
"Possession" by Type O Negative (originally by Sarah Mclachlan)
"The Fall" by Good Charlotte with Weezer