As she ran next to the sleek black panther, she suddenly started laughing and when she couldn't focus on the trees in her way anymore , she stopped, bent over and just went on laughing. She hadn't been this happy in years, she realised. The panther brushed against her gently, his look questioning and she knew he respected her privacy and wouldn't simply intrude on her mind. She also knew she wouldn't even notice if he did. But... she trusted him. Odd really, after so many years of carefully distancing herself from people outside her immediate family.

His brush on her mind went unnoticed but it alleviated his worry. He wondered if vampires could be affected by mental diseases like anyone else. Would their unique disposition intensify the disease? He shook himself. What he had seen of Esme's mind reassured him. She would not go mad any time soon. He admitted to himself that he wanted her company more than anyone else's and that she filled a place in him he hadn't allowed himself to even see. He wondered if all this family business had made him soft. He laughed when he considered what his Hogwarts students would say if they saw him now. Courting a vampire of all people. Professor Snape and a vampire. He'd get laughed out of class. Not to mention the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes - he could just see it...

Esme finally recovered and caressed her companion's soft fur, then took off running again. She wondered if she had imagined the soft purr and shook her head. Maybe she was going off the deep end now. Severus and a purr? NO way on earth.

Soon they reached the vampires' hunting ground and Esme nodded to the panther. On soft feet and paws they proceeded, both noses lifted to the wind that carried scents to them. Cougar, Severus thought. Too small to be any danger. Esme closed her eyes as the scent of a herd of elk made her mouth water, and she took off. Severus followed her and watched as she took the largest bull down without a hitch, not a spot of blood on her clothes as she drained the animal. When she tossed the carcass aside, he growled and tore a chunk of flesh out of its side. He considered turning vegetarian for a moment, but then, being a carnivore definitely had its advantages if he considered the form he took as a shapeshifter. He could easily survive on a diet like this for extended periods of time, with no one the wiser. When both of them had had their fill, Esme built a pyre and took care of the dead animals. Better to make it look like a campfire gone out of control than some hunter getting concerned about predators in these woods. She made sure no spark would set the forest on fire, and then they ran back the way they had come.

In the clearing where they had come across each other a few days ago, Severus shifted back and they lit a fire that kept him warm. They sat and watched the flames for a long time. Neither felt the need to fill the silence and slowly, quite unaware of it, they inched closer to one another. At last, Severus very quietly spoke. "You know, I talked to Irene the other day, after our.. unexpected encounter... here." "You did? What was the conversation about?" Esme asked with curiousity. "Well, I needed a sounding board," Severus felt as if his cheeks were on fire as he continued, "to help me figure out if it was too off base to.. be interested... in a certain vampire lady." Whatever Esme had been planning to ask next was cut short when she turned to look at him and he reached down to push a twig closer to the center of the flames. When he sat up again, she very slowly leaned in and ever so gently kissed him. Severus made no move away, only the reaction of his lips told her he enjoyed that first kiss as much as she did. For another hour they silently sat in front of the fire, only their hands occasionally touching.

Severus was lost in his thoughts when it suddenly occurred to him that he should have trained with Billy today. He reached for the medallion, tapped it lightly with his wand, softly spoke "Carpediem," and when it glowed for a moment, returned it to its original place. Esme raised her eyebrow in question and he said, "It's 11:23 pm. I had better head back before Irene sends out a search party." "Oh, so that's your pocket watch?" Her face wore an amused grin that he nearly missed as he stood up and brushed himself off. Severus was just about to ask her to turn around so he could phase, when Esme said, "let me take you back to Irene, just this once." She held out her hand and he took it. He could not suppress the slight gasp when she swung him onto her back and firmly gripped his legs, telling him to hold on tight. When he hesitated to put his arms firmly around her throat, she started laughing. "Think you have any chance at strangling me accidentally? Even intentionally, I'd say you'd be hard put - without magic that is." She smirked and started running, feeling his arms tighten fast and strongly enough to defeat any human. It took her a matter of minutes to deposit him on the beach. After all, she could hardly cross the boundary to Irene's house without starting major trouble. She mentally reminded herself to talk about a solution to this with Carlisle soon. Things needed to change.

Esme stood on the beach with Severus to say goodnight. But then, it wasn't so much what was said, but what they left unsaid as they kissed. Gently at first, but with growing passion and it was Esme who broke the last embrace, taking a step back while holding his hands. She laughed, happily, leaned over to give the wizard one last peck on the cheek and took off running.