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-=JKR owns the HP-Empire not me.=-

She's Fast

We entered the Great Hall arm and arm. I had to wonder if Snape and my combined polarity attracted everyone. When a large enough crowd amassed Severus told them with unflinching sincerity that he intended to keep me in Britain.

A frowzy haired young man approached, "Severus introduced me."

"Bethany Tilde, meet Harry Potter, Harry meet Bethany. And Harry she has no idea who the hell you are; so if she nice to you, it's because she has no sense." Severus smirked.

The young man reached out and pumped my hand like I had just invented self spelling wands. "You are my new best friend."

"Harry release my date or you'll be asked to step out on the lawn." The young man looked like he might take Severus up on the offer.

"I'd arm wrestle you for her, Snape." Harry flexed his arms.

"Harry, I am charmed at the thought. Severus is the reason I'm here tonight." Severus nearly gave himself whiplash darting his gaze at me. "Sure it's my reunion, but the good Professor is the real reason I'm here."

Harry looked eager, "Let me guess," he looked me up and down. "You're from Slytherin." Severus made a pleased exclamation.

"No Harry, try again." I was pleased with his effort.

"Gryffindor?" He asked.

"No Harry I'm from Hufflepuff." He looked to Snape in disbelief for confirmation. "I dare say, you're not the only one to think I didn't quiet fit the house standard. You could say I was Jack-of-All-Houses-Master-of-None." I leaned in confidentially. "You won't find any proof of it here," this is where I had to cover Severus' ears which was a feat given his height. "But students from each house got together for a racing club. It wasn't..ah...sanctioned."

Snape's eyes went wide. "What? You didn't."

"You weren't suppose to hear that." I smiled at Severus.

"Next time use Muffliato." Harry suggested. "Though Professor here will know exactly what it is." Snape glared at Harry. "If you're going to be around maybe we can race. What do you fly?"

"I just purchased an American Standard racing broom, the Zephyr 80. I also have a Swingbreeze 4, it has a couple of modifications. I tried the Firebolt which is International Standard, but I preferred the way the Zephyr felt. I'll be glad to race you some time. My broom is back home, so it'll have to be another time. You?"

"Firebolt. Where's home?" This Harry kid was very inquisitive.

"I live in America, in the Midwest actually." I was cheered thinking about my little flat.

"Severus you had better hang on to her if she was willing to Portkey from America to see you." Severus pinked as Harry's suggestion. "It was very good meeting you Bethany I look forward to racing you."

"Harry, you don't want to race her. You wouldn't stand a chance." Bill hugged Bethany. "Bethany Brevity, meet my beautiful wife, Fleur." The blonde was stunning and I said so. "Charlie's up for a visit, he'll be around here somewhere. Check the dance floor, or the buffet. If I see him I'll let him know you're back from self-imposed exile." As his 'dance happy' wife drug him off he hollered, "you still owe me a rematch." I missed this place.

"You got it. You, Charlie, and Harry as well. We'll make it a rally." I was so red. I couldn't believe Bill remembered.

"Bethany Brevity?" Severus gave me a searching look.

I baulked a little, "um yeah. Well, you know how it's always your adversaries who name you. They thought they were being clever." Harry's mouthed 'Bethany Brevity.'

Charlie spotted Harry, Snape and me. He rushed up grabbed me around the waist and swung me around. "Weasley unhand my date." Setting Bethany down Charlie held his hands up in surrender.

"Professor Snape, no insult intended. Hang on to this one, she's fast, Bethany Brevity. You bring a broom?"

"No Charlie, my broom is back home. Sorry." Charlie Weasley, I hadn't expected to see him.

"Harry, don't let her trick you into a race. Fastest thing on a broom." Charlie patted Snape on the back familiarly. "Could never get her to play Quidditch. Hufflepuff would have had a chance if she'd gone out for Seeker. Uncanny ability to control a broom. I might have had some competition." Bethany punched him.

It was time to get Severus out of here before they divulged much more. Like when I was dared to race starkers. I won. I suppose, I was more aerodynamic. Time to interrupt. "Please excuse us Gentlemen I want to dance." Severus looked distinctly relieved.

I closed my eyes as we danced. Severus was an excellent dancer and a good lead, so I followed easily. The music was very good, though I couldn't work out the instrumentation. Muggles would have called it ambient experimental. After a couple of dances we found a corner. "I wonder if I hadn't looked like 'a technicolour raccoon,' as my Mum put it, would you have approached me?" The song was over in no-time.

"May I have this dance?" A soft feminine voice asked. Bethany and Severus turned their attention to the new arrival.

"Oh, my goodness Kimberly Flauss!" Bethany squealed. Looking the witch up and down, "you look terrific! My goodness." Kim hugged Bethany planting a lingering kiss on her cheek. It had caught Snape's attention in no uncertain terms.

"You are quite ravishing yourself. Where have you hid yourself these past several years?" Kim's brown gaze took in the pair genially attentive.

"I've disguised myself as a Yank." Bethany mimicked a passable Midwestern accent. The music changed. "Kimberly, you might not remember, but this dashing man next to me is our very own Severus Snape." They exchanged polite but not cordial greetings. "He was good enough to tolerate me for the evening."

Snape slightly chaffed put in, "for the foreseeable future. I'll let you ladies dance, I'll get some refreshment." Vaguely wandering over to the buffet Severus made a small plate. He'd meant to do so earlier, he had been too busy listening to the conversations. Old habit form his spying days. Dropping into a crowd without really being acknowledged was a speciality of his. She appeared to be very popular with the men and, scowling at the two dancing cheek to cheek, some ladies as well. There had also been mention of her self-imposed exile, Severus confessed he had no idea what that had been all about. Typically, exiles never followed anything good, self-imposed or otherwise. It could have been hyperbole on Weasley's part, somehow Snape doubted that very much. Snape made his way toward Bill. Then Weasley's wife abruptly whisked him away for another dance. Perhaps it might be worthwhile to allow himself to be drawn into conversation later with Mr. Weasley.

It was Potter that snatched him up. "So Professor, I know it's intrusive but how long have you been seeing the lovely Bethany?"

Snape gave Potter a bland look. "Not long." He hadn't wanted to mention the extreme newness of the situation coupled with his proprietary aire. Potter handed Snape a tumbler of fire whisky. He looked at it suspiciously.

"I didn't poison your drink you know. If you'd like, I'd be pleased to test it before you drink." Potter was too jovial, it sort of rankled the Potions Master.

Taking a drink of the deep amber spirit, "no thank you Mr. Potter I'm not drinking after you." They stood in silence, they were watching the pair taking a second turn. Snape noticed there were quite a few eyes focused on them. Snape looked at his dress wristwatch, good the party aught to be breaking up before too long.

Finishing his whisky he left to join Minerva. "Headmistress, a dance with you?" Snape bowed to her holding out his arm. She accepted. Severus smirked to himself. Minerva was such a Gryffindor, Severus knew she had been itching to dance all night but was too proud to ask anyone. Minerva was a very talented dancer, not at all stiff as one might suspect. They chatted generally while dancing. Minerva finally got around to it, as he knew she would. Bethany Tilde. And so it transpired knew some of the answers to Severus' questions. Gryffindors had trouble keeping secrets. He'd check his facts with Bethany herself before putting too much store in them. Even Minerva got her facts wrong occasionally.

Bethany hung back from the raucous attendees, waving and blowing kisses. Severus warded the gate behind the merry makers.

Severus rejoined Bethany on the School steps, offering her an arm they went to his quarters. "Beverage?"

"I'll have the fire whisky, something I've missed having in the States." Bethany settled herself on the sofa.

Snape gazed levelly at the witch. "Self-imposed exile?" He slid onto the sofa next to her.

Bethany smiled, Snape never missed a trick. "You see it was a bad situation. I was seeing this guy and that proved to be mistake from letter 'A'. He was possessive and abusive. At first I hadn't seen it for what it was, I thought it was nice. I like a strong man. My dad is a strong man but a good one. I always wanted someone who could 'hold their own.' Well stupid me got married. Things finally got to the breaking point; he had frightened me into a little breaking, entering and robbery. He robbed the place blind. I went to stay with a girlfriend and I contacted a lawyer and someone from the Muggle Liaison Office came in to advocate on my behalf. I stayed for a while with my parents but he started stalking me and harassing my parents. My ex-husband was a Muggle so there was very little I could do to him at the time. It wasn't as if I could whip out my wand and perform the Entrails Expelling jinx. As for the robbery I contacted the Muggle authorities and tipped them off. My dad bless him, was ready to hunt him down and beat him like a no-good whelp. That's when I left for the States. Since I left six years ago the laws have improved some. Things have been better for my parents."

Bethany took a sip of the fiery spirit. "Plus going to America made me feel less like a loser. I started writing and have been doing that ever since."

"Bethany Brevity?" Snape asked with some trepidation.

"Bethany Brevity. Do you want the long version or the really long version?" She smiled.

Snape hadn't been sure how to take her. "The really long version."

"Ok. The summer after third year my parents and I sat down to discuss dating and all of that. They wanted me to do well, and since I was gone for most of the year they knew they couldn't breathe down my neck at every turn. Being Muggles, it wasn't like they could send me a howler. My parents didn't really want me to get too involved with any one person. They believed I was too young to get that close to someone, at the same time they didn't want me to miss holding hands and things like that. Don't get me wrong, my parents aren't prudes, they just didn't want me to get carried away."

"So the three of us decided to shorten the duration that I could date a person. I'm the one who picked the amount of time. Guess it sort of felt like a game, there wasn't a down side. By my seventh year I had pretty much dated everyone of a dating age for a week." Bethany smiled ruefully. "That's how I got the Bethany Brevity bit, cause no one could keep me longer than a week. No exceptions. There were rumours, but I never paid them any mind."

Snape was positively goggle-eyed. "You dated all the wizards of a dating age?"

"No Severus, everyone meaning witches and wizards. For a week." Trying not to smile too much.

Snape registered frozen shock. McGonagall said she had got around. His mouth reanimated again, "a week?"

Laughing. "Only a week. We do last kisses Sunday nights." Seeing his shocked dismay. "For me it was easier that way. I didn't feel any pressure to have sex or forget my studies. Just kind of live in the moment. Then again if I had been getting shagged while I was here, I might not have made the mistake of marrying my first. You know I'm real surprised none of this ever reached the teacher's ears."

"I don't gossip, least of all about students." Snape smirked. "All I knew was you wouldn't stop passing notes in my class, earning a record number of detentions for a single year."

"Let's go for a walk." Bethany suggested brightly.