DISCLAIMER: I still do not own any of the Potterverse characters. There are a few I would like to own. Just keep them and take them out when I needed them. But alas, they are owned by JKR.

Timeline: Cannon HBP, beyond that it's my twisted timeline.

Rating: Mature for language and sexual content

A/N: Ugh … it's not a good sign when you don't like what you've written. I'm sorry. I may eventually come back and, I don't know, make it suck less? But anyway, this was the biggest chunk I hadn't written yet and really it's just a means to an end. Much better things to come, I promise.

Severus.

If he was expecting anything when he arrived at Aurelia's, it wasn't this. The house was quiet, which was his first clue that something was wrong. There were no signs of struggle and all of the wards were up and functioning. There were dishes in the sink that didn't look more than a few hours old. He made his way through the house, leaving the lights off.

After making sure that she was not in the upper portion of the house, he took off his cloak and threw it on the couch in the study and made his way downstairs. The basement was a disaster. There was about a three foot circle of clear floor up against the far wall and a starburst of books, papers and ingredients from that point. But she was very obviously not in the house.

He knew that when he had originally moved her to this house, he didn't replace the ward that prevented her from leaving. He wasn't sure why, but it didn't seem fair. Albus may have his reasons, but Severus felt something for the girl, even that first night, and he wasn't going to be a part of keeping her prisoner. Now he wasn't so sure it was the best idea.

Severus carefully maneuvered into the mess, examining the items on the floor. He picked up a paper and looked over the notes in her now familiar scrawl. It looked like she was researching every ingredient required for the poison antidote.

A door upstairs opened and he looked up at the basement ceiling, tracking the sounds of the footsteps. They made their way into the study, where his cloak was on the couch.

"Severus?" It was Aurelia. He didn't respond and simply waited for her to appear down the stairs. "Good. You're not dead," she stated matter-of-factly, with no emotion. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.

He couldn't help the feelings she spurred in him. She looked lovely. She was dressed in skin tight black pants that had a shiny quality, and only went down to her shins. She was wearing black sneakers with dark blue socks that were barely seen below her ankles and above the shoes. The shirt looked thin, but covered her arms. It was also blue and the same material as the pants. Her face was flush either from physical exertion or the cold weather, perhaps both. Her hair was pulled away from her face, tied at the back of her head.

"I thought you weren't supposed to leave the house," he said, belaying no emotion.

"There are a lot of things that I'm not supposed to do. But I need exercise." She shifted her weight, daring him to chastise her.

"Where were you?"

"Oxford University. They have a nice track there. One of the security guards lets me run after hours."

There was a pause, him thinking about what she would look like after running, out of breath, skin flush, sweaty. He shook his head and gestured around the room, "What's all this?"

"Research," she said and made her way into the middle of the mess. She brought both arms up to her head and rested them on her scull. "As I see it, the ingredients in the antidote are correct. But since we are still failing miserably," she gestured to the wall of dead plants. "There's a problem with either the handling or brewing of the ingredients." She stopped and took a breath, then she continued. "So, I'm going through everything, and I mean everything, on each ingredient."

He couldn't help it, he smiled. "How far have you gotten?"

She curled her lip and scoffed. "Benzole root."

She wasn't even half way through the list.

"Have you found anything of use?"

Her arms dropped heavily to her sides. "No. And even if I have it wouldn't matter. It takes two to brew the damn thing and you've been gone for two weeks," she said exasperated and more than slightly bitter.

"I have a few books that maybe useful," and it sounded stupid even to his own ears. He was avoiding addressing his absence.

There was a long moment where they were both quiet. Finally she broke the silence with a sigh and then spoke.

"In the future, don't be gone that long after you leave to see Voldemort." She sounded more hurt than angry and he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

"Don't say his name," was his only response.

She looked like she was about to argue when she fell silent and looked at the ceiling. A sound that was very similar to a growl emitted from her throat. "Albus is here."

Severus.

Severus waited in Aurelia's bedroom, giving Albus and her some privacy to talk in the study. Although Aurelia's voice was getting increasingly louder and louder and he had no problem hearing every word of their conversation through the thin walls. He tried to ignore what they were saying, and instead examined her bedroom. It wasn't the first time he had been in this room, but it seemed different now. Perhaps it was because after deciding to visit her, there been a number of scenarios that had gone through his head, he was embarrassed to admit even to himself, that ended in this very room.

Her bed wasn't overly large, just a queen, but the dark wood that made up the sleigh style frame did take up a good portion of the bedroom. The bedding was a dark navy blue with blue, black and white pillows strew about the head of the bed. On either side of her bed was a night stand in the same wood as the bed, topped with a lamp on both. On the stand closest to the door, was a red leather bound book and he had to resist the urge to look through it.

Next to the door, sat a small desk and chair, but it was completely clean. A closet sat across from the bed and a single window opposite the door. Other than that, the room was sparse. From what it looked like, she didn't spend much time in this room. Which didn't surprise him. Mostly they had spent time either in the study or the living room.

The voices in the other room finally reached a crescendo and Severus smiled. It was reassuring that he wasn't the only one Albus could reduce to unabashed anger. He froze in the middle of her room when she stormed out of the study and into her bedroom, slamming the door with a great force.

He chose to remain silent, watching her pace the room twice and then throw open her closet door. She grabbed the chair at the desk and he caught a glimps of her face and she looked as if she were trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

Aurelia pulled the chair into the closet and stood on it, reaching as high as she could for a box on the top shelf. As she reached further back, she stood on her toes and he could see the chair lean. He made it behind her just as the legs fell out from under her. The box tumbled to the ground and she fell right into his arms. He guided her to the ground, his hands at her waist until her feet were squarely under her.

When she didn't move, Severus closed the distance between their bodies and it was an intoxicating feeling, his chest up against her back.

"I hate that I cry when I'm angry," she whispered.

He chuckled into her hair and was pleased when she leaned back into him. He ran his hand up her side, across her back and pulled her hair away from her neck.

"He runs my entire life."

He lowered his lips to her neck and spoke into her flesh. "Not your entire life." He watched as goose bumps spread across her neck, down her chest and shoulders. He laughed and was pleased she shivered in his arms. "I am fairly certain he would not approve of what I'm about to do to his daughter."

She gasped and turned to face. "How did you-?"

In all fairness, he wasn't positive of the relation until her reaction, but he preferred her to think he had known all along.

"I've known that man almost my entire life. You are his daughter." But he wasn't going to let her change the subject. He straightened to his full height and took a demanding step forward. She backed away from him, but the look in her eye made him pursue. She backed into the wall next to the closet. He placed both hands against the wall on either side of her head.

"So," she whispered. "What are you going to do to his daughter?"

The mischievous smirk that spread across his lips made her gasp and arch her back ever so slightly. He took that as his invitation. In one swift fluid movement he ran his fingers up the back of her neck and took a handful of her hair at the base of her scull and pulled her head to his, pressing his lips to hers.

It wasn't a sweet first kiss, it was built out of weeks of wanting and frustration, for both of them, he realized as she moaned. Gods, he hadn't been this attracted to a woman in years. He couldn't care less that Albus was just a room away, he wanted every inch of her.

He moved the hand not in her hair down and around her waist, lifting her pelvis into his thighs. He pulled her hair slightly, breaking the kiss only to tilt her head and attack her neck. He was kissing, sucking and biting the flesh just above her collar bone. Her hands found their way to his head, effectively holding his mouth to her flesh.

"Severus," she gasped, and reflexively he thrust his pelvis into her stomach. Using the hand at her back, he arched her spine even further, leaving her completely at his will. "Severus," she gasped again, but the tone had changed. But it wasn't she who stopped his fever. It was the tingling in the wards and then multiple voices in the living room. He froze, his lips still on her neck.

"Aurelia?" It was the Scottish accent of Minerva McGongal followed by a knock on the door.

They both scrambled away from each other like two caught teenagers not a moment before Minerva opened the door.

"Severus," Minerva sounded surprised at his presence, completely oblivious to the look Severus was receiving from Aurelia. "May I have a word?" she asked, pointing to Aurelia.

Severus nodded and turned to the door, but Minerva stopped him, calling his name. He flinched as her hand came to the back of his head.

"Your hair …" she said and frowning, he let her smooth the back of his hair down. He fought the eye roll that threatened, knowing that if he looked anything like Aurelia, their little bit of snogging would be more than obvious.

Minerva.

Minerva was so looking forward to the weekend. She was planning on going into London for brunch at La Brasserie. She had been craving the poached haddock for two weeks, ever since the Headmaster had tried to have the house elves make something similar at a staff meeting. The attempt failed miserably.

She had one more corridor and then she was going to call it a night. She rounded the corner at the top of the main staircase to the dungeons and almost ran straight into Madame Pomfrey.

"Poppy," she gasped in surprise.

"You startled me, Min," the mediwitch said, holding her hand over her heart.

"What are you doing down here? And at this hour?"

"I was hoping Severus had my calming draught ready. Have you seen him?"

Minerva frowned. "Not since dinner." She couldn't help the barrage of worries that flew through her mind. "I was just heading up to see Albus," she lied. "I'll see if he's seen him."

Minerva bid Poppy a good night and made her way to the Headmaster's office quickly. Lost in her thoughts, she managed to run straight into Albus himself.

"Minerva, my dear," he said, grasping her arms so she remained on her feet.

"Albus, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. I was on my way to get you."

"Is Severus all right?" she couldn't help sounding like a worried mother.

"Severus?" He was surprised. "Severus is fine. He's with Aurelia."

"Aurelia?" It was shot at the old man as an accusation. An then it was obvious. That's where Severus had been spending his time. She couldn't help the pang of jealousy, but didn't know who she was jealous of, Severus or Aurelia.

"It's tonight, Minerva," Albus spoke. "We'll need your help."

She bit back the comment she wanted to make about waiting until the last possible moment to tell her. She ignored the voice in the back of her head that reasoned that the Headmaster may not have had any notice either. Anger was easier to deal with than fear.

"Let me run to my rooms and change."

"I will go on ahead of you. But do hurry. I'm sure she will want to spend a few moments with you before she has to leave."

Minerva nodded and they parted ways. She took two passage ways that deposited her out at her rooms. She changed out of her teaching robes quickly and donned a dark blue cloak.

The night air was frigid and the snow that had blanketed the grounds before Halloween had only partly melted before a fresh three inches were added. Her tall boots crunched the snow in the path already imprinted to the apperation point. She could pick out the most recent foot prints and knew it was the Headmaster. She watched her frozen breath in front of her and just before she apperated, wondered how long it would dance in the air when she was gone.

The street she apperated on was disserted. There was no snow but it was a great deal colder. Albus was waiting for her, holding open the side door of one of the houses.

"I'm afraid I've upset her," he said closing the door behind her and taking her cloak.

"That was fast," she said under her breath. "Where is she?" she asked as he guided her through the kitchen and into the living room.

"In her room," he said pointing to the door on the left.

"Aurelia," she called and then knocked. When she opened the door, the scene before her was not at all what she had anticipated. "Severus?"

Severus and Aurelia were breathing heavily, their hair was disheveled and they were both blushing furiously. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself.

"May I have a word?" she asked, pointing to Aurelia. Severus chose not to say anything and simply nodded and turned to leave.

"Severus," Minerva stopped him. It wouldn't do having him face Albus looking like, well, that. She couldn't hide the smirk when he flinched at her outstretched hand. She ignored it, "Your hair," she said and smoothed down his hair. He ducked away from her touch like a child. He paused for just a moment at the door and smoothed the rest of his hair down and righted his clothing. He took a breath and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Minerva threw an accusatory look at Aurelia.

"Don't," the younger witch warned. "I know what you're going to say, and just don't."

"I don't think you have any clue as to what I'm going to say. I don't even know what I'm going to say." But she couldn't help giving the girl an appraising look. She knew it would have taken an amazing woman to catch the attention of one Severus Snape. And quite intimate attention. She smirked as she noticed the bruised skin on the girl's neck.

Minerva took out her wand and touched her skin. The mark disappeared. "There, now no one will be any the wiser."

Aurelia finally smiled, turning to the older witch. "I've missed you so much," she said in a rush, pulling Minerva into an embrace.

"It's been too long, child," Minerva said returning the hug.

"Minerva, Aurelia," It was Albus sticking his head into the barely opened door. Minerva didn't miss the glare Aurelia shot at Albus, but it didn't phase him. "Kingsley is here. It's time."

Aurelia grabbed the box that was on the floor next to the overturned chair. "All right, let's get this over with."