A/N: TPOV
A/N #2: Here we see Snape and Albus' special style of banter. Extrapolating from the conversation where Albus asks Severus to kill him in canon (The Prince's Tale, Book 7), I've seen the Headmaster as shady, manipulative, and never really accepting Severus while playing up the doddering old fool act. Severus saw through it back when Albus demanded some sort of payment to save Lily from the Prophecy, and they have had an uneasy alliance because Severus will never under-estimate the man whom Voldemort fears. -DaniSnape
Joy sprung to life in Tonks' chest. After her question she had expected to be dismissed, especially after he had called everything "a mistake". Her words had been a last ditch effort, a grasping for straws. Failing that, they were an apology and the beginning of a goodbye…one she was thrilled she didn't have to make.
As Severus' hand closed around the base of Tonks' neck she realized she had never liked feeling trapped so much in her life. However, as his question registered the trapped feeling grew. She swallowed nervously. She hadn't even quite realized what she had said earlier when she had stumbled around for the right words. But now? She was hoping for a lot of things. Like that he would continue to pull her closer and closer and…he let go.
For a brief moment Tonks felt like she was lost at sea. She wanted to grab his hand and put it right back where it was…until Albus Dumbledore's voice sounding from the fireplace startled her back into reality. A dark blush covered her cheeks even as she controlled her features into a polite smile and nodded her head in greeting. As Albus and Severus continued, she felt like she was watching a duel, each volleying their sarcastic or pointed responses at the other, both poised to deflect and return in kind. She had to bite her cheek to keep the indulgent smile off her face. She had never seen anyone speak to either Severus or Albus in such a manner. Them doing so to each other was priceless.
All too soon, Albus said his goodbyes and Tonks was once again left alone with Severus.
"What were you just hoping between myself and Lily?"
I hoped you had forgotten about asking that damn question! That is what I hoped.He just continued looking at her, waiting. Bugger. He would be very good at interrogations.
"I was hoping that maybe if you were with Lily when she was in another relationship you knew how to make this all work….as you mentioned before, yes there is something between Remus and I, something that is trying real hard at becoming nothing…but regardless it's there. I can't deny that. I don't know where it's going… if it's going, but…I can't lie to him Severus." She looked at him, her eyes begging that he would understand "just as I have no intention of lying to you. A relationship of any type takes trust and I feel like sooner or later the lies would surface and everything would crumble." Why does it sound like I am telling him no? If I keep this up I am going to go from the fear of having two to losing them both. "It doesn't even matter right now." She waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss it all. "I was just hoping that there was an easy answer." Her hand fell back in her lap and she focused on it while trying to clear her mind like Severus had taught her, trying to keep the storm clouds at bay.