Knowing Albus, the pairing for the overnight mission was on purpose. Albus seemed to sense everything, no matter how well it was hidden. Had Albus known of Alastor's jealousy? Alastor thought he'd buried it well, but, with Albus, one never knew what he was thinking. Being paired with Minerva's lover and the Death Eater was something that gave him great anxiety. They were cramped into an old home in Hogsmeade, both miserable. It was going to be a long evening.

It was unclear what Albus thought they would find. Nobody knew what the Dark Lord was doing; they all had their theories, but since his appearance at the Ministry, Alastor had felt in the dark. Knowing that Dumbledore was near meant that the Dark Lord would not dare to appear in the town that was adjacent to Hogwarts. They all knew that his biggest fear was Albus. Some days, it was Alastor's only source of comfort. When he was near his old friend, he could breathe a little.

Alastor pulled out his flask, swallowing the bitter gin as quickly as he could. It burned as it went down his throat, but the burn became less and less off putting every day. He knew that wasn't a good thing, but, hell, he had nothing left.

"I hope nobody comes by," Snape said, breaking the incredibly uncomfortable silence. "If you're drunk, you'll be useless."

"I'm always drunk, boy," Alastor muttered, taking a seat in an old armchair. Snape was standing across the room, leaning against the windowsill. "I handle my liquor." He held up his flask and took another sip.

"You should handle yourself," Snape replied.

Alastor glared at the smug man. He hated him. There was no other way to say it: call a spade, a spade. He'd never bought the Slytherin's 'changed man' story, and as much as he trusted Albus, it was the one area where he felt that the old man had misjudged. It was beyond his understanding how Albus had overlooked everything Snape had done. He also couldn't understand the man's apparent soft spot for the Death Eater. "You should shut your mouth if you expect to live through the night."

"You can't kill me," Snape said. "You know that."

"I've put my life into killing men like you."

"I'm on your side," Snape replied. Alastor hated the man's composure; it was something he'd once had, but had been lost in time.

"You're full of shit."

"Believe what you want."

"How does she look at you?"

Snape's head snapped towards him, finally locking eyes. Alastor knew he hit a nerve. "Ask me that again."

"How does she look at you?"

"Don't bring her into this," Snape said.

"I'm tired of avoiding this," Alastor said, feeling the day's worth of alcohol building and giving him the balls to say what he wanted. "I've watched you strut around with her all these years, and I'm tired of shutting my mouth. I've always kept my mouth shut for Minerva's sake."

"You don't need to do anything for Minerva's sake," Snape said, putting emphasis on the words. "If you respect her, tell her to her face."

"What did you do to her to make her fall for such a ridiculous tale all these years?"

Snape's face was whiter than Alastor thought possible for the normally pale man. He'd finally shaken him. "I'm done discussing this." Snape turned and went down the stairs.

Alastor didn't move. He wasn't going to chase him. Snape would come back up; it was part of their job, and there was one thing that he knew Snape would do: follow orders. And, he was right. Snape had returned within a few minutes.

Alastor couldn't stop staring at him. How had he not cracked in all these years? He'd managed to make his way into the bed of one of the most powerful Order members. Did Alastor's feelings for Minerva make him angrier? Damn straight they did. But, his hatred for the man across from him had started at the farce of a trial that Snape had been put through after the war. "What are you doing to her?" Alastor asked. He finally had the man to himself. He'd told himself that, if he couldn't have Minerva, he'd at least do all he could to protect her. "Minerva would never want someone like you."

"Maybe you don't know her as well as you think," Snape snapped.

"Aye. I've known her longer than you've been alive, boy."

"Then why doesn't she return your feelings?"

Alastor could have thrown up. "Feelings?"

"Don't be daft, man," Snape said. His face was void of any emotion. "I know."

"She told you?"

"No."

"Does she know?"

Snape toyed with the sleeve on his robe, folding it back into its irritatingly pristine position. Alastor looked down at his own stained coat. A bout of shame came over him for the first time. Before him stood a young, thin, attractive albeit scrawny, man. Of course Minerva would pick Snape over him. But, he couldn't begin to understand why she'd not only sleep with, but have a relationship with a traitor. She'd been alone before Snape. She never needed a man. That's why Alastor loved her; she was the independent sort of woman. "I don't think so."Alastor sighed. Snape was staring out the window again.

Alastor got up to see what Snape was staring at so intently. Leaning on his cane, he looked out to see the woman of the hour walking towards the Hogshead. Besides her, on either side, were Filius, Poppy, Pomona, and Rolanda. Minerva had run around with the lot of them for years. They'd quickly replaced her Ministry connections when she moved to Hogwarts all those years ago. Alastor looked to Severus. It was the only time he'd seen emotion aside from anger in his face. That's how Snape always looked around her. "Fuck," he muttered, throwing up one hand and turning away from Snape. Alastor would work himself up enough to fight the man, but the look in Snape's eyes when he saw Minerva was too real to deny, even if he would deny his allegiance.

"What?" Snape asked.

"You really care for that woman," he admitted. Snape didn't say a word in reply. "What's the game here? Dark Lord having you get close to her? To get to Albus?"

"There's no game."

"It's a cowards way to-"

"Shut up!" Snape snapped, shouting now. He pulled his wand out. "I'll tell Albus you drank yourself to death. I'll hex you right here."

Sensing the man wasn't lying, Alastor stared at him. "She's been my friend for years…I want her safe. If you break her-"

"We want the same thing," Snape replied. "Why do you think I requested to work this ridiculous excuse for a mission with you?"

"What?"

Snape slammed the window shutters closed. The room darkened. "I may hate you, but you're the most useful one in the Order." Uneasy, Alastor pulled his wand out. "Put your wand away," Snape said, putting his own away. "I'm not here to attack you."

"Then, what's your game, boy?" Alastor tucked his wand back in his coat.

"Protection."

"I'm not helping you with anything."

"You think I don't know that?" Snape asked. "For Minerva."

"Protection? What danger did you put her in?"

Snape ran his hand through his black hair. "None. Wherever Albus has me go for the Order, if I can't be here… I trust you." The boy was serious.

Alastor sighed, holding back his tongue to continue the conversation. "Are you leaving Hogwarts?"

"Not that I know of," Snape replied. "But you know Albus."

"Aye, that I do." Alastor couldn't argue with him on that. "What about Filius and friends?"

Snape smirked. "I trust them, but I trust you more. For multiple reasons."

Alastor rolled his eyes at the inflection on multiple. The man was choosy with his words. "And what is it you want me to do?"

"Keep an eye," Snape smirked again. "Keep her out of trouble. Go to Hogwarts whenever you can. Keep her out of the hospital."

"How is she?" Alastor asked, genuinely concerned. He'd wanted to ask so badly.

"More tired than she lets on," Snape admitted. "She was in awful shape."

Alastor nodded. "So I heard."

"You didn't visit."

"I couldn't bring myself to…" Alastor swallowed back tears. "Pathetic of me."

"You're the coward," Snape replied. He was right in that sense.

"What do you want then?"

Snape reached into his pocket, and Alastor hoped to Merlin it wasn't for his wand. It was a small box. "This." He handed Alastor the box.

Alastor took it pensively, opening it up. Inside was a pair of cufflinks. They were silver with green rhinestones. Slytherin. "Why are you giving me your cufflinks?"

"Minerva gave them to me many years ago," Snape replied. "It was the first gift she ever gave me. I want to make sure they are returned to her if…"

"What are you and Albus planning?" Alastor asked. The man sounded like he was going to die the next morning.

"You very well know the role I'm playing in this. Your insistence that I'm still connected to Voldemort is a shame. You know I'm a spy and that my only connections left are for the Order. That comes with its risk."

Alastor stared at him for a long while. He knew his paranoia had increased. He also knew that despising Snape didn't correlate to Snape being a Death Eater despite what his gut insisted. But, they all questioned Snape's loyalties. The whole Order did. The whole Order except Albus and Minerva. Yet, this man loved her. It was so clear that it seemed impossible. Alastor wanted to push the box back to Snape and refuse to keep it safe. But, he also knew that the cufflinks would make Minerva incredibly happy should the time come where he needed to deliver them. The look on her face was enough for him to swallow his pride and tuck the box in his coat. "I know. I know the risk that is. I'll make sure this gets to her if need be."

Snape took a seat in the chair across from him, looking relaxed for the first time. He put his head in his hand. "I convinced Albus we needed this mission. Told him of some small threat at Hogsmeade, a fake one."

"You dragged me out here for a fake mission?"

"Would you have spoken to me otherwise?" Snape asked matter of factly.

Alastor sighed. "No."

"You can go if you want," Snape said. "I'll play it out."

He looked long and hard at the former Death Eater. "I want to know more if I'm to be doing this for you."

"Don't make me regret this decision, Moody."

"No," Alastor insisted. "Minerva is my friend, regardless of any other feelings. Why are you with her? What is it about you that made this independent woman settle?"

Snape rolled his eyes. Alastor knew he'd talk in exchange for his favor with the cufflinks. "Quidditch."

"What?"

"Quidditch banter."

"That's all you have to say?"

"Do you want a sonnet?"

"Something more truthful," Alastor snapped.

"What's sexier to that woman than competition and Slytherin being crushed on the Quidditch field?"

Alastor felt himself unable to hold in a chuckle for the first time with the man he hated. "Merlin, is that all it took?"

"I don't know why Minerva stays," Snape said. "I learned not to question."

"She deserves better," Alastor muttered.

"And I see you think you're that improvement."

"I never said that," Alastor snapped. "Nobody is," he added truthfully.

"Cheers to that," Snape smirked. His eyes went to the window, and Alastor wondered if he saw Minerva again.

"I'll stay if you want to go," he found himself offering.

"What?"

"If there's no threat like you say." Snape nodded. "I'm sure she'll want you with her." It hurt Alastor to say it, still after so many years. The woman would never not haunt him. Pushing another man towards her hurt.

"I was supposed to take her out," Snape replied. "I had promised her one more trip this summer. After everything that happened…"

"Go," Alastor said, trying not to show emotion.

Snape nodded. "Keep that safe," he said, pointing to the pocket where Alastor had put the box.

"Aye."

Snape was gone. Alastor hobbled towards the window, seeing the Potions Master walking down the street, colliding with his lover. Alastor couldn't help but stare as they kissed. His anger had faded for the first time in many years. The pain remained, but the anger subsided. If he really loved Minerva, he'd have to stand by as she embraced this man. Alastor turned away and patted the box in his hand. It was a sick thought, he'd continuously scold himself, but he knew if Snape was gone he could comfort her as she picked up the shattered pieces of the mind boggling relationship.