The Web Wizard

"...so, I think it would be an important section in the Muggles Studies course. Don't you think so, Tara?" Albus was saying.

Tara was off in her own world, staring into space, ignoring her breakfast. Madame Hooch nudged her.

"Oh, uh what?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Earth to Tara. Still tired from that wonderful performance last night?" he asked. Tara forced a smile and glanced at Snape who quickly looked away.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?"

"I was saying that in the light of all of the interest in these computers, I think a four week section can be added to Muggle Studies where you can teach about the usage of them."

"I was going to suggest something like that. Maybe after the winter holiday?" Tara suggested.

"Yes, that is good. Come up with a curriculum and we'll go over it."

"Okay sounds good. Hermione Granger is learning to troubleshoot. She is very bright."

"Yes, we know," Snape commented, and smirked.

Tara stifled a yawn. She was afraid she was going to go to sleep in her omelette. Madame Hooch nudged her. "Late night?" she asked, winking.

"Not in that way; I couldn't sleep," she told her friend in a hush, looking into her yellow, cat-like eyes.

"Sounds intriguing," she commented.

"Not really...just confusing. You want to meet for lunch? I think I need someone to talk to," Tara said.

"Sure, I'm done with Flight Class about 11:30. Meet me in the field," she said.

"Good deal."

Tara somehow got through the morning and spent some time with Hermione Granger then rather than the afternoon. She didn't think she could last much past 2 PM or so without a nap. She met Madame Hooch and they went for a walk. It was misty and the threat of rain was very much with them.

"So what's up?" Madame Hooch asked, adopting her muggle friend's American expression.

"It's Snape. I don't know what to do about him," she said with a frown. Madame Hooch couldn't help but giggle. "Why, is he bothering you?"

"No, well, yes. I can't figure him out."

"Few of us have ever been able to."

"I mean, you saw what he did last night!" Madame Hooch nodded and smiled. "I didn't know he had that in him, to be honest. You two were captivating!"

"Well he bewitched me; I can't dance a step!"

"Could have fooled all of us."

"Apparently I did. He must have been on the Internet studying this dance. But the thing is, I am finding myself strangely attracted to him. It is the weirdest feeling. One minute I am ready to slap him upside the head and the next I find myself swooning like a teenaged girl in heat! At first I thought I was coming down with something, but it only happens when he's around."

"What about your friend, Seth?"

Tara shook her head. "He's really nice and I enjoy being with him, but there's no zing there. Do you know what I'm talking about?" Tara's friend nodded. "When I first laid eyes on Snape when he showed up in my living room with Dumbledore, I couldn't move. I couldn't figure out what it was; he was so chilling but so amazing at the first time. I know that now, but back then I just didn't know what the hell I was feeling. I haven't felt like this since I met my ex husband when I was 19! That feels like a hundred years ago though..." her voice trailed off, and she reached into her fanny pack for a cigarette, and lit it.

"I've been avoiding him all morning. But do you know what he did--he showed up in my room this morning before 6. He said he knocked but I sure as hell didn't hear him. Next thing I knew, he was standing in my room in his PJs!" Madame Hooch clapped a hand over her mouth and started to laugh.

"He wears pajamas?" she gasped.

"Yes. Black silk ones from what I could see. He had a big black velvet robe tied around him, don't worry. But it was strange that he would walk all the way from his quarters to mine in his night clothes. He wasn't even wearing any shoes!"

"Well he probably didn't exactly walk there," Madame Hooch reminded her.

"Yeah, I keep forgetting where I am sometimes."

"At least only his feet were bare," Madame Hooch teased, and laughed when she saw Tara turn crimson. She got embarrassed so easily and was fun to tease.

"Yes, thank God for that. But how can I keep him out? I don't want him to come in if I'm having a private moment or something...not that I ever do, but still, what if he just let himself in when I was in a state of undress?"

"Hmmm...let me think on that one. He shouldn't have just let himself in, I agree. You should speak to Dumbledore so he can reprimand him..." Tara shook her head and waved a hand. "No, I don't want to get him in trouble--unless he does it again. Then there will be hell to pay!"

It helped Tara a great deal to talk to Madame Hooch, who she fondly referred to as "M". She regarded her as a good friend and a confidante. She was a bit younger than her feline-like friend and felt that M was a big sister in a lot of ways. When no one was looking, M reached for Tara's cigarette. "Oh hell, you don't want this," Tara said. "I just want to try it, is all. It smells good" She did so and coughed. "You're right, I don't want that. How can you stand it?" Tara shrugged. "I really must quit one day. I know I will, it's just a stupid nervous habit."

It began to mist, and both of them moved quickly for shelter. Tara's robe had little droplets of mist on the outer layer but nothing penetrated--until a great downpour began. This time, both women ran for cover. Once under shelter, M took out her wand, and waved it towards Tara, who was instantly dry, then took care of herself.

"Thanks. You people sure are handy to have around," Tara commented.

"We try!"

"Well I think I'm going to go take a nap. I feel much better now," she told M, "thank you for listening to my heartsick ramblings."

"No problem. That's what friends are for."

They said their goodbyes and Tara dragged herself up the 10 flights of stairs to her chambers. Henry and Heidi were sacked out on her bed. She stripped down to her undies and socks. She was out as soon as her head hit the pillow, and slept a velvety black sleep devoid of dreams.

Loud knocking jerked her awake. She tried to open her eyes and noticed the clock read 6:30.

"Miss Hall, it's time for dinner, are you all right?" It was Snape, and he sounded annoyed (but then again, he always sounded annoyed). Tara pulled the covers up to cover her bare chest.

"Yeah, I'm here. I was asleep! I'll be right down okay?"

"Fine. We were concerned when you didn't show up and no one had seen you since lunch time."

"I'm fine - just tired."

She tumbled wearily of bed and quickly dressed, and threw on some slip on sandals so she didn't have to tie shoes. They had the logo of her favorite football team - the 49ers - on them. She opened the door and Snape was standing outside, and he startled her -- she gave a little scream.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he said.

"I thought you had gone downstairs."

"I thought I'd pay you the courtesy of escorting you to dinner, albeit late." He held his arm out to her, and she took it. He eyed her 49er sandals and white socks.

"Interesting choice of footwear," he purred.

"It was something I could put on quickly."

"What does the emblem mean?"

"You don't know the 49ers? Man, you must work in a dungeon not to have heard of the 49ers!" she teased, and smiled up at him. She almost fell down when he actually smiled back at her. They walked down the stairs as she explained football to him. She was so intensely explaining things, that she didn't notice the stares they were getting from passers by. When they entered the hall, Minerva turned to see Snape, with Tara on his arm. "Well there's something you don't see every day," she said to Madame Hooch, who gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, "I think Severus is....oh he is! Oh! It's gone. He smiled!"

A hush fell over the room as they made their entrance.

Snape smirked. "Why don't you take a picture, it'll last longer..." he said slowly, and Tara stared up at him in surprise. Was she rubbing off on him? He looked at her with a mischievous glance and then released her arm so they could take their places at the table.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I overslept--I didn't get much sleep last night," she said, and she thought she heard several of the students snicker. Oh no. I bet the rumor mill is going crazy...she thought.

"It's quite all right. We're all subject to a bit of insomnia around here from time to time," Dumbledore said with a wink. Tara felt her face grow hot and she knew she must be crimson again. M beamed at her.

"Well you look like the cat who ate the canary," Tara commented, "no pun intended either!" M grinned and didn't say a word.

The dinner proceeded without further incident, and Tara went outside afterwards for her after dinner smoke. Problem was, she didn't have her lighter. She checked fanny pack, and actually took everything out and set it on the railing. Nothing. Where was it? She must have dropped it when she and M had run out of the rain. Great. Where do you get a lighter at Hogwarts'?

"Allow me." Tara looked up to see Snape standing nearby with a wand. Allow him to what? Oh! He ignited her cigarette for her from where he stood.

"Pretty neat trick," she said. "But I lost my lighter. Guess I have to knock this off. Been meaning to anyway," she said. She wondered if that was because he disapproved or she really wanted to quit. Right now she didn't know. But she did feel a need to appeal to him.

"Are you going to play tonight?" he asked her.

"Play?"

"The piano."

"Well, I think I might. It depends how tired I get. That sleepless night sort of knocked me on my butt," she told him.

Just then a few students walked past them on the way back from the dorms. They had been chatting, then hushed as they spotted the two, then ran away laughing, and one of them said clearly "Snape's got a girlfriend!" Oh God, Tara thought, and finished her cigarette.

"Look what you stirred up," she said absently.

"No, look what we stirred up!" he said reaching for her. He drew her close and then they heard more footsteps in the corridor, and he released her.

"I think I'll go get my key and...go play the piano. I uh, left the key up in my room. Good evening," she said, looking up at him, hopeful he would come to see her. He was about to tell her he could open the door without a key for her, but though better of it.

"Good evening."

Tara was positively queasy and she felt her chicken picatta make a big roll in her stomach. She hoped she wouldn't get sick! She ran up the stairs this time and was so out of breath when she reached the top, that was it. She pitched her cigarettes into the toilet. All of them. She hoped the plumbing could take it, so she just emptied each pack, dropping them down into the swirling water. A knock at the door interrupted her. Who now?

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's Severus."

Severus. We're on a first name basis now all of a sudden? "Come in, the door's not locked," she called, not that it mattered. He stepped inside and didn't see her. But he could hear the toilet flushing.

"Come on in here," she called. Come into the bathroom? He cautiously strode towards the open door, and found her standing over the toilet, opening a pack of cigarettes. She flushed again, and dropped one at a time down the toilet.

"May I ask what you're doing?"

"Quitting smoking. I just ran up the stairs and I was so out of breath, screw this. I don't need it. Stinky, yucky habit that might kill me one day."

He watched in quiet amusement as she continued, cursing under her breath with each toss into the toilet until all of the packages were crumpled up balls on the counter. She gathered them up and threw them in the waste can.

"If you'll excuse me, I want to brush my teeth. Get the taste and smell out. Do you mind waiting outside or in the piano room?"

"No, not at all," he said, walking out.

"Hey, Sev!" she said, stopping him. Sev? He turned around, surprised realizing she had called him by a version of his first name. She tossed him a key. "That's the key. I'll be there in a few."

He nodded. She had rendered him speechless. What an odd sort of person she was; always full of surprises. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was some magic in her that she didn't know about. Stranger things had happened; muggles had been raised muggle, then one day, something happened where they discover that they have powers they didn't know they happened. Why else would he be attracted to a muggle? He couldn't figure out why.

He stopped in his quarters to pick up a bottle of wine he thought she might fancy, chose two goblets, then headed for the storage room where the piano was kept. He unlocked the door, and closed it behind him, then lit the candles. He also lit a fire; it was a bit chilly. Tara hadn't arrived yet. But then again, she had to walk down all of those stairs and he knew females to take a long time to get ready for things. He opened the wine and poured it into the goblets, and waited.

He was plunking the piano a little bit just to see what it was like when the door opened behind him. He turned and actually sucked in air when he saw her removing her robe.

Tara was dressed in a long, red, slinky dressing gown. Her arms were bare and the neckline of the gown revealed just a hint of cleavage. She smiled sensually.

"I don't stink anymore," she said, simply, and he burst out laughing. "Of all the things to say..." he started, but couldn't stop laughing. She sat beside him, smiling up at him shyly. He positively lit up the room with his smile and she never knew.

"You are the most delightful, but the most trying creature, Miss Hall! I haven't laughed like that in years!"

"You should more often; it becomes you. You're always so dark and gloomy and moody," she said, deepening her voice animatedly, wrinkling her nose.

"I guess I don't often have something to laugh about. But you--" he said, his index finger lightly tapping her nose, "are something else!" He then caressed her face with his hand and drew her close. He looked at her thoughtfully, caressing her face with the back of his hand, and then drew her closer to kiss her.

Tara thought she was going to explode and take off like a rocket through the roof. She felt her spirit whirling and feelings she couldn't describe taking over her entire being. They parted and she sighed, dizzy. She actually was seeing little silvery spots in her field of vision.

"Holy shit," she said, "Oh, excuse me. I have to apologize, I've never been kissed by a wizard, you know," she quipped.

Severus handed her a goblet of wine. "What about your young gentleman friend?" She shook her head. "He never kissed me...I wouldn't let him! No big zing there. Not like..." she looked at him intensely to finish that thought. He understood.

They sipped their wine and looked into each others' eyes. "I gather that if you don't want something, you make sure it doesn't happen," he commented. She nodded. "The gun helps..." she said, her voice trailing off, thinking of her .44 magnum upstairs. Snape choked then, in mid swallow and began coughing and laughing at the same time.

"Oh my Sev. You do look so alluring with wine coming out of your nose," she teased. She reached for a tissue and handed it to him. He wiped his face and smiled again at her. What a fantastic face!

"You have a gun, Miss Hall?"

"Yes. And it's Tara."

"Tara. You have a gun?"

"I do. I live alone in the States, you know. I'm quite a markswoman. I got it for my own protection, and I brought it here with me. Not that it would do much good, I fear."

"No, it wouldn't. But if it makes you feel more secure."

"Yes, that it does."

He drew her close again and then asked her to play. She played her usual repertoire, and then the Moonlight Sonata. But this time, it didn't make her hurt inside. Whatever was hurting when she heard and played this piece before was no longer in pain. She knew it must have to do with what had just transpired.

They parted at her door that evening after midnight. She was simply exhausted.

Curled up with her cats, Tara Hall slept the most peaceful sleep she had experienced in years...and dreamed of Severus...