Assassins and Lovers

Almost all the professors were late for breakfast the following morning. When Sirius arrived, fifteen minutes later than usual, only Severus Snape was there. That's odd, he thought. He usually doesn't even come down for breakfast. I wonder if he eats enough? Sirius was rather surprised to find himself worrying about Severus Snape's dietary habits, but he was in a gracious mood. His friendship with Hermione seemed to be back on track, and though he was a little disappointed that Hermione didn't seem to want a romantic relationship with him--actually, he realized, was more than just a little disappointed... She was the most remarkable woman he had ever met--kind, intelligent... and very cute...

But he wouldn't think about that. He had carefully avoided mentioning what had happened the other night. It was an issue that he didn't feel quite ready to discuss. It hurt more than he wanted to admit that she seemed to find him physically attractive but was hesitant about involving herself with him. Sirius couldn't blame her--he was something of an emotional burden. He was well aware of his own instability... No, he couldn't blame her.

He was just glad that he had a friend--someone to sit beside him at breakfast. A little conversation... Maybe it wasn't really enough, but it was certainly better than nothing. He smiled warmly at Hermione as she sat down beside him.

Albus and Minerva, usually the first to arrive, had finally straggled into breakfast looking rather... contented, actually. Sirius couldn't help but laugh when he noticed their hands clasped together... Had they finally gotten together?

The question was answered soon enough. Albus stood up for another of his breakfast announcements. "Minerva and I," he said, "That is, Professor McGonagall and myself have decided..." He paused again. "Life is short, and we should seize the day." Sirius could hear confused whispers around the room. "Therefore," Dumbledore went on, "Minerva and I will be married this afternoon, here in the Great Hall. All classes are cancelled after lunch, and you are all invited."

Smiling broadly, though he felt strangely jealous, Sirius applauded, along with the rest of the faculty and students. If it had been anyone but Albus Dumbledore, he would have questioned the sanity of such a hasty wedding. Dumbledore was already barmy... such behavior was entirely to be expected... Well, carpe diem, he thought. He was shocked to notice that even Severus Snape was clapping and seemed almost happy.

-----

The morning's announcement seemed to have come as a surprise to everyone--and a shock to no one. Despite his slight annoyance at the triumphant grins on the faces of Bill and Rachel (almost as if they thought they had had something to do with it), Severus Snape had been quite happy for the new couple. It had been painfully obvious for years that the two had been pining for one another. That would be one more secret romance out of the way. Only Albus Dumbledore, of course, would be silly enough to get engaged so quickly...

But Severus was nervous. He had met Fleur on his way out of the Great Hall that morning, and could barely look at her. He had managed what he hoped was a polite nod as he walked out the door. He wasn't even sure if she had seen him.

He wondered if she'd gotten the flowers. He could hardly expect that she would like them, of course, coming from him... But maybe, just maybe, she would be glad to know that he didn't hate her.

No, he thought, exhaling sharply... she would know more than that. She would surely know by now that she had cracked the unbreakable Potions Master. He wondered if she would ever speak to him again... It had probably been a mistake, a complete mistake.

He absentmindedly shuffled through some papers on his desk. His NEWT class should be arriving soon, and he would, of course, make it through perfectly well, as he always did. He heard footsteps outside the door... Surely no one could be arriving this early?

Bill Weasley walked through his door, holding a bouquet of lilies. "Bringing me flowers, Mr. Weasley? I had no idea you felt this way," he said, adding a playful sneer for good measure.

Bill snickered. "It's from Fleur... She asked me to bring it to you."

Snape, for once, was speechless.

"Well, I'll just be on my way," Bill said, smirking at the potions master.

Severus carefully placed the bouquet on his desk and plucked the little note off the vase.

Dear Severus,

Thank you for the beautiful arrangement of flowers you sent me. I have always preferred black roses.

By the way, you are an excellent kisser.

Yours,

Fleur Delacour

He was alarmed to find that he was still blushing when his students began to arrive. Whispered speculations about the source of mean old Professor Snape's flowers rendered any useful class time impossible that day.

-----

Hermione Granger found herself inexplicably drawn in the direction of Sirius's classroom during her free period. She tried to shake it off, then gave in to the urge and headed to the fourth floor corridor. After all, it was Sirius's free period, too... it would be perfectly normal and friendly for them to hang out together... but then, what if he was busy?

Before she had a chance to resolve her internal dialogue, she found herself outside Sirius's door, which was open. Sirius himself was inside, slashing his sword around in the empty classroom. She stayed in the corridor, but after a few moments, Sirius, seeming to sense her presence, let his sword drop to his side and turned in her direction. "Hermione!"

"Hi. It's our free period..." she said.

"So it is." He seated himself on his desk. "Glad you came to visit," he said.

She came and sat on the edge of the desk beside him. "That's good. I was bored."

"Well, if there's one thing I can do," he said, "It's alleviate boredom."

Hermione vaguely wondered if Sirius was throwing out ambiguous innuendo. "What's that supposed to mean?" She turned at looked at him. The vulnerability of the night before was completely absent in his pleasantly flushed face. His eyes were bright from the exercise, and his attractive mouth turned up at the corners... his lips curving elegantly downward and out...

Before she knew what she was doing, Hermione had pulled his head toward hers and kissed him, running a hand rather wildly around his neck, through his hair...

This time, he was the one to pull away. He turned pointedly away from her.

"I thought," he said coldly, "you didn't want that to happen again."

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry."

Sirius stood up and turned to look at her. "Look, Hermione, I'm not looking for some physically-based relationship. As attractive as I find you, I have to ask you to please, please, please," he begged, "don't touch me like that again."

"You're not looking for a purely physical relationship?" she said blankly.

"Of course not!" he ranted. "I'm looking for a bloody soul mate!" He started to pace around. "I thought you knew that. And the fact is, Hermione," he said without looking at her, "my feelings for you, as much as I know you probably don't want to hear this, are more than friendly. I do want a relationship with you... Hell, I could probably fall in love with you just as easy as breathe..." He turned back to her. "I'm sorry I have to tell you all this. I'm sorry if this ruins our... friendship, or whatever."

She could stop staring at him. "Sirius, I... I completely misinterpreted you."

"Did you now? And I thought we communicated so well together!" he said, almost angrily.

"And we do... most of the time. I'm afraid there's been a terrible misunderstanding on my part..."

"If you thought I was willing to settle for something shallow and meaningless with a person like you--like you, Hermione! Then, yes, there has been a misunderstanding."

Hermione looked at him pleadingly. "I did think that. And I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too..." he trailed off. "Where does that leave us?"

She managed to smile at him. "Two friends... both on the brink of being in love with one another..."

His eyes jerked towards her. "Is that true, 'Mione?" he said softly.

"I thought it was just me," she said. "I thought you just liked me because I was the only one there..."

He walked toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Never. How could I? How could any man with sense not like you for so much more than that?" He laughed a little. "I suppose you thought I hadn't got any sense?"

She smiled at him, "Sirius Black? The first person ever to escape from Azkaban Prison, has no sense? Never." She sighed. "I thought it was me."

"'Mione, there are other men than Ronald Weasley," he said tenderly, "who appreciate... so much about you."

She shameless pulled him toward her. "Hold me," she said.

"Gladly," he replied, tucking her head underneath his chin. "But you have to kiss me first," he said.

"If I have to," she said. She met his lips with her own, softly this time, without the rush that had characterized their earlier attempts. They had all the time in the world to figure this out--or at least until the next class period.

-----

Bill slipped into Rachel's classroom right after the first class period ended and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "You'll never guess what I delivered this morning," he said.

"Severus Snape's love child?" she asked with a smirk. "And I couldn't even tell Fleur was pregnant..."

Bill blinked. "Er... close... how did you guess there was something between those two?"

"Blondie told me herself."

"So you two are getting to be friends now?"

Rachel laughed. "Well, sort of, I suppose... yes."

"She had me deliver flowers to Snape this morning. She told me she was 'far, far too frightened'," he said, imitating Fleur, "to deliver them herself. Isn't that wild?"

Rachel was intrigued. "And now did Snape react?"

"He was," Bill said, "absolutely speechless."

"Oooh, this is getting juicy," she said, "You and I are quite good matchmakers. First Dumbledore and McGonagall, then delivering flowers to Snape..."

"Who would have thought?" Bill said, still in awe. "I doubt anyone has ever been attracted to him in his life, and now... Fleur... Not that I, personally, find her attractive or anything," he quickly explaining.

"I understand," Rachel said with a smile. The time for silly insecurities had long since passed. "But as for no one being attracted to Snape... I kind of doubt that... He's actually kind of... sexy."

"He's ugly!"

"Yes, but amidst all that repulsiveness is this underlying current of... snarky sensuality. I'd like to paint him..."

"I'm feeling very jealous and insecure right now," Bill said mockingly. "You're going to have to comfort me."

She kissed him dutifully.

"That's better now."

-----

Fleur slowly came to grips with the fact that she would almost certainly be forced to face Severus at lunch time... and her lunch break was quickly approaching. She was excited. At the very least, the flowers she sent should provoke some sort of reaction. She giggled a little to herself imagining Severus's face when he read that line about how he was an excellent kisser.

Well, it was true...

She wondered if he had been pleased. Surely he had been... right? She started to feel a little scared. She walked toward the Great Hall hesitantly. She remembered something her grandmother had once told her... Remember, my little Fleur, no matter what anyone says, no matter who loves you or who doesn't, you're still probably the most beautiful woman in any room, and that's what really counts.

It was a comforting thought, though it pained her slightly to think of her grandmother.

She saved him a seat at the table and waited for him.

-----

"Professor Dumbledore, I'd like to thank you for giving me a week's vacation as a prize for that silly game, but--"

"Yes, Severus?" Albus asked, peering over his half-moon spectacles.

"I think Professor Delacour needs it more than I do."

Albus's countenance was indecipherable. "And why is that? She is a new professor, after all, and I don't believe you've taken a vacation in the twenty-five years you've been working here--"

"Her grandmother is dying," Severus said softly. "I want Fleur to get to see her again."

Now Albus's eyes were twinkling so much it almost frightened Severus--he chalked it up to the old man's quickly approaching wedding. "That's lovely of you."

"Will you tell her?"

"No, Severus, I wouldn't deny you the pleasure of telling her yourself."

"Really, it would be quite all right. I think it would be better coming from you."

"I think not," Dumbledore said cheerfully. "You can tell her. Coming to my wedding, Severus?"

"I wouldn't miss it, sir."

"Neither would I! But then, I suppose that goes without saying..."

-----

Fleur had waited through almost the entire lunch period, barely eating, and he still had not arrived. A thought struck her. What if he is avoiding me? Suddenly fearful, she stood up and shakily began walking out of the room.

Just outside the Great Hall, she ran directly into Severus Snape.

He was initially frozen in place, staring down at her with his black eyes. Finally, he spoke. "F-fleur," he said, with uncharacteristic trepidation. "Fleur," he collected himself. "I wondered if you might join me for a short walk outside? We do have the afternoon off, and the wedding isn't until 4:00..."

"I would love to, Severus," she said, taking his arm.

-----

A few minutes later, Severus found himself strolling around the lake with a beautiful woman on his arm. It was unreal. It was... romantic.

"Fleur, I was talking to Professor Dumbledore during my lunch break. He's going to let you have a week off to visit your grandmother."

She turned to him with a surprised look. "How did you know about Grandmère? But how... This is against the rules... I cannot accept it," she said, with little conviction in her voice.

"It's well within my right," Severus said, "as the winner of Dumbledore's ridiculous game, to give my prize to whomever I choose. And I choose you."

Fleur stopped walking and turned to him. "Merci," she said quietly. Then she shocked him by placing two kisses on each of his cheeks. He doubted his face had ever had that much color. "And thank you for the beautiful black flowers."

"You are most welcome, ma chère."

"I think you are the handsomest man I have ever seen."

"You're such a liar, Fleur."

"I know you're part veela."

Severus blinked rapidly. Did she realize the full implications of that fact? "And who told you that?"

"No one had to tell me, Severus. Don't you know we can recognize our own kind?"

"Are you angry, then? That I kissed you?"

Her lovely lips curled up in a smirk. "I'm only angry that you aren't kissing me now," she replied.

Severus's eyes narrowed as he stared at her for several seconds. "I think, ma chère, that we can rectify that situation rather quickly."

Well, Severus thought, my life isn't so terrible after all... After several moments of being wrapped up in Fleur, another pleasant thought followed... Won't Sirius Black be jealous? Severus's lips managed to smirk and kiss Fleur's at the same time.

She suddenly broke away. "Severus," she said. "Will you marry me?"

-----

The wedding came off beautifully, especially considering how hastily it had been planned. Severus did a momentary double take when Minerva appeared in the Great Hall. Who knew Min was that... hot? Of course, he thought, she's nothing compared to my sweet girl...

Minerva and Albus said their vows eloquently, of course, with the ceremony performed by their old friend Filius Flitwick. And then, to everyone's shock, Severus and Fleur stepped forward to say theirs...

Severus silently rued the day he'd commented to himself that only Albus Dumbledore could be so impetuous... He was, after all, insanely happy, and that fact alone rendered him quite speechless and entirely out of character. He wasn't himself at all--he even forgot that he wasn't supposed to show his teeth when he smiled. Fleur, amazingly enough, didn't even recoil from what must have been a rather hideous smile...

At the end of the ceremony, Albus turned to the students to make another of his announcements. "My dear Hogwarts students, I'm sure you noticed during the last several days that your professors were acting rather strangely, and as you all know now, this behavior was the result of a monstrously fun game called Assassins. Now, of course, we didn't just play this game for our own fun--although we certainly had plenty of it! Oh no, we were trying it out before we expanded it out to all of you!" The students hesitantly began to clap. "That's right, beginning at midnight tonight, every single student at this school will have a target and an assassin! This is going to be so much fun!" Dumbledore's cheeks were pink with excitement. "And just to make it easier for you to play the game, student curfews are extended until two o'clock in the morning as long as the game is going on!"

At this point, all the faculty, even Albus's new wife, glared at him in horror.

-----

The following June, the faculty gathered for one last meeting after the students had left. "I'm delighted," Albus began, "that all of you will be returning next fall... and some of you with new names, if I'm not mistaken?" he added, nodding toward Hermione and Rachel.

"Professor Dumbledore," Hermione interjected, "I am not changing my name... what are you talking about?"

Dumbledore smiled slyly at her. "I'm sorry, Professor Granger, I don't know what I was thinking."

As Dumbledore continued speaking, Sirius Black, sitting beside Hermione, whispered, "Would you like to?"

Hermione blushed profusely and smiled at him. "We'll talk about it later."

"Now, since we're all stuck here for the next week wrapping things up for the next term, I thought we might have a little fun..."

Severus Snape looked like he was about to explode with anxiety.

"Therefore, I propose that we play... Severus, what is the matter?"

"Sir, as I'm sure you are aware, my wife is in labor at this time."

Sirius turned around to face him. "Don't worry so much, Sev, I'm sure the twins will look like their mother," he said comfortingly. "Well, actually, they do have a good chance of ending up with your nose, don't they?"

Severus looked more worried than ever.

"Therefore, I propose that we all play Risk!"

"Sir," Severus said, "These idiotic games of yours can last hours. I would really like to rejoin my wife in the Hospital Wing, if you don't mind."

"Oh, come on, Severus, where's your esprit de corps? Everyone else is going to play!" Albus said, vainly looking for support from the rest of the faculty.

Just then, Nelda Grimke walked in. "Professor Snape?" she said.

"Is something wrong?" he asked quickly.

"No, sir. You have a beautiful son and daughter."

"Beautiful? Are you sure? And their noses?"

"Small noses, sir. And blond hair, both of them."

Severus sighed in relief. "In that case, Albus, I'd be more than willing to dominate the world. After I meet my new family."

"I changed my mind, Severus. You aren't allowed to play this time."

"Not allowed?"

"Not allowed. Now be off."

Severus looked puzzled, then got up and walked out.

"Now, for the rest of you, I've got a fun evening planned... Nothing but games, games, games!!!"

The faculty looked uneasily at each other. This would be a long night.

THE END