Vector's Challenge

Chapter 19

When she came in for her second act, dressed in the green waterfall costume, Snape gulped. He was suddenly grateful for his robes, the tabletop, and the tablecloth. Not that Vector had been unattractive before, but this costume was far better at showing off her figure. He watched her regain the attention of everyone in the Hall. And I suppose I'm going to have to discipline the male Slytherins for disobedience in her classes weeks after this; and if I don't have to, that's something else I'll have to worry about. Or if the Slytherin females start acting up in her classes. Although that could be jealousy... He gripped his metal goblet tightly, until he felt pain in his hand.

The music started again. He thought, angrily, Emmy, we all now know you can dance, this is completely unprofessional, go put some clothes on before the students lose all respect for the faculty... And as for the Headmaster - well, if you removed what little clothing you have on, he would only ask if you needed the heat in here turned up, but then again, he has a brother who puts inappropriate charms on goats...and there have been incidents where McGonagall has danced in the Great Hall before. At least you're sober, Emmy...

Vector paused in place, waved her wand, and muttered a spell. She took a step onto empty air, then another, then another, and suddenly she was up and quite literally dancing on the air. Gravity was no boundary to a proper witch, after all. She leaped again and again, until she was almost touching the ceiling, rotated until she was upside down with respect to her audience, and then proceeded to do a short little run of steps before she righted herself again. She descended to tumultuous applause. Everyone could appreciate the difficulty of what she had just done. Mobilicorpus on oneself had its limits, and keeping it up and moving in a different direction at the same time was on the order of simultaneously patting one's own head and rubbing one's stomach.

Snape glared at her. She's not only a good dancer, but she's a powerful witch to boot. And a show-off Ravenclaw to boot. Why should I get involved with her? What am I going to have to offer? How could I possibly keep her by my side?

She took up a scimitar, held it above her head, and then slowly lowered it down. She conjured up a square of rainbow-colored silk, and cut through it with the scimitar; it fell into two neatly cut pieces. Snape gasped as Vector started dancing with the scimitar. "Merlin," he said. He thought, That thing is bloody sharp! She's putting herself in far too much danger! But as he watched, he realized that she knew what she was doing. She balanced it on her head first, and then started moving it, to one hip, then the other. He shuddered at the thought of what could happen to her if it slipped. Then he frowned. She's cheapening the connection between sex and violence. His eyes widened as he pursued that train of thought. Actually, she has killed people, and I find that perversely exciting. She was so pure and innocent when I first met her, and now she could kill me, and I know it... She finished her moves with the sword, tossed it up in the air, and Transfigured it into a candelabrum with three lit candles on it as it came down. Then she grabbed it out of the air, and set it on her head.

He watched in frightened fascination as she danced, hoping frantically that the candles would not set fire to her veil or her hair. She finished with a sweeping curtsey and caught the candelabrum in her hand as it slid off her head. She stepped up to the High Table, and set the still-lit candelabrum down in front of Snape. He thought it was a symbol, but he didn't know of what, and he especially didn't want any colleagues or that know-it-all Granger chit to tell him. There's too much sexual freedom these days, these kids ought to be doing it in the dark, in secret, furtively, and unknowing, dammit, just as we did...He was haunted by a free-floating premonition of disaster happening to him. Nothing ever goes that well for me. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Where's the hitch in all this? When will the other shoe drop?

She retreated from the High Table, turned and bowed to the students, who were all applauding. She then turned to the High Table and bowed again. She waved her wand and called out, "Accio veil!" and then spun around twice, pulling her veil back on, and finished in a complete stop.

"My compliments, Professor Vector," a silky voice said out of the shadows. Lucius Malfoy then stepped out of the darkness. "I would like to meet with you to discuss certain matters in private."

Emmy Vector was absolutely furious with herself. Her Anti-Libido charm had just been aimed at the students and most of the teachers. Apparently, Malfoy had not been affected. And the hell of it was, he hadn't said or done anything she could attack him for as harassing.

"I cannot meet with you, Mr. Malfoy," she replied stiffly. She stood wrapped up in her veil, with her neckline and her head the only parts of her still showing. Calm, cool, collected, and courageous, Emmy. Don't let him see anger or fear.

"Professor Vector, are you unaware that I am an emeritus member of the Hogwarts Board of Directors?"

"I am aware of that fact, sir," she replied in a monotone.

"And you cannot meet with me to discuss official business?" Malfoy said, while starting to circle around her.

"No, sir, I cannot," she replied, turning to keep him in sight. Oh God. Tell me this isn't happening. I am going to lose either my reputation or my job tonight, and not in the manner that I had feared.

"Why can't you meet with me, Professor Vector?" Lucius Malfoy asked.

Vector took a deep breath, reached for her wand, and prepared to tell Lucius Malfoy to go to hell where he belonged.

"Because she and I are celebrating our engagement tonight, Lucius," Snape rasped out.

Both of them spun toward Snape, as he stood before the High Table. Snape came over to Emmy and took her left hand in his right. She felt him sliding something on her finger, and opened her hand so that the ring would go on. When he released her hand, she was wearing a silver ring with a sapphire and two small diamonds on it.

Lucius Malfoy was silent for a long moment. "Congratulations, Snape," he finally spat out.

"Congratulations, Severus!" Dumbledore shouted out. "Congratulations on your engagement, Emmy!" The teachers gave a round of polite applause.

The students first fell silent and then let out a collective gasp. Millicent Bulstrode stood up and started the applause. "Three cheers for Professors Vector and Snape!" she shouted. All of the Ravenclaws then rose to their feet, with the Slytherins following suit, then the Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindors and Draco Malfoy were last to stand, with looks of shock on their faces.

Dumbledore gave Snape and Vector a nod and a wink. Vector looked nervously up at Snape, all six foot two inches of him. Snape sighed, bent down, and brushed his lips against hers for a moment. The cheering grew more raucous and loud at that. He pulled away from her quickly. The faculty were clapping and cheering as well, but then giving Vector commiserating looks. Lucius Malfoy sneered. Snape glared back at him, then picked Emmy up by the waist and gave her a hard, open-mouthed kiss. Vector broke it off first, gasping for breath. Snape took Vector's arm, and led her back around the High Table to run the gauntlet of well-wishing faculty members. Snape murmured into Vector's ear, "We have to talk."

She nodded. "Certainly. Where?"

"In my quarters," Snape replied. She wrapped a cloak around herself, and gave a quick "Accio bag" to make sure that she had everything. He took her by the hand and led her down to his dungeons.

End of Chapter 19