Shadow on My Heart

Chapter 18: More Than Enough

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It was late Sunday afternoon, and Severus was sitting at his desk, marking the last of the Defense Against the Dark Arts essays for his sixth year class. Normally he would never have let work go this late unless the Dark Lord had summoned him; however, he had been so exhausted that he had slept most of the day yesterday. On the whole, they were a bit better than he had expected. He stabbed a spiky "A" at the top of Longbottom's essay. The little twit would probably drop dead from the shock of receiving a passing grade from him. He blew on the ink to dry it before shoving the stack into his worn leather case.

Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his eyes wearily. He still hadn't talked to Callista. In fact, he realized that he hadn't even seen her all weekend. She was more than likely avoiding him again and didn't want to be seen. The only difference that he noticed was that some of the staff members were even colder to him than usual.

"Professor Snape, sir," came the now familiar whining voice of Winky at his elbow, "Headmaster Dumbledore has sent a note for you, sir. Professor's laundry is also finished. Winky will being putting it away, ifs you like, sir."

Severus nodded and took the note absently, staring down at the shaking house-elf. "Have you seen your lady about the castle today?"

"Winky has seen Mistress Callista, sir." Winky began to shuffle her feet.

"Is there a problem, Winky?" Severus asked, frowning slightly.

Winky began to tremble from head to toe again. "Mistress had been crying. Winky does not like to see her lady so sad."

"Thank you for telling me, Winky." Severus frowned more deeply. He knew it was his honest response that was probably responsible for her tears, but he also knew that it was just the way things had to be for now. He absolutely was not going to apologize for what he had said. He was right, and Callista would just have to live with his decision. Perhaps she would realize that she was making a huge mistake and move on with her life at the end of the school year. Yes, that was it; she would leave and return to the safety of her life in the States. He would miss her, but the added burden of her safety would be lifted.

He ran his fingers through his hair. Could he learn to live without her again? Did he want to live without her? No, he had to fix this; he had to make her understand that he cared too much to put her in danger like that. Callista would understand, eventually, that this was for the best. When this was all over he would make it up to her. He would spend the rest of his life making sure that she was happy.

He opened the scroll of parchment. Dumbledore was informing him of an Order meeting at nine o'clock tonight at Number Twelve. He would speak with Callista after they returned from the meeting. No sense in having her stand up for him at another meeting; it looked too suspicious to have her on his side. It was better if the Order members didn't fully trust him.

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A knock sounded on the door to his office. Severus crammed the note into the pocket of his robe. He waved the door open, expecting to see Malfoy or one of his other students standing there, wishing to make some pointless demand on his time. Instead, he was staring in surprise at Callista. Her chin was held high, but her eyes were slightly lowered, avoiding his dark penetrating gaze.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your afternoon, Severus," Callista said, slightly stressing his name in an odd manner. "I've just completed a part of my research that you may find interesting, but if you're busy, I could always come back some other time."

"No, I am finished for now. What have you discovered?" Severus stood up and motioned to a chair, offering her a seat.

"No thank you, this will only take a minute or two of your time. Here, this section shows my latest findings." She thrust the ledger at him and crossed her arms. She waved her wand at the door, placing an Imperturbable Spell on it.

Severus squinted as he read down the page, his eyebrows inching higher and higher on his forehead. Vita Cruor was what she was calling the potion in progress. It was a pure brilliance what she had accomplished; she had managed to get the blood to combine with other ingredients, without causing the mixture to become unstable. This was a step in the right direction, as long as the blood maintained its healing properties.

"Are the healing properties still viable?"

"They should be. Unfortunately the only way to test that is by giving it to someone who is dying from a serious injury and desperate enough to attempt it. Potential test subjects are in short supply. That is a good thing, from the perspective that we aren't dealing with severe casualties," Callista said. "It's just that I want to have this functional before the Order needs it. Testing it on a battlefield is most assuredly not my first choice of testing situations."

"I also can't see you having too many volunteers, either." Severus shoved his hair out of his eyes. He regarded her for a moment. "Have you heard from the headmaster today?"

"Yes, I have. I take it you will be there tonight." He nodded, and Callista continued in a businesslike tone. "I have some business I need to attend to before that, so I'll see you there."

"You aren't going to Portkey with McGonagall and Dumbledore?"

"I hadn't planned to."

Callista turned to go, but Severus caught her arm. With a reluctant sigh, she looked up at him at last. Her eyes were slightly red as if she had indeed been crying. He touched the side of her face with the tips of his fingers. She shivered slightly.

"You're still angry with me, aren't you?" he asked as he lowered his mouth to her ear, kissing her delicately. He smoothed a few strands of her hair into place.

"Yes, but only a tiny bit," she admitted. "Severus, I'm thirty-two, unmarried and childless. I don't expect you to understand what that means to me, but I feel like a failure."

"Callista Hawkins, the last thing you are is a failure," he assured her. She was correct; he honestly didn't understand why she felt like a failure. "You are one of the most talented potion brewers I have ever met. You are a true genius in the field. You are one of the few women to dedicate their lives to the fine art and subtle science of potion making."

Callista leaned into his chest; he could feel her shaking. He fought the urge to be stern with her; somehow that felt like the wrong thing to do. She swallowed hard before looking up at him, her vivid blue-green eyes void of expression. She whispered in a thin voice, "But at the end of my life, I will have nothing to show for it. It means nothing to me without someone to share it with, without someone to pass it on to. I'm just a genius of a spinster. When I'm gone, no one will remember me. Severus, coming so close to dying reminded me how precious life is, but mine has been so empty."

So that's what this was all about. "Callista, when this is all over--"

"What if one of us doesn't survive?" she interrupted. "Severus, didn't you wonder why I didn't end my pregnancy all those years ago? I was eighteen, fresh out of school, I had my whole life ahead of me. When I found out you had the Dark Mark, I could have very easily terminated that pregnancy. If I had, I would have been free to pick up my life and move on. Didn't you wonder why I went through with it?"

"I just assumed that you didn't have the heart to kill anything."

"I recognized our child for what he was--a part of you. I still loved you, but you were no longer able to be part of my life. Our child was the only part of you that I had left. By having him and loving him, I felt like I would still be able to love you."

"That is nothing but foolish female sentiment, Callista," he said in a sardonic tone.

His words stung her already bruised feelings, and she jerked away from him. "I should have known that you wouldn't understand. I don't know why I even bothered to tell you any of this."

He pulled her to him, feeling every curve of her warm body. His mind was becoming cloudy with suppressed desire. He masked it with a sneer. "So all you want from me is a souvenir? Surely, a witch as beautiful as you are could do so much better."

"Why are you trying to alienate me again? Are you so terrified of loving me that all you can think to do is push me away?"

He was struck by the raw truth of her words. She had forced him to see the problem that had been there all along, fueling his insecurities and doubts--the fear that she would realize that she could do better. He answered, "Yes."

"Don't," she began, kissing him firmly on the mouth, "ever doubt me. If I didn't still love you, I would never have let you back into my life--or my bed."

He clutched her tighter in response, crushing his lips to hers. He could feel her fingers in his hair. Severus stumbled slightly as the sudden migration of blood made him feel light headed. Callista steadied him against the desk as she fumbled with the front of his trousers, freeing him. He closed his eyes, tossing his head back as pleasurable sensations coursed through him like fire. No other woman could ever make him feel like this!

"Not here," he croaked. "I want to make this last."

Callista ceased her ministrations, nodding in agreement. She allowed him to lean on her as they left the office and entered his private room, making sure the wards were firmly in place. Neither of them heard the surprised squeak of Winky, who had finished putting away his clothing and was in the process of cleaning his chamber. The house-elf was about to ask them if they would be needing anything before she realized that she was intruding on their privacy. The creature grinned happily before making a hasty retreat.

Severus fell onto the bed, pulling Callista on top of him. Breathing hard and trying to focus on something other than his immediate needs, he forced himself to take his time in undressing her. She carefully removed the wand holster that was strapped to her right forearm. Now that he had liberated her from the confines of clothing, he wanted to take his time and ensure her pleasure. He wanted her to feel exactly how much he loved her.

She protested at the black fabric barriers that separated them. He shrugged off his robe and pulled off the black wool jumper beneath it. When she removed his shirt, he shivered violently as the chilly air of his room made contact with the exposed skin. He groped on the bed for his wand so that he could ignite the fire in the fireplace. Muttering a preventative charm, he placed his wand on the bedside table.

With chattering teeth, the pair scrambled under the warm blankets. Pressing against each other as if they were trying to become one, they felt the chill rapidly receding from the heat of their combined desire. He made sure that every inch of her received his attention. A sudden enraptured cry assured him that he had succeeded in making her release her bottled-up tension. As she unclenched the wadded fabric of the duvet, he indulged his own desires. He moved within her, delighting in the intimacy of the caress. Long before he was truly ready, his body hurtled out of control, tearing a cry of delectation from his throat. He slumped against her, exhausted yet content, feeling her heart racing beneath his.

"Dear God, do you think they heard us in the Slytherin common room?" she asked breathlessly, planting a kiss on his shoulder.

"They probably heard us in Gryffindor Tower," he snorted as he tried to catch his breath. "So much for discretion. Thankfully the walls are far too thick, and the wards make everything in here adequately soundproof."

They rested, listening to the crackling fire. Severus was about to doze off when he suddenly remembered that they were expected in the Great Hall for the evening meal. Callista mumbled that Dumbledore would think that she had already left to complete her errands. Unfortunately, Severus had no such excuse. He started when he heard the scrape of furniture against the floor. When the torches flared, they revealed Winky setting a tray down on a small table. Uttering a startled oath, he jerked the dark green duvet up to his chin, trying to cover himself. More than one house-elf had probably seen him naked in the twenty-odd years he had lived at Hogwarts, but still....

"Winky has brought you a tray from the kitchen, Professor Snape, sir. Professor Snape and my mistress are probably very hungry, now." The house-elf was grinning at him with a knowing expression. "Winky told the headmaster that Professor Snape was going to try and sleep a bit more."

"I'm sure he will believe that," Severus grumbled snidely, falling back against the pillow. Callista began laughing. He shot her a sour look. "It's not funny. Now we shall have to endure his sly looks for the rest of the term."

Callista rolled over and started delicately stroking his chest. With a squeak, Winky left the room. Callista kissed his neck and chest, and he closed his eyes, relaxing in the afterglow. Fifteen years ago he would have been up for another round, but now it wasn't quite so easy.

"I noticed you used a charm earlier," Callista mumbled against his chest.

His hand cupped her face, he had to make her understand. Severus locked his eyes with hers, allowing the truth of his desires to rise to the surface so that she could read them plainly. "When our circumstances change, we will have the life we should have had. I swear to you we will. Trust me, Callista."

"I trust you; it's the circumstances I don't trust." She curled up against him.

Severus pulled her closer, stroking her arms and back. He refused to quarrel with her, arguing served no purpose. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew that she was correct. They had no guarantees. This could end for them at any time. It was better to just treasure what they possessed. Contemplating their uncertain future would mar what little time they might have left.

After a time, Callista slipped from the bed and headed to the bathroom to clean up. Severus sat on the bed, listening to the shower. He cleaned up with a charm, summoned his clothes and began to dress. He wanted desperately to trust and believe her, but he simply couldn't understand what all of the fuss was about. As comfortable as he felt dealing with academic fields, he felt equally ignorant of the understanding of the female psyche. Women were such irrational creatures, who didn't even understand themselves most of the time; how were men supposed to comprehend their thoughts?

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Severus spent the time between Callista's departure and the Order meeting bottling various healing potions he had brewed for use in the infirmary. Upon completing the task, he straightened up his workroom and took a moment to wash up. He summoned several house-elves to deliver the boxes to Madam Pomfrey. Carrying his black travel cloak over one arm, he departed from his office.

Outside the entrance hall he stared out into the night. It was wretchedly cold, and sleet was falling steadily from the sky. He caught himself wondering if Callista had managed to miss the worst of the storm. Severus reminded himself that she had left hours ago and was probably sitting in the kitchen with Molly Weasley, drinking hot tea and waiting for everyone to arrive. She was more than likely wondering what was keeping him. At least he felt confident that she wasn't discussing their love life with anyone. The last thing he wanted was for the Weasley woman to know about them.

It was just after the Easter holiday, and Severus was meeting with Callista for a consultation on the final phase of her N.E.W.T. project. He stood at the door to the Potions classroom watching her. She was rereading the notes that she had written, oblivious to the fact that Severus had joined her in the classroom. He cleared his throat to announce his presence in the room. She was startled out of her thought, blushing at the fact that she had been caught utterly off guard.

"I didn't hear you come in, Professor Snape."

"That was obvious, Miss Hawkins." He crossed his arms over his chest, studying her intently. He loved watching her: seeing her added beauty to his bleak existence. "I know how hard you are working, but you need to remember to pay some attention to what is going on around you."

"I'm sorry, sir." Her blush deepened, and she distractedly stuffed the notes into her bag.

"I'm only looking out for your safety," he said, coming to her side. He listened carefully for any sounds of approaching students before trailing his fingers down the side of her face. Her face tortured him nightly with pleasantly erotic dreams that often left him in need of a relaxing drink and a drying spell. "Do you know how beautiful you are?"

"I'm sure that you were about to tell me," she said lightly, pressing up against him. Her eyes locked with his just before he bent to kiss her. Pulling her flush to his body, he knew that she was aware of the hardness of him. He was sure that she knew how badly he yearned to teach her lessons of a more intimate nature. It was only a few weeks more. No matter what his personal desires were, jeopardizing his post at the school would lead to far worse than a mere loss of employment. Getting caught would ruin both of their lives. Well, ruin hers; end his. Reluctantly, he released her, pulling back to an almost respectable distance.

"I don't think I had looked forward this much to my own N.E.W.T.'s being over," he said, breathing heavily.

"I wish we could be more open," she whispered. "I don't like sneaking around like this. I especially detest keeping something this important from my parents. What if they decide to encourage someone, now that I'm no longer dating Alan? What should I tell them?"

"Tell them you want to focus on your career first. You have always been a serious student, so it's not as if you would be lying to them. It's only a few more weeks until the term is over, and then we can tell your parents. I don't want anyone to say that you didn't earn your apprenticeship honestly. I want to keep you utterly above suspicion. You have worked too hard for the last seven years to lose everything now," Severus whispered, taking her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. "No one can know about us. Not yet anyway."

"I think my uncle suspects." Callista pulled away from him slightly when she felt him tense.

"I am willing to be honest with the headmaster, but only if he asks me outright. Tell him only if he asks, Callista. I don't want you to lie to him."

Tears sprang to her bright blue-green eyes, making them all the more brilliant. "Professor, I have overheard rumors about us in the corridors. I just pretend that I don't hear them, but some of them are really ugly, and they are all untrue."

He cupped her face. He hated the thought that she was being hurt because of vicious lies. The last thing that he wanted was for her to suffer because of him. That was the main reason he was holding back from taking her into his bed. If anyone asked if he had slept with her, he could honestly prove that he hadn't. It was torture to deny himself those deep desires, but he knew it was necessary. "I need you to keep ignoring them; don't let them bait you. That's why we are waiting. Believe me when I tell you I want to make you mine, completely mine. I've never been with--"

"Anyone?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"If only that were true," he muttered sadly, tracing her full lips with one of his fingers. His past encounters were not exactly happy experiences. They had been strictly for show, and a few of them had even been humiliating. He didn't want any of that for her. "You would have been worth waiting for. Now let's go over your research to date, Miss Hawkins. I need to think about something else before you make me lose my resolve."

He released her, and the two of them began going over her research. Minutes later one of the Slytherin seventh year girls arrived to retrieve supplies from the storage cupboard. The blond-haired girl watched them closely before asking the professor to look over her notes. Callista excused herself to gather some general supplies from the cupboard before returning to her workroom. Severus had obliged the young lady, flatly ignoring Callista as he had worked with the student from his own House. The girl batted her lashes at him and brushed her hand against his more than once. Severus spoke to her in a brisk, businesslike tone. He had no choice but to pay attention to her. He knew her father was a Death Eater of some significance, most likely a financial one.

After all of this time, Severus and Callista were still trapped in a duplicitous love affair. They were still taking all of the same risks that they had taken from the very start. The greatest one being the risk that they could be found out. Their lives were stranded in limbo. They had no freedom to be together. No matter how supportive Dumbledore might be, and no matter how much the venerable man promised not to intrude, Severus knew full well that those promises would be rescinded if the Order's efforts made it a necessity. At any rate, it was time to find out what the Order was going to demand of him now. He stood in the clearing; the sleet had created a frozen crust on his traveling cloak and was starting to soak through. The Warming Charm was wearing off rapidly in the frigid air. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on his destination and vanished with a nearly inaudible pop.

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Severus Apparated near the trash bins around the corner from Number Twelve. The icy streets were treacherous, and more than once Severus caught himself before he slipped. When he finally reached the part of the street where the headquarters was hidden, Severus was horrified to realize that he was almost happy to see the dilapidated old building emerge from between numbers eleven and thirteen. He furtively glanced up and down the street before knocking on the door. The door creaked open, and Severus found himself face to face with Arthur Weasley.

"I see you made it safely, Professor," Weasley said in a falsely bright voice.

Severus turned his back abruptly on the man as he strode toward the entrance to the kitchen. All he wanted was to shed his damp cloak and sip a steaming cup of tea. The man behind him cleared his throat noisily, forcing Severus to respond. "It's freezing out there, Weasley, and I'm sure we have a lot of information to cover tonight."

"We were waiting for you and Callista to arrive before starting."

Severus felt his blood turn to ice. Callista still hadn't arrived? She had left the castle hours ago. What could possibly be keeping her? His mind began to fill with unwelcome thoughts of her in mortal danger. She had to be in trouble; Callista was never late for anything. His brow furrowed with worry, and he was thankful that Weasley could not see his face. He was just about to come up with an excuse to leave the house and go look for her when the doorbell rang again.

"That must be Callista," the man said, gratitude at the chance to politely leave the Potions master all too evident in his voice. He opened the door and gasped, "What happened to you?"

Callista limped into the foyer, the knee of her jeans torn and bloody. She was cradling her wand hand and grumbling softly. "Stupid icy street. I think my wrist is broken, or at least, it's a really bad sprain. My feet went right out from under me, and I thought it would be a good idea to try and break my fall. I would have healed it, but there were a group of Muggles who came to my aid."

"Severus, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you mind helping Callista to the kitchen? Molly will patch you up, Callista, and make sure you both get a hot drink."

Callista looked up at him in surprise; she hadn't seen the professor standing in the shadows. Severus hesitantly took a few steps toward her, not trusting himself to speak. He was just thankful that she was safe. He plastered a vaguely disinterested look on his face as he offered his arm to her. She accepted it, gratefully leaning on him. He mumbled under his breath, "Where were you?"

"I told you; I had a few errands to run," she said evasively. "They just took longer than I thought they would, and then, out of sheer nostalgia, I took the tube."

He shook his head. "I'm sure that from now on you will stick to Apparating; obviously it's infinitely safer. I will be healing those injuries. Even though I'm sure she is reasonable well-versed in healing spells, I don't entirely trust Molly's skills."

"One would think that after raising Fred and George she would be almost as skilled as anyone at St. Mungo's." Callista smiled. "I'll manage on my own. People may think you actually care about me otherwise. And I'm sorry about...earlier."

"Likewise. I was...insensitive," he said, allowing a brief flash of warmth to invade his eyes.

They entered the kitchen, and all conversation came to a halt as the assembled Order members stared at them. Severus realized that he had his arm around her, and that she was smiling up at him.

"Severus Snape, you sexy git!" shouted Fred Weasley, raising his shotglass to him. George and Lupin laughed heartily, and George fell off of his chair.

For a moment, Severus thought that someone had opened a Howler in the kitchen. "Fred Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked in her piercing voice, as she soundly cuffed her son on the back of the head. "I am absolutely appalled that you would dare address a former teacher like that! Put that shotglass down and cap that bottle this instant!"

"At least someone noticed," Severus muttered sarcastically, tossing his hair back, as Callista snorted softly. He sneered at the twins and Lupin. "I was under the impression that this was supposed to be an Order meeting, not a party. Had I been told it was the latter, I would have stayed at the school."

"See, Moody, we should have said it was a party," said Tonks, wrinkling her nose. "Oi, Callista, your knee's bleedin'. Did the git shove you down the stairs or something?"

Before Callista could reply, Severus deposited her in a chair, responding snidely, "Actually, Miss Tonks, Professor Hawkins was trying to do an impression of you for a group of Muggles. Unlike you, however, she tried not to fall flat on her face." He turned to Callista. "Let's see how much damage you have managed to inflict upon yourself."

"Thank you, Professor Snape, but I'm sure I can manage," Callista said, waving him off. "I'll just take a seat off to the side so Uncle Albus can get the meeting started. Thanks again for not shoving me down the stairs."

Molly looked at her coldly as she thumped a basin and towel on the table next to her. Severus saw the dislike and mistrust on the woman's face. As he took his usual unobtrusive seat in the far corner of the kitchen, he caught Lupin grinning at him appraisingly. Severus could only think, Wonderful! Lupin was just sober enough to figure out that Callista and I have made amends.

All through the meeting, Severus only half-listened to the reports given by Tonks and Moody pertaining to possible locations for the Death Eater stronghold. Once or twice they asked Severus for his opinion. He was noncommittal in his answers. All of the possibilities were viable, but he simply did not know where the Dark Lord was hiding. The now sober twins shared their latest line of merchandise that could be remotely useful to Order members. Severus had to admit he was impressed with their work. As the meeting wore on, he found his thoughts drifting to the perverse fantasy of sneaking Callista upstairs and making love to her in Black's bed. Surely, Black's spirit would be repulsed and horrified, knowing that Severus finally had the one thing Black had been unable to successfully obtain. However, he highly doubted that Callista would go along with the idea.

"And now we need to discuss the possibility of allowing Harry membership in the Order," Dumbledore stated as he rose to his feet.

Potter...an Order member? The words struck a sour chord with the Potions master. How could that stupid, impulsive, arrogant little boy be granted membership in the Order? It was entirely unthinkable!

"He is underage and still a student," Molly fumed. "It's out of the question! Arthur, don't just sit there, back me up on this!"

"Molly," Callista began softly, "so many of the decisions the Order makes directly affect Harry. I, for one, think that he should have knowledge and input regarding some of those decisions. He has proven that he is exceptional. We need him."

Molly whirled on Callista. "In case you have forgotten, Harry is only sixteen. He's a child. While you may not think that matters, especially since you aren't an official Order member, the rest of us know better."

Callista glowered coldly at the older woman before turning to the scarred old Auror. "Alastor, what do you think?"

Severus was relieved that she didn't ask his opinion. The thought of having to side against Callista could only cause him more trouble than he wanted to ever deal with. The prospect of siding with Molly Weasley, even if for a different reason, didn't appeal to him either.

"Callista has a fair point, Molly. Potter is made of tougher stuff than we thought; he should have some say in the decisions."

When McGonagall, Tonks and Lupin agreed, Molly looked horrified at the prospect of being out numbered. The redheaded woman defiantly crossed her arms and glared at the group. Her husband had slouched down into his seat, trying his best not to incur her wrath. Severus shot him a look of deep disgust. The man really needed to grow a spine.

Dumbledore sighed tiredly before addressing the Order. "This is not something that we need to decide tonight. However, we do need to make this decision soon, and it is important to the cohesion of the Order that it is unanimous. The last thing that we need, given our current situation, is to be divided. I want you all to think about it until Friday, when we will need to make the decision. All of you, please take of yourselves."

Callista was donning her coat when George tapped her on the shoulder. His face had been restored quite well, although there were still some slight differences between him and his twin brother. He smiled almost shyly at her. "Callista, would you like to join me for a drink or two at the pub? I never did get a chance to properly thank you for saving my life."

She looked taken aback by the offer. "Why that sounds nice, but--"

"I'll kindly thank you not to meddle with my sons, Professor Hawkins," Mrs. Weasley snapped, bearing down on the younger witch. "Dumbledore may trust you with innocent young boys, but I don't."

"Mum," began an obviously mortified George, "it's just drinks at the pub. Fred, Lupin and Tonks will be there. Dear gods, I don't even live at home anymore! I thought you became a man when you started washing your own socks."

His mother rudely turned her back on Callista. "George, dear, there are a lot of proper young witches out there--ones that know how to dress appropriately and don't see the need to tart themselves up with Muggle face-paint. She's far too old for you anyway."

"Oh lighten up, Molly," growled Moody as he stumped across the room. "Who she's supposed to go out for drinks with -- Snape?"

Severus scowled angrily at Moody. He resented that they always talked about him as if he were a piece of furniture. The comment would have stung a lot more had the Potions master not enjoyed her company in his bed only hours ago.

What would they think of her, he wondered bitterly, if they knew she was sleeping me? I imagine that Molly would have to try and come up with something more degrading than 'scarlet woman' to insult her with. Moody is so protective that he would probably curse my bollocks onto a flesh-eating slug. It would almost be worth dropping on one knee and proposing to her in front of them all.

Callista lifted her chin, smiling warmly at George. "As I was about to say, I would be delighted to, but it's a school night. I just couldn't possibly go. Thank you anyway, George." She turned to Severus. "Are you going to Portkey back with Professor McGonagall and Uncle Albus?"

Severus leered at her in a way that was sure to make them all cringe. Fixing her with an oily, hungry gaze, he replied, "I was hoping to accompany you back, Professor Hawkins. As Auror Moody pointed out, I'm really your only option."

"A woman of my age cannot be too choosey, I suppose," Callista returned snidely, following him up the kitchen stairs.

"What were you playing at, Callista, flirting with the Weasley boy?" Severus growled as soon as they were out of earshot.

She had a beatific smile on her face as she held up a finger to quiet him. Below they heard angry voices, bickering back and forth. Finally, Moody shouted, "Damn it, Molly, you all but tossed her into his bed! She's a nice girl. You should be complimenting George on his taste in women!"

Callista tossed her head triumphantly. "Hopefully that will teach her not to have a go at me in the future. There are such wonderfully subtle ways to exact revenge without getting one's hands dirty. You've taught me well, Severus."

"What did you do to get on her bad side?" Severus asked.

"Well, for starters, I get along with people, namely Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Arthur. Arthur had me working with him on a few projects in his shed over the summer. I think she also has a problem with me looking more like a Muggle than a 'proper witch.'" Callista's eyes grew cold as ice. "She considers me to be a foreigner, because I have spent the last fifteen years out of the country. As a result, she ranks me right next to Fleur on the not-to-be-trusted list. Plainly phrased: she doesn't like me."

"At least people have sound reasons for hating and mistrusting me," he grumbled.

"No, they only think they have reasons," she corrected. "You are unfailingly loyal to my uncle. I never realized how awful you must feel at the end of these meetings, when you've done everything you can to do the right thing, and no one believes you. You are taking risks that none of them understand. I'm looking forward to them realizing how wrong they have been about you all along."

"I have had years to get accustomed to the animosity. Right now it's enough to have your loyalty." After a quick glance to be sure they were alone in the foyer, he swiftly kissed her. If nothing else, Callista could occasionally understand what it was like to be him. It wasn't quite the same, but it was close enough. She was his friend and lover--two things he never thought he would ever have in his life. He felt a flash of guilt for not being able to be everything that she needed and deserved. She had never held back with him, she had always given herself to him without reservation. Maybe he should stop holding back and just give her everything that she wanted.