The Bonds of Friendship

You may not think you've done that much...but you have! :)

* * * * *

It begins...

~4~

Severus, Malfoy, and Gregory were standing inside the circle.

"You great, greasy git! You ever lay hands on my sister again, and I'll curse you into next month!" Gregory spat at Severus, the veins in his temples bulging with his heart rate.

Severus stood silent, his face locked in a cold sneer, his arms crossed in front of him as if a shield. Though he looked ready to face off with her brother, Aleanor knew Severus was probably rattled inside.

Malfoy looked over at Aleanor and grinned. "What, that filthy half-blood?" His grin widened as he looked back at her brother. "She's not fit to breed with dogs."

Before Malfoy could blink, Gregory had lunged at him, nailing him in the face repeatedly as Malfoy's arms struggled to land a single substantial blow on his attacker. Severus quickly dashed through the crowd to escape as the Marauders broke through the crowd to try and stop Gregory or maybe even join in.

Seeing Severus dash out of the scene, Aleanor went to follow him. He would never allow himself to show any emotion to those around him, except anger, and he was probably running to find somewhere to take off his defensive mask. She needed to see him. As she went to follow him, Lily's hand reached out and grabbed her robes.

Lily clung to her arm as Aleanor fought to break free of her friend's grip. "Lily, let go!"

"I'm not about to let you go running in there! Potter'll probably curse the daylights out of Malfoy, and you don't need to get caught in the cross fire!"

Still struggling, she said, "I'm not trying to get in there! I want to talk to Severus!"

"Oh." Lily said, letting go of her arm.

"Thanks," Aleanor said, rubbing her sore arm before pushing her way back through the crowd to try and find Severus. As she cleared the crowd, she saw Renae Wallis standing on the stairs overlooking the commotion. "Hey, Renae!"

The brunette Ravenclaw looked down at her. "Yeah, Aleanor?" she asked in her American accent.

"Which way did Snape go?" Looking thoroughly exasperated, Renae pointed towards the corridor leading to the library. "Thanks!" she said, leaving the Entrance Hall just as McGonagall's voice echoed through the room.

"...Mr. Delaney, Mr. Malfoy! Stop that, immediately!..."

* * * * *

Severus reached the library doors and stopped to catch his breath. He was furious at his best friend, saying that about Aleanor. He didn't feel that way, but now, she would think he did!

Lucius, you horses arse! He couldn't think of a hex good enough for his blonde companion. Oh, but I will find a way to get back at you, you just wait! His thoughts were quickly interrupted by footsteps behind him.

"Severus!"

He spun around to see Aleanor running up behind him. Oh, Merlin! He dashed inside the library before she could reach him. Quickly he ran through several aisles, trying to put as much distance between them as he could. Finally, feeling he had lost her, he slid down in front of a shelf, and laid his head back against the dusty books as he closed his eyes.

Footsteps slowly drew nearer, and as they reached the end of his aisle, he opened one eye. Aleanor stood there, hands on her hips. Jumping to his feet, he went to dash down the other end of the aisle.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

His arms and legs snapped to his sides as he slowly fell backward. As he began to fall, he heard her gasp from behind him.

"Cubitalis."

When he landed, instead of a hard stone floor, he felt a soft feather cushion break his fall. Staring up at the library's vaulted ceiling, Severus waited as Aleanor casually strolled up beside him, twirling her wand in her right hand. The look on her face was so smug; he would have been glaring back at her if it weren't for the fact his face was frozen solid.

Slowly she put her hands on her knees as he leaned over him, her long, wavy, red hair falling like a curtain to one side. "So, Severus, thought you could hide from me?"

All he could do was grunt in response.

"Yeah, thought so." She grinned. "Look, I'm going to make this as short as possible..." she overlooked his rigid body then giggled, "okay, maybe not so short. It's not like you're going anywhere!"

He shot her the coldest look he could, considering his condition.

"Sorry, that's not nearly as effective when you're a statue."

She knelt down beside him, poking his chest with her wand. "I could care less what Malfoy thinks of me...I could care less what the Marauders think of me...I don't even care what the rest of this school thinks of me! I know you don't feel the same way as Malfoy, I see it in your eyes everyday, and after last night, I know you must be feeling the same thing I am."

Leaning in closer, she continued, "I like you Severus. Not as a tutor, and more than as a friend. I mean... I really like you. And if you want anything to happen between us, you're going to have to loosen up and stop playing games with me!" Her face softened a bit. "I want to know you better...hell, I want to know you better than Malfoy, if you'll let me! And I want to let you get to know me too."

A smile spread across her face, shocking Severus. Now what is she going to do?

"Now if you promise you won't run, I'll lift the spell."

He grunted.

"I'll take that as a yes."

* * * * *

Casting the counter curse, she stepped back and let him get to his feet. She knew he was going to be furious with her, but she didn't care. She was tired of playing games.

Blasting the cushion into tiny pieces, Severus looked over at her, a hardness shown in his eyes. Aleanor felt extremely cold all of sudden, and wondered whether or not she had gone too far.

Slowly, he began to step closer to her. Aleanor backed up until the bookshelf stopped her retreat. Swallowing hard, she watched as he continued his advance. By the time she could feel his breath on her robes, her heart was pounding as if it were trying to escape her rib cage. The back of her neck grew hot and she grabbed the edges of the shelf with her hands, her wand falling to the floor.

Oh, Merlin, he's not THAT mad is he? She was panicking. He stood there, only inches from her, his gaze penetrating through her as if to read the spines of the books behind her head. Finally she began to stutter. "S, S, Severus...I, I..."

Suddenly he pressed against her, capturing her lips in a kiss, his strong hands snaking around her waist as he pushed her back against the shelves. Completely enraptured by this aggressive, passionate kiss, she didn't notice the piercing pain shooting through the back of her head from the shelf edge being lodged into her skull. All she noticed was how wonderful she felt in the arms of Severus Snape.

* * * * *

He didn't want words, and he certainly didn't want apologies.

Aleanor's surprising aggressiveness was a turn on for Severus, to say the least. Yes, he had witnessed a few of her temper-induced outbursts and they were part of what attracted him to her, but this... This new revelation into the fierce, dominating, side she had buried deep within her was exactly what he wanted!

No longer thinking about house rivalries, or blood pureness, or what his father might say...Severus did the one thing he had been longing to do since he first dared to lay a hand on her. He kissed her with all the passion and heated fury she had kindled within him.

As he deepened the kiss, she moaned in his mouth, sending glorious vibrations through his entire body. He lost all comprehension of time and place. All he knew at that moment, was Aleanor. It wouldn't last long...

"I dare say this may be becoming a problem."

Quickly releasing her, several books fell off the shelf beside them as they turned to see Professor Congius standing only a few feet away, his arms crossed, and his usual sneer firmly planted on his face.

"Becoming quite the exhibitionists aren't you?" he asked, making sure his voice boomed more than was necessary as his one eyebrow raised in amusement. Congius looked behind him as several students started to gather around, curious as to who was being reprimanded.

Looking over at Aleanor, he saw she was trembling slightly, and he remembered how intimidating the professor was to her. In an effort to calm her down, he reached over and slowly took her hand. She quickly laced her fingers in his as she stepped a little closer to him. He could feel her trembling against his robes, but slowly she was beginning to settle down as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"At least in my classroom, you had more privacy. Perhaps we should proceed there, and you can begin your detention early. I'm sure I can find something that will keep the two of you busy this evening, so as to give your lips a rest."

The students watching burst into subdued giggles as Aleanor picked up her wand and the two of them followed Professor Congius out of the library.

* * * * *

Aleanor didn't dare make a sound as they began cleaning every inch of the shelves in the Potions classroom, muggle style, as per Professor Congius' instructions. Several times the dust being launched into the air by her feather duster made her eyes water as she sneezed. There were two things she was allergic to, dust and cats.

Two hours past, and as Severus and Aleanor slowly made their way towards each other from opposite ends of the shelves, they were surprised to see Congius leave his office and walk out into the corridor, the classroom door slamming closed behind him. Aleanor immediately dropped her duster and sat in the nearest seat.

"Severus, can I ask you something?"

He continued their chore while answering. "Yes."

"How did you know I'd calm down if you held my hand?"

Without taking his eyes off the large glass bottle filled with green liquid in front of him, he said, "I didn't."

"Then why did you take my hand?" She asked, hoping beyond all hope he might admit he liked her too after the way she had laid it all out for him in the library.

Finally, he stopped dusting, and turned to face her. "I didn't want you to be afraid."

She blushed. "I was, until you took my hand." Looking down, trying to prevent him from seeing her face become redder than her hair, she added, "I feel safe with you." After what seemed an eternity of silence, she looked up to gauge his reaction to her confession, and found him smiling weakly. She felt a huge grin spread across her face.

"What's so amusing?" he asked her, taken aback.

"You smiling."

His eyes widened. "I was not smiling."

"Yes, you were," she giggled.

He turned his face as stern as possible, but it wasn't fooling her. "I do NOT smile," he admonished through gritted teeth.

"Really?" Aleanor stood up, pulling a compact mirror out of her robes. "Then what will you bet me, I can't make you smile again?"

"I didn't smile in the first place!"

"Yes, you did!" She laughed, despite knowing Severus would be close to cursing her at this point.

Glaring at her, he slammed his feather duster on the nearest table and walked the few feet over to her. Staring, silently, she knew that was her cue to do her best to make him smile. Racking her brains for the best approach, she decided to take a chance and do something extremely daring, and possibly dangerous, if he reacted negatively. After what she did in the library, she felt even more confident that he wouldn't go hexing her off the planet. Now was the time for offense...

As she took a step closer to him, he went to step back. "Hold still Severus!" Surprisingly, he obeyed. Now standing only inches apart, Aleanor slid her hands up his chest and his eyes grew wider. Good so far! Then, stepping closer, she pressed herself against his chest and lifted herself up a bit to very slowly press her lips to his as lightly as possible, knowing the soft contact would become excruciating without full contact following. Without moving or stepping back, their eyes locked on one another's, and with their lips barely touching, she whispered, "I love you Severus."

Pulling her head back, she immediately held the compact mirror up to him, giggling. His eyes bulged out as he saw the uncharacteristic smile on his face. Pushing the mirror aside, he tried to wipe the incriminating look off his face.

Grinning she pocketed the mirror. "Nice try, I already saw it!"

* * * * *

Severus fought hard not to grin with satisfaction. The witty cardinal had done it, and not just a weak, timid smile; but a full, all-out, 'shit eating grin'. Though he should be mad, stark raving mad, he found instead, that he was quite amused with her bold tactics.

"You enjoy cornering me, don't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Still only a few inches apart, he felt her navy eyes smiling at him. "As a matter of fact, I do." With a grin she added, "Just as much as when you do the same to me." If he wasn't mistaken, her eyes were daring him to make the next move.

Severus' eyebrow raised as his mouth curled into a calculating sneer. "Really?" He stepped closer, taking a hold of her arms. Without a single word of resistance, she smiled as he slowly pulled her against him. "You like me being aggressive?"

Her response was a simple smile.

"So the delicate rose enjoys the thorns? I never imagined you to be so... playful," he said, finding her eyes a wonderful place to lose oneself in.

Her eyes still locked on his, she grinned and hooked her finger behind his tie, pulling him closer. "And I never thought such a cold grin could kiss so passionately."

Severus could feel the back of his neck growing hot and his groin beginning to tighten. "Perhaps the cold grin is nothing more than a mask."

"And perhaps the timid, well-mannered girl is nothing more than an act." Slowly she pulled him even closer, so that their noses touched and all they could see were each other's eyes.

Releasing her arms, he slowly trailed his hands around her back as she slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders.

"...Lestrange, go back to the common room, I've already..." It was Congius outside the classroom door.

"Shit!" Severus said, quickly releasing her as they both spun on their heels to return to their chore before Congius returned.

Upon opening the door, Professor Congius looked over at them, a look of disappointment on his face. Aleanor stood dusting as if trying to break a land speed record, Severus five feet away, watched the professor through the reflection of the glass bottle in front of him. Merlin, that was close!

* * * * *

Lucius followed Severus into the dormitory. "Severus," his dark haired friend spun around, a reproachful look on his face, which Lucius ignored like usual, "tell me again, why you keep associating with that Cardinal?"

Severus calmly set his books on the floor before sitting on his bed. "Lucius, would you stop being so fucking paranoid. She's not about to turn me into a weak, mindless, puppet if that's what you're worried about. Honestly, I thought you, of all people, would know that no one has that kind of influence on me!"

Lucius grinned. That's were you're wrong, dear friend! Sitting on his bed, facing Severus, the blonde decided on a different approach, use Severus' weakness against him. Let his best friend cozy up with the fiery little tart, and get information from her through Severus.

What Lucius' friend didn't realize, was that he had already been doing his research on her as well. Lucius' father had connections everywhere and was able to discover that her father was poised to become Head of the Department of Museum Acquisitions, which normally wouldn't sound very exciting. However, as such, he would be overseeing all archaeological investigations, including those for rare and ancient, wizarding artifacts, many of which may prove to be useful to his father's friend, probably one of the most powerful wizards Lucius had ever met. Now that's a man with vision!

"Lucius, did you hear a single word I have just said?" Severus was staring at him, his brows furrowed.

The blonde didn't realize his thoughts had drifted so far off course that he failed to notice his dark haired friend address him. "Ah, no, Severus, I'm sorry. What was it you were saying?"