Slightly Off-Kilter

"How is she?" Sirius Black's voice was low and respectful when he met up with Severus Snape in the castle foyer.

"Sleeping. I gave her a draft of sleeping potion at four this morning." Sirius privately thought Snape could use one himself.

"That's not what I asked," he corrected mildly. "I asked how she's doing."

"She's insane," Severus growled tempermentally. "What do you expect?"

"No one took her very seriously last night, Snape, and what's more, she knew it." Sirius tried again.

"She cried and whimpered all evening, and most of the night. It got on my nerves and I knocked her cold, that work better for you?" snarled Severus at him.

Sirius took a step back and raked the potions master with a scathing gaze. "What she saw in you is quite beyond me," he informed the other black haired man.

"That makes double for me," snapped Snape.

"What do you mean?" asked Sirius, smelling an insult there somewhere.

"What she sees in me and what's not beyond you is indeed a puzzle of nature." Severus stomped off as Sirius rolled his eyes heavenward.

He turned around to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway. "I tried," he shrugged.

"He's tired. Gayle has been running him in circles. Plus add to the fact that he still loves her and despises himself for it, well, that puts strain on a person," remarked Dumbledore calmly. Sirius gave a raw laugh of derision, shrugged again and followed Snape into the Great Hall for breakfast.

Albus sat next to Severus for breakfast and made idle chitchat, most which earned him grunts and growls for response. Dumbledore sallied forth undaunted, however, and soon breakfast was over.

"Please, everyone, take the afternoon, wander the grounds, watch out for the Whomping Willow and relax. Perhaps something will come to us as we visit." A few people frowned at the mention of 'visiting' but did as they were told. There was always a method to Dumbledore's madness.

Remus and Sirius wandered upstairs, as Sirius had to maintain a low profile and being outside while not in dog form did not constitute 'low profile'. Severus wandered to the front door and stared morosely into the summer sunshine.

"Go outside, Severus," urged Dumbledore.

"I can't, she'll wake up soon."

"I'll take care of Gayle, out." Dumbledore gave him a shove out the doorway. "Go to Hogsmeade, get some sweets, do something unconstructive, and get out the castle." Severus obliged and soon disappeared down the hill towards the wizard-only village of Hogsmeade.

Dumbledore made his way to Severus' chambers and uncharmed the door. There he found a terrified Gayle wandering the living area, whimpering quietly. "Gayle, whatever is wrong?" Albus asked in alarm.

"They took him," she whispered in terror. "When I was sleeping. I shouldn't have said anything and now they are going to torture Severus like they did me!"

"Oh child, they did nothing of the sort. I sent Severus into Hogsmeade on an errand. He's quite fine."

"You swear it on your purple robe and orange socks?" Gayle demanded.

Dumbledore ruefully pulled his robes up to give a short glimpse of fiery orange socks beneath the deep purple material. "I swear it on my orange socks."

Gayle sagged with relief and suddenly began chattering about how depressing Severus' quarters were and the changes she'd love to make to it to make it more cheery and comfortable. Dumbledore distracted her from moving anything that would get her maimed by Severus later. He'd learned early on himself that you left Severus' things alone.

Dumbledore spent the morning trying to extricate further information that would be more helpful concerning Voldemort's activities prior to his fall but managed to only get Gayle to wax emphatic on the tinker toys mentioned the previous evening. She insisted that the tinker toys were vital to Voldemort's plans of action but Dumbledore kept trying to route around her, to no avail.

Both of them left each other's company disappointed when Severus came up the hill from the village, carrying a large bag full of things, most of it for Gayle. Thus distracted with trinkets and goodies, Gayle was out of the way most of the rest of the day. She was petulant about attending that evening's meeting. It took Remus, Sirius, Albus, Severus and Minerva all coaxing her to get her into the Great Hall for dinner.

"They don't like me," she said tremulously, pulling on her long braid nervously. "They think I'm crazy!"

"You are," pointed out Remus logically, only to get bashed in the head with a green bear with a silver bow ribbon around its neck.

Severus took the bear away from her. "Mr. Bear is hungry. He and I are going to dinner. You can stay here and starve or you can go with us."

Gayle glared accusingly at the bear. "Traitor!" she cried at it but stomped over to take Severus' offered arm. The others followed in their wake, grinning at each other.

"Quick thinking, Snape," muttered Sirius when Gayle was distracted by chocolate truffle at the end of dinner.

"I try," Severus said modestly. Sirius laughed appreciatively.

Remus grinned at Albus, who had arched an eyebrow in pleased surprise at how well the two former school nemesis were getting along.

Dinner ended with the ghosts mingling among the group. Albus called them together, Peeves reluctantly included and pouting in a corner, hoping they too could contribute something worthwhile to the discussion. After another three hours of wrangling and thinking, a small plot was hatched. Albus had set in motion contacting the giants and making allies with them. The ghosts made a suggestion of contacting other ghosts throughout England and what parts of Europe they could get too and see if other allies could be had there. Other suggestions were thrown into the loop and Lupin agreed to take a shot at negotiating with the werewolves. Thus assembled, the group agreed to meet in one month's time again at Hogwarts to report upon their progress.

Severus spent the evening squirming from Gayle's pokes in the ribs and her muttered, "Remind them about the tinker toys." When the meeting was finally adjourned Gayle was near tears again and Severus had finally had enough.

"Will you CEASE!" he bellowed at her, causing her to stumble away from him surprise. "You are about to drive me as batty as you are!" Gayle's brown eyes widened in dismay and her lower lip trembled. She looked around for assistance, for even she sensed she'd pushed Severus too far, but most of the room had been deserted, leaving only herself, Severus, Remus, Minerva and a couple of other teachers over by the door.

"Sevie," she began placatingly.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" he bellowed over her. "It gets on my nerves. My name is Severus, it has always been Severus, it will always be Severus, not SEVIE, SEVIEPOO or SEVIKINS!" He advanced on her, black robes swishing. The remaining occupants stared at the two of them in shock. "I realize you have some mental issues but at the moment I do not and do not care to have any. So please refrain from DRIVING ME UP THE WALL!" With that he turned on his heel and stomped out of the Great Hall. A second later his head popped back in. "And tell Albus he's got you for tonight! I want to sleep peacefully without loud snores interrupting it!"

"Severus!" exclaimed Minerva. "What on earth?"

Gayle stared at the empty doorway and then back at the seat Severus had been sitting in all evening. On the chair was her green bear, its silver ribbon twinkling brightly in the flickering lights of the wall sconces.

Remus described the events that followed brilliantly the next morning. "That bear looked like it had been struck by a lightening rod from Zeus. I'd only seen her abilities manifest once before and I'd forgotten how awesome they were. Her eyes glittered a silver color and bolts of electricity arched out of them, right into that bear. It was still smoking when she sat down to tell the bear that Severus was bad and that since she couldn't hurt Severus, the bear had to take the brunt. She promise to have Albus fix him."

"Fix him all up," corrected Minerva around a shudder. "She spoke like she was speaking with a small child. She even used a little girl voice when she spoke to the bear."

Albus, having heard this before, merely sighed and looked heavenward. "Merlin's beard, now what?"