Forget about Love

Okay...I just noticed that I totally and accidently skipped the real chapter three of this story, So here it is at the end instead. Please don\'t hurt me for this tiny mistake.


“What changed the Headmaster’s mind? Last night he was all for getting the children out of Hogwarts,” Erica exclaimed. She was getting confused, and angry.

“He thought it over last night and realized that we would never be able to defeat all of Voldemort’s army with just a few people. He wants the two of you to teach them to fight,” Lupin said.

“Why me?” Erica said.

“Hand-to-hand combat with you, Erica, and Snape here can teach them how to duel properly and fight using a wand,” Lupin said. Erica sighed and fell into an armchair.

“This is getting difficult. Did the Headmaster ever take into consideration that I may not be very good at hand-to-hand combat? Or if I was that part of it was because I have abilities that come with being a vampire?”

Lupin shook his head. “He just wants you to teach them how to fight without a wand. He wants them to know how to defend themselves.”

“He’s crazy. The damn lemon drops are going to his head,” she said. Snape felt the corners of his mouth twitch while fighting a smile.

“Albus doesn’t care about you being a vampire. He was also curious to see if the two of you could work together to find a cure,” Lupin said.

Snape sneered at Lupin. “A cure for what?”

“For Erica.”

Erica turned and looked at Lupin. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I asked the Headmaster if there was any known cures for being turned into a vampire. He said that he didn’t know, but it would be a good use of time for you and Snape so when the war is over to can change back.”
“And if I die?”

Snape and Lupin looked at the young woman with confusion in their eyes. “What?” Lupin asked.

“If I am killed in the final battle, then the whole time that Professor Snape and I worked on the potion would be a waste. It would do no good,” she said.

“Actually it would,” Snape said. “Even if you died, then we could use the potion to save others from the same fate.”

Lupin looked at Snape with shock. “How can you say that? Of course she is going to survive. Don’t even think that she isn’t.”

“You don’t know that for sure,” Erica said standing. “If the Headmaster wants it done, I’m game.”

“I will attempt this impossible endeavor,” Snape said. “When do we begin training the children?”

“Today,” Lupin said. “You can work in the Room of Requirement with the fifth years and up. Everyone else will attend classes like normal. Don’t worry about your classes Severus they have been covered by the other professors. You will start with the fifth years first, followed by sixth years and then the seventh years. Have fun.”

Lupin turned and started to leave. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to Erica.

“By the way, Erica. That dress looks beautiful on you. I’m almost jealous of you Severus…almost,” Lupin said before walking out the door.

Snape turned to Erica, who had her eyebrows raised. “Well, that was certainly nice of him,” she said.

Snape sighed and walked over to the desk and picked up a piece of toast and buttered it before eating it.

“I guess you got over the shock,” Erica said before walking back into her room. Even though the dress was beautiful, she still needed to equip her weapons.

She decided that the two daggers would be fine for the day. She wrapped the dagger sheaths onto her upper thighs. She looked at the dress and mumbled a spell that created a slit going up both sides of the dress that stopped about mid-thigh.

“That’s better…and gives me better access,” she said to herself.

She turned and opened the door to walk back into the sitting room, however Snape was waiting for her right on the other side.

“Don’t you ever knock or something? I’m going to have to buy you a damn bell,” she said.

Snape creased his eyebrows in confusion. Erica sighed. “It is an expression. When someone is sneaky or you lose something, you say that you should tie a bell around its neck to either be warned that it’s coming or where it is.”
“Which is it in this case?”

Erica took a step back. “Are you trying to piss me off?”

“No,” Snape said. “You simply mentioned that you needed to buy me a bell, and I was curious as to whether I was too sneaky or if you lost me.”

“Don’t bring up the past Snape, cause you will regret it,” Erica said moving to pass Snape. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back in front of him.

“Don’t talk to me about regret,” he growled at her. “I know more about that than anyone.”

“Bullshit,” she said. Snape’s eyes flashed his anger at her as hers flashed it right back. Snape’s grip on her arm tightened, but Erica didn’t feel it. She was too angry.

They were inches from each other, when someone knocked on the door. Neither one of them heard the knock, but they definably heard the voice behind it.

“Severus, Erica, are you in there,” came the voice of the Headmaster knocking both Erica and Snape out of their self-induced rage at each other.

Snape released Erica violently and went to let Dumbledore in.

“Ah, there you are my boy,” Dumbledore said walking in. Snape greeted the Headmaster and let him in.

“Erica,” Snape heard Dumbledore say with a bit of fear behind his voice. Snape turned to see Erica standing there pointing her gun at him with anger in her eyes. Snape took a step towards Erica.

“Don’t move Snape,” she said in a calm voice. Snape stopped moving, but he did speak. “What are you doing, Erica?”

“I’m sorry Headmaster, but you have to get these children out of here before the armies come.”

“Armies?” Snape asked. “What else aren’t you telling us?”

“There is a reason we aren’t sending the children away. Several of the students have parents who are Deatheaters.

If we send them home it would be like advertising that we know about the attack,” Dumbledore said. “It is already bad enough that they know about Severus. Please put the weapon down.”

Erica eyed Dumbledore and glanced at Snape before lowering the weapon. Snape was instantly at her side and removing the gun from her hands.

“What the hell were you thinking? Damn foolish girl,” Snape said. Erica balled her hands into a fist. She wanted nothing more than to punch him.

“Save the violence for the demonstrations when teaching the students,” Dumbledore said.

“Do you really think it is wise for us to get into a fist fight Headmaster?” Erica said glaring at Snape.

“Who said anything about a fist fight?” Snape said pulling his wand out from him sleeve and aiming it at Erica. “Severus,” Dumbledore said.

Erica smirked. “You don’t have the balls,” she said.

“I already used magic on you once,” Snape retorted.

“You didn’t know it was me then,” Erica said. “Now that you know, do you really think you can kill me?”

“Let’s see, shall we?” Snape said with a determined look on his face.

The two of them stood there facing off until Dumbledore had enough and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at Snape.

“Rictusempra,” he said.

Snape suddenly dropped his wand and fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. He was making a muffled sound.

Erica moved a little closer only to realize he was laughing.

“Not so tough now are you?” she said.

Dumbledore pointed his wand at Erica. “Tarantallegra,” he said. Erica started river dancing.

“Now that I have your attention,” Dumbledore said, “I want you to understand that we can’t send the children home.
We need them to fight because we are too few. If we can get some Aurors here then we will send them home, but as it is we don’t. They stay and they fight. Now you two need to get along. Teach them to defend themselves. I don’t want to have this conversation again. Finite Incantatem.”

Snape was sitting on the floor, and Erica fell to the floor next to him.

“Do we understand each other?” Dumbledore asked. Snape and Erica nodded. “Good. You will begin with hand-to-hand combat. Severus will help you with demonstrations. Be in the Room of Requirement in twenty minutes. The children will join you there shortly.”

Dumbledore walked out of the room, leaving Snape and Erica sitting on the ground.

“Damn man is too smart for his own good,” Snape said standing. He held out his hand to help Erica up. He pulled her up using more force than necessary causing her to slam into him.

Erica allowed Snape to pull her up. He was obviously stronger than he looked cause he pulled her too hard. She slammed into his hard body and almost fell back, but his arms wrapped around her. Once she was steady she looked up and her eyes connected with his black ones.

So dark, so mysterious, just like I remember.

Snape was lost in her brown eyes. He could smell vanilla and strawberries. He knew he should let her go, but he couldn’t.

Just let her go…wow, she has gorgeous eyes just like I remember. Release her. She’s a vampire.

At that thought he released her and took a step back. He looked at the fire, but glanced at her through his hair. She looked upset and confused.

“We should go,” she said. Snape nodded. He retrieved his wand and the two of them walked out of his quarters and through the dungeons.

It wasn’t until they were out of the dungeons that they realized that they might have a problem.

The position of the sun caused there to be almost no shade the way they had to go.

“Is there any other way around?” Erica asked standing in the shadows. Snape looked at the light and shook his head.

“Not unless we are going to be late, and we can’t be late,” he replied. Erica sighed.

“Wonderful,” she said. “What the hell are we going to do?”

Snape stood with his hands behind his back thinking. Erica sighed while thinking. She glanced at Snape.

Damn him. He can stand there in all those layers and not care. He has that damn teaching robe that covers everything…

Erica’s eyes widened in glee and a smile spread across her face. She walked over to Snape and began inspecting his teaching robe.

“What are you doing?” Snape demanded. Erica looked up at him with a smile on her face. Snape was taken back. She was beautiful.

“I have an idea,” she said. “You open your robe and wrap it around me, then the two of us walk to the Room of Requirement.”

“You suggest that I hide you under my robe?” Snape asked with a raised eyebrow. Erica nodded.

“I don’t think so,” Snape said crossing his arms.

Erica shrugged. “Fine, then you come up with something.”

“I will,” Snape said.

Five minutes later Snape was walking along with Erica pressed up against him under his teaching robes.

They arrived at the Room of Requirement early. Snape opened the door and walked in with Erica still clinging to him, even though they were away from the sun.

“You can let me go now,” Snape said. Erica was breathing heavily.

“Are you okay? Erica?” Erica wasn’t listening. She looked at Snape before fainting. Snape caught her before she hit the ground. A couch appeared against the wall and Snape laid her down there.

Snape reached down and brushed her hair away from her face. His finger grazed her skin when he felt a shock.

-----

“Hey, how long do you allow the Lacewing Flies to stew for when making a Polyjuice potion?” Erica asked.

“Twenty-one days,” Snape said without looking up.

“Thanks,” Erica replied.

They were in the library studying for an upcoming potions exam. Over the past few months their friendship had grown.

“I have a question,” Snape said. Erica looked up with raised eyebrows. “But you know everything. How can you ask me a question? I’m an idiot.”

“Not on this subject,” Snape said. “I was thinking of asking this girl to the Halloween dance. I am really afraid to ask her. What do you think I should do?”

Erica smiled. “Well, do you think she likes you?”

Snape shrugged. “If she does she hides it well.”

“Do I know her?”

“Yes.”

“How well do I know her?”

“Pretty well.”

“Do you want me to ask her for you?”

Snape let out a breath. “Yes. I really think that Lily likes James. I don’t see it.”

“Oh,” Erica said sadly. “I don’t know about that, but I’ll ask her for you.”

“Really?” Snape said jumping up.

Erica nodded. “Sure, but don’t have your hopes too high.”

Snape was already across the table hugging her. “Thank you so much Erica. What would I do without you?”

Erica nodded and closed her eyes against the tears welling up in her eyes.

-----

Snape woke up on the floor. A couple of his fifth year Slytherins was standing around him, looking at him funny.
“Professor Snape? Are you okay?” one of them asked.

“I’m fine,” Snape snapped. He sat up and looked at the couch. Erica was still there, but she was coming around.
“What the hell happened?” she said. Snape stood and walked over to her.

“The children are here. If you want to beat me up, you have to get up.” Erica’s eyes snapped open at the sound of Snape’s voice. She stood up in one quick motion.

“Let’s do it,” she said.

Snape gave her a small smile before turning to the fifth years with his usual scowl.

“We are going to start practicing some dueling with our wands along with hand-to-hand combat. The Headmaster wishes you able to defend yourselves in these dangerous times. This is my assistant, Erica.” Erica glared at Snape. “She will assist me in demonstrating what we will be teaching.”

Erica walked forward and asked everyone to sit down along the edges of the room. Then she walked over to Snape.
“You may want to remove your teaching robes, sir. They could slow you down,” Erica whispered.

Snape glared at her with such a scary look that the students on the couch moved when he came near. He removed his teaching robes leaving him in slacks with a white shirt and a black vest. Snape walked back to the middle of the room.

“The first lesson is defense,” Erica said. Erica turned to Snape.

“Ready?” she said taking her pose.

“Always.”