Opposites

******





Tanith sleepily opened her eyes and saw the sun shining in through her bedroom window. She stretched as her thoughts flitted back to the dream she\'d been having. She shook her head. Kidnapped by Lucius Malfoy. What had she been drinking last night. That was when it caught her eye--the red rose on the small table by her bed, tied with a black, silk ribbon. She knew where\'d seen that ribbon before. She sat up abruptly and then realized she didn\'t have her nightgown on. She looked on the bed, under it, in the covers, on the floor. It was nowhere to be found. It hadn\'t been a dream. She smacked her forehead with her open palm.





\"Of course it hadn\'t been a dream. How could something that good have been a dream?\" Her head snapped up as if she suddenly remembered something. She jumped out of bed and hurriedly began grabbing some clothes. \"Merlin! They\'re going to think I did something last night if I don\'t show up, that\'s for sure!\"





Five minutes later and she was hopping down the aisle as she pulled on a shoe on her way to the Great Hall for breakfast.





Everybody else gave her a polite smile or a nod and a, \"Good morning!\" Snape, on the other hand, gave her a casual look of scrutiny when she took her seat.





He momentarily returned to his usual morning routine of watching Harry Potter as he ate. Still continue to closely watch the dark-haired boy, he began to wheedle away at Tanith. \"I don\'t think I can recall a time you were late unless you were dreadfully sick.\"





She gave him an annoyed look. \"So?\"





He shrugged and finally turned his gaze on her. \"Just making an observation, Professor.\"





\"Yeah, well, keep whatever observations you make to yourself. I don\'t particularly care to hear them. Thank you anyway.\" She raised her goblet in a mock toast and took a drink as he sneered back at her in return.





******





Having skipped the midday meal, Tanith was rather amusedly reading the book laying on the desk in front of her, killing some time before her next class.





A throat cleared in her doorway and, with a startled gasp, she flipped the book closed before leaning over the cover with jerky movements as she tried to hide it.





\"Uh... Professor Snape... how... what can I do for you?\" She gave him a pleasant smile.





Her gave a scrutinizing look, as if she were a student who was up to no good. \"The Headmaster wants everyone in the staff room for a quick meeting.\" He walked up to her desk and glanced curiously down at her folded arms before nodding his head towards a new bookshelf, still empty. \"And as you\'ve blocked the fireplace at the moment, not a very good spot to put that by the way, someone had to come and fetch you.\"





She stood up, quickly grabbing some papers and placing them over the book. \"Oh! Well, let me just push the bookcase out of the way and kill two birds with one stone.\" She practically ran over to the bookshelf, slipping her wand out of a robe pocket.





Snape took the unguarded moment to slip the papers off the book cover. A highly amused smirk appeared as he left the papers where they were and turned to her. \"Bondage Through The Ages? That\'s not a new lesson, is it? I think Albus would be greatly interested to hear why you think the students would need to learn that.\"





She gaped at him for a moment before outright glaring at him. She pointed her wand threateningly at him. \"No, it\'s not! And you tell anybody about it I\'ll give you a makeover so you\'d rival even Cupid. Think of how many fainting and fawning girls you\'d have following you about then. Your class I\'m sure would quickly become the most popular.\"





He looked like he was going to be sick right on the spot. \"Don\'t you dare!\"





\"Fine. Then just be sure you keep certain things unsaid.\" She looked out of sorts for a moment before hurriedly adding, \"It was mixed in with one of the book shipments for the class. I just haven\'t sent it back yet.\"





He just nodded but the look on his face said he didn\'t believe one word. However, he wasn\'t looking to have a throng of childish schoolgirls writing his names all over their books surrounded by little hearts. \"Shall we, Professor? I\'m sure everyone else is waiting.\"





\"Of course, after you.\"





He gave a quick grimace before grabbing some floo powder out of the dish beside the fireplace as he stepped onto the hearth. Ducking in he turned around. \"The staff room!\" He threw the powder down towards his feet and was gone in a flash of green fire.





Before following after, Tanith hurried over to the desk and quickly shoved the book in a desk drawer.





******





Tanith was off in her own little world as she left the Great Hall after supper that night. A deep laughter brought her back to Hogwart\'s and she recognized Snape\'s voice as he chatted about some Quidditch game, just outside the doors, talking to someone she couldn\'t see. A student ran wildly past her as she exited the doors and she stumbled the rest of the way out, hitting something too soft for a stone wall, hands caught her around the waist while she found her balance again.





\"Oh, my. I\'m sorry. Thank... you,\" she finished weakly, as she raised her head to look her savior in the face.





\"You keep running into me.\" Lucius\' polite smile widened into a more flirting grin. \"Should I take that as a sign, Miss... excuse me... Professor McGregor?\"





She cast a quick glance at Snape who seemed rather amused with the conversation. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. \"Perhaps you should see Professor Trelawney about that. She\'s the expert in signs.\"





Those sea-blue eyes glittered with laughter. \"Hmm, maybe I shall make my way... over in that general direction later.\"





\"Well, I can\'t say she\'ll be in her room tonight... I heard her talking about some all night séance.\"





He shrugged half-heartedly. \"Well, I don\'t think my time will be wasted if she isn\'t.\" His piercing gaze told her exactly what he was thinking. Who cared if Trelawney was about just as long as SHE was.





She glanced around, not really sure what to say next. Thankfully it was Dumbledore to the rescue.





\"Tanith, Minerva and I were going to sit down and take a look at the new shipment of library books that came in. Perhaps you\'d like to join us? I know how much you love the library.\"





She smiled. \"I\'d love to. Excuse me. Mr. Malfoy, it was... a pleasure to se... meet you, again.\" She automatically stuck out her hand and he wasted no time in taking it.





\"Please, call me Lucius. And just think of what it will be later.\" He gave her a kiss on the hand much like the first time she\'d met him as he kept his eyes on her slightly blushing face.





\"Yes, well... uh... good night.\" She turned to Snape who stood there, arms crossed and with a knowing look on his face. \"Professor Snape.\"





He gave her a curt nod and she hurriedly walked off, joining up with Dumbledore and McGonagall.





\"I think someone had a busy night last night.\" Snape raised his hand as he pretended to be inspect his fingernails.





\"Oh, yes. Quite busy. And I expect tonight will be no different.\" He tapped his cane on the floor as he began sauntering off down the hall. \"Oh, and Severus... she begged all right.\"





\"Really? And how long did it take? Not that I really want to know, but you do so love to gloat.\"





Lucius spun back around with a thoughtful look on his face. \"She holds the record.\"





\"Well, a word of caution... if the book I saw on her office desk today is any indication, if you plan on following through with plans tonight, I think you can expect to be the one begging.\"





Snape had to roll his eyes at the positively delighted look on his friend\'s face.





\"Oh, really? What a tasty little surprise she is. My, my... I think I\'ve hit the jackpot.\" He started off once more with a whistling tune.





The End