Unexpected Love

Snape walks to his door, aggravated by the insistent pecking. He opens it and is nearly smacked in the head by the wings of a very large eagle owl as it flies to his desk. It perches on the back of a chair, staring at him intently. Snape growls in frustration as he strides bacrossross the room, ready to pull every feather from the poor bird. He pulls the letter from its beak and sends it off with a wave of his hand. Curiosity getting the better of him, he slowly turns the letter over in his hands and finds not a single mark on it to tell who had sent it. He slides his finger under the wax seal, popping it and sending green bits of wax across his desk. He unfolds it and frowns.
Come to London tonight. 4557 Paris St. 8pm.
Do not be late.

The letter has no name on it and he reads it again to be sure of it’s existence. He looks up at the clock and sees it’s already 5 pm. He would have to hurry if he is to make the Express back to London at this time of day. Part of him resists the curiosity to go and see what the letter is about while another part wants to leave this very minute and check out the location long before 8pm. The spy in him gets the better of him this time and he quickly throws on a cloak before setting out for Hogsmeade. He doesn’t see the eyes watching him from behind a pair of spectacles or the smile that accompanies it.
He has walked around the block for the last hour, watching to see if anyone enters the small house on Paris Street. He hasn’t seen any movement near the street or from inside the house through the upstairs window. He sighs in frustration, again warring with himself on if he should go in or not. He glances at his pocket watch again. Ten minutes til eight and not a sole in sight. He glances up and down the street again before crossing to the front door. He slowly brings his hand up to knock but the door opens on its own. He stands completely still, ears primed for the slightest sound. Hearing nothing, he slowly slides through the door, glancing around the room he has entered. He slowly prowls through the downstairs and finds nothing.
He finally ends up at a stairway to the second floor. He tilts his head again, listening to see if there is any movement. Hearing nothing, he slowly ascends the stairs, careful to not make a single noise. When he reaches the top, he sees a light on through an open door at the end of the hall. Expecting his intuition to scream ‘GET OUT’, he’s surprised at how calm he is as he walks closer to the open door. He opens it a bit more and quietly slides his body into the room. He looks around and sees a warm fire crackling inside the fireplace, a couch and several chairs set up facing it with a small table between them. There’s another chair set facing the window to the outside with a small table in front of it. It’s to this chair his attention is drawn to as he softly hears the light snick of cards being drawn.
“Merry Christmas, Professor Snape.” A soft silky woman’s voice comes from the depths of the chair. “I’m glad you decided to join me.”
The clock chimes 8pm and the door closes behind him with a thud. He jumps and strides towards the door. He grasps the handle and tries to pull it open but nothing happens.
“It’s no use.” He hears laughter in the woman’s voice. “This room is now sealed for the next 24 hours. No way in or out so I would prefer you not to kio kill me til at least the last five minutes that way you won’t have to smell my stinking corpse.”
He turns and glares at the chair as he advances on it. “Who are you and why have I been sent here?”
She chuckles. “He was right. You do have a very sexy voice when you are angry.”
He walks around the side of the chair and glares down at the slender blonde woman sitting there. She flicks another card from the deck in her hands and lays it down with the last on the table. “That does not answer my question.” He growls angrily.
She looks up at him and smiles, her green eyes pinning him. ”Why, Severus, that is no way to speak to your Christmas present!”
“My what?!” He stares at her in shock.