The afternoon of the dance, Aurora Sinistra walked into the staff room with her best friend Septima Vector following close behind. Both witches had just finished with their lesson plans for the next week and had planned to meet up earlier. It had been a tradition that they had observed since they first struck up their friendship fourteen years earlier.

"I must admit that it's rather odd that Dumbledore would just decide out of the blue to throw a dance for the students," Aurora said with a soft smile. "I've already talked to Rufus, though, so I won't have to worry about getting a date this year."

"How nice for you," Septima drawled as she grabbed the hot steaming cup of coffee that she had desperately been craving ever since Aurora first started talking about her fiancé.

"Oh, come on, Septima. I'm sure if you asked nicely, Filch would go with you."

"And I'm sure they'd find your dead body in the forest the next day," Septima softly replied.

"Oh, did I tell you? Rufus told me that I—"

"Will you just shut up about him already? Hon, I'm happy for you. I really am, but I don't need to hear every damn thing he does all the time."

"You're just cranky because you're alone," Aurora drawled before walking towards the window to look out. The silence was semi-stifling, but neither witch paid that much attention to it. "Fine, I won't talk about him. You know that I didn't mean that as an insult before . . . about you being alone, you know?"

"Yeah, I got that," Septima replied before taking another sip of her coffee. "So, what are you going to wear anyway?"

"Well, I wasn't really sure. I mean, he didn't give us many details for this dance, did he? What do you think about my blue ruffled dress? I've just been dying to wear that."

"Nah, blue isn't really your color, Aura. How about that dress you wore last year for the Yule Ball?"

"Definitely not, I'm trying to forget everything about that horrid night."

"Everything?" asked Septima. "But I thought you enjoyed yourself."

"Well, I did until I realized what a snarky bastard he was."

Septima's head snapped towards Aurora. She had been talking about the dance her friend shared with the Moody imposter. She hadn't heard anything about Snape and Aurora at the Yule Ball. She drew in a quick breath and slowly walked towards Aurora.

"Well, he wasn't himself that night, Aura."

"Oh, no, Severus was definitely himself that night. He got so angry with me because I shared that dance with Moody. Well, at least whom I thought was Moody. Oh, we got into such a row that night. Do you know what that snarky bastard told me? That I throw myself at any man walking past because I'm shallow . . . me, Septima, he called me shallow!"

Septima wisely kept her mouth shut. She desperately wished someone else was in the room with her to hear this, but she knew everyone else was either working on lesson plans or escorting the students to Hogsmeade. Maybe Dumbledore had spies in here that would report all this to him. It would explain some things if that were true.

"And then do you know what he did? The stupid ass kissed me. He just pushed me against the wall and kissed me. I'm not talking about a peck on the cheek either. His cold lifeless lips were against mine, and-and his kiss was hungry . . . like it had been awhile for him."

Septima had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. Here the staff and students were trying to set them up, and they had nearly done it all on their own. However, she knew that she had to be there for Aurora, not thinking of how close her friend had been to true happiness unlike the fabricated one she had with Scrimgeour.

"So . . . um . . . then what happened?"

"Karkoff happened, that son of a bitch, interrupted us by walking by, and Severus acted like his typical self and shoved me away as if he hadn't been caught snogging me. Well, I hadn't been paying attention so guess who fell in the rose bush outside. I grabbed that son of a bitch and brought him down with me, though. Oh, was he spitting fire when Karkoff caught us then. I mean, what was I supposed to do, Septima?" Aurora then released an angry exhale. "It would have been a perfect night, but no . . . I just couldn't have that. Do you know what that son of a bitch told Karkoff to cover up for being the reason I fell into the bushes? That I was drunk and had forced myself on him."

Septima couldn't hold back the laughter any longer. She burst out laughing while holding her side when it started to hurt too badly. She could hear Aurora's angry ranting at her, but she was too far into her laughing fit to stop. She could picture the entire scene. In the bushes with Aurora, Snape trying to tell Karkoff that it was Aurora's fault why he was in the bushes with her. Those two were in such denial that it was ridiculous.

"Aura, sweetie, I'm sorry," Septima said, still laughing as she caught the silver wand now pointed at her. She knew without a doubt that Aurora would hex her to oblivion, but she couldn't stop laughing. So in self-defense, she lunged for Aurora's wand. However, she had put too much power behind her leap. Both witches fell to the ground, struggling for the silver wand.

"Dear Merlin, should I even ask?" a silky voice spoke from the door several moments later. That stopped the witches instantly. Snape then slowly walked past them towards the magically charmed coffee maker.

Septima watched him as he did this. She had to admit that there was elegance with the way he walked. His long flowing robes gracefully moved with him. He held his head up high, not arrogant like Scrimgeour, but humble. When she felt his eyes on her, she felt a chill run down her spine. However, his eyes didn't remain on her very long before he glanced at Aurora. She noticed how his eyes remained trained on Aurora for a while.

"I regret if I was interrupting," he drawled in a very low voice. "However, someone should perhaps inform our favorite Auror that his fiancée is rather fickle." He then chuckled very softly as he stared at the two witches. "I must admit, though, that I never saw this one coming. You are certainly full of surprises, aren't you, Sinistra?" he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the counter with an amused smirk.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Aurora growled before standing up.

Septima glanced back at Snape and caught his eyebrow rising slightly in response to Aurora's question. However, his eyes were what she noticed the most, though. The amusement was still there, but there was a different emotion in the sparkling obsidian eyes too. She couldn't quite identify the emotion since it was always rare to see on him, but her best guess was that it was hunger. When she finally noticed what he was looking at, her mouth nearly dropped.

In their brief scuffle, somehow a piece from the broken coffee cup that Septima had been holding had caught on Aurora's black dress and had torn it in spots. It had ripped her left sleeve clean off, and there was a large diagonal tear that went from her right shoulder to her left. She had another tear that went across her midsection, which revealed a long laceration that bleed.

"Aura, sweetie, you're bleeding," Septima said, pointing towards the wound to her stomach.

"I am not," Aurora snapped, glaring at her. "You're seeing things."

Septima was about to retort back to her best friend, but when she caught Snape moving towards Aurora her mouth shut. Aurora didn't seem to notice him until his fingers gently ran across the wound, closing and healing the laceration. Septima watched him as he did this and noticed he was being extremely careful not to hurt Aurora. As soon as the wound had disappeared, he took a step back and inclined his head politely before leaving. The door quietly closed behind him.

"Did he just—"

"Yes," Septima replied with her mouth hanging open. She wouldn't consider herself an expert on Severus Snape, but she knew that was the closest she would ever see him caring for another ever again.

"Bastard," Aurora growled before storming out of the staff room.

Septima shook her head a few seconds later before deciding she needed another cup of coffee. She cleaned up her previous mess with a simple wave of her hand then walked over to the counter. Her eyes narrowed on the cup of coffee that Snape had gotten for himself earlier. It was still full. She then glanced towards the door and scoffed. He hadn't even taken a drink from it. She wouldn't put it past him if he just walked in and used the coffee as his excuse.

"What happened to you?"

"Aurora," Septima responded before glancing at McGonagall. "She was telling me something interesting that I think one of your little lions needs to hear. Any chance he's out to play today?"

"If it's the lion that I'm thinking about, then he should be over in Gryffindor Tower."

Septima nodded slowly before sighing. She glanced at the elderly witch and felt the smile spread across her face. She knew Aurora had told her everything strictly in confidence, but she couldn't help it. She needed someone to know.

"They kissed!" Septima blurted out. "I'm sorry. I know. I know, Minerva, but they kissed."

"And just whom are we talking about here?"

"Slytherin's soon to be newest couple," Septima replied before walking over to the Gryffindor witch.

"Oh my, it's working already?"

"No. Last year at the Yule Ball," Septima explained. "After she danced with that guy posing as Mad-Eye, Snape pulled her out into the gardens. They got into a fight, and long story short, Minerva, they kissed."

"Well, what happened after that?"

"Karkoff interrupted them, but I think our plan's going to work tonight. We just need to make sure that Snape gets jealous as hell. It shouldn't be a problem since she's already going to be with Scummgeour." At the glance from Minerva, Septima laughed softly. "Slip of the tongue, my dear, I swear."

"Uh huh, you Slytherins are always alike."

"Hey, I was only in Slytherin for a year before my parents made me go to Beauxbatons."

"Oh, I remember. We were all glad the day you left," joked Minerva before starting to walk out of the staff room. She heard Septima following her, which was just what she had expected the witch to do. "I'm sure Horace, wherever he is, still has flashbacks of that year."

"You know, we could always try and find him. I bet Horace could help us. At the very least he could tell us something about them when they were here."

"The only thing I remember about those two was that they both seemed like oddballs out. Aurora was always chasing after Severus, and Severus was either hexing James or Sirius or he'd be with Lily Evans."

"Lovely day isn't it, ladies?" a wizard wearing shabby looking robes pleasantly said.

"Oh, quite, Remus," Septima replied with a grin. She then laughed. "So, which witch asked you?"

"Asked me what exactly?"

"You mean, you don't know?" At the questioning look directed at McGonagall, Septima's eyes widened. "Oh, Remus, please, say yes."

"To what exactly, Septima?" he replied with a puzzled look.

"Albus is throwing a dance for the students, and, well, I'm in need of a date. So I was just wondering if I could borrow you for the event."

"I suppose I could come."

"Oh, thank you, Remus. I'll make this up to you somehow." Septima's eyes then narrowed on him. "Wait, why are you here?"

"To see Severus about my special potion," he answered politely. "So, I take it that there's another reason why we're having this dance?"

"Well, yeah, um . . . we're trying to set them up, Severus and Aurora, I mean." He nodded slowly before glancing at McGonagall.

"I take it this was Harry's idea?"

"If not his, then it smells of a Weasley. I must admit that I am also one of the one's helping."

"I see," he laughed softly. "And what about this Auror she's supposedly with? What does he think?"

"He's just a minor detail, Remus. She doesn't really love him. She's just pinning all her hopes and dreams on him. Trust me. That girl has been after Severus Snape for years, and by Merlin I'm going to make sure it happens for her."

"Hmm, that would explain our fifth year," Remus said with a laugh.

"I don't understand."

"Well, I'm not one to share secrets or anything, but this was common knowledge. She and Sirius briefly were together, and I mean, briefly. I think they were only together for a few hours before she broke it off. I understood why Sirius dated her, but I never understood why she said yes. It makes sense now, I guess."

"She's been trying to make him jealous for years," Septima said with a laugh. "Wow, suddenly I can see why they bicker constantly, all the muttered bastards and twit comments. It's part of their game with one another." Her smile widened. "Well, we're going to make sure together that their game ends and that they confront their feelings head on."

"Good luck with that," Remus said, chuckling. "I'll see you tonight then, Septima." He then walked off, leaving the two ladies back to their conversation.

"You do realize that Harry only wanted us to start pushing them in the right direction, right?"

"Sometimes you have to use a knife to peel an onion," Septima responded. "Well, I have to go talk to Aurora and get her ready for the dance. Knowing her, she'll wear some funeral dirge thing again." Septima quickly walked off in the direction of the Astronomy Tower. So far, everything was working beautifully.