Double Dare

I sighed and drummed my fingers on the table, staring blankly at the words in my book. I was supposed to be revising with Hermione but I couldn't focus. Severus and I had had an argument the day before and hadn't seen or spoken to each other since. We'd both said some pretty harsh things we didn't mean, but couldn't find a way to reconcile. Hermione noticed I was elsewhere.

"Are you all right Lenore?"

I looked up at her; "huh? Oh, yeah, just a bit... Well no really, I'm not that good at all."

"Oh, what's wrong?"

She closed her notebook and shuffled closer, an endearing look on her face/ I shrugged.

"Boy troubles."

"I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

"Not many people do."

"Oh, well, I'm not an expert on boys really, but, maybe just getting it off your chest will help."

I nodded, thinking about how to word everything; "well... We don't get to see much of each other, and when we do, he's not really that nice to me. Well, he doesn't understand he's not being nice to me, and is only really nice to me when I'm upset. And yesterday we had a really bad argument, we said some really nasty things, and now... Well... This is where I'm at."

Hermione grimaced; "oh dear... Have you tried to speak to him?"

"No... Every time we see each other we sort of, just bolt in the opposite direction."

"I was going to ask if it was Draco then, but then I remembered he's with Tempest isn't he?"

I nodded; "yeah, I managed to set them up, but when it comes to my relationship I suck."

Hermione smiled meekly; "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, and don't apologise, it's not your fault... Shall we get revising? Take my mind off things."

"Let's."

That evening, I didn't see Severus over dinner. I sat picking at my food, not expecting Draco to come sit with me, usually because he spent all his free time with Tempest. I looked up at him, wide-eyed, when he slipped onto the bench in front of me. He began helping himself to food, not noticing me looking at him. He finally did.

"...What?"

"No Tempest?"

"Oh... No, not tonight."

I nodded sceptically; "why?"

"Just... Nothing... Well, she's fallen out with me."

"Why?"

Draco sighed and pushed his food around his plate; "can we drop it?"

"If you want."

I looked down at my plate dejectedly. Draco sighed again.

"She was asking why I hadn't told my parents about her, I said they wouldn't understand, unless she wants to pretend to be pureblood, and she freaked out! She started ranting about blood meaning nothing and all that... Like I don't get it already! I was just saying, and she blew up! I know, I'm probably in the wrong here, but, she knows me, she's knows of my family, she thinks they'd actually approve of her? I just-"

"-Draco! Calm down!"

Draco took a couple of deep breaths; "sorry, she's just really wound me up."

I nodded; "how long until you calm down?"

"Properly? I don't know... She won't come to me, and I'm not going to her, I really didn't do anything wrong, right?"

"To other's, you're probably in the wrong, but, I know you, I don't think you did anything wrong, you're just a bit dumb sometimes;" I smiled; "anyway, you want me to talk to her?"

Draco shrugged; "I don't know, I mean... If this is going to break us up, is it worth trying? She'll never really understand..."

"Come off it. You really like her! You need to help her understand."

"...I suppose... How are you and thingy anyway?"

I sighed angrily and looked at my plate; "he's an arse!"

"Oh dear, go on."

I forked some food into my mouth before going on with my story; "I was on at him about us not seeing each other enough, and him not changing despite promises that he would, and he went on at me about how he's a teacher and has more important things to think about than me! I mean, what sort of bullshit is that? I'm his wife! What could be more important? So we argued even more, and, I haven't seen him since... That was yesterday morning."

I popped some more food into my mouth and looked up, to find Draco staring at me, wide-eyed and mouth agape. I looked back at him expectantly.

"...Yes?"

"Really? You and him have had some pretty tense times, what happened here?"

"He's a dick is what happened."

"But, you still love him right?"

"I don't know. After being told I'm no way near his top priority, I'm pretty effed off right now, I don't even want to hear his name."

Draco chewed his lip; "well, you'd better get over it, we have Potions tomorrow."

"I'm not going."

"You can't just not go!"

"Watch me."

He sighed concentrated on his food. I sighed too and looked over to the staff table, wondering if Severus was ever going to show his face. Just before dessert, Draco and I managed to turn the conversation onto something more cheerful, trying to forget our problems. After eating, we meandered down the corridors, discussing some lessons and anything but our love lives. After a while, Draco suddenly decided he was feeling tired and went to his common room. I sighed, not liking being alone, and began the long walk back up to the Ravenclaw common room. I'd nearly left the dungeons when someone shouted my name. I turned round to see a Slytherin two years below me running towards me clutching a roll of parchment.

"Professor Snape asked me to give you this," he said, panting, thrusting the parchment towards me. I sighed and took it. I looked at the Slytherin, waiting for him to run off. When he eventually did, I leant against the wall, next to a fire-column, unrolling it.

"Lenore,
I know we're not on very good terms at the moment, and it's partly my fault, but it's also partly your fault. I've been giving you space to let you think, and I think I've allowed you enough time. When you feel you're ready, I'll be waiting for my apology.
"Severus."

I screwed the parchment up in my hand; I didn't think I'd ever been angrier. I didn't care if it wasn't allowed, I needed to see Draco to vent. I stormed back down the corridors to the entrance to the Slytherin common room; growled the password - which I knew from waiting outside it enough times - and stormed inside. The Slytherin's sat around the common looked surprised to see me.

"Draco Malfoy, where is he?"

I noticed Crabbe get up from the sofa, he pointed to a stair-case; "second door on the left."

I nodded and went up the stairs, ignoring the strange looks I was getting and the whispers that followed me. I rushed up the stairs and pushed open the second door on the left. I instantly noticed Draco lounging on his bed, talking to Blaise. He looked almost horrified to see me.

"Excuse me Blaise, can I talk to Draco?"

The other boy nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. I went and perched myself on the edge of Draco's bed; Draco sat up.

"What's up?"

I uncurled my fingers, revealing the crumpled parchment in my hand. Draco eyed it suspiciously before taking it. I glanced around the room, admiring the décor, before looking back at Draco. He'd unbuttons the top three buttons on his shirt and untied his tie, but left it draped round his neck. He tutted.

"What an arsehole!"

I nodded; "I am so angry! Look!"

I held my hand out flat, showing off how it shook. Draco took it and rubbed it with his thumbs.

"Calm down, really. He's just... Being a typical man, not fully understanding."

"I know, but... The amount of effort he went to just to get us to be together, and now he's ruining it!"

Draco nodded; "father told me, you're the only girl, well... I suppose he's just not used to being in a relationship."

"But this isn't even relationship stuff! This is common sense."

"Well, I don't know what to say..."

He pulled me into a hug; I sighed and snuggled up to him, knowing he'd calm me down. I took in a deep breath before hiding my face in the crook of his neck. Draco squeezed me tightly, rubbing my shoulder with his thumb.

"It'll be all right... I'll talk to him."

"Please do."

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, imagining I was elsewhere, where the words 'Severus Snape' were never uttered. Draco eventually managed to calm me down. On the way out of the common room, I bumped into the one person I really did not want to. He looked down his nose at me, a scowl plastered on his face.

"What are you doing here?"

I shrugged innocently, very aware of the Slytherins watching; "just talking to Draco."

"And you have to be in the Slytherin common room why?"

"Because he was here."

Severus eyed my suspiciously; "come with me."

I shook my head; "I just want to go to bed actually."

His eyes narrowed; "that wasn't a request."

He grabbed the shoulder of my cloak and dragged me out of the common room and down the corridors to his classroom. He finally let go of me, I readjusted my clothes, glaring at him.

"What's wrong with you now?"

I looked at him blankly, wondering if he was just starting a conversation or genuinely didn't realise what he'd just said; "what's wrong with me? You'll be waiting for your apology? What about my apology?"

Snape walked down to the end of the classroom and sat at his desk; "What apology?"

I balled my fists; "screw you Severus."

I went to leave when I heard the lock click, I spun round, Severus was sitting back down down, lowering his wand.

"You're going nowhere Lenore."

I sighed angrily and folded my arms; "what do you want?"

"A conversation would be nice."

He charmed a chair to pull up next to the desk, and motioned towards it. I rolled my eyes and marched over to it, pulling it away from the desk, sitting down. He rolled his eyes.

"So talk," I said, looking anywhere but at him.

"Look at me please."

I glared at him; "what?"

"Cut the attitude please."

"Stop treating me like a child."

"I'll stop treating you like one when you stop acting like one!"

We sat glaring at each other, in an increasingly tense silence until he eventually said something.

"Why were you in the Slytherin common rooms?"

"I told you, I was talking to Draco."

"So why couldn't he come out? You're not supposed to be in there."

"I've broken enough rules this year Severus, I really don't care about breaking any more."

"You should care, another member of staff wouldn't have been so forgiving."

"You're not forgiving at all."

"You'd be surprised... So what were you talking to Draco about?"

"It's personal."

Snape sighed from all my deflection; "so personal you can't tell me?"

"It was about you, I don't really want to share."

"I don't care if you want to."

"Well I care, is there anything you do care about?"

"I care you're sneaking up into the boys dorms."

"Draco's dorm! Draco Malfoy! My oldest friend!"

"It makes no difference to me who it is."

"You're just looking for reasons to fall out with me. So desperate you'd create the illusion I'm cheating on you with Draco! I'm not sticking around if you're going to be like this!"

I noticed his eyes go from looking angry to looking guilty. However, I didn't care. I stood up and walked over to the door.

"Let me out."

As I got closer to the door I heard the lock click. Without looking back once, I stormed out of the room and up to my common room. On my way there, I bumped into Celeste, Neville, Dean and Seamus. They noticed I was in a bad mood and hooted at me as I walked past. I stopped and turned to glare at them.

"Something you want to say?"

They shrugged innocently, openly mocking me.

"You just look a little angry, has Malfoy said something mean?" Dean jeered.

"No, actually."

"Probably just her time of the month," Seamus chipped in. They all laughed. I pretended to laugh too.

"You are so funny Seamus, you too Dean. I've got a joke too..."

I pulled my wand out; they all did the same. At that moment, Ron, Harry and Hermione walked up the corridor. They all ran over.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, slowly pulling his own wand out.

"I bet it was you," Ron said, looking at me disgustedly.

"Oh yeah, I'm friends with Draco so immediately any conflict between Gryffindors and myself is instantly my fault. I think you'll find they started it!"

Hermione stood at my side; "look guys, she's having a bad day, just lay off."

I'd never been happier to have accidentally befriended Hermione. Harry nodded sceptically. I put my wand down, however they didn't lower theirs. I shot Hermione a quick smile, to say thank you for standing up for me.

"She's still the one that drew her wand first," Celeste said.

"I thought you two were friends? And like I said, she's having a bad day, by the looks of it it's gotten worse, and then you lot start provoking her, she's bound to do something silly like raise her wand to you. Why don't you just leave her alone?"

This seemed to convince Harry; he put his wand back in his jeans and stood next to Hermione; "come on guys, let's just go back to our houses."

I nodded and walked off up the corridor, without saying a word to anyone.