It's A One Time Thing It Just Happens A Lot.

Equally

Thanks to SilasAggeleMou for her hard work in making this readable. And a big thank you for reading this and sticking with me. I hope you enjoy it.

So never mind the darkness

We can still find a way

Cause nothing lasts forever

Even cold November rain.

November Rain

Guns 'n' Roses

Meg hadn't put on any weight. However, due to chocolate being the only food that would stay down, neither had she lost any weight.

Her dress was still a little tight around the hips, but another spell loosened it slightly. She also used the spell Rolanda had shown her on her hair and then stood in front of the mirror, turning this way and that, checking her reflection.

She turned to where Snape was sitting at the desk, making some sarcastic comment in red on someone's scroll.

"You're ready? That was quick." She looked at the midnight black dress robes he was wearing, a crisp white shirt underneath with a black cravat style tie around the stand-up collar. He had washed his hair and, instead of being untidy, it had been brushed until it hung limply in a straight sheet around his face.

"Not all of us need five hours to put on one piece of clothing," he drawled dryly, not even looking up from the paper that received a deep red slash and a sneer as it was thrust to one side.

"Utterly useless," he sneered, "Merlin help any of them who actually have to face a vampire."

Meg turned and let the dress swish out around her. She cleared her throat and waited for him to look up.

"Given the level of intelligence some of these children possess, vampires would have a field day if they ever came here," he muttered.

Meg frowned as he carried on talking, his quill still making huge slashes and cutting remarks on the parchment.

"Severus?"

"Hmm?" He shook his head and gave a snort. "Listen to this.... 'One way to combat a vampire is to wear a string of garlic around your neck.' Don't these brats ever listen? Wearing garlic will certainly help keep away the vast majority of people who have a sense of smell; however, a vampire would probably thank you for leaving yourself completely alone. Complete dunderheads!" he snarled as his quill slashed across the scroll.

"Severus!" Meg put her hands on her hips, getting annoyed with his lack of interest.

"What?" He finally looked up and his dark eyes swept over her, but he remained silent.

"Well?" She almost stamped her foot. "Are you going to tell me how I look, or do I have to drag it out of you?"

"Look for yourself. The mirror is behind you, and I would imagine that it's working just fine as you've stood in front of it for the last ten minutes."

Meg gaped at him: she couldn't believe that he was being serious. She blinked several times, but his face still remained completely impassive, his eyes faintly mocking.

"Are you joking?" she finally demanded. "Is that all you're going to say?"

"What else would you have me say?" he asked her, a faint sneer curling his lips.

"Well, a 'wow, you look fantastic, dear' would be nice. Or even a 'very becoming on you, darling' would be acceptable," she snapped and turned away from him to cross over to where her shoes lay beside the bed. She turned her back on him and slid her feet into the slightly heeled sandals. She heard a slight snorting behind her and the rustle of paper as he turned another parchment over.

Meg bit her lip hard to prevent the sudden well of tears in her eyes. She should have known better. Severus wouldn't notice if she had put her work robes on. In fact, he wouldn't notice if she hadn't changed at all. Perhaps she should have just worn her old jumper and jeans, fat lot of difference it made to him!

"Well, I'm ready," she said coldly and marched towards the door, clutching the small beaded purse in her hands.

"At last," he sighed, and stood up to cross towards her.

He frowned down at her and narrowed his eyes.

"Something is missing," he said, and reached for their cloaks.

"Yes, my brain must be. It's the only reasonable explanation as to why I'm even thinking of going tonight," she said waspishly.

"You had one for it to go missing?" He sounded faintly surprised.

Meg rounded on him hotly.

"Listen, I'm not up to your snide comments tonight. Less of the sarcasm or you'll be going on your own."

"Quite the tigress tonight, aren't you?" he smirked down at her and reached into the inside of his dinner jacket.

"I've suddenly realised what's missing," he remarked casually and drew out a long, blue velvet coloured box. "This is what is missing." He held it out to her and opened it.

Meg gasped as she saw the necklace that lay in the folds of the red silk interior.

"Severus!" She choked. It was a delicate gold chain with a teardrop shaped emerald pendant. "It's beautiful."

Severus lifted the necklace clear of the box and, putting the box down, reached around Meg's neck to fasten the chain.

"It's so.... I.... Thank you... It's..." Meg was speechless as she felt the cold stone against her skin.

"You are welcome. And while your dress is becoming and the necklace sparkles prettily, you are truly beautiful," he spoke softly, his mouth close to her ear, sending shivers down her back.

"You do it on purpose, don't you? You wind me up deliberately."

He chuckled and caught a strand of hair that she had left free to curl about her face. He twirled it in his fingers and smirked at her.

"You respond so well that it would be a shame for me not to," he said silkily and moved his finger to trace down her throat. His finger stopped at the low neckline and traced back and forth over her skin. He felt her shudder under his touch.

"Severus, surely they won't miss us if we stayed here?" Meg looked up at him, her hands resting on his chest, her lips curved into a tiny smile.

"They may not miss us, but they would certainly notice that we weren't there," he said, stepping back slightly to place his hands on her waist, his fingers curling into the material of the dress. "But why on earth would you wish to stay here after you spent so long getting ready?"

"Well..." She lowered her eyes to his lips and smirked slightly, "I can think of a few ways to keep you occupied here."

"Really?" he laughed quietly, slipping his hands slowly up her sides to rest around her ribcage. He could feel her breathing, her heartbeat, her warmth.

"I would give everything I have to stay here with you, but it's unavoidable, and we have to go now if we are not to be late." He leant closer and brushed her lips with his. He caught her to him and deepened the kiss hearing her moan into his mouth. His hands splayed possessively across her back, one hand slid low to cup her hip as he pressed her to him.

"Severus, we'll get mussed," she moaned as his lips trailed across her chin and down to the hollow of her throat.

"Mussed?" He lifted his head reluctantly and viewed her flushed face. "That's better... a nicer sort of flush."

"We don't have to stay long, do we?" she asked quietly, more than one reason fuelling her question.

"No." He stood back and caught hold of her hand to raise it to his lips. "I will try to 'defend' you if need be."

Meg sighed and would have melted on the spot if it weren't for his hands guiding her out the door. His words created a warm secure feeling inside her. She was certain that she could face anything Odile threw at her, as long as he was beside her.