From the Beginning..

The next day, they all went down to Hogsmeade. Sirius stayed at her side through most of the day, except for when he and the others got together to scheme. Ariadne decided to take the opportunity to get a souvenir to send home to her mother.

She walked into the shop and began to look around. She had just stumbled onto the perfect item for her mother when she heard the bell over the shop door ring. Glancing over her shoulder thinking it might be Sirius, she was surprised to see Severus enter.

She smiled. "Hi, Severus,"

He walked over to her with a smirk. "Shopping for something for your boyfriend?"

"How did you know already?" she frowned.

"Ariadne, the whole school has been wondering how long it was going to take the two of you to get together!"

"You're kidding!" she said laughing.

"No, I'm not," he said smiling back. "Haven't you noticed how he's always around you? Since you got here he's been stuck to your side."

She shook her head. "That's not true!"

"Yes, it is. That's a moot point isn't it?"

Ariadne squirmed a little under his intense stare. "Why does it make a difference?" she asked.

He stepped a little closer before answering. "I was considering asking you to meet me later on. Though I'm sure it would be strange to everyone, your being a Gryffindor and all."

"I would like to really," she said stepping back a little, "but I'm afraid Sirius and I are seeing each other now."

"Oh," his face took on a shuttered look. "Then there's no harm done is there?" He turned to walk away.

"Severus!" she called. He stopped without turning around. "Is there some crazy rule around here that says we can't still be friends?"

He turned to her with a small smile. "No. I'm afraid there isn't. Come on, I'll walk you back to the pub." Ariadne nodded and went to pay for her purchase.

While walking back to the pub, she started to notice how people were staring at them. "Why is everyone looking at us like that?" she whispered.

"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin together? It's like seeing a 3-headed dog. No one believes such a thing exists." She started to laugh.

Just before reaching the pub, he left her. "I'm really not looking forward to any of them seeing us together. I'll leave you here." He turned and walked briskly away from her. Ariadne stood looking after him shaking her head. Severus was a very, very strange young man.

Walking up to the door of the pub, she was almost knocked down by Sirius coming through it. "What took you so long? I was starting to worry," he said draping his arm around her.

"I was picking out something to send back to my mother, and ran into Severus."

She could feel him stiffen. "You've been running into Snape an awful lot lately."

Ariadne stepped back from him for a moment. "And that means?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I just, don't like him, that's all. He's sneaky. Always following us around trying to get something on us." He started walking again leading her towards a wooded area not far away.

"He's okay. He's just lonely I think."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you think so, do you?" He pulled her into the wooded area where no one would be able to see them. "I've been lonely, too," he whispered before starting to kiss her.

Things began to fall into a pattern. She would spend most of her time outside of classes with Sirius (and sometimes the others) Snape would manage to show up whenever she studied late in the library. He always made it a point come and talk with her in the library on the nights she studied late, but never during the day. She had the feeling that he had been seeking her out deliberately.

He would meet her there, talk with her for a while, and then walk her back to the Gryffindor Tower.

On one of these occasions, Snape seemed unusually quiet. "Severus," she asked. "Is everything okay?"

He stopped and leaned against the wall with his eyes closed. "No, I'm afraid it's not."

She frowned. "What's the matter? Are you sick?"

"Not exactly. You see there's a girl I like. She's unlike anyone I've ever met before."

"Really?"

Snape nodded. "My problem is that she belongs to someone else." He looked at her through hooded eyes.

Her eyes widened as she realized what he was saying. "Severus, no."

He nodded then pulled her towards him. "I -"

Just as he was lowering his head to kiss her, he heard a shout.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Sirius yelled.

Snape released her so abruptly, she stumbled backwards.

"Sirius, it's not what you think-," she started.

"Oh, it's not? So he wasn't just about to kiss you?" He and Snape both pulled out their wands.

"No," she said running over to him. She could feel the hatred coming off both of them. "Please, don't," she said with tears in her eyes. A pain was starting in the side of her head. She was getting light headed trying to block the intensity of their feelings. "Sirius," she whispered before everything went black.

When she awoke, she was in the infirmary with Sirius holding her hand. "Hi," she said.

He reached forward to stroke her face. "Hi." He took a deep breath. "God, I'm so sorry. When I saw him there holding you, something inside me snapped. I-," his voice caught. "Madame Pomfrey said that it was probably because you were so upset yourself that you weren't able to block out what we were feeling."

"It's okay," she said. "There's no way we could have known what would happen." She tried to sit up. "Promise me no more fighting between you two."

"No. Lay back down. Dumbledore told Madame Pomfrey to keep you here overnight. They'll probably be running me out of here any minute."

"Promise me, Sirius. He's never been anything but a friend to me." When Sirius frowned, Ariadne smiled at him. "Severus is no threat to you. I don't love him. I love you."

She saw the brightness of unshed tears in his eyes. "I know, but he loves you."