Title: Mysterious Hearts

Author: Kleine Snowdrop

Rating: Pg-13

Pairing: Snape/Tonks

Summary: Snape and Tonks met before OotP, this is their story. 

Severus Snape does not like to draw attention to his personal life.  That is why very few knew of his relationship with Nymphadora Tonks.  Starts pre- SS/PS.  Spoliers to all five books ahead, precede at your own risk.  Please read and review!

Disclaimer: Not mine, nothing is absolutely nothing, it all belongs to those richer than I.  J.K. Rowlings to be more specific. 

A/N: Reposted due to the fact that as I was rereading there were some discrepancies in the book and my story so I have corrected them.  Please enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mysterious Hearts

~~~Destiny~~~

The Three Broomsticks was nearly disserted.  This happened nightly, around eleven most the proprietors left Rosmerta's cheery atmosphere to return home or to go to the Hogshead after Rosmerta had them cut off.  Only a few proprietors would stick around nursing a drink. 

In a dark corner sat a man who nearly faded into the background, he had always been a shadow.  This was how he preferred to be.  Shadows don't get hurt. 

Severus Snape, the sardonic potions master of Hogwarts, sat in the Three Broomsticks nursing a beer, not because the Hogwarts term was nearly over, not because Slytherin would most likely win the house cup.  No these were reasons for him to celebrate.  He wasn't even sitting in the pub because he had been informed that the next term Harry Potter, son of James Potter, and the glorious savior of the world, would be attending Hogwarts.  Granted this thought would drive any man to drink.  Seeing as how James and Severus had hated each other all through out their years at Hogwarts.  James and his friends had relished in every moment of pain and torment they inflicted on Severus.  And to top it off they had saved his life.

No, Severus Snape was nursing a beer because he was lonely.  Now Severus was not an emotional man, but once a year Severus got lonely.  Something about pushing everyone away you does this to you.  He found the need to escape the castle at these times because the happy voices of the children and other staff members made the feeling worse. 

This was why Snape was sitting with his long legs sticking out on both sides of his chair at a dark table on the side of the pub.  He sat there staring off into nothing that he didn't see a woman start on her way to a table back in the corner.  He certainly didn't see that this particular woman was paying absolutely no attention to where she was going. 

Suddenly Snape felt a sharp pain in this right leg. And heard a thump and the shattering of a beer glass.

"Ouch," came a soft voice from the floor right next to him.  He watched as the woman rose off the floor.  She dusted off her clothes, and dryly said, "Thanks for your help."

She took one look at Snape smirked.  She sat down in the seat across from the dour potions master.

"Well that hurt," said the woman with her light blond hair and red streaks.

"Please join me," Severus sneered.

"Nymphadora Tonks," She said and extended her right hand.  Snape glanced at the hand and sneered.

"Severus Snape."

"Now then, I believe that we should discuss your replacing my drink."

Severus raised one haughty eyebrow.

"Pardon me," he asked in an arrogant drawl.

"You heard me," Tonks said giving him an impish grin, "you broke my beer, so in all fairness you should replace it."

Severus looked at his new companion and tried to figure out just how to get the girl away from him.  Maybe he should buy her the beer, and then logically she would be on her way. 

Growling, Severus stood up and walked over to the bar and bought her the beer that she had requested.  He handed it to her and resumed his moping.  He failed to notice that she hadn't moved; Tonks just sat there watching him. 

Severus looked up when he heard a sneeze.  He glowered at her.

"What in Slytherin's name are you still doing here woman?" he demanded.

"Just drinking my beer."

"Can you not drink it over there?" he said pointing a long, bone white finger to the corner booth she had been headed to when she had tripped.

"I kind of like this seat."

Severus did not know how to react to this woman.  Surely she knew of him, most people regarded him with distain. 

"Why?" was the only word that came from Severus' mouth.  There was something different about Nymphadora Tonks, and for some reason she had decided to join him.  He couldn't even scare the girl away. 

"I can't really be bothering you, Mr. Snape," she said with a gleam in her pale blue eyes.

"PROFESSOR" he growled

"Sorry Professor Snape, I can not be bothering you, Professor, because I have said nary a word since I sat down."

"Your presence is bothersome enough."

"Sorry Professor," she said softly.  There was something about her calling him Professor that bothered Snape but he was not sure as to what it was.  He was not even sure that he wanted to know why it bothered him so.  "Perhaps a little conversation may help you feel better, Professor."

"And what pray tell would we have to converse about?"

"Oh, Professor," she said scrunching her nose as she pretended to think hard, "maybe Professor we could talk about the weather, or the state of the Ministry, Professor, you're a smart man, or so they tell me, you'll think of something intelligible to say, right, Professor?"

"That is not what I meant Miss Tonks," he snapped; his patience, what little he had, was wearing thin.

"Oh," she said with an innocent look on her face, "you mean why would a beautiful woman, like myself, wish to be seen with a harsh and embittered man much like yourself?  IS that what you meant Professor?"

Snape had lost his mind.  This woman utterly confused him.  What the hell was the world coming too?  He opened his mouth to speak, but not a word came out. 

"What's a matter, Professor?" she asked looking through long eyelashes at her gaping companion, "cat got your tongue?"

Severus glared at her and took a long drink of his beer.

"The reason is," she started in a seductive whisper, "that I am still here because I have always wanted to get to know you."

Shattering glass was the response that she was graced with.  Severus' glass had slipped from his hand in disbelief. 

Without any warning he left leaving Nymphadora to watch him retreat out of her sight.  A small smile appeared on her lips.  She now owed Severus Snape a beer.

It was two nights later when she was able to repay him.  She had not managed to get to the Three Broomsticks due to work related issues.  Tonks saw Snape enter the pub and quickly ordered two beers.  She walked bravely over to the man and held out the beer.

"What in…" Snape started but was cut off by a familiar voice coming from an unfamiliar face.

"I believe I owe you a beer, Professor," Tonks said, her now brown eyes were twinkling with glee at Snape's puzzled expression.  Snape looked at the woman.  There was no way that this could be the woman that he had met the other day, but she sounded just like Tonks.  But Tonks had blond and red hair, not red and green hair.

"Nymphadora Tonks," she said, still holding the beer, "metamorphmagus."

"Oh," was all that he said as he took the beer from her hand, "thank you."

Tonks quickly grabbed his free hand and dragged him to a table in the back.

Tonks got Snape to meet here regularly in Hogsmeade.  They would talk; take walks, so they did all sorts of things.  And eventually she got him to open up to her.  Sure, she drove him nuts, but he found himself bending to her will rather easily. 

It was on the night before the term ended that Tonks dragged Snape to a muggle movie.  They went to see a showing of the movie My Fair Lady. 

It was near the end of the film when Severus leaned down and kissed his lovely companion.  She smiled up at him after he broke their kiss.

"I've been waiting for you to do that," she whispered.

"Why did you not kiss me?" he asked.  Nymphadora smirked.

"You're too tall," she said taking his hand and laying her head on his shoulder.

They walked down the London streets to her flat.  She took his hand as they walked.  She smiled when he didn't resist her.

"I love that movie," she said sighing, "It is one of the few romances that I adore."

Severus glanced at her; he knew that he did not have to ask her why.  She would tell him anyways.

"I mean, Professor," she started.

"Don't call me that." Snape hissed sharply.

"I'm sorry," she said, only slightly confused at his reaction.  She normally called him either Professor or Snape.  And he would often frown when she called him Snape.  He had made a fuss that he be called Professor.  "Two weeks ago, you told me to call you professor."

"Things have changed," he said softly, already regretting having spoken so sharply to her.  "You were saying?"

"Oh right," she said as she narrowly missed a tree root, "How would I look as Eliza?"

Snape stood there and watched as Tonks morphed into an almost exact replica of Audrey Hepburn.

You see Snape, it's a classic love story, and Henry who loves Eliza, but will not admit it because he is scared.  And that's why he goes after her in the end."

"Or perhaps," Snape said, "he just got used to having her around and all her annoying habits that once she was gone he realized that he enjoyed her presence."

"Or it was love," Tonks smirked, "Maybe it is the same with you, the great Professor Severus Snape puts up with the annoyingly clumsily Nymphadora Tonks because he has grown accustom to her face."

"How could I grow accustom to your face when it changes daily?"

Her face fell, and Snape did regret these words.  He had noticed some many similarities from day to day.

"What I meant Tonks was," he started almost at a loss for words, "is that I would like to see your true face once."

"You have seen it," she said simply.  She smiled when she saw his puzzled expression.  "It was the face I was wearing when you kissed me, and wore all night."

She stopped suddenly and morphed back to her true self.  Severus stood there mesmerized as she changed.  She was well aware of his scrutiny as she morphed back. 

Severus was not even aware of his own breath hitch as she stood before him.  She was around five foot seven, in heels.  She had shoulder length wavy, sun-kissed brown hair.  He noticed that she had a nice nose.  It was relatively small and suited her more than his nose, crooked as it was, fit his face.  Her eyes were what struck him the most.  They were such a pale blue color that one might think that almost all the color was washed from them. 

It struck Severus that she wore her true face minus the hair a lot more often than not.  She did enjoy playing with her hair.

"You are very beautiful."

"Thank you Snape," she said and truly meant it, something about the man complementing her made her go weak in the knees.

"So Snape," She said as they stood in front of her building, "You never answered my question."

"And that was?"

"Why you put up with my presence?"

Severus gulped; he could feel a blush creeping up his neck.  So he did what most due under pressure.

"I, uh, really, um, have to, uh, go the leave taking feast is tomorrow," he stammered and bolted.  Tonks watched his retreating back with a small smirk appearing on her lips.  It was at that moment that she figured it out.  Severus Snape liked her and she was falling hard for the anti-social professor.

With a loud crack Severus Snape returned to the gates at Hogwarts.  Using his wand and a password that he was given to by Dumbledore he entered the grounds.  Walking as quickly as possible he entered the school.  He hoped to get to his rooms with out running into anyone.  Snape was at his wits end.

He managed the near impossible feat of traveling through Hogwarts with out running into the headmaster.  In his rooms he poured a strong drink. 

What the hell was it about this woman, who by the way was much too young for him, which made him stammer like a bumbling idiot? 

"Well Severus," he said aloud in response to his silent thoughts, "She is smart, funny, beautiful, nice, and for some unknown reason is interested in you."

A sharp rapping on his chamber door halted his pouring of another fire whiskey.

"It's open," he growled.  The door opened and Severus took one look at Albus Dumbledore and sat him self down in a near by chair.  The large, dark green wingback engulfed the darkly clad professor.  "What do you want Albus?"

"I was just wondering as to how your evening with Miss Tonks went?" Albus asked in that innocent, blue twinkling eyes way of his.  Had Severus a glass in hand it probably would have broken in his surprise.  "Oh come now Severus, I only know of one woman who works for the ministry and is a metamorphmagus.  She would be Nymphadora Tonks.  And rumor has it she has been spending a lot of time in Hogsmeade."

Severus glared suspiciously at him. 

"Alright I happened to see the two of you the other day while I was in Honeydukes."

"Does Madame Pomfrey know that you were at Honeydukes?"

"She does not have to know," Albus said giving Severus a warning glance, "so Severus how was your date?"

"It was a pleasant experience."

"Then why are you here, drinking straight whiskey?"

"Because Albus, I made an ass out of myself and then acted like a complete bastard."

"What happened, child?" Albus asked as he took a seat across from Snape.  Snape shot him a cold scowl.  Dumbledore knew Severus was reluctant to talk about personal matters and that it may take a bit of coaxing to get what happened out of the younger wizard.  But then again maybe Severus had had enough fire whiskey to loosen his tongue.

"Not a bloody chance in any level of hell that I will tell you that," Severus growled.  Nope, he still needed more whiskey. 

"Severus, you know that anything you can tell me everything and that anything say will not leave this room," Albus tried to assure him.  

"I suppose that this means that you will be hanging around until that I decide to crack and tell you what happened between Tonks and myself."

"Yes."

"Fine, if it gets you to leave then I will tell you."  He stood and retrieved the near empty bottle of whiskey and poured a shot.   After he slammed the shot he quickly relayed the entire evening to the headmaster.

"I don't think, Severus, that Nymphadora is as angry as you have convinced yourself that she is.  I think that she is going through the same things as you are.  Maybe after the feast you should go and see her again. 

Snape took Dumbledore's advice except that he waited until a week had past when he contacted Tonks by owl post. 

Tonks received the owl about on her lunch break.  Among her co-workers they was quite the buzz about whom the owl was from.  Especially as she turned crimson after she read the letter.

Tonks~

I made dinner reservations for us tomorrow night; that is if you do not mind.  It will be a surprise, but you should wear something elegant.  I will pick you up at 7:30.

S. Snape She tucked the note into a pocket when she realized that people were craning their necks to see if they could read it.  Slowly and with a secret smile she resumed eating her lunch.  She could hardly contain it. 

After Severus left that evening a week ago she had gone inside to think about the situation.  She wanted this, even if it meant that she got hurt.  There was something about Severus Snape that attracted her to him.  And she wanted to get to know the whole man.  In her mind she went over the idea of a relationship with the potions master.  She determined that even though you could say that the cards were stacked against them that they should still shoot for the moon.

Now she could barely contain her excitement at the prospects of just where they would be going to dinner.  She had sent him an owl telling him that it would be absolutely smashing that they go to dinner together.  But as the time drew nearer to their date she grew more nervous.  After all she was quite the klutz.  She just new that she was bound to embarrass him and that would be the end of it all. 

"Alright Tonks," she told herself, "That's a bit melodramatic."

"Oh great Athena," she heard from the doorway, "Now she's talking to herself."

"Nymphadora has always been a prime candidate for St. Mungo's, Chloe." Another voice said.

"Athena, Chloe, just the two people I needed!" she said as she ushered them into the four-room apartment.

  Athena and Chloe were Tonks' best friends.  She had known Athena since their first year at Hogwarts, and she had been friends with Chloe, a muggle, since childhood.  The two women calmed Tonks down and managed to get her ready for her date with Snape. 

"I can't do it," Tonks said in near hysterics around seven that night.  "Tell him I can't go, please Athena."

"No, Nymph, you have to go," She said after she steadied her friend.  She placed her hands on the shorter witch's shoulders, "You are going, and you will not make an arse of yourself."

"Anyways darling," Chloe started, "We would like to see this man."

"Damn straight we do," Athena," Nymph..."

Athena was cut of in mid sentence by a not so gentle rapping on the door.  Tonks eyes got wide and she started stumbling as she made her way to the door.  She pulled it open just as Severus was going to knock again.

"Hi Snape," she said softly blushing slightly.

"Good evening Tonks," came the elegant voice of Severus Snape.  Then he handed her a bouquet of yellow daffodils and babies breath.  "I brought you these you."

"Thank you," she said after she took the flowers, "please come in."

Severus entered the bright room.  He stood out all in black.  The room was white with a classical theme.  Not what he would have pictured as Nymphadora's taste.  It was cluttered, not messy, but not impeccably clean.   Severus looked around the room he stiffened slightly when he noticed the two other women in the room. 

"Athena, Chloe, this is Severus Snape," she said noticing his discomfort.  "Severus, these are my two best friends Chloe and Athena."

"Good evening," Severus said stiffly.

"Pleasure to meet you," Chloe said, not really sure what to make of the obviously older potions master. 

"Nice to meet you Professor," Athena said more formerly.

"I'll go put these in a vase," Tonks said grabbing Athena's arm and dragging her into the kitchen. 

"You know we just left Chloe in there alone with Severus Snape," Athena said, "remember she's a muggle."

"I can't go," she said as she filled a light blue vase with water.

"NYMPH, it is a date, it's not like you are going to a human sacrifice," she said giving her friend a glance, "you're not are you?"

"NO," Tonks said giggling, "at least I don't think so."

"I think we had best go save him from Chloe."

The two women reentered the living room and Tonks and Snape left for their date.

"You look beautiful," Snape told her as they walked.  Tonks blushed.  She and Severus complemented each other quite nicely.  Snape dressed in black robes that were nicer than his usual teaching robes.  Tonks was wearing lavender robes with metal clasps in the front.  It had taken her forever to decide on a hair color.  With a little help she went with very light brown hair, that she wore chin length. 

"You do know how to apparate," he asked her.

"Yes, Snape, I do," she said, "I passed the test on the first shot."

"Well, I just don't want you to get splinched, seeing as how clumsy you are."

"Worry about yourself, love," she smirked.

"We are apparating to the wizarding section of Rome," he told her.  And with two loud cracks they were off.  Tonks arrived at the apparation point first with Severus a few seconds behind her.

"I win," she smirked and kissed him quickly.

"I was not aware that this was a race."

"Of course it was," she said taking his hand to hers, "Now where are we going?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out."

"Fine Snape be that way, yeah, see if I care," she said.

"Might passives aggressive for a Ravenclaw aren't you."

"Well you know they do say that all Blacks are either Slytherins or traitors," she said calmly, "my mum was a traitor, married a muggle you see."

"These things happen." Severus said, "I almost wish my father had married a muggle or something other than my mother."

"Not the loving mummy everyone wants?"

"My mother was not very nurturing, she was a heinous wench."

"Sounds like fun, my own mum was not very mothering, she let me do what ever I wanted." 

Snape escorted Tonks to a rather fancy restaurant in the heart of the wizarding sector of Rome Italy.  Tonks was awed as she and Severus entered the restaurant.  It housed a huge dining room that the restaurant housed that the mere sight of was the most impressive that Tonks had ever seen.  It was extremely too fancy for one as clumsy as she tended to be.

"Severus," she breathed, "this is way to expensive."

"Tonks," he said sharply, "my father left me over half of his fortune, much to my dearest mother's dismay.  And if I want to spend it on you then so be it."

"Well ok, but remember I'm the clumsy one," she said with a small smile, " and don't say I didn't warn you."

"You will be fine," Severus told her in his usual know-it-all voice.

"Yes, Professor," she said rather irreverently.  They dined in a very formal atmosphere and though Tonks was quite nervous she managed to only knock over the water glasses once.  Her conversations with Snape were now more meaningful, after their kiss she had come to determine that there was more to this relationship than she had previously hoped for.  She was falling in loved with him. 

The night went rather quickly and soon Tonks was nervously standing in front of her door.   Shyly she invited him in, and much to her surprise he accepted.  It was late, but she and Snape stayed up till the early hours of the morning talking.  When they finally went to bed, there was no sex.  Not that either one didn't want to take that step; they were just content holding each other.

To be continued…