It was a cold, rainy day when my red Mustang broke down suddenly on the side of the road in Cokeworth, England. My best friend Ashley Valmont, was sitting in the passenger seat, taking in the gloomy view around us. We were trying to get to London by nightfall but it was seemingly impossible. I looked up to see a lonely, dark house in the midst of the other homes appearing neglected. A sign hanging across from us simply stated "Spinner's End."
"What is this place?" Ashley scoffed. I sighed. "I don't know. It's not on the map." "Let's try to get out of here!" Ashley whined, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "The car is fucking dead, Ashley. Stop complaining. Maybe we can ask for help in there." I pointed to the house I spotted moments earlier. "Will you please put that out? It's disgusting. Whoever opens the door isn't going to appreciate smelling your shit." I motioned to her cigarette but Ashley glared and inhaled to announce that she wasn't putting it out.
I rolled my eyes as we both made our way up to the house. I thought I saw someone watching us from one of the top floor windows. I shrugged the strange feeling off and pounded on the door. Ashley rolled her eyes in distaste. "This place looks gross. Can we go?" She clasped her purse tighter to her body. "We can't walk around in a strange town, Ashley. I'm sorry your rich parents aren't here to get you out of this one." I snapped, just as the front door creaked open. Ashley gasped loudly, as a man clad in black streaming robes towered over us, fixing us with a most unpleasant glare. A curtain of black spindling locks fell to his shoulders whilst he looked down his large, hooked nose at us with cold, fathomless black eyes.
"Who are you?" The man sneered, his satin voice laced with venom. "Why have you disturbed me?" He melted a bit when his intense gaze met mine. "If you please, sir. My car broke down and we need to use a phone. We are traveling to London. I'm Clara Branson and this is Ashley Valmont." I explained, gesturing toward Ashley, who turned her head away from the man in disdain. The man studied over me before sighing deeply. "You may come in."
I smiled thinly at him. "Thank you so much, sir. You have no idea how exhausted we are." I gripped Ashley's arm and practically had to drag her inside, her eyes rolling in complete repulsion. The man led us down a long corridor to a room wall to wall with black and brown leather bound books. He eyed Ashley odiously. "There is no smoking in my home, Miss Valmont." Ashley glowered at him, showing no sign of discarding her flaming cigarette. I turned away from her loathsomely and flashed a brilliant smile at the man. "I didn't catch your name, sir."
The man sighed. "Severus Snape." "Where's the phone?" Ashley demanded crossly. Severus glared at her. "I don't own one. They are muggle devices and therefore serve me no purpose." Ashley shot me a quick glance. "Muggle devices?" I smiled at Severus again. "Thank you for inviting us into your home, Severus but we must be going if you don't have a phone. We don't want to impose." Ashley started to put out her cigarette on one of the leather books but I snatched it out of her hand and put it out on my green handkerchief. She then lit another cigarette she pulled out of her purse.
Severus sighed. "Miss Branson, I will allow you and Miss Valmont to spend as much time as you deem necessary in my home. However, you must not touch my things and you must not berate me with endless questions about my life." Ashley blew some smoke rings into the air, causing Severus to cough violently. I rushed to his side, massaging his back in circles as he coughed. "Ashley, put that out now." She narrowed her eyes into slits, but put the cigarette out on the hardwood floor. Severus coughed sharply, the smoke scorching his lungs painfully. "Severus, are you ok?" I asked worriedly.
I continued to soothe his back until finally Severus coughed effectively, the smoke vanishing within his lungs. "Are you all right, Severus?" I asked cautiously. Severus nodded, coughing and clearing his lungs deeply. He sighed. "I'm fine. Thank you, Miss Branson." I shook my head. "Thank you, Severus. We must be leaving. There is nothing further we can do here." Severus collapsed into a black leather chair, facing me. "I have every intention of permitting you to stay here, although there are some conditions I would like to discuss with you, Miss Branson."
I gawked at him in stunned silence."You cannot be serious, Severus. We have been so disrespectful to you. Ashley nearly suffocated your lungs with her repugnant smoking. No...we must go. I have enjoyed your company, Severus." I scintillated him with another luminous gleam of my teeth. He grabbed my shoulder as we were scrambling for the door, whirling me around to face him. "I must insist that you stay here as my guests, provided that Miss Valmont does not alluvion the air and my lungs with her horrid cigarette smoke. I will not acquire lung cancer so that she may indulge in such a narcissistic habit."
"I'm terribly sorry, Severus. I don't want you to acquire lung cancer, either. Ashley is extremely wild. She'll have you wanting us out in no time." I protested. Severus sighed incredibly, as if releasing great pressure from his lungs. "It would be my honor, Clara. You and Miss Valmont may stay as long as you need." I sighed, giving into his wishes. He smirked and began leading us up the stairs. Ashley grinned wickedly when we got upstairs to a two bedroom suite. She lit a cigarette, flopping down on the bed. Ashley blew out a few puffs of smoke, the snippets drifting in all directions. Severus coughed, the smoke entering his lungs from erroneously inhaling the smoke into his lungs.
I glared at Ashley, who took her ashtray out and put the cigarette out in it. Severus was still coughing powerfully as I made my way over and soothed his convulsing back muscles with my tender hands. Severus coughed the remainder of smoke from his lungs, and eventually his lungs settled. "Are you ok, Severus? Ashley will not be smoking in the house anymore." I said firmly. Severus coughed, clearing his lungs completely. "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you again, Clara." I smiled. "No, thank you for letting us stay. Your kindness is commendable. As I stated earlier, all we've done is inundate your lungs with smoke."
Severus smiled back. "Stay as long as you'd like, Clara. I seldom have visitors, but I am very much used to it by now with many years in this house." I frowned. "It sounds very sad and lonely." Severus looked at me for several moments and sighed deeply. "Yes...but I am used to it. I don't have the luxury of friends as you and Miss Valmont, Clara I have led a very lonely and dark life." He sighed again. "I have never known love." I shot him a sympathetic glance. "You don't have to be alone anymore." Severus seemed to cheer up at those words and smiled thinly. He took a deep breath. "Thank you so very much, Clara."
Ashley moved out a few months later but I began a romantic relationship with Severus after the events of that day and we became very close and involved in each other's lives.