Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to it.
A/N: Response to Author of the Month Challenge at The Hideaway where author is given a legend and must incorporate it into the fic. This fic involves the legend of the Castle of Mey in northern Scotland.
"Severus, don't be ridiculous."
"I'm not being ridiculous. I'm being practical. Why are we really here, Minerva?"
McGonagall sighed and sat down in the chair opposite him. "Albus made me do something similar when I became deputy headmistress."
"So the truth comes out at last. The old coot did it, so you're making me do it too." Snape made a face and then took a swig of Scotch whisky. He rested the glass on the armrest of his chair. "And here I was thinking you were doing things your own way."
McGonagall scowled. Snape smiled. She stood and began to pace in front of the fire. He watched her like a hawk, taking note of her body posture.
"Oh, do stop already. The poor carpet would certainly appreciate it."
McGonagall stopped and stared at Snape. "You could just tell her, you know. I gave you an option, Severus. This is the one you chose."
Snape gave her a characteristic glare. "You knew which option I would choose. A night in the Castle of Mey is much less frightening than telling that girl the truth. Don't tell me you wouldn't have made the same choice."
"In your situation, I very well might have, but you will have to tell her sometime."
"Yes. On my deathbed and not before."
"I can't believe you were voted new deputy, Severus."
"Neither can I. Whatever was the Council thinking? Oh, that's right. I'm a sodding war hero. Should have cut down Potter when I had the chance."
"Severus!" McGonagall looked aghast.
He smirked. "Don't look so surprised. His ego was as big as Merlin's … and dear dead Tom's for that matter. Chalk it up to his nature if you will."
"You're treading a fine line again, Severus."
"You needn't remind me, Minerva. I've always tread a fine line. Why else would I wish to avoid telling Granger the truth until I have to?"
The clock struck midnight, and the noise resounded around the castle. McGonagall took a last look at the fire. "Good night, Severus. I hope you and the Green Lady get on wonderfully."
"Oh, we will, Minerva. Kindred souls always do. Sleep well," he replied.
McGonagall rolled her eyes and walked out of the sitting room. Snape picked up his whisky glass and drained the remaining contents. He gazed into the dimming fire and scowled. The fire light created shadows throughout the large room. Snape occupied but a small corner that was barely touched. His black clothes caused him to melt into the shadows. Only his pale complexion stood in stark contrast to the surroundings.
A slight breeze shifted the flames. Snape cocked an eyebrow briefly. Everything settled again. Since he was not yet ready for bed, and being a creature of the night, Snape decided to sit for a bit yet. It occurred to him that he should have seen McGonagall safely back to her chambers. However, it was of little consequence by then. She could easily take care of herself. He knew how strong she was in the war. She had taken on much more than anyone alone should have.
The breeze returned. Intrigued, Snape rose to his feet and fell further into the shadows. McGonagall assured him the Green Lady was real, though he had little interest in legends. Given enough time, he feared his own existence would fall into the same category. Dumbledore was only several years dead and already his life was becoming one. Snape mentally kicked himself for becoming intimately tied into it. He had caught enough flak for "killing" a man who was already on his way to being dead.
"Show yourself," Snape said loudly, his voice echoing in the silence. He immediately felt silly. One of his biggest pet peeves was people talking to themselves. Nothing changed after several seconds anyway. Then the fire dimmed only to the burning embers. The entire sitting room, save the space immediately surrounding the fireplace, was black. Snape closed his eyes for a moment to adjust more quickly to the dimness. He could just make out the furniture. As he navigated around the room to the door, he felt something enter the room.
"The tower, please," a quiet and all too feminine voice seemed to whisper.
Snape turned to look, but the room remained unchanged. He swung the door open and stalked into the hall. He began toward his room, recalling the legend as he went. McGonagall gave him the gist of it: the Earl of Caithness locked his daughter in the tower for falling in love with a common man. She then threw herself from the tower and had haunted the castle since. What it had to do with him, Snape had little idea. It was still more ideal to spend the night in a haunted castle than confront Hermione Granger. A seed of doubt lingered in his mind though.
The castle was just as dark as the sitting room. Snape felt fortunate that he was so well adjusted to it. He knew well enough which way he needed to go. His internal compass pointed him around corners, down stairs, and through various sections of the castle with ease. Lost in his thoughts, though, he did not realize where he was until he was there.
"The tower," the same voice said again.
Snape looked around. He was at the base of the tower. If he took the stairs to the top he would find the room in which the Earl's daughter was locked up. "Nice try," he said. Snape turned away from the tower and concentrated on finding his room again.
"No, the tower," the voice begged of him.
"Get out of my head," he replied angrily. "I've got enough demons to frighten even the devil off. I don't need another one." He closed the door to his room harshly, causing the door frame to rattle briefly.
Snape quickly undressed and put on his night gown, cursing the fact his room was so freezing cold. 'They really need to heat this bloody place,' he thought. He climbed into bed and buried himself in the duvet to keep warm. Within minutes he was asleep and snoring gently. However, his slumber was not to last.
"So close, my lost soul. So very close." The Green Lady floated above his bed. Snape shivered in his sleep. "Awake, raven. You are needed." Snape rolled over but did not wake up. "Arise and come to me." He continued snoring. The Green Lady drifted closer and reached out to touch him. Her hand passed through his cheek. "Wake up!" she said sharply.
Snape's eyes snapped open. He stared into her forlorn eyes for a moment, trying to regain his senses. Once he realized who was staring back, Snape rolled away from the ghost. "I thought I told you to go away."
"I can't leave."
"Not my problem," he mumbled.
The Green Lady floated down to bed level and hovered across from Snape. "You must talk to me, please." He rolled away and she moved closer, reaching out to touch him. He shivered at her touch. "You are in pain. Talk to me please."
"You wouldn't understand. Go away."
She floated through him making him jump out of bed. "I will not leave until you talk. So much sadness. So much pain. But yet, such a beautiful soul. Talk, please."
Snape glared at the ghost. "You're worse than an ignorant Hufflepuff first year. Go away."
"Only if you talk to me."
Talk to you? I am talking to you."
"Tell me about your pain. I will tell you of mine. Oh my lost love, so long ago. So very long."
Snape rolled his eyes. "Crazy witch. Shut up. I need to think."
"Walk."
"What?"
"Walk. With me. Come to my room." Her head cocked to the side and Snape saw it was with effort that her head remained upright. Her neck had obviously broken as a result of her fall from the tower.
"Will you leave me alone if I do?"
"Yes, if you come and talk."
Snape sighed and put his slippers on. He shivered again as he was till only in his nightgown. He briefly considered putting his clothes on but decided against it as he intended the trip to the tower to be a short one.
The Green Lady hovered out of his room and he followed as she led to the tower. When they arrived he looked at the entrance and groaned at the fact he had to climb up. She merely floated along, not bothered by the slightest thing. Snape labored up the narrow, winding staircase, stopping a few times to catch his breath. At the top she waited for him by the bolted door.
"Open it."
"Why? Can't float in on your own?"
"Open it."
Reluctantly, Snape unbolted the door and hauled it open. A cloud of dust drifted from the room. He coughed. Slowly, he entered the room behind the Green Lady. It was a simple room, really nothing more than a bed. Once window had been bricked up. The other looked outside. Snape walked over to the window and looked out. He could see little in the night, but he figured there was little to see during the day anyway if the story was true.
"I'm here. What do you want?"
The Green Lady was by the opposite window, staring. "I could not see him as he worked. Father locked me in and took him away from me. Every morning I would wake, hoping for a glimpse. Every morning this was my view. I jumped. Father took my love away so I took his daughter away."
"How very touching."
She turned to Snape. "You would not jump?"
"No."
"But you have so much pain, so little happiness." She glided to him, gently caressing his cheek. "You wouldn't end it?"
"I should have been dead long ago. Someone, an innocent, took my place."
She captured his gaze with her steady one. "You have nothing left, Severus. You are … unwanted. The world no longer needs us. There is nothing life can offer. But I, I have been lonely so long. I know sadness and longing. You and I don't have to be lonely for much longer."
Not once did he blink. Her caress sent shivers down his pine, but he did not back away. Her voice seemed to speak to his soul.
"No, not lonely," he said, barely even a whisper.
"You and I could remain here as one. It's been so long since I've known the touch of a man. You can remain with me."
"No," he uttered. His mind and body seemed to be in opposition. "Lonely, so lonely." He began to inch closer to the window as she led him. They stopped in front of it, Snape facing the world outside.
"Jump. End it. Stay with me."
He climbed onto the sill. Perched precariously on the ledge he thought about the past few years. "No." A breeze blew past him into the room.
"Jump."
"No!" He turned to face the Green Lady, rage showing in both their features.
She screamed at him, "Jump!"
Snape moved out of the window sill, the spell broken. The Green Lady flew at him as if to push him out. She flew straight through and out of the castle. However, the force of it still caused him to take a step back. He tipped backward and began to tip out of the open window. Snape teetered on the edge and then started to fall. "No!" he yelled, grasping for anything. There was nothing, though, as he began somersaulting head first through the air. Even in the dark of night he saw the ground quickly approaching. Snape knew in that moment he was not prepared for death. When the war finished he had gained a new lease on life. Everything took a turn for the better when his name was cleared. Then he had been named deputy headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In an instant all that would be over, along with any possible future he had to look forward to.
Everything stopped. Snape saw the ground within inches of his head. He reached his hands past his head and touched the grass. He started laughing and then tumbled to the ground, thanking whoever popped into his head that he was not dead. The Green Lady floated above him, screeching about her loss.
"Shut up you hag!" he yelled back.
Another curiosity occurred when she clapped her incorporeal hands over her mouth as if she could no longer speak. McGonagall appeared at Snape's side and helped him to his feet. "You didn't think I'd leave you alone all night, did you?"
Snape gave McGonagall an uncharacteristic hug. "Thank you, Minerva."
"Severus, it's quite all right. You can let go now."
He let her go and took a step back. "Sorry." They began to walk back into the castle. "How much did you see?"
"Enough, Severus. I'm glad to see you passed."
He stopped. "A test?" McGonagall rolled her eyes and then began walking again. "You could have warned me!"
"Severus, I didn't know what would happen. I'm just glad I reached you in time. You would probably haunt me for the rest of my life if I didn't."
"I'm going to assume this means I get to keep my job."
"We'll see. And what of Miss Granger?"
Snape sighed. "I'll need to borrow the pensieve. I gave you the memory because I didn't trust myself with it."
"You'll have it when we return. She has the right to know."
"She'll hate me for it."
"Maybe, Severus. But she'll be glad to have peace of mind. What happened to Mr. Weasley isn't your fault anyway."
"I still could have prevented it."
"Do stop." McGonagall shivered. "Now, let's get inside. It's absolutely freezing in this nightgown, and I'd like to get some rest."
Snape followed her back into the castle without another word.
End