J.K. Rowling owns the characters and sets. I own the plot and OC.
Severus Valentine
It was Valentine's Day after all. He was so mysterious, smart and so like the "bad boys" she had dated in her youth. And he was 11 years her junior. It was now or never.
Severus Snape had plead illness to avoid work on Valentine's Day and Professor Dumbledore had given him leave to go to Spinner's End to rest. Yet he heard the unmistakable crack of someone on his doorstep. He rose to answer moments before the knock. On his doorstep stood the new Potions Mistress, Professor Smith.
"Please come in Smith," he greeted as he opened the door wider. "Have a chair. I was just having tea."
"I am sorry you are under the weather. I assume that you will be missing the dance tonight," she replied. "No thanks on the tea," her nervousness rising.
He studied the American with a curious eye. He had finally achieved his goal of becoming Instructor in the Dark Arts and had held it since the end of the Second Wizards War, an unheard of accomplishment from the time when Tom Riddle had been denied the position until his death as Lord Voldemort at the hands of Harry Potter. Now the Potions position was the one that had a new instructor every year. This year Dumbledore had gone to America and hired this woman who had been a chemistry major in University, but worked in Libraries until she retired. She was from Wyoming of all places! What in the world is in Wyoming besides Yellowstone Park and Devil's Tower, certainly not many people? She was pleasant enough; she knew her topic and was constantly reading. It was rumored that she had a "past" but she only smiled and did not elaborate. Snippets slipped out—bartender, biker boyfriend, streaker (whatever that was), and so on—who knew what the real story was.
Suddenly she reached into her bag, which obviously had an enlargement charm, and pulled out the largest heart shaped box of chocolates he had ever seen and a card. Nervously she handed them to him and said, "HappyValentine'sDaySeverus. Wishyouweregoingtothedance. Wellbye." Then she turned beet red and ran out of the room, slamming the door on her exit.
Glancing down at the elaborately decorated, heart shaped box of chocolates, he noticed that it was indeed a 10 pound box of mixed filled and nut chocolates—dark, milk and white. What in the world was he going to do with 10 pounds of chocolates? He played with the flap on the card and lifted the little Hallmark seal that closed it. Inside was a beautiful red, pink and white Valentine. "You make my days sunny, You make my nights star-filled, You make my life worth living, Thank you for being you. Happy Valentine's Day!" She had signed it "With love, Suzi". Wow! He had never been given permission to call her by her first name and here was her nickname. The name reserved for friends and close acquaintances. Nobody at work even called her that. It was always Sushannah, such a nice old-fashioned name, but Suzi sounded so like a person who would take risks—maybe she had been a bartender, biker in her earlier days.
He made up his mind quickly and opened the chocolates. He looked at the map inside the lid and selected four of the dark chocolate, raspberry filled chocolates. He bit into one then placed the rest on his saucer for later. He decided he would share the rest. Then he drew the Valentine that he had purchased and smiled. He signed it "Always yours, Sev." Then he went to change for the dance.
Dressed a starched white tuxedo shirt, complete with ruffles, he added a red bow tie and waistcoat that he had been saving for some reason in the back of his closet. Bright red button covers made a colorful addition. The addition of a black tuxedo and a black velvet cloak made a dashing sight in the mirror. A smile crept on his face as he finished drying his hair and tied its length back with a black ribbon. That should surprise everyone he thought with a second glance in the mirror. Picking up the chocolates and card from his desk in the parlor, he made his way to the fireplace where he dropped a handful of floo powder and reappeared in his quarters in the dungeons of Hogwarts.
He made his way up to the Great Hall and was greeted by a surprised Professor Dumbledore. "I am feeling much better and decided to help with the chaperone duties. I received this wonderful box of chocolates I thought I might add to the refreshment table since I would be ill for weeks if I were to consume it alone," stated Snape.
The Headmaster looked him up and down, raised an eyebrow as if he were going to say something about Snape's appearance, then just smiled and nodded.
Severus glanced around the room and after spying her (and who couldn't miss her with her white hair shining and held in place with a red barrette which matched the red velvet robes) he made his way to the stage where the band was warming up. He whispered to the director his request for them to play during their warm-up and before the students arrived, then strode across the hall.
He tapped her on her shoulder to get her attention and separated her from the group of teachers who were setting up the table of refreshments and putting an alcohol repelling spell on the punch bowl. She was beautiful in her red and white. Sushannah was known for her bright, jewel toned robes—nothing dark about this Potions Mistress, but tonight she had outdone herself by wearing a lacy white top and white palazzo pants, red sequined shoes and a red velvet cloak. "May I have this waltz?" he asked, nodding to the band leader.
He lead her onto the floor as the strands of "Let me call you Sweetheart" began to fill the hall. As they waltzed around the room everyone stopped talking to watch the couple move as one. With the second chorus he began to sing in a resonant baritone and she joined in with the soprano harmony, they laughed and they both changed the line to "Keep the love lights burning in your eyes of brown". Severus pulled her close to him and brushed her lips asking for permission to continue and Sushannah responded by teasing his lips with the tip of her tongue. It was as if they were alone on the planet. Then he pulled away and took a card from his pocket. With a gruffness in his voice he said, "I had bought this for you, but thought you might think me forward."
"Never," she laughed. Then she laughed harder when she saw that it was exactly like the one she had given him. "Great minds in the same track and all that." She reached up and gently cupped his face in her hands and kissed him again. They only broke apart when the students began to enter the Great Hall. Yes, it was going to be an interesting Valentine's dance.