From Out of the Rain
He stood outside with clenched fists as the rain poured down around him. The sky was dark, the black storm clouds hid the starry night sky from view, and Severus couldn't help but muse that the atmosphere perfectly matched his dismal mood. He shut his eyes, closing them away from the outside world as he stood there, absorbing the perpetual moisture that fell from the sky. His cloak was drenched in rainwater but he couldn't bring himself to care. He was a failure. So what if the rain coated his entire body? He certainly deserved it.
"You're going to catch a cold," a light, feminine voice from behind him said. His eyes popped open and his brow furrowed at the unexpected words. "You should come out of the rain."
He turned, his gaze coming to rest on small Dorcas Meadowes, a Ravenclaw girl three years younger than him. She had curly brown hair and bright blue eyes that stood out in the rain-filled haze that surrounded him, and she stood beneath an awning a few feet away. Her eyes were, unfortunately, the only thing that stood out about the thin girl, for she was rather short and easy to miss. A scowl crossed over Severus' face as he took in her appearance. "Do not bother me."
"Well then, come out of the rain," Dorcas said with a cheery smile. "Honestly, it's a simple request."
"And who are you to make such requests to me?" Severus snarled. His eyes narrowed down at the third-year before him. "I know spells that will twist your mind inside out, Ravenclaw. So don't you dare presume to tell me what to do!"
To his surprise, however, instead of cowering like the majority of his peers would, Dorcas simply rolled her eyes. "You know, with a temper like that it's no wonder Lily Evans won't speak to you."
His jaw clenched and he involuntarily took a step forward, bewilderment filling his core. "What?" he whispered.
"Oh, don't act so shocked. The entire school knows that you two are on the outs, Snape. And to be frank, what with the way you stomp around school with a constant scowl on your face, it's no wonder that she's hesitant to be your friend again."
"I do not scowl."
"You're scowling right now," Dorcas said, waving the thought away with a laugh. "And will you please come out of the rain? The poor house-elves are going to be absolutely swamped with laundry to do, thanks to you."
"Do not give me orders, Meadowes," he snapped. Though he had to admit to himself that the rain was getting a bit tedious; water was starting to drip down from his lashes and into his eyes.
"What are you going to do, Snape? Come over here and get me?" she taunted with a chuckle. "At least then you'll be out of the rain." She stretched her arms out in front of her, popping her knuckles with one harsh crack. "Unless, of course, you're punishing yourself for what you did to Evans last year."
"What happened between Lily and me is none of your concern," he whispered, his voice cold. "You don't know anything about us-"
"Oh, please. Everybody knows that you called her a Mudblood. Half of the school was present then, remember? She hasn't spoken to you in almost a year, and all you've done in response is continuously harass her, trying to get her to forgive you."
"I do n-"
"Snape, I do have eyes, you know," she said as she shifted her weight forward a bit onto her toes. She leaned out, her body an inch or so away from the oncoming rain, and lowered her voice so that Severus had to take a step closer to hear her. "You may think you've been discreet, but you haven't. I know you've been trying to convince her to forgive you, to speak to you. And I know you've failed."
The glare on Severus' face deepened at her words. "You know nothing."
"Actually, I know women pretty well. That's what happens when you have four sisters, you see," she said as she straightened back up again. "Which is how I know you need to give up."
"Pardon?"
"Give up. Abandon the cause. Leave Lily alone."
His spine grew stiff as he took a harsh, stilted step towards her, pure malice etched onto his features. "I will not give up. I value Lily's friendship far too much to just be done with it."
"I see," she said. She turned her back on him and lightly shrugged her shoulders. "It all makes sense now. I'm the absolute expert on women, and you're nothing more than the class idiot." She slowly began to walk off down the corridor.
"What?" Severus growled as he darted off after her. He quickly stepped out of the rain and under the awning, laying a slim hand on her small shoulder. He squeezed tightly and spun her around. "How dare you say that to me."
Dorcas smiled, a glint of triumph visible in her eyes. "It's the truth, isn't it? If you knew anything about women at all, you'd know that it's better to leave Evans alone and give her some space than to constantly bombard her with unwanted apologies."
"How is that better?"
"She doesn't need to hear you say 'I'm sorry,' Snape. She needs time," Dorcas explained. "Time to recover from the blow you dealt and to move on. Time for her to be angry and upset, and then get over it. But you keep bringing it up again, don't you? Every time you apologize, you just remind her of that wound you made once more. Again and again, you pick at the damage you've done, making it worse and worse instead of better. Back off, Snape. Let her come to terms with things on her own time."
"That's absurd," he said with a grimace. "I refuse to lose her because of inactivity on my part."
"Well, it's a little late for that," she said as she raised an eyebrow at him. "You've already lost her. And until you give her some space, you'll never win her back."
Severus blinked. Water was once more in his eyes, but this time it wasn't from the rain. He tried to hide it, though, by keeping his voice sturdy. "But Potter-"
"Knows when to give Evans some space! Honestly, it's not that hard. Let her breathe, Snape. Let her heal."
He hated to admit it, but she was making sense. If what he was trying didn't work, shouldn't he attempt another tactic? Maybe Meadowes was right, and Lily really did just need some time to think without him breathing down her neck. Maybe that would solve everything.
Suddenly, another scowl crossed his face. What was he doing, talking with her? Why was he confiding in a Ravenclaw, a third year Ravenclaw, for that matter? If anyone found out, he'd never hear the end of it. "Do not dare speak to me of this again," he said as he pushed past her. "It is most certainly not your place."
But as he left her behind, he heard Dorcas give a small laugh and say, "As you wish. At least I got you out of the rain."
This was written for the 2012 Hogwarts Games: BMX Competition. I officially ship Severus and Dorcas, which is a marvelous feat; before writing this, I refused to read anything in which Severus was with anyone other than Hermione or an OC. Of course, this is a wildly unpopular pairing... But if you like my characterization of Dorcas, know that my inspiration for it stemmed from an awesome fic called "Killing Dorcas Meadows". It's truly great, and you should go and check it out! I hope you enjoyed it; I know that I sure as hell had fun writing this! Please review it and tell me what you think! I'd love some criticism. Thanks!
Cheers!
-Selene