Disclaimer: I don't own Severus Snape or any other characters from the Harry Potter universe. They all belong to JK Rowling. I'm not making any money off this story, just weaving my own tale for one of her brilliant characters. The only person I own is Amelie.
A/N: There may be spoilers in here, so if you haven't read HBP, beware! Rated for like, the very last chapter. R&R!
Chapter One
It was grey and bitter cold outside. As bright as the city was, and as vast was its network of pubs in which to warm oneself, the young man who was quickly making his way through the snow knew of only one place he could go to escape the chill of that winter's night. A dank, dreary-looking door that only he could see, loomed in the distance, crammed into the middle of Charing Cross Road. His pace quickened, and within a minute he had crossed the threshold into a dark, but warm, inn.
"Hello there, son," the toothless barman said cheerily, pouring a glass of butterbeer. "Here, take this, it'll warm you up." He pushed the steaming flask across the bar to the youth, along with a good-sized piece of chocolate.
"Thank you." It was barely a whisper, but it made it to Tom's frail ears, and he nodded, watching the black-clad figure make his way into a dark corner of the pub, a small trunk in tow.
He had just graduated from Hogwarts; he still wore the green and silver scarf the school had given the students back in their first year. He pulled back his head to reveal a pale face, black eyes, a rather large nose, and lank, greasy black hair. His expression was blank as he quietly sipped at his butterbeer and shivered beneath his robes.
Severus Snape couldn't remember the last time he had come to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. Usually he was just passing through to make his way out into Diagon Alley for new school supplies. It felt rather odd that after seven years of calling the expansive castle home, he would probably never see the school again.
Not that it mattered all that much to him; after first year, things only went downhill for him. As popular as he was in his own house, Slytherin, not many others seemed to like him. Probably because he was so much smarter than them, he had figured. Not many first years entered Hogwarts knowing more Dark Magic than half the seventh years. And the 'Marauders', as they so foolishly called themselves, didn't make life any better.
The one thing that had probably kept him sane at school had been her. Shining red hair, brilliant green eyes, and a skill at Potions that few (besides himself) were able to match. Lily Evans had made enduring every single day at Hogwarts worth it.
They had met in secret once a month for two years. He had never told her how much he cared about her, or how much he wanted to be with her, or how beautiful she was. How brave she had to be to meet a Slytherin after hours.
And then he had to go and call her a Mudblood…
He shook his head and drew his cloak tighter around his thin body as the door was flung open and the chill night air seeped into the bar. It must have begun to snow again, for a large amount of white fluff had accompanied the tall figure that had just entered the pub.
"Evening, Tom," a female voice said from under a blue traveling cloak.
"Ah, hello dear," Tom said, placing another glass on the counter and moving towards the large wooden keg of butterbeer.
"Reckon I'll have some firewhiskey tonight, Tom," the woman said as she removed her cloak.
Severus watched from the dark as she did this. Her long sable hair had once been in a plait, but had begun to fall out and bits now lay gracefully on her shoulders. Her face was pale in the dim firelight, but her smile emitted only warmth.
"Really getting cold out there, isn't it?" Tom asked as he poured a small amount of the strong liquor into a smaller glass.
"You're telling me," she answered, a shiver running down her spine.
Severus stared at the young woman, trying to remember why she was so familiar. The scarf that was still wrapped tightly around her neck was blue and grey, an obvious sign that she had been a Ravenclaw. But had she graduated the same year he had? Surely he would have at least remembered Dumbledore handing her a diploma, or watched as her parents and friends cried in happiness over her success…?
She must have felt his gaze upon her, for she turned her head and looked over at him, peering into the gloom to try and identify him.
"Why hello, Severus," she said, a knowing smile breaking across her face.
He choked on his butterbeer as she stood and calmly walked over to join him in the corner. His eyes narrowed as she took a seat across from him, her firewhiskey still in her hand.
"You don't remember me, do you." It wasn't a question; she knew from his blank stare that he had no idea who she was. "It's alright. It took me a second to figure out who you were, too. The nose gave it away."
Snape glared at her and brought a hand up to his face to cover his rather large, hooked nose. "Should I know you?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, I wouldn't expect you to. Ravenclaw, if you couldn't already tell," she answered, pointing to the scarf. "Although, I did sit next to you for our Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T.s. And I stood next to you during Apparition lessons sixth year." She took a sip of whiskey and winced.
Severus tried to recall any of this, but was drawing blanks. Someone had helped him up when he tripped over his shoelace trying to Apparate for the first time…had that been her?
As if she had read his mind, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I helped you up after you fell over that first time. Didn't seem very grateful, now that I remember…" Her voice trailed and she shrugged.
Snape stared at the girl, confused and trying desperately to place a name to her face. But it was no use; frustrated, he blurted out, "Who are you?"
A mischievous smile flitted across the young woman's freckled face; her amber eyes gleamed in the candlelight as she said, "You can call me Amelie."
"Does that mean that your real name is something you'd rather not tell me?" Snape asked suspiciously, his right arm slowly reaching for his wand.
"No, but these are dark times, Severus. Not many people would willingly say hello to a man cloaked in black, sitting in a dark corner of a bar," she answered softly as she took another swig of her drink.
"I hope you are not insinuating that I work for Him," Severus snarled through clenched teeth.
"No, of course not." She finished her drink and looked calmly into his dark onyx eyes, as if she were trying to find some way into his mind. "But I know how deeply you are considering it."
Severus felt his entire body tense up as he wrenched his eyes away from her gaze. Surely she couldn't read minds? Legilimency was very advanced magic, and she had only graduated a few months ago. Even more reason for him to become better skilled at Occlumency…
"How would you know that?" he hissed, now clutching his wand beneath his robes.
"It's written all over your face, Severus. And you lost practically everything you hold near and dear to your heart that day in June." Her eyes twinkled innocently. Severus was feeling more and more unnerved by her as the seconds ticked by.
"What are you talking about?"
"They're married, you know. Wed a few months ago, straight out of school." She beckoned Tom, who hastily brought two large, steaming mugs of hot cocoa and a bowl of marshmallows. She placed several on top of the brown liquid and magically stirred it with her index finger, almost absentmindedly.
Snape gave the marshmallows a foul look and pushed his now cold butterbeer out of the way, and pulled the cocoa towards him. "Who is married?" he asked offhandedly, although in his heart he already knew the answer.
"James and Lily," Amelie whispered.
"No!" Severus pounded a fist on the table and sent red sparks shooting out of his wand. "You're lying!" He could feel unshed tears burning his eyes.
Amelie shook her head and smiled at him sympathetically. "No, I'm not, Severus. And you know that." She took a sip of her cocoa. "Why are you so upset?"
The brooding young man peered into her golden eyes, trying with all his power to use Legilimency and find out what she was up to. However, he was meeting nothing but a blank wall; he sighed and gave up. "Because…"
She smirked. "Because of what?"
He was amazed he had let the conversation progress as long as it had. "It's really none of your business, now, is it?" he snapped.
"No, it isn't," the young witch said with a heavy sigh, unaffected by his rude tone. "You just looked like you needed someone to talk to, that's all."
"Well, I don't, thank you," he said curtly. "Tom, I need a room for the night, if you don't mind," he called across the bar.
The barman nodded and waved his wand at the small trunk sitting at Severus' feet so it hovered a few inches off the floor and followed him up the stairs.
Amelie continued to stare and smile at Snape, almost as if she were in a trance. She had pulled her hair away from her neck, revealing a nasty blemish along the edge of her throat.
Snape's eyes widened as he asked, "What happened?"
"Oh, nothing," she replied in a quiet voice. "Really none of your business, is it?" she smirked and took a gulp of cocoa.
Snape rolled his eyes and made to leave the table, saying, "I can tell this conversation is going to go in circles, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be –"
"No, don't go," Amelie said, resting a pale hand over his own. "I know you loved her, I just wanted to hear you say it."
He glared down at her and sunk back into his seat. "How would…how do you know all this?" he sneered, very put off by how much she knew.
"I heard you telling her, that day you called her a Mudblood. The day she told you she couldn't see you anymore, that things were getting too complicated," Amelie explained in a hushed voice.
Snape blinked back more tears, refusing to allow them to trickle down his pallid face and show weakness.
"It'll feel better once you talk about it," she said in a soothing voice.
He sniffed and asked, "How so?" as he pulled his hand out from under hers.
"Trust me, it will. It always feels a little better once you just let it out."
And allowing his impregnable guard to fall, Severus relented and felt hot tears stinging his face.