His world shattered. The fake happiness he built up just hit rock bottom the moment he laid eyes upon her. She was supposed to be dead; she was killed in an attack on her house. Everyone knew this. It was common knowledge, the elf maiden never made it out alive when the attack was sprung on her. Unforgivable curses were thrown all over before the house lit up with green fumes there was no trace of her body anywhere. She was gone.
Yet there she stood, smiling and laughing with people he was sure were as dark as the clothes they wore. She stood there with no marks upon her body and judging from the sparkle in her eyes, as she laughed not a mark on her mind either. He could not tear his eyes away from the sight of her and before he knew it she was approaching him with a look of curiosity and determination in those sparkling eyes. He almost flinched at her gaze upon him as she fast approached.
Slowly she weaved amongst the crowded tables of people issuing her greetings and apologies. She was mingling with random people when she felt a presence she had not felt in years, and it was burning into her as the person stared. He was there, just watching her and it made her heart begin to race. Curiosity as to why he was there quirked her interest and longing to see him and deem that it really was him made her go to him. She never thought she would see anyone from her past again, least of all here, since she was promised to be dead and all. But there he was, standing in the shadows as he always did. Watching, staring, carefully assessing her moves. He was there, somehow he had found his way to her place of establishment and now she was moving determinedly towards him. Before she knew it, she stood not two feet away from him. Her mind panicked and her mouth failed to move. And in a strange whisper of a yell she let out the only two words she could.
"Hello Severus."