"…Mudblood!" it echoed in her tormenting in her mind. She already knew he would make a choice, only she always thought he'd pick her; perhaps she imagined he would have dramatically renounced all his Slytherin friends and proclaim his unwavering loyalty to Dumbledore and (although she wouldn't admit it to herself now) to her.

But Severus Snape hadn't picked her, she told herself harshly, he was one of them. She had even thought she might love him, she laughed bitterly at her old delusions; she could never love one of them.

She got up off her bed wiped the tears off her face and with a bitter resolve made her way to the entrance of the common room, it was time to let go of fanciful notions, it was time to let go of Severus Snape.