A Fun Old Hogwarts Backstory
DISCLAIMER: Yes yes, they all belong to me, my preeeecious characters...oh, wait, wrong fandom...nope, they belong to Ms. Rowling, and they always will, unless she sells them, in which case I'll not be able to afford them anyway...all in all, I can safely say that these characters will *never* belong to me...
A/N: Hello. I am LadySeverus, and this is my first fanfic. Reviews are, of course, welcome. I won't know what the people want if you don't tell me. Feel free to rake me over the coals for it too; I know it's fluffy. It shouldn't be too difficult to guess who the couple is.
Chapter One
I awoke to find him standing in the doorway. He did not know he had woken me, and I did not want him to. As long as he thought I was asleep, I could see the real him. It was part of the game I played with him.
Quickly glancing around beneath slitted eyelids, I found that I had again fallen asleep in front of the fire, book in hand, quill and parchment on the table in front of me. My notes actually cut off mid-sentence this time, quite an impressive feat. I must have truly exhausted myself.
When I told him I wanted to amass all information available into this definitive work, I could not even request the use of his private library before he offered it to me at my disposal. Since that evening in the Great Hall, he has often found me sleeping in the enormous armchair before the fire, much the same way he found me tonight. I had never actually passed out in the middle of a sentence though, and this he noticed as he began his almost nightly routine of taking the book from my hand, rolling and tying my parchment, and placing everything neatly and organized on the table with my quill.
All of this I watched through my delicately parted eyelids, as I have almost every night this term. I studied his smooth jawline, his silver- streaked black hair, and his eye, wrinkled from squinting. I have told that man that he needs glasses, but he is unyieldingly stubborn, one of the many reasons I have started falling in love with him.
I silently spied on him as I always do, watching how carefully he worked to avoid waking me, and I had to fight the urge to smile at the great care he was taking. There were the moments I treasured. Of course I loved working one on one with him, but he was always so guarded. When he thought me asleep, however, the façade fell. His eyes were warm and caring, almost twinkling, his face soft and bordering on friendly. As rarely as I see him like this, I am still convinced that this is the real man, the warmth behind the hard shell, and I longed to ask him why he would not allow us all to see this side of him. He was always so cold and harsh toward his students, but even then, I was drawn to him. Ours was a friendship based in mutual respect for each other's intellect, and we have always been able to communicate openly.
As I watched him, expecting him to finish straightening up and then leave, as always, he suddenly turned and looked directly at me. /Oh gods,/ I thought, /does he know I'm awake?/ I began to panic and broke out in a cold sweat as he walked slowly, quietly toward me, and he stopped, towering above my chair. I did not dare move. Suddenly, surprisingly, I felt his hand on my hair. His touch was so gentle, I almost did not feel it. I remained still. He leaned down and gently kissed my forehead. "So young, so beautiful." He whispered so quietly, I almost believed I had dreamed the words. "If only I could tell you how much I love you, how much you have come to mean to me." Was I dreaming? Did the man I love really just say he loves me?
I was at a loss. Did I suddenly spring up, announcing his love was requited? Did I remain still, continuing to pretend to be sleeping? I decided to remain still for the moment and to see what would happen next. He released a tired, weary sigh, and it broke my heart to hear such a troubled sound escape him. He stepped back from my chair, removed his cloak, and sat in the identical chair beside mine, directly in my blurry line of sight. He was not wearing his usual robes under his cloak tonight. Instead he was wearing Muggle clothing, jeans I believe they are called, and a T-shirt. He sat back and looked at me, and I almost did not recognize him. He was so relaxed and at ease with himself, and he was looking at me with the strangest expression. It took me a few quick heartbeats to realize that there were love and admiration in his eyes, and I felt warm and embraced under his gaze. My mind clouded, and I felt blissfully happy. He loved me! I suddenly realized that he was speaking again. "I see so much of myself in you-your passion, your drive, your thirst for knowledge. You will be great, my dear, and I will be able to take a small amount of satisfaction in knowing I had a hand in your success. Perhaps someday you will think back to your time at Hogwarts and think of me fondly. I only hope I was hard enough on you, pushed you enough to help you achieve your full potential. I was overjoyed when you came to me with your project. To think, a seventh year Head Girl, amid studying for the N.E.W.T.s, wanted to write a textbook. I truly admire you."
He knew I was awake! He had to! His gaze was so intent, his words so conversational. /I'm going to open my eyes and come clean. Admit my spying on him, about which he obviously knows. Show him I am worthy of his love, his admiration. Let him know his feelings are reciprocated./
Then I saw it. It did not register at first, however. After all, why would the head of Gryffindor House have the Slytherin crest tattooed on his forearm? It did not make sense. Surely he had not been a Slytherin during his school days. Could a member of one house become head of another? I honestly did not know. My breath caught in my throat as I tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle the gasp that escaped. Surely he could not know I was awake. He would never allow such a thing to be seen by a colleague, much less a student, even one who was a friend.
He started slightly at my gasp but did not appear surprised. The warmth in his eyes remained; his face was still relaxed and loving. He glanced down at his arm. "Ah. You've noticed my tattoo. I knew you would. You may open your eyes, dear; I've know you were awake since I walked in the door." I opened my eyes and slowly straightened up in the armchair, feeling foolish.
"How did you know?"
"I have always known. My question to you is why. Why do you spy on me when I come in to check on you?"
"Why do you come in to check on me, sir?"
"I should think that would be fairly obvious after all that you have listened to this evening."
I flushed bright red. "Yes sir."
He looked at me expectantly, "Well?"
Taking a deep breath, I began talking. "Well, the first time was the second day into my research. I did not have the intention of spying that night, but when I opened my eyes and saw you tidying up my workspace, you had a look on your face I had never seen. It intrigued me so I pretended to be asleep to continue watching."
"I see, and what was that expression I wore?"
"Contentment, sir. You were relaxed, and you looked happy. I liked seeing you like that, and I wanted to see it again." I felt my face grow warm as a newly invigorated blush took me over.
He smiled, such a small smile that it seemed only to be to himself. "And what do you think now that you've seen my arm?"
The tattoo! I had all but forgotten about it, so wrapped up was I in our conversation. I had been honest with him thus far; there was no reason to lie now. He loved me, and I somehow knew that he would not judge me. "Confused, sir. Why would the head of Gryffindor and one of the most honest men I have ever known have the crest of Slytherin permanently branding his body?"
I did not expect the amused smile that spread over his face, but I never wanted it to leave his lips. His entire being smiled when his face lit up. "I would expect more from our Head Girl, especially a Head Girl who prides herself on her knowledge of all things Hogwarts. The Slytherin crest, before it became known as such, was the mark of the Hogwarts Fellowship, of which Salazaar Slytherin was a premier member."
"The Hogwarts Fellowship? Like a club?"
"No my dear. The Hogwarts Fellowship, made up of the four founders and myself, was a private fraternity-"
I cut him off, "You and the four founders? How old are you, Professor?"
"We will get to that, all in good time. As I was saying, the four founders and I formed the Hogwarts Fellowship, and we vowed to remain bonded until our dying days. In order to seal our vow, we of course needed a way to show our devotion to the Fellowship. Salazaar designed our seal. The name 'Slytherin' was added after the school was founded. You will note that my tattoo says 'HF', for Hogwarts Fellowship, and not Slytherin."
I was confused, "But what was the purpose of the Fellowship?" completely forgetting that the love of my life returned my feelings. My curiosity had overwhelmed my heart for the time being.
He suddenly changed the subject, "Why did you continue spying on me for so long?"
Taken completely off guard, I stammered for a few seconds before I realized what he had done. "You did not answer my question, Professor!"
"I am more interested in your motives for spying than in discussing my personal history."
I could see that there would be no more discussion of this mysterious Hogwarts Fellowship tonight. Now I had to decide how to answer his question, "You already asked me that question, Professor. I told you that I liked seeing you as you really are and not as you want your students to see you." I had dodged admitting my true feelings once again. Why was I so afraid? I knew he loved me too.
"Yes, dear, but why was seeing me with my defenses down so very important to you?"
"Well, sir, it became more important to me as time went on."
"Why?"
He just would not let this rest! I timidly looked into his eyes, and I saw it. He knew! Somehow, he knew how I felt about him! When had he found out?
He cleared his throat. I started and looked up at him. "Are you quite all right? You seemed as if you had gone into a trance."
/Oh gods, what do I do? What do I say?/ I started to get hysterical.
I then had a moment of clarity. I was positive he knew, and if he knew and returned my feelings.
"I love you!" I blurted out. I had said it. I had never told anyone except my family that I loved them. I do not know how long we sat like that, him looking at me, me looking at the floor. Probably mere seconds. It felt like an eternity.
I slowly raised my eyes to meet his, and the tenderness I saw there made me want to cry. He beckoned me over, and I sat on the floor in front of him, resting my head on his knee.
"How long have you known how I felt?" I asked him as he began massaging my shoulders.
"Since earlier this evening when you told me you enjoyed seeing my contentment."
He had told me he loved me without knowing how I felt! This man, this publicly reserved man, who had never been more than a stoic on a good day, had taken a risk with his feelings. My love for him doubled upon realizing this, if such a thing were possible.
We sat cozily in front of the fire until sunrise, when we seemed to mutually decide that it was time for me to return to Gryffindor Tower. Even though, as Head Girl, I had my own room, we did not want to risk someone noticing my being gone. We had both forgotten that it was now normal for me to be gone all night. I usually fell asleep again after he would straighten my things and leave.
He walked me to his door, and as I was about to walk out, he leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. I could feel myself flush from head to toe. I smiled up at him, expecting more, but he stepped back. "Now is not the time, darling."
"Good day, Professor." I realized how strange it felt to call him "Professor" now.
Seemingly thinking the same, he looked at me very seriously. "I am only 'Professor' in the classroom, Minnie." /Gods, he called me Minnie! I loved how that sounded./ "In here, I am only Albus."
"Albus," I smiled, enjoying the feeling of saying the name out loud. Now about that Fellowship.
End of Chapter One
DISCLAIMER: Yes yes, they all belong to me, my preeeecious characters...oh, wait, wrong fandom...nope, they belong to Ms. Rowling, and they always will, unless she sells them, in which case I'll not be able to afford them anyway...all in all, I can safely say that these characters will *never* belong to me...
A/N: Hello. I am LadySeverus, and this is my first fanfic. Reviews are, of course, welcome. I won't know what the people want if you don't tell me. Feel free to rake me over the coals for it too; I know it's fluffy. It shouldn't be too difficult to guess who the couple is.
Chapter One
I awoke to find him standing in the doorway. He did not know he had woken me, and I did not want him to. As long as he thought I was asleep, I could see the real him. It was part of the game I played with him.
Quickly glancing around beneath slitted eyelids, I found that I had again fallen asleep in front of the fire, book in hand, quill and parchment on the table in front of me. My notes actually cut off mid-sentence this time, quite an impressive feat. I must have truly exhausted myself.
When I told him I wanted to amass all information available into this definitive work, I could not even request the use of his private library before he offered it to me at my disposal. Since that evening in the Great Hall, he has often found me sleeping in the enormous armchair before the fire, much the same way he found me tonight. I had never actually passed out in the middle of a sentence though, and this he noticed as he began his almost nightly routine of taking the book from my hand, rolling and tying my parchment, and placing everything neatly and organized on the table with my quill.
All of this I watched through my delicately parted eyelids, as I have almost every night this term. I studied his smooth jawline, his silver- streaked black hair, and his eye, wrinkled from squinting. I have told that man that he needs glasses, but he is unyieldingly stubborn, one of the many reasons I have started falling in love with him.
I silently spied on him as I always do, watching how carefully he worked to avoid waking me, and I had to fight the urge to smile at the great care he was taking. There were the moments I treasured. Of course I loved working one on one with him, but he was always so guarded. When he thought me asleep, however, the façade fell. His eyes were warm and caring, almost twinkling, his face soft and bordering on friendly. As rarely as I see him like this, I am still convinced that this is the real man, the warmth behind the hard shell, and I longed to ask him why he would not allow us all to see this side of him. He was always so cold and harsh toward his students, but even then, I was drawn to him. Ours was a friendship based in mutual respect for each other's intellect, and we have always been able to communicate openly.
As I watched him, expecting him to finish straightening up and then leave, as always, he suddenly turned and looked directly at me. /Oh gods,/ I thought, /does he know I'm awake?/ I began to panic and broke out in a cold sweat as he walked slowly, quietly toward me, and he stopped, towering above my chair. I did not dare move. Suddenly, surprisingly, I felt his hand on my hair. His touch was so gentle, I almost did not feel it. I remained still. He leaned down and gently kissed my forehead. "So young, so beautiful." He whispered so quietly, I almost believed I had dreamed the words. "If only I could tell you how much I love you, how much you have come to mean to me." Was I dreaming? Did the man I love really just say he loves me?
I was at a loss. Did I suddenly spring up, announcing his love was requited? Did I remain still, continuing to pretend to be sleeping? I decided to remain still for the moment and to see what would happen next. He released a tired, weary sigh, and it broke my heart to hear such a troubled sound escape him. He stepped back from my chair, removed his cloak, and sat in the identical chair beside mine, directly in my blurry line of sight. He was not wearing his usual robes under his cloak tonight. Instead he was wearing Muggle clothing, jeans I believe they are called, and a T-shirt. He sat back and looked at me, and I almost did not recognize him. He was so relaxed and at ease with himself, and he was looking at me with the strangest expression. It took me a few quick heartbeats to realize that there were love and admiration in his eyes, and I felt warm and embraced under his gaze. My mind clouded, and I felt blissfully happy. He loved me! I suddenly realized that he was speaking again. "I see so much of myself in you-your passion, your drive, your thirst for knowledge. You will be great, my dear, and I will be able to take a small amount of satisfaction in knowing I had a hand in your success. Perhaps someday you will think back to your time at Hogwarts and think of me fondly. I only hope I was hard enough on you, pushed you enough to help you achieve your full potential. I was overjoyed when you came to me with your project. To think, a seventh year Head Girl, amid studying for the N.E.W.T.s, wanted to write a textbook. I truly admire you."
He knew I was awake! He had to! His gaze was so intent, his words so conversational. /I'm going to open my eyes and come clean. Admit my spying on him, about which he obviously knows. Show him I am worthy of his love, his admiration. Let him know his feelings are reciprocated./
Then I saw it. It did not register at first, however. After all, why would the head of Gryffindor House have the Slytherin crest tattooed on his forearm? It did not make sense. Surely he had not been a Slytherin during his school days. Could a member of one house become head of another? I honestly did not know. My breath caught in my throat as I tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle the gasp that escaped. Surely he could not know I was awake. He would never allow such a thing to be seen by a colleague, much less a student, even one who was a friend.
He started slightly at my gasp but did not appear surprised. The warmth in his eyes remained; his face was still relaxed and loving. He glanced down at his arm. "Ah. You've noticed my tattoo. I knew you would. You may open your eyes, dear; I've know you were awake since I walked in the door." I opened my eyes and slowly straightened up in the armchair, feeling foolish.
"How did you know?"
"I have always known. My question to you is why. Why do you spy on me when I come in to check on you?"
"Why do you come in to check on me, sir?"
"I should think that would be fairly obvious after all that you have listened to this evening."
I flushed bright red. "Yes sir."
He looked at me expectantly, "Well?"
Taking a deep breath, I began talking. "Well, the first time was the second day into my research. I did not have the intention of spying that night, but when I opened my eyes and saw you tidying up my workspace, you had a look on your face I had never seen. It intrigued me so I pretended to be asleep to continue watching."
"I see, and what was that expression I wore?"
"Contentment, sir. You were relaxed, and you looked happy. I liked seeing you like that, and I wanted to see it again." I felt my face grow warm as a newly invigorated blush took me over.
He smiled, such a small smile that it seemed only to be to himself. "And what do you think now that you've seen my arm?"
The tattoo! I had all but forgotten about it, so wrapped up was I in our conversation. I had been honest with him thus far; there was no reason to lie now. He loved me, and I somehow knew that he would not judge me. "Confused, sir. Why would the head of Gryffindor and one of the most honest men I have ever known have the crest of Slytherin permanently branding his body?"
I did not expect the amused smile that spread over his face, but I never wanted it to leave his lips. His entire being smiled when his face lit up. "I would expect more from our Head Girl, especially a Head Girl who prides herself on her knowledge of all things Hogwarts. The Slytherin crest, before it became known as such, was the mark of the Hogwarts Fellowship, of which Salazaar Slytherin was a premier member."
"The Hogwarts Fellowship? Like a club?"
"No my dear. The Hogwarts Fellowship, made up of the four founders and myself, was a private fraternity-"
I cut him off, "You and the four founders? How old are you, Professor?"
"We will get to that, all in good time. As I was saying, the four founders and I formed the Hogwarts Fellowship, and we vowed to remain bonded until our dying days. In order to seal our vow, we of course needed a way to show our devotion to the Fellowship. Salazaar designed our seal. The name 'Slytherin' was added after the school was founded. You will note that my tattoo says 'HF', for Hogwarts Fellowship, and not Slytherin."
I was confused, "But what was the purpose of the Fellowship?" completely forgetting that the love of my life returned my feelings. My curiosity had overwhelmed my heart for the time being.
He suddenly changed the subject, "Why did you continue spying on me for so long?"
Taken completely off guard, I stammered for a few seconds before I realized what he had done. "You did not answer my question, Professor!"
"I am more interested in your motives for spying than in discussing my personal history."
I could see that there would be no more discussion of this mysterious Hogwarts Fellowship tonight. Now I had to decide how to answer his question, "You already asked me that question, Professor. I told you that I liked seeing you as you really are and not as you want your students to see you." I had dodged admitting my true feelings once again. Why was I so afraid? I knew he loved me too.
"Yes, dear, but why was seeing me with my defenses down so very important to you?"
"Well, sir, it became more important to me as time went on."
"Why?"
He just would not let this rest! I timidly looked into his eyes, and I saw it. He knew! Somehow, he knew how I felt about him! When had he found out?
He cleared his throat. I started and looked up at him. "Are you quite all right? You seemed as if you had gone into a trance."
/Oh gods, what do I do? What do I say?/ I started to get hysterical.
I then had a moment of clarity. I was positive he knew, and if he knew and returned my feelings.
"I love you!" I blurted out. I had said it. I had never told anyone except my family that I loved them. I do not know how long we sat like that, him looking at me, me looking at the floor. Probably mere seconds. It felt like an eternity.
I slowly raised my eyes to meet his, and the tenderness I saw there made me want to cry. He beckoned me over, and I sat on the floor in front of him, resting my head on his knee.
"How long have you known how I felt?" I asked him as he began massaging my shoulders.
"Since earlier this evening when you told me you enjoyed seeing my contentment."
He had told me he loved me without knowing how I felt! This man, this publicly reserved man, who had never been more than a stoic on a good day, had taken a risk with his feelings. My love for him doubled upon realizing this, if such a thing were possible.
We sat cozily in front of the fire until sunrise, when we seemed to mutually decide that it was time for me to return to Gryffindor Tower. Even though, as Head Girl, I had my own room, we did not want to risk someone noticing my being gone. We had both forgotten that it was now normal for me to be gone all night. I usually fell asleep again after he would straighten my things and leave.
He walked me to his door, and as I was about to walk out, he leaned down and kissed me lightly on the lips. I could feel myself flush from head to toe. I smiled up at him, expecting more, but he stepped back. "Now is not the time, darling."
"Good day, Professor." I realized how strange it felt to call him "Professor" now.
Seemingly thinking the same, he looked at me very seriously. "I am only 'Professor' in the classroom, Minnie." /Gods, he called me Minnie! I loved how that sounded./ "In here, I am only Albus."
"Albus," I smiled, enjoying the feeling of saying the name out loud. Now about that Fellowship.
End of Chapter One