I do not own the Potter-verse! Thank you!
There she stood a lone, dark figure in the pale serene landscape. The wind was gusting, strongly at times, and blew tiny ice crystals into her face. They caressed her skin like a thousand tiny knives, sharp, but at the same time good.
It was an uneasy time for her, an uneasy time for everyone. Voldemort was being too quiet. Nothing had been heard from him for several weeks. It weighed heavily on everyone.
It had snowed steadily all day, trapping everyone in the castle. It was noisy and close and driving her absolutely crazy. Her friends, people she was normally happy to spend time with, were too much. She had tried reading, but she simply couldn't fall into the skillfully crafted world of the author's words. She was restless, stir-crazy. She knew that if she didn't leave right then, she would say something that she would regret.
She also knew that it was after curfew and if she asked Harry for his cloak he would worry about her and maybe ask to come with her. And that was something that she simply would not be able to tolerate. So, employing all the skills she had learned over the years from sneaking around with Harry and Ron, she crept carefully down the stairs and through the halls to the great doors in the Entrance Hall.
Out, across the lawns she walked. The snow around her was whipped by the wind into a frozen sea. At the edge of the lake she stopped and just breathed. She soaked in the solitude and quiet. She turned around slowly and examined the empty landscape. This was exactly what she had needed. Standing still, she watched the moon on the water, still just breathing.
She was just beginning to feel the cold during the gustier moments when someone whispered behind her. "Miss Granger. Imagine seeing you here. I wonder how many points I can take from Gryffindor for this."
Just what I needed, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. She didn't say anything.
"Miss Granger." Still, she said nothing. "Miss Granger." The voice was becoming vastly more irritated.
So, with a sigh, she turned and said, "Yes, Professor Snape?" "Miss Granger, what are you doing out here?"
She looked at him for a moment and then said quietly, "I just needed to breathe a little. It was too hard inside," her eye strayed to the castle behind them.
He opened his mouth to say something cruel and then paused. He looked at her face. She was being honest, and if he was honest too, he could understand what she meant. There were times when the sprawling castle with all its myriad halls and many floors seemed too small. So instead he said, "You should go in soon. Your face is red, you must have been out here for a while?"
"Yes," she said, a small smile of relief beginning to bloom on her face. "Yes, I think I am nearly ready to go in."
"Good." They stood in silence for a little longer.
She turned to him and said, "I think I would like to go in, now, Professor." He nodded and walked her back into Hogwarts.
"Miss Granger, this must not happen again." He looked at her sternly.
"No, sir." Not until the next time, anyway, she thought to herself.
There she stood a lone, dark figure in the pale serene landscape. The wind was gusting, strongly at times, and blew tiny ice crystals into her face. They caressed her skin like a thousand tiny knives, sharp, but at the same time good.
It was an uneasy time for her, an uneasy time for everyone. Voldemort was being too quiet. Nothing had been heard from him for several weeks. It weighed heavily on everyone.
It had snowed steadily all day, trapping everyone in the castle. It was noisy and close and driving her absolutely crazy. Her friends, people she was normally happy to spend time with, were too much. She had tried reading, but she simply couldn't fall into the skillfully crafted world of the author's words. She was restless, stir-crazy. She knew that if she didn't leave right then, she would say something that she would regret.
She also knew that it was after curfew and if she asked Harry for his cloak he would worry about her and maybe ask to come with her. And that was something that she simply would not be able to tolerate. So, employing all the skills she had learned over the years from sneaking around with Harry and Ron, she crept carefully down the stairs and through the halls to the great doors in the Entrance Hall.
Out, across the lawns she walked. The snow around her was whipped by the wind into a frozen sea. At the edge of the lake she stopped and just breathed. She soaked in the solitude and quiet. She turned around slowly and examined the empty landscape. This was exactly what she had needed. Standing still, she watched the moon on the water, still just breathing.
She was just beginning to feel the cold during the gustier moments when someone whispered behind her. "Miss Granger. Imagine seeing you here. I wonder how many points I can take from Gryffindor for this."
Just what I needed, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. She didn't say anything.
"Miss Granger." Still, she said nothing. "Miss Granger." The voice was becoming vastly more irritated.
So, with a sigh, she turned and said, "Yes, Professor Snape?" "Miss Granger, what are you doing out here?"
She looked at him for a moment and then said quietly, "I just needed to breathe a little. It was too hard inside," her eye strayed to the castle behind them.
He opened his mouth to say something cruel and then paused. He looked at her face. She was being honest, and if he was honest too, he could understand what she meant. There were times when the sprawling castle with all its myriad halls and many floors seemed too small. So instead he said, "You should go in soon. Your face is red, you must have been out here for a while?"
"Yes," she said, a small smile of relief beginning to bloom on her face. "Yes, I think I am nearly ready to go in."
"Good." They stood in silence for a little longer.
She turned to him and said, "I think I would like to go in, now, Professor." He nodded and walked her back into Hogwarts.
"Miss Granger, this must not happen again." He looked at her sternly.
"No, sir." Not until the next time, anyway, she thought to herself.