Serpens Amator
A/N: I've noticed that there are a shortage of good Snape-fics. I don't know why, Snape is definitely my favorite character. All I can say is, all you Sevi-chan haters SUCK! Just kidding.
Disclaimer- HP doesn't belong to me, Ginger and plot does, that's about it.
*
Prologue
*
Have you ever been in love? I mean drop-dead, home-run, out-of-the-ballpark sort of love? I have. It hurts, it hurts like nothing else I've ever felt before. Trust me, I've been hurt a lot in my life.
Her name was Lily, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady, she was the loveliest thing I'd ever seen. She had long rose-red hair and the most gorgeous eyes that shone like newly-polished emeralds. She looked like a like a little doll, with her alabaster skin and rosy cheeks, and her hair in ringlets around her head. I miss her so much.
I remember the first time I saw her, we were on our way to school. I was standing in the train station by my "friend" Lucius. She came bounding past, wind-blown and pink from the chilly temperature. She ran right into Lucius and knocked him right on his butt.
He started yelling at her and going on and on about how she would pay for getting him dirty. She was all apologies and remorse. He was such a bastard to her, he wouldn't even listen to her.
I regret not standing up for her that day. Backing her up when everyone around us was yelling at her. Oh Lily, why was I so blinded by Lucius that day. I'm so sorry.
*
Chapter 1
*
"Are you sure about this, Ginge? I mean, this would take you closer to. well, you know, won't it?"
"Oh Aidan, quit worrying! I'll be perfectly fine. You forget, I'm a big girl."
"Ginger, you know I can't help but worry about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."
Ginger smiled at Aidan and rubbed his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "You know. I have that same thought every time you step onto that Quidditch field. I thought I would die when you played Bulgaria in the World Cup." She stopped and hugged him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Aidan looked highly doubtful, but nodded anyway, sighing heavily. "You'd better get your things together."
She grinned and hugged him tight. "Thanks for the support, It means so much to me."
He shrugged. "I've got to get to practice. See you later." He kissed her on the cheek and left in a hurry, barely remembering to grab his broom on the way out.
Ginger Amaryllis Evans watched her fiancée's retreating back and sighed heavily. This opportunity meant so much to her, but so did he. She knew he was only saying that he was okay with it to make her feel better. She shook her head and glanced back down at the letter she had clasped in her small hand.
Dear Ms. Evans,
I am owling you to ask that you come to Hogwarts this year to assist our Potions master, Professor Severus Snape. We feel that our help will be greatly needed and appreciated. Please take it into consideration and send word of your decision.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
She dropped the thick parchment onto the desk and ran a hand through her long, red hair. Then began to write.
Professor Dumbledore,
I would be pleased to assist your Potions master in the coming school year.
Sincerely,
Ginger Amaryllis Evans
Ginger neatly folded up the letter and sealed it, tying it to the leg of the very same owl that had delivered the original message. "Hogwarts, and hurry."
She watched the graceful creature fly off into the setting sun until it was nothing but a speck on the golden horizon.
Ginger shook her head. Aidan just didn't understand. Sure he was from the UK but he'd grown up in the place where he was born. He didn't understand how she felt. England was her homeland, her birthplace and the only place she felt safe.
The safe part she didn't understand. England was where she had almost died, where her parents were killed right in front of her face, where You-Know- Who had murdered her big sister.
She dropped down into the huge, purple, over-stuffed chair under the window, she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes.
"Oh Lily. I need your help. If only you were here." She choked up, the tears coming forward and streaming down her face. "Help me, Lils, help me."
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, her shoulders quaking from the force. She just cried and cried and cried. She cried for all the times she hadn't cried after her parents were murdered, for the nephew she had never known about until now, for her sister, for her brother-in-law, for. herself.
She cried herself straight into the arms of Morpheus, God of Dreams, and slept.
*
"Ginger. Ginger.. Where are you?" a familiar voice called to her, a teenage- girls' voice.
She giggled, and crouched lower behind the bush. Her sister would never find her here.
"Ginger! Mom said dinner's ready! Spaghetti, your favorite!"
Ginger knew that trick, Lily was just trying to lure her out. Lily was mad that Ginger was so good at hiding, Lily could never find her.
"Ginger Amaryllis Evans! Get yourself out here this instant! I'll sic Petty on you!"
Lily was tricking her, she knew it. But the threat of getting their oldest sister Petunia was too much. "Lily! I'm right here!" Ginger darted out of the bushes and made a bee-line for her beautiful older sister.
"Well there you are sweetheart! I thought I'd never find you!" her older sister scooped her up and spun her in a circle, hugging her tight. Ginger felt so safe.
"I was in the bushes." Ginger bragged. "I knew you'd never find me there!" She grinned her gap-toothed grin, she was missing her two front, top teeth.
"Well, looks like you were right!" Lily smiled at her, hugging her tighter. "I missed you so much this year." Lily had just gotten back from her last year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ginger was glad she was home now.
"I missed you too, Lily."
Ginger's older sister ruffled her hair and kissed her cheek. "I love you Gin."
"I love you too."
*
Ginger awoke later, her eyes crusted shut from the tears that had dried to her eyelashes. She felt so empty, so hollow, like a cicada shell after the cicada has abandoned it. That dream about her sister had been so real, she felt like she was five years old again and Lily had just gotten home from school, for good this time.
There was no way that little Ginger could have know that within six months, her beloved and idolized older sister would be taken away again. She married James Potter on Halloween that same year. A year and half later, just after Ginger's nephew was born, first her parents then Lily and James, were taken away, for good this time.
She remembered so vividly the day her Aunt Daisy had come to get her, take her to America, to New York, to a life away from her home. That was why she had to go back, that was why she had to go and protect her only family left from the same man who had murdered Lily. She had to be with Lily's son, and yes, even her oldest sister and her family. Aidan didn't understand, he never would.
Ginger wiped the sandman from her eyes groggily. "What time is it? How long was I out?" she wondered. She glanced at the digital clock on the end- table. The glowing red letters read "9:45" Ginger had been asleep for six hours. She smoothed her hair out, and stood up, groaning as her cramped muscles un-cramped themselves. "Where's Aidan?" She didn't see him and his broom wasn't in it's usual resting place by the door. "He should be home by now."
She walked down the hall. "Aidan.?" she called out. "Aidan.? Are you home?" She heard a crash from the front yard, then a hysterical laugh. She hurried to the living room and opened the door. "Aidan.?"
Sure enough, there he was. He had obviously crashed into the front yard. Ginger rushed out to him, lifting him up off the wet grass. She took one look at his blood-shot eyes and knew it. He was stone drunk.
"Aidan Patrick Lynch!" she cried, outraged. "What the hell has gotten into you!?"
"Aw, G-gingy." He hiccupped. "I was ju-jus havin fu-fun with the t-team." He could barely talk he was hiccupping so hard.
Ginger gave him a stern look. "I don't believe this, I didn't think you were this dumb." She managed to scrape him off the yard and drag him onto their couch. "You can sleep there tonight." She said angrily. She looked at him, he hadn't heard a word of it and didn't seem to care about the couch, he was fast asleep.
She sleepily crawled into bed and fell fast asleep, yet again.
*
She awoke the next morning to a tapping on her window. She brushed her long hair out of her eyes and looked around, eyes blurry.
An owl was tapping on her window. "What the hell.?" she grumbled "Dumbledore couldn't have answered that quickly." She rolled out of bed, suddenly every aware of her rumbled, tear-stained clothing that reeked of cheap ale. "Ugh." she made a mental note to take a long shower very soon.
She opened the window and let the rather large bird in. It dropped a thick parchment letter into her lap then pecked her hand. She rubbed the barn owl's head and picked the letter up.
Dear "Professor" Evans,
We are proud to welcome you to the Hogwarts faculty. We are looking forward to seeing you . Enclosed are a list of what you will need plus what is expected of you. You will be staying in the extra Slytherin housing. Please be at Platform 9¾ on June the 6th so that we can transport you to the school.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
June 6th! That was in two days! She had to get packing! She glanced at the list of supplies. She had to go get some of this stuff. Like a cauldron, new robes, more parchment, ink and some of the rarer ingredients. That meant. she had to leave for London today!
"Jesus! I have to get moving." She looked at the clock. "8:17" "Good, that means I have time."
She grabbed her suitcase and began throwing clothes and personal effects into it. She was digging through her nightclothes when she came across Aidan's favorite nightie, a black-red confection of shimmery silk and sheer lace. She looked at it a moment, as if considering, then quickly shoved it back into the drawer.
"What the hell am I thinking? When am I going to need that!?" She shook her head, blushing. She stood for a moment then lifted the sexy negligee out of the drawer and shoved it into the suitcase. "Might as well, it's comfortable." She blushed even redder.
She ran into the bathroom and started the shower running, then turned it off again. "Why am I taking a shower now? I'll just get sooty from the floo anyway." She grabbed her make-up bag and toothbrush and ran back into the bed room. She began to shove things into her suitcase but realized there was too much in it already. "Oh hell. I think I'm gonna need another bag."
She got down on her hands and knees and looked under the bed, she crawled under further, she couldn't see anything through the darkness. "It's under here somewhere.." She felt around with her hand until it came into contact with what felt like worn carpet, "Ah-ha!"
But alas, before she could safely extract herself out form under the bed, she heard moaning behind her and someone name muttering her name. She was so surprised that she lifted up her head, meaning to see what was going on, and knocked it on the underside of their box-spring,
"ARGGG! GODDAMN THAT HURT!" She cried irritably. She drug herself out from underneath the bed and looked up to see Aidan standing in the doorway. "What?"
"Where's the Tylenol? My head hurt's like .." it seemed to dawn on him that all of her things were going into suitcases. "What are you doing?"
Ginger looked at all of her things. "Oh this? I'm packing silly."
"I can see that, Ginger. I mean why are you packing?"
"Uh, me, teacher, Hogwarts, England. Ring any bells?"
"Right." He sighed. "But there is still two months before school starts?!"
"They wanted me there early to get settled."
"Oh." he looked down at her with huge blue eyes that made her want to hug the life out of him.
"Aidan.' she warned. "Don't you give me that look. You won't change my mind. I'm going to do this" She sighed. "No. I have to do this. Please understand."
"That's the problem, Gin. I don't understand! Why Don't you tell me why you are so anxious to leave me!"
"Don't start with me Aidan." she said softly, her dark eyes locking with his light ones.
"You know what? I'm so tired of that! "don't start with me!" I want some answers and you are not leaving here until I get some!" He grabbed onto her arms and yanked her up to face him. "Start talking."
Her eyes teared, he had an extremely strong grip. All his years as a Quidditch Seeker had given him very strong hands. "Aidan. you're hurting me!"
He looked at his hands around her arm and released her in shock. "Oh god." She back up away from him, clutching her upper arm. He walked toward her.
"No! Stop right there!" The look on her face made him want to die.
"Ginger! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing."
She was crying again, more from shock than from pain. She was used to pain. "That's the problem! You never realize anything!" She sat down on the bed and looked up at him. "I'm going because of my family. I only have three living relatives and it makes me feel better to be near them. I feel the need to protect my sister Lily's son since I couldn't protect her."
Aidan sat down on the bed next to her. "Gin, you were only 7 when they died, there was nothing you could do!"
"I know that!"
"Don't tell me you blame yourself.."
"I don't. I just don't want to let my sister down."
"Baby, your sister's dead."
"That doesn't mean she can't see me."
Aidan slipped an arm around her and held her to his chest. "I didn't even think about the family situation. All I was thinking about was myself. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."
She looked up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to leave you, but I have to. As I told you before, it's just something I have to do."
He nodded and brushed soft curls away from her face. "I'll go with you and see you off. How about that?"
She smiled. "I'd like that."
"Well, I'd better pack as well. I'll tell coach that I'll be missing practice for a couple of days."
"Alright. Get packing."
*
The next two days were a blissful round of shopping, eating and shagging. Ginger enjoyed herself immensely. It seemed as if Aidan was refusing to leave her side. They had gotten a rather nasty letter from his Quidditch coach. Coach Bartholomew was rather hacked off at Aidan for ditching practice, he didn't think it was professional.
Aidan really couldn't have cared less. He shrugged it off easily and kissed her mumbling something about his coach "having something foul shoved up his you-know-where." All Ginger could do was giggle about that. Secretly, she agreed with him. Coach B. was an uptight, unhappy little man.
Those days had been so wonderful, she hadn't wanted them to end. But, the 6th came and she had to leave Aidan and head off to Hogwarts.
When she arrived the platform was almost deserted, there were a few teachers roaming around, putting their luggage away. Aidan came through the barrier after her and almost knocked her over.
"Whoa, sorry bout that!" He grinned sheepishly then helped her up.
She turned and wrapped her arms about his neck. "God, I'm going to miss you so much." He hugged her tight to him and kissed the top of her head.
"Ditto, little one, ditto." When they separated, he looked down on her and smiled. "I love you Ginger."
"Love you too, Aidan." The couple smiled sadly at each other and parted ways.
*
Ginger watched mournfully as Aidan disappeared back through the barrier. She didn't want to leave him. She sighed and turned around. The great red engine that Lily had described to her so many years ago had been reduced to one car where all the arriving teachers could chat. Ginger looked around, recognizing some of them from long-ago descriptions. An older lady with a tight bun, a tiny man win too-big robes, a rather rosy witch with a mop of flyaway hair, and a younger man with black hair and a hooked nose. A wave of regret flowed over her like water. She had never gotten to experience Hogwarts, after her family was killed she had attended the institute in Salem.
No one paid her any heed. So she sat down quietly and began reading. This was going to be a long ride.
* * *
Author's Note: So? What you think? I know it seems like there was no Snapie- kins in this chapter but there was, the prologue was don in his POV, if you couldn't tell. So, ya'll like Ginger. She was pretty whiny in this chap, but she'll get better. BTW, boyfriend Aidan is the Aidan Lynch from the Irish Quidditch team. Reviews! I need input!
BE A RESPONSIBLE READER AND REVIEW!
A/N: I've noticed that there are a shortage of good Snape-fics. I don't know why, Snape is definitely my favorite character. All I can say is, all you Sevi-chan haters SUCK! Just kidding.
Disclaimer- HP doesn't belong to me, Ginger and plot does, that's about it.
*
Prologue
*
Have you ever been in love? I mean drop-dead, home-run, out-of-the-ballpark sort of love? I have. It hurts, it hurts like nothing else I've ever felt before. Trust me, I've been hurt a lot in my life.
Her name was Lily, a beautiful name for a beautiful lady, she was the loveliest thing I'd ever seen. She had long rose-red hair and the most gorgeous eyes that shone like newly-polished emeralds. She looked like a like a little doll, with her alabaster skin and rosy cheeks, and her hair in ringlets around her head. I miss her so much.
I remember the first time I saw her, we were on our way to school. I was standing in the train station by my "friend" Lucius. She came bounding past, wind-blown and pink from the chilly temperature. She ran right into Lucius and knocked him right on his butt.
He started yelling at her and going on and on about how she would pay for getting him dirty. She was all apologies and remorse. He was such a bastard to her, he wouldn't even listen to her.
I regret not standing up for her that day. Backing her up when everyone around us was yelling at her. Oh Lily, why was I so blinded by Lucius that day. I'm so sorry.
*
Chapter 1
*
"Are you sure about this, Ginge? I mean, this would take you closer to. well, you know, won't it?"
"Oh Aidan, quit worrying! I'll be perfectly fine. You forget, I'm a big girl."
"Ginger, you know I can't help but worry about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you."
Ginger smiled at Aidan and rubbed his cheek with the pad of her thumb. "You know. I have that same thought every time you step onto that Quidditch field. I thought I would die when you played Bulgaria in the World Cup." She stopped and hugged him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Aidan looked highly doubtful, but nodded anyway, sighing heavily. "You'd better get your things together."
She grinned and hugged him tight. "Thanks for the support, It means so much to me."
He shrugged. "I've got to get to practice. See you later." He kissed her on the cheek and left in a hurry, barely remembering to grab his broom on the way out.
Ginger Amaryllis Evans watched her fiancée's retreating back and sighed heavily. This opportunity meant so much to her, but so did he. She knew he was only saying that he was okay with it to make her feel better. She shook her head and glanced back down at the letter she had clasped in her small hand.
Dear Ms. Evans,
I am owling you to ask that you come to Hogwarts this year to assist our Potions master, Professor Severus Snape. We feel that our help will be greatly needed and appreciated. Please take it into consideration and send word of your decision.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
She dropped the thick parchment onto the desk and ran a hand through her long, red hair. Then began to write.
Professor Dumbledore,
I would be pleased to assist your Potions master in the coming school year.
Sincerely,
Ginger Amaryllis Evans
Ginger neatly folded up the letter and sealed it, tying it to the leg of the very same owl that had delivered the original message. "Hogwarts, and hurry."
She watched the graceful creature fly off into the setting sun until it was nothing but a speck on the golden horizon.
Ginger shook her head. Aidan just didn't understand. Sure he was from the UK but he'd grown up in the place where he was born. He didn't understand how she felt. England was her homeland, her birthplace and the only place she felt safe.
The safe part she didn't understand. England was where she had almost died, where her parents were killed right in front of her face, where You-Know- Who had murdered her big sister.
She dropped down into the huge, purple, over-stuffed chair under the window, she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes.
"Oh Lily. I need your help. If only you were here." She choked up, the tears coming forward and streaming down her face. "Help me, Lils, help me."
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, her shoulders quaking from the force. She just cried and cried and cried. She cried for all the times she hadn't cried after her parents were murdered, for the nephew she had never known about until now, for her sister, for her brother-in-law, for. herself.
She cried herself straight into the arms of Morpheus, God of Dreams, and slept.
*
"Ginger. Ginger.. Where are you?" a familiar voice called to her, a teenage- girls' voice.
She giggled, and crouched lower behind the bush. Her sister would never find her here.
"Ginger! Mom said dinner's ready! Spaghetti, your favorite!"
Ginger knew that trick, Lily was just trying to lure her out. Lily was mad that Ginger was so good at hiding, Lily could never find her.
"Ginger Amaryllis Evans! Get yourself out here this instant! I'll sic Petty on you!"
Lily was tricking her, she knew it. But the threat of getting their oldest sister Petunia was too much. "Lily! I'm right here!" Ginger darted out of the bushes and made a bee-line for her beautiful older sister.
"Well there you are sweetheart! I thought I'd never find you!" her older sister scooped her up and spun her in a circle, hugging her tight. Ginger felt so safe.
"I was in the bushes." Ginger bragged. "I knew you'd never find me there!" She grinned her gap-toothed grin, she was missing her two front, top teeth.
"Well, looks like you were right!" Lily smiled at her, hugging her tighter. "I missed you so much this year." Lily had just gotten back from her last year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ginger was glad she was home now.
"I missed you too, Lily."
Ginger's older sister ruffled her hair and kissed her cheek. "I love you Gin."
"I love you too."
*
Ginger awoke later, her eyes crusted shut from the tears that had dried to her eyelashes. She felt so empty, so hollow, like a cicada shell after the cicada has abandoned it. That dream about her sister had been so real, she felt like she was five years old again and Lily had just gotten home from school, for good this time.
There was no way that little Ginger could have know that within six months, her beloved and idolized older sister would be taken away again. She married James Potter on Halloween that same year. A year and half later, just after Ginger's nephew was born, first her parents then Lily and James, were taken away, for good this time.
She remembered so vividly the day her Aunt Daisy had come to get her, take her to America, to New York, to a life away from her home. That was why she had to go back, that was why she had to go and protect her only family left from the same man who had murdered Lily. She had to be with Lily's son, and yes, even her oldest sister and her family. Aidan didn't understand, he never would.
Ginger wiped the sandman from her eyes groggily. "What time is it? How long was I out?" she wondered. She glanced at the digital clock on the end- table. The glowing red letters read "9:45" Ginger had been asleep for six hours. She smoothed her hair out, and stood up, groaning as her cramped muscles un-cramped themselves. "Where's Aidan?" She didn't see him and his broom wasn't in it's usual resting place by the door. "He should be home by now."
She walked down the hall. "Aidan.?" she called out. "Aidan.? Are you home?" She heard a crash from the front yard, then a hysterical laugh. She hurried to the living room and opened the door. "Aidan.?"
Sure enough, there he was. He had obviously crashed into the front yard. Ginger rushed out to him, lifting him up off the wet grass. She took one look at his blood-shot eyes and knew it. He was stone drunk.
"Aidan Patrick Lynch!" she cried, outraged. "What the hell has gotten into you!?"
"Aw, G-gingy." He hiccupped. "I was ju-jus havin fu-fun with the t-team." He could barely talk he was hiccupping so hard.
Ginger gave him a stern look. "I don't believe this, I didn't think you were this dumb." She managed to scrape him off the yard and drag him onto their couch. "You can sleep there tonight." She said angrily. She looked at him, he hadn't heard a word of it and didn't seem to care about the couch, he was fast asleep.
She sleepily crawled into bed and fell fast asleep, yet again.
*
She awoke the next morning to a tapping on her window. She brushed her long hair out of her eyes and looked around, eyes blurry.
An owl was tapping on her window. "What the hell.?" she grumbled "Dumbledore couldn't have answered that quickly." She rolled out of bed, suddenly every aware of her rumbled, tear-stained clothing that reeked of cheap ale. "Ugh." she made a mental note to take a long shower very soon.
She opened the window and let the rather large bird in. It dropped a thick parchment letter into her lap then pecked her hand. She rubbed the barn owl's head and picked the letter up.
Dear "Professor" Evans,
We are proud to welcome you to the Hogwarts faculty. We are looking forward to seeing you . Enclosed are a list of what you will need plus what is expected of you. You will be staying in the extra Slytherin housing. Please be at Platform 9¾ on June the 6th so that we can transport you to the school.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster
June 6th! That was in two days! She had to get packing! She glanced at the list of supplies. She had to go get some of this stuff. Like a cauldron, new robes, more parchment, ink and some of the rarer ingredients. That meant. she had to leave for London today!
"Jesus! I have to get moving." She looked at the clock. "8:17" "Good, that means I have time."
She grabbed her suitcase and began throwing clothes and personal effects into it. She was digging through her nightclothes when she came across Aidan's favorite nightie, a black-red confection of shimmery silk and sheer lace. She looked at it a moment, as if considering, then quickly shoved it back into the drawer.
"What the hell am I thinking? When am I going to need that!?" She shook her head, blushing. She stood for a moment then lifted the sexy negligee out of the drawer and shoved it into the suitcase. "Might as well, it's comfortable." She blushed even redder.
She ran into the bathroom and started the shower running, then turned it off again. "Why am I taking a shower now? I'll just get sooty from the floo anyway." She grabbed her make-up bag and toothbrush and ran back into the bed room. She began to shove things into her suitcase but realized there was too much in it already. "Oh hell. I think I'm gonna need another bag."
She got down on her hands and knees and looked under the bed, she crawled under further, she couldn't see anything through the darkness. "It's under here somewhere.." She felt around with her hand until it came into contact with what felt like worn carpet, "Ah-ha!"
But alas, before she could safely extract herself out form under the bed, she heard moaning behind her and someone name muttering her name. She was so surprised that she lifted up her head, meaning to see what was going on, and knocked it on the underside of their box-spring,
"ARGGG! GODDAMN THAT HURT!" She cried irritably. She drug herself out from underneath the bed and looked up to see Aidan standing in the doorway. "What?"
"Where's the Tylenol? My head hurt's like .." it seemed to dawn on him that all of her things were going into suitcases. "What are you doing?"
Ginger looked at all of her things. "Oh this? I'm packing silly."
"I can see that, Ginger. I mean why are you packing?"
"Uh, me, teacher, Hogwarts, England. Ring any bells?"
"Right." He sighed. "But there is still two months before school starts?!"
"They wanted me there early to get settled."
"Oh." he looked down at her with huge blue eyes that made her want to hug the life out of him.
"Aidan.' she warned. "Don't you give me that look. You won't change my mind. I'm going to do this" She sighed. "No. I have to do this. Please understand."
"That's the problem, Gin. I don't understand! Why Don't you tell me why you are so anxious to leave me!"
"Don't start with me Aidan." she said softly, her dark eyes locking with his light ones.
"You know what? I'm so tired of that! "don't start with me!" I want some answers and you are not leaving here until I get some!" He grabbed onto her arms and yanked her up to face him. "Start talking."
Her eyes teared, he had an extremely strong grip. All his years as a Quidditch Seeker had given him very strong hands. "Aidan. you're hurting me!"
He looked at his hands around her arm and released her in shock. "Oh god." She back up away from him, clutching her upper arm. He walked toward her.
"No! Stop right there!" The look on her face made him want to die.
"Ginger! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing."
She was crying again, more from shock than from pain. She was used to pain. "That's the problem! You never realize anything!" She sat down on the bed and looked up at him. "I'm going because of my family. I only have three living relatives and it makes me feel better to be near them. I feel the need to protect my sister Lily's son since I couldn't protect her."
Aidan sat down on the bed next to her. "Gin, you were only 7 when they died, there was nothing you could do!"
"I know that!"
"Don't tell me you blame yourself.."
"I don't. I just don't want to let my sister down."
"Baby, your sister's dead."
"That doesn't mean she can't see me."
Aidan slipped an arm around her and held her to his chest. "I didn't even think about the family situation. All I was thinking about was myself. I'm so sorry, sweetheart."
She looked up at him with teary eyes. "I don't want to leave you, but I have to. As I told you before, it's just something I have to do."
He nodded and brushed soft curls away from her face. "I'll go with you and see you off. How about that?"
She smiled. "I'd like that."
"Well, I'd better pack as well. I'll tell coach that I'll be missing practice for a couple of days."
"Alright. Get packing."
*
The next two days were a blissful round of shopping, eating and shagging. Ginger enjoyed herself immensely. It seemed as if Aidan was refusing to leave her side. They had gotten a rather nasty letter from his Quidditch coach. Coach Bartholomew was rather hacked off at Aidan for ditching practice, he didn't think it was professional.
Aidan really couldn't have cared less. He shrugged it off easily and kissed her mumbling something about his coach "having something foul shoved up his you-know-where." All Ginger could do was giggle about that. Secretly, she agreed with him. Coach B. was an uptight, unhappy little man.
Those days had been so wonderful, she hadn't wanted them to end. But, the 6th came and she had to leave Aidan and head off to Hogwarts.
When she arrived the platform was almost deserted, there were a few teachers roaming around, putting their luggage away. Aidan came through the barrier after her and almost knocked her over.
"Whoa, sorry bout that!" He grinned sheepishly then helped her up.
She turned and wrapped her arms about his neck. "God, I'm going to miss you so much." He hugged her tight to him and kissed the top of her head.
"Ditto, little one, ditto." When they separated, he looked down on her and smiled. "I love you Ginger."
"Love you too, Aidan." The couple smiled sadly at each other and parted ways.
*
Ginger watched mournfully as Aidan disappeared back through the barrier. She didn't want to leave him. She sighed and turned around. The great red engine that Lily had described to her so many years ago had been reduced to one car where all the arriving teachers could chat. Ginger looked around, recognizing some of them from long-ago descriptions. An older lady with a tight bun, a tiny man win too-big robes, a rather rosy witch with a mop of flyaway hair, and a younger man with black hair and a hooked nose. A wave of regret flowed over her like water. She had never gotten to experience Hogwarts, after her family was killed she had attended the institute in Salem.
No one paid her any heed. So she sat down quietly and began reading. This was going to be a long ride.
* * *
Author's Note: So? What you think? I know it seems like there was no Snapie- kins in this chapter but there was, the prologue was don in his POV, if you couldn't tell. So, ya'll like Ginger. She was pretty whiny in this chap, but she'll get better. BTW, boyfriend Aidan is the Aidan Lynch from the Irish Quidditch team. Reviews! I need input!
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