Severus quietly walked around the room, trying his best to avoid anyone else that may attempt to speak with him. Some would greet him awkwardly and he would nod in response. His conversation with Longbottom had provided more than enough social activity for the day, but he felt he couldn't leave early without seeming rude. He still couldn't believe he'd let Malfoy talk him into this. He found a quiet place to stand away from everyone for a moment. He was never fond of crowds and most of them weren't too fond of him. This Puff George "so graciously" gifted him with seemed to enjoy his company, though. At least, as much as an orange ball of fur could enjoy anything. It wasn't making much noise, so he wasn't as annoyed by it as he thought he would be.
Looking around, he was relieved to see most of the guests were occupied with each others' company. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Headmistress McGonagall chatting with a student. Just seeing her brought back some of the haunting memories from that time. He was relieved that he was no longer Headmaster. When Harry brought him back, it was agreed that he would remain at Hogwarts, but only as the Potions professor, like he'd been before. That suited him just fine;, besides, Minerva was always made to be Headmistress. The authority suited her.
He turned away, hoping she wouldn't see him. He knew he would have to interact with her when the new school year started, but until then, he'd prefer to keep his distance. He had no idea how much of the truth she knew about what had happened, or how she felt about it. It was a conversation he would rather not have when he was already made to be this uncomfortable.
Minerva finished speaking with one of the younger students and stopped for a moment to check on her Pygmy Puff. She'd never thought she would be in possession of one, but a ball of soft burgundy fluff couldn't be the worst companion. It was such a typical Weasley thing to hand out such odd party favors. She let out a small laugh at the thought, then suddenly had a somber thought. Having watched the twins grow up together, it was hard for her to see George having to go it alone. The losses from the war were still very fresh for everyone. She had to remind herself that George made it clear that the whole point of the party was to celebrate their lives and victory. The Puff nuzzled her shoulder and brought her thoughts back to the room.
She took a look around; she'd noticed it was getting a bit late and wanted to make sure she had said hello to everyone before she decided to leave. Her eyes widened as she turned and saw a head of long, sleek black hair with his back to her. That could only be Severus Snape. At first, she wondered why George would invite him, but she remembered the Malfoys were also here, so it made sense that Severus would be dragged along. She was still a little wary that he would be coming back to work at Hogwarts. When she'd held the meeting with the rest of the Hogwarts staff, there were certainly those that would rather have seen Snape in Azkaban and not back in his old post. She was, of course, considerate of their opinions, and she herself obviously wasn't pleased with what had happened, but she knew she could trust what Harry had told her about that night, and she also knew they would never find a more capable Potions professor. It took a lot of deliberation and thought, but if Harry was right, this is how Albus would have wanted it. So she put all the trust that she had in Harry in Severus as well. She had not spoken to him since the night he'd disappeared from the Great Hall. If they were to work together again, she would have to hear the truth from Severus himself.
Severus felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around slowly. His Puff squeaked and made him jump. It was hard to say if he would ever get used to that. When he turned around, he saw Minerva giving him a look that was an odd cross between concern and a polite smile.
"Headmistress. It is good to see you again." He gave a slight but sincere smile.
"Severus. I'm glad you came. I know you're not usually fond of such gatherings." She smiled back, a bit tense but genuinely happy to see him. She motioned that he follow her and started walking away from the crowd.
"I'm not. Draco insisted I attend. I think he believes he pulled some sort of joke on me."
He followed her to a refreshment table as she poured a drink and then continued walking to a less crowded area of the store. She sat down slowly at a small booth and motioned for him to sit as well. She was always strong for her age, but it was clear that the war had aged her. It was only her body, though;, he could tell she was still as wise as ever. Nothing ever got past her. Aside from himself, of course, the students feared her the most. He had a lot of respect for her. He still was not sure how or even if he could tell her the full extent of what had happened. He knew that was why she'd pulled him aside, and he also knew that she may be able to help him remove his Dark Mark. As much as it would hurt, he knew he eventually had to tell her everything he could.
Once they both sat down, Minerva immediately dropped all pleasantries.
"Severus, I need to know. What happened to Albus? What happened to you?" she said with urgency, lowering her voice.. She reached out and grasped his hand, exposing his Dark Mark while doing so. Her eyes widened at the sight of it.
He snatched his hand back and tucked his robes' sleeves back in place.
"Minerva, I'm not sure I could explain it. I... I did what had to be done.." He flipped his hair out of his face, and turned his head away from her.
"Potter told me this was some sort of plan of Albus' that you would work as some sort of double agent and that you had to do… What you did to prove yourself... It almost sounded silly at first. I actually almost laughed. I don't expect this will ever fully make sense to me, but I need some answers. I need them from you, not just from Potter." She looked at him very seriously, motioning at his arm, clearly not going to take his excuse.
He turned to face her, moved his hair from his face, and looked her straight in the eye. "Minerva. No one. Not you, or even Albus could understand the pain and torment this has caused me. It's true. It was his plan; I had to do it to gain Voldemort's full trust in order to get the information we needed. That did not,.." he leaned on the table, close to her, "Do you hear me? It did not make it any easier whatsoever! The man trusted me! He trusted me with everything… and I had to kill him. I had to. I had no choice. I don't expect you or anyone else to ever understand how I truly feel." He was leaning in with his face close to Minerva. His eyes were dark and filled with rage.
"You're right, Severus. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. For years, because you were so tight- lipped, no one knew what was happening with you, save for Albus. Then, things came to a head with Voldemort, Albus is dead, and suddenly, you are nowhere to be found. What does that leave me to think, Severus? Don't answer that." She stopped for a moment, visibly upset. She took a drink and continued.
"I know you're upset. I do believe you. You have to know, I couldn't have done what you did. If it were me... well, I'm not sure what I would have done. I can't fathom the strength it must have taken, or the pain it's caused. That being said, I am still highly upset and confused by all that's happened. It's going to take some adjusting to and some further conversations, but I am glad to be having you back at Hogwarts." She paused and took a deep breath.
Before she could continue, Severus cut in.
"If it were you, you would have done the same thing. I do hope you understand how truly grateful you should be that you did not have to," he said, his voice very calm and even. He knew she could never truly understand his viewpoint, but appreciated the sentiment all the same.
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm not quite sure of that. Oh, and I also wanted to ask how things were with you and Harry? I would hope much better considering that he stood up for you to me and the whole Hogwarts staff. Is it true that he was the one who saved you?"
"It is true. He saved my life and my job. Granted, I never asked him to… but I am grateful he did. We are on much more civil terms. Although, I'm afraid not even I couldn't convince him to stop being an utter slouch and finish his schooling," he said cooly and took a sip of his drink. He was certainly annoyed that people may think him indebted to Potter now, but he was truly grateful.
Minerva laughed and her Puff chirped a bit. Severus, uncharacteristically of him, also let out a small smile.
"I didn't think so. I had expected Hermione to finish, but the boys were lost to us years ago. I expect they'll make good Aurors, if nothing else. Severus, I am deeply sorry for what happened to you, but I am genuinely glad to have you back at Hogwarts. The students have a healthy amount of fear for you, and honestly, we wouldn't be able to find a more skilled Potions professor." She slowly rose from her chair.
"I think I'm going to retire for the day, Severus. George threw quite a party. I'm glad we were able to talk. I'll see you at the Sorting Ceremony?" She smiled at him.
"You will and... thank you, Minerva." He shook her hand.
She patted his hand and walked away.
Authors Note-
School-Mahoutokoro
Year 5
Prompt- [first line] "For all his/her life, XY (insert name) thought what he/she had just witnessed was impossible
Word Count- 1,840