A/N: This is a Severus Snape/OC slightly fluffy one shot. The OC is one of my characters who features in another of my stories, but this fic is not linked to it in any way at all. It stands completely alone. :)
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Snakes and ladders
"You don't even like him for Salazar's sake!"
The shout reverberated around the empty Entrance Hall and echoed along the silent corridors. Music filtered through the doors of the Great Hall, sounding curiously muffled against the clarity of the raised voices in the cavernous atrium.
"How would you know? You've turned into a recluse these past few months! You don't know anything about me!"
"I know you better than he does!"
"Oh yeah? What's my favourite colour, then? Favourite book? Song? Musical? When's my birthday, Severus?"
Severus scowled at the girl in front of him and muttered in a low voice, "That wasn't what I meant."
"So what exactly did you mean?" came the angry reply.
"I mean I know what you're like. You'd never fall for a Gryffindor; you're just using him to rebel against your father."
There was a long silence, then an icy voice said coldly, "You did not just say that."
"Why not? It's true, isn't it?" maintained Severus, his eyes looking darker than usual in the dim light.
Sapphire eyes studied him disbelievingly for a moment, then turned away. Severus watched motionless as Katherine strode away from him, out of the open front doors of Hogwarts.
Well he wasn't going to go after her. She'd come with Black, she'd chosen that blood traitor over him. He wasn't going to embarrass himself by-
The doors of the Great Hall opened and Regulus Black's head appeared, looking quizzically at him. His brown eyes swept the empty hall, then he sighed theatrically and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Severus.
"Go after her."
"She-"
"Go after her. You'll only regret it if you don't."
Severus frowned. "Why do you care?"
Regulus looked surprised. "I don't. But I want to bring Auriga out here for a bit of privacy and I don't want you hanging around. You'll spoil the mood."
Severus glared at him and started to walk away when Regulus called after him. "Wrong way, Severus. She went outside."
Severus paused, then changed course and headed out into the dark grounds. It was only afterwards that he stopped to wonder how Regulus had known which way Katherine had gone...
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"Blue, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Bittersweet Symphony, Phantom of the Opera and October 31st."
Katherine turned at the soft voice and looked in surprise at the dark figure standing a few feet away.
"What?"
"Blue's your favourite colour. You love Nineteen Eighty-Four, and George Orwell in general, although I swear I've seen you reading Pride and Prejudice when you thought no one was watching. Your favourite song is Bittersweet Symphony because you're an eternal pessimist and you adore The Phantom of the Opera. Your birthday's on October 31st." Severus smiled thinly. "You see, I do listen."
Katherine arched an eyebrow. "Funny how you never say anything."
Severus looked out across the calm lake, looking brooding. "I can't be your Mister Darcy, Katherine."
"I didn't ask you to," said Katherine gently, gazing serenely at him. "I didn't fall for Darcy, Sev. I fell for the Phantom."
The flicker of a frown crossed Severus' face. "Your father wouldn't allow it."
Katherine sighed heavily. "Leave him out of this. I always do."
Severus shook his head, his eyes showing a trace of discomfort. "It's not that. It's..." He stopped, then said abruptly. "My father was a muggle."
"And?" asked Katherine, tilting her head to one side, smiling slightly.
"What do you mean and? Isn't that enough?"
"So you're a half blood, so what? I am," said Katherine carelessly. She smirked mischievously and stepped closer to him, blue eyes glinting in the moonlight. "So what I want to know is, does the Phantom get the girl?"
Severus gazed back at her for what seemed like an eternity, then whispered. "What do you think?"
In amongst the shadows of the trees, Regulus Black shook his head in bemusement as he watched Katherine and Severus at the edge of the lake.
"Took you bloody long enough," he muttered to himself, smiling slightly. Then he slipped away, unseen, back to the Great Hall and the end of year ball.
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Reviews are welcome. :)