"Your lips feel warm to the touch
You can bring me back to life
On the outside you're ablaze and alive
But you're dead inside"
-"Dead Inside", Muse
Drones
Chapter One
A/N: Wow! So here we are with the fourth story in the series! I am sorry about the huge wait, but I've been so so so busy with school and work. Hopefully this short update will assure you that I'm still alive and that I have a lot of exciting things planned for Ophelia, Snape, and everyone else! Please review!
This chapter is just kind of a happy, hopeful, and silly chapter to get us started. A lot of bad things have been happening lately for Ophelia, so I thought I'd let her be happy for one chapter haha. Don't worry though, there will be a lot more exciting and shocking plots to come!
Late August 1998 (three months after the War)
"There," Ophelia said pleasantly as she secured the last bandage around Ginny's wrist, "good as new."
"This wouldn't have happened if Ronald," Ginny shot her older brother a sharp look, "hadn't cheated!"
An outdoor game of Quiditch at the Burrow featuring Ron, Ginny, Bill, and Harry had turned sour when Ginny had been knocked off her broom.
While on holiday from Hogwarts, the gang had played many matches, but this game had ended in a fuss.
Ophelia hadn't been present to witness this sports atrocity, but she'd heard the screeching and had her healing kit ready in moments.
"I did not cheat," Ron insisted, nursing his own bruised arm like a bird with a broken wing.
"Eet is no use," Fleur shook her head, "boys will be boys."
"And who am I?" Ginny snorted, "a lamppost?"
Fleur ignored this comment, and brought her teacup into the kitchen.
"Bill and I must be going. I'm not feeling too well," Fleur waved goodbye to her friends, and took Bill by the arm.
As soon as they'd disapparated, Ophelia smiled knowingly to herself. She felt powerful being a healer sometimes. She was privy to little secrets that no one else knew. In fact, not even Fleur knew that she was pregnant yet. But Ophelia could recognize the faint glow to Fleur's skin. Of course, there was also the fact he girl had been sick nearly all week.
A few months ago, Ophelia would have felt a subtle bitterness toward Fleur, but she'd learned to live with the fact that she would just have to wait her turn to be a mother again. Besides, Ophelia was just grateful to be alive. There were so many others who did not have the chance…
When Bill left, giving his friends a grin as he disappeared, all Ophelia could think of was Fred.
The Weasleys still mourned their son Fred, and it was a tender subject. Ophelia didn't inquire after George because she knew better, but she did wonder nearly every day what had become of her friend. He'd slipped away from contact every since the war had ended. Hermione had told her, in a hushed voice, that she'd heard that he was hiding out in his shop on Diagon Alley.
"Well," Hermione stood up and clapped her hands together, "I'm hungry. Anyone care to help me make some supper?"
Ron gave Hermione a rather conflicted look.
"Your mum's not going to be home until tomorrow, Ron, so we will have to make something," Hermione sighed, "really it's not that hard. Come on, I'll show you."
Ron reluctantly took his girlfriend's hand as she lead him into the kitchen. Hermione plucked out a cook book from Mrs. Weasley's stock and poured over it.
With a roll of her eyes, Ginny went to join Ron and Hermione.
Finally alone together, Harry reached out to take Ophelia's hand in his.
"How are you feeling?"
"Well…" Ophelia laughed wryly, "could be worse. It's nice to take some time off work."
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Harry dropped Ophelia's hand and scooted his chair closer to her.
"Oh no. Here he comes with a Mrs. Weasley speech," Ophelia teased lightly, "well let's have at it."
"I'm serious, Ophelia. We've been talking, and we think you should take that position at St. Mungo's."
"Oh? You've been talking and you've decided what I should do with my life? Harry, really, I appreciate it. But you don't understand how complicated this all is. I can't just leave my post at Hogwarts. Ever since my mother…There's no one else to take the post. Besides, this is what I trained for. I spent my life preparing to take over as Hogwart's matron, I can't just abandon it now that there's another job that pays more."
"It isn't just about the money," Harry offered, "you'd get real surgical training with the healers there. Everyone knows that your mother was an amazing healer, but there's always room for more experience, isn't there?"
Ophelia opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't conjure any other arguments. She wasn't changing her mind.
"I also talked to Snape," Harry let his words hang in the air.
"You and Severus spoke and you didn't kill each other?" Ophelia stood, "well I'll recognize that as an achievement, but that doesn't mean I'm chaining my mind."
"Oh come on, Ophelia, even he agrees that it would be best for you."
"If my boyfriend has something to say to me, he can send me an owl. Anyway, he knows that this decision is what's best for Hogwarts. McGonagall would agree too."
"Alright," Harry threw his hands up in surrender, "I can't say I didn't try."
"No, you can't."
Ophelia leaned down to kiss Harry on the top of his head.
"You're a good friend, Harry. Now let's go help with supper."
The Next Morning
Severus Snape couldn't help but smile to himself as he reread the letter Ophelia had sent him that morning.
He took a sip of his tea, and scanned the piece of parchment.
Severus,
I miss you like crazy. It might be silly of me to miss you when I've only been gone for a week, but that's how I feel. Every time I leave you, I feel an aching in my heart. Now don't get the wrong idea, I'm still undoubtably an independent woman-
Severus chuckled to himself, and helped himself to a vanilla biscuit.
-but the possibility of losing you, like I've lost you so many times before, still scares me. Harry and the others have been great company. It's been nice to just have a break and not worry about anything. I wish you would have come with me. I know you aren't in a position to be friendly with my friends just yet, but I hope you can get there someday. They really are great people. I wouldn't spend a minute with them if they weren't.
Severus stopped to wipe the crumbs off his face. Though he'd never admit it aloud, he knew Ophelia was right. Harry was ever his mother's son, and if it weren't for him and his friends, life would be a hell of a lot worse.
Fleur Delacour is pregnant. I could see the glow in her skin. Don't worry, I'm happy for her. She will make a great mother, and Bill a great father. It looks like she'll be having a baby in May. What a way to look forward to the future and say goodbye to the past. That's what I love about children, they bring a sense of wonder and innocence into life. I think we will have a chance at that soon. In fact, I promise that we will.
With every word, Severus fell more and more in love with Ophelia.
Harry told me that he spoke with you about working at St. Mungo's. I appreciate both of you trying to do what's best for me, but it is still too soon after the war to be thinking of myself. The children at Hogwarts will need a matron, and I want to be there for them. Maybe one day when I've got a proper apprentice I can spend some time in the city, but for now I'm happy to stay at Hogwarts. You know, if I am at Hogwarts, that will mean that I will get to see you all the time. I think that would be nice. Having tea together, sitting together at the staff table, and walking though the grounds together.
Severus drank the last of his tea, and put his mug down. He ran his thumb along the bottom of the letter lovingly.
It will be nice for me too. Ginny and Luna will be here for another year, and Hermione and Neville will be coming back to re-do their Seventh years. Harry and Ron have their own plans for life, but I can see them anytime I want. Well, I better get packing and cleaning up. We all got a bit tipsy last night while cooking and made a big mess. But I will see you tonight.
All my love,
Ophelia
Severus folded up the letter and stuck it in his desk drawer. His heart leapt in his chest like he was a schoolboy in love again. He would maintain his cool disposition, but he loved the idea of spending the next year, and who knows how many more, working and living with the love of his life.
He leaned back in his chair, looking out at his classroom, and thought of how fortunate he was that he was still working at Hogwarts.
McGonagall, as interim Headmistress, had told him that she'd "she'd have [him] back as Potions professor, but there was no way in hell that [he] would be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts again".
Severus thought this only fair, and silently thanked Ophelia for being a such a diplomat on his part. He really did need to work on his social skills, and Minerva's last interaction with him prior to that conversation was him trying to disarm her, after all.
Severus exhaled, and wondered if it was too early to pour himself a glass of wine. He had a lot to think about.
The Night Before
What had started as a simple cooking session, had turned into a bit of a party. It was Ginny's idea to crack into her parent's liquor cabinet.
She snuck up to Harry and danced a bottle of vodka in front of him.
"Are you suggesting we cook with that?" Harry teased.
"Out of the kitchen if you're going to get pissed," Hermione warned her friends.
Ron laughed and offered to take a shot with Ginny. Harry decided to be game, and downed one himself.
Ron and Ginny went back to their stash of alcohol and procured two bottles of fire whiskey, which they set on the counter.
The two gave Hermione puppy-dog eyes, and Ophelia was bursting with laughter.
"Well let me at least get this plated," Hermione hissed.
Harry took out the Weasley's wireless radio and cranked the volume to a Weird Sister's song.
"Well can you dance like a Hipogriff?" Ginny shouted, taking a gulp of the firewhiskey.
"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma," Ophelia hummed along, and helped herself to a shot.
"Flying off from a cliff?" Harry and Ginny were now dancing around the kitchen in a sort of playful romp.
"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma," Ron sang along, and snaked his hand's around Hermione's hips. She blushed, but kissed him on the nose.
"Now just wait until I've finished sautéing the…," Hermione pleaded, but everyone was looking at her expectantly.
Hermione caved and awkwardly sang, "Swooping down to the ground"
"Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma," everyone roared in return.
A/N: Okay, as I said, this kind of just a silly, fun chapter. I wanted to give some happiness to the kids. I mean, they did just go fight a war. But, as a writer, I do still have some horrible things planned for these characters :D I can't help it, it's fun!
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