All characters belong to the brilliant JKR... Except for the one, the only one...
Thank you JarODirt for your encouragement. The reassurance was much needed and appreciated. Also a big thank you to all who added the story to your Story Alert. I do have quite a grand plan for Severus, and our new girl of course. I hope you enjoy the story!
Chapter Two - Snape's Nightmare
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Snape," the black-hair witch offered her delicate hand to Snape, "Or should I call you Professor? Or perhaps you prefer to be called Headmaster?"
Snape took her hand and courteously brushed his lips against her ivory fingers. "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Macmillan." He said politely, intentionally ignoring her questions.
"I've heard about you," the witch went on, "I'm sure you will make a fine replacement for Dumbledore."
Snape wondered if it was his own imagination, but he thought there was a trace of bitterness when she said "fine replacement".
As he released her hand he looked up at the young witch. She looked straight back at him with her deep blue eyes. There was a small polite smile hanging at the corner of her lips. Yet Snape took note of the strange coldness in her gaze.
"That is very kind of you to say Miss Macmillan." Snape returned, "Why do I have the feeling that we have met before?" he asked cautiously.
"I'm afraid you must be mistaken," the witch replied calmly, "This is my first trip to Britain. Thanks to the hospitality of my cousin, I can finally come visit this amazing place." Olivia gestured slightly towards Narcissa, who gave an uneasy smile.
"Ah there she is, our lovely guest of honor!" A cool high voice suddenly interrupted them.
As they turned towards the voice, both Narcissa and Snape inclined politely towards the Dark Lord.
"I'm glad to see that you are already making friends!" Voldemort smiled at the witch in the short black dress. "But if you may excuse me, Severus, I would like to borrow Miss Macmillan for a moment."
"Most certainly my Lord." Severus bowed again.
When he looked up, Snape saw Voldemort offering his arm to Miss Macmillan, who took it without hesitation. They walked towards the end of the hall and disappeared behind a door leading into the private meeting room.
"Haven't heard you mentioning your cousin before, Narcissa." Snape made the small comment.
"We haven't been seeing each other very often." Narcissa answered in a slightly trembling voice.
"What brought her here?" Snape asked casually as he picked up a glass of champagne from a tray carried by a passing-by house-elf.
Narcissa swallowed and paused for a moment, as if contemplating how best to answer the question. "She... She admires the Dark Lord and wants to become a part of us."
"I see," Snape answered quietly. A moment past he asked again, still in an innocent tone, "And you think she is trustworthy?"
"Yes, definitely yes!" Narcissa answered immediately. But she quickly looked away from Snape's dark eyes. "Excuse me, but I must go check on the kitchen. Dinner should be ready very soon now."
Snape nodded politely and watched the hostess scurried away. His attention went back to the door leading to the meeting room. He wondered if his instincts were right, that this Miss Macmillan was in fact after something else.
When the Dark Lord re-emerged from the study with the young witch, they were talking and laughing, like a couple of old friends knowing each other for years. The Dark Lord insisted that Miss Macmillan sitting next to him at the dinner table, and continued on with their pleasant conversation as if no one else was around.
It was until they concluded the dinner with chocolate mousse and sherry, Voldemort finally looked away from the witch and surveyed his followers at the table.
"Severus," He turned his attention to Snape, "How do you like your new position as the Headmaster?"
"It's been a great honor my Lord." Snape answered in his smooth voice, "I've been preparing for the new term."
Voldemort nodded, and looked at Snape curiously with his red eyes, "Have you made arrangements for the new teachers for Dark Arts and Muggle Studies?"
The table was quiet now as everyone realized the Dark Lord was addressing one of them. Snape shook his head thoughtfully. He had hoped that Voldemort would not remember the two vacancies, as the last thing he wanted was to have two death eaters getting into Hogwarts. He had planned on picking up the DADA class himself, even though that would mean doubling his workload as the headmaster and a teacher. It was also his plan to suspend the muggle studies class for the year. He had long ago determined that having a death eater teaching muggle studies would be a complete joke anyway.
"No my Lord," He answered obediently, "I haven't been able to find any qualified candidates."
"Alas, I am here to solve your problem, my faithful servant!" Voldemort's smile broadened. "Amycus Carrow is your man for the Dark Arts class."
Snape frowned inwardly at the Dark Lord's assignment, but he didn't say a word. Instead he nodded in agreement.
"As far as the muggle studies class," Voldemort went on, "Miss Macmillan is the perfect candidate."
Snape couldn't help but raising his eyebrows at the Dark Lord's suggestion. Fortunately he had no need to hide his surprise, as Olivia Macmillan gasped at the suggestion and immediately drew everyone's attention to her.
Snape watched as the surprise turned into disappointment in the witch's face, "You are sending me to look after some school children?" she asked in a low voice, "My Lord! Do you doubt my ability?"
"On the contrary Miss Macmillan," Voldemort laughed, "I am quite impressed by you! I think this will be the best way to ease you into our rituals. And as Severus can attest to this," he gestured at the newly appointed Headmaster, "dealing with the children can be quite a challenge these days."
The witch did not say another word but nodded in silence. She however made her displeasure perfectly clear when she looked up at Snape, sending him a chilling stare.
After dinner, the Dark Lord stopped by Snape's side and quietly said, "A word please, Severus."
Voldemort took Snape into the private meeting room where he had the meeting with the witch before dinner.
"Severus," he began darkly, "There is something about Miss Macmillan that concerns me."
"What may that be my Lord?"
"She is a very skilled witch and sorcerer, a lot more than what she let on. But I am not at all convinced by her eager desire to follow me."
Snape stood quietly in front of the Dark Lord, recalling his own observations. Voldemort's suspicion confirmed his earlier assessment. It seemed odd to him that Voldemort didn't already penetrate the witch's mind and search all her secrets inside out. Did she really process a power that even the Dark Lord could not control? And what exactly would this mean? Was she someone sent by the Order? Or was she there for a different purpose? Should he become her ally? Or watch for her as a different enemy?
"What would you like me to do, my Lord?" Snape asked quietly, hoping Voldemort would share with him more information about the witch.
"I need you to watch her for me for a while," the Dark Lord answered thoughtfully, "she will either be a great asset or a huge trouble. And your job is to find out which one she is."
"Certainly my Lord." Snape bowed.
Right before Snape left the room, he heard Voldemort murmuring to himself, "I wonder what Bellatrix would say when she returns and discovers that she has such a huge fan from America..."
As Snape returned to the great hall, he noticed Carrow trying eagerly to strike up a conversation with Miss Macmillan.
"This is truly a wonderful arrangement, Olivia," Carrow purred, "I look forward to spending lots of time with you at Hogwarts. We will get to know each other really well in no time." He winked at the witch as he said the words "really well".
"I wouldn't count on it." Olivia answered coolly before turning to walk away, leaving Carrow standing in the middle of the hall all by himself.
Snape froze... "I wouldn't count on it." That phrase, with that American accent, it sounded too familiar. Snape was definitely sure he had met this witch before, at a time when she said the same words, in the same dismissive manner. But where... The question consumed Snape for the rest of the night.
When Severus returned to Hogwarts it was past mid-night. The silence in the castle seemed almost unbearable, even for a man who was so used to solitude. As he walked down the corridor the only sound he could hear were the echoes of his clinking boots. All of the other professors had extended their summer holiday until the last day before the term was scheduled to start.
They considered the students their only reason to return, not the headmaster. Severus thought bitterly as he walked into his new office. There was one theory that he could not wait until the morning to verify.
"Good evening Severus!" Dumbledore in the portrait greeted him cheerfully as he turned on the oil lamp by the desk. "How was Tom tonight?"
"Just groovy." Severus sneered under his breath, "A new recruit was introduced to the group, a witch named Olivia Macmillan. I could have sworn I've met her before. Dumbledore, do you recall having a student here with that name?"
The old headmaster stroked his long white beard thoughtfully. A moment later he shook his head, "No, as far as I can remember, we have never had a student here with that name."
Severus paced in front of his desk, trying hard to remember all the students he had taught, and students he had met when he was at Hogwarts as a student, but nothing came up.
Suddenly a new student's information file on his desk reminded him. He quickly walked over to a bookshelf, and pulled out a very thick leather bound record book. Gently he laid the book on the desk, pulled out his wand from his coat pocket, and gave the cover a quick tap.
"Olivia Macmillan." He ordered. But nothing happened. Did he not remember the command correctly?
"Severus Snape." He ordered again. The book quickly open itself and the pages turned feverishly in front of him. When the pages finally settled down, he saw a dark-hair boy standing in a picture, looking at himself uneasily. That was him, still a boy, years ago at Hogwarts.
"It does work." He murmured in disbelief, "So I was mistaken? She was never a student here?"
Severus never doubted his own memory. Not finding what he was looking for was beginning to bother him terribly.
Out of boredom, he tap on the book once more, "Lily Evans."
The pages turned in front of his eyes. When they finally stopped, he was face to face with the red-hair girl with bright green eyes. She was smiling sweetly and waving cheerfully at him.
"Lily," his voice broke. His long pale fingers reached down to the picture, gently tracing the girl's face. Unknowingly, a tear drop escaped, falling quietly next to the girl with the sweetest smile, but was quickly absorbed by the aged parchment.
Hours later that night, Severus found himself a Hogwarts student again. Lily was walking in front of him. He was trying to catch up. But she kept walking faster and faster. The distance between them quickly grew.
"Lily!" He called out desperately. But she didn't seem to care. Suddenly Severus was blocked by James Potter and Sirius Black.
"In a hurry Snivellus?" Sirius Black smiled slyly. "No need to rush Snivellus, the highway to hell is wide open for you." Jame said. The two boys and some invisible people around him began to laugh.
Out of no where, a girl in Gryffindor uniform stepped in front of Severus, facing the two boys. Severus couldn't see her face, but only her long wavy black hair.
"I wouldn't count on it." She said dismissively. The two boys and all the other taunting voices immediately disappeared, as if she spoke the vanishing spell.
Slowly, she turned to face Severus. Before he could make out her face however, a bright light coming out of her almost blinded him. The last thing he could see before having to block out the bright light, was a pair of beautiful cobalt blue eyes.
"Olivia! Olivia!" Voices calling from every corner of the castle...
Severus jerked awake, only to find the morning sun piercing through his chamber window, shining brightly into his eyes.
"Bloody hell... what a strange dream." He sighed shakily, running his hand absentmindedly through his ruffled dark hair.
What do you think? I am desperate to know...