Just another reminder, this was all originally written in 2004. My apologizes if anything seems AU or OC since the publication of whatever book was out at the time. - AM
Christmas Eve dawned on an empty campus and a light flurry of snow and frozen rain. Only a few students and faculty had remained for the winter break, either because their home life was too cruel, too warm, too noisy, or there was just too much catching up to do in preparation for the spring term. The twelve Christmas trees that decorated the Great Hall yearly had finally finished being adorned with enchanted candles and multi-colored globes. Many more little lights floated up towards the ceiling which appeared to be casting snow down on the feast tables.
Linea donned her green and silver scarf and shuffled outside to the courtyard for a dose of brisk chill air. After a long enough time in which she was sure she'd be frozen, she went back to the dungeons where it was still cold, but it was a cold she was used to. Stopping to wipe lingering flakes of snow off her boots and cloak, she did not pay attention to the footsteps coming from the stairwell. As she started to push open the door to her large classroom, she was violently turned around and found herself kissing too-familiar lips.
Snape pushed her against the door, forcing it open, with one arm by her shoulder and the other on her neck. Gracefully stumbling into the room, door now behind them, he suddenly released himself and she watched him. He simply stood there, strangely calm, pushing back a strand of hair from his mouth. He reminded her of what he had acted like several years ago; they would experience a sudden and miraculous moment before he swiftly faded back to his normal anti-physical-contact self. As predicted, he tried to shove her off of the door handle but found himself unable to budge her form.
"Move, Kemi."
"You're drunk. I could taste it. What the hell is wrong with you?" Under other circumstances, she may have welcomed the kiss. It had been so long now….
Whatever he had drunk, he'd taken a bit too much. His eyes were dull. Drugged? She'd never seen him like this before. He lost his senses and fell forward onto her. She was too exhausted to deal with his shit after she helped to clean the castle earlier in the day.
With a quick spell, he floated up and she led him to his room. Thank Merlin that door was unlocked. Laying him down properly in bed, her memories couldn't help but taunt her.
He was a quiet and sound sleeper when they were in school. She often stayed as his side despite his harsh and cruel words that stung her deeply until their next encounter. Tonight, Linea considered stripping off Severus' top layers but thought better of it since he would know and not look favorably upon the action in the morning.
After another moment's consideration, she left him without a second glace.
An hour later, Linea approached the largest tree in the Hall which stood in the center of its fellows near the back. The candles in the hall slowly dimmed as she entered and she noticed with a smile that much of the mistletoe that had been floating about had gone missing. The Hall had become deserted after the rest of the professors went to sleep and it was strangely, yet peacefully, quiet and serene in this typically bustling event hall.
Safely tucked within her robes, Linea stopped to look at the grand tree before her. Its own candles swiftly faded in acknowledgment of her presence, plunging the room into a dim shadow. The ceiling snowed lightly above her head, the spell casting away the illusion just before it reached her outstretched fingertips. As she stared at the tree, she felt a sudden tinge of happiness and calm that she hadn't experienced since leaving Hogwarts. But she admonished herself quickly; she wasn't used to feeling such things and became uncomfortable, readjusting herself with the folds of her robes. But in the atmosphere of these trees which were decorated with a beautiful shimmering white gleam, there welled a reaction so strong that it soaked within her and slowly dispelled the lingering darkness in her mind.
She heard a sudden crash behind her and swept around to see a house-elf scurrying away from under a tapestry. Near the entranceway, she saw a dark figure. She approached it, curious, coming to see that it was indeed two such figures that fled when they realized she had seen them. She rushed into the entrance hallway, seeing two students running towards the dorms.
"10 points each!...Whoever you are." She glanced backwards at the trees, still internally enveloped in their magic. She had the sudden urge to kill something after admonishing those students but dismissed the thought when she saw Dumbledore approaching from nowhere. His glasses gleamed as a few candles came back to life nearby.
"You're still up I see. How do you find it here?" He was still dressed in his wizarding robes, beard covering the front.
"I'm fine. Thank you." She answered abruptly and then, "I'm sorry, Headmaster. It's just that … I've never really bothered to look at them before. Even when I attended Hogwarts."
"Well, I can understand if you don't like them-"
"It's not that I don't like them, no not at all! But the thing is - you know, Professor."
He nodded. "Indeed I do, Linea. You don't have to mention it. Even Severus never really took to them fully." His eyes gleamed.
"Professor -, " she begged him not to continue.
"Don't think I don't remember. I recall when I was in my youth-"
"Professor-"
"Oh, yes, sorry. My point is, Linea, I've known you quite well since you arrived as a fifth year. I understand your choices, and now that you've returned to us, I'll give you my full support. But-"
"But you do not trust me as much as you had hoped. That's understandable, Headmaster. After all, my past was quite...well known." Her lips tightened. "Thank you, Albus. Now I should be off. Merry Christmas." She billowed past him as he acknowledged her departure.
She wandered the halls for a time until meeting Filch on the stairwell. He greeted her in the usual way, a grunt, until he looked at her again as he passed by.
"Kemi? Linea?"
She lifted the corner of her mouth in a twisted smile. "Uncle. How are you?"
"What does it look like? How am I? Take a guess."
"Wonderful as always I see."
"Don't know why Dumbledore hired you."
"Because he thought the course was challenging."
"That's not what I mean, Linea."
She shrugged. "Because deep down he's a good man and'll take in anyone who crawls off the streets." She said it sardonically, Filch smiling in reply.
"You're such a sneaky little twit. And a supporter of You-Know-You. Why you're not in prison I'll never know.
"Because my group-"
She was interrupted by footsteps from above. She and Filch both looked up and watched the staircases move until finally Severus Snape descended to join them. He, too, was still in his robes and nodded to both of them in accordance. Filch gave a last look at Kemi before he took his mangy form back to his office. She watched him leave for a moment before facing Snape who was a stair to two above her. His usual glare was met with one likewise.
"Rounding up the final students, Snape?"
"Little brats. How we could ever put up with them is anyone's guess."
"Surely you're used to it by now."
He descended to her step and continued past. "And I would have supposed that you are capable of keeping yourself in your own classroom and not to go sneaking around others, Kemi."
She caught up with him down the steps. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting …. Snape, it could have been as student. Peeves more likely. Or even yourself."
He stopped and snapped at her, "Why would I ever want to do that now? You're the one-"
"Me? Unless my memories have escaped me, Severus, you just couldn't get enough our last year."
The serenity that Linea had just experienced in the Great Hall and her encounter with the Headmaster disappeared in the sudden snap of words between herself and the man before her now. She was angry at him for this particular reason and internally begged this conversation to be over so she could sleep well tonight. And yet he continued.
"Our last year, nearly the entire school knew and we had to keep using charms until finally you put it all to rest." He glazed off the sentence, realizing she had caught him up in her trick.
She smiled slightly, "Can we take this out of the corridor and into a classroom? Ghosts wander freely remember."
She took off to the dungeons, he following impatiently. Her classroom was dark and the chains on the ceiling swayed with a dull clank. He looked up as they entered and stopped beyond the door which closed behind him. She continued to her desk and sat, remarking that this room had once been for Filch's use to punish students. His eyes darted to where she was resting.
"What are we doing here?"
"In school, Snape," she spoke quickly, "I am often curious how much you really wanted to kill Potter when you realized that that Evans girl went to him in the end. I've also been contemplating whether you coming to me was simply a way to get her out of your head."
She could tell she had made him angry. Just what she wanted. The sooner it was out the better and she could continue with her life without the cloud over their heads.
"I did not need your pity."
"It wasn't pity. I came to loathe those four as much as you. And we were both equally skilled in the Dark Arts. We became Death Eaters but...," she stood and drew closer, "I do think that the fact you never saw me until this year-"
"I dealt without you, Kemi. Obviously you cannot get past that."
"I already have. Every time one of those dementors came near me, every single remotely happy thought was sucked out. You're the one who's having the trouble forgetting."
He grunted and replied, "I've had enough Kemi." He turned to leave before she stopped him again.
"Just listen to me once, Severus, without storming out. Just sit, please."
He faced her again. "I'm fine where I am."
"Sit!" She summoned an identical chair to her own and placed it next to hers.
Impatiently, he strode towards her and faced her from across the desk. "I'm fine," he scowled.
"Fine. You know, you may not have known this when we were students, but when I arrived in my fifth year, I watched what Potter and his friends did. I watched what little you did to stop them. Do you recall that day Potter sprung another head and was stuck in the infirmary for two days and then Sirius - you remember?"
"How could I forget."
"I did that. I defended you from the back but I never told you because I knew you'd only shove me off. The student body ignored me and the teachers... I do think they were a little ... fearful, because they knew what my parents once were and believed that my attendance in this school could be harmful. Of course I thought no such thing of turning to the Dark Lord until I left."
She fingered her cloak and brushed back a loose strand of hair to look at him. His expression hadn't changed but seemed eager to leave.
"Your efforts weren't needed, Kemi."
"Weren't they?"
Snape, visibly hesitant, took the chair next to her and propped his legs up next to hers. "No. They weren't. I could have taken care of them myself."
He shut his eyes and leaned further back, arms crossed. She studied the rusted chains and remnant pieces of cloth stuck to the ceiling. She vaguely remembered sneaking in here once. She couldn't recollect why.
She blinked and listened to Snape breathing next to her. She'd ask one more question.
"You stay here," she sighed, "and yet I don't understand the reason."
"I stay here so that I don't have to contend with you during the day annoying the hell out of me."
He shifted in the chair, brushing papers from his foot space. She shifted her gaze to beyond where he sat. One of her large glass jars was glimmering; the small pixie within flew around hopelessly and she considered giving it its freedom but that would mean a wasted adventure to the Isle of Man.
Linea noticed Severus looking at her and asked softly, "Do I really have such an effect on you?"
He tilted his head back again and saw a shadow flit across the stones above. "You have a unique aura that turns any man within himself."
She smirked. "Well, I am part elf. And a great-grandmother of mine was a Siren."
It was past midnight already and there was no evidence of any gifts being delivered to her. She'd be happy if anyone gave anything to a semi-loyal ex-Death Eater, but she doubted it.
They sat in silence. His pseudo-re-confession was a bit of a surprise. She smiled, looking away from him to the other side of the classroom. She couldn't believe they could fall back into this again so easily, that she allowed herself to open back up to him after what he did. It was what he didn't do that had hurt so much back then.
Was he sleeping? His breathing had slowed and she stared at him, reaching out to his face slowly as he shot out a hand and grabbed her wrist next to him. Opening his eyes, he didn't move when she turned her two chairs into a small couch.
"Keep to yourself." He released her and kicked his feet back upon the desk. She shifted to face him, leaned over, and kissed him before he could react and before her thoughts stopped her. A simple and soft tug to his lower lip portrayed her feelings clearly.
She pulled away as he glowered at her until he drew her back and returned the action. He gripped the armrest and she the cushions behind him as they continued, the passion rebuilding too slow until she suddenly drew back and he shoved her the rest of the way from him.
He stormed out and she sighed, cursing herself and him for something that was long believed and meant to be dead.
The small Christmas feast was exquisite that night. Linea had spent her day trying to find first-years to scold, but there weren't nearly enough to suffice and she therefore conceeded to traversing the halls aimlessly until coming to the Great Hall where the four house tables had been eliminated and only a smaller one was set in the middle. She approached the small gathering, noticing Dumbledore at the head, seated next to McGonagall on one side and Snape on the other. Flitwick and Trelawney along with Sprout had also joined them. Two students were present talking to themselves over half-consumed meals and goblets of wine.
Linea sat heavily in her seat next to Trelawney and was greeted by a "My dear you look ill", taking the plate of turkey that apparated in front of her. She received their 'Merry Christmas's gracefully but didn't talk to anyone present or meet anyone's eyes. She was not in the mood for conversation and her dememor was only dampened further by the presence of her ex-lover.
When she was finished, she stood to leave but was hailed by Dumbledore and taken aside towards the entryway. Linea saw Snape watching her out of the corner of his eye but promptly looked before her. She and the headmaster stopped at the wide doorway where he faced her gravely.
"Miss Kemi. I have received a letter from the Ministry," he said, handing her a small envelope from within his pocket. "I suggest you read it in your private chambers and take tomorrow to visit Hogsmeade."
He explained no more, nodded and smiled to her, and returned to the table. She didn't look back, stuffed the letter in her cloak and departed to navigate the halls again to no avail. Eventually she found herself outside where it snowed lightly, white flakes sticking to her hair and boots. She collapsed down into the snow, sitting cross-legged, and hesitantly retreived the envelope Dumbledore had just given her from within her robes. She stretched and tucked her legs up on which to rest her chin, holding the envelope out before her. She knew what it was, even as the tears swelled and left cold trails down her cheeks. She didn't wish to read it herself, she couldn't. Why couldn't Dumbledore just tell her what she needed to hear and let her be?
She sighed, standing, and watched the flakes descend, the moon gleaming through them, and Linea again felt that strange sense of warmth she had when standing before the tree. She cursed herself, stuffing the sealing envelope deep in a pocket and returned indoors, striding down one of the long corridors that was partly open. Brushing away the remaining dampness that had frozen to her face, Linea was barely aware of the hurried footsteps behind her until she realized it was Snape.
She halted, exasperated and tired, and asked, "What is it, Professor?"
He stopped a few feet in front of her. "I'm curious what you received."
"I haven't looked yet. I'm sure its of no importance." She continued down the way she had been going only for Snape to follow her. She stopped again, "Honestly, what is it?" Was he so oblivious to the pain written all over her face?
"It's about your loyalties isn't it? From the Minister perhaps?"
She whispered harshly, "I'll be in Hogsmeade if you want me."
A student appeared from around the corner suddenly and stopped to observe the two professors. Snape looked at her and Linea darted her eyes around, both blurting at the same time, "50 points".
The student sped back in the other direction, Linea and Snape glanced at one another before Snape brushed passed her and disappeared into the shadows.