Entry for the "Unusual Ships Challenge" - Rolanda Hooch/Severus Snape

Entry for the "Halloween Collection Competition"- prompt: 50. (dialogue) "You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!"

Entry for the "Astronomy Class" at „Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments" - Task: For this task I would like you to think about kindness. I would like you to write about somebody doing a good deed or an act of kindness.

The hallways of the Hogwarts castle were dipped in darkness, only occasionally broken by moonlight that was shining through the windows.

Silence filled the castle by night, everybody was in their dorms or private chambers...

Except for Rolanda Hooch.

The Quidditch mistress was on her way back from the kitchens, heading towards her chambers and her comfortable bed.

She had nearly reached the hallway the entrance to her rooms was in as she suddenly saw a shadow coming towards her out of the corner of her eye.

Nearly releasing a scream, she stumbled backwards, her hands blindly searching the waistband of her pyjama pants for her wand just as she realised that she was standing in front of Severus Snape.

„Oh my god, Severus! You gave me such a fright! I thought you were a ghost!," Rolanda exclaimed in a high-pitched hiss, her hand pressed to her heart. Severus snorted, his eyebrows jumping towards his hairline in hidden amusement as he answered dryly:"You live in a castle full of ghosts and you would still frightened by them? Isn't that a little bit irrational?"

"Oh, just shut up... the Bloody Baron dislikes me and tends to lurk around in the hallways when I am up at night."

"Little midnight snack?"

"How do you..."

"You still have a bit of chocolate in the corner of your mouth," Severus said and without thinking, he reached out and gently wiped the chocolate away with his thumb.

Their gazes connected and for what seemed to be hours, they just looked at each other, until a shiver ran through Rolanda's body, caused by a cold draft.

Severus cleared his throat nervously to break the uncomfortable silence between them and Rolanda ran her palms up and down her bare arms, trying to warm herself up a little bit.

"I... I should go back to bed...," she said tentatively, and Severus only nodded, so she wanted to turn and walk away, but suddenly he touched her elbow, holding her back.

"Wait, take this."

And to her utter surprise, he took his cloak off and wrapped it around her shoulders, the warmth of it enfolding her immediately and seeping deeper into her body instantly.

"No, for these few steps, um... I, I don't need..."

"Just take it. Go to bed, Rolanda," Severus said, his tone implying that he did not wanted to hear any oppositions and turned on his heel, hurrying down the hallway. Rolanda found that he looked a lot less impressive without his cloak billowing around him when he walked. But still, she could not help but smile to herself as she walked back to her chambers, feeling remarkably warmer not only on the outside, but also on the inside.