"I..." he tried again, but nothing came out.
It was amazing how this girl cut through all the crap, and go straight to the heart of things.
"I can't sleep without sleeping potions, and normal brews won't work on me anymore. If I don't take anything, I have horrible nightmares of… that night. " Severus said, almost pleading.
"You have had the hardest life imaginable. But that doesn't absolve you of your actions, or excuse you from living your life." Sapphire said, her brown eyes still blazing.
"I don't need your permission!" He shouted. "I am a professor, damnit! You have no right to judge me or tell me what to do!"
"You might be a professor, but you are an idiot if you don't see that that potion will destroy you!" She yelled back, and Severus exploded.
"FIFTY POINTS FROM HUFFLEPUFF!" He roared. "GET OUT OF MY OFFICE AT ONCE, LAZARUS, BEFORE I MAKE IT SIXTY!"
Sapphire was shocked at the hostility. Severus Snape was strict, yes, he might even be harsh at times, but she had never seen him so full of hate.
She turned around to leave. As she walked away from him, Severus felt an odd sensation in his chest.
"Oh, before I go, professor," she said, scathingly, "did you have a nightmare last night?"
With that, she walked out, and slammed the door shut. The dungeons rang with the sound, and Severus was glued to his spot, stunned.
How did she know?
Even he had forgotten about it in the heat of the argument. But it was true; he had not had a nightmare last night.
Sapphire walked up from the dungeons to the Hufflepuff dormitory. Tears sprang from her eyes, and she wiped them away angrily. As she neared the Great Hall, she heard the sound of music and laughter coming from the party. She turned away quickly, so that she wouldn't have to talk to anyone. Luckily, everyone was having too much fun to notice her, and she arrived at the Hufflepuff dormitory alone. She put her abandoned luggage away, changed into her pajamas, and got into her four-poster bed. She lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It took hours for her anger to fade away, but when it did, she felt sorry for Severus. Only a few years older than her, yet he had been through so much…
But she had to stop him. He was too good a man to be lost to his own demons.
Meanwhile, Severus sat at his desk, looking at the mess. His cauldron still contained the potion, which had turned lighter, but still refused to turn white. He thought about his nightmares, Lily, the Potter boy, everything Sapphire had said, his feelings towards her, the things that could happen if he actually finished and took the potion, what would happen if he didn't…
Everything became a blur, until he couldn't take it anymore.
He stood up, pointed his wand at the cauldron, and said, "Evanesco."
The contents of the cauldron vanished. Severus picked up everything that was scattered on his desk, and threw the lot into the dying fire. The fire grew quickly, consuming all his notes and calculations, everything he had been working on for the past several months.
He turned, and saw the comforter he had conjured for Sapphire the night before. He picked it up, and smelled her flowery scent still on it. Instead of vanishing it, he carried it to his room and laid it upon his bed. He slept that night smelling her scent, and for the second time, had a peaceful sleep.