A.N.: Hello! I can't leave this story well enough alone, so I'm going to add in snippets of things I thought of that fit into random spots in the timeline. Thanks for all of the sudden views!
"How dare you? Do you know what could've happened? Best case he gets maimed. Or ends up a werewolf himself. Worst case he ends up dead." Hazel had stormed up to the Marauders, who were busy lounging in their usual spot by the Black Lake. Snape trailed in her wake, desperately pleading with her to leave them alone. He didn't want to fight. After the night he'd just had, the last thing he wanted to do was face them.
Sirius stood up first. Of course she knew. Of course he ran off to tell her, the little prat. "Hazel -"
"Shut it. You used your own best friend... you could've turned him into a murder weapon." She turned to Remus, who had hopped to his feet. James had told him at breakfast, and he'd been meaning to find the two of them all day. "You can't help it," she said, stifling his objections. "But he used you, and he nearly killed Sev."
It was James' turn to interrupt. "Hey -"
"You've stopped bullying first-years. I think you hardly look at him as human." She crossed her arms, not caring that all four of the boys had gotten to their feet. Sirius had his wand in hand and Peter was bracing for a fight. "You better hope I don't knock you off your broom next time we face Gryffindor in Quidditch."
"He goes around calling people... that word," James said, glowering at Snape, who still stood a couple of steps behind her. "He could use a little putting in his place."
"He lashed out like he'd been taught by his entire House, by his family..." She turned to Sirius, only looking at him to make a point. "I'm sure, given the circumstances, you wouldn't have done much better." Before he could object, she turned to Snape, who had mercifully been forgotten for once. "C'mon Sev, we have better things to do than debate with these idiots."
"Hazel -"
"I'll talk to you later, Remus. I just can't stand looking at them right now."
She turned on her heel and led Sev away, neither of them giving the Gryffindors as much as a passing glance. "You really shouldn't have done that," he mumbled as they set up across the lake.
"Black really shouldn't have done what he did," Hazel reasoned, fishing her Defense Against the Dark Arts book out of her bag. She opened the book to the chapter on vampires, but set it aside rather quickly. Instead of working, she turned to him, noticing how exhausted he was. The circles under his eyes were darker than ever. After he'd returned from his talk with Dumbledore, they'd sat up on the sofa in Ravenclaw Tower, not saying much. Both of them were too stunned to form proper sentences. They'd finally fallen asleep in armchairs, but they both woke up every hour or so. Hazel would try to roll over, nearly falling out of her chair, and then decide to check on Sev. Half of the time she would find him staring out the window in the direction of the Whomping Willow.
He'd sat with her at breakfast, most of the Slytherins not noticing. The tables were allowed to mix, after all, even though they rarely ever did. Neither of them mentioned what had happened the night before, and soon enough, they were headed off to Potions. The first opportunity they had to talk came when they had all settled in and were working on a wit-sharpening potion. "We're going to need more armadillo bile than that," Sev commented as he worked.
Hazel turned to look at him, his face dark in the flickering light of the flames below their cauldron. "Sev, you should skip Herbology next hour. You already know everything about aconite, and the chomping cabbages aren't going to be ready for another week. You need sleep."
"I'm not tired," he lied, starting to grind more bile into a fine powder. He avoided making eye contact with her until Slughorn had passed them by, commenting that their potion was the perfect shade of red, "as always."
They didn't mention the werewolf incident until they were headed out to study near the lake that afternoon. That was when Hazel sighted the four "Marauders" as they called themselves, all of them avoiding the Transfiguration homework except Remus, who was carefully balancing his parchment on a stack of books.
Surprisingly, they all would leave them alone for a month or so after their confrontation. Hazel and Remus still talked, but things had started to grow icy between them. She couldn't blame him - after all, Sirius had been the one to lure Snape towards the Shrieking Shack - but Remus blamed himself. His greatest fear was hurting someone as a werewolf, and he'd gotten very close to doing it in a place he thought he could be safe. So he took a step back. There was no way he could bring himself to try to study with Hazel and Sev like he used to. Even in a bigger group, he felt the weight of guilt every time he looked at Snape. In time, James and Sirius would get back to their normal selves, but for now, they gave Snape and Hazel some peace. Even if they continued their tirades, they would never again do anything that could prove to be fatal.
The students hated him. The teachers hated him. Even Filch seemed to privately despise him. His only allies were the Carrows, two people he couldn't stand. And Hazel, of course. Wherever Snape went, he was constantly watching his back. And after he was attacked by a group of students, he realized that he wasn't safe anywhere. Back in his own school days he'd been afraid, but now it was far more than James Potter and Sirius Black that wanted to see him in pain. His one saving grace was Hazel, who seemingly kept everyone at bay. If she held his hand while they walked the halls, he was impervious to everything else. None of the students or professors wanted to accidentally jinx her when they were aiming for him.
She noticed fairly early on, so she tried to accompany him as often as she could. When things got really busy and he was stuck in his office all day, she would find him during lunch or her free periods and insist that they go for walks down by the lake.
It was only when he put his work away for the night, hanging his cloak by the door of their chambers and locking up behind him, that he could finally relax. Hazel would almost always already be there, having finished her work hours before. If she was still awake, she would get up and wrap her arms around him. They would hold onto each other for a while, Snape burying his face in her hair as he tried to let go of the weight that even setting foot in the rest of the castle put on him.
It was on a night like those that he finally told her. "Did you know I came to find you after the Potters were killed?" he asked, Hazel taking a half step back.
"Perhaps you'd better change first. I'll make some tea or something. This is going to be a long story." She pecked him on the cheek before going to find where she had left her wand.
A few minutes later, they settled in on the sofa together. The Dark Mark was clearly visible on his arm, Hazel's eyes flicking to it as he talked. She'd gotten used to seeing it. She was, after all, the only person he'd ever as much as roll his sleeves up around. But now he sat facing her in worn-out pajamas, a cup of tea in hand. Hazel smiled to herself, realizing how domestic they looked. In another world, this would be their life, without all the worrying about Voldemort and the students and the teachers fomenting their own rebellion.
"I knew everything. I saw Dumbledore, and he told me I needed to start pulling the strings of my old life back together. So I tried to find you," Snape explained, staring intently into his tea. "They cancelled classes the week I was appointed Potions Master. I knew you were staying in Hogsmeade, so I went to find you. You were the only person I could've possibly had left."
Hazel reached out and took his hand. "You never knocked."
He finally met her eye, asking, "Would you have answered?"
They had gone their separate ways in the spring of seventh year. A Death Eater and an Auror could never be friends. She'd seen him on her missions a couple of times and spared him, telling him to run. To be fair, he'd saved her life a couple of times too. "Sev -"
"It doesn't matter. When I got there, I could see you in the window. You were hugging someone, so I knew you wouldn't be alone. I didn't want to interrupt."
"Remus," she explained. "He'd lost James the day before. And Sirius - Sirius was in Azkaban, and we thought Peter was dead. He was alone too."
"I stayed for a bit. I watched you, and then I went back to the dungeons. Dumbledore came to find me, and somehow he knew. He kept me updated on your career. He kept telling me to write. I very nearly did, but… I'd lost Lily, and I'd lost you in almost the same way. You tried. You really tried, but it was intoxicating. It was power, it was family, it was... I should've seen it. I should've seen why you were so keen on introducing me to all of your friends. You were trying to save me, and I ended up alone." She'd let him talk, but this was enough. She'd seen this sort of spiral before.
So she gently took both of their teacups and set them aside, stretching out over the sofa to hold onto him. "You're not alone anymore, Sev. You never have to be alone again."
He kissed the top of her head, offering only two words in response. "I'm sorry."
"I don't want to say it's okay," she spoke into his chest, "because it's not. Stuff like that... I'm just glad you ended up in the right place. You know all of that could've gotten you killed. I'm glad you ended up doing what's right."
"I wish none of it had ever happened," he confided. "I wish I would've stayed with you, become a potioneer, and Auror, something that wasn't what I turned into. We could've had perfectly normal lives."
"Nothing would've ever been normal for an Auror in the middle of a wizarding war," Hazel reminded him.
But Snape was lost in thought. "Do you think we would've gotten married? If none of that had ever happened?"
"Maybe. I'd hope so. But I'm glad I ended up back here. I'm glad I needed a job and Dumbledore needed a teacher."
"Would you ever want to get married?"
Hazel sat up to look him in the eye. He couldn't help but smile at how her eyes lit up. "Severus Snape did you -"
"I'm not asking now, I'm merely asking if you'd ever consider it," he stressed.
The answer was immediate. "Yes. I love you, Sev." She leaned in to give him a kiss, adding, "You don't have to say it. I know it's hard for you, even now. But... I know."
As she laid back down, settling in to curl up with him on the sofa for a while, he held her a little closer than usual. She remained the one constant, the one bright spot in the middle of the darkness he faced every day. And for that, he loved her.
"That's your job, to buy him time until Vol -" Hazel stopped herself, remembering the name had an official Taboo on it, "until You Know Who is weak enough for Harry to finish off. "You buy him time..." She'd put it together. Both of them knew what it meant. "He's hopping around the country and - Sev, he's just a kid." She'd stopped walking, dropping his hand.
"You were his age when you joined the Auror Office." It gave him some hope, but he too had his doubts about Dumbledore's grand plan. He raised his wand, creating a bubble of warm air around them, repelling the snow that had begun to swirl down from the clouds. He'd also casted a Muffliato charm, ensuring no one else would be able to hear them. They were alone by the lake, with only the giant squid for company, but they could never be too careful.
Hazel frowned, but quickly banished the thought. "We can worry about things later," she decided, taking his hand again. "It's your birthday, and you've spent all day working. You deserve a little time off."
He recognized the glint in her eye, the look that appeared only when she had a brilliant idea. "What are you thinking?"
"Odd question for a gifted Legilimens," she laughed. "Want to sneak down to Hogsmeade and grab a Butterbeer at our old table? I can disguise us, if you want."
His eyes narrowed, Snape knowing something was up. "You're stalling."
"Okay, fine. I've got to buy the House Elves a couple hours to finish your birthday cake. Wait, I have an idea." She led him out to the edge of the school grounds, holding onto him tightly and raising her wand.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see." It was the last thing he heard before the great rush of air that came with apparating anywhere. Seconds later they were standing on the rocky banks of a giant lake, one much larger than the one they had just left. A decaying castle sat on the other side. Hazel let go of him, stepping to the very edge of he water and whistling.
At first nothing happened. Snape got closer, his eyes trained on the dark water. Something was moving in the middle of the lake. The ripples in the water got larger as the creature emerged, a giant head breaking through the icy loch. It looked like a dinosaur, but there was no way any of them were still alive. "Hi there, beautiful," Hazel smiled, her eyes trained on the creature. "This is Sev. He's a friend."
The creature swam closer, stopping a little ways off. "Is that... It can't be. She's not real."
"She's real," Hazel nodded, her eyes still fixed on the animal. "There's an old man who takes care of her. Runs a great exhibit on her for the Muggles too. His family's been keeping her safe for centuries. We found them on an Auror expedition. She'd just been a rumor before then. Hagrid comes out here every month or so to say hello. He's the only one who's ever gotten close enough to pet her, but she's very good about coming to say hello."
The two of them stood there for a little while, watching the beast inspect them. When she'd had enough, she submerged herself again, disappearing off into the loch. "I always thought something that big couldn't possibly live here."
"The old wizard who takes care of her - his family worked some magic to let her out into the ocean whenever she wants," Hazel explained, sitting down on a rock. "They also enchanted her so the Muggles wouldn't be able to spot her unless she wanted to be spotted."
Holidays at Hogwarts were no longer full of joy and decorations. Hagrid still hauled in Christmas trees for Flitwick to decorate, and Halloween was still a huge affair, but everything else was subdued. So much so that Hazel only realized what day it was when she found a bouquet of roses on her desk. Sev always sent her a rose on Fridays, but today there were a full dozen pink ones. One of the school owls sat on her desk next to the flowers, clutching a note in its beak.
Happy Valentine's Day. - S
She smiled to herself, dashing a note back to him as her students began filing in. Neville was sporting a couple new bruises. Luna Lovegood had a busted lip, Ginny Weasley insisting on fixing them up as they took their seats. Ginny herself was limping. Hazel sighed, telling them to put their books away. It would be another day of learning healing magic and defensive spells.
Sev was up late working, like always. More than used to falling asleep alone, Hazel headed to bed as the night dragged on. Like most nights, she couldn't sleep, wishing Sev would join her. When he finally did, he darted into the room, trying not to cast the light of his office all over and wake her up. She could hear the rustle of his cloak being hung up, water starting to run in the distance. As he settled in next to her, Hazel rolled over in bed to give him a kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sev."
"Happy Valentine's Day," he smiled, leaning in for another tired kiss. "Thank you for waiting up."
"Always," she answered, pulling him even closer. "Sev?"
"Hmm?" He was already falling alseep. He yawned, adding a quiet, "I love you."
Hazel beamed. He didn't say it often. But when he did, he meant it. "I love you too." She liked to remind him, because she had a feeling he hadn't heard those words a lot. "I love you, Sev. I'm glad I came back, and I'm glad... I'm glad I decided to see what you were up to that one day in fifth year. I'm glad we ended up talking when I came back here, and I'm glad I can still make you smile. You're... there's so much darkness in this castle now. I'm glad you're part of the light."
He'd drifted off to sleep, finally able to relax. The rest of the world was locked outside, and for a few hours, he could forget about it. Hazel smiled to herself, kissing his cheek before settling in for the night.