Christmas was the most wonderful thing that Maleficent had ever experienced. She and Severus had spent the day together and had a wonderful time. She knew that she couldn't keep her newly discovered feelings about Severus hidden for long. She'd just have to talk to someone. For the next few days she waited for a time when Zandra or Narcissa wouldn't be busy with something. Finally, one evening, Zandra, who seemed to be liked by everyone, was sitting in the library with Narcissa. They seemed to be going over their essays for Charms. Maleficent approached the two of them and sat down. They both said hi to her and went back to their essays. Maleficent let them talk for a while and then finally couldn't wait any longer. "I really hate to interrupt you two but I need to ask you something," she said. Zandra and Narcissa put down their quills and faced her.
Maleficent took a deep breath and said, "There's something very, very important that I wanted to talk to the two of you about." Maleficent's fingers trailed over the beautiful brooch, her Christmas gift from Severus. Zandra wasted no time and asked, "Does it have to do with that brooch?" Maleficent said, "Sort of. It's about.....well....personal stuff." Narcissa propped herself up on one elbow and listened intently. Everyone knew how much Narcissa liked good, juicy, personal stories.Maleficent sighed and blurted out, "It's about Severus. I.....well.....I have developed some......feelings for him." Zandra and Narcissa looked at Maleficent and then at each other. Then both broke into great smiles and exclaimed, "That's fantastic, Maleficent!" Narcissa asked, "So, are you two an official couple now or something?" Maleficent shook her head and said, "I don't want to tell him about this. When we first met, you know all to well, Narcissa, how he plainly stated that he wasn't looking for anything even remotely soulmate-like."
Narcissa sat back and thought about that. After all, she was right. Severus had stated that. However, he had changed quite a bit since that time. Zandra said, "Well, if you feel this way then you should talk to him about it. Don't go around letting all these things bottle up inside you, girl. Besides, what do you have to lose by telling him how you feel?" Maleficent replied, "I could easily lose him by telling him these things if he didn't reciprocate the feelings."
That same evening, Severus had met Lucius in the Common Room to work on their essays as well. Since Severus had discovered his true feelings about Maleficent he hadn't wanted to be anywhere else but with her. Yet, he masked his emotions and tried to spent time away from her as so not to attract any attention to his true feelings. He found Lucius at a table pouring over a mountain of books. He sat down next to him and joined in the book skimming. After about a half an hour Lucius said, "Severus, I can tell that something's on your mind. What's going on?" Severus closed the book and said, "Nothing, Lucius. Nothing." Lucius quickly replied, "That's a load of crap if I've ever heard it. Something had been on your mind for a long time now, nearly a month. Now if it was really nothing then you wouldn't be acting this way. Just tell me and you'll feel better." Severus leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and said, "Fine then. I like Maleficent." Lucius said, "We all like her, Severus. She's friendly and nice and...." but Severus cut him off. "No, Lucius. I mean I have deeper feelings for her than just friendship."
Lucius's mouth fell open. "What?" Severus asked. Lucius replied, "I knew you were always around her but I never knew that you liked her like that." Severus said, "Yeah, I do." Lucius said, "Well, what does she think about it?" Severus shook his head and said, "Don't know. And I'm not going to ever find out." Lucius asked in amazement, "You mean you're not going to tell her?" Severus said, "No. I'm not going to screw up a perfect friendship over that." Lucius asked, "Well what if she feels the same way about you? What if she likes you too but is afraid to tell you for the same reason?" Severus said, "How could she like me in that way? Yeah, I've helped her with her potions homework and she's helped me with my transfiguration homework but we've never done anything else together." Lucius said, "Liar. You two just spent all day on Christmas together. Zandra told me. And, from the way the two of you look at each other, you both feel something more than friendship. You need to express this to her, Severus. If you don't then you'll tear yourself apart with wishful thinking." Severus said softly, "I can't, Lucius. She's the only person that I've ever met who, from the moment she saw me, wanted to get to know me for who I am. She harbors no ill feelings at all in her heart. I don't think she's capable of it. I can't risk telling her. If she doesn't feel the same way then our friendship will never be the same. No Lucius, she and I will just have to remain the best of friends." After saying that, he went back to writing his essay.
A couple of weeks passed and Severus and Maleficent did their best to hide their feelings from the other. Even though the two of them seemed oblivious to the truth, the rest of the school was not. Everyone noticed his they were almost always together, whether on or out of class. Severus opened doors for her. Maleficent walked by his side everywhere. Narcissa and Lucius both were wondering when those two were going to open themselves up to the truth. One afternoon Lucius and Narcissa met to discuss their friends' emotional predicament. Narcissa spoke first and said, "Lucius, I know you're seen it as well as anyone else. They care for each other. I know Maleficent likes his a lot. She's just so scared that Severus doesn't feel the same way." Lucius nodded and said, "Yeah, Severus really likes her too. He's just afraid of ruining their friendship by admitting his feelings to her." They both wondered what it would take to get the two of them to finally stop being afraid and see what was really there.
Maleficent took a deep breath and said, "There's something very, very important that I wanted to talk to the two of you about." Maleficent's fingers trailed over the beautiful brooch, her Christmas gift from Severus. Zandra wasted no time and asked, "Does it have to do with that brooch?" Maleficent said, "Sort of. It's about.....well....personal stuff." Narcissa propped herself up on one elbow and listened intently. Everyone knew how much Narcissa liked good, juicy, personal stories.Maleficent sighed and blurted out, "It's about Severus. I.....well.....I have developed some......feelings for him." Zandra and Narcissa looked at Maleficent and then at each other. Then both broke into great smiles and exclaimed, "That's fantastic, Maleficent!" Narcissa asked, "So, are you two an official couple now or something?" Maleficent shook her head and said, "I don't want to tell him about this. When we first met, you know all to well, Narcissa, how he plainly stated that he wasn't looking for anything even remotely soulmate-like."
Narcissa sat back and thought about that. After all, she was right. Severus had stated that. However, he had changed quite a bit since that time. Zandra said, "Well, if you feel this way then you should talk to him about it. Don't go around letting all these things bottle up inside you, girl. Besides, what do you have to lose by telling him how you feel?" Maleficent replied, "I could easily lose him by telling him these things if he didn't reciprocate the feelings."
That same evening, Severus had met Lucius in the Common Room to work on their essays as well. Since Severus had discovered his true feelings about Maleficent he hadn't wanted to be anywhere else but with her. Yet, he masked his emotions and tried to spent time away from her as so not to attract any attention to his true feelings. He found Lucius at a table pouring over a mountain of books. He sat down next to him and joined in the book skimming. After about a half an hour Lucius said, "Severus, I can tell that something's on your mind. What's going on?" Severus closed the book and said, "Nothing, Lucius. Nothing." Lucius quickly replied, "That's a load of crap if I've ever heard it. Something had been on your mind for a long time now, nearly a month. Now if it was really nothing then you wouldn't be acting this way. Just tell me and you'll feel better." Severus leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and said, "Fine then. I like Maleficent." Lucius said, "We all like her, Severus. She's friendly and nice and...." but Severus cut him off. "No, Lucius. I mean I have deeper feelings for her than just friendship."
Lucius's mouth fell open. "What?" Severus asked. Lucius replied, "I knew you were always around her but I never knew that you liked her like that." Severus said, "Yeah, I do." Lucius said, "Well, what does she think about it?" Severus shook his head and said, "Don't know. And I'm not going to ever find out." Lucius asked in amazement, "You mean you're not going to tell her?" Severus said, "No. I'm not going to screw up a perfect friendship over that." Lucius asked, "Well what if she feels the same way about you? What if she likes you too but is afraid to tell you for the same reason?" Severus said, "How could she like me in that way? Yeah, I've helped her with her potions homework and she's helped me with my transfiguration homework but we've never done anything else together." Lucius said, "Liar. You two just spent all day on Christmas together. Zandra told me. And, from the way the two of you look at each other, you both feel something more than friendship. You need to express this to her, Severus. If you don't then you'll tear yourself apart with wishful thinking." Severus said softly, "I can't, Lucius. She's the only person that I've ever met who, from the moment she saw me, wanted to get to know me for who I am. She harbors no ill feelings at all in her heart. I don't think she's capable of it. I can't risk telling her. If she doesn't feel the same way then our friendship will never be the same. No Lucius, she and I will just have to remain the best of friends." After saying that, he went back to writing his essay.
A couple of weeks passed and Severus and Maleficent did their best to hide their feelings from the other. Even though the two of them seemed oblivious to the truth, the rest of the school was not. Everyone noticed his they were almost always together, whether on or out of class. Severus opened doors for her. Maleficent walked by his side everywhere. Narcissa and Lucius both were wondering when those two were going to open themselves up to the truth. One afternoon Lucius and Narcissa met to discuss their friends' emotional predicament. Narcissa spoke first and said, "Lucius, I know you're seen it as well as anyone else. They care for each other. I know Maleficent likes his a lot. She's just so scared that Severus doesn't feel the same way." Lucius nodded and said, "Yeah, Severus really likes her too. He's just afraid of ruining their friendship by admitting his feelings to her." They both wondered what it would take to get the two of them to finally stop being afraid and see what was really there.