CHAPTER 11
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'I went to the lake, Severus, after lessons had ended.' Anastasia's voice was low now 'And you weren't there.' She looked up at Snape, a hurt look in her eyes. Snape remained indifferent.
Anastasia was in the Great Hall, where the end of term feast was progressing, but she wasn't eating. She was scanning the Slytherin table, looking for Severus. He was sitting alone, as usual. Normally she would have felt sorry for him, but today she was just angry. How dare he stand her up like that!
'What happened to the great last day prank then?' Lily was asking James.
'Fell through' he replied 'Couldn't get a hair from any of the teachers.'
Anastasia had found out what they had been planning to do. They were going to take polyjuice potion to turn themselves into four of the teachers, and sit at the head table. Then, when the real teachers came in, they would have accused them of being imposters and try to lock them out of the hall.
'Peter's got the potion now, haven't you, Wormtail?'
Peter didn't reply. He was too busy with something under the desk that Anastasia couldn't see. She soon heard it though. Severus's voice filled the hall.
'...I think I'm falling in love with you, Ana.'
Amidst the laughter, Severus had left the hall. Anastasia had just sat there, stunned. She didn't understand. Then, suddenly, it dawned on her...
'And that's what happened' Anastasia said. 'Peter Pettigrew was jealous-he liked me, and he didn't want any competition, especially not from you. So he changed the note I wrote, and used the polyjuice potion to disguise himself as me. He used my dictaphone to tape your conversation, then magically amplified it during the feast.' She looked at Severus imploringly. 'You do understand, don't you?' It wasn't my fault'
Severus slowly rose from the desk.
'Understand?' His voice contained a note of bitterness. 'My dear Anastasia, the only thing that I understand is that you humiliated me, and have come up with this complex yet obviously fictional tale to make yourself feel better.' His voice was gradually rising. 'Why should I believe a single word you say? Have you any idea what that incident did to me?'
Anastasia thought she detected a slight tremor in his voice, but still he continued.
'Because of you and your little...joke, I have never trusted anyone, never allowed myself to feel anything for anyone. I have been alone all my life and it's all your fault!'
Severus turned his back on her. He couldn't bear to look at her any more.
'Don't you dare turn away!' Anastasia shouted. 'Don't you think that I've felt guilty over what happened? Don't you think I haven't thought about you?' She took a deep breath. She felt as if she was going to cry. She continued to speak, more quietly this time.
' Do you know what happened after you left the hall? I ran after you, that's what. But I couldn't find you, so I went back to my common room. Peter was there, so were the rest of my friends. I rowed with them over you, did you know that? They all thought that what Peter did was funny, they couldn't see why I was so worried about you.'
Anastasia felt the tears come now, but she carried on.
'Lily Evans was my best friend, and tha row we had over you was the last time we ever spoke. Do you understand that? I didn't speak to my best friend from the day we left school to the day she died, because of you. Because I loved you! And...and I still do...'
Anastasia turned and ran from the classroom in tears, leaving Snape to his confused thoughts.
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'I went to the lake, Severus, after lessons had ended.' Anastasia's voice was low now 'And you weren't there.' She looked up at Snape, a hurt look in her eyes. Snape remained indifferent.
Anastasia was in the Great Hall, where the end of term feast was progressing, but she wasn't eating. She was scanning the Slytherin table, looking for Severus. He was sitting alone, as usual. Normally she would have felt sorry for him, but today she was just angry. How dare he stand her up like that!
'What happened to the great last day prank then?' Lily was asking James.
'Fell through' he replied 'Couldn't get a hair from any of the teachers.'
Anastasia had found out what they had been planning to do. They were going to take polyjuice potion to turn themselves into four of the teachers, and sit at the head table. Then, when the real teachers came in, they would have accused them of being imposters and try to lock them out of the hall.
'Peter's got the potion now, haven't you, Wormtail?'
Peter didn't reply. He was too busy with something under the desk that Anastasia couldn't see. She soon heard it though. Severus's voice filled the hall.
'...I think I'm falling in love with you, Ana.'
Amidst the laughter, Severus had left the hall. Anastasia had just sat there, stunned. She didn't understand. Then, suddenly, it dawned on her...
'And that's what happened' Anastasia said. 'Peter Pettigrew was jealous-he liked me, and he didn't want any competition, especially not from you. So he changed the note I wrote, and used the polyjuice potion to disguise himself as me. He used my dictaphone to tape your conversation, then magically amplified it during the feast.' She looked at Severus imploringly. 'You do understand, don't you?' It wasn't my fault'
Severus slowly rose from the desk.
'Understand?' His voice contained a note of bitterness. 'My dear Anastasia, the only thing that I understand is that you humiliated me, and have come up with this complex yet obviously fictional tale to make yourself feel better.' His voice was gradually rising. 'Why should I believe a single word you say? Have you any idea what that incident did to me?'
Anastasia thought she detected a slight tremor in his voice, but still he continued.
'Because of you and your little...joke, I have never trusted anyone, never allowed myself to feel anything for anyone. I have been alone all my life and it's all your fault!'
Severus turned his back on her. He couldn't bear to look at her any more.
'Don't you dare turn away!' Anastasia shouted. 'Don't you think that I've felt guilty over what happened? Don't you think I haven't thought about you?' She took a deep breath. She felt as if she was going to cry. She continued to speak, more quietly this time.
' Do you know what happened after you left the hall? I ran after you, that's what. But I couldn't find you, so I went back to my common room. Peter was there, so were the rest of my friends. I rowed with them over you, did you know that? They all thought that what Peter did was funny, they couldn't see why I was so worried about you.'
Anastasia felt the tears come now, but she carried on.
'Lily Evans was my best friend, and tha row we had over you was the last time we ever spoke. Do you understand that? I didn't speak to my best friend from the day we left school to the day she died, because of you. Because I loved you! And...and I still do...'
Anastasia turned and ran from the classroom in tears, leaving Snape to his confused thoughts.
