A Rose in the Wind A Rose in the Wind

Ch 6 Stormy Emotions

Aurelia and Snape's relationship definitely was different. They were closer to being friends. They would sit and talk about their day with each other or just sit and talk in general. They would talk for hours about their classes, their lessons, their hobbies, but never their pasts or anything too personal. Somehow, Aurelia felt they just werent at that stage yet, but something told her they would be. Or at least she hoped they would be. She found that she had grown quite fond of him in the past month or so. She didnt see why though. He was a complete bastard sometimes, but she reminded herself that he could be quite the gentlemen as well. Just the other day he had offered to carry her supplies to her classroom for her and she let him. Her answer for his out of character behavior was that she did have a lot of things to carry anyway.
He would also help her deal with some unruly students. In late November, Malfoy thought it would be funny to fill all of her drawers with frogs in her classroom thinking he would just get away with it aside from losing a few points. She told Snape about this and he retaliated in his own way. During potions class he summoned Malfoy to use his potion as an example for the rest of the class. When Malfoy asked who would drink it Snape told him he had to try his own potion. He began to get nervous. He hadn't been paying attention at all to the potion during class.
"Come on now Mr. Malfoy, we don't have all day. If its done right your hair should turn white and then back to black."
Not seeing another alternative he confessed.
"Professor I..."
"You what Mr. Malfoy? Could it be you weren't even paying attention in my class? 50 points from Slytherin. Mr. Potter, please demonstrate your potion for us then. Sit
down Mr. Malfoy. Maybe you should spend more time studying than planning pranks."

Snape had actually taken points from his own house and from Draco Malfoy! thought Harry. How weird is that?

When Aurelia heard what happened she was surprised. Snape didnt take points from his own house. And when Malfoy proceeded to apologize to her as well she finally asked Snape what prompted his choice of reaction. He tried to shrug it off as nothing, saying that Malfoy just had it coming to him anyway and that it was nothing special for her. But Aurelia knew better than that. She simply smiled and nodded and let him think what he wanted to.

One night in early December they were both sitting in his quarters in the dungeons, Aurelia in a chair by the fireplace and Snape in another chair beside her, reading.
They had just had an argument about the way he treated his students and they were both pouting in their own ways. Yet, Aurelia didn't leave and that surprised Snape.
She just sat there lost in deep concentration as if trying to find some sort if answer. Her eyes then flashed a silvery color and he wondered what caused it. Obviously it wasnt anything too important for she didnt say anything about it. Then out of the blue she blurted out:
"What killed your love Snape?"
Shocked, he looked at her.
"What?"
"You heard me"
"I guess I could ask you the same thing."
"Touché', but I asked you first."
"Well if my love had been killed in the first place why would I tell that to you?" he said icily.
"Let me rephrase that then." she said while turning to face him.
"Why are you so damned bitter all the time!? Do you like being alone?"
"Its a long story..you wouldn't understand...and why am I even telling you that?!"
She got up becoming angry.
"Because I thought we were friends. Do you think that my story is any better than yours? I'm sure its not. And the way you're acting I wouldn't tell you if I wanted to!"
"Good! Because I don't need to hear you weep for help again!"
He put his hand over his mouth when he realized his admission
"What! You saw that?!I knew you had been following me, but how DARE you spy on my personal time like that!"
"Well I didn't mean to! I stumbled upon you talking to the boy...so miss Secrets are you a weather witch as well?"
"I can't believe this, is nothing sacred here? yes I can control some types of weather but what concern is that of yours? You know I feel sorry for you. You probably wouldn't know warmth or happiness of love if it stared you in the face."
"Get out! Get out and don't come back. I don't need some lonely and pathetic girl as my friend or in my house!"
"Fine if that's how you want it!" she screamed at him, her eyes flashing that silvery color again.
She turned and fled out of his room and kept running until she was out of the school. Tears began to flow down her cheeks.
*Stupid arse. I hope he never finds love if he can't even begin to appreciate it.*

Rain began to flow from the skies and she walked. She kept walking right into the forest not caring. She couldn't go back there right now, she had to get away.

Snape put his head in his hands. What had he done? He pushed away the only person who even came close to knowing the real him and because she cared and wanted
to know about his past he had shut her out like everyone else and drove her way, possibly for good. He hadn't meant to say those things. Why couldn't he just tell her?
*Because you're ashamed of it and are afraid she'll be too.*
He put his hand to the mark on his arm. He wished he could rip it from his body forever. Somehow he had to apologize. In the morning he would confront her and try to
get her to listen to him.

The next morning, a thin blanket of snow covered the ground at Hogwarts. All the students wore their coats to breakfast and no one noticed their DADA teacher wasn't
there until near the end of breakfast.
Snape noticed at once.
Where was she? She couldn't be trying to not see him could she?
*Well you did really piss her off and hurt her Severus*
Worried, he went to her room to see she hadn't been there all night.
* oh no.* he thought.

Just them Peeves floated by laughing. He must have pulled something else, he thought.
"Peeves, did you see Broomsworth last night?"
"ooh the pretty lady? yeah she was headed into the woods." then he left to pull another prank, no doubt.
The woods? The woods were covered in snow and it had been raining last night when she left. She had to have gotten soaked last night! Maybe she is just somewhere
else on the grounds? No, something inside told him no.

He needed another pair of eyes. Just then he saw Potter walk by with Hedwig.
"Potter!" he bellowed.
"Uh..yes professor?"
"I need you to help me. Ill excuse you from classes if you do."
"um sure. What do you need?"
"Your owl. Can you have Hedwig search through the woods for Professor Broomsworth?"
Harry's eyes widened.
"Is she out there?"
"I hope not but that's where Peeves said he saw her going last night."
"I wont ask what happened sir, but I will ask, why do you care?"
he sighed.
"To be honest Potter, I don't know. Come on quick!"
Harry sent Hedwig into the forest and the owl returned a few moments later.
Snape and Harry then followed the owl back into the forest as it lead them to her.
Aurelia lay in the snow. She was a bluish color and wasn't moving.
"No.." muttered Snape.
He was at her side immediately. He felt on her neck and found a faint pulse.
"Don't leave me Aurelia.." he whispered.
"Harry, thank you for this. Run ahead of us and tell Madame Pomfrey to be ready with warming potions."
Harry nodded and ran up the hill to the school.
Snape picked Aurelia up in his arms after wrapping his coat around her. She shivered in his arms now and nuzzled her head into the small of his neck.
"Just hold on Aurelia, hold on...."
He murmured to her while carrying her as fast as he could back to Hogwarts.
*What have I done?*

TBC....