"Late night snack?"
Severus jumped. "You startled me," he said quietly as he applied mustard to a sandwich.
"It's not like you to let your guard down. Still brooding?"
"I wasn't aware that I was brooding, Albus, I thought I was busy being really pissed off about Allosia being here."
"You're brooding, trust me. Now what's good around here?" he asked, turning to a house elf, which began scurrying around to prepare a plate.
"Would you have even told me she was coming?"
"It probably would have slipped my mind. It was good of her to owl you."
Snape made a face.
"I really need you two to work this out, if not with each other, with yourselves."
"Tell her that."
"I have." He paused. "I know you've lost a lot, but Allosia isn't something you have to lose. She still wants to be your friend."
"Do you know what I did to her?"
"I know more about it than she does, Severus."
"Oh. God," he said and passed a hand over his face.
Dumbledore patted Snape's arm as the younger man tried not to flinch. "It's no reason to continue being awful to her."
Snape just looked at him. "I have work to do, but thank you, really, for giving me a home here."
Dubledore just waved his hand as if to say, it was nothing, and then nibbled on something from the plate the house elves had prepared for him. "You really should try this cheese, Severus, excellent, excellent."
Severus jumped. "You startled me," he said quietly as he applied mustard to a sandwich.
"It's not like you to let your guard down. Still brooding?"
"I wasn't aware that I was brooding, Albus, I thought I was busy being really pissed off about Allosia being here."
"You're brooding, trust me. Now what's good around here?" he asked, turning to a house elf, which began scurrying around to prepare a plate.
"Would you have even told me she was coming?"
"It probably would have slipped my mind. It was good of her to owl you."
Snape made a face.
"I really need you two to work this out, if not with each other, with yourselves."
"Tell her that."
"I have." He paused. "I know you've lost a lot, but Allosia isn't something you have to lose. She still wants to be your friend."
"Do you know what I did to her?"
"I know more about it than she does, Severus."
"Oh. God," he said and passed a hand over his face.
Dumbledore patted Snape's arm as the younger man tried not to flinch. "It's no reason to continue being awful to her."
Snape just looked at him. "I have work to do, but thank you, really, for giving me a home here."
Dubledore just waved his hand as if to say, it was nothing, and then nibbled on something from the plate the house elves had prepared for him. "You really should try this cheese, Severus, excellent, excellent."
