They sat for hours in companionable silence, finishing their wine and
occasionally asking each other about the twenty years they had spent as
strangers. Both tried to keep the questions light after Snape's earlier
confessions, but there were many minefields.
"It's close to morning, you know,"
"How can you tell, down here?"
He shrugged and smiled slightly.
She stretched and stood. "We should both get a little rest."
"Yes," he said standing, to walk her to the door. "Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"Wanting answers, even difficult ones."
She nodded. How very like Severus. He held the door for her, and she rushed through it before turning and mouthing good night at him. He closed the door then and leaned against it pondering over both the relief and worry the night had left him with. Attributing some of it to the wine, he headed for bed, he could still get two hours of sleep before he had to put in an appearance at breakfast.
The first several days after their all-nighter were hard. She wasn't used to this level of sleep deprivation coupled with alcohol, and it took her a good 48 hours to be fully functional. Snape, on the other hand seemed fine although unusually subdued. They would nod at each other in the halls, or say hello at meals, but that was it. Without the wine and the shock of it all, the things they had told each other were harder to accept. She was angry, but knew it was pointless and he was just ashamed
On Friday, the meal began as usual. He was late, professors and students alike tried to conceal their cringe when he did finally appear and sat down without much more than a nod to everyone. Allosia had just turned to him to ask about his weekend plans when she saw him grimace and tense.
"Are you alright?"
Recovering, he looked at her in a very directed fashion, hoping his meaning would be clear. "I need to go," he said slowly and softly. "Tell Albus." As he pushed away from the table, she saw that he was holding his arm, where the mark was. When she looked down at the students, she quickly picked out Potter, rubbing his forehead and being clustered around by Ron and Hermione.
Allosia didn't feel hungry anymore.
When she told Albus, he nodded and patted her hand, thanking her. When she looked at him for more, he told her they would just need to wait, that Snape would probably be back by morning, that he would be alright, really.
With no immediate crisis but a mountain of anxiety, Allosia went immediately to her rooms after dinner, lay on her bed, stared at the ceiling and waited.
After about an hour the numbness began to wear off and she began to pace, thinking all sorts of possibilities through in her mind. Shortly after 1 AM, she left her rooms and decided to go down to the dungeons to see if he had gotten back yet.
She walked quietly, not wanting to be seen, not wanting to have to explain her somewhat peculiar and self absorbed concern. Since Gage, Allosia was terrified of more death happening around her.
As she rounded a corner, she was startled to see Draco Malfoy roaming the halls with the same nervousness.
"Do you want to tell me what you're doing out here before I take points?"
He shrugged, unclear if he should bother.
"Make an attempt Mr. Malfoy, I assure you, it's in your best interest."
"Looking for Professor Snape, Ma'am."
"Do you need a teacher for something at this hour? Is there a problem?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself over."
"30 points, Malfoy."
He nodded and began to walk back towards the Slytherin dorms.
"I did not dismiss you and I do not trust you. I'll walk you back to your tower myself."
Allosia was secretly grateful to Malfoy for being out and about. One question was answered.
After depositing the Slytherin where he belonged, Allosia headed outside. She sat herself down on one of the low stone walls along the stairs leading up to Hogwarts, folded her cloak around her and waited.
The night air calmed her, and she barely noticed when McGonogall sat down beside her.
"Can't sleep?" the older woman asked.
Allosia nodded.
"It's hard, on these nights," she said nodding. "I think we'll be alright though. If we were in immediate danger Potter's scar would have been causing him enough trouble that he'd mention it."
Allosia nodded again.
Allosia's lack of response clicked in McGonogall's head. "Are you worried about Severus?" she asked, a slight bit of incredulity still tingeing her voice.
"I've known him since I was eleven, Minerva. We had a long talk the other day. I still want to kill him, but he is after a sort, a friend."
This time it was McGonogall's turn to nod. It was clear she was contemplating Allosia's answer and found it valid, if not surprising. "You shouldn't wait up for him."
Allosia raised her eyebrows.
"He won't be back until nearly dawn. Assuming," she said rising, "he's able to come back tonight."
Allosia looked horrified.
"I am not trying to frighten you. I'm just saying, there may be a reason he was summoned at the start of a weekend. Good night, dear."
Allosia smiled weakly at McGonogall in response, and then turned her head back towards the field and the Forbidden Forest in the distance. When morning finally came, she went back to her rooms to sleep.
"It's close to morning, you know,"
"How can you tell, down here?"
He shrugged and smiled slightly.
She stretched and stood. "We should both get a little rest."
"Yes," he said standing, to walk her to the door. "Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"Wanting answers, even difficult ones."
She nodded. How very like Severus. He held the door for her, and she rushed through it before turning and mouthing good night at him. He closed the door then and leaned against it pondering over both the relief and worry the night had left him with. Attributing some of it to the wine, he headed for bed, he could still get two hours of sleep before he had to put in an appearance at breakfast.
The first several days after their all-nighter were hard. She wasn't used to this level of sleep deprivation coupled with alcohol, and it took her a good 48 hours to be fully functional. Snape, on the other hand seemed fine although unusually subdued. They would nod at each other in the halls, or say hello at meals, but that was it. Without the wine and the shock of it all, the things they had told each other were harder to accept. She was angry, but knew it was pointless and he was just ashamed
On Friday, the meal began as usual. He was late, professors and students alike tried to conceal their cringe when he did finally appear and sat down without much more than a nod to everyone. Allosia had just turned to him to ask about his weekend plans when she saw him grimace and tense.
"Are you alright?"
Recovering, he looked at her in a very directed fashion, hoping his meaning would be clear. "I need to go," he said slowly and softly. "Tell Albus." As he pushed away from the table, she saw that he was holding his arm, where the mark was. When she looked down at the students, she quickly picked out Potter, rubbing his forehead and being clustered around by Ron and Hermione.
Allosia didn't feel hungry anymore.
When she told Albus, he nodded and patted her hand, thanking her. When she looked at him for more, he told her they would just need to wait, that Snape would probably be back by morning, that he would be alright, really.
With no immediate crisis but a mountain of anxiety, Allosia went immediately to her rooms after dinner, lay on her bed, stared at the ceiling and waited.
After about an hour the numbness began to wear off and she began to pace, thinking all sorts of possibilities through in her mind. Shortly after 1 AM, she left her rooms and decided to go down to the dungeons to see if he had gotten back yet.
She walked quietly, not wanting to be seen, not wanting to have to explain her somewhat peculiar and self absorbed concern. Since Gage, Allosia was terrified of more death happening around her.
As she rounded a corner, she was startled to see Draco Malfoy roaming the halls with the same nervousness.
"Do you want to tell me what you're doing out here before I take points?"
He shrugged, unclear if he should bother.
"Make an attempt Mr. Malfoy, I assure you, it's in your best interest."
"Looking for Professor Snape, Ma'am."
"Do you need a teacher for something at this hour? Is there a problem?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself over."
"30 points, Malfoy."
He nodded and began to walk back towards the Slytherin dorms.
"I did not dismiss you and I do not trust you. I'll walk you back to your tower myself."
Allosia was secretly grateful to Malfoy for being out and about. One question was answered.
After depositing the Slytherin where he belonged, Allosia headed outside. She sat herself down on one of the low stone walls along the stairs leading up to Hogwarts, folded her cloak around her and waited.
The night air calmed her, and she barely noticed when McGonogall sat down beside her.
"Can't sleep?" the older woman asked.
Allosia nodded.
"It's hard, on these nights," she said nodding. "I think we'll be alright though. If we were in immediate danger Potter's scar would have been causing him enough trouble that he'd mention it."
Allosia nodded again.
Allosia's lack of response clicked in McGonogall's head. "Are you worried about Severus?" she asked, a slight bit of incredulity still tingeing her voice.
"I've known him since I was eleven, Minerva. We had a long talk the other day. I still want to kill him, but he is after a sort, a friend."
This time it was McGonogall's turn to nod. It was clear she was contemplating Allosia's answer and found it valid, if not surprising. "You shouldn't wait up for him."
Allosia raised her eyebrows.
"He won't be back until nearly dawn. Assuming," she said rising, "he's able to come back tonight."
Allosia looked horrified.
"I am not trying to frighten you. I'm just saying, there may be a reason he was summoned at the start of a weekend. Good night, dear."
Allosia smiled weakly at McGonogall in response, and then turned her head back towards the field and the Forbidden Forest in the distance. When morning finally came, she went back to her rooms to sleep.
