Severus awoke with a start. He instantly threw his arm to the other side of the bed, but only felt cold emptiness.
*It was a dream!* he realized.
Hermione awoke in a dazed fever. She quickly checked her surroundings and recognized the familiar surroundings of her Head Girl's quarters.
*What a dream* she thought. She shook herself, seeing it was already 8:00 in the morning,and headed quickly to the prefects bath.
As she let herself soak in the warm bubble bath she let herself drift back to her dream and that wonderful song that had played in it. She had to admit it was lovely, but he would never act that way and neither would she. Would she? No. Of course not. She was head girl after all, no matter how she had come to realize she felt about a certain Potions master. She put her hand on her cheek where she swore his hand had been.
*It was a DREAM Hermione. Get over it!*
Yes. That's it. Tonight they would dance and That's all.
Severus let the cold water pour down his back as he leaned against the wall in thought. He let his mind wander over the events in his dream. She would never act in that manner towards him. She couldn't possibly feel that way about him either.
*This is pointless! Why am I even worrying about it! It was a dream, nothing more. We're going to dance as she requested*
why I don't know, a little voice reminded him
*but we're going to dance and then That's it! She's going to graduate the next day and leave.*
All too soon it seemed, the dance came. Hermione was a ball of nerves. She of course let herself dance with Ron and Harry, Neville, and even Draco. But soon the dance was nearing its end and she looked over at Snape's seat at the teachers table. She had felt his eyes on her all night.
*You should just get it over with.*she told herself. She saw him begin to rise from his seat and look at her. The look seemed to pierce through her and she swore she saw something more than his normal sneer there. She would have bet her highest NEWT scores that it looked almost like compassion. But it couldn't be, could it? As he began to descend from the teachers area, she began to get more nervous and to panic. How did she feel? Really and truly? She didn't know, yet something told her she knew that was a lie. But was she ready to face it just yet?
She had only a few moments to figure it out and just before he was going to make his way over to her, she bolted from the hall and went straight to her room without stopping. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do it because she didn't trust herself to. She was afraid it would end up like the dream. Granted she would like it to end up that way, but something said it was too soon and somehow she didn't think she was ready for it. She sighed and laid on her bed, suddenly hitting herself hard.
*What about Snape? He's going to feel so rejected!* What could she do? She had to find some way to tell him how she felt, yet not really. She hoped he would understand, even if she didn't fully just yet. She quickly drew out her quill and parchment and scribbled a small note. She didn't sign it because she knew he would recognize her handwriting. She then attached it to Crookshanks and sent him off to the dungeons.
Crookshanks meowed loudly at the door to Snape's classroom. Soon a very frustrated Snape came to the door.
"What IS it?!"he exclaimed.
Crookshanks rubbed against Snape's legs so the parchment would catch on the fabric.
Snape bent down to pluck it out of the collar before stroking the cat briefly and sending him back on his way.
He took the parchment to his desk and sat, carefully unrolling it. He recognized the handwriting instantly.
Sighing heavily he began to read:
"I'm sorry.
I don't know what to say or how to say it. You are and always will be the brilliant Severus Snape to me. No, not the brilliant potions master at Hogwarts, but the brilliant you as a person. You are the most complex person and yet I think out of all the professors here I understand you the most.
nunquam oblivio mihi"
He carefully rolled up the parchment again and put it in his robes. He then steepled his hands and let his hand rest on them.
*what a complex woman.* he thought.
*I wonder what made her leave.*
He had to admit a little twinge of rejection, but her swift action to resolve her earlier actions led him to believe she never wanted to hurt him. In fact her words melted him. She saw him as the person and not just the evil potions master. She thought she understood him best. He knew he understood her better than he friends did, that was for sure. Something inside him told him this letter was meant as hope. Especially the last line. That did give him hope for some day.
The next afternoon he watched as she graduated and hugged all of her friends. She hugged each of her professors, and hugged Dumbledore a little longer than most. When she got to Snape she smiled a little nervously. He took the initiative and gathered her in his arms. Because of shock, it took a moment for Hermione to put her arms around Snape as well. Before they pulled apart he whispered in her ear.
"Nunquam Mei Cara".
She turned her face sharply to meet his eyes and fought back the tears that were forming. She opened her mouth to say something but he placed a finger on her lips to quiet her and shook his head. She quickly and gently pecked his fingertip before running off to leave with her friends.
Severus sighed and placed the finger against his lips for a moment, playing it as if he were contemplating something. But a quick glace at Dumbledore and his knowing smile let him know he wasn't the only one who knew now.
2 years, he thought. 2 long years.
Ok....latin translations here:
nunquam oblivio mihi= never forget me
nunquam Mei cara= never my beloved
