Chapter Six
Moods and Maybes
"Esmerelda!"
She turned around at the sound of his voice. "Severus Snape! Be quiet! The students are sleeping!"
Snape gave a wild gesture and Shelly followed him into his office. It was dark, dreary, black and candlelit. The two of them sat down in silence. There were a few moments, before he spoke.
"Where has yesterday gone?"
"Yesterday? Yesterday was lost when we stepped back."
"It seems that we no longer love each other."
"Just as we no longer swear alliegence to Lord Voldemort."
"I grow lonely."
"And so do I."
"But it doesn't have to be." Snape protested.
"When do you propose we tend to our love? We are both rpofessors, busy with students and responsibilities; all day, every day."
"There are Fridays."
"And weekends." Esme agreed.
"And whole summers...Summer romances."
"Summer romances always die."
"Every other day is a perfect day." Severus said, touching her hand.
Esme shied away. "I cannot let love interupt my job."
"It never bothered you before."
"There's never been so many lives placed into my hands before."
"Being an officer among the Death Eaters makes you think that you did not have so many lives put into your hands? That you do not still hold those lives in your hands?"
"Those who joined the Death Eaters and those who are loyal to Lord Voldemort have taken their lives into their own hands. I have never held responsibilty among them, except for myself and I still don't."
"As much as you would deny it, you are still an officer among the Death Eaters, Esmerelda. That tattoo you have on your back was tattooed with strong magic. There is no one at St. Mungo's and no Muggle who could take off a cell's space of that tattoo."
"I am not. Without me, there are only three officers, and that is enough."
Snape sighed. "Because Lucius and I were not tattooed with the Eye of Horus, we are no more officers thatn Harry Potter would be. Narcissa is an officer, and so are you, much as you would not think so."
"Lord Voldemort can make more."
"Lord Voldemort cannot make more! That spell was for the four of us, but it was fueled with more power, because it was only put on the two of you. The special tattoo artist was killed when Pettigrew blasted Black a few years ago. She trained no successors to the art."
"So I am an officer." Shelly commented. "What of it?"
"Not only do you hold responsibility for all the Death Eaters, but for your students, as well. Niether should interfere with your love life."
"But they do."
"They shouldn't." Finally, Snape stopped arguing with her. "Esme, let's be engaged again. Let's be the way we were yesterday."
"I cannot be your fiance yet. I have not truely loved you for 16 years."
"I have."
"You mean to tell me that you have loved me, all this time? Even though you've treated me like crap these last five weeks?"
"You're the one that's been walking aorund this school like you're a Slytherin."
"I am!"
"You are not! You were put in Hufflepuff."
"The sorting hat can make mistakes." Shelly shrugged.
"The sorting hat does not make mistakes!" Snape snapped. "Did you ignore Dippet? Have you ignored Dumbledore?"
"Even people can make mistakes."
"Just forget it. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"I'll consider it."
Busy with her own life, Esme rose. She had been off patrol and she needed to get back to it. Esme couldn't go to bed till 2:30. Plus, she needed time to think.
Moods and Maybes
"Esmerelda!"
She turned around at the sound of his voice. "Severus Snape! Be quiet! The students are sleeping!"
Snape gave a wild gesture and Shelly followed him into his office. It was dark, dreary, black and candlelit. The two of them sat down in silence. There were a few moments, before he spoke.
"Where has yesterday gone?"
"Yesterday? Yesterday was lost when we stepped back."
"It seems that we no longer love each other."
"Just as we no longer swear alliegence to Lord Voldemort."
"I grow lonely."
"And so do I."
"But it doesn't have to be." Snape protested.
"When do you propose we tend to our love? We are both rpofessors, busy with students and responsibilities; all day, every day."
"There are Fridays."
"And weekends." Esme agreed.
"And whole summers...Summer romances."
"Summer romances always die."
"Every other day is a perfect day." Severus said, touching her hand.
Esme shied away. "I cannot let love interupt my job."
"It never bothered you before."
"There's never been so many lives placed into my hands before."
"Being an officer among the Death Eaters makes you think that you did not have so many lives put into your hands? That you do not still hold those lives in your hands?"
"Those who joined the Death Eaters and those who are loyal to Lord Voldemort have taken their lives into their own hands. I have never held responsibilty among them, except for myself and I still don't."
"As much as you would deny it, you are still an officer among the Death Eaters, Esmerelda. That tattoo you have on your back was tattooed with strong magic. There is no one at St. Mungo's and no Muggle who could take off a cell's space of that tattoo."
"I am not. Without me, there are only three officers, and that is enough."
Snape sighed. "Because Lucius and I were not tattooed with the Eye of Horus, we are no more officers thatn Harry Potter would be. Narcissa is an officer, and so are you, much as you would not think so."
"Lord Voldemort can make more."
"Lord Voldemort cannot make more! That spell was for the four of us, but it was fueled with more power, because it was only put on the two of you. The special tattoo artist was killed when Pettigrew blasted Black a few years ago. She trained no successors to the art."
"So I am an officer." Shelly commented. "What of it?"
"Not only do you hold responsibility for all the Death Eaters, but for your students, as well. Niether should interfere with your love life."
"But they do."
"They shouldn't." Finally, Snape stopped arguing with her. "Esme, let's be engaged again. Let's be the way we were yesterday."
"I cannot be your fiance yet. I have not truely loved you for 16 years."
"I have."
"You mean to tell me that you have loved me, all this time? Even though you've treated me like crap these last five weeks?"
"You're the one that's been walking aorund this school like you're a Slytherin."
"I am!"
"You are not! You were put in Hufflepuff."
"The sorting hat can make mistakes." Shelly shrugged.
"The sorting hat does not make mistakes!" Snape snapped. "Did you ignore Dippet? Have you ignored Dumbledore?"
"Even people can make mistakes."
"Just forget it. Will you be my girlfriend?"
"I'll consider it."
Busy with her own life, Esme rose. She had been off patrol and she needed to get back to it. Esme couldn't go to bed till 2:30. Plus, she needed time to think.