A/N: As a safety precaution, I would suggest that you *not* mention Homer or anything related to him while in my presence or within a ten-mile radius of me for the next month or so.
Vimh: "The Iliad."
Me: Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! ::attempts to strangle Vimh; when this is unsuccessful, she throws him in a room in her head an locks him in::
Vimh: Hey-!
Me: ::grin:: Much better. We've been working on term papers in school, and our teacher wanted us to turn in our first draft (we're still supposed to be getting used to this sort of paper- according to him). Of course, it was supposed to be finishes and formatted by today and *I* thought it was due *next* week. So the week I get back from a much needed vacation (spent doing homework and errands!) life was… hell. But I got it done and in and I broke out while doing it- but that's not important. What's important is that I'm back- briefly- and I *still* have to do a Spanish paper and an English Report, but I stole a couple of minutes to write this so… Be happy about it! I'm taking out valuable working time here!!!
Ahem, anyhow… I hope you enjoy this chapter! (By the way, this is, I think going to be *the* angsty chapter. Not just any angsty chapter of the story, *but* the angsty chapter of the story. So brace yourself!)
The Disclaimer: Why I waste my time on this is still a mystery to me. I kinda, sorta own Gabriella in a way… you find out what I mean later. Everyone else is J.K. ROWLING'S all right? I wouldn't *be* here right now if I owned them…SO DON'T SUE! I DON'T OWN ANYTHING- 'CEPT FOR THE PLOT!!!
I'm glad we had this discussion…
Now that we've done that…* ~The Story!~*
History Repeats ItselfA hand rapped on the door of the classroom, the sound of the knock echoing through the cold dungeons.
"Enter." Severus didn't look up.
A young woman opened the door and walked in. A determined, brave look masked her features. Inside she was a wreck. Nervous, afraid, worried…
She cleared her throat. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"
Severus finished the paper he was grading, taking his time. He let her squirm for a few extra seconds as he wrote down the grade ("D"- the sixth one so far). Finally, he put the quill down and looked up at her. "Yes, unfortunately so, Miss Granger. Have a seat." He stood and gestured to a desk.
She did as he bid, praying this wasn't about *that* night's meeting.
It was.
"Miss Granger, I was curious as to what motivation you could have possibly received from Potter and Weasley to give you any notion that you could pull such a prank on *me?*"
"S-sir," the girl shook her head. "I – I don't understand. What pra-"
"You know very well what I mean, Miss Granger!" Hermione flinched. The fact that her potions teacher was a good foot taller than her when she stood didn't help the situation as he now towered over her. "Last night we had a discussion outside the school."
Hermione turned her head away, for fear her eyes would betray her. She knew *exactly* what was coming.
"*You* were out of bed and I excused you for your rule breaking. And how did you repay me?" He lowered his voice, "By making a fool out of me." Hermione was silent, still turned away.
"Do you know where I went today, Miss Granger?" Hermione's eyes closed, not wanting to know, dying to hear. She shook her head. "I paid a visit to Lucius Malfoy today. Do you have any idea what we discussed?" Again, the shaking of the head, though Hermione did have some idea. She closed her eyes. No crying. Not here, not now,* not* in front of *him.* "I asked Mr. Malfoy if he knew that your son was having an affair with you." His voice was low, menacing. It was worse than having him yell at her. She could hate him when he yelled at her, but when he talked like that. His voice so low, so calm, and yet shaking with anger withheld.
Hermione's eyes squeezed tight. And still he continued.
"But of course, Mr. Malfoy *hadn't* known, had he? Why do you think that's so?" He was answered with more silence. "Please, enlighten me, Miss Granger. Show me how much you know. You certainly enjoy doing it in class. I don't even have to encourage you. Severus' tone changed from sarcastic and cold to plain mean. He started using the names that his own Slytherins used for her. He wished later that he hadn't- it was so utterly below him- but he did not frankly caring at the time. "McGonagall's favorite little know-it-all. Her little teacher's pet." He spat the words.
All the while, he knew he shouldn't stoop to that level- so childish, so *immature*- but God! It felt so good! To let go of it all, to release it all after so long. This was sixteen years of anger- sixteen years of hate, of pain, of longing, of remorse, of *guilt,* pouring from the man. He didn't notice how the Granger girl was shaking, or how she vainly tried to stop a tear from trailing slowly down her cheek. Didn't notice anything at all. *Besides,* he thought. *Granger is a strong girl- she'll live. I'm just the bastard potions teacher, cruel, unfair Professor Snape.* But these thoughts just made the Professor even more bitter. And by the end of that evening, he would go too far with his scolding. Too far for a girl with a broken heart.
"Well, well, well!" he mocked her. "She can't answer! For the first time, the great Hermione Granger can't answer the question!" He hissed, "Because you *weren't* seeing Draco, *were* you?" She replied no differently to this question than she had to his others. With silence. But this time, Severus was angered by it. "WERE YOU?" He bellowed, shaking with rage. Hermione whimpered pathetically under his fierce glare. "WERE YOU… OR WEREN'T YOU… INVOLVED… WITH… DRACO… MALFOY? ANSWER ME!"
She shook her head. "No…no…" she sobbed.
He lowered his voice again to above a whisper. "Yet still, you and that Potter and Weasley decided to have some fun, didn't you? Decided to play a trick on Professor Snape. It doesn't matter if the bastard gets hurt, does it? Because he's just that. A bloody bastard with no heart, isn't he?"
"That's not fair!" Protested Hermione, tears free falling to the floor. "It's not true!"
"Oh, don't think I don't know what they call me in the Gryffindor Common Room- or the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff ones, for matter."
"Yes," Hermione replied angrily, standing up and collect herself. "And I know what they call me in the Slytherin Common Room. And believe me, 'Sir.' You weren't the person who informed me. Good evening, Professor." She managed to stay calm enough to walk proudly-though briskly- through the door. But she was unable to hide the quick, pounding steps of her running and the chorus of sobbing that erupted the minute she closed the door.
~*~*~
Severus sat down at his desk and toyed with his quill. He was beginning to regret almost every single word he'd said at their meeting. Bloody hell, if she hadn't thought he was a bastard before, then she most certainly did now. *Control your temper, Severus…*
::flashback::
"Sevi, you know you really must learn to control your temper." They were outside, hiding behind Hagrid's hut (He had been the only one who knew of their relationship, after he'd figured it out himself and confronted them about it). He sat on a stool that he'd magicked up, and she stood in front of him, hands placed firmly on hips.
"I know, Gabi." He used her nickname seldom, though sometimes, he was lazy and called her by it. He did much prefer Gabriella, though. Such a beautiful name- just like it's owner... "I try…" He put his arms around her, pulling her close.
"Oh, don't give me the whole 'I try' business," she teased. "You 've used it up, you know."
"Shucks!" He snapped his fingers playfully. "It just doesn't work any more. Now what to do?" He paused as if in thought. "Oh, I know…" He brought her close for a kiss…
::end of flashback::
He sighed. It always had to be so difficult, hadn't it? He pulled a chain out from under his robes, where he hid it, and removed it from his neck. Using the key hey kept on it, he unlocked a drawer in his desk (Of course, he'd spelled it against Alohomora; the only thing that worked to open it was a genuine key, and he had the only copy). Out of it, he pulled an old newspaper that was in good condition. He closed his eyes, and recited the headline to himself, not even needing to glance at the paper. "Popular Gryffindor of Hogwarts School Mysteriously Disappeared." How many times had he read that paper over and over to himself in his youth, not wishing to believe it? But it was true, it was so very true. He'd kicked himself a hundred times over again for what he'd done to her, wondering if her disappearance had been his fault. When they parted that fateful night in the bushes, he would never see her again.
They would send out search parties for her in the months to come, and find nothing. Finally, they would give up, and declare her a missing person. Her possessions would be given to charity. She was an orphan, so she had no relatives. Her name was spoken little 'round Hogwarts, for the seldom times it was mentioned sent a chill through any room- heated or not. It was a constant reminder of the rising evil- the mysterious bodies being found in the dead of night, the strange happenings in Hogsmeade. They hadn't known of Voldemort at that time, but they'd known of something, some rising dark. The next years would be the hardest in the life of Severus Snape. By the time he would join death eater ranks, everyone else would have forgotten Gabriella.
He closed his eyes, and shuddered, feeling a lump of tears in his throat. Putting the paper back, he locked the drawer, replaced the chain around his neck, and returned his focus to his grading. *Do not waste your time with stories of the past, Severus,* he chastened himself. *They are the past, and that it was they shall remain.*
But history repeats itself. And this time, history would deal the Potions Master a terrible blow.
~*~*~
A/N: Duh, duh, duh!!!!! Cliffy, yes I know. ::grin:: I like cliffies. They're fun (but not when *I'm* reading them so I'll hurry up with the next chapter, k?)
Vimh: ::muffled voice:: Can I come out now?
Me: Fine. ::frees him:: Why don't you go visit Lataradk? I'm sure she'll enjoy your company…
Vimh: Yay! Oh, and by the way, Miracle?
Me: Yes?
Vimh: "The Odyssey." ::runs out before Miracle can catch him::
Me: Oooh! That little! I'll get him, I will. ::puts a determined look on her face:: ::nods::
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please?