Jupiter awoke late the following morning. She dressed in her normal clothing, and wandered downstairs. She walked into the Great Hall and noted that neither Severus, nor Dumbledore were at the staff table. This made her slightly worried, but it was nothing compared to when Dumbledore's large, good-natured tawny owl landed in her soup and thrust out it's leg. Jupiter removed the letter and read it.
"Dear Miss Vrij,
You are to take the day off. It is necessary that I speak to you about someone. Please report to my office immediately.
Professor Dumbledore"
Jupiter gulped as Dumbledore's owl ate the rest of her breakfast, partly off its own feet. She felt as if she'd just read her death sentence. She stood quietly, and left, to the surprised exclamations of some of her friends.
He wouldn't fire Severus, would he? Would she be expelled? No, she couldn't be expelled for this, could she? After all, she was the "innocent victim". Then again, the age of consent was sixteen, and besides, they hadn't actually slept together. But Severus was 35, and she was 17, and that made for a lot of difference. Not to mention he was her Professor, and Head of House, and-
Jupiter arrived at Dumbledore's office entrance. She knocked softly, almost hoping she wouldn't be heard.
"Come in." came Dumbledore's voice from inside. Jupiter pulled the door open and stepped in.
"You wanted to see me?" she said. Dumbledore did not look his normal cheery self. He looked extremely disappointed, and Jupiter's heart sunk.
"I did." said the old man. "Jupiter, perhaps you should sit down." She sat, resisting the urge to break into an explanation.
"Jupiter, I am to understand that Severus means a great deal to you." Dumbledore said. Jupiter was a little put off. She wasn't sure why he was going about this the way he was.
"Well, Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without him. He's a wonderful professor, and-"
"You know that wasn't what I mean, Jupiter."
Jupiter sighed and looked at the floor. "Yes. He means more to me than anyone."
Dumbledore nodded. "You love him."
Jupiter continued to stare at her shoes. "I do. Very much."
"Then you deserve to know that I must ask him to do something extremely unpleasant, and possibly dangerous."
Jupiter's head snapped up. "What? What's he going to do?"
Dumbledore sighed. "This may be hard for you to accept, Jupiter, but Voldemort has returned to power, not too long ago."
"I know." said Jupiter, and it was Dumbledore's turn to look surprised. "My mother owled me about it." She did not mention that her mother was there at the time, and that her father was rather excited about it.
"And you know that Severus used to be a spy for us?"
Jupiter shook her head, but didn't look surprised. "You want him to do it again," she stated plainly. Dumbledore nodded. "But why didn't you just have him tell me?"
"Two reasons," said Dumbledore, "First of all, he needed to know that you love him, and you aren't angry with him. Otherwise he would have been afraid to speak to you at all. Second, since he does mean so much to you, I need to ask your permission."
"What? My permission? But Professor, I'm only a student, and why should I have any say in-"
"You are not just any student. You were assigned the abilities to accept and reject students and so on for a reason. And I ask you because love is the most important thing there is, there can be. I would not wish for this to happen against his or your will."
Jupiter looked very thoughtful. "I-I don't know," she said. "On one hand, I recognize the need for us to know what's going on inside Voldemort's circle. On the other hand, I don't want him to go. However, if he stayed, I'd feel so guilty and-"
Dumbledore held up a silencing hand. "Jupiter, I gave you the day off for a reason. Now, I must attend breakfast, but you may stay in my quarters. Please do not return to the school itself. I will have food sent up to you."
Jupiter nodded. Dumbledore lay a warm hand on her shoulder and said, "I have every confidence, Jupiter, that whatever choice you make will be the right one." And with that, he left.
After watching the door shut behind Dumbledore, Jupiter stared dumbly around for a bit. Fawkes was sitting on his perch, looking at her with interest. She scritched his head lightly, and he cooed.
Slowly, Jupiter turned and opened the door to Dumbledore's bedroom. What she saw broke her heart in two. There, sitting on the edge of the bed, his face in his hands, Snape. She gasped and he looked up. His eyes looked shockingly like he'd been crying, but it wasn't something Jupiter could imagine, nor did she want to.
She rushed to his side and put her arms around him. "Severus, what's wrong?" she whispered.
Snape shook his head and said nothing. She gave him a squeeze and looked onto his face. He was avoiding her eyes.
"You think I'm mad at you, don't you?" Jupiter said. Snape did not reply. "I'm not, you know. I'm really not."
"You ought to be." His voice was soft and croaky.
"How often do I do what I ought to?"
Snape nodded. They sat in silence for a long while, and Jupiter didn't know what to say.
"Do you want to go?" she said finally.
"No." Snape replied. "I really don't. But I want all this to end. I'm the only person who can do this."
"My mother could," Jupiter said quietly. "But I don't know if she would."
"That's the problem," said Snape, "I'm the only one who can be counted upon."
Jupiter didn't disagree. "I don't want you to go, either. But I wouldn't feel right, keeping you here just because I want you."
Snape nodded. "I will go."
Jupiter nodded. "And I'll let you. If," she gave a smile and poked Snape in the ribs, "If you promise to owl me whenever you can."
Snape smiled slightly. He stood and seated himself at Dumbledore's desk. Jupiter lay down on the bed. She now had time to admire the room. Like his office, Dumbledore's room was warm and welcoming. His bed was covered in a thick comforter made of purple satin, with the Hogwarts crest on the front. The drapes flanking either side of the bay window (which commanded a great view of most of the grounds and had a zoom in option) were flowery and kind of corny. The desk Severus was seated at was made of polished oak, and beside it was a matching nightstand. There was a bookshelf next to the bed, and that was mostly it. The walls and ceiling were painted a jaunty sort of blue colour.
"You know, Severus, I've never heard you laugh."
"I don't do it very often. I'm rarely amused."
"That's too bad."
The door opened, and a tiny house elf scooted in. "I have brought Miss and Sir their food!" she squeaked.
Jupiter smiled. "Thank you very much, Moppy!"
Moppy beamed and set the tray of sandwiches, toast, and pumpkin juice down on the nightstand, then she ran off.
"You know the house elves by name?" Snape said.
"Not all of them," Jupiter said, helping herself to some cinnamon raisin toast. "Have something to eat."
"Not hungry."
"Severus," Jupiter said sternly, mouth half-full, "I will not have you saving the world on an empty stomach."
The corners of Snape's mouth twitched up slightly. He reached for a half-sandwich.
Jupiter sighed. She may only have a day with him, but a day was longer than she'd ever had before, and she was determined to make the best of it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fin! Yes, okay, sorry it's so lame. It works well with the sequel, though.
"Dear Miss Vrij,
You are to take the day off. It is necessary that I speak to you about someone. Please report to my office immediately.
Professor Dumbledore"
Jupiter gulped as Dumbledore's owl ate the rest of her breakfast, partly off its own feet. She felt as if she'd just read her death sentence. She stood quietly, and left, to the surprised exclamations of some of her friends.
He wouldn't fire Severus, would he? Would she be expelled? No, she couldn't be expelled for this, could she? After all, she was the "innocent victim". Then again, the age of consent was sixteen, and besides, they hadn't actually slept together. But Severus was 35, and she was 17, and that made for a lot of difference. Not to mention he was her Professor, and Head of House, and-
Jupiter arrived at Dumbledore's office entrance. She knocked softly, almost hoping she wouldn't be heard.
"Come in." came Dumbledore's voice from inside. Jupiter pulled the door open and stepped in.
"You wanted to see me?" she said. Dumbledore did not look his normal cheery self. He looked extremely disappointed, and Jupiter's heart sunk.
"I did." said the old man. "Jupiter, perhaps you should sit down." She sat, resisting the urge to break into an explanation.
"Jupiter, I am to understand that Severus means a great deal to you." Dumbledore said. Jupiter was a little put off. She wasn't sure why he was going about this the way he was.
"Well, Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without him. He's a wonderful professor, and-"
"You know that wasn't what I mean, Jupiter."
Jupiter sighed and looked at the floor. "Yes. He means more to me than anyone."
Dumbledore nodded. "You love him."
Jupiter continued to stare at her shoes. "I do. Very much."
"Then you deserve to know that I must ask him to do something extremely unpleasant, and possibly dangerous."
Jupiter's head snapped up. "What? What's he going to do?"
Dumbledore sighed. "This may be hard for you to accept, Jupiter, but Voldemort has returned to power, not too long ago."
"I know." said Jupiter, and it was Dumbledore's turn to look surprised. "My mother owled me about it." She did not mention that her mother was there at the time, and that her father was rather excited about it.
"And you know that Severus used to be a spy for us?"
Jupiter shook her head, but didn't look surprised. "You want him to do it again," she stated plainly. Dumbledore nodded. "But why didn't you just have him tell me?"
"Two reasons," said Dumbledore, "First of all, he needed to know that you love him, and you aren't angry with him. Otherwise he would have been afraid to speak to you at all. Second, since he does mean so much to you, I need to ask your permission."
"What? My permission? But Professor, I'm only a student, and why should I have any say in-"
"You are not just any student. You were assigned the abilities to accept and reject students and so on for a reason. And I ask you because love is the most important thing there is, there can be. I would not wish for this to happen against his or your will."
Jupiter looked very thoughtful. "I-I don't know," she said. "On one hand, I recognize the need for us to know what's going on inside Voldemort's circle. On the other hand, I don't want him to go. However, if he stayed, I'd feel so guilty and-"
Dumbledore held up a silencing hand. "Jupiter, I gave you the day off for a reason. Now, I must attend breakfast, but you may stay in my quarters. Please do not return to the school itself. I will have food sent up to you."
Jupiter nodded. Dumbledore lay a warm hand on her shoulder and said, "I have every confidence, Jupiter, that whatever choice you make will be the right one." And with that, he left.
After watching the door shut behind Dumbledore, Jupiter stared dumbly around for a bit. Fawkes was sitting on his perch, looking at her with interest. She scritched his head lightly, and he cooed.
Slowly, Jupiter turned and opened the door to Dumbledore's bedroom. What she saw broke her heart in two. There, sitting on the edge of the bed, his face in his hands, Snape. She gasped and he looked up. His eyes looked shockingly like he'd been crying, but it wasn't something Jupiter could imagine, nor did she want to.
She rushed to his side and put her arms around him. "Severus, what's wrong?" she whispered.
Snape shook his head and said nothing. She gave him a squeeze and looked onto his face. He was avoiding her eyes.
"You think I'm mad at you, don't you?" Jupiter said. Snape did not reply. "I'm not, you know. I'm really not."
"You ought to be." His voice was soft and croaky.
"How often do I do what I ought to?"
Snape nodded. They sat in silence for a long while, and Jupiter didn't know what to say.
"Do you want to go?" she said finally.
"No." Snape replied. "I really don't. But I want all this to end. I'm the only person who can do this."
"My mother could," Jupiter said quietly. "But I don't know if she would."
"That's the problem," said Snape, "I'm the only one who can be counted upon."
Jupiter didn't disagree. "I don't want you to go, either. But I wouldn't feel right, keeping you here just because I want you."
Snape nodded. "I will go."
Jupiter nodded. "And I'll let you. If," she gave a smile and poked Snape in the ribs, "If you promise to owl me whenever you can."
Snape smiled slightly. He stood and seated himself at Dumbledore's desk. Jupiter lay down on the bed. She now had time to admire the room. Like his office, Dumbledore's room was warm and welcoming. His bed was covered in a thick comforter made of purple satin, with the Hogwarts crest on the front. The drapes flanking either side of the bay window (which commanded a great view of most of the grounds and had a zoom in option) were flowery and kind of corny. The desk Severus was seated at was made of polished oak, and beside it was a matching nightstand. There was a bookshelf next to the bed, and that was mostly it. The walls and ceiling were painted a jaunty sort of blue colour.
"You know, Severus, I've never heard you laugh."
"I don't do it very often. I'm rarely amused."
"That's too bad."
The door opened, and a tiny house elf scooted in. "I have brought Miss and Sir their food!" she squeaked.
Jupiter smiled. "Thank you very much, Moppy!"
Moppy beamed and set the tray of sandwiches, toast, and pumpkin juice down on the nightstand, then she ran off.
"You know the house elves by name?" Snape said.
"Not all of them," Jupiter said, helping herself to some cinnamon raisin toast. "Have something to eat."
"Not hungry."
"Severus," Jupiter said sternly, mouth half-full, "I will not have you saving the world on an empty stomach."
The corners of Snape's mouth twitched up slightly. He reached for a half-sandwich.
Jupiter sighed. She may only have a day with him, but a day was longer than she'd ever had before, and she was determined to make the best of it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fin! Yes, okay, sorry it's so lame. It works well with the sequel, though.
