Last updated on January 14, 2003
Except for Mariannah who is obviously my own creation, all the other characters here belong to J.K. Rowling.
This chapter was revised! :-) Please check out the news on "Author's Notes & News updated every now and then" (which is usually the last chapter of this story).
I'd like to thank the Harry Potter Lexicon () for all the invaluable resource, which helped me make this fan-fic. I'd also like to thank John Williams for creating such an excellent score for the Harry Potter movies. They were fuel for my imagination as well. Finally, thanks to all the other song artists and fan-fic authors. Without them, this story wouldn't materialize at all.
The Return of the Guardian
Severus felt like he wasn't really in his body as he walked towards the Hogwarts gates. "She should be arriving any moment now," the Headmaster had told him earlier. "The thunder sounds much nearer. I think it's best that you meet her on the grounds. Show her to her room. Tour her around Hogwarts again. Catch up on old times."
Severus wasn't happy at the thought of meeting Mariannah again. He wasn't angry either. In fact, he didn't know how he felt. All this time he thought she was dead. Now to find out that she abandoned him, left without even saying good-bye. Part of him wanted to be cold and unfeeling to her. Yet another side of him wanted to...
A boom of thunder from above stopped him from completing that last thought. A woman swooped down on her broom. Despite the incredible speed she made an easy and perfect landing. She got off her broom, and then held it upright in her right hand. Severus stared at her. She was wearing muggle clothes, which consisted of a nicely fit sky blue blouse, black slacks and a pair of boots. She was as beautiful as he remembered her to be. Red lips, ebony black hair that fell softly around her face and on her shoulders, porcelain white skin. And those eyes! Her dark brown eyes that made you feel that she could see right through you and into your heart. She was absolutely stunning. And she was coming towards him. He had to use all his energy just to be able to hold his ground. Don't run away. Don't even faint.
"Hello, Severus." Severus didn't respond. Mariannah looked at him, puzzled. "Hey," whispered Mariannah, gently nudging Severus on his arm. Severus snapped out of his trance and looked at Mariannah, as if lost and unsure of what to say. "Well," said Mariannah as she smiled sweetly at him. "The least you could say to an old friend is 'hello'." "Oh yes," said Severus, realizing who was in front of him. "Hello, Mariannah. How was your trip?"
"It was fine. Thank you. I never thought I'd never be able to ride my broomstick again. Haven't tuned this up in the longest of times." Severus looked at the broom Mariannah was holding. "Ah, yes. Lightning," he said, remembering a long ago memory. Lightning was Mariannah's broom. Something she made herself when they were still studying in Hogwarts. Lightning was faster and more advanced than even the Firebolt, despite the fact that Lightning was created about eighteen years before the Firebolt. So fast was Lightning, thunder could be heard in its wake when it reached top speed. Only one other broom can match its speed and advancements. "How is Thunder?"
"Thunder is fine," Severus said with a smug smile. "I haven't ridden it in a long time either."
An uneasy silence between them followed. After a while, Severus realized that he had to take Mariannah to her room. "We better go. It's getting late. I'll show you your rooms first."
"Thank you," said Mariannah. Severus turned towards Hogwarts, with the new Defense professor following close behind him.
After showing Mariannah her classroom and office, Severus accompanied her to her personal chambers. It was roomy with a personal study area, the usual four-poster bed, a spacious bathroom.
After a short inspection of the room, Mariannah took out a bunch of keys from her pocket. She chose one and used it to unlock her trunk. She then waved her right hand across the room, making a few choice incantations. The sheets and curtains on the bed were removed, folded and set aside. From the trunk floated new sheets and curtains which she had fitted to the bed. Now it had green curtains of rich velvet. The symbol of the Slytherin house was prominent on each curtain. But the bedcovers were different though, a rich red with gold trimmings. A large symbol of the Gryffindor house on the center of the bed spread. She continued with the redecoration, putting aside some of the room's default items and replacing it some of her own. From time to time she had to close the trunk and open it with another key to find her other belongings. In the end, the room looked royal. Severus noted how tastefully she had combined the colors of the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses. Still, there was more green than red in the room.
"Still a Slytherin, Mariannah?" said Severus, after the last of the decorations were finished. Mariannah just smiled as she now manually unpacked the rest of the trunk's contents. "Still loyal to the Slytherin house if that's what you mean, Severus. Although, it's hard to be loyal to two houses. Considering the fact that both are rivals." Mariannah continued to put her belongings in order, walking to and from certain areas. "Nervous?"
"Excuse me?" Mariannah stopped and looked at Severus. "You're putting aside the rest of your things by hand when you could just levitate them to their final resting place," Severus said silkily. "You only do that when you're... nervous." Mariannah opened her mouth to answer but thought again and kept silent. She continued putting aside her belongings.
The last she had to take care of were her photographs. Severus caught sight of one where Mariannah was in the arms of a strikingly handsome man wearing some sort of uniform. Mariannah noticed Severus pick the photograph up. Severus stared at the photo, apparently surprised or at the least, puzzled.
"That's Jonathan, my fiancée," said Mariannah as she came near. Severus looked at Mariannah with disbelief, then back at the man in the photo. Mariannah found someone else. Then he felt Mariannah put her hand on his shoulder. "Actually, he found me. When I left fourteen years ago, I was very much depressed. I didn't know what to do." Her hand now traveled from his shoulder to his nape. Goosebumps were forming on Severus' skin as the woman's hand started caressing his neck. "I was ready to jump off a bridge at one point when he saw me. He's a policeman you see. Much like we have our aurors, they have these people to keep the peace. He found me. Well, he saved me." She smiled as she touched the photograph. "He took me to this shelter for people like me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't know how to cope with living as a muggle. Going through every single day without using magic. Years later we fell in love. He just recently proposed to me."
She leaned her head against his arm as she looked at what he was holding. Severus thought his heart would break. If not my heart, my sanity! he thought. But it felt good. He wanted to wrap his arms around Mariannah, the way he did before when it was still them. Before Voldemort destroyed his dreams. But he can't. Not now. Not ever. Not when he had built himself up as the uncaring, unfeeling professor that his students had now known him to be. "Severus, are you all right?" Severus snapped out of his reverie and looked at Mariannah. He was greeted by a face, with eyes looking deep into his with concern. His face was so near hers. Just a little more and he could kiss her...
Severus gave back the photograph to Mariannah. Mariannah took it and proceeded to place it near her bed. "He accepted me for what I was. Accepted me for being a witch. He said it seemed absolutely exciting to have one in the family. When I told him that Hogwarts needed me, he readily agreed to let me go."
"He did?" asked Severus. "Yes," answered Mariannah, her eyes still looking at Jonathan's face. "He said it was my duty to go and protect Hogwarts. Just as it was his duty to protect and serve the people in his village. But... there's another reason why he wanted me to go." Severus looked at Mariannah. "I told him about us, Severus. I told him you were teaching here in Hogwarts as well. He wanted me to come over to do my duty..." Mariannah stopped and looked at Severus, her eyes unusually bright.
"... and to make my peace."
Severus stared at Mariannah for sometime before wrenching his eyes away from the lovely face of the woman he once called his own. "When you're finished, just see me at my office. I'll... I mean... dinner will be ready in a few minutes. We don't want to keep the others waiting." Severus walked out of the room and closed the door as he left. Then leaned upon the wall. Why me? Why now? Severus felt like what little of his world was left was crumbling away. Get a hold of yourself! With that he stood up again, shrugged of whatever thoughts he had before, and steadfastly walked back to his office.
Mariannah was still looking at the closed door, saddened by the turn of events. She waved her hand towards the chest and another photograph levitated towards her hand. Almost like the first one, except that the couple here was younger, teenagers to be precise. The man holding her wasn't even her fiancée. Both were laughing, poking each other in the ribs. Kissing each other every now and then. They were definitely in love then. Mariannah sighed. She then put the picture of her and Severus next to that of her and Jonathan and proceeded to unpack the rest of her things.
To be continued...