Severus sat in his office. As always, memories of his younger years plagued him. As stiff as his outward façade emanated power he was week. He submitted himself everyday to memories of yesterdays. The only happy thing he could remember was Fiona. Fiona was the reason he got up in the morning but then again, that too had passed. She had faded or drifted, or run away. It should have been obvious that the only thing that made him happy in hi s miserable life would go away. But oh, if he did it all over again, he would never have changed it.
~Flashback~ Severus was walking thru the grounds of Hogwarts. It was his 5th year and he still had yet to make any real friends. He did, however, have a lot of enemies. Speaking of enemies, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter came waltzing up to him. He stiffened as he felt them coming nearer toward his back. "Well hello Snivilus!" he heard James's voice say in a singsong type of way. Severus didn't answer back. It was better if he didn't say anything.

"Don't you have anything to say you slimy haired git?" Sirius asked pushing his papers out of his hand. Severus simply stooped down and gathered them back up. He continued walking to Potions. They kept right at him though. Severus did notice however that Remus wasn't saying anything.

"Why don't you say anything?" Peter asked trying to make believe he wasn't afraid of the 6 ft. tall, surly Slytherin in front of him.

"Come on guys, we shouldn't be late to class on account of him," Remus said. Sirius knocked the books out of Severus's hands again before following his friends to Transfiguration. He was just about to start collecting up his things when another hand started picking them up. It was a small hand, long, thin fingers; they were slightly tan and arched in just the right way. Then the hands were accompanied by a voice.

"Hi, I'm sorry about what happened just then," she said and his gaze met hers. She had the most beautiful, deep brown eyes. "I'm Fiona, what's your name?"

"Severus, Severus Snape. Thanks, they always give me a hard time," he said straightening up and taking his books from her arms. She was quite pretty with a perfect hourglass figure. Her hair was brown with specks of red and they fell in soft waves on her shoulders. She had a nice face, clear and a small nose. Her lips were big and pointed in the center. She was rather short, coming only to his shoulder. Her ears were slightly pointed giving her the look of an elf. "I haven't seen you around, what house?"

"Ravenclaw, I just got here. I was just on my way to Potions."

"So am I," Severus said, astounded at his luck.

"Good, mind if I accompany you?"

"No, I'd love it. So where have you moved from?"

"Atlanta, Georgia. It's in the US. I went to the Arwin Institute for Exceptional Magical Education or AIEME. Either way it's a mouthful. So have you always lived in England?" she made him laugh. That was a new and different thing for him. He never laughed.

"Yeah, always gone to Hogwarts too."

"At least you got 11 years of freedom though. I was in school when I was 6. Dad was worried Hogwarts wouldn't be up to scratch."

"I think you'll like Hogwarts. You'll really like it since everything will come easily to you."

"No, I'm good at most everything except Potions. I suck at Potions," She giggled a little bit. She was cute when she giggled. Her nose scrunched up in a very bunny-ish type of way and her perfect little hand flew to her mouth.

"I could help you, Potions is my best subject."

"I guessed you were a smart one, even before I came over. I saw you in the library last night. Were you reading Defense Spells for the Modern Era?"

"Yeah, I think I have it memorized by now. I've read it like-"

"A hundred times, me too! I can't put it down. Boxwood is brilliant!"

"I completely agree but his views on-"

"Curses are a little too baroque," she finished. Severus was amazed. She kept finishing his sentences. It was like they were of the same mind. He still was dreading the time when she'd realize that Ravenclaws weren't supposed to spend time with Slytherins. It was then that he really wished he'd been sorted into a different house.

"Here we are, Potions. I think you'll like Professor Newman. She's one of my favorite teachers.

"Oh yeah, my Potions teacher at Arwin wasn't very good. I think that's one of the reasons I sucked so much. He was always knocking over cauldrons," Severus let out another laugh. That was twice in like 10 minutes. He hadn't laughed that much for years. "You want to be partners? You could get a head start in helping me with my potion making," she walked over to a table near the back. They both sat down and Professor Newman swept into the room.

"Good morning students. I'm pleased to announce that we have a new student in our midst. Where is she? She peered around the room. "Ah, Mr. Snape would you like to introduce your seat mate?" Severus nodded and stood up.

"This is Fiona, she just transferred here from Atlanta, Georgia where she attended the Arwin Institute of Exceptional Magical Education."

"Yes, Ms. Umbridge has been in school since she was 6 so I don't want any other complaints about 7 years at Hogwarts," Professor Newman twirled around to the board. "We will be making a very basic Potions just because I think you need a bit of break from OWLS study. We will be making a shrinking solution. The directions are on the board and if I were you I'd copy down the procedure in your notes." She sat down behind her desk and everybody began.

"Are all her lessons like this?" Fiona asked Severus in a low whisper. "If so I think I will do well inn Potions."

"You wish," Severus laughed. "She's brutal." They continued at an easy pace for the rest of the class. Severus and Fiona became better acquainted and Severus wished fervently that Potions wasn't the only class he had with her. Finally Professor Newman stood up and asked them to bring forward vials of their potions for grading.

"I would like you to write a foot about the merits of learning basic potions. Research should be done in first through third year potions books. Don't scoff this off because it's till a grade and often times are building blocks for more complicated spells." As they left Professor Newman leaned over to Fiona. "Ms. Umbridge would you mind staying for a little chat with me? Of course I'll give both you and Mr. Snape a pass," she eyed Severus with a small smile. "Do you mind if he stays in here or should he wait in the hall?"

"He can stay here."

"Okay, I'd just like to know a bit about your training. From what I hear Potions is the weakest subject at AIEME."

"That's true, I was never a great scratch at it," she blushed. 'She's very cute when she blushes,' Severus thought to himself. Obviously he was developing a bit of a crush on Fiona.

"Well you've made the right friend. Mr. Snape is the best in the year, possibly the best I've ever had," Severus blushed deeply at the compliment. Fiona looked over at him and gave a big smile.

"Well I knew I'd struck a whole in one too." Severus couldn't help but grin. He was defiantly developing a crush on this short little Fiona.

"Well, you both will already be late for your next class. What do you have Mr. Snape?"

"Transfiguration," he answered.

"McGonagal, how is she doing?" Professor was referring to the green teacher.

"What do you have?" she asked Fiona who was rooting around in her bag for her schedule. She found it and checked it.

"The same actually." Severus grinned, his luck was turning up.

"Well that's lucky. You can walk Ms. Umbridge to her class Mr. Snape." The two walked off toward the Transfiguration room with notes from Professor Newman in their hands. They walked in silence for a moment before Fiona turned to him.

"Do you think we have any other classes together Severus?" He had always disliked his name, thinking it sounded cold and hard. When she spoke it in her warm, happy voice it sounded nice. It sounded like one of those really warm, inviting names like Lucy or John, names that inspired a feeling of contentment.

"I doubt it, I'm already really surprised we have two in a row."

"Yeah, that was lucky. Maybe I could ask Professor Dumbledore if we could, I don't know, synchronize our schedules," she said this with a small smile on her face. Severus couldn't help himself. He wasn't accustomed to having people enjoy his company enough to want more.

"May I ask you a question Fiona?" her name gave his voice a bit of a warm tone.

"Of course, fire away mon amie," she said, swinging her arms.

"Why do you want to spend more time with me?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're nice, smart, anyway, you're the first person who's been nice to me here," she answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't know, not many people really want to spend time with me," his shoulders went a little slumped. He kept waiting for her to break down in laughter and tell him it was all a joke and that she would never be friends with a person like him.

"I don't know why that is." They entered the Transfiguration room and saw Professor McGonagal standing at the front of the room. She was pretty, not very young but not very old either. She had her blackish hair pulled into a tight bun and spectacles clung for dear life on the end of her nose. To Severus's disgust Potter, Black, Lupin, and Petigrew were all sitting in their regular spots at the back of the room. He steered Fiona away from them and she obediently followed him. They sat on the opposite side of the room, front row but it was to no avail. James was already on his way over.

"Well if it isn't Snivilus and it seems he's bought a friend," James said, eyeing Fiona.

"No he didn't, he's a nice person!" Fiona piped up with confidence though she came over a head shorter then him. He looked down at her. It was a bit comical.

"Who are you, his little sister? I have to say that you look nothing like him."

"I'm Fiona Umbridge, and Severus is my friend. Who are you?"

"James Potter, so you're a 5th year?"

"Yes, I'm probably older then you. Anyway, why are you picking on Severus?" she asked this with a voice that was capable of striking fear into the heart of many people if it hadn't come out of such a small package.

"What?" James asked, laughing a bit. Severus winced but Fiona didn't back down. She had her hands firmly planted on her hips.

"Why don't you like Severus?"

"Because he's a slimy haired git!"

"Oh, well see, I didn't want to believe that you'd be that shallow."

"What do you mean?" Professor McGonagall would have stopped them had she not been entirely enjoying this.

"Well, you said you don't like him because he's a greasy haired git. That means that I could say I don't like you because you're hair won't lie flat on your head, or I don't like that guy because he's got that ridiculous- looking smirk on his face," she gestured to Sirius. "Or him because he looks tired and thin or him because he's shorter then me!" she gestured to Remus and Peter in turn. "Maybe if you were nice to Severus and looked past his exterior you could be friends." Severus snorted at this but she ignored him. "Tell me, why don't you like me?" James's mouth was flapping open and closed because he didn't know what to say.

"We don't dislike you," Remus piped up. He did like Fiona. "I'm Remus Lupin, that's Sirius Black, this is Peter Petigrew, and that's James Potter as you've probably already found out."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Fiona Umbridge, and this is my best friend Severus Snape," she added gesturing to Severus. He didn't know why but his heart gave a big "Thurplunk." She thought he was her best friend.

"It's nice to meet you."