"Here." Narcissa opened a door at the end of the corridor. "You can have
this room."
Snape looked inside. It was a big bedroom, with light-green tapestry, a double bed, a big closet and a black desk.
"I like it," he said, entered the room and put his suitcase on the floor. Then he turned to Narcissa. "Thanks."
She nodded wearily. "I'll leave you to unpack. Want me to send one of the house-elves to help you?"
"No, thanks," he said, "I don't have many stuff. I'll manage myself."
"See ya later," said Narcissa and left the room.
She went to the living room again, to relax a little. WHAT DID I DO? She asked herself. What did I get myself into? For heaven's sake, I got a man living in my house! And not an ordinary man. Severus Snape!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that day, Narcissa met Snape in the library room, as she entered to take a book and saw him sitting there.
"Hi," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Hi," he replied. "Listen, do you think I could eat now?"
"What?" she said, surprised. "Eat what?"
"Eat... lunch."
"Lunch?!" Narcissa looked at her watch. "It's almost 3 P.M.! You want to tell me you haven't eaten lunch yet?"
"No," said Snape. "I was kind of waiting for you to eat."
"Oh!" said Narcissa. Then she realized - "wait a minute - I ate almost three hours ago! Why didn't you eat right after I did?"
"I didn't know you had already eaten," said Snape realistically.
Narcissa felt a little ashamed of herself.
"Look," she said, sitting down next to him, "I guess I've been too tough earlier. You can eat whenever you want. I won't make a big deal out of it if we do eat together once in a while. I, I just don't think it would be a good idea... at the time. But when you're hungry, don't wait for me to finish, OK? Just eat."
"Fine," said Snape and shrugged.
"So," said Narcissa, looking at the book in his hands, "what are you reading?"
"Oh... just a horror book," said Snape. "I like them."
"Let me see," she said, and without waiting for his permission, took the book from his hands. Snape's lip twitched, but he didn't say anything. "Oh, it's a book of Stephen King! I didn't know you liked him," said Narcissa.
"I don't think I've ever shared my literary passions with you," said Snape sarcastically. "I actually do like Stephen King. My favorite Muggle author."
Narcissa gave him a wondering look.
"I wouldn't have guessed it."
"Guessed what?"
"Guessed that you read Muggle literature."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because..." Narcissa tried to find the right words. "Because you're just... a Slytherin."
"So?" said Snape, his eyebrows raised.
"Well, I've just never met a Slytherin who thought that Muggle literature was good enough for him."
"Oh. So you actually consider me to be a snob."
"No, I didn't say that!" said Narcissa quickly. "I just meant that... well... most Slytherins are... unlike you."
"You mean I'm not a real Slytherin?"
"Sure you are. But so was my husband and..." Narcissa's voice trailed off as she remembered Lucius, and Snape glanced at her. She swallowed hard, stared at the dark-green carpet and continued: "My husband was a Slytherin too, and he hated Muggles and anything that had to do with Muggles."
"Well," said Snape in an icy voice, "guess I'm not Lucius, am I?"
Narcissa stared at him, surprised at the sudden cold tone. "Guess not," she replied quietly.
Snape picked up the book and started to read. Narcissa felt unnecessary, and was embarrassed. Had she said anyting that made him angry? Was it what she said about Lucius? But why would Snape care about Lucius?
She took a book from one of the shelves and started to read too. They read in silence for a few minutes. Then Snape rose from his seat and said: "Well, Mrs. Malfoy, I think I'll go to my room now. I'll see you around."
Narcissa raised her eyes to meet his. "I already told you, you don't have to call me Mrs. Malfoy. You can call me Narcissa."
"Fine," answered Snape politely, "but then, call me Severus."
"I will."
"Bye." And he stepped out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Severus went to his room, sat down and tried to read, but it was hard for him to concentrate.
It was true. He could not deny. He had come to the Malfoy Manor not only because this was the only place he could think of. Ever since he visited Lucius the Malfoy Manor for the first time, and saw Narcissa, he had become almost obsessive with her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but this wasn't the only reason. She also had a special natural charm, that made her irresistibly attractive.
He was in love. He loved Narcissa Malfoy. He had never been in love before in his life, and had never thought it was even possible for him to fall in love with a woman. But it happened. And it was so wonderful, and so - painful, at the same time.
He knew he didn't have the tiniest bit of a chance with her. Why would a beautiful, charming woman like Narcissa choose an ugly, bad-tempered man like him?
However, though he knew very well she was not going to love him back, he couldn't resist the chance to live with her. Even if he was not going to get what he really wanted, the mere fact that he could see her every day made him happy. They could at least become friends. And then... maybe... if he's lucky...
No, Severus, he warned himself. Don't even think about it. Don't!
Severus buried his nose in the book and forced himself to read.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dear Draco,
You are not going to believe what happened. This morning, Severus Snape came to the house and told me the Aurors destroyed his home, because they thought he was a Death-Eater. Dumbledore saved his life, but Snape was left without a house. So he came and asked to live here for a while, until Dumbledore manages to get the Ministry to provide him a new house.
I said yes, because I felt sorry for him. So now Snape lives with me - would you believe it? He's actually kind of nice to me. I think it would be nice to have a little company around here - this house has been so cold and lonely since you left. I only wonder if Severus Snape can be a pleasant company. Well, I guess he deserves a chance, doesn't he?
Send my love to Hermione.
Mom
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: How is it so far? Let me know what you think and REVIEW!
Snape looked inside. It was a big bedroom, with light-green tapestry, a double bed, a big closet and a black desk.
"I like it," he said, entered the room and put his suitcase on the floor. Then he turned to Narcissa. "Thanks."
She nodded wearily. "I'll leave you to unpack. Want me to send one of the house-elves to help you?"
"No, thanks," he said, "I don't have many stuff. I'll manage myself."
"See ya later," said Narcissa and left the room.
She went to the living room again, to relax a little. WHAT DID I DO? She asked herself. What did I get myself into? For heaven's sake, I got a man living in my house! And not an ordinary man. Severus Snape!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Later that day, Narcissa met Snape in the library room, as she entered to take a book and saw him sitting there.
"Hi," she said, a little embarrassed.
"Hi," he replied. "Listen, do you think I could eat now?"
"What?" she said, surprised. "Eat what?"
"Eat... lunch."
"Lunch?!" Narcissa looked at her watch. "It's almost 3 P.M.! You want to tell me you haven't eaten lunch yet?"
"No," said Snape. "I was kind of waiting for you to eat."
"Oh!" said Narcissa. Then she realized - "wait a minute - I ate almost three hours ago! Why didn't you eat right after I did?"
"I didn't know you had already eaten," said Snape realistically.
Narcissa felt a little ashamed of herself.
"Look," she said, sitting down next to him, "I guess I've been too tough earlier. You can eat whenever you want. I won't make a big deal out of it if we do eat together once in a while. I, I just don't think it would be a good idea... at the time. But when you're hungry, don't wait for me to finish, OK? Just eat."
"Fine," said Snape and shrugged.
"So," said Narcissa, looking at the book in his hands, "what are you reading?"
"Oh... just a horror book," said Snape. "I like them."
"Let me see," she said, and without waiting for his permission, took the book from his hands. Snape's lip twitched, but he didn't say anything. "Oh, it's a book of Stephen King! I didn't know you liked him," said Narcissa.
"I don't think I've ever shared my literary passions with you," said Snape sarcastically. "I actually do like Stephen King. My favorite Muggle author."
Narcissa gave him a wondering look.
"I wouldn't have guessed it."
"Guessed what?"
"Guessed that you read Muggle literature."
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because..." Narcissa tried to find the right words. "Because you're just... a Slytherin."
"So?" said Snape, his eyebrows raised.
"Well, I've just never met a Slytherin who thought that Muggle literature was good enough for him."
"Oh. So you actually consider me to be a snob."
"No, I didn't say that!" said Narcissa quickly. "I just meant that... well... most Slytherins are... unlike you."
"You mean I'm not a real Slytherin?"
"Sure you are. But so was my husband and..." Narcissa's voice trailed off as she remembered Lucius, and Snape glanced at her. She swallowed hard, stared at the dark-green carpet and continued: "My husband was a Slytherin too, and he hated Muggles and anything that had to do with Muggles."
"Well," said Snape in an icy voice, "guess I'm not Lucius, am I?"
Narcissa stared at him, surprised at the sudden cold tone. "Guess not," she replied quietly.
Snape picked up the book and started to read. Narcissa felt unnecessary, and was embarrassed. Had she said anyting that made him angry? Was it what she said about Lucius? But why would Snape care about Lucius?
She took a book from one of the shelves and started to read too. They read in silence for a few minutes. Then Snape rose from his seat and said: "Well, Mrs. Malfoy, I think I'll go to my room now. I'll see you around."
Narcissa raised her eyes to meet his. "I already told you, you don't have to call me Mrs. Malfoy. You can call me Narcissa."
"Fine," answered Snape politely, "but then, call me Severus."
"I will."
"Bye." And he stepped out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Severus went to his room, sat down and tried to read, but it was hard for him to concentrate.
It was true. He could not deny. He had come to the Malfoy Manor not only because this was the only place he could think of. Ever since he visited Lucius the Malfoy Manor for the first time, and saw Narcissa, he had become almost obsessive with her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, but this wasn't the only reason. She also had a special natural charm, that made her irresistibly attractive.
He was in love. He loved Narcissa Malfoy. He had never been in love before in his life, and had never thought it was even possible for him to fall in love with a woman. But it happened. And it was so wonderful, and so - painful, at the same time.
He knew he didn't have the tiniest bit of a chance with her. Why would a beautiful, charming woman like Narcissa choose an ugly, bad-tempered man like him?
However, though he knew very well she was not going to love him back, he couldn't resist the chance to live with her. Even if he was not going to get what he really wanted, the mere fact that he could see her every day made him happy. They could at least become friends. And then... maybe... if he's lucky...
No, Severus, he warned himself. Don't even think about it. Don't!
Severus buried his nose in the book and forced himself to read.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Dear Draco,
You are not going to believe what happened. This morning, Severus Snape came to the house and told me the Aurors destroyed his home, because they thought he was a Death-Eater. Dumbledore saved his life, but Snape was left without a house. So he came and asked to live here for a while, until Dumbledore manages to get the Ministry to provide him a new house.
I said yes, because I felt sorry for him. So now Snape lives with me - would you believe it? He's actually kind of nice to me. I think it would be nice to have a little company around here - this house has been so cold and lonely since you left. I only wonder if Severus Snape can be a pleasant company. Well, I guess he deserves a chance, doesn't he?
Send my love to Hermione.
Mom
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: How is it so far? Let me know what you think and REVIEW!