A/N: I stayed up last night writing the last chapter, and I will post it later
today. It is the longest chapter and answers all the puzzles. I have really
enjoyed writing this story and if anyone wants to beta for me, I could edit it
and repost on Christmas.
I did find a mistake I made. Severus should of said his birthday was the 19th, in order to
keep with the timeline.
Chapter 12
The staff gathered in the Headmaster's office once again, awaiting the
gift exchange. Hermione sat in one corner, while Severus stood in the other
by the fireplace. She glanced over at him. He was staring into the fire.
'What troubles has he seen? Why is he so alone?' Hermione thought.
"Shall we begin today's festivities?" Albus asked.
"Yes, yes lets get on with it." Several people echoed.
"Before we begin, I do believe it is someone's birthday today!" Albus
exclaimed.
'No, no not the birthday song, anything but that.' Severus thought as
he shook his head.
"How about if we sing the birthday song for.."
'Don't say it, don't tell them it is my birthday!' Severus thought again.
"Severus!" He boomed as he walked over to him.
"No, that is not necessary." Severus hissed.
"Come now it isn't every day that someone has a birthday, let alone
his.."
'Don't say it, don't tell them I am 40.' He thought with a matter of
urgency.
"40th."
'I can't believe he said it. Well that takes him off my short Christmas
list.' Severus sulked.
They all began to sing, loud and obnoxiously according to Severus.
He watched as Hermione began to sing. He had never heard her sing before.
She although quiet, was quite good. Her pitch and singing style matched
that of Adolyn's.
'Why does fate play cruel tricks on me.' Severus thought. All of a
sudden he heard another voice inside his head.
'Fate does not play tricks with you Severus Snape, it is trying to help
you.' He heard Albus say.
'Don't look so surprised, your not the only one who can read minds.'
Albus said back inside his head. Severus shrugged it off.
"Now that we have all properly acknowledged Severus day of birth,
let us move on to the gift exchange." Albus said as he walked over to the
gift table.
They all opened their presents and went around and shared once
again. Hermione seemed quite pleased with her gift, and Severus had
nothing ill to say about his gift. Most of the faculty was amazed not only to
learn about a famous muggle author and playwright, but more importantly
that Severus acknowledged that he had heard of him. A Slytherin, enjoying
the literature of the Muggles, what was to be next Sirius and Severus
friends?
The faculty burst out laughing when Minerva had received a cat collar
from her Secret Santa. Although Hermione knew that it must have some
hidden meaning, as she was once again reluctant to show her gift and saw a
twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes.
The staff all departed and Hermione walked towards the library. She
was not alone.
"Granger, what is the meaning of this!" She heard Severus's voice.
She turned around and saw him extending the book towards her.
"What are you talking about Severus?" She asked.
"You know very well what I am talking about, you cannot give this to
me."
"And what if I did not."
"Don't you understand, don't you see the game Albus is playing? He
is trying to play matchmaker, and it will not work, not on me!" Severus said
angrily at her.
"What? What are you talking about?" Hermione questioned.
"Albus thinks that you might like me, and I you. He thinks I should
fall in love with you."
"So what are you saying, that I am too ugly to love, that I am too
smart. That I will die an old spinster?" She fought.
"You are straying from why I came here in the first place." He said
frustrated.
"Do you think it is so impossible, that I might have feelings for you?"
Severus stopped at these words.
"Do you?"
"Of course not, not like that I just wanted to see what your response
would be. I would, however, count you among friends."
"Then why did you say it in the first place?"
"Why do you find it so impossible to love me, or hell lets start with
the idea of even liking me." Her eyes bored into him.
"I.. I don't mind you, that is not the point, the point is I will not accept
this." As he pushed the book into her arms.
"It was a gift!" She exclaimed walking behind her desk.
"It was yours, I saw it at your house!" He exclaimed.
"How? How could you have known?" Hermione asked hurt.
"I was there, I went to your house the night after your parents died. I
tried to salvage what I could. I put a spell on your house to prevent the
Death Eater's coming in and ransacking your house." His voice softened as
he gave up.
"Did you.. did you see them?" She asked as her eyes watered.
"No, they were already taken." He closed his eyes again. She started
to cry uncontrollably. Severus was standing there watching her cry looking
out one of the library windows.
He walked silently to the desk and sat down the book and reached into
his pocket. He grasped the gift he was going to give to her on the last day of
the gift exchange. It was the locket that he had found on the ground outside
the Granger's house. His long skinny hands opened and the locket fell onto
the book. He turned quickly and made his way to his rooms.
"Severus? What is wrong?" Minerva asked as Severus walked
quickly out of the library.
"Severus?" She said again as she grabbed his shoulder.
"Leave me be Minerva." He said, not with malice but with a weak
voice.
"What happened, Severus? Tell me what happened."
"Granger is in the library crying, make sure she is comforted." He
said as Minerva looked into his unreadable eyes.
"What did you say to her?"
"I said nothing, but I do believe that she is finally mourning the
passing of her parents." He said emotionless.
"And you just left her there?" She questioned.
"What did you want me to do Minerva let her hit at me again? Let her
hate me instead of Voldermort?" He questioned.
"Go fetch Poppy, I think she will need some Dreamless Sleep potion
tonight." Minerva told Severus.
"No, you cannot give that to her, it will only prolong the pain, let her
be. Let her cry alone." Severus said as he turned and walked away.
***
Severus didn't know what was wrong with him, he was actually hurt
when she said that she did not love him, but what did he expect the way he
constantly treated her, he was lucky she even considered him a friend.
Did he have feeling for her? Was he just feeding an empty dream?
Another year older, but yet he was none wiser.
today. It is the longest chapter and answers all the puzzles. I have really
enjoyed writing this story and if anyone wants to beta for me, I could edit it
and repost on Christmas.
I did find a mistake I made. Severus should of said his birthday was the 19th, in order to
keep with the timeline.
Chapter 12
The staff gathered in the Headmaster's office once again, awaiting the
gift exchange. Hermione sat in one corner, while Severus stood in the other
by the fireplace. She glanced over at him. He was staring into the fire.
'What troubles has he seen? Why is he so alone?' Hermione thought.
"Shall we begin today's festivities?" Albus asked.
"Yes, yes lets get on with it." Several people echoed.
"Before we begin, I do believe it is someone's birthday today!" Albus
exclaimed.
'No, no not the birthday song, anything but that.' Severus thought as
he shook his head.
"How about if we sing the birthday song for.."
'Don't say it, don't tell them it is my birthday!' Severus thought again.
"Severus!" He boomed as he walked over to him.
"No, that is not necessary." Severus hissed.
"Come now it isn't every day that someone has a birthday, let alone
his.."
'Don't say it, don't tell them I am 40.' He thought with a matter of
urgency.
"40th."
'I can't believe he said it. Well that takes him off my short Christmas
list.' Severus sulked.
They all began to sing, loud and obnoxiously according to Severus.
He watched as Hermione began to sing. He had never heard her sing before.
She although quiet, was quite good. Her pitch and singing style matched
that of Adolyn's.
'Why does fate play cruel tricks on me.' Severus thought. All of a
sudden he heard another voice inside his head.
'Fate does not play tricks with you Severus Snape, it is trying to help
you.' He heard Albus say.
'Don't look so surprised, your not the only one who can read minds.'
Albus said back inside his head. Severus shrugged it off.
"Now that we have all properly acknowledged Severus day of birth,
let us move on to the gift exchange." Albus said as he walked over to the
gift table.
They all opened their presents and went around and shared once
again. Hermione seemed quite pleased with her gift, and Severus had
nothing ill to say about his gift. Most of the faculty was amazed not only to
learn about a famous muggle author and playwright, but more importantly
that Severus acknowledged that he had heard of him. A Slytherin, enjoying
the literature of the Muggles, what was to be next Sirius and Severus
friends?
The faculty burst out laughing when Minerva had received a cat collar
from her Secret Santa. Although Hermione knew that it must have some
hidden meaning, as she was once again reluctant to show her gift and saw a
twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes.
The staff all departed and Hermione walked towards the library. She
was not alone.
"Granger, what is the meaning of this!" She heard Severus's voice.
She turned around and saw him extending the book towards her.
"What are you talking about Severus?" She asked.
"You know very well what I am talking about, you cannot give this to
me."
"And what if I did not."
"Don't you understand, don't you see the game Albus is playing? He
is trying to play matchmaker, and it will not work, not on me!" Severus said
angrily at her.
"What? What are you talking about?" Hermione questioned.
"Albus thinks that you might like me, and I you. He thinks I should
fall in love with you."
"So what are you saying, that I am too ugly to love, that I am too
smart. That I will die an old spinster?" She fought.
"You are straying from why I came here in the first place." He said
frustrated.
"Do you think it is so impossible, that I might have feelings for you?"
Severus stopped at these words.
"Do you?"
"Of course not, not like that I just wanted to see what your response
would be. I would, however, count you among friends."
"Then why did you say it in the first place?"
"Why do you find it so impossible to love me, or hell lets start with
the idea of even liking me." Her eyes bored into him.
"I.. I don't mind you, that is not the point, the point is I will not accept
this." As he pushed the book into her arms.
"It was a gift!" She exclaimed walking behind her desk.
"It was yours, I saw it at your house!" He exclaimed.
"How? How could you have known?" Hermione asked hurt.
"I was there, I went to your house the night after your parents died. I
tried to salvage what I could. I put a spell on your house to prevent the
Death Eater's coming in and ransacking your house." His voice softened as
he gave up.
"Did you.. did you see them?" She asked as her eyes watered.
"No, they were already taken." He closed his eyes again. She started
to cry uncontrollably. Severus was standing there watching her cry looking
out one of the library windows.
He walked silently to the desk and sat down the book and reached into
his pocket. He grasped the gift he was going to give to her on the last day of
the gift exchange. It was the locket that he had found on the ground outside
the Granger's house. His long skinny hands opened and the locket fell onto
the book. He turned quickly and made his way to his rooms.
"Severus? What is wrong?" Minerva asked as Severus walked
quickly out of the library.
"Severus?" She said again as she grabbed his shoulder.
"Leave me be Minerva." He said, not with malice but with a weak
voice.
"What happened, Severus? Tell me what happened."
"Granger is in the library crying, make sure she is comforted." He
said as Minerva looked into his unreadable eyes.
"What did you say to her?"
"I said nothing, but I do believe that she is finally mourning the
passing of her parents." He said emotionless.
"And you just left her there?" She questioned.
"What did you want me to do Minerva let her hit at me again? Let her
hate me instead of Voldermort?" He questioned.
"Go fetch Poppy, I think she will need some Dreamless Sleep potion
tonight." Minerva told Severus.
"No, you cannot give that to her, it will only prolong the pain, let her
be. Let her cry alone." Severus said as he turned and walked away.
***
Severus didn't know what was wrong with him, he was actually hurt
when she said that she did not love him, but what did he expect the way he
constantly treated her, he was lucky she even considered him a friend.
Did he have feeling for her? Was he just feeding an empty dream?
Another year older, but yet he was none wiser.