Chapter 4
As November faded into December, Hogwarts saw its first snow. The weather grew even colder outside, making the dungeons draftier than ever. The whole school was bustling about, already excited for the holiday season. Wherever you went there would be happy students in the corridors, talking about their plans over the break. It was becoming harder and harder to hold on to their attention.
The day finally arrived for the students that were leaving for the Christmas break to leave. Everyone was hurrying about with luggage to catch the train back to platform 9 ¾. Hogwarts teachers were of course expected to stay. Krista didn't mind; there was no one elsewhere for her to share the holidays with anyway.
Since that night the students had been somewhat more reserved around her. She wasn't sure if they knew what happened but most likely word had gotten out by now. Gossip constantly went on around the school. The other teachers eventually learned the news. They were at all times consoling. No one had asked questions. They simply kept to themselves. Yet, she kept the same composure. She didn't want to let onto anything any more than she already had.
After that night, she still hadn't found the time to truly thank Severus for being there for her. She closed her eyes as she remembered his touch. She longed for his embrace once more. Even through all the sadness, that one moment she felt very good. She opened her eyes and chuckled slightly. She was dwelling on dreams again. She had always been a bit impractical, drifting off into fantasies. He was just doing what anyone would have done. There was nothing else there.
Krista sighed and put all her things to the side. She got up from her desk and stretched. She could do with a nice walk to get some fresh air. If there was one thing she liked about the winter season, it was the weather; cold biting air, snow drifts, and everything else enjoyed in that winter splendor. She walked from her room out into the dungeon's corridors and then through the Great Hall and out the front doors.
Already there was a light sheet of snow blanketing the ground. She smiled and drew her robes closer to her. She walked along merrily, taking in all the sights. Hogwarts was truly a beautiful place in the winter time. As she came upon the large lake that sat to the side of Hogwarts, she noticed a figure in the distance standing close by the vast body of water. As she took a closer look, she noticed it was Severus Snape. Her heart leapt. He was the one person she'd been meaning to talk to. She approached him carefully.
Once she had reached him, she stood beside him. He took his eyes off the lake for a moment to give her a welcoming glance. "Hello," she said with a short smile. He returned the greeting with one of his classic half smiles.
"What brings you outside? It's bitter cold out here," he said.
She shrugged and said, "I enjoy this kind of weather."
His eyes returned to the lake. "Me too," he answered softly.
After a moment of silence passed between them, she spoke up and said, "I never really got to thank you for what you did that night. It really meant something to me. Thank you," she said.
He glanced to her once again. He didn't know how to reply; he'd never really been thanked before. "You're welcome," he finally said, sounding awkward. Krista picked up on this and smiled.
They stood in silence for a while longer then Krista said, "So why are you still here? Don't you have a family to go to somewhere?" she asked.
He scoffed at her question. "I haven't seen my parents in years. To me they don't exist. I'm no different than you. I have no family." He said. He noticed Krista seemed upset by his last remark. He had forgotten her troubles with her family. "I'm sorry," he said.
She looked up with a smile on her face. "No. No offense taken. The way I see it we're two of a kind," she said.
He smirked then said, "All alone for the holidays and stuck with numerous little twerps to brighten up the days."
Krista took a step closer to him. "You don't have to be alone. There are ways to avoid that," she said.
He looked at her puzzled momentarily. "How's that?" He asked. She brought his face closer to hers and kissed him. At first, he kissed back longingly but suddenly he pulled away. He looked antsy and above all nervous.
"I must be going," he said. He turned and began to walk swiftly away.
"Wai-," She began but let her voice trail off. She watched him leave, feeling let down.
He swung the castle doors open and hurried inside. As he went hurrying down the corridors, students leapt out of his way. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He himself didn't know why he shied away from her. He'd secretly wanted this to happen for quite some time now. But he panicked. He'd never been in a situation like that before and he panicked. He now felt more foolish than he ever had in his entire life.
He slammed his classroom door behind him and sank down into the chair behind his desk. He propped his elbows on the desk and cradled his head in his hands. No one had ever made him feel this way. Many emotions had been stirred that had long been at rest. Now, he wouldn't be able to face her again. After what had happened he would never be able to face her. If he had to he would spend the rest of vacation avoiding her. He felt it had to be done.
After he'd been gone for a while, Krista too headed back for the castle. She didn't know what had gone wrong. She thought that this might be her chance. She would tell him how she felt. But he'd pulled away from her. She didn't know why he always sidestepped his emotions. She pushed open the heavy castle doors and trudged inside. She didn't really want to go back to her office and sit so she decided she would have a walk around the castle.
Along the way, a few students roamed the halls and waved to her happily. She gave them a convincing smile and a 'hello' then continued on. What she didn't understand about him was why he acted so nasty towards everyone. He always seemed pleasant to her and most of the other teachers but she'd heard the student's talks about him. Most were terrified of him. She smiled, recalling several of her student's conversations.
Soon she found herself somewhere on the fourth floor. This particular corridor seemed peculiarly dark and the air seemed more chill. An unsettling quiet filled the hall. At first, Krista felt reluctant to enter the corridor but she went along anyway. It was foolish to feel frightened over a dark hallway. She walked along slowly, each footstep echoing loudly. Suddenly, she stopped. She thought she heard feet shuffling behind her. Feeling her heart race, she began to walk faster.
She squinted her eyes, determined to see the end of the hallway. She definitely heard footsteps behind her now. She stopped again and spun around. She saw no one but was convinced that someone was there. All at once, she felt something tackle her from behind. She fell to the floor with the attacker on top of her. She struggled against them but couldn't get away. The darkness engulfed them; she couldn't even see their face. Then, the attacker slammed her head against the floor. The last thing she felt was something pierce her neck and then she fell unconscious.