Harry watched from his seat in the Great Hall as students and teachers filed in through the door. "Hermione, Ron, have either of you noticed something odd about the staff table?" he asked. Hermione looked up and observed the staff table. Her eyes came to rest on the empty chair at the end. "Professor Snape is missing," she stated as she turned to face Harry. "Exactly," Harry replied.
Ron just kept on eating as if Harry had not even said a word. Hermione and Harry exchanged an amused look before they both busted out laughing. Ron looked up from his meal. "What's funny?" he asked. Herminone rolled her eyes at him before replying, "Don't worry about it Ron."
"Why do you suppose he's skipping dinner," Hermione asked Harry. Harry shot her an exasperated look. "Hermione, this is Snape we're talking about. How should I know why he isn't here? He is probably sitting in the dungeons dreaming up new ways to torture us." Hermione gave him a scolding look. "I seriously doubt it," she replied.
Ron finally decided to join the conversation. "What about the girl we saw earlier? I wonder who she is and where she's at now. Have either of you ever saw her before today?" He looked to them questioningly. Hermione and Harry shook their heads.
Harry spoke up first, "I've never saw her." Hermione too denied ever seeing her. "I wonder where she came from," she stated. All three sat in silence while voices rang out all around them as the rest of the school enjoyed dinner. All three of them had the same thought running through their head. Who was this mystery girl? However, not one of them knew the answer.
Regina sat staring blankly into the fire. Severus had left a few minutes earlier. He had assured her that he would be back shortly. That had been ten minutes ago. Although she was trying very hard to stay awake and wait for him, it was becoming harder and harder to keep her eyes open. Finally, she succumbed to the urge to sleep. Her eyes slid shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.
A few minutes later, Severus returned. When he walked through the door, he could see Regina sitting in the chair closest to the fire. As he drew nearer, he realized that she was asleep. He silently sat down in the recliner directly across from her. Her face was peaceful as she slept. Dark lashes stood out against pale skin. The black curly hair framed her face, giving her an almost angelic look.
Suddenly, she screamed and sat straight up. Tears welled up in her emerald green eyes, and she began to cry as her eyes locked with those of a very startled Severus. Unsure of exactly what he should do he remained in his seat and simply stared. Regina's body shook as she sobbed. Her anguish tore at his heart, and he felt helpless.
Helplessness was not a feeling he was familiar with. It made him angry. As a result, his voice was a little too sharp as he asked, "What's wrong with you, Regina?"
He immediately regretted the tone as he saw the shock and hurt on her face. Then, the shocked look quickly changed to one of anger. "Not that I would expect you to care," she snapped. He looked stunned as she continued, "Judging from your tone of voice, I don't think you really want to know what's wrong." Before he could reply, she stormed out the door, her black robes swirling. Severus stared after her with a look of stunned disbelief on his face.