A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update. I'm completely swamped in homework, theater, volleyball, and stupid government mandatory testing. I hope to get the next chapter up sooner than I did this one, but I suppose we'll see.
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Severus,
I can't say everything I want to in a letter. We have to find a time to meet in person. Please, I really want to just be able to talk to you. I learned some stuff about my mother's side of the family, maybe more than I really wanted to. We have to talk.
Love Juliette
Severus Snape read the hastily scrawled note a few times before crumpling it up in his fist. He didn't even know why on Earth he was so frustrated, but he was. He was hoping she would have written more to him. He wanted more details. How she was doing, what the Tonks were like, more about what she learned about the Blacks. But instead, he got the flimsy scrap of parchment with a five-sentence note. No real letter at all!
But she said she wanted to see him again, in person. Of course she did. He wanted to see her too. He looked back down at his clenched fist, and the crumpled parchment within it. He felt his heart grow heavy, and sat down at his desk. His classroom was almost back to beginning-of-the-year standards. He had just been packing when Juliette's owl arrived. He had his suitcase out beside his desk, filled mostly with black robes and a few odds and ends. He had also finished reorganizing his classroom, the painfully boring task that all teachers must do before they leave. The chairs were neatly alined behind each table, every one as desolate as the next. His breath caught as he spotted Juliette's old seat. She actually had quite a few seats. At first she started out somewhere around the middle of the room. But as she started to raise her hand more and more, he wanted a reason to not call on her besides the fact that he loved to watch her suffer as his eyes passed right by her shaking outstretched hand. So he moved her to the back left corner, and would tell her every day, in the same cold voice that he must have missed her way back there. But a few days after Juliette's first after-hours visit, he moved her a bit closer, but still refusing to call on her. The last thing they needed was to raise suspicion.
Oh, how he missed the rush he got when she came to his chambers late in the night. It was the same feeling he remembered from back when some of his fellow Slytherin boys had met girls down in the common room late into the night. He was a light sleeper, so he could always sense when someone snuck out. He loved the feeling of rebellious guilt he got. But with Juliette the feeling was much more intense and satisfying. But of course, that could have been because he himself was doing the actually conspiring rather than one of his classmates.
All these thoughts of what had been were making Snape heartsick. He wanted her. He needed her. He had the think of a way to see her. His first thought was floo powder, but if the Tonks were taking good care of her at all, they wouldn't allow her to travel by floo powder, and they most likely wouldn't allow him to come to her. Who knows who would be watching. No no, it's much safer to not mess with floo powder. He didn't want to mess with an unauthorized portkey. Or....... once he gets off Hogwarts grounds, he could simply apparate to her. Yes, that would be best. In the mean time, he should most likely reply to her owl.
He pulled out a piece of parchment from his desk, and a quill, and scrawled a reply.
Juliette,
I will be at Andromeda's soon, I hope. If you are going to reply, please write more. I hope to.........
He paused. Was someone knocking at the door? He listened again.
Yes, someone was there.
Come in, he called bluntly.
Good afternoon, Severus, said the voice of Albus Dumbledore. Everyone missed you at breakfast this morning. It is our last breakfast together this year, after all.There will be others, he replied.
If you insist. Writing a letter, I see?What? Oh.... yes.To.... Juliette! Snape quickly stashed the letter away in his desk, hoping he hadn't read more than who it was to. I do miss that young lady. Very talented. But Severus, I really wouldn't use owls for contacting her. Owls are very easy to catch, and for any Death Eater to see where it's headed would be disastrous.Yes, I understand. Just this once.....Just this once. But the last thing I want to do is risk her safety, and I'm sure you feel the same way. There was a bit of a twinkle in his eye as he said that, which would have made Snape feel nervous before, but now that Juliette was really gone from Hogwarts, he didn't mind if Dumbledore knew. But he just didn't want to be the one to actually come out and say the words.
he continued. I'm going to check on Professor Trelawney. She always has more luggage to carry than everyone else.Well, that's her choice, isn't it? Snape said under his breath. Then he turned to Dumbledore. Lovely idea. Just make sure you don't drop one of her bloody pink tea cups.Oh, that would be a horrid mistake, wouldn't it? She's quite fond of them. Anyway, I suppose I shall see you again before you leave.
And waved once more before he walked out, closing the door slowly behind him.
As soon as the door shut, he pulled the letter back out.
..........I hope to apparate to your new home from my house soon. Tomorrow, if possible. I'm going home today. I am looking forward to seeing you, more than anything. I miss you, Juliette. I hope all is well, because from what you said, I can't tell.
Love Severus
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Juliette sprawled herself out on her bed, her head underneath her pillow and her arms scrunched over top. She had a headache and a terrible cold and the worst heartache of her life. She could literally burst into tears. It was like all her emotions just rushed to her brain and started to take control. She had always been an emotional person, but not like this. It was torture. She missed Severus terribly. She missed the way they would suspend the rest of the world from their sensual games, and the way he made her feel like she was completely safe. He really did take good care of her.
cried Tonks from downstairs. Juliette groaned. She didn't feel like eating.
She heard Tonks' footsteps coming up the stairs. Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away, she thought.
Hey, Juliette didn't you hear me? Time to eat. Juliette......JULIETTE!!!!! Come on, I know you can hear me!
She came in, and bent over Juliette's covered head.
Juliette, come on!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get up, it's time to eat.I don't feel very well, I'm sorry. Just eat without me.If you eat, you'll feel better. I promise.I don't think so, Tonks. Just tell Andromeda I'll eat later, maybe.Are you sure?YES! I mean.... yes, I'm sure. Now good-bye Tonks.All right! Don't get so upset! I'm going!
She ran back downstairs. The second she was out of hearing, Juliette noticed out of an uncovered part of her pillow helmet that an owl was coming towards the window. She got up slowly so as not to make her feel nauseous, and opened the window for the owl to fly in. It had a letter tightly grasped in it's talons.
She took it from him gently, and smiled. It was the reply from Snape. Actually reading it made her smile even more. He said he was coming to see her. He was actually coming! And hopefully it would be tomorrow. But should she tell Andromeda and Ted? Maybe she should just..... pretend to be suprised to see him. Besides, if she didn't tell them, they have no chance to say no. It was all so perfect.
