A/N: Sorry isn't been a while, I'll try to update more frequently in the future.
The next morning Eve slept straight through breakfast, and when she awoke both Kate and Francine were gone. Staring in distaste at the mounting pile of work sitting on top of her trunk, she threw on a fresh pair of robes and walked down to lunch.
Her stomach ached a little when she saw Sirius surrounded by a group of eager girls, wearing a ridiculous looking black eye patch. He was obviously retelling his version of the night's events when Eve walked into the great hall, and he stopped at once to point at her. A few of the girls turned and began giggling, but Eve made a point of ignoring them.
Nibbling a roll and stirring her vegetable soup with little enthusiasm, Eve sunk in her seat when she saw Professor Dumbledore enter. Surely he knew about what happened, and she desperately hoped he would not want to speak to her about it. She also hoped that he wouldn't tell her grandmother, because that would be even worse.
"Miss Margot?" Eve looked up, and saw Professor McGonagall walking towards her, wearing a heavy winter coat and a red and gold scarf.
"Professor." She replied, pushing her plate away.
She hoped that McGonagall hadn't changed her mind, and decided to punish her after all. Eve had so much homework that she wasn't sure that she could manage it all plus regular detentions besides.
"I'm on my way to St. Mungo's, to check on Mr. Snape. I've asked the Headmaster for permission, and you may come along if you like. I'm sure that Mr. Snape will appreciate the gesture."
Surprised, Eve paused for a moment to consider. Would he think it was strange if she came to visit him? She had all but flat out rejected him last night, and even though she had nearly changed her mind, there was no telling if his feeling for her still were the same.
"I just need to get my things, Professor." Eve said, before quickly rising from the table and then walking past Sirius's mocking glare.
Back up in the dorms she grabbed her heaviest winter coat, a scarf, and gloves. Then is occurred to her that she might want to get Severus something. Every time she and her grandmother has visited friends in the hospital they always brought flowers or candy, at least a little something. Opening her trunk, she dumped the last of her allowance into her palm, and then the coins safely tucked into her robes.
McGonagall was waiting by the front entrance for her, pulling her scarf up over her ears.
"It's cold out there Margot, are you sure you're ready?" She asked, before tugging the heavy oak doors open.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Eve replied, following her out into the blowing wind and snow.
---
Eve picked up a very ugly moving glass figurine of a dragon and crinkled her nose, putting it down with a clatter.
The cashier at the desk looked up from a old issue of Witches Weekly, and cleared her throat. Eve shrugged apologetically, and turned her attention to a rack of magazines. Would Severus like something to read perhaps? She didn't feel right getting him flowers, and the only plants the gift shop had were incredibly wilted and sad looking.
Transfiguration Today? She couldn't remember if Severus took transfiguration.
Sport and Gnome Hunting? Well, she definitely would not read that one, so he might not like it either.
Innovations in Apparition? No, that didn't seem very interesting at all.
She turned of her heels, walking past a row of small pocket mirrors that were supposed bring good luck and foretell the future, but were mostly just spewing nonsense.
"Have you got anything here that isn't rubbish?" Eve asked bitterly.
The cashier didn't bother her magazine down, but Eve was sure she heard her snort.
Ten minutes later, Eve climbed the stairs to the fifth floor clutching a small box of chocolates in her hand. With her luck Severus wouldn't even like chocolate. Scanning the room numbers, Eve stopped at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice. She had gone up ahead of Eve, saying she needed a private word with Snape first.
Leaning against the wall so she would not be seen, but inching as close to thedoor as possible, Eve strained to hear the conversation going on inside.
"...I understand that you're of age now, and the Headmaster agrees with me on this, you should at least send a letter..." McGonagall was saying.
"But you don't understand..." Snape began, before falling a fit of coughing.
Eve heard the sound of glass clinking, and the Professor muttering to herself.
"Calm down and have a drink of water Snape." McGonagall said. "We can't very well force to you to tell them."
The room fell into a poignant silence, and Eve back away and counted to twenty, before knocking softly of the partly open door.
"Come in Margot." McGonagall said tartly. "I'm afraid I'm in something of a hurry, but I'll give you five minutes."
Eve nodded, and stepped out of the doorway so the Professor could pass through. Once she left, Eve stepped inside and sat on the edge of the chair beside Severus's bed. He was leaning on a pile of pillows, and most of the color had returned to his face. His dark curtain of black hair was pulled back, and she could see a yellow colored bruise running along his jaw line.
"Are you alright?" She asked at last, though she had been hoping he would be the first to speak.
"I'll survive I suppose." He responded with a snort.
There was another few moments of silence, and Eve stared down at her hands.
"I got you a box of chocolates." Eve said, setting them down on his night stand.
"Why?" He asked, almost suspiciously.
"Well I thought that's what you were supposed to do when people are in the hospital...you know, bring them things to make them feel better." She explained.
He shrugged, reached for the box, and offered her one. Her stomach felt like it was turning somersaults, but she took one anyway and chewed on it thoughtfully.
"You didn't have bring me anything, you've already done enough." He said, sinking into his pillows.
She couldn't tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.
"Well actually, Potter did a lot too..."
"Don't talk about Potter!" Severus snapped, with such ferocity that Eve was taken aback. "He's the reason that I'm in here. He's a stupid mudblood loving bast..."
"Shh!" Eve commanding, slightly shocked. "I get the point."
Snape sat up on his elbows, a sour look on his face. Eve let out a long sigh, but was not about to be driven away now.
"Since we're on the subject, I really should tell you that somehow Potter and Black are under the impression that we're dating." She said, neglecting to add that it was only because she had told so.
Severus stared up at her in disbelief for a moment, his upper lip quivering with an emotion she could not read.
"They'll never leave you alone now." Severus said, bitterly. "We might as well really be dating for all the trouble it will cause."
"Well, why can't we?" Eve countered, her gut feelings taking over. "Really date, I mean."
Severus seemed taken aback, but not really surprised, like he had been expecting this from her all along, but was caught off guard when it actually happened.
"I thought you weren't interested." He said, in a tone that betrayed no emotion.
"I just needed time to think about it, and really, what is the worst that can happen?" She said, the words spilling out of her mouth almost more quickly than she could manage. "If it doesn't work out, we can always just be friends. Nothing ventured nothing gained, right? And obviously I'm here now, so there must be something between us."
He drank in her words, his lips pressed tightly together into a thin line but his dark eyes vivid.
"You said that you're betrothed." He said thoughtfully, his words calm but somehow laced with an unusual sharpness. "What about that?"
Eve looked away, a tightness in her chest. She didn't want to think about that right now, it still somehow seemed unreal.
"I don't know." She said, slowly looking back at him. "Maybe it doesn't matter right now."
"But what about when it does matter?" He asked, pushing himself up so he was mere inches from her face.
"I couldn't say." Eve said, only able to offer the truth, but wishing she could give him something more.
They locked eyes, neither blinking or looking away. There was a spark in his dark eyes, a hunger that she recognized at once. It was naked and raw, and hypnotizing. She shut her eyes, unable to break away and barely willing to try. A moment later she felt his lips on her own, surprisingly soft and gentle. Tingles raced up her spine, and she felt him pulling away she leaned in for more.
He obliged, his kissing growing deeper and more demanding. Eve swore they might go on kissing forever, if a loud knocking at the door had not interrupted them.
"I said five minutes Margot!" Professor McGonagall said shrilly, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
"Right." Eve said quickly, sitting back in her chair, unable to hide her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. "I'll just say goodbye quickly."
"Very quickly." McGonagall said with a sigh, narrowing her eyes at the pair.
After she had disappeared once more, Eve enthusiastically turned all of her attention back to Severus. He was smiling at her, the first real smile he had ever given her.
"Would it be too forward of me to assume that we're dating then?" Eve asked with a short laugh.
Severus pulled her in and kissed her once more quickly, before letting her go again.
"Was that a no?" She laughed, reluctantly grabbing her coat and rising up from her chair.
He grabbed her hand, and kissed the smooth pale flesh of her wrist before letting her go. Eve nearly stumbled from the room, ignoring McGonagall's curious stares as they shuffled into the waiting elevator.
Her heart felt so light she thought she might be floating, and she had the impression that this was only the beginning of it.