The Midnight Hour

CHAPTER SEVEN: Will you?

Oh no, not again. He thought….

Dear Mr. Severus Snape,

We are delighted to remind you that you subscription payment for the Daily Prophet is one month late. As this is your nineteenth reminder in four weeks we are sure that you are aware of the dire circumstances in which you have found yourself. We are aware of your claims that the payment of four knuts got lost in post and that you do not feel that you should have to pay again. Frankly, Mr. Snape, the team here are the Daily Prophet think you are a sack of lying bulbuter puss and wish to inform you that if your payment doesn't seek our financial department within seven days we shall be forced to take action.

Yours truly,

Edmund Barbal

P.S. Have a nice day!

Snape scrunched up the letter and threw it into the rubbish bin beside his desk. "Why don't you just stop sending me the paper then?" he hissed before pulling back the covers on his bed.

The sun was high over Hogwarts the next day and the bulk of students were huddled up in their common room by the fire, trying to gain some warmth. Winter had begun with a brilliant blast of ice and wind, which found the student population cold and grumpy. By the time night had fallen and dinner was serverd most of the students were pleased with the amount of nothing that they had achieved all day, regardless of the amount of homework they had.

Ginny sat in the Great Hall eating her dinner with Hazel, Colin, Ron, Hermione and Harry. Her last night detention left her feeling rather content with herself, despite the blistering cold. She had told herself numerous times that it wasn't going to work out between herself and Snape but she was unable to shake a feeling of content. But, for once in all of her time at Hogwarts, she was slightly disappointed that she did not have a detention. She took the last sip of her pumpkin juice and sat back in her seat.

"So Ginny what are you doing tonight, another detention?" Hazel asked.

"Nope," Ginny replied.

"So, what are you doing? I was hoping we could study for the transfiguration exam together?" Ginny looked over at Harry, hoping he had forgotten about their scheduled walk. No hope, he was looking back at her as if to see whether or not she had forgotten.

"Yeah, but later… I am going for a walk first." Ginny said, Hazel nodded knowingly and stood up to walk out of the great hall with a wink. When Hazel had left the room, Harry excused himself and walked over to Ginny, with a nervous smile on his face.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her, voice slightly shaky. Ginny nodded and stood up. They walked towards the doors together, Ginny paused when she reached the doors and looked over her shoulder at the teachers table. Snape was eating his dinner and talking to Professor Sprout angrily, she looked uninterested.

"You alright?" Harry asked.

"Oh," Ginny stammered, "Yeah sorry." She said as they continued walking.

Harry and Ginny walked towards the entrance hall in silence, the occasional student passing them by. Every so often Harry would open his mouth as if to say something but then shut it quickly. After a few minutes of this Ginny decided to break the awkward silence.

"So, what did you do today?" she asked him.

"Not much really. Some homework for Snape but that's about it." He replied, and Ginny nodded. "You?"

"A great deal of nothing actually. It was quiet relaxing." She stated matter-of-factly, Harry smiled.

"No homework?" He asked her.

"Nope…. Well, not unless you count History of Magic…. But who ever does that?" She asked with a slight laugh.

"Hermione…" Harry sniggered, Ginny laughed also. They had reached the main doors, and Harry had jogged ahead, holding the large oak door open for her, she walked through with a word of thanks. She was greeted by the hostile blast of wind and she shivered, pulling her cloak tightly around her.

"Would you like my cloak?" he asked unfastening the clasp on his cloak.

"No thanks…" She replied.

"Sure?"

"Yes." Harry did the clasp back up and walked closer to her. His body slightly warming her up.

"That way." He said pointing towards the direction of the lake. "You know," he begun, Oh no! thought Ginny "Your friend Hazel is a strange one." He told her, Ginny let out a sigh of relief. She did not want to be asked out by Harry now.

"Why?" she asked, Harry laughed.

"Well, last night when I asked her where you were she told be you were making love to the giant squid." Ginny looked at him seriously.

"I was." For a split second he looked slight taken back, but laughed shortly afterwards. "No, really Harry. Squiddy and I have something very serious going on. I wish you wouldn't laugh at our relationship." Ginny said in a tone of mock offence. Harry laughed and looked at her thoughtfully, Ginny's insides squirmed uncomfortably.

"Are you going to be at quidditch practise on Monday night?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so, I probably have detention." Ginny replied, Harry groaned.

"Snape is such a git sometimes." Harry growled.

"No he's not." Ginny said defensively, Harry looked at her strangely and she cracked a smile. "Ha… got you!" laughed Ginny, in an attempt to cover up her quick defence.

"You always do." Harry smiled and huddled closer to her.

"So where are we going?" Ginny asked looking around, the lake was just ahead and the closer they got to it the colder it seemed.

"It's not much further now." Harry told her and touched her elbow, directing her towards the boat shed.

After another five minute walk in the cold wind Harry stopped outside of the boat shed and slowly opened the door. As far as Ginny knew the boat shed was out of bounds, so naturally it was the kissing point of Hogwarts. She wished that it was Snape with her, not Harry. Ginny was ushered into the shed and was shocked by the warmth inside. She let out a gasp of surprise when she saw that the shed floor was home to a thick purple blanket with two mugs and a plate of cake. Around the shed there were lanterns and in the corner there was a small magical bonfire with pink flames, a special enchantment that spread no further than the wood it was cast on.

"Like it?" Harry asked, shutting the door on the harsh outside weather.

"How did you do it?" Ginny asked looking at her surroundings, Harry grinned.

"That's my secret." After a few seconds of smugness he recomposed himself and remembered his manners "here, sit down" he led her towards the blanket and threw a puffy red pillow on the floor for her to sit on. She sat down slowly and hugged her legs closely to her chest, he joined her on the floor and tapped the mugs with his wand. The mugs filled up with steaming hot hot chocolate and each much had two marshmallows in it. He passed her a mug.

"Thanks" She took a sip of the hot liquid and it immediately warmed up her insides.

"I just thought it would be nice to get away from the castle." Harry told her and he eased into a more comfortable position. There was silence for a few minutes. "Would you like some cake?" Harry asked pointing to one of the most delicious looking chocolate cakes she had ever seen. She was about to refuse but saw the eager look in Harry's eyes.

"Yes please." She said quietly, and he cut a piece for her. Not only did the cake look good, but it tasted amazing, relaxing her completely and filling her with an overwhelming sense of calmness. Harry took a piece of cake too, but did not have any, instead he talked as she ate slowly.

"Gin, I know that you are Ron's sister and all…" he said, his eyes not meeting hers.

"But… well, Hermione said that he probably wouldn't mind…" he looked around the room, eyes frantic, slightly breathless.

"Have some cake." Ginny told him softly, if you have something in your mouth you can't talk, she thought hopefully. Harry took a small piece of cake and ate it, after a few seconds he became calm again. Not entirely what I was hoping for.

"Well, look. I guess I have been stupid. Wait… I know I have been stupid…" he looked as though he was silently cursing himself. "Okay. What I am trying to say is that, I… I like you." Ginny's heart dropped to the floor, she put her cake on the floor. "And, I was so stupid not to realise that. But… I really like you, and now I know it… well, I want you to know too." Great. Just great. "Ginny… will you go out with me?" He asked. Ginny choked on her hot chocolate, he quickly begun to pat her on the back. Great. Great… what do I say? What do I do? She stopped choking. Choke again…. If I choke I don't have to reply…what do I say, what do I do… don't look at me… don't look at me Harry. Harry looked at her nervously. SAY SOMETHING.

"Harry, I-" a cold gust of wind blasted her in the back as the door was ripped open. Ginny turned around and froze. Harry stood up quickly and walked towards the door.

"What is going on in here?" Yelled Snape. Ginny looked at him pleadingly, he stepped into the boat shed angrily and Harry stepped between the Professor and herself.

"Professor. It is not what it looks like." He stated, lost for words other than those. Snape's eyes bore a hole in Ginny's heart, he glared at her with such anger. He didn't seem to hear what Harry said.

"What on earth is going on in here?" He yelled. Harry took a step forward defensively.

"I… we… we were just having something to eat." Harry stammered pointing to the cake that was, now, covering the floor.

"There is plenty to eat in the hall." Snape shouted, rounding on Harry. "Or do you think you are too good for Hogwarts food Potter? Are you too good to be in the castle with everyone else?"

"I just-" Harry begun before he was cut off.

"Just what Potter? Just thought that you would break school rules. AGAIN? And you thought you'd drag Ginny along with you?" He focused on Ginny again. She gave him a pleading look.

"Professor, I-" She begun calmly.

"Fifty points of Gryffindor. Now get back to your common room." Snape yelled before giving Ginny a look of disgust and turning on his heel. Ginny stood up quickly.

"Professor..." She yelled after him, he kept walking. She ran her hand through her hair.

"I'm so sorry Ginny." Harry said frantically, walking over to her.

"I… I have to go." Ginny yelped and ran after Snape.

"Ginny!" Harry called after her, but his voice was lost in the howling of the winter wind. The bitter cold bit at Ginny's face as she ran towards the castle. She did not know what to do. Snape was obviously angry, very angry. She did not want this to happen. She should have gone for a walk with Harry. She knew that he wanted to ask her out, and she still went. She walked right into it. She followed after the fuming professor.

Ginny's footsteps echoed loudly as she ran down the dungeon corridor in pursuit of Snape. He was not far ahead of her, but she resisted calling out in case someone heard her. It would have seemed strange for any student to be calling after Professor Snape. She lost view of him as he rounded a corner so she sped up. When she turned into the corridor she had seen him enter, she could not see him any longer, but she could she his office door not too far ahead so she ran up to it. She knocked on the door and waited impatiently, there was no response. She pressed her ear against the door and heard shuffling inside, so she knocked again. There was still no response.

"Professor, please open the door." She pleaded, no response. "Look, it was nothing, really. It must have looked much worse than it seemed." She knocked again and was aggravated by a continued lack of response. "Just open the door." She cried out. There was still no response. She tried to turn the door handle, but it was locked, she pulled out her wand "Alohomora" she whispered, the lock clicked and she pushed the door open. Snape was sitting at his desk, as she walked in he looked up at her. "Look, nothing happened okay." She told him, trying to sound calm.

"Miss Weasley, you know for a fact that students don't go to the boat shed so nothing can happen." He jeered, glaring at her.

"I didn't know he was taking me to the boat shed, and honestly, nothing happened." She told him slowly, he shook his head and sighed.

"So, you are trying to tell me that all he wanted to do was feed you hot chocolate and cake?" he asked, sarcasm plaguing his voice.

"Well, no…. but-" she was interrupted by Snape.

"So something did happen?" he asked, Ginny breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself. Her stomach was rolling around in her body and she felt as though she was ready heave her dinner up through her throat.

"I'm not going to lie to you…. He did ask me out…." She said slowly, trying to sound as truthful as she was being.

"And you said yes?" He snapped standing up, and then he took a breath and sat back down in an attempt to regain composure.

"No, I didn't have time to say anything before you barged right on in." she told him bitterly.
"Sorry, but I wasn't aware that teachers had to knock on the boat shed door to warn fornicating students of their arrival." Snape hissed.

"For Merlin's sake! There was no fornication. Don't you understand? He asked me out, that is it! There was no kissing, no touching, and no sexual behaviour of any kind. What, do you think that I am that easy? Do you think that I would let any old sod touch me?" She asked, annoyed at Snape's irrational behaviour.

"No. I didn't say that." Snape said slowly, Ginny raised an eyebrow at him.

"I am telling you the whole and complete truth, all that happened was that he asked me out. And do you know what I was going to say?" Ginny asked him bitterly, he looked away.

"No." He admitted.

"Do you want to know?" She asked, he thought for a second before answering slowly.

"Yes."

" I was going to tell him," Ginny begun angrily, but then soothed her tone "I was going to tell him that I can't go out with him. I was going to tell him that I don't like him anymore, and that I am happy just being his friend." Snape looked at her "Do you want to know why I was going to tell him that?" she asked.

"Why?" Snape did not have the motivation to argue with her, he knew he was fighting a loosing battle.

"Because I have fallen in love with you." She yelled, throwing her arms up in the air. Shit. Suddenly she froze, realising what she had just said. The words seemed alien to her, yet somehow they fit. Snape stared at her for what seemed an eternity. She was silently cursing herself for what she said. He opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again, speechless. Ginny closed her eyes and tried to steady her erratic breathing. Trying, but failing.

"I…" Snape begun, Ginny's eyes snapped open and she looked at him evenly, "You… you didn't mean that." He told her, she nodded slowly.

"Yes. I did." She admitted, she felt compared to tell him the truth, to bear her soul to him. Snape stood up and walked over to the door.

"Go back to your common room Miss Weasley." He said as he ushered her out. She refused to step over the threshold.

"Don't push me away. I told you I loved you. And I do." She told him sternly, he looked down into her. Her eyes met his. "I love you Severus" she whispered. He lowered his lips onto her and kissed her passionately. Ginny's heart fluttered uncontrollably as she luxuriated under the influence of his kiss, the feeling of his cold lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her as they kissed, pulling her body close to hers. When he pulled away from her he smoothed her hair.

"I love you too." He replied, with what could only be described as a smile. Not a smirk, or a sneer, but a genuine smile. She had never seen him smile before, unless she counted the times when Slytherin beat Gryffindor.

Ginny smiled back at him and stepped away from him, shutting the door. She walked back over to him.

"I'm sorry that I went for a walk with Harry, but I didn't know what was going to happen, and I wanted to let him know that I wasn't interested in him anymore." She told him, he nodded.

"I understand. I overreacted." He said, Ginny laughed.

"Ah, so the mean, evil potions master is admitting he is wrong?" she mocked, with a sweet smile.

"No," he replied "the mean, evil potions master is simply admitting he overreacted. And the mean, evil potions master has to go for a meeting with the virtuous and powerful headmaster before he looses his dull and repetitive job." He told her as though he was talking to a toddler.

"Really?" She asked, slightly disheartened, he nodded and headed for the door, but turned around and planted a kiss on her cheek.

"I do love you." He whispered before walking out of his office.

"Clinkers" Said Severus to the stone gargoyle. The Garygoyle sprung to life and allowed him entrance to the passageway that led to Dumbledore's office. He was still thinking about what had happened so far that evening. He knew that he shouldn't have reacted as he did when he found Ginny and Harry in the boat shed. When he opened the door he felt his stomach drop to the floor, he felt as though he had been betrayed. He told himself that he should have expected it, that he should of known that something like this was bound to happen, but thinking it and seeing it was completely different. The feeling that he got when he saw Ginny and Harry together hurt him mote than he thought it would. More than it should. He now knew how he felt about her, he recognized that gut-wrenching feeling. He hadn't expected Ginny to say that she loved him, it was so soon, but then again love isn't determined by time.

As he rounded the corner and arrived at the door of Dumbledore's office it opened to reveal the headmaster at his desk with a pleasant smile on his face. I am glad you have something to smile about, Severus thought bitterly. He took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk, and with a wave of his wand he shut the office door. Dumbledore then withdrew his own want and stood up, then walked around his circular office, wand tip on the wall, once he had completed a full circle he took a step back and whispered an incantation. He returned to his seat.

"Severus," he said "Thank you dor coming." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "As you are undoubtedly aware, the time has come for you to go on a mission for the Order. You will be away for two weeks, the end of November and the beginning of December, so you should have plenty of time to prepare. You will not need many potions, but I will give you a list on Monday. Other than that I will save the details for later, but I do wish to warn you that this mission is incredibly dangerous, but I want to give you the opportunity to refuse. I have a feeling you already know what it is." Dumbledore explained, I don't really have much of a choice.

"I look forward to it." Snape said, trying to sound more enthusiastic than he was feeling.

"On a much happier note," Dumbledore chimed in cheerily, "how do you like the new blankets? They have all been charmed with a self-warming charm!"

"Mmm…" Sighed Severus "Much better. They stay warm for much longer." They are blankets, for Merlin's sake!

"Oh, look at the time!" Cried Dumbledore standing up. "I am sorry, but I must run. I have an appointment with a nice warm mug of butter beer at Rosemerta's!" Severus stood up and walked over to the door, holding it open for the headmaster, and then followed him out.

"Goodnight then." Severus said. Dumbledore began to walk away but stopped and turned.

"I do hope that three weeks is time enough to tie up your affairs." He said, and with a small knowing twinkle in his eyes, he turned and walked off.

Ginny stepped through the Gryffindor portrait hole and looked around, thankfully Harry was nowhere to be seen, and her friends were not there, they were most likely in the library studying. She decided to go up to her dorm room and get her books so she could go and study with Hazel. As she climbed the stair case she heard her name called out, she turned around to see Hermione, grinning.

"Where's Harry?" she asked, Ginny felt terrible.

"I'm not sure." She replied, Hermione looked at her questioningly.

"Oh."

"When we went for our 'walk' Snape found use." Hermione scrunched her face up.

"So did he…." Her voice trailed off, so that it 'he didn't' she wouldn't have given anything away. Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, he did." She told her in a melancholy tone.

"And what did you say?" excitement seeping into Hermione's voice, Ginny shook her head.

"I didn't get to say anything, that is when Snape barged in." Ginny explained, Hermione looked at her sympathetically.

"Aren't you happy?" Hermione asked, she knew that Ginny had wanted this for a long time.

"I… I just better talk to Harry." She said and turned around to get her books.

The next day was just as cold as the one before, just as snowy, and just as academically unproductive. Ginny was huddled up in the common room for most of the morning, putting quill to parchment, but doodling instead of writing.

Severus sat in his office, marking essays absent-mindedly. Thinking about what to tell Ginny, if he was going to tell her at all. I have to, he thought, I am sure she will notice me missing after a day. He knew for a fact that his 'mission' was going to be dangerous, all missions for the order were. A month ago he would not have minded risking his neck so deliberately, but now it was different. Now he had more to come back to than just a pile of essays waiting correction and a couple of hundred whining students. He knew that, as soon as it was, he did love Ginny and that he would hate to loose her. He wasn't even sure whether or not she knew he was a death eater or not, he didn't know how she would take it. Surely the time would come that she would find the dark mark emblazoned on his arm, and how would she react then? Would it be better to tell her first? I probably should. When was he going to tell her about this new mission? He had to decide. He couldn't just get up and leave without saying goodbye.

He put his quill down and decided to take a walk to clear his head, to try and sort out what he was going to do. To, 'tie up his affairs' as Dumbledore has coincidentally put it. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence, Snape thought as he stood up.

Ginny heard footsteps walking towards her, she looked up to see Harry approaching and decided to look busy. She started to scribble random sentences on her parchment furiously, in attempt to defer him.

"You busy?" He asked, what does it look like?

"Um, just a little" she said motioning to her parchment, he sat down beside her and cleared his throat.

"About last night," he said, Ginny wrote even more determinedly. "I am sorry about what happened, I didn't think Snape would walk in."

"S'ok" Ginny mumbled, feigning concentration.

"Well, anyway. When I asked you out you didn't have time to respond to me… so, do you want to go out with me?" He asked, a cute smile tugging at the corner of his lip. Ginny took a deep breath in and put her quill down.

"Sorry Harry." She said quietly and shook her head.

"Sorry?" He asked, ignoring her body language.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I can't." She said, he looked as though he had taken a blunger to the chest, it hurt Ginny to see him so disjected. "Look, I think that we would be better off as friends." She explained.

"I like you a lot Gin," he begun, she interrupted him.

"I know Harry," she whispered "I used to like you too, but things change." She told him. He cleared his throat and stood up. "I got over you months ago…"

"Well, see you around then." He and walked towards the portrait hole as fast as his feet could carry him, ignoring Hermione's attempts to talk to him or stop him. After he stepped out of the common room Hermione walked over to Ginny.

"What happened?" she asked, sitting down on the seat just vacated by Harry.

"I said no." Ginny told her, and started to write again. Hermione looked shocked.

"What do you mean?" She asked, Ginny put her quill down again.

"I told him that I think we would be better off just being friends." She explained.

"Why?"

"Because things have changed, I don't like him in that way anymore." Ginny told Hermione.

"Is there someone else?" Hermione asked. Ginny focused her energy on shaking her head, how she wished she could tell Hermione the truth.

"No."

"Why, then?" Hermione asked.

"I just think that we are better as friends. That's all. And I have gotten over him." She told her. Hermione sighed and looked at her parchment.

"What's that for?" She asked, Ginny tried to cover the words with her elbow.

"Oh, history of magic." Ginny say in a tone that would have aroused suspicion in a carrot.

"I see." Hermione said standing. Before she walked off she leant down and put her mouth to Ginny's ear. "By the way Ginny," she whispered "history of magic has nothing to do with the ingredients of a colour change potion." She stalked off.

A/N: Well, sorry again about the wait, but the exams are over for two months. So, We should be able to write more in less time. Anyway, thanks for all of the reviews, we love hearing/reading feedback. Hmm… best be off…

Love,

Sinister spiders