----Twenty-three years can seem like a short yet sometimes long time when you're filled with hatred
and bitterness. Everything seems to pass by and leave you behind, and you're glad that it did. It
wasn't that interesting anyway. Though a few things do catch your memory as time goes on, like; a
certain someone you love dies, a certain someone you hate saves your life and you feel indebted,
the joker, also the one you hate, of your class MARRIES and reproduces his vileness! Bitterness
is like a thin spread that layers up fast. All these reasons weren't helping Severus Snape
today...especially today. His potion class was all riled up over the up coming Quidditch game,
Slytherin Vs. Gryffindor. This was the major game of the season, and there were bound to be
some interesting injuries and stories on how they happened. "SILENCE!" he had had enough.
"FIVE points from all of you! And to get you back on task, this," with a wave of his wand all the
cauldrons were emptied, and the class groaned. "Should any of this nonsense continue, you're
cauldrons will continue to drain," he stared coldly at all of them. "Professor, Hermione wasn't
talking," it was Harry Potter. Potter...All the horrible moments replayed in his head, James tripping
him, flipping him, hitting him and Sylvia dying in front of him and looking up and seeing James
Potter...Potter. "That will be five more points from you Potter, and as for Ms. Granger...She should
thank me for giving her more practice, as should you," "But sir! She was almost done!" "Five more
points, and her being almost done gives her a chance to be more exact with her measurements.
Are you gong to really argue more?" now annoyed, he noticed Harry getting ready to protest once
more. Wisely Harry shut his mouth and turned to grumble over her cauldron, with the Slytherins all
around smiling and nodding their thanks to him.
----The Quidditch game came at a fast approach and was finally there. Extra protection was set out
around the pitch with the chance that the Dark Lord might be back, though according to Harry, he
was back, but no one would listen to him. Climbing to his spot in the stands, an annoyingly kind
Slytherin girl tossed a string of green and silver tinsel around his shoulders and skipped off. Doing
his best at a smile (though not meaning it) Severus waited until the girl had gone to remove the
ridiculous decoration. Taking his seat he took no notice of the people around him until the woman
sitting next him accidentally spilled some of her popcorn on his lap. "Oh! I'm so sorry! My robes
got caught and I went to pull them away and...I'm sorry," "It's fine," he replied shortly. "You know...I
don't believe I've met you before. I'm Lorrie McKent," she offered a hand shake. "Severus Snape,"
he greeted, lingering with the hand shake. He had finally turned to look at her. She had raven black
hair...Just like Selene's! But insted of blue eyes, an odd green stood out, even with her wavy hair
framing her face. "I apologize," he caught him self staring, "You just remind me of someone I
know. Someone I went to school with," he turned back to the pitch, hoping she wouldn't be able to
read the emotions in his eyes. "Really?" she asked, "Who? I might know. I have a big family; we all
tend to look alike. Was her last name McKent or MacIvy? Those are the only sides I would know."
He turned back to her but tried to focus on what she was saying insted of her. "Neither," It doesn't
matter. She doesn't matter, he tried to convince himself, but at that moment a sharp pang hit him in
the gut, he turned away to hide the pain. It doesn't matter, the pangs hit him again. Whenever he
tried to deny Selene a clear vivid picture of her, during the good times, appeared in his mind. But
then an image that he only saw when they were first together, her looking disapproving. She would
only give him that sort of look when he would give into being bullied, or had doubts about himself
and people accepting him. Ever since she died he spent one-hundred and ten percent of his time
devoting to Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now all of a sudden a random woman he
never saw around the castle before appears just about twenty-three years later looking like Selene,
after Selene and his heart had died, and he felt his heart again and the cold palms and heat in his
face. I'll just ignore her, but like Selene she had a presence that would not be ignored.
----The game had ended; Gryffindor had won one-hundred seventy six to sixty, much to the
Slytherin's dismay. "That was a good game. Your seeker almost had the Snitch before his broom
clipped the ground. Potter's a fairly decent seeker, I can see him going professional," this was
awkward small talk for Severus, so he kept his answers short. They were on the final landing when
Lorrie stopped to face him. "She wants you to move on. She trusts me, and still loves you. I
thought you'd remember me. I introduced myself as a test. You failed." That was all she said when
she left him standing there in shock. How could she know? He would ignore her, act like it didn't
happen. He had met her before? "I beg your pardon," he tried to act indignant, but when you're
shocked out of you robes that can be quite difficult. She walked back towards him. "Damnit
Severus!" she grabbed his sleeve and ushered them towards the forest where, hopefully, no one
would hear them.
----"I used to go to school with you. It was right after Selene died. I sat next to you in two classes
everyday and I would talk to you, and you would respond! I told you how sorry I was and that you
should think about moving on, not all at once, but slowly. I tried to help you. I took you for
Butterbear when we were in Hogsmead to talk over, but you sat silently. For years after that we
continued our annual Hogsmead Butterbear tradition and for years you sat there, silently. Do you
hear me!" She about shrieked in frustration when he just stood staring. "That was you?"
All of a sudden Selene's face disappeared from his mind and filed with the days at Hogsmead with
Lorrie. His heart felt odd, not like something was terribly wrong, but like something was terribly
right. Having feelings for Lorrie suddenly didn't feel wrong. Selene's vision nodded in his head and
faded into everyone's average memory of someone, but, of course, it was still strong. "Are you
willing to give this a chance?" She had done it, she called him out. It felt great, like progress was
on the way. "I-I can't, I..." "You what? You're afraid?" she rolled her eyes when he gave her an
indignant 'I am not afraid' look. "Of course, I forgot, you're not afraid. Just afraid of love," she
smiled matter-of- factly and turned to walk away. Thinking over her words, he hurried after her.
Stopping to see what he wanted, he raised her hand to his lips. "Thank you," she said. "No, thank
you," he smiled. "We better go," he glanced back at the woods and searched the trees as if
hearing something. "Yes, we better go," and they headed up to the castle.