Snape was absolutely sure, as sure as the giant squid in the lake wasn't tiny, that nobody would go out with him if they weren't under some sort of Charm, and he also knew he wasn't going to go through the stupid affair with the Romance Charms again. He was never going to do that.

He was walking in Hogsmeade. The sun was setting, and Dumbledore had given Sirius a place to stay at Hogwarts for the night, on a couch in Dumbledore's office with an old blanket. Sirius really hadn't wanted to go back to the cave, now he had found Meg again. After missing her for over twelve years, he thought the same way she felt about him. He wasn't going to lose her again.

Snape, however, thought he was being stupid. He could just tell her where he was, and anyway, he should just be grateful Meg liked him at all. Snape remembered one time where he had asked Meg out, back when he went to school with her, she had actually just burst into tears and ran away. He had later found out Sirius had just rejected her (it had been near Valentine's Day). He remembered how he had sat in the Slytherin common room, alone, blasting things and repairing them, until Slytherin's Head of House saw him and told him to stop it. He had never forgotten that day.

Snape was walking around, eyes downcast, with a furious expression. He had dropped in on the place where he bought his Potions ingredients, mad at everybody, especially Sirius Black. Suddenly, he felt himself collide rather hard with somebody. Everything dropped to the ground.

"Watch where you're going!" Snape yelled, then he looked up.

A woman with straight brown hair tied in a loose ponytail and brown eyes full of warmth looked up at him, then spoke in a shy voice. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't mean to do that…here…let me help you with that…I'm so sorry…"

"It's quite all right," Snape whispered. She was pretty, almost as pretty as Meg was…He saw himself stick out his hand towards the woman on the ground still trying to help pick up his stuff. "Hi, nice to meet you…" He shook her hand rather enthusiastically. "I'm Severus Snape."

"Celeste Grimmauld." The woman smiled. She was even prettier when she smiled.

"Hi," he said. "Sorry about that, my bad. I wasn't watching where I was going. Pretty bad day so far, actually…Just buying Potions ingredients, you know…Why are you here?"

Celeste blushed. "Oh, nothing, just window shopping, you know. I like to stop in the Quidditch shops, you know. I couldn't play Quidditch if you paid me, I'm dead clumsy, part of the reason I bumped into you tonight…but, you know, I like looking at the brooms. The Firebolt's pretty cool, isn't it? Hey, do you play Quidditch? You know, maybe you could give me some tips or something."

"No, actually, I don't," said Snape. "I never really liked it much."

Celeste looked rather embarrassed this time, but she spoke again, nevertheless. "Hey, maybe you and I can drop into the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer or something. Sound fun?"

"Oh…well…I…" Snape couldn't believe she was asking him out, or even if she was.

"That's all right, I was just thinking…stupid idea…" Her face bright red, she turned to walk up the street, but Snape stopped her. She turned around. "Really, Severus, I have to go."

"Haven't you got a minute to spare?" Snape didn't know if it would embarrass her or not, but then he said, "You didn't have anywhere to go before you wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks. Let's go, I've got…I've got loads of time on my hands, Celeste. Come on, I like butterbeer."

"Really? You would? With…with me?" said Celeste.

"Why not?" said Snape. Celeste did not answer. They walked into the Three Broomsticks. Celeste looked down at her butterbeer, awkwardly silent, not saying anything at all.

"All right…" Snape thought a bit. "Tell me about yourself."

"Well…okay," she said. "I started school in the seventies. I went to Beauxbatons, because I grew up in France, that's where the school is. Right after my graduation, I moved to London. I was eleven in the year of 1971; that's when I started my school, when I was eleven. Isn't that when Hogwarts lets you start school, too? When you're eleven?" She paused. "When did you start school?"

"Same year as you," Snape answered. "1971."

"Oh…well…that's a coincidence," said Celeste, and the awkward silence returned. Snape now realized that Celeste was extremely shy. He would have to carry the conversation on for her. He looked at her slowly, and said, "Celeste, I'm a teacher at Hogwarts. You can come and see the school with me. I can show you my office, and everything, and I can show you my classroom…"

"You teach at Hogwarts?" said Celeste. "I'd rather go there than Beauxbatons. You're so lucky to have a headmaster like Dumbledore, isn't he so cool? And so smart, too…"

"Yes, I enjoy him," said Snape. "Well, come on, Celeste, what are you waiting for?" And then he pulled her hands, and the two of them just left Hogsmeade, together.