AN: Thank you for all the support! It is very deeply appreciated!
"Where's Dismas?"
Sirius glanced up from Nicomachean Ethics and frowned. Why did Severus always interrupt the good parts?
Severus locked eyes with him. "Where is Dismas?"
"I don't know." Sirius' glow was dull red. "Why do you need to see him?"
"You'd love to know why, wouldn't you?" Severus growled
"Actually I would." Sirius set the book down.
"You'd just love to throw my latest predicament in my face, wouldn't you?"
"Maybe, if I knew what it was."
"I'd tell you but," Severus scanned the room for Dismas. "It does not concern you."
"The hell it doesn't." Sirius stood. "If our mission is in jeopardy then I want to know what's happening so I can fix it, or at least explain to St. Pete how none of it is my fault."
"This is your fault," Severus hissed as his glow turned bright red. "This is all of your fault."
"How is it my fault?" Sirius' voice lacked its usual sarcasm. "What am I being accused of now?"
"Causing discord by bringing up the notion of love."
"Love?"
"Yes, if you hadn't started with this soulmate business and demanding that we find Hermione's true love I wouldn't be in this predicament!"
"In what predicament?"
"I can't explain it to you." Severus snapped. "I just need to see Dismas!"
"He obviously isn't coming right now, so you can either pace around the room and yell or you can let me help you with whatever is happening." Sirius approached the other spirit.
"I don't need your help." Severus' voice was low.
"Obviously you do or else you wouldn't be so upset."
"I need help, but not your help."
"Considering that we're in this program together…"
"A fact I regret every day."
"Listen," Sirius shook his head. "It's obvious there's a problem we need to work through. I can stop the sarcasm for a few minutes if you can."
"Is that even possible for you?"
"I can try."
Severus' glow remained red.
"This problem wouldn't have anything to do with our conversation earlier, would it?" Sirius continued.
Severus turned white.
"That's what I thought."
"You can think?"
"Of course I can! I…" he held up his hand. "Okay, you are obviously very distressed at the realization that you're in love with Hermione. You're freaking out a little bit. I can't say I can relate to your problem, but I can try to sympathize."
"How can you not relate to being in love?"
"I spent half my adult life in prison, and the other having refusing to be tied down. The closest I ever got to falling in love was Robin."
"Robin Smythe, the Ravenclaw two years ahead of us?"
"Yes, but that doesn't matter," Sirius replied. "This is about you and your inability to identify and regulate your emotions."
"I'm fine discussing any regrets you have surrounding Robin if you need a listening ear." Severus' lips twitched upwards.
"Nice try." Sirius smirked. "I don't have any regrets. Robin didn't swing like I did so it was over before it began. We left as friends. Now back to the problem at hand."
Severus scowled.
"What made you finally realize you were in love?" Sirius asked. "Did you turn pink one too many times? Did she say something that made you laugh? What was it?"
"I touched her." His voice was soft.
"You did what?" Sirius cocked his head.
"I told you, I touched her."
"I know, but I didn't think spirits could touch objects."
"No but I can touch what she wants me to touch," Severus explained. "She said she wanted me to touch her, so I told her just to say the words."
"So you touched her?"
Severus slumped onto the couch.
"What did it feel like?" Sirius asked, his glow a warm yellow.
"Why do you care?"
"Curiosity."
Severus stared at him.
"I've almost forgotten what it is like to touch anything. What did her touch feel like?"
"I didn't feel her skin, but I could touch her soul."
"How?"
"I don't know." Severus was white again. "But I need to speak with Dismas about it."
"He isn't here, so I'll have to do."
"Oh joy." Severus groaned.
"I thought we agreed on no sarcasm for the next few minutes."
"You decided to do that. I agreed to nothing."
"Fine whatever." Sirius continued. "What did touching her soul feel like?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"Because I've never touched a mortal's soul given that I can't touch anything." Sirius' voice was soft. "I'd really like to know what it feels like."
"It was overwhelming." Severus' glow became a light pink. "Our connection was stronger than anything I could have imagined. I was at peace, overflowing with affection for her."
"Had you ever felt that way before?"
"No." He whispered. "I'd never felt any kind of peace or affection, at least nothing that deep. I never wanted it to end."
"Then why did you let her go?"
"Were you listening to nothing I said earlier? I am a spirit and she is a mortal."
"Is she just a mortal?"
Severus bit back the word, "dunderhead."
"I've actually thought about your form and hers." Sirius sat beside him. "The truth is far simpler than anyone realizes. You are a current spirit, and she is a future spirit. Actually, she kinda is a spirit already since all mortals have spirits, but they're in bodies. Still, the spirits will be set free upon death, although that's complicated."
"Where are you going with this?" Severus snapped.
"I'm saying the spirit thing is an excuse. So is the professor and student thing. All of them are weak excuses at that. There's something holding you back from embracing her. What is it?"
Severus opened his mouth, but no words came out. His glow pulsated.
"Do you feel unworthy of her?"
Severus lowered his head and stared at the ground. His glow was dark blue.
"Now we're getting somewhere," Sirius continued.
Severus' tensed.
"Somehow you became convinced that you weren't worthy of someone like Hermione, and now you're having a pity party."
"I'm not having a pity party." He mumbled.
"Then why did you leave early just to sit on a couch to talk to me? We both know you'd much rather be with her than ever see me again."
"That is the most accurate statement you've ever made."
"Then why are you here instead of with her?"
"Because…" His voice tapered off.
"Because why?"
His voice was almost inaudible. "Why would she want me?"
"I don't know, but clearly she does if she keeps seeing you."
"This relationship is going to fail, just like everything else does."
"Why are you so convinced your relationship will fail?"
"You said it best, 'You don't stand a chance with her. No girl will ever love Snivellus.'"
"I didn't say that about Hermione. In fact I don't think…" Sirius turned white. "Oh, I did say that once, didn't I?"
"You said it twelve times."
"Twelve?" He squeaked.
"Yes, I counted each time you said it in my head over the weekend."
"I think it was thirteen, but I may have only said the last one to Peter when we were alone." Sirius put his head into his hands. "I still said it too many times though."
"I hate admitting you were right, but in terms of me being in love you are. I will find a way to muck it up, and we will all be in a worse position than before."
Silence fell between them.
"No," Sirius voice was strong. "I was wrong then. In fact, I'd never been more wrong about anything."
Severus did not look up.
Sirius raised the other spirit's head. "Look, I was right in that Lily wouldn't love you back, but I was wrong in saying that no woman could ever love you."
"It doesn't matter if she loves me. When she gets to know me, she will abandon me."
"That isn't true, and deep down inside you know it."
It was clear from his expression that Severus believed no such thing.
"I know you don't believe me, but I have proof."
"What?"
"I've been stuck in here reading Plato, and I think I'm learning what love is."
"Seducing everyone in sight?"
"No, it's about doing the one thing I could never do in life," Sirius emphasized the next words. "Creating something."
Severus stared at him.
"In life I didn't know how to create anything. I lacked imagination and ambition. If someone like you could do what I couldn't, I hated them."
"You mean you envied me?"
"No, I just hated you because I couldn't fathom what it would take to create something. Instead of finding my own path in life and creating something, I tore you and others down. I figured if I had a sucky life then everyone else should too. Looking back, I said I fought for truth and justice, but the reality I was far more interested in inflicting pain on others than improving the world."
Severus' glow lightened.
"Your time in Purgatory has been spent making up for the things you couldn't do in life. You didn't have time to brew potions in life, in large part because of the situation I put you in by being an arse instead of contributing anything tangible to the world."
Severus blinked.
"You are different though. Hermione and you are creating, whereas I am coming to the realization that I have done next to nothing in life. Aside from Harry, nobody misses me. Really why would they?" Sirius was now cerulean. "I didn't give them anything to miss."
"Do you want me to contradict you?" Severus bit his lower lip.
"No, because I'd know anything you said was a lie," Sirius replied. "Still, I'm trying to make a point."
"What?"
"You have another chance to create, to cherish, to love. Don't squander it the way I squandered my first chance."
"Love is a two way street though," Severus argued. "She may not love me in return."
"You're not half as good a liar as you think you are."
Severus furrowed his eyebrows.
"You and Hermione create beautiful potions together. You touch each other's souls. You can't throw that away because you're scared," Sirius' glow was yellow.
"Are you saying you have faith in me not to muck this up?"
"Trust me, I'm as shocked as you are, but yes, I do have faith in you."
"In other words, the impossible has happened. You have faith that I can be in a relationship."
"Well, you might need help from me from time to time, but yes, I do think you could make this work."
"And if I can't?"
"Then I'll throw you and her into this Purgatory room until you two make up."
"How?"
"I have my ways."
They looked at each other before they burst out laughing.
"Severus?"
The spirits turned to the saint in the center of the room.
"I'm so sorry I'm late," Dismas began. "St. Augustine was putting the finishing touches on heaven's Easter party."
"Given his work I would imagine it will be an uh, interesting affair," Severus noted.
"You'd be surprised." Dismas grinned. "He often forgets he's a saint, especially once the water gets turned into wine."
Sirius grinned.
"I heard you calling for me. Do you need something?"
"No," Severus turned to Sirius. "I think we have a plan for our next course of action."
"That's wonderful to hear."
"It's wonderful to say," Severus answered.
"Indeed it must be," Dismas replied, knowing the program was working much better than anyone ever could've expected.