Chapter Three
In Which Harry Hears Voices And Is Threatened With Blindness
Harry was disturbed, embarrassed, stunned and guilty all at once. Snape was nothing like what he'd thought all these years. There was a heart in there, a broken heart at that, and the reason Snape was bitter and cynical was suddenly crystal clear. Hiding behind that cold façade, he could keep his hurt buried and fend other people off at the same time, to save himself more pain. It was a classic defence mechanism. Snape continued to stare out the window, lost in thought, and an uncomfortable silence followed. "Why did you stay here if the memories are so bad?" Snape smiled sadly. "So many of the memories are good, Potter. I can almost hear her now in this room, calling out for me…" Come to think of it, so could Harry. A whispering call: Severus, Help me! Please I'm trapped…Severus! Please hear me! "Umm, Professor? I think I can hear her too." At the thunderous look on Snape's face, he hastily spoke, "No, really Professor! I honestly think I can hear, well someone calling." Frowning, Snape glanced around the room, his eyes alighting on a delicate little glass perfume bottle on the side table next to the window seat. The emerald green teardrop shaped bottle was topped by a twisted stopper shot through with silver. Snape reached for it, lost in memory. "This was the last thing I ever bought her. I actually enchanted it myself. The perfume inside will always smell how she's feeling; light for happy, heavy for sad…" As Snape's long fingers curled around the tiny bottle, his eyes went wide and the bottle slipped from his fingers. Harry lunged for it and managed to cease its descent inches from the floor, but the bottle was turned upside down and the stopper dropped out. The whispers turned to loud cries that grew louder as smoke began to pour out of the bottle, far more than should fit inside it. The silvery smoke coalesced into a beautiful young woman who knelt on the floor, covering her face with her hands, weeping. Snape made a choked sound and the young woman looked up into his dark eyes. Her emerald eyes widened, first with shock, then wonder, her pretty, soft lips forming an O of surprise. She threw her arms around him, with a tinkling, happy laugh. For a split second, Snape sat stock still, as if afraid he was dreaming, then his arms came up and he was squeezing her tightly, seemingly afraid of letting go. One hand was buried in her long, dark, wavy locks as the other stroked her back. After a long moment, she pulled back, sniffing delicately as she brushed away her tears. She was sitting in Snape's lap as she pulled away to study his face. Confusion replaced the happiness in her face. "Sevvy? What happened to you? You look old! Did James and Sirius play another prank on you? Don't worry, we'll get them back, baby. You feel thinner…when did that happen? And you really need to wash your hair. And get a tan…what's wrong baby?" She was stroking his cheek as she spoke. Snape's arm snaked around her waist and he drew her closer. "Piper…" her name sounded like a prayer. She smiled and twined her arm around his neck. "Yes Severus?" her voice was sweet. Snape looked at her, pain filling his eyes. "What's the last thing you remember, precious?" Harry's eyes widened at the endearment, but Piper frowned thoughtfully, then her delicate features clouded. "That rat faced bastard! How dare he tell me what to do!" She sprang up and began pacing, her slight body coiled tight with anger. Snape looked pained by the loss of contact, but reached for her gently. "Who, sweetling? Who did this to you?" Piper glanced at him, eyes softening slightly at the pet name before she threw herself down on his lap again. "Riddle, of course." She all but spat the name, as if to even speak it made her ill. Snape's eyes clouded as his face contorted in fury. He sprang to his feet, Piper clutched tight to him as he roared his rage. "THAT TWO FACED SNAKE! All that time, I served him, did whatever he wanted, confided in him, and all along he was the one who took you from me? That slimy, weak, disgusting little…" Snape seemed to run out of steam as Piper placed a small hand on his cheek. Sometime during the rant, she had locked her legs around his waist to stop herself from falling. Snape noticed this finally and his eyes darkened again, but not in anger. Harry had seen where this was going several minutes ago and begun to back out of the room slowly. He was almost to the door when Piper snapped her head around to glare at him. "Potter, you'd better fix Sevvy and leave or you're gonna go blind cause you'll cop such an eyeful of hot, sweaty…James?" Harry flushed bright red and wrinkled his nose in disgust, but then smiled in amusement at the strangled look on Snape's face and stepped back into the moonlight which streamed through the window. Piper cocked her head to one side and frowned. "You're not James, but you look just like him. Except your eyes…What's your name?" Harry stepped forward and held out his hand. "Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you Piper. Snape was just telling me all about you." Piper smiled up at Snape. "Yes, he can never seem to stop spouting my praises…wait, Potter?" Snape winced over the top of Piper's head and, catching Harry's eye, jerked his head towards the door. Harry thought it best to beat a hasty retreat before Snape told his love how long she'd been in that bottle. "Uh, I've gotta go, Prof…Snape. I'll see you tomorrow, k?" He glanced at the girl in his Professor's arms. "See you round, Piper." Smiling apologetically at the pair he retrieved his cloak from the floor and made his way back to the door. "Potter." Snape called him just as he was about to disappear. Harry turned. "20 Points to Gryffindor." Harry's mouth dropped open for the third time that night. With a dark chuckle, Snape waved a dismissive hand at him and carried Piper to the window seat, where he sat, cradling her close to his chest.
The shock of seeing Snape act human wore off as Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor common room. He wondered if he should wake Ron and tell him about it, but dismissed the idea. No one would believe that Snape had a heart; the potions master had hidden it too well. As he discarded the cloak and climbed into bed, he couldn't help but smile at the unfamiliar, tender look on Snape's face as he held Piper close.