"Who are you going to the Yule ball with Professor Tingstrom?" Cho Chang asked excitedly.
I looked up from my book and glared at her. I know I shouldn't play favorites... I shouldn't! I shouldn't sneak Neville and Luna candy and help them with their homework. I shouldn't suggest books to Hermione and then lend them to her. I shouldn't give Ron spider repellant or owl Sirius Black that he'd better sign Harry's permission slip for Hogsmede post haste before I go down to his house to personally stick my foot up his ass. I also shouldn't glare at Cho Chang and make a sarcastic remark every time she speaks. I shouldn't immediately assume Draco is lying to me when he speaks and talk to him in a tone that practically yells that I don't trust or like him. I shouldn't, I really shouldn't... but I do. What? This was why I never planned to be a teacher in the first place! "Miss Chang, how could knowing who I might go to the Yule ball with possibly interest you?"
"Because you're a beautiful, mysterious philosophy professor! I can just imagine you with some tall, dark, and handsome man who'll sweep you off your feet and off to a foreign country to be his queen." She sighed.
I looked at Cho and realized that although I've been less than lovely to her, she likes me. She really does. What's wrong with her? "Miss Chang, I don't need to be someone's queen. I don't want to be swept off my feet. Life is not a fairytale. Knights in shining armor more often than not turn out to be losers in tin foil. Prince Charming is really just a frog. And there are no happily ever afters. True love is finding someone that you love just the way they are, and who feels the same way about you. Someone who stays with you, supports you; someone that you know will be there through the good times and bad."
She stared at me for a moment, "And is that someone going to be taking you to the Yule ball?"
I sighed and rubbed my temples, "No. I'm a professor, I don't need a date. I'm going to the Yule ball alone."
She frowned, "How is that possible? Has nobody asked you?"
"Professor Lupin offered to take me and Mr. Black sent me two dozen roses and a diamond necklace with a note asking me."
"And you didn't accept either of them?!?"
"I'd rather just see Professor Lupin there and I'd rather be hexed than go anywhere with Mr. Black. I sent him his presents back with a note saying exactly that."
Cho shook her head, "You're mad!"
"That's quite possible. Anything else?"
She sighed and said, "No, but I must say that this is very disappointing! Next year when I go to Yule Ball, I'm going to make sure you have a date!"
"Out of my office Miss Chang." I said as politely as possible.
"Alright, alright..." She turned to go, but then turned back. "About that true love. Who is it?"
I looked up at her, "What makes you think I have one?"
"If you didn't, why didn't you accept the other offers?"
"I don't need a date."
"I think you were waiting for someone else to ask you."
"And I think you're a hopeless romantic that needs to go away."
She smiled and ran back to my desk, "Come on, tell me! I can keep a secret!"
I gave her an even look, "We both know that's a lie Miss Chang."
"Oh, come on!"
"Miss Chang, this is a very inappropriate discussion for us to be having..."
"Please?????"
"Miss Chang if you do not get out of my office right now!!!!"
She gasped, "Is it Professor Snape? He's the only other professor near your age around here! I've seen how you look at him! It's him, isn't it?"
"Miss Chang, guess what?"
"What?" She asked excitedly.
"TEN POINTS FROM RAVENCLAW! GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!!!" I screamed.
Her eyes widened and she ran out of my office.
"And if I hear about you spreading gossip about me I'll take even more off!" I yelled after her. Stupid brat... try to trap me will she?
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"I think you'd look lovely in this Professor Tingstrom!" Hermione said, holding up a light green dress with spaghetti straps.
I raised an eyebrow, "I think you may be taking some things for granted hon..."
"Like what?" She asked, Ron and Harry were sitting over by the wall looking very bored.
"Like that you obviously think I have small breasts and a flawless figure... and perfect legs, LOOK AT THIS SLIT! Are you mad?" I said, slightly panicked at just the thought.
"Professor, you're obviously still in your early twenties. You should wear something pretty!" Hermione said matter of factly.
"Can't I wear something pretty that doesn't make me look like a lady of the night?" I asked hopefully.
She shook her head, "And people say that I'm uptight."
"Well, when you're a professor it's expected of you." I looked through some racks. "I'll try on this one."
"You should wear something more colorful..."
"Silver is a color!" I said indignantly.
"What about red?"
"I don't feel like wearing red right now."
"What about this one?"
"It's pink..."
"So?"
"Miss Granger, your observational skills are obviously not what they used to be if you really think I'll wear pink."
"sigh" Well, I still think you should wear something younger and brighter than that..."
"What about this?"
"Lovely!"
It was white, v-necked, and came down to my ankles with wispy sleeves. I tried it on, it fit, and Hermione left me alone. Job done, now to get on with my life. I bought the dress and the three children followed me. "Harry thinks that you should go to the ball with his godfather!" Ron said.
Harry elbowed him.
"What? It's true!" He defended himself.
"But you didn't have to tell her!" Harry snarled.
"I think that Harry wants you to be his godmother." Ron said.
I sighed and turned around, smiling at the children, "Listen, I'm not interested in your godfather Harry. I'm sorry. But I'll always be here to help you, all of you, if you need me. Okay?"
They smiled and nodded.
I smiled, "Good. Now can I please go shopping without worrying about scarring young minds?"
They laughed and Harry said, "Alright, we'll see you later Professor."
I smiled and nodded. I went and got some soaps and various other hygienic things (hence the not wanting to scar young minds) as well as some green eyeshadow, mascara, and pink lip gloss for Pansy Parkinson... what? Pansy wasn't on my list of people I dislike actually, poor misguided little thing. She came to me crying about how she wasn't pretty and that she was going to die if Draco didn't love her. I told her to broaden her horizons from just Draco, that she was too young to go insisting that he was her soul mate... and promised to get her some makeup so she would feel better about herself because "others cannot love you if you do not love yourself".
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"That greasy git! Someday I'm going to hex him good, and then he'll be sorry!" I heard a student say.
I knew who he was talking about, and I didn't appreciate it on several levels. I loomed above the boy and his friends and said, "And who might this greasy git be that you so want to hex?"
They froze where they were and turned around. The boy stuttered, "Uhm, nobody! I was just kidding!"
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Might I suggest, that you look at your surroundings before threatening a professor? You never know who might be listening..."
The boy frowned, "I'm not afraid of anybody!"
I chuckled, smirking, "Is that why you're visibly shaking?"
He glared at me.
I bent down and said, "Just be thankful that you didn't mention any names. If you had, believe me I would have given you the strictest punishment possible." I stood up, "As it is... ten points from Gryffindor for threatening to hex someone. And by the way, shame on you for doing so, it's very unhonorable of you."
I turned around and started to walk away. I heard the boy say, "I hate her too..."
"Twenty points!" I screamed.
I heard one of the boy's friend's slap him over the head and smirked.
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I opened up the door to my classroom, dressed for the Yule ball, and jumped in surprise. "Remus, what are you doing here?"
He smiled, "I decided that I could at least walk you to the ball."
I smiled, "You people just don't give up do you?"
He laughed, "What's that supposed to mean?
"All the children want me to have a date. They're cooking up various romantic situations for me..."
"Ah yes, I've even heard that Cho Chang is spreading rumors about you having a romance with Snape." He chuckled.
I sighed, "I told her not to do that! I threatened to take points off and everything!"
"Ah, but a juicy piece of gossip is worth it." He teased.
I gave him the look, "It's not funny!"
He grinned, "Yes it is actually."
I rolled my eyes, "I just don't understand what the big deal is."
"Well, you're young, fairly mysterious, and pretty. It's only natural that they'd imagine you into romantic tales." He said kindly.
I shrugged, "My life isn't very romantic. Never has been."
He looked at me for a long moment, "Why not?"
"Because..."
"Because why?"
"Because it just isn't."
"That's not an answer."
"Well, if you can give me a proper answer to it I'd be very grateful."
"Ah..."
"Yeah."
He looked at me, "So you've never been in love?"
"Define in love?"
"You're more secretive than me."
"And doesn't that make you feel all warm inside?"
He shook his head, "Maybe one day you'll tell me what's happening?"
I looked at him, "Maybe..."
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I got to the Yule Ball with Remus and everybody turned and looked at us. For some reason both Remus and I started to laugh and Remus rubbed my back supportively. We walked into the ballroom and a swarm of girls huddled around me, making Remus have to back up. A blanket of questions...
"Are you dating Professor Lupin?"
"You're in love with Professor Lupin?"
"Are you two engaged?"
"Can I be a bridesmaid?!?"
I held up my hands, "Girls, girls..."
They grinned at me.
"My personal life is none of your business. Professor Lupin just walked with me here."
They all went, "Awwww..."
I shook my head and walked off to where the other professors were.
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I walked off to the balcony after a few hours of the ball. I breathed in the cold night air and looked at the stars. When I had walked up to Severus he'd glared at me as if I disgusted him completely. It was like a knife through my chest and I was so... royally pissed off! The damn stupid fucking man! I'd always liked him and thought he was wonderful and sexy... even when I thought he was fictional. But now that I know him, I love him... absolutely adore him. I wasn't even the type of girl to adore a man, but I do. If I could do anything without consequences, I'd probably follow him around like some sort of lost puppy and make him love me too. But I can't, and he obviously doesn't have any sort of feelings about me... except maybe annoyance and revulsion. Why does life always have to be this way?
I rubbed my arms, it was winter.
I felt someone put a black coat over my shoulders. "You shouldn't be out here. That dress barely even has sleeves."
"What do you care?" I snarled at him.
His hands had been resting on my shoulders; they lifted, and then rested on my shoulders again, squeezing them slightly. "I care."
I turned around and pinned him with a look, "Since when? What do you want from me Severus?"
He stared at me for a long moment.
I shook my head, "Never mind."
He stopped me from leaving and said, "Katherine..."
I looked up at him, "What?"
He stared at me for a moment, again, and then I felt his lips on mine.
I was just shocked for a moment, and then I kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
After a while the kiss stopped and Severus looked into my eyes, "I want you..."
I looked into his eyes and said, "You've got me."
He smiled and kissed me again.
"I knew it!" We heard a voice say behind us.
Severus and I turned around and saw Isabelle Fairbrooke looking smug.
"Young lady what are you doing out here!" Severus hissed.
"Catching you two snogging!" She giggled.
I sighed and closed my eyes, "Miss Fairbrooke, you're not supposed to be out here. I'm afraid I'll have to take ten points from Ravenclaw and give you a detention."
Her eyes opened wide, "But that's not fair!"
"Well, life's not fair. Go back to the ball and don't let me catch you out here again." I said as calmly as possible.
Isabelle pouted as she went back inside.
I looked up at Severus sheepishly. I wasn't sure how he would react.
He just smiled at me a little and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Did you deliberately beat me to punishing her?"
I smiled, "Not exactly..."
He chuckled and kissed my temple, "We should get inside."
I nodded.