Severus Snape had always been a patient man. As a child he was raised to be respectful of time and the fate of how things happened. So naturally as a teenager even when things were rough, Severus was patient to wait for change. Now, as a fully grown thirty-eight year old man, his patience was running thin. He was sat at his study surrounded by potions manuals and hefty volumes of ancient tomes. He sighed. Something he didn't do unless at home. He was allowing himself to fully relax for once. He looked back down into the volume he was reading, the candle light fluttered because of the open window, it was distracting but he needed to find the cure for young Mr. Malfoy.

Things were getting desperate now, he knew that after what had happened previously that day, will remain forgotten for the rest of Severus's life, even though he was thinking about it right now. But that was beside the point. Draco had petrified him. He was scared; he hadn't felt so awkward in his whole life. How was he ever going to look the boy in the face again? He felt so bad for him, he needed to help.

He stared out the window, deep in thought. He could think clearer here. He was home, in the comfort of his own house. He didn't have to worry about brats running around or disturbing him. A bang echoed from upstairs then a loud giggle and the thumping of feet as children ran. How ironic, just as he thought that, something like that had to happen.

He'd arrived home at around midday, shocking his wife but not stopping to speak. He just ran up to his study and had been in there ever since. He wasn't even aware his children had a two week holiday and were home at the moment until he had heard them moment ago. The thought of the only cute little faces that could really make his heart melt, made a smile twitch on his lips. He rubbed his tired eyes and decided maybe being impatient wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. So he walked out of the study and up the stairs to spend some time with his wife and kids. He could always go back to researching in a few hours, maybe two… Half an hour most likely.

Detention with Filch was everything the students had expected it to be and so much more. McGonagall and Dumbledore had taken it in turns to help Filch supervise them all day. Yes, ALL day. The potions students had started their detention by the time their potions class was normally just about to end. They'd been excused from all other classes that day to do it. So they had worked from 10 o'clock until dinner that night with only a break now and then.

Now what cruel punishment had they received for not preventing there professor from getting molested? An interesting one, they were cleaning the lake WITHOUT magic. A mountain of rubbish, weeds and Merlin knows what else was in piles every ten or so meters around the lake.

Pansy had been in a mood all day; Blaise was flirting wildly with the Slytherins as he swam in the water collecting things; or their lack of. Crabbe and Goyle had spent most the day trying to sneak off and follow a mermaid until Blaise had reminded them she was in fact a fish.

"But Blaise! She's part human too!" They had protested.

"But Vinny!" He whined back in the same irritating tone, mocking them. "She's got scales!"

So clearly it was no surprise that by the time everyone was at dinner most of the group was miserable. And much to the misfortune of the tired miserable people, Draco was in the best mood he'd been in all week.

"Hmm hmm hmmm…" Draco hummed quietly, a smile on his face. Everyone ignored him until Pansy slammed down her knife and fork and muttering something about her being reduced to slave labour, then everyone ignored her instead.

"Why so glum, Crabbe? Goyle? Discover that the mermaid had no reproductive organs?" Blaise asked mocking his friends… again. He would never admit that he thought she was hot too.

"Actually, no." Goyle said helping himself to more rice.

"When will I see you again?" Draco sang still smiling to himself, thinking about the mystery girl.

"Yeh yeh, boys. I'm not stupid." Blaise taunted his friends. Yes he did always wind them up, but he loved them to bits really.

"When will we share precious moments?" Draco sang still, huge smile for everyone to see, white teeth almost blinding Pansy. She glared at him; his happy mood was making her feel worse.

"No, it's not actually, Blaise!" Goyle continued arguing with him. "Crabbe really liked her. You can't tease him for loving someone!" Goyle exclaimed starting to get annoyed.

"Precious moments." Draco was oblivious to any arguments or death glares he was receiving. He hummed under his breath as he poured himself a coffee. Draco loved coffee.

"Love?" Blaise looked at them, expression blank. "Is that was you think that was? You don't even know the meaning of the word." Blaise shook his head in disbelief.

"When will I see you aga… OUCH!" Blaise had hit him with the evening paper around the head.

"DUDE! ARE YOU STUCK ON REPEAT OR SOMETHING?" Blaise yelled, ticked off at his friend.

Pansy smirked at the sight of Draco rubbing his head from across the table. She had been willing for him to shut up all the way through dinner. She silently thanked fate for helping her out.

A sorry sight met anyone who ventured to the far end of the Gryffindor table. Ron Weasley could be found dining alone, miserably picking at his food, unable to stomach anything. And although he wouldn't admit it, everyone knew why his two best friends were nowhere in sight.

From the first year of Hogwarts the three had been inseparable only ever having small spats with each other but never had all three fall out and it had never been this serious before.

Ron stared hopelessly at his food. Wishing he knew where it had all gone wrong. One minute it was him, Harry and Hermione until the very end. But now he couldn't bear the thought of staying in the same tower as them.

Hermione accused them both (meaning him and Harry) of messing with her head. Ron had been truly scared for the girl until he had realised she was right. There was nothing wrong with her, it was them. No… It was Harry.

Upon finding out the truth Ron had confronted Harry about it, only to have Harry pin the blame on him. But oh no, he was having non on that. He would ever dream of doing that to anyone, let alone Hermione. How could Harry do that to her? He must be so cold hearted to be able to do such a… unforgivable, twisted thing to one of his 'best friends' And if it had meant to be a joke. It certainly was NOT funny.

And now Hermione thought he was in on it. She'd never speak to him again. And Ron would never forgive him for that.

Between the hours of six and eight o'clock every evening, it is near impossible to get any attention from the house elves; and even more impossible to get into the kitchen in those busy hours. In less of course, your name was Harry Potter.

And although at this moment he should hate two certain people, he wasn't at all. He was grieving for them. Don't misunderstand they wasn't dead. But he HAD lost them forever.

Harry was sat on an old worn rug in front of the fire. The last place he had expected to find himself was down here, in the company of the Hogwarts house elves. Although he was glad he had ventured.

He hadn't thought they would have time for him so he was going to go just to get a drink and leave. This was until he had seen Winky in front of the fire her gaze lost in the flames, before he knew it he was sat next to her and another elf. Dobby was kindly making them hot chocolate as they wallowed in self pity.

This elf he hadn't met before, Chester had spent the last half an hour listening to Harry's sob story. At first he'd been angry at Ron for believing Hermione when she was in such a delicate state. But as this thought had entered his mind, Harry had felt an undeniable prickle in his scar. And instantly he just knew Voldemort had achieved something great. Now under any other circumstances, Harry would have gone straight to Dumbledore to report this new activity. But horror struck in Harry's heart when he realised what it was. He was 90% sure it was to do with what had just gone on a few hours ago.

And without being able to stop himself Harry burst into tears, shortly followed by Winky who felt left out. This made Harry's cries louder as he realised he was making someone else cry. So here he was half an hour later, still crying his eyes out.

"I'm a failure!" He wailed into his arms as he leaned into them crying. "How could I do this to them? I was supposed to be protecting them but I guess I tried so hard that I forgot I was a danger to!" Harry cried as Chester comforted him for the umpteenth time.

Harry looked up sniveling as Dobby refilled his mug with hot chocolate; he took time to squirt some cream onto the top before disappearing just as fast as he had reappeared. Dobby hated he couldn't stay to listen to Harry but if he didn't work all through the dinner run then he would lose money as it was Winky's birthday soon.

As Harry looked into the flames once more and took a sip of his hot chocolate, tears still running down his face; he vowed never to speak to Ron or Hermione again.

"When Will I See You Again" was a hit 1974 song performed by The Three Degrees and written and produced by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff.

Fanfiction is by Faith Valconbridge. These stories hosted on this website contain characters created and owned by J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic, Inc. and AOL/Time Warner, Inc., and may incorporate characters, locations and things created and/or owned by other third parties including but not limited to Joss Whedon, George Lucas and/or Lucasfilm, Fox, Paramount, Random House, Pengun Putnam, Inc., Ballantine Books, and a lot of other people. No permission has been given and since no money is being made here, no infringement is intended.