A/N: I still don't own anything you recognize. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Seasonal challenge

Days of the Year

21st March: Fragrance Day - Write about a scent that triggers a memory

Seasonal Challenge - Spring

30: (quote) "Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer." - Anita Krizzan

Word count: 624

Severus hated spring, hated the warm weather, all the students laughing and enjoying themselves. Most of all he hated early spring, when the flowers first started to bloom. One of the early bloomers was of course, lilies. Their sweet perfume hung heavy in the air, reminding him of his failure.

He was walking through one of the corridors with large open arches leading outside. He heard footsteps behind him, but ignored them.

"Isn't it beautiful," Hermione asked walking past him. He stared at her for a moment. Her hair was pulled back in a butterfly shaped clip. "You like it?" she asked stopping next to him. He didn't respond, just stared at the butterfly clip. He wondered why she would wear something like that. The hair piece was so unlike her. "Parvati did my hair for me, said it would look more spring like?" she explained.

"You looked fine as you were."

"And how was I, sir?"

"Practical. You weren't wearing frilly flippant things," he stated. She shook her head and looked out at the grounds.

"You can't be practical all the time, sir, look around. There's flowers blooming everywhere, the sun's out, it's finally warming up. Maybe you should take some time, enjoy yourself. We've got a three day weekend."

"Why would I want to do such a thing, Miss Granger? I have papers to grade, detentions to oversee."

"You would rather sit in a gloomy, dark dungeon than go for a walk in the sunlight?"

"Yes."

"Why? Is it because you're a vampire?"

"No. I am not a vampire, Miss Granger."

"That's what the other students are saying," she shrugged walking along side him. He shook his head, this girl, no, make that woman, was insufferable, even when she wasn't reciting her text books.

"And what do you believe?"

"I know you're not a vampire. You may be pale, prefer dark places, I have a feeling you sleep well at night though. You're outside now, or close to it. The sun is streaming down and you're walking through patches of it and not burning. You're no more a vampire than I am a veela."

"An interesting equation, Miss Granger. Why did you pick such a creature?"

"They're beautiful, men fall all over themselves for one. We saw them at the World Cup a few years ago, Harry and Ron nearly made fools of themselves. Look, there's some birds gathering sticks to build a nest. It really is spring."

"Yes, the calendar says so."

"The calendar? Professor Snape, spring isn't just a thing written on a calendar, it's a feeling of growth, of new beginnings. It's something you feel in your soul, not just see with your eyes."

"I never took you for such a dreamer, Miss Granger."

"Something about the season, I guess, sir. Just smelling the flowers reminds me of when I was little. I'd run to the window, trying to watch the daffodils bloom, I thought if I was fast enough I would see open. I never was fast enough," she smiled at the memory.

"I hate spring, Miss Granger."

"Why?"

"Lilies. I hate the smell of lilies. They remind me of some things I've tried to put behind me."

"You can put them behind you, or you can face them. Push them back, have them resurface whenever something triggers them, or you could make new ones. Like today, the lilies remind you of something horrible, but," she paused stopping. He stood beside her. She leaned close to him, brushed her lips against his. "they could also remind you of this," she finished. He looked at her, reached over, removed the butterfly clip from her hair.

"That's better, now, let's see about replacing that memory," he stated kissing her again.