Theda awoke the next morning feeling dazed and confused, her head aching as she wracked her brain in an attempt to recall the events of the previous night. She remembered something about brewing a tea for her hangover, but couldn't remember if it was mallowsweet leaves or knottgrass he had recommended.
As she stepped into the bathroom she saw that her face was covered in runny makeup, which quickly prompted memories of her wine-induced crying. Hadn't Severus put her to bed? She had no memory of taking off her shoes, but when she woke up they had been placed side-by-side in the entryway of her chambers. How long had he stayed with her? She vaguely remembered feeling what she swore was a kiss on her forehead, but the more she thought about it, the harder she found it to believe that Severus would have done something like that.
She took her time getting ready for the day, but when she finally left her room, she quickly sensed that the general mood of every student and staff member she passed was one of distress.
When she made her way to the storeroom to grab the herbs for her tea, she was grateful to find Severus there, hoping to ask him to repeat the instructions he had given her last night. As he fetched the mallowsweet leaves for her, he took the opportunity to fill her in on the details of the latest attack. The boy, he explianed, was a second-year Hufflepuff named Justin Finch-Fletchley, who, along with Nearly Headless Nick, had been found petrified.
Christmas was less than a week away, and while no one seemed to be in as cheerful a mood as the approaching holidays would usually warrant, there was an air of relief in knowing that the students would be heading home in just two days.
Severus and Minerva were scheduled to chaperone the students on their last trip to Hogsmeade before the holiday break, but, as Theda hadn't been to the village since she was a student herself, she decided to ask Minerva if she would be willing to let her go in her place.
"Oh, well actually you'd be doing me a great favor, Miss Desmond," Minerva replied. "I actually have quite a bit of catching up to do before the end of term so you are more than welcome to take my place."
"That's wonderful, Minerva! Thank you. I desperately need something to do to keep myself busy, so I really appreciate it. Would you like me to bring anything back for you?"
"Well, if you end up stopping at the Three Broomsticks I wouldn't mind a large Gillywater."
"Gillywater. Got it. Anything else?"
"No thank you, dear, but that's very considerate of you. You just enjoy your afternoon with Severus."
Minerva gave her a knowing smile before patting her on the shoulder and heading to her classroom. Theda blushed, understanding that Minerva's parting words had been loaded with implications. She wondered if the rest of the staff had also sensed something brewing between the two of them.
Although Theda could no longer deceive herself into thinking her feelings for Severus were purely platonic, she still wasn't a hundred percent sure if they were reciprocated. As perceptive as she usually was when it came to emotions, she hadn't been able to get a read on Severus when it came to his feelings toward her, and the harder she tried, the more his energy became muddled with everyone else's.
"Alright everyone, please settle down so we can go over a few rules," Theda called out over the crowd of students waiting to depart the castle. They seemed not to hear her, too excited to quiet their restless chatter.
"SILENCE, all of you!" Severus shouted, immediately halting the noise. "Your History of Magic professor is speaking and you will show her the respect she deserves."
"Thank you, Professor Snape." She said, trying hard not to blush in front of the students. "Now, I ask you all to remember that these trips to Hogsmeade are a privilege, so be on your best behavior. If you need to stop at the post office to send out any last-minute gifts, their last owls depart at 3:00 today so make sure to take care of that before exploring the rest of the village. We'll meet back in front of the train station at 5:00 sharp, so please keep an eye on the time so as not to keep your classmates waiting out in the snow. Any questions?"
The students said nothing in response as they'd heard the same set of rules during their two previous trips into town this term. As they made their way into town, Theda spouted off interesting facts and tidbits about the history of Hogsmeade, though most of the students were too engrossed in their own conversations to hear her. Even so, several students actually seemed quite enamored with her stories, which gave Theda the hopeful impression that she would be seeing some of them in her class the following year.
When they arrived, the students went their separate ways, leaving Theda and Severus alone together in an awkward silence. He was easily her closest friend, so why did it suddenly feel like there was tension between them?
"It's been years since I've visited Hogsmeade." Theda eventually said, breaking the silence.
"Is that so?" Severus said, seeming somehow distant as if his mind was somewhere else.
Theda noticed that he seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her, leaving her to wonder if she had done something to upset him.
"I think I'm going to do a bit of shopping. Do you need to stop anywhere?"
"No, I think I'll just grab something to drink. I'll be in the Three Broomsticks if you need me." He replied.
"Okay, I'll see you later."
She headed for Scrivenshaft's Quills Shop first, trying to ignore the twinge of hurt she was feeling. She'd wanted to enjoy the village with Severus, but he didn't seem too interested in being with her.
As much as she hadn't wanted to spend the day alone, solitude was something she was more than accustomed to. With Douglas and her grandmother gone, and her only real friends living abroad, she spent the majority of her time alone, and in truth, it had been that way most of her life. There was her cousin, Blanche, but they were years apart in age and had never grown to be particularly close. She was friendly with the folks she met along her travels for work, and nearly everyone liked her, but she kept people at a distance. Yet, since returning to Hogwarts, she'd grown to feel truly comfortable with Severus. As she walked through the village, feeling his absence, she realized that he had truly become her best friend.
After finishing her shopping she made her way towards the Three Broomsticks but felt too nervous to go in. The last thing she wanted was to spend the remaining hours of their trip sitting with Severus while he ignored her, and it would be even more awkward if she sat by herself at a different table. She decided the best course of action was to disguise herself, then head into the pub and assess the situation. If his mood seemed to have improved, she would return her features to normal and join him. If not, she could always grab a drink at the Hog's Head.
Lifting her hood so no one would see, she lengthened and straightened her hair, turning it light blonde in the process, and changed her body type and facial features until she was unrecognizable. She didn't like using her shapeshifting skills if she didn't have to, but desperate times called for desperate measures. When she was satisfied that he wouldn't be able to tell it was her, she quietly entered the Three Broomsticks, searching the room for him. To her surprise, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Well, so much for my plan," She mumbled to herself, facing the wall so no one would see as she returned her features to normal. Making her way to the bar, she noticed another familiar face.
"Professor Binns!" She said as she pulled up a barstool beside the ghost of her former teacher. "It's Theda Desmond. I was a student of yours several years back." She clarified, noticing his confused expression.
"Oh my, Miss Desmond! I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. You look much different than when you were in my class. How have you been?"
"I've been doing well! I, uhh, kind of took your old job."
"Oh well, no hard feelings." He chuckled. "I've discovered that retirement suits me rather well. Haven't I, Cuthbert?"
The bartender gave him an annoyed side-eye as if to say that he'd grown sick of the chatty ghost haunting the bar day and night.
"So tell me, how is everyone back at the school? Are your classes going well?"
"Everyone is fine." She lied, not wanting to let anything slip about the attacks. Professor Binns loved to hear himself talk and couldn't be trusted not to gossip. Still, he had always been one of her favorite professors, although most of the other students found him to be excruciatingly dull, always rambling on about something or other.
"My classes are a bit small this term but I'm actually very pleased with my students. They seem to have taken a genuine interest in the subject, so I must be doing something right."
The two of them spent the next 30 minutes discussing everything from Theda's personal life to the goblin rebellion of 1612. Just as Theda was finishing her butterbeer, a voice from behind her interrupted Professor Binns.
"Look at the two of you, deep in conversation about some obscure historical event, no doubt."
"Oh, Severus, you startled me! Where have you been?"
"Nowhere important. Just remembered I needed to grab a few things after all. Would you like to join me?"
"Sure, let me just order another drink. Want anything?"
"Mead." He said, before making his way to the table in the corner of the room, furthest away from everyone.
"Is it possible that you've befriended Severus Snape?" Professor Binns asked as the bartender prepared the drinks.
"Yes, we're friends."
"That is surprising. Tends to keep to himself, that one. Always been a bit odd, as I'm sure you've noticed." His face suddenly became very serious. "I'm not sure if you've been warned by the other staff, but I would urge you to be careful around him. You're a nice girl, and he's... well..."
"One butterbeer, one mead." The bartender said, setting the drinks in front of her.
"Just keep him at a distance. That's all I'm saying."
Surprised by his reaction, she bid him goodbye before taking her seat across from Severus.
"Did you find everything you needed in town?" Severus asked.
"I did." She said. "I came looking for you about half an hour ago and I was surprised that you weren't here."
"Yes, well... I had something to attend to."
Why did he insist on being so cryptic? It annoyed her, but in a way, his mysterious air always left her feeling even more intrigued by him. She noticed his eyes were still avoiding hers, and he seemed to be anxiously fidgeting with his sleeves, which was very unlike him as he was always composed and collected.
"Okay, what's with you?" She asked.
"What?"
"You're not acting like yourself. Your behavior today has been very strange."
Severus said nothing, staring down into his glass of mead as if he were closely examining the small bubbles that had settled at the top.
She couldn't help but wonder what Professor Binns would have said if he hadn't been cut off.
"I just... here." He said, handing her a small package wrapped in brown paper and twine.
"What is this?" She asked, taking the package from him.
"It's for you." He said, still fidgeting with his clothes.
"Severus, I don't know what to say..."
"Just open it."
"Alright." She said, using her wand to gently unwrap it so as not to damage the brown wrapping paper.
There were two items in the box. The first was a book, 101 Mysterious Potions Lost To History. The other was a small, round item resembling a music box, ornately decorated with constellations carved from mother of pearl set against a dark blue embossed metal.
"This book looks amazing, Severus!"
"I thought you might find it interesting. It's all about potions that have been referenced in historical texts that we no longer know how to make."
"That is so cool! If anyone can figure out how to bring any of these potions back into use, it's the two of us. Maybe we can experiment with recipes for some of these!"
He smiled, seeming slightly relieved.
She turned her attention to the beautiful little box. She opened it, fully expecting music to play, but to her surprise, it made no sound. There was nothing in it but a very small bowl, which was empty.
"Umm, Severus... This is gorgeous but I'm not sure what it is."
"It's a pocket pensive." He said. "Like the one in Dumbledore's office, but... smaller."
"Seriously?" She asked, amazed. "I didn't know they made them this small!"
"They're not terribly common. Because they're so small, they can only hold a few short memories at a time. But the advantage is that it's portable. Having a pensive on hand at all times can prove very useful, or so I'm told. Being a legilimens, I obviously have no need for one, but I thought you might put it to good use."
Theda was dumbfounded. With the way he'd been acting all day, she had assumed something was wrong. She definitely wasn't expecting him to give her two extremely thoughtful gifts.
"This is so amazing, Severus. Thank you." She smiled at him, which seemed to put him further at ease, although it still felt as though something under the surface was troubling him.
"I have something for you as well." She said, pulling a beautifully wrapped gift out of her silk bag.
"No, please, you don't have to give me anything." He said, seeming slightly put-off.
"Too late. I already wrapped it and everything. You have to accept it."
He let out a disgruntled sigh before taking the package from her, getting a closer look at the highly decorative wrapping paper she had used. It was a gorgeous Art Deco pattern made up of silver snakes against stylized black and green chevrons. His face softened as he paused to appreciate Theda's thoughtfulness and the attention to detail she always exhibited in everything she did.
"Come on, open it!" She insisted.
He obliged, carefully unwrapping her gift by hand, taking his time and making sure not to damage the paper. As he pulled back the paper he saw that it was a gold picture frame, and it was very obviously an antique. At first, he expected to see one of Theda's photos in it, but he quickly realized it was empty.
"It's beautiful, Miss Desmond, but I think you may have forgotten something." He said, raising his eyebrow.
"I didn't forget anything." She laughed. "I thought you could use it for the photo of Lily you had in your room. I noticed that the edges were getting worn and it was starting to fade. I charmed this frame to protect it from further aging, and I can make a potion to revive the colors in the photo so it looks new again."
Severus' eyes began to well up, and he quickly turned his face away from Theda and the rest of the room, hoping no one would notice. She gave him a minute to compose himself, knowing he would just feel embarrassed if she tried to comfort him now.
"This, Miss Desmond, is the single most thoughtful gift I've ever received."
Without saying anything, she rose from her seat and sat beside Severus. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling his chest against her own. They sat like that for a few moments, until he cautiously, nervously placed his hands on her waist. When she didn't pull away, as he was half expecting her to, he felt it was safe to glide his hands inwards along her sides, tightly wrapping his arms around her.
"Thank you for my gifts." She said softly, her face just inches away from his. "They were both incredibly thoughtful. I love them."
She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes, pausing to hold his gaze for a few seconds before slowly releasing him from her arms. Rather than returning to her seat across the table, she remained seated beside him. The two of them flipped through her new book, trying to decide which potions they would attempt to re-invent first. It felt good to be this close to him. Once again she tried to tune into his emotions, but she was finding it harder and harder to pick up anything with each attempt. Perhaps her training was starting to pay off after all.
When it was time to meet the students by the train station they closed their tab at the bar and made for the exit. As Theda said one last goodbye to Professor Binns, he urged her to heed his warning once again.
"Remember what I told you, Miss Desmond." He reminded her, his eyes quickly darting towards Severus' hand which he had lightly placed around Theda's waist, guiding her out as he held the door open for her.
