A Light in the Dark (Severus Snape x OC)

Chapter 18: Mismatched Socks

Note: I try to get a chapter out once a week but school and work have been difficult so the next few chapters might come out a bit slower, but they are still being worked on. :)

Severus immediately went to his chambers, preparing for a trip he hadn't expected to take. He felt knots growing in his stomach, knowing he would have to be around muggles, or the death eaters would find out what Severus was up to, and he couldn't let that happen.

Severus paced for a while, trying to calm his nerves. He eventually sat down in his armchair, feeling like his nerves had finally begun to settle, but his mind began to wander away from him, onto Laura. He had no idea how Laura would react to him showing up. Severus was terrified Laura wouldn't forgive him, no matter how badly he wanted her to.

He continued to sit for a few minutes before he heard scratching at the door. Severus moved to the door and slowly opened it. He stared, not seeing anyone before his eyes shifted down to a silver tabby cat that looked like Minerva in her transfigured form.

"Minerva, what are you doing here?" Severus asked.

"Meow." The cat walked in, and Severus followed. He sat back down, and the cat jumped in his lap, purring, and nudging its head into Severus's hand. "Minerva, I don't know why you're doing this. Can't you be human right now? You know I don't like affection," he told her.

"Meow." The cat climbed up on his shoulder and curled up into a ball, falling asleep. Severus let out an annoyed sigh before he felt his body begin to relax. He slowly began dozing off and didn't wake until there was a knock at the door.

The cat woke when Severus shuffled in his seat and the cat jumped on the armrest as Severus got up and moved to the door. He opened it and his eyes grew wide. "...Minerva?"

Minerva looked at him with confusion on her face. "Why do you look so surprised to see me?"

"Well, I thought... I thought... I thought that was you," Severus said as he looked back at the cat, who was now asleep in his chair.

Minerva looked at him curiously. "You thought I wanted to turn into a cat and hang out with you?"

Severus shrugged. "You do strange things as a cat."

Minerva's look quickly changed to annoyance. "I do not."

"Yes, you do," Severus told her. "Remember that time you were mad at Albus over a quidditch game, so you transformed into a cat, went in his office, and—"

"Severus! You said you'd never bring that up!" Minerva snapped, trying to hold back a slight smirk as she remembered some of her shenanigans as a cat. Minerva sighed. "I didn't come here to reminisce. I came to talk to you about Laura." Minerva walked into his chambers.

Severus eyed her curiously, not sure what she was getting at. "I don't know what happened between the two of you, but Albus told me you're going to find her." Minerva looked at him. "Severus, Laura cares very deeply for you."

Severus sighed. "I'm not so sure about that anymore."

"Laura started to care about you before she even got to know much about you," Minerva said. "She and I grew close. We had tea several times a week and she would ask about you. She cared deeply for you; those feelings don't just go away."

"Why do you care so much?" Severus asked curiously.

"Because Laura deserves happiness." Minerva gently squeezed Severus's shoulder and smiled. "And so do you, whether you think you do or not. You found happiness in each other, and I would hate for that to go away."

Minerva headed for the door before looking back at Severus and her eyes dropped near his feet. "You should keep the cat; it seems to like you." Severus looked down, seeing the cat now trying to sit on his shoe.