Beyond the Darkness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

The rest of the days until the Yule Ball passed by quickly. Sasha tried to help Harry find his own date, but it wasn't going so well. He was so shy, afraid to ask anyone at all unless the girl was by herself. But it was a well-known fact that girls traveled together. Even she used to travel with her girl friends in school.

"Why do they always have to travel in packs?" Harry asked her.

They were standing in the corridor. The students had just been dismissed from classes and were traveling to their common rooms and other destinations.

Sasha grinned. "Because they feel more secure that way." She noticed that Harry was rather nervous. "Is there anyone in particular you want to take to the dance, Harry?"

He bit his lower lip. "Actually, yeah but she's going with Cedric Diggory."

Her face fell. She felt sorry for him. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"No big deal. I suppose I could just go solo."

"No. You're a champion. You have to have a date. It can't be that hard to get a girl to talk to you. I see them admiring you all the time. You just have to pluck up the courage and ask someone."

He frowned. "And you? Are you going to the ball?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, a smile playing on her lips. "You know I am. You helped him set the whole thing up."

A mischievious smile appeared on his face. "It worked, then?"

"Yes. He was the perfect gentleman."

Harry shook his head. "Those are words no one in this school would ever use to describe Professor Snape."

Sasha slapped him lightly on the arm. "Harry!"

"It's true," he declared. He lowered his voice until no one but Sasha could hear him. "Why doesn't he show the side of him he showed to me last night all the time? Would it be so terrible for him to be nice?"
She chuckled. "Of course not. But he has his reasons for hiding things."

"Everyone does, don't they?"

"You're right. They do. Even if you don't understand the reason sometimes." She sighed. "But at least he doesn't care if anyone knows about me and him anymore."

Harry's face lit up. "He doesn't?"

"No."

"Does this mean I can tell Ron and Hermione?"

Sasha thought for a moment. "I suppose so. Just keep it between the three of you for now though. Professor Snape changes his mind a lot as circumstances change."

Harry saluted her like she was a soldier in the army. "Yes, ma'am."

She grinned. "Good luck finding a date."

"Thank you," he told her. Then he turned around and walked away.

She shook her head. She hoped he found a date soon. Harry had bad self confidence anyway. This was only adding to it.

~ * ~

Finally, Christmas Eve arrived. The students were let out of class early to get ready for the ball. Sasha, who had been with Minerva McGonagall the whole day, hurriedly grabbed her bag she'd brough when class was dismissed. She had a lot of getting ready to do. Her stomach was already in knots. What would everyone say when she and Severus walked in together?

"You seem apprehensive, Sasha," McGonagall observed from her desk. She took off her reading glasses and stood. "Is everything alright?"

Sasha glanced at her and smiled briefly. "Yeah. It's fine. I'm just nervous about the ball."

"Oh. Yes, well did someone ask you or are you flying solo tonight?"

"Someone asked me."

Minerva smiled. "Really? Who? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

Sasha put her bag down on the desk beside of her. "Severus."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm not sure I heard you right. Did you say that Severus Snape asked you to the Yule Ball tonight?"

"Yes. About a week ago. He even bought me a dress."

"Oh, well- I never thought he would even go for any reason other than to chaperone. Severus is usually a really private man. You must have made quite an impression on him. Are you two-er-seeing each other?"

Sasha blushed. "All of this will stay between us, right?"

Minerva nodded. "Of course. If that's what you want."

"It is." She sighed. "Severus and I are seeing each other, yes."

She clapped her hands merrily together. "How wonderful! I didn't realize he had it in him."

"I always knew he did," Sasha said dreamily. "I always knew I had it in me too. I just didn't expect us to fall in love with each other."

"You're in love?" squealed McGonagall.

Sasha rolled her eyes with a smile and nodded. She had done it now. "He told me he loved me last year."