Threshold - Severus Snape

Chapter 4 - Perfectly Acceptable Encounter

I didn't mind starting off with a nice hot bath. It gave me a chance to get to know myself after all. Avia's body was smokin'... well, 'my' body now...  I dried and dressed and looked into her memories to figure out what to do with all of this red hair. It was a lot. It was beautiful though, and I was happy to see that she just let it go wild.  It fell in soft spirals once it dried naturally. Easy enough. I have to admit, I felt a little embarrassed being naked in front of myself. Kinda weird really at first. I wasn't perfect, but damn near. My boobs were even pretty great. Avia was a virgin. Eh. I'm still not sure what to think about that. She never really found the right wizard. She had went on very few dates, and they had made her extremely uncomfortable. Intimacy wasn't her strong suit. She hadn't even really kissed a man. A peck on the lips at a dance, but that was it. I respected that, but I personally would have died if I was a virgin at this age. Heck, I was married with children at this age. Of course, it's been a few years since my husband passed, and I have been in basically the same boat as Avia. I just couldn't get used to the idea of being intimate with another man besides my husband. I missed the ease of our relationship. It was warm and comfortable. Maybe not the most passionate, since he was never the free spirit I was, but he loved me for me, and I him.

Fortunately, Avia... Professor Airhart, was a well respected teacher and colleague at Hogwarts. I wonder if Professor Snape got in trouble for dumping water on her... me.

So, now, what to do...? My first executive decision was to go see Professor Snape and see if I could iron out our differences. Sure, he's a little scary. Maybe even a little intimidating. Maybe I should meet with the mitigator first. Or the other Traveler. Or... maybe I will just go with my gut. And my gut is telling me to get this sorted out with Professor Snape sooner rather than later.

Even Professor Snape's door looks intimidating. It didn't help that I had to descend into the dungeons to get here. Oh well, I'm no coward. I knocked. I wonder what he looks like in this Realm... Hopefully as good as Alan Rickman did playing him. Ok, maybe I'm a bit of a coward, because my hands are shaking a little.

The door creaked open, and now my gut is all of a sudden second guessing itself. Maybe I should have brought the vomit pan. I wonder if this Realm has vomit pans. Wow, I wish I could turn my brain off. Which reminds me, I need to guard my thoughts around Professor Snape. I set my brain to lock mode. I know, that's not what it's really called, but it's my brain after all, I told myself. Well, not really 'my' brain. Well, partially my brain.

"Enter," came from inside the room, and the baritone voice jolted me out of my rambling thoughts. Hm, pretty close to the movie as far as voices go. I walked in softly.

There he is! Professor Snape! In the flesh! Sitting behind a round desk, surrounded by books and potions in a dimly lit room. Pretty much what I expected. What I didn't expect is the uncanny resemblance to 'Movie' Snape. He was maybe a little broader, his hair a little longer, but just as strangely handsome. His mouth and nose were almost identical. This Snape's eyes were a shade darker though, and that was a little off-putting, especially since they were locked with mine. I can see now why Jo picked Alan Rickman for the role. Although, after seeing him in other roles, I don't see how she saw Snape in him from the beginning. The final result was genius though. I approached slowly, stopping a good ten feet away.

"So... have you come to tell me that you've reported me to Dumbledore?  Is this where you rub it in my face that I did the inexcusable?  Or, perhaps you want to hold it over my head for a moment before running off to snitch?!" Professor Snape said, and not in a way befitting a Professor at Hogwarts.

Maybe the previous Traveler wasn't too far off in her judgment after all. "Um, no," I said, annoyed at how my voice caught in my throat. I cleared it and continued, using all of my will to maintain contact with his almost black eyes, which seemed determined to peer directly into my soul.  He is definitely intense. And handsome. Dammit! I hate it when I smile at the most inappropriate times. It's gotten me in trouble on numerous occasions over the years, but no amount of embarrassment from that fact has ever been able to cure me. "I... actually... I wanted to stop by and apologize," I managed to say, hoping I could remedy the damage already done by the previous Traveler.

"What is funny, Professor Airhart?! And what could you possibly be apologizing for?!" he said sternly, as if annoyed by my mere presence.

I took a step forward. "Well, I can't help but find some humor in the situation. And... I am apologizing for... what may have led to the situation," I said, trusting my words to be vague enough to maybe smooth things over.

Professor Snape suddenly stood from his chair, and I flinched. I'm going to have to work on that.

"Do I scare you, Professor Airhart?" he drawled as he looked me over, a sneer on his face. "This whole semester you have avoided me, only to report to the Headmaster that I have acted unprofessionally regarding my magical 'etiquette', and the first time you condescend to speak directly to me, you think it's funny," he said, slowly walking around the table, tugging at his sleeves. Well, they got that part right I guess.

I gathered myself... and my courage, as he approached to stand in front of me. I resisted the urge to take a step back. I blew out a hard breath with my eyes closed a moment. Now to explain 'my' behavior. "It's my fault, really. I will admit that I may have judged you harshly. I have come to the realization that I should not have judged you at all.  You are not one of my students... definitely not," I'm not sure why I said that last part. Maybe something to do with the raw power this man exuded just standing there. They didn't warn me about that. I wonder if that has something to do with him being a wizard. He is, after all, the first wizard I've ever met in person. For some reason, that realization just hit me. This man is a powerful wizard! And yet, there was something more there that I didn't expect. This man is a, well, let's be honest with myself... a powerfully attractive man. Maybe I've been out of the loop too long. I've been around other men... Gerald, some of the trainers at the office, coworkers... but this man is a horse of a different color. Speaking of color... I'm sure my face matches my hair about now. I hope to goodness he doesn't notice...

"Are you well, Professor Airhart?  You look flushed. Are you going to be sick?" he said, and I know, even though he isn't smiling, he is mocking me.

I hope he can't read my thoughts. Oui, yea, I do feel a little sick, but I'm sure as hell not going to let him know that, or why. "It is a little warm in here I think.  But to answer your first question, no, you don't scare me. It's just... well... now that I have realized my misstep, I wanted to try to clear it up," I looked at him straight in the eyes, and I couldn't read whether or not any of this had helped. He just stood there, looking at me. "I offered my apology, Professor Snape, and my reasoning, and it is up to you whether to accept either... or neither," I said, maybe a little annoyed at this point. But there, I'd said it, and part of me cringed at having to apologize for something I didn't do anyway... But part of me still meant it... I 'was' sorry that the previous Traveler was a bloody snitch. That was not in my personal nature. I usually liked to take care of my own problems when possible. But I'd laid it out on the table, so to speak, the rest was up to him. I surely didn't intend to grovel. That definitely wasn't in my nature. I thought I could almost read a look of respect now in his expression. I nodded my head curtly and turned to leave.

"Professor..." he said, and I could kick myself for the goosebumps I felt surfacing on my arms.

I stopped, turning just enough to look at him. Damn, he was walking towards me. I turned the rest of the way, somehow feeling the need to square up with him. He stopped close enough that I had to look up at him. I didn't notice how tall he was before now. I could also feel the heat from his body radiating towards me... or maybe that was coming from me...

"I acknowledge and accept your apology. Time will tell your sincerity. I would also like to offer my own apology. For the water. It was unacceptable... even by my own standards of 'etiquette'," he said in all seriousness... and then there it was... a little smile pulling at the corner of his gorgeous mouth. It is definitely warm in here, I thought, a little embarrassed how this man seemed to effect me so easily. I was also a little surprised by his words. I would never have considered Professor Snape to be one to apologize for anything. And sure enough, there is that smile again, creeping back onto my face.

"Acknowledged and accepted," I replied, turning on my heel before taking the chance of staying too long and ruining a perfectly acceptable encounter.