The Devil's Smile || Snape x OC

It Must Suck To Be You

April 5th, 1997

"As long as you promise not to insinuate, I am a whore again."

~

Over a month had passed after everything happened. It took 10 days before Hecate sent out letters to everyone after Pah-Pah told her to. The Hogsmeade trip came quickly, Hecate sat in her normal seat between Minnie and Severus. She never did get replies from the Twins and Lee on whether they were going to show up or not. It always took them forever to reply anyways. Her hand wrapped around her glass, drinking slowly as Minnie had given her a strict look when she had ordered a Firewhiskey. A hand that belonged to the man next to her sat on her knee, his other wrapped around his cup of tea. Severus had placed it thereafter repeated attempts to get her to stop bouncing her leg. She had resorted to playing with her fingers and staring at the door. Tapping them together around the glass.

"Hecate..." A warning whisper came from Severus, his eyes focused on the tapping fingers. "You can't get everything you want Severus." She snapped while jerking her knee up, referring to the fact he already stopped her leg from bouncing. A huff of forced air came out of his nose, his head turning back to look at the door. The bell went off, two heads of red hair and a head of dark brown hair came through the door. Smiles crossed all their faces, their heads turning as they looked around the pub. Hecate pulled one hand away from her glass to rest it on his that was on her knee. He flipped his palm over and squeezed it encouragingly before letting go of it and her completely.

"Go." He whispered out the side of his mouth.

--

Hecate had risen to her feet and moved towards the group of boys. The people she always called her safe place. The smiles turned to expressions of stoicism as they caught her walking towards them. Lee stepped forward first, not saying a word, just wrapping his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry." He murmured in her ear. Her arms wrapped around his waist, a subtle acceptance of his apology. They stood like that for a few moments before Lee pulled away.

"Does he always watch you?"

Hecate snapped her head around to look at Severus behind her. His eyes weren't focused on her, but the door they were standing next to. His eyes flickered up to her as he watched her turn to look at him. She gave him a small smile before turning back to the boys. "We're on patrol, he's watching the door." Lee, Fred, and George nodded slightly, accepting her words for truth. "Did you guys want to say Hi to Minnie? She's here too. We could sit with them."

"Sure, sounds great. I've missed the professors." Lee spoke up, almost too excitedly. The twins next to him exchanged a look. Hecate nodded before turning and moving back over the table, Lee, Fred, and George trailing behind her. "Minnie, your favorite students are back." Minnie looked up from the table, smiling at the boys. "Ah, my favorite escape artists you mean." Fred and George moved around to the back of the table to give Minnie a quick hug each. They quickly moved into a conversation with Minnie and Pomona as if they were all old friends. Hecate watched for a few seconds, dazed in her own world. She moved to sit at the table, diagonal from Severus this time. Lee followed suit taking the seat in front of Severus but turning his body towards Hecate.

"Look, Hecate..."

Hecate reached across the table for her abandoned Firewhiskey, Severus pulled it away from her and sat in on the chair next to him out of her reach. He raised his hand to signal Rosmerta. Hecate turned to look at Lee, "Yes Lee?" Her voice was strained, annoyed with Severus for taking her drink but a flicker of a smile crossed her lips. His eyes flickered between her and Severus before moving on to talking again. "I am really sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said." A light breeze hit Hecate's arm, a smiling Rosmerta standing next to them.