The Flaw In Perfection: A Snamione Romance Fanfic

Chapter 39. A Bittersweet Reunion

Snape stretched out on the tall grass, propping his head against the ancient stone bench. The early morning sun shone through the winding branches above him and glinted off his long, unstyled hair. A blonde female was watching the foreign surroundings uncomfortably while standing beside the Potions Professor. He asked her to get ready at this point, but still, she was a little tardy.

His face was filled with excessive disgust, but they were not always on good terms, she supposed. His behaviour has no effect on her whatsoever being his student over the years like it used to be. Like any other student, she would bow her head and endure his disparaging belittlement. She disliked him the day she became his apprentice more than ever because he’d always lost his temper when she failed a potion once or twice, comparing her to his former apprentice, who was indeed impeccable. They still weren’t talking to each other. He’d been so angry with her, and yet it angered her so much more that she couldn’t just bring herself to apologize.

He was a person who needed to be respected, but the idea of his perfectionism made her cringe. She hated it that they continued their lessons like usual, but he was always distant and cold. The professor was a mystery to her. She wanted to get to know him, but he seemed to be under another witch's spell.

He eyes were lacking awe when they both had to take their leave to Massachusetts. They were both so silent that even a bystander would never suspect they ever knew each other. He was quiet because his mind was clearly elsewhere, and another reason for her silence was the pain she was feeling, which started to envelope her the day she received the news about her mother.

The whole place was bitterly cold and uncomfortable. Being in the Bay State created a hollow and weird feeling inside Snape and his apprentice. They weren't sure of what to expect, know, or see.

Ilvermorny wasn't a vision by any stretch, well, according to the refined taste of the English Potions Master. He was a bit bemused that the Congress decided to set the meeting in the American School. He understood that, like in Britain, Hogwarts was the safest place unlike any other.

The Ilvermorny castle stood at the highest peak of Mount Greylock, where it is concealed from non-magic gaze by a variety of powerful enchantments, which sometimes manifest in a wreath of misty cloud. He had known this for a while now, especially the fact that the castle's caretakers were Pukwudgies.

They entered the hall at a quick pace, hoping this unwanted visit would end soon.  He noticed that the hall was topped by a glass cupola. There is a wooden balcony on the next level that goes around the circle. The space is empty except for four wooden carvings that represent the four houses at Ilvermorny. The floor is made of stone, with the Gordian Knot etched into the middle of it.

It was widely known that the entrance hall is where the sorting ceremony takes place. The students wait on the edge of the room before being asked to come forward and be selected by one of the wooden carvings.

He wasn't paying much attention to the surroundings but was more hopeful to see one person. He couldn't wait to find her and at least ask her to explain his past actions. He wanted to tell her how he was. He never prepared or practised any speech. All he knew was that he wouldn't go speechless to her presence when the time came.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud voice. The voice came from the school's current headmaster, Agilbert Fontaine.

"Welcome to Ilvermorny! We meet at last, " he beamed at them.

His face was welcoming with a mixture of rigidness, and Snape understood why. The reason for his arrival is one thing to worry about, the numerous attacks on the city. He wasn't looking very much calm, though, unlike Dumbledore, whose face was always full of serenity and calmness.