Touch your heart (Severus Snape)

Chapter 4

The week passed so fast. I made sure I had every single class prepared and I had nice activities to do with them. 

The day we were receiving the students was exciting. The school was full of life again, the long dinner tables of the great hall were full of young boys and girls chatting with each other and I couldn't help but smile.

After Dumbledore gave his speech to welcome the new and old students, he introduced his new teachers and students clapped to every single one of us, much to my relief.

In the middle of the feast, Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts approached me and handed me a gift box. Furrowing my brows at the mysterious little box, I started unwrapping it white the teacher table had their eyes locked on me.

I gasped when I saw what it was. - A new wand. Similar to my previous wand. - I turned to Dumbledore and was about to thank him when he lifts his hands.

"It wasn't me."

I looked at Minerva.

"It wasn't me either."

Then, a realization hit me - it must have been Severus -,  but I just closed the box and remained quiet for the rest of the evening. I wanted to thank him, but if he didn't say it was his gift, he wanted it to be a secret. And I respect that.

The students left the tables because it was already time to get back to their dorms, as we all did.

The next day would be the first day of school and I was too anxious about it. So nervous that I couldn't fall asleep at night, even though I was laying in the most comfortable bed in the world.

Since I was rolling on my bed, I decided to dress up and go for a walk to the outside, as I've been doing for the past days. After the rush of the students through the corridors, it felt strange to walk on that silence and darkness. 

I sat on a window of the corridor, looking to the outside, closing my eyes and inhaling the fresh air. I needed to calm down my nerves in order to have a good night of sleep and somehow that peaceful night was doing wonders and I felt myself smile.

"I see you still venture out on your own at night." I almost fell out of the window when I heard Snape's' surly voice, vibrating inside my tiny ears.

"You scared the shit out of me." I pouted annoyed with the almost heart attack.

"I can see that."

I groaned and got out of the window. "I couldn't sleep," and since no words came out of his lips I started walking away, peeved with his rude behavior. Something came to my mind before I turn around and go to bed. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"The box." 

He made a "Hmmm" sound with a stern expression and I sighed, turning around to finally leave to my chamber. "It was kind of you and made my day. Thank you. Have a good night, Mr. Snape."

The next day students filled up my classroom, excited with their new class and their new teacher. I asked them to introduce themselves and to talk about what they wanted to learn in those classes.

I immediately sympathized with the three kids on the front seat: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the famous Harry Potter. They seemed very kind to others and the way they talked to me confirmed that. However, there was this kid that I sensed it would be a troubled one. And after I heard his name, I could immediately recognize his heritage.

Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

Pale. Blond platinum blonde hair. Stuck-up.

The Malfoys were friends with my family. They would often marry some members of my family with a Malfoy, to "keep the pure bloodline". Since I was born I was predestined to marry one of them, but since I ran away, well, I'm still single.

The Malfoy boy kept interrupting my class with jokes and I was getting sick of it. Since his family taught him to hate Muggles, he didn't take my class seriously. But besides that, I can say that my first class went very well. And I would have my second class in two hours, so I had time to prepare myself.

The second class was quiet, less active than the previous one, - but thank god!. At least they weren't making jokes about it.

And the next two weeks passed really fast. I started to show my students about Muggle music. About the legends like the Queen, Michael Jackson, AC/DC, Beethoven, Mozart, etc. etc.. I let them see the albums, touch them and chose what music to hear. Then I started to show them music about historical events of the world, like the World Wars, or the story of slavery and the type of message they wanted to share with those lyrics.

They showed themselves very interested in the Muggle world, but Malfoy and his friends kept being the little brat they were.

The next month I taught them about Muggle sports, like football, tennis, and basketball and I even brought them outside to learn how to play football, much to their satisfaction.

***

Every now and then I would go outside my chambers at night when sleep abandons me and would go to the same window over and over again to relax for a while before returning to my bed. Sometimes Snape caught me, other times he didn't even show up.

He usually didn't say a word, or would just say "Good night", but the man wasn't very chatty. I like that. He didn't stick his nose in other people business and was focused on his job. And with the gift that he gave me the other day he showed that his heart wasn't so dark as he wanted it to seem.

One night he was particularly talkative. I sensed his presence behind me and I smiled.

"Something keeping you up at night, Mr. Snape?"

"Maybe."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Ok then. Bye."

Much to my surprise, he grabbed my arm before leave and let it go almost immediately as soon as I looked at him in the eyes. Embarrassed with that behavior he tried to get back to his hard character and asked with his firm voice: "How're your classes doing?"

"Very well, thank you. The kids are very enthusiastic and kept me questioning about all kinds of stuff."

"That's a first. On my classes, they are dumb as doors."

I laughed. "It's not my fault. Maybe they like me more than they like you."

"It seems so, yes. Everybody seems to enjoy your presence here."

"Everybody but you, right?" I asked trying to keep a serious voice, but seeing his jumbled expression I laughed. "I'm messing with you. No need to answer that. By the look on your face, I rather not know."

I could swear I saw a weak smirk on the corner of his lips, but he kept his stern face. That almost smile was the most beautiful thing I've seen in my life. Damn, what am I thinking?  I shook my inopportune self away and tried to get back to the real world.

"There's just this kid, Draco Malfoy... He is so misbehaved. I don't know what to do with him."

He made a "hmm" sound and sighed. "You need to show him who's in command. Otherwise, he'll make you the joke of the year." He stopped for a minute, thinking about what he would say next and eventually opened his mouth to speak. "If he misbehaves again, give him detention. And if that doesn't work to scare him off, send him to me."

"Thank you, Mr. Snape. You have no idea how much that would help me control the kid."

"Don't mention it. Goodnight then, Miss Angelina." He turned around but I called him again.

"Mr. Snape?" He looks to me. "It's just Angel. No miss. No Angelina. Just Angel. Goodnight, then."

And I went away before he pronounces any more words, leaving him alone in the dark corridors of Hogwarts, alone with his own thoughts.