CH.35
"Evans." Snape glares down at me as he opens the door.
"So sorry Professor, it's just that your classroom was locked and--"
"Did you check my office?"
"Well, yes. But... I didn't think you'd appreciate me going through your store without permission." I widen my eyes just a smidge, to increase my innocent look.
He sighs, and opens his door further- motioning for me to come in. As I walked past him, I heard him mumble under his breath "never stopped your friends.." I chose to ignore him. I probably didn't want to know anyway.
He was still in his bed robe, his hair a mess, and very unawake seeming. "I'm sorry if I woke you, Professor.."
"Oh, no worries." He sighs, "Just wait here a moment. I'll be just out." He left me in the living room of his Living Quarters, and disappeared into another room.
Feeling too awkward to sit, I instead walked around the rooms perimeter. He had news clippings and photos on his walls of different events and people. He had a small vase of nearly dead flowers on a side table, they had no water.
"Aguamente," I whispered, and filled the glass vase halfway with water. Smiling to myself, I adjusted the flowers in the vase. Behind them was a photo of two teenagers, both smiling and hugging eachother. One was... well... me. Me with long soft hair, pulled back away from her face- and no lightning scar. Seeming worryless and allover happy. With... Snape?
"What are you doing?" Snape's voice was suddenly right behind me.
"I was.. Err," I turn to face him, the frame hiding behind me, "just watering your flowers. They looked parched."
"That was me and my childhood friend." He states, ignoring my story about the flowers. He reached behind me and took the frame. "Lily."
"She is very pretty..." I felt a lump in my throat.
"She was, yes." He hands the frame back to me, and sits on the sofa- putting his shoes on.
"This is... Harry's mum, yes?" I was staring at the photo, unable to take my eyes off of her unwavering smile and bright eyes.
"Indeed." He nods.
"Sir, if I may... why did your friendship end?" I almost immediately regretted my question, but I also had to know. I just had to.
"I made some very critical mistakes..." He closed his eyes for a moment, "James didn't like me much, either."
"I'm sorry..." I shook my head, "I shouldn't have asked."
"No." He stands, "I'm glad you did."
(A/N) I GOT REALLY AGGRAVATED ABOUT FIFTEEN (A/N2.0-That's an annoyed exaggeration, it was literally three times) TIMES BECAUSE THE STUPID WATTPAD APP FOR MY LAPTOP KEEPS DELETING EVERYTHING I WRITE PAST THIS PART. SO IF THIS IS SUPER CRAPPY I AM SO SORRY. I LITERALLY WROTE 2000+ WORDS SEVERAL TIMES FOR THEM TO GET DELETED. So now I'm on the website and hopefully it's okay now... even though I'm currently rewriting a good 1600 words- and never using the app again lol
I tilt my head slightly, not fully understanding where he was going with this.
"You see... my most critical mistake with Lily was calling her a... foul name." He sighs, I glance up at him from the photo, but only for a moment- as I couldn't quite bring myself to look away from my Mother's smiling face.
"Rose, I don't plan on ever repeating that name to anyone..." he continues, "but I know you've been called that very same name by Mr. Malfoy."
(A/N2.5) Now my laptop is dying hahaha this chapter is just going smoothly, wouldn't you say?!
(A/N2.9) I've got a charger now... but it's 2:13am and I need to sleep. Just ugh. THANKS WATTPAD.
"But, sir--"
"I don't want you to hold that against him, Rose." He continues, ignoring my interruption. "You're both young, and may make many mistakes against eachother. You might both regret it. I know Lily and I both did. She tried reaching out to me a few times for a little over a year before she died- but I just didn't know how to respond after so many years..."
"Sir, I--"
"Sh." He holds up a hand to silence me. "Promise me you won't hold that grudge against him forever."
"I promise.." I look up at him. "But I--"
"And don't let Mr. Potter turn you against him either." He pauses, only for a moment. "He could use a good friend like you, believe me." He stops for real this time, and waits expectantly for me to answer.
"I understand, Sir." I nod, "but, Draco and I aren't quite friends as you and Lily were."
"Give him a chance." He had real emotion in his eyes, he truly did care about him... and me? Both of us, I guess. "Now, let's go, hm?"
Nodding, I place the frame back behind the freshly watered flowers and follow Snape to the door. I stand outside while he locks it. I couldn't get my Mother's face out of my head. She was absolutely glowing, did I glow like that? I mean, we looked alike... but there was no way I had that effect on people.
Snape led the way to his office, most of the way was in silence. We passed McGonagall and she sort of nodded in my direction, but other than that did not respond to my smile and wave.
"You remind me a lot of Lily." Snape comments, snapping me out of my daze-like state.
"Oh?"
"Mhm." He just hums back, but I wanted to know more.
"How so?"
"You're just so bubbly, you smile and are kind to everyone." He was staring straight ahead, a sort of starry look in his eyes. "Her potion skills were magnificent, basically everything she did was purely flawless. She had this fiery attitude, you could always tell when she was angry or you've crossed a line... and her eyes..."
By this point I was almost positive he'd forgotten where he was going with his train of thought.
"She was always eating peppermint toads.. she stuck up for what she believed in and wouldn't let anyone tell her differently. The way she took care of everyone around her.." he paused, suddenly remembering why he was talking about Lily, "like you do- especially with the younger students."
"I'm sorry, Professor..." I swallowed hard, as much as I loved hearing these things about her, and about all of the ways I was like her; it scared me. "You don't have to talk about her..."
"No, it feels good to say these things out loud."
This wasn't the professor I knew in class... or even outside of class. He was much softer than anyone would think.
I chose to stay quiet now, unsure of how to respond. I knew exactly what he meant, talking about things. Nobody was ever really there to talk to, and I didn't know much. But it really did feel good whenever I got the chance to hear things, or ask questions.
"You're exactly what I would have expected her daughter to be like." He sighed, looking down at me. My heart stopped beating, I nearly froze but forced myself to continue walking. "But I know she never had one, sad really."
"H-How do you know so... Sir?" I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Well, as I told you earlier- she tried reaching out before her death... it started right around the time Harry was born actually. She asked me to please come meet her family." He frowned, as if he regretted not doing so. "A few times she said If I were to have a daughter, how would you feel about being a Godfather?" He chuckled lightly, "she thought it was only fitting, since James' best friend was her son's Godfather... I should get to be her daughter's."
I stared up at him, feeling tears welling in my eyes. "Would you have been her Godfather? Did you ever answer?" I felt like a child asking these questions, but I had to know.
"Of course I would have." He nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. "But no, I never answered. I couldn't find the right words. I was going to pay a visit, that would have been easier- but they were hidden by the time I could have..." He glanced down at me, "I regret it every single day."
I remained silent as we entered the office, I sat on a table as he went into his storage to get my potion. Thanking him, I shoved the mason jar into my bag and covered it up with some parchment.
"Rose?" He called as I was leaving, his usual tone back. I turned to see what he wanted. "You're welcome to go into my store if things are needed, just please tell me either before or after so I can keep record."
"Thank you, sir."
He nods, and turns away. I leave quickly, speedwalking down the corridor. I wanted to get to the shrieking shack fairly early, especially now- to talk with Remus before the meeting started.
"Hey, watch it!" Someone collided with me, knocking me backwards and onto the floor. I closed my eyes, rubbing the sore spot on the back of my head. "Oh, Evans... I'm sorry... Are you alright?" The person was lifting me up.
"I'm fine.." I mumble, feeling the spot growing a bump. That's good, it means I don't have any internal bleeding. I open my eyes finding myself in Draco's arms.
"You should probably go to hospital..." he frowns.
"I'm fine. Just a little bump." I shake my head, "it'll go away.."
"Where were you running to anyway?" He lets go of me to pick up my bag and hand it to me.
"Was I running?" I shake my head. "I was just trying to get back to the tower, I have somewhere to be fairly soon."
"I'll walk with you... you don't seem all the way there..." He looks at me skeptically, "are you sure you won't go get checked?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." I nod, continuing to walk to Gryffindor tower.
"So, I was going to ask if you wanted to go fly..." he paused for a moment, "but you seem busy, and I also wouldn't feel comfortable putting you on a broom by yourself right now..."
"No, you're right... I'm busy today..." I frown. "Another time?"
"Okay, you definitely hit your head a little too hard." He raises his eyebrows. "You're not going to call me a git, ask what I want, or tell me to shove off?"
I laughed a little, "nope, not this time, I guess.." I reached back and touched my head again, wincing a little at the pain.
"You're hurt."
"I'm fine, Draco. Really."
"Who do you have plans with today?" He frowns, looking down at me. "You should probably let them know that-"
"I'm fine." I snap. "and I swear, if you tell anyone I'm hurt I'll-"
"Woah woah...." He shakes his head, "I won't. I think you should, but that's on you. I just don't want you to get hurt even worse."
"Whatever." I sigh, shaking my head. "I think that's Fred or George... I've gotta go." I ran off without waiting for him to say anything in response. "Georgie!" I squeak, hugging him as I reach him.
He turns around and looks down at me with an expression of half amusement and half confusion, "I'm not Georgie... I'm Fred."
My smile dropped slightly for a moment, "right, wow, sorry Freddie."
"It's alright." He laughs, tossing an arm around my shoulders as we continue walking. "It was bound to happen eventually.."
"No... It wasn't." I frown. "I'm sorry Freddie, I won't do it again."
"Ri, relax." He laughs.
Sighing, I lean on him.
"So.." he starts a few minutes later, "what are your plans for today?"
"I have to do some things."
"Like...?" he looks down at me expectantly.
"I can't tell you this time."
"I just want to know you're safe."
"I've lived my entire life in a bubble! Let me go out and do things." I squeak.
"You don't get it, Hogwarts isn't as safe as it seems." He shakes his head, "you haven't been here these past few years, you have no idea what--"
"You can't control my life! I have things I need to do, people count on me for things!" I go through the portrait hole after another person ahead of us opened it, "just, leave me alone for a little bit!" I run straight up to the girls dormitories. Hermione was still there, sitting on her bed with Emiliani.
"She came in about ten minutes ago and hasn't left..." she shrugs, "no letters though..."
She flew to me and curled in my arms, not in a scared or hurt way- just lovingly. "Weird bird..." I pet her head, and set her on my bed so I can get my warmer shoes and coat on.
"Where're you going?"
"I have some things to do.." I sigh, not looking at her.
"Oh.. okay." I hear her get off of her bed, soon she's seated beside me on mine. "Is everything okay? I heard you arguing with someone..."
"Yeah... everything is fine Mione." I force a smile, and nod. "Don't worry."
_____
(A/N)
12/29- SO. Obviously kind of ehhh... the entire plot of this chapter changed as I rewrote it four times. But, eh. ALSO- it's kind of shorter than I would like it to be especially from the wait, but I'm trying to pump out new chapters quick quick quick while I'm on break.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS, OR OTHER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE! I celebrate Christmas haha.
please comment your holiday traditions, or your favorite gift, or whatever about your holiday. I want to get to know you :)
xoxo, Missy