Forget about Love

Sorry, please read Chapter 3 Actually before you read this chapter. It is at the very end of the chapter list...sorry.


“Ready?” she said taking her pose

“Always.\"

Erica and Snape began by slowly circling each other before either made their first move. Snape started with a punch, which Erica easily blocked. They continued that way for several minutes. Snape would throw a punch and Erica would block.

“Can’t you do any better old man?” Erica said. Snape glared at her before throwing a punch at her jaw, which she blocked, and another two seconds at her gut, which she missed.

“Damn,” she said clutching her stomach. Within seconds Snape was behind her holding her in a headlock.

“This is so easy,” Snape whispered in her ear. “What happened to all that talk earlier?”

“You want to play? Fine, let’s play,” Erica whispered back.

“Hey everyone,” she yelled, “watch this. Solar Plexus,” She elbowed Snape in the side. “Instep,” she stomped on his foot. “Nose,” She knocked him in the nose. “And groin,” she said swinging her arm down and racked Snape. He fell forward placing his forehead on the ground.

The room was silent. The students were fighting back their laughter. Erica walked up behind Snape and leaned down next to his ear.
“That hurt?” she said innocently. Snape just growled before slamming his fist onto the floor. Erica smiled.

“Temper, temper. You don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your students,” she said before turning to the class.

“That move I just demonstrated is called SING. Solar Plexus, Instep, Nose, and Groin. As you can see, it works very WELL!”

Snape grabbed Erica’s leg and pulled back. Erica lost balance and fell forward. She rolled over and started to stand up, but Snape jumped on her.

“Professor, I think you…”

“Don’t tell me what I think,” Snape said in low, dangerous voice. “That hurt like hell.” Erica smiled.

“I thought it would,” she said. Snape brought his hand to her throat. “Don’t make me kill you,” he said.

“You can’t kill me that way, and you know it. Now let me up.”

Snape growled and allowed Erica to stand. It took him a few minutes more to stand. He glared at the students who were smiling trying to hide their amusement at his situation. It would be a story to tell, Professor Snape getting beaten up by a girl.

Snape and Erica taught a few more defensive moves without any words spoken between them when they broke for lunch. Snape and Erica walked back to his quarters without any fear of the sun.

“Well, that was an entertaining day,” Erica said when she walked in. Snape just glared at her as he hobbled in. Erica eyed him curiously.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Snape snapped at her. Erica raised her hands in defense.

“Hey, just asking,” she said. Snape rolled his eyes as he walked over to the fireplace.

“Dobby,” Snape said in a commanding voice that startled Erica. She just stared at him. Dobby appeared and nodded at Snape.

“Bring me some lunch…and her some lunch as well,” Snape said. Dobby turned to Erica. “Would Miss like more pig’s blood?”

Erica looked down at the little house elf and shook her head. “No, just bring me whatever Professor Snape will be having.”

Dobby nodded before disappearing. Snape looked up at Erica in surprise.

“I thought that vampires only drank blood.”

“Common misconception. We have to have blood regularly, but not for every meal. We eat other foods to keep our own blood supply up, in case we get shot, sire another vampire, or are without blood for several weeks.”

Snape nodded and fell into an armchair. “Interesting,” he said. Erica gave him a small smile before sitting in the other armchair.

Erica sat in her chair and just admired the man in front of her. She looked at his crooked nose and smiled as she remembered why it was such. Snape looked like he was sleeping as Erica cautiously reached over and touched his hand. A shock went through her and she fell to the ground.

-----

“I’m so sorry Severus,” Erica said. “I really thought she would say yes.”

Snape shook his head. “No, you knew the truth. You two are the best of friends.” Snape turned and looked at her. “How could you do that to me? Embarrass me like that? The dance is tonight and now I don’t even have a date.”

Erica shook her head. “No, I didn’t embarrass you. I didn’t even ask her. She told me about James and I didn’t tell her anything.”

“Hey, Erica. What are you doing talking to him?” a new voice said. Both Snape and Erica turned to see James, Sirius, Lupin, and Lily Evans standing there. James had his arm around Lily.

“What’s going on here Erica? Is he bothering you?” Lupin asked. Erica shook her head.

“We were just talking,” she said. “If you really want to know, I was bothering him.” Erica turned back to Snape. “I’m sorry for disturbing you Severus.”

Erica turned and walked away from everyone quickly. Snape watched her leave with disappointment in his eyes.

He watched as Lupin raced after Erica. Deciding to head them off, Snape went another direction and spotted Erica at the end of the hall. He stayed in the shadows and walked closer to her.

He was just about to reach out and touch her when Lupin rounded the corner. Snape backed up into a small space behind one of the suits of armor that ran along the hallway.

“Erica, what’s wrong? Have you been crying?”

“No,” Erica said with a slight quiver in her voice. It was obvious that she had been.

“Did Snape say something to you? Merlin, if he did I’ll kill him,” Lupin said shaking his fist.

“No, he didn’t say anything. That’s the problem,” Erica said. Snape creased his eyebrows in confusion.

“What do you mean Erica? What’s going on?” Lupin said placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. Snape felt this overwhelming urge to kill Lupin the minute he touched her.

“I think…No, I am. I’m in love with him,” Erica said before a new round of fresh tears came. “He doesn’t even know. All he ever talks about is…another girl.”

Lupin pulled Erica into a hug and she cried into his chest. He slowly stroked her back. Snape was clenching and unclenching his fists at the sight, but his mind was elsewhere. She was in love with him?

“It’s okay Erica,” Lupin said. Snape leaned forward to listen to the conversation a little better. “If Snape can’t see what a wonderful person you are then he doesn’t deserve you. Besides…I love you.”

Snape rolled his eyes. “Really?” Erica said pulling away and looking Lupin in the eyes. Snape looked back at the two of them.

“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me. I know it’s last notice and all but…”

“I’d love to,” Erica said quietly. Lupin smiled widely.

“That’s great. Now, let’s go get you cleaned up or else you are going to look absolutely terrible at the dance and I will never want to be seen with you again.”

Erica gave a faint laugh at Lupin’s attempt to cheer her up. It was sweet, but she preferred Severus’ honesty.

“Come on,” Lupin said leading her toward the Gryffindor common room.

Once they were around the corner Snape came out of his hiding place. His mind was a whirlwind of questions. The most important one was, does he love her in return?

-----

“Sir, Dobby needs help sir.” Snape groaned and opened his eyes. Dobby was grabbing his leg to get his attention. Snape opened his eyes and looked down at the house elf. He was about to reprimand the elf, when he noticed Erica lying on the floor.

“Erica?” Snape said. He reached down and gently shook her. Erica jumped up and screamed. There were tears in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Snape said sliding down to the floor next to her. Erica just looked up at Snape with tearstained cheeks and a bewildered look on her face.

“Severus,” she said, “when Remus asked me to the Halloween ball seventh year, were you standing behind a suit of armor?”

Snape narrowed his eyes at her. Surly they weren’t seeing the same things. He nodded and Erica’s eyes widened even more.

“Earlier when I fainted, what happened?”

“I picked you up and placed you on the couch the room created for us. I think I touched your skin, and I got shocked. Then I thought about the time I asked you about Lily going to the Halloween dance with me, only…”

“Only you saw it from a different angle?” Snape nodded.

“What is going on?” Snape shook his head.

“I don’t know, but I think the Headmaster may know. Stay here and eat. I’ll be right back.” Erica nodded as Snape stood and hobbled to the Headmaster’s office.

“Chocolate covered cherries,” Snape said as the secret stairway opened. What a silly password.

Snape walked up to the Headmaster’s door and knocked. “Enter Severus,” Dumbledore said.

Snape opened the door and walked in. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk eating some kind of sweet.

“Warhead?” Dumbledore asked. Snape narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Warhead, Headmaster?”

Dumbledore nodded. “It is a strange muggle sweet that comes in different flavors and is extremely sour,” he said popping another one into his mouth. Dumbledore scrunched his face up at the taste of it, until the sour subsided.

Snape just stared at him like he was nuts.

“So, what brings you here?” Dumbledore asked. Snape sighed and hobbled over to the desk before sitting down in one of the Headmaster’s many armchairs.

“It’s Erica. Something is happening…”

“What do you mean?”

“Every time one of us is asleep, or knocked out. If the other touches them they faint and we are seeing visions of our past,” Snape said. “What do you think is going on?”

“Who did it happen too first?” Dumbledore asked seriously. Snape shook his head.

“Her, I think. Earlier today when we woke up I was resting and when I woke up she was on the floor. She said that she was just thinking about the day we met, which was the same thing I was thinking of.”

Dumbledore nodded. “I see. This is quite common for vampires.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” Dumbledore began, “when a vampire is created, it usually loses all its memories. In this case, Erica remembers everything from her past and the present. It may also have something to do with her powers being as extreme as they are.”

“Then why is it affecting me?” Snape asked. Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled merrily as he answered.

“Perhaps it is because that when she was friends with you, she was the happiest, and the fact that her feelings were out of control when she was with you. Or maybe it is something else. I truly do not know.”

Snape glared at Dumbledore. He knew more than what he was saying.

When Snape figured out Dumbledore wasn’t going to say anymore he stood to leave. “Good-afternoon Headmaster,” Snape said walking toward the door.

“Good luck Severus.”

Snape hobbled back down to his quarters. He opened the door and Erica leaped up from the floor in surprise.

“What did he say?”

Snape looked at the young woman. She looked just like she did at graduation, beautiful and smart.

“He thinks it may have something to do with you being a vampire with powers and your past feelings for me.”

Erica nodded and sank down into an armchair. Snape walked over and joined her.

“Why didn’t you come to Diagon Alley that day?” Snape asked. Erica looked up at him with surprise in her eyes.

“I didn’t think you would want to see me like this.”

“Why would you think that?” Snape said. Erica rolled her eyes.

“Oh, come on. If I had walked up to you then and told you I was a vampire you would have killed me on the spot. I know how you hate vampires.”

“They killed my mother Erica,” Snape said. Erica nodded. “I know.”

“You’re right though. I would have killed you. I wouldn’t have even listened to your side.” Erica nodded.

“That’s why I didn’t show up that day. That and it was daytime and I would have burned to death.”

“I remember waiting for you all day,” Snape said. “I just sat at the booth we always used to sit at drinking a cup of butterbeer wondering where you were. I stayed there until the placed closed and I was forced to leave. I figured that you must have forgotten about it so I wrote you a letter. I went to sleep with it on my side table so I would remember to send it in the morning.

“When I woke up, there was an owl tapping on my window. It was an invitation to your funeral. At first I thought it was a joke, and then I saw it in the Daily Prophet and realized it was true. Two days later I joined the Deatheaters.”

“I’m sorry Severus,” Erica said. Snape turned to her and nodded.

“I really thought you were dead,” he said.

They sat there in silence until Snape looked up at the clock on the mantle.

“Come on, we have students to teach,” he said standing up.

“I was there in Diagon Alley that day,” Erica said suddenly. Snape turned and looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

“I was across the street hiding in the alleyway. I saw you at our booth. I was afraid to walk over there and say anything.”

Snape was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. He walked over and opened the door. It was Lupin.
“What do you want?” Snape growled.

“Dumbledore informed me that you were injured today during the sessions and insisted that I come and take your place this afternoon while teaching the sixth and seventh years.”

Snape looked at Lupin with fire in his eyes. “I don’t need you to do that Lupin. I am perfectly capable of doing this myself.”

“Not according to some of the students I’ve talked to. Many of the young men said that they couldn’t believe that she did that to you. It made me curious, what did she do to you?”

Snape growled and turned back to Erica, who was fighting, unsuccessfully, a smile.

“We have a class to teach,” Snape said pushing past Lupin. Erica walked out of Snape’s quarters and shut the door behind her.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Lupin asked. Erica smiled brightly.

“I was teaching him to sing,” she said before rushing off to catch up with Snape.