The Professor

Chapter 7


He cursed himself over and over again. He would regret this, he knew. He took a glance around and made sure no one was near. He turned the corner and saw the door. He took a deep breath and exhaled it.

Bloody mess Severus Snape. That’s what you are, a bloody mess.

He knocked on her door.

*****

She had almost given up hope after looking at the clock.

8:12pm

Then the knock came. She froze. He was here. Her heart automatically began to beat so loudly that her ears went deaf. She tried to breath normally, but she noticed her hands shaking. What the hell was wrong with her? He was just a man after all!


She opened the door.

There he stood, all in black, looking for all the world like he didn’t really want to be there. She smiled at him and invited him in. He looked so uncomfortable.


*****

He was so uncomfortable. The only thought he could conjure in his mind was disappointment. He was actually disappointed that her hair was up. He wanted so much for it to be down.

She welcomed him in with such a warm smile. His heart began to beat madly in his chest.

This was ridiculous. She was just a woman after all. A muggle on top of it.

*****


“Thanks for coming Professor Snape. Here.” She handed him a glass of wine. He looked like he could use it.

“Thank you.” He said. His voice was just above a whisper.

“Sit.” They both sat. He in a chair and her on the couch. There was an extended moment of silence between them. Chloe was trying to figure out what to say next. Honesty was the best policy after all.

“Listen Professor Snape-” He held up a hand to silence her.

“You may call me Severus. As long as it isn’t in front of students.” He said. It was the first glimmer of humanism she had seen in him yet. So there was hope after all.

“Thank you. Formalities are a bore sometimes. And for the record, please call me Chloe as well. As I was saying, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you coming to my defense the other day. Why do they hate me so?” She had her legs curled under her skirt and she was leaning her head on her hand, looking at Severus.

He sat quietly for a moment and then spoke softly. “They hate muggles because they feel you are inferior to them. Many wizards think that way. They pity you because you are incapable of magic. Don’t take it personally, they hate all muggles.” He drank from his wine and they sat again in silence.

“That’s funny. I was beginning to pity wizards.’ She sipped her wine and noticed his face contorted into a frown.

“Why?” he asked her.

“Well…you all have a fantastic advantage, I’ll give you that. But there is so much more you all are missing. For instance,” she turned now to face him with her arms hugging the arm of the couch. “technology. I am having serious Internet withdrawal.” She smiled at his confusion. “It’s a muggle thing.” She laughed.


*****

She was going on about muggle technology, but he wasn’t really listening. Instead he was studying her face as she spoke. Her eyes were lit up and they positively glowed when she smiled.

His eyes traveled down her neck to her chest. The rise of her breasts were showing under that flimsy shirt. What kept him most mesmerized were her feet. They were normal feet, but not normal. Her toes were painted a red color and he just couldn’t take his eyes from them. He imagined himself going over and massaging the arches and hearing her moan with pleasure.

He forced himself to pay attention to her words. It was just so damn hard. She had just asked him a question. What was it she just said?

“Are you listening to me Severus?” The sound of his name made his heart flutter. It had been a long time since a woman has said his name like that. Softly, with feeling. Oh Gods…he had to get out of here. He had made a terrible mistake.

“Yes.” Yes? That’s all he could think of? What was it she asked. Oh, fantastic…

She had brought a couple of books over to him and he guessed she was about to show him something from them. She opened one of the books she had earmarked and placed it on his lap.

Great. Nothing better to spoil the mood than to read about Potter.

“So you knew him then? I assumed that you did because he was a student here not too long ago.” She studied his face. He was reading the insert under Potter’s picture. He couldn’t believe it. He was painted as the golden boy, like he was the messiah himself.

“Yes, I knew him. Arrogant, bullheaded and weak. That’s what he really was. But...thank goodness I wasn’t given a chance to write the history books.” He smirked and was surprised by her laughter.

“Yeah, I guess as his teacher you would have seen the…more…stubborn side of him. I was just curious is all.” She replaced the book on his lap with another. It The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, Revised Edition. She pointed to a section that told the story of “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”.

“Can you tell me his name?” She asked softly.

“Why?”

“No real reason I guess. It’s just that…I don’t understand why everyone fears his name. Especially since he is dead now, right?” She was leaning over his shoulder and he could smell her. Her perfume was like nothing he had ever smelled before. It had to be something the muggles created. Nothing in nature smelled that sweet and musky all at once. He read and reread the paragraph she was referring to. He was painfully aware that her face was a mere foot from his own. He could even hear her breath…


“His name was Tom Riddle, before he turned to the Dark Arts. After that, he changed his name to…Lord Voldemort. Everyone feared him. His followers-”

“Death Eaters?” He turned his head towards her and frowned.

“How did you know that?” She turned her face to his and he saw in her eyes right away. She knew.

“Because I know Severus.” Her voice was soft. She knew what he was already. Someone had already told her everything about him. Probably to warn her about him. Warned her to stay away and now here she was, tempting her fates. Trying to see if it were really true. Anger replaced everything that was good inside of him. His eyes hardened as he looked into her face. A flicker of fear crossed her eyes.

“I’m sorry Severus. I didn’t mean…I mean…” She felt like she was falling. She had been doing so well after all. And now…here he was looking at her with the utmost contempt. She placed her hand on his that held the book. “Please forgive me Severus. This is what I mean. I do not know what it is that I should and shouldn’t say. I’m afraid of making a terrible mistake. Like the one I have obviously made with you. Please Severus…”

He held her gaze, but felt his chest squeeze tightly. Here she was, doe eyed and sincere, asking him for forgiveness for something she really didn’t intend to do. She wasn’t at fault. He became aware of his hand being squeezed by hers.

“It’s a good idea to not discuss this particular subject with too many people. Many wizards are still a bit jumpy. There are a few Death Eaters that escaped any form of prosecution and are still at large. People are still afraid.” Her hand was still on his.

“Oh. I see.’ She finally removed her hand and he felt the cold air replace the warmth that was just pulled away. He flicked through the book and found a picture of Albus Dumbledore and a section of his life, and death by the hands of none other than himself. Then, a section on Dumbledore’s apparent resurrection and the dropping of charges of one former Death Eater Severus Snape. So it was in the history books now was it? He slammed it shut. Chloe took the book from him and placed it back on the table.

“Severus, it seems as though I have made a complete disaster of what I thought would be a relaxing evening. I thought if you were to talk about these things, that I would understand better. I never stopped to realize that it might be…a bit tactless for me to do so. I apologize and understand if you wish to go and curse me into something unnatural.” She was standing with her hands on her hips and the fire in the fireplace crackled behind her casting her shadow on the floor. He searched her face and found the flicker of a smile.

He snorted and crossed his feet. He saw, out of the corner of his eye, her face break out into a smile. He didn’t want to look at her again for a while. Because he would have smiled right back, and that wouldn’t do at all.


*****

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk and drank a cup of pumpkin juice. A certain map open on his desk, given to him by Harry Potter, showed two tiny dots. One labeled Prof. Severus Snape and the Other Prof. Chloe Browning. The two tiny dots were so close together, he wondered what it was they were doing.

He was overjoyed when he saw Severus’ tiny dot enter Chloe’s chambers. He is deserving of someone to care for him. After all he has been through, someone should.

He watched as Chloe’s dot moved around the room and Severus’ dot sat still. He chuckled to himself. What he wouldn’t give to be much younger than he was and in Severus’ place. He only hoped Severus would make the best of this situation. He had noticed her striking good looks first. Then he realized she was intelligent and caring. She was perfect for the job. He never thought in a million years that she would have a soft spot for Severus. He actually had his money on one of the young men at her party. One of the Weasley’s perhaps? No…Victor? That was possible. Since Victor retired from playing Quiditch, he moved here to England. That would have been a more logical choice.

Albus sighed. What does logic have to do with love anyway? There was no logic to it really. One just begins to love the other and hope against hope that the love is returned.

For his dear friend Severus, he hoped against hope that he was able to fall in love.