Disclaimer: We don't own these Characters and places. (Well, we made up a couple of the people, like Heather etc…)
She could feel the pressure of someone's eyes fixed to her person. Florence turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of black eyes staring at her before they were quickly averted. Scrutinising the face the eyes belonged to told her that she knew him from somewhere but, just as she thought she was getting somewhere, she heard her name being called.
Spinning around, she spotted Sirius Black running towards her, a grin lighting up his face. She greeted him fondly before turning back to the person with the night-eyes but, with a scowl, he had disappeared from sight. Disappointed, she tried to concentrate on the excited chatter Sirius was emitting.
"...so, what do you think?"
"What? Sorry... say that again." Florence apologised, with a smile lighting up her bright green eyes.
"Florence! I was asking whether you wanted to get together to study later in the library..."
"Uh..." She didn't want to commit herself to being alone with Sirius. It was public knowledge that he had a crush on her and she didn't want to lead him on.
"James and Lily are gonna come!" He smiled his lady-killer smile in an effort to persuade her, but ruined the effect by waving to another girl over her shoulder. Unfortunately for him, the smile never had the effect on Florence that he would like, even if he'd paid more attention to her.
Florence pulled her hand through her thick brown hair and considered the offer for a second. "I suppose it won't hurt." She said, mock-grudgingly.
Sirius rushed off before she could change her mind. Probably to go ask James and Lily, she thought with a smile. With that thought in mind, she turned and walked to her next lesson and favourite subject: Defence against the Dark Arts.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Chewing on her dinner in the Great Hall, Florence looking around her, and caught the eye of Sirius. He waved at her, smiling his devastating smile and she grinned back. She still thought of him as a friend even though she was saddened to know he thought there could be something more than that. Carrying on her scrutiny of the Great Hall, she stopped short as she noticed someone doing a little scrutiny of his own – the black-eyed boy from earlier! She stared at him for a while, but her heart sank as she realised he was sat at the Slytherin table. Looking away quickly, she turned to the girl sat beside her and asked who the boy was.
"That's Severus Snape" Veronica Vector replied. "You don't fancy him do you? Isn't he a little greasy?"
"No, of course I don't fancy him!" She answered a little irritably and resumed eating the delicious meal set in front of her. "I just wanted to know who he was!"
Severus Snape, she repeated his name in her head. She looked back at him and watched him as he talked to a boy next to him who she knew as Marcus Mulciber, the Slytherin Seeker. Snape wasn't exactly attractive but he did have a certain magnetism. He scared her, but he also intrigued her. She felt an overwhelming urge to talk to him, and, not being one to back down on her stronger urges, she decided that she would when she had the chance.
As she kept her eyes on him, he looked back at her and their eyes met and held for a minute that seemed endless. Breaking eye contact, she quickly looked around the hall to see if anyone had noticed the interaction and her eyes stopped on Sirius who was looking at her with a fierce frown on his face. He ran an agitated hand through his dark hair and she turned away.
"Oh, no..." she mumbled.
Heather Harris, one of her best friends, sat down at the table and her apology for being late was halted in midstream as she looked at Florence's face.
"What's wrong?" She asked, quietly. Florence only shook her head and, in reply, Heather whispered "We've never kept secrets from each other, Florence, and I can see something's wrong..."
"I'll tell you later, in a more private place!" Florence had noticed that Pamela Percival, Ravenclaw's biggest gossip had taken an interest in their conversation and she wasn't eager for the whole school to know the story.
Once dinner had ended, though, Florence and Heather made a quick dash to the girls' dorm to have a gossip and it was there the whole story spilled out.
"You fancy Severus Snape?! Florence, I knew you had odd taste (you not fancying Sexy Sirius put my mind straight on that score!) but this?" Heather's attraction to Sirius was a little less known than Sirius' fascination with Florence but it was no less immense. She had been chasing him for years and it was a credit to Heather and Florence's friendship that they had never fallen out over him.
"Heather... I just can't explain it... But, I needed to tell someone... I have to speak to him!"
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Heather's pretty face was creased in a frown as she brushed her cropped blonde hair away from her face. Her blue eyes were filled with concern. "After all, he is in Slytherin."
"I know... but what does that matter? It's only a house, Heather..." Heather had started writing on a piece of paper with her ridiculously large, novelty pink quill. "What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna owl the men in the white coats...you've gone INSANE!" The last words of her speech were punctuated with a squeal as Florence hit her with a cushion and a pillow fight ensued. Their earlier concerns forgotten, Florence and Heather fought until they were exhausted and fell asleep.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Heather and Florence were walking to breakfast the next time they saw Severus close up. Unfortunately, Sirius intercepted them as they attempted to dash up to him and talk to him.
"Hi Florence, how are you today?" Sirius grinned and then noticed Heather as she sighed in admiration. "Oh, hello Heather."
Florence could only watch in misery as Severus walked further and further away. An idea suddenly struck her and she pushed Heather towards Sirius and said "I gotta dash – I forgot something! See you both later" She ran in the direction Severus had just gone, briefly looking back over her shoulder at Heather and Sirius and the sight made her smile. Heather was standing there, her mouth agape at Sirius; a blush was staining her already rosy cheeks. Sirius' expression was no better.
Returning to her mission, she ran up the corridor until she had Snape in her sights. Running until she reached his side, she stopped moving, breathing heavily with the exertion.
He turned to look at her, amusement written in the lines of his face. "Can I help you?" He smiled slightly.
"I... Hi... Uh..." Now she had got him on his own she had no clue on what to say to him. She had forgotten all the little amusing speeches she had prepared and recited in front of the bathroom mirror!
Severus wasn't helping any – his smile was growing gradually into a smirk! "Is this important? Only I've got a couple of things to do before tomorrow..."
"I... Uh... Wouldyouliketomeetuplaterinthelibrary?" Finally remembering her objective, Florence's speech was blurted out in an almost unintelligible gush.
"Uh..." Severus' smirk was still present in his eyes but a confused expression coloured his face. He scratched his head mockingly. "Can you repeat that?"
Florence blushed but she was determined to get this over and done with. "Would you like to meet up later in the library?" She repeated, a bit more slowly.
Severus' smirk faded a little and she caught a glimpse of pleasure in his eyes. Unfortunately, over her shoulder, he spotted Titus Travers walking towards them "Yes" he promised, in a hushed voice. "I'll see you there after dinner." Then he was gone.
Florence's heart rose in her chest with joy and she went to find Heather with a huge grin on her face.
"Found what you had forgotten?" Sirius said, sarcastically from behind her. She turned around, still smiling until she saw the expression on his face. It was pure, unadulterated jealousy. "I thought you knew better than to talk to Slytherins"
The depth of hatred focused on the last word of his speech shocked Florence into saying: "I thought you were above such prejudice, Sirius" and, seeing James Potter over his shoulder, she waved to the tall skinny boy with the permanently messy hair and glasses. James walked towards them, a happy grin on his face.
"Hi guys! How are you?"
Sirius schooled a neutral expression on his face. "We can tell exactly how you are. You just saw Lily Evans, didn't you?" He smiled slightly as James blushed a little.
"I'd better go" Florence interrupted. "Heather'll be wondering where I am".
"Bye, then" Sirius gave her a piercing look as he and James bode her farewell. Florence, her good mood slightly diminished, went into the Great Hall and sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Heather. Fortunately, Pamela Percival was no where in sight.
"Where have you been?" Heather hissed. "I've been dying to know how it went!"
A grin split Florence's pretty face and her previously dull green eyes lit up in her face. "He's meeting me in the library later"
Heather let out an excited whoop, which attracted the attention of everyone at the Ravenclaw table. She shifted uncomfortably as everyone stared at her. "What are you looking at?" She countered, rudely.
Quickly finishing their breakfast, the girls left the hall and went to their first lesson wishing the day was already over.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus Snape took time out of his History of Magic lesson to think about Florence. He was sure Professor Binns wouldn't notice – he was too busy waffling on about something or other... nothing of great importance, anyway.
She was very brave to try and talk to him, despite the disastrous results. He smiled slightly at the memory of her stumbling over her words and blushing red. Well, the results weren't that disastrous, he thought, as his smile grew wolfish. He was meeting her tonight.
Thinking back to the first time he'd noticed her standing in the hallway, he recalled the memory of her pretty face – her smile welcoming and her eyes glinting with mischief. He still didn't know why he hadn't noticed her before – she was entrancing. Now, he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
Distracted by his thoughts, he missed the huge paint ball that whizzed past his face and hit the wall next to Professor Binns. The latter didn't notice either; he was too involved in his own lecture.
The class, full of Slytherins, burst into sniggers and the sharp nudge in his ribs from Travers brought him out of his daydream.
Snape smirked as he saw the lime green paint from the ball dribble down the wall, his thoughts briefly forgotten as he returned to being a Slytherin.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Florence was shaking with nerves by the time dinner came. Heather's soothing words having not performed their objective, the two girls walked slowly towards the Great Hall. Once they had reached their seats, they had calmed down slightly. Florence kept repeating the mantra "It'll be alright" over and over again under her breath to the confusion of Veronica Vector who was sat beside her.
Heather gave Florence a sharp elbow in her side and hissed to her to make her look up. After giving Heather a "look", she did as she was told and watched as Snape made his way into the hall. His eyes met hers and, as if by ritual, they held for a second. He raised one eyebrow at her as if in acknowledgement of her presence and she gave him a half-smile. He looked past her to the Staff Table and his expression became fixed. Following his gaze, she spotted Professor Dumbledore smiling knowingly at the both of them. Her face flushed red. She glanced at Severus, who was covering his face with his hand, and looked down at her plate.
After dinner, she walked Heather to the Ravenclaw common room before heading up to the library, Heather's concerned words ringing in her ears: "Are you sure you should be doing this? I don't think it's a good idea. Just stay here with me... Please..." Shaking her head and smiling bravely, Florence had left her.
She didn't feel so brave now, she thought as she entered the library. Surreptitiously looking around her, she spotted Snape sitting at a table in an enclosed corner, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and leafing through a huge book. After picking up a book of a similar size, she walked over to him and sat opposite. Silently, they leafed through their individual books for a while before she gave in and looked up at him. He was looking at her too and, when she looked a bit closer, she was surprised that he was looking a bit nervous.
"So... how are you?" She almost groaned at the lameness of her opening statement.
The nervous look vanished and he smirked. "Fine. I was more worried about you. You looked as though you were suffering from Crucio, the way you were wriggling in your seat at dinner!"
The ice broken, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Cheeky!" She grinned at him and retorted "You didn't look much better". He mock-scowled at her and snorted, causing her to collapse in fits of laughter, which was quickly muffled when Madam Pince looked over, a fierce look on her face.
With hushed voices, they began to talk – just about general things at first and then about their respective families. Florence, although more comfortable with him now, felt unsure about his reaction if he found out she had Muggle parents (after all, he was a Slytherin!). So, she was hesitant about telling him too much about her home life, but she supplied him with enough information so that he didn't suspect that she was hiding something.
It was about 9.30 when Severus noticed Madam Pince looking pointedly at her watch several times and so he suggested he walk Florence back to the Ravenclaw common room. She agreed, unwilling for the evening to end just yet. Afraid that the caretaker, Mr Pringle, would find them, Severus and Florence tiptoed quickly through the secret passages and Hogwarts corridors. Distracted by their hushed conversation, she forgot about the trick stair that was positioned halfway up a particularly large staircase and she would have fallen if it had not been for him gripping her around her waist.
Feeling slightly shy, she concentrated on how good it felt to have him holding her with his surprisingly strong arms and stared up into his black eyes.
Severus completely forgot that he was standing in the middle of a tall staircase where anyone could see him and gazed down at the girl in his arms. Fascinated, he watched as her cheeks flushed slightly and he brushed a reddish-brown hair away from her face. He leaned down slightly and brought his head closer and closer to hers.
She waited in anticipation as his face edged closer to hers and sighed silently when their lips touched. He started to kiss her, at first hesitantly, then with more force as he grew more confident. Focusing on the feelings bursting inside of her, Florence did not hear the snipe-ish voice coming from a nearby corridor:
"I know you're around somewhere..."
Severus heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, and reluctantly ended the kiss. He grabbed Florence's hand and dragged her up the staircase just as Mr Pringle rounded the corner.
After running as fast as they could for about 400 yards, Snape pulled Florence into the gap behind a statue as they watched Pringle walk passed, his smell preceding him and hovering for a couple of seconds before following him down the corridor.
"You'd better go..." Florence whispered hurriedly, still out of breath from the run. Severus satisfied himself with one last look at her before he dashed back towards the Slytherin dorms. Florence watched him go before darting round the corner and into her own common room.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Sitting in the stands of the Quidditch stadium, Florence wound her blue Ravenclaw scarf tight around her neck to keep out the winter cold. She lifted her binoculars to her eyes, hoping to get a closer look at the pitch and her team.
Professor Soarley was refereeing today and muttered some warnings to the Slytherin team before lifting his whistle to his mouth. The piercing sound punctuated the start of the game and Florence felt her chest tighten with excitement as the players swooped around the stadium.
Her eyes fixed briefly on the Ravenclaw Captain and Chaser, Callum Quinlan, as he gained control of the Quaffle. He was a burly boy, in the same year as Florence, with golden hair that shone in the winter sun.
The chime sounded as the scoreboard changed; Florence cheered with the rest of her house as Ravenclaw scored the first 10 points. A grin crossed her face as Callum did a loop-the-loop over the pitch and she waved her scarf in the air in appreciation.
Lifting the binoculars to her eyes again, she searched the Slytherin stands, hoping to catch a glimpse of Severus. Sure enough, her eyes caught on his shiny black hair; his face was twisted into a scowl. She grinned at the furious look he was sending towards the Ravenclaw team and the focused her attention back on the game.
The Slytherin seeker, Marcus Mulciber, had caught sight of the Golden Snitch and was swooping towards it, gaining speed, the Ravenclaw seeker on his tail.
Mulciber caught Edwin Hawley on the side of his face, causing him to spin out of control briefly before he guided his broom back towards the Snitch.
The Ravenclaw stands almost trembled with the loud boos that were radiated at Mulciber and Florence shouted her disapproval with the rest of her house. Just because she fancied a Slytherin doesn't mean she supported their dirty tactics!
Slytherin, in the meantime, had scored another 20 points and so were in the lead. Florence could see the determination in Callum's body language as he avoided the Bludgers and gained control of the Quaffle again. He passed it briefly to another Ravenclaw chaser, Daniel Irving, before scoring another 10 points for Ravenclaw, bringing them level with Slytherin.
It was all in vain though, as Mulciber once again swooped towards the illusive Snitch before clasping it tightly in his right-hand. The Slytherins cheered in victory as Mulciber held it smugly towards the skies.
Florence let a scowl cloud her usually animated face and she left the stands feeling disheartened. She heard loud footsteps behind her as she walked back towards the castle and, not in the mood to talk to anyone, she ignored them.
"Florence...?" A low, smooth voice made her stop and turn around. Severus was standing behind her, a smirk colouring his features. She could still see the flush of victory in his eyes.
"Can I help you?" Florence asked coldly. She wasn't up to being tormented over her house's loss. Severus grin faded slightly at her question but he didn't give up.
"I was just going to ask you if you enjoyed the game..." Florence glowered at him a little before whipping him lightly with her blue scarf. His smirk back in place, he whipped her back with his green and silver version and she grinned at him.
"Slytherin toadrat!" She threw at him before running off towards Hogwarts before she received a reprimand.
Snape watched her go, her chestnut hair whipping around her head like a halo and her blue Ravenclaw scarf flying out behind her. He wished he could follow her, but he could already see Travers and Mulciber making their way towards him, probably to warn him from talking to her again. He didn't care; he made his way to meet them.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Christmas was near; she could smell it in the air. Florence wrinkled her nose in happiness at the advancing holiday and skipped across the courtyard towards Sirius, James and Remus Lupin who were huddled together. Not noticing her approach, they carried on talking:
"We have to get revenge on him somehow" Sirius' voice was harsh. He ran his hand through his longish sable hair, his face devoid of any trace of his characteristically charming smile. Remus allowed a worried look in his direction before cutting in:
"Are you sure this is necessary, Sirius? We could just..."
"No! We couldn't just leave it, Remus! He's gone too far this time! Imagine... thinking he could be with Florence when she is so obviously..." A loud 'clearing of the throat' from James made him stop and turn around, just as Florence reached them.
"Hiya! How's it going? You're all looking rather serious... should I leave you alone?" Florence's forehead pleated into a concerned frown.
"No. No. Of course not! We're not discussing anything important." Remus alleviated any fears she might've had with one of his soothing smiles. Relieved, a smile returned to her face and she turned to Sirius.
"How are you, Sirius?" A meagre parody of Sirius' lady-killer smile flashed back onto his face at the question.
"Fine! Just great! Oh..." He looked at his wristwatch worriedly, and clarified his distress. "It's nearly time for our DADA lesson and Professor Ripley doesn't like it when we're late!" Giving the other boys a veiled look, Sirius took off toward his classroom at a run. With a quick good-bye, James and Remus joined him. Florence looked after them, shaking her head in amazement before heading in the direction of the Ravenclaw common room.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus waited outside the Great Hall wanting to get a glimpse of Florence before dinner. Catching sight of her approach, he glanced over at her as she walked down the corridor and watched as she spared him a little concealed smile. He was going to smile back but he spotted Sirius running down the hallway after her.
Severus watched as Sirius flirted and simpered as he conversed and, as he watched her smile and laugh with him, anger, like bile, rose up inside of him. He recognised it briefly as jealousy but it was too late to stem the flow. He scowled and stalked off, down to the Great Hall.
Florence watched him go, disappointed he hadn't responded to her smile.
"...Florence? Are you listening?" Slightly irritated, Sirius followed her gaze and spotted Snape stalking down the corridor, obviously in a rage. Sirius' face distorted into a rare glower and, as Florence turned back to look at him, she felt her unease grow.
"I'm sorry, Sirius. I'm really not feeling altogether well... I think I'll go to bed a bit early..."
"OK... As long as you're not using that as an excuse to chase after your darling Snapey!"
Florence swallowed painfully, shocked at the unfairness of the remark but before she could reply he apologised:
"I'm sorry, Florence. I shouldn't have said that." With that, he turned away and walked down the corridor, his dark head down. She briefly thought about following him and figured that would make it worse than it already was.
Sniffling slightly, she turned and walked the way she had come. She wasn't feeling very hungry after all and she decided it wouldn't hurt her to miss dinner one day. That resolved, she turned and headed to the girls' toilets to cry in private.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Emerging an hour later, Florence, red-eyed and blotchy-faced wandered down the corridor towards the Ravenclaw common room, hoping no one was out of dinner yet.
Unfortunately, lost in her own thoughts, she bumped straight into a tall figure who was meandering the opposite way.
"Oomph" the tall silhouette groaned. Looking up, Florence recognised Remus' kind face. "Florence? Why aren't you at dinner?"
"I wasn't feeling very hungry... wait a minute! Why aren't you having dinner?"
Remus grinned a trifle sheepishly, his gentle brown eyes twinkling with mischief. "I guess I wasn't hungry either..." He prevaricated. He looked down at her face, still smeared with tears. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah... I'm fine." She sniffed and sobbed slightly; then finally burst into another flood of tears.
Hugging her to him, Remus murmured soothing phrases like "Its gonna be alright" and "Are you sure you don't want to tell me what's wrong?"
Comforted slightly in his arms, she buried her head in his robes. In truth, she was feeling more than a little embarrassed. She heard footsteps echoing down the hallway, so she hid her face even more to hide her tears from the rest of the world.
From her sheltered position, all she heard was a muttered expletive and growl that came from somewhere nearby. She felt Remus stiffen slightly and let her go, so she looked up from his robes and froze. Severus was staring at the both of them, his face like thunder.
"Severus..." She whispered.
"I wondered where you were at dinner" He snarled "but it appears I didn't need to. You were obviously well looked after" He took an aggressive step forward and Remus, making a gurgling sound in his throat behind her, reminded her that they weren't alone.
"It's alright, Remus. I'll be alright" She pushed him away slightly and, with one last concerned look at the both of them, Remus hurried down the corridor not looking back. She had a horrible feeling he went to find Sirius. "Severus..." She turned back to face him, but he was obviously in no mood to stand and talk.
"No, Florence. There's no need to explain – I think I know the story..." He was frowning fiercely but Florence could have sworn she saw real hurt in his eyes. She took a step towards him but he
"I don't think you do, so listen!" Her rare temper was beginning to surface. "I'd just been crying about you and Remus found me and gave me a hug. Is that OK with you? Do I have to ask you every time I want a hug from a friend?"
"A likely story..." Snape said, sarcastically, but he looked a little less sure of himself. "Florence..." He took a step towards her but she'd had enough. She ran from him and into the Ravenclaw common room where she knew he couldn't follow.
Severus stood and looked, astonished, at her fast disappearing back. The anger that was once so strong had evaporated and he was left feeling only remorse. What had he done? He cursed himself for his stupidity and his quick-temper and was still muttering expletives when Sirius rounded the corner at a run.
"What have you done with her? You call yourself a man!" Sirius shouted at him.
"What right do you have to care?" With another, more suitable target to base his anger on, Snape felt his temper rise.
"What do you mean?! I'm Florence's... friend!" Sirius paused deliberately, causing Snape's hackles to rise.
"Oh, really?" Snape yelled and swung for him. Not expecting physical contact, Sirius was hit hard on the side of his face and went flying towards the wall.
"You... you... bastard!" Sirius paid off Snape's punch with one of his own that stung Severus' nose. With that, they both went for each other and in no time, they were rolling around the floor, brawling like a couple of master wrestlers looking for trouble.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Florence had obviously come out of the common room to see what the commotion was. Stood slightly behind her was Heather, a shocked expression on her face. Both boys stopped fighting and looked up in terror at her face.
"Florence, I..." Sirius started talking only to be silenced by the look on her face.
"Florence..." Severus tried but he was also scowled at. All four students suddenly heard footsteps coming along the corridor and the smell of Pringle drew near.
"Run" Florence just had time to gasp before he turned the corner. The students made a quick dash down the corridor before he found them. Pausing at a fork in the corridor, they hesitated briefly before splitting up in twos and carrying on - Florence found herself, once again, alone with Snape.
Florence stopped, gasping, her lungs aching with trying to keep up with her painful breathing. Snape ran a couple of steps before noticing that she was not running anymore. He turned back to her.
"Come on, Florence!" He hissed.
"I can't... run... anymore..." She gasped, and he ran back to her. "Maybe he's gone..." she pleaded, just as she heard Pringle's voice:
"I know you're here... I'll find you eventually – there's no point in hiding!"
Wasting no time, Snape swept her off of her feet and ran down the hallway, showing an amazing amount of strength and agility. Revelling in the feeling, Florence almost smiled, despite the danger they were in. Severus slid her gently to the floor next to a column and they hid behind it, but were sure that Pringle had taken another route.
"Florence..." Snape whispered.
"I know... I'm sorry, too" She suddenly noticed there was blood running down his face from a bruise at his temple. "Severus, you're bleeding!" She touched her hand to the side of his face and he winced in pain. She took her handkerchief from a pocket of her robes and dabbed the blood gingerly with it. He smiled at her, one of his real, genuine smiles and she felt her heart soar.
"I really do like you, Severus" She murmured and his eyes widened with astonishment at her soft-spoken words.
"You do?" He muttered in surprise and, when she nodded, his eyes glowed with pleasure. It was all the confirmation she needed and she stood on tiptoes for a kiss.
Without the need for invitation, Severus' lips sought hers; his hands moulded her body to his. Florence wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her while she explored his mouth as eagerly as he was exploring hers. She felt totally pliable in his arms and malleable to his will, but she didn't care. This was where she wanted to be, forever.
Hearing Pringle's footsteps getting nearer, this time Florence pulled away and she and Severus dashed back to their prospective dorms, but not without another quick bout of kissing.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
"Where have you been?" Heather hissed as Florence crept back into the girl's dorm.
"We ran from Pringle... had to go in a different direction from you..."
Heather's face frowned worriedly and her baby-blue eyes darkened a little. "We? Maybe Sirius is right."
"Sirius... What has Sirius said? Tell me, Heather." Florence pleaded, a little irritated that Sirius could come to a bad conclusion about her and Severus.
"He said... He said that Severus was bad for you and he'd only end up hurting you." Heather caught sight of the scowl that clouded Florence's face and carried on hurriedly. "He's only trying to look out for you. WE are only trying to look out for you! Honestly Florence, do you really think Snape is all that wonderful? Wouldn't you be better with someone like... Sirius? Someone who isn't a Slytherin?"
Florence's eyes filled with tears and she felt like Heather had betrayed her. Turning away, she slowly began to get undressed, unwanted tears spilling down her cheeks. Heather touched her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Florence. If he really means all that much to you, then I'll stand by you through the ups and the downs. But if he hurts you..." Heather hugged her tightly and Florence buried her face into her friend's shoulder.
"I know" She whispered. "But I know that Severus would never hurt me intentionally."
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Snape watched in disdain at the assembly who were making their way towards him.
James, Sirius and Remus were striding down the corridor and, not far behind, Peter Pettigrew was waddling along, trying to keep up.
Snape gave them all a menacing snarl but saved the worst of it for Sirius. How dare he insinuate that there was anything between Florence and himself?
Remus gave Severus a worried glance but Sirius just glared straight back, almost as if he was willing him to start another fight. Severus had taken an aggressive step forward before he remembered Florence's words: "Promise me, Severus... promise me you won't fight with Sirius again. I don't want either of you to get hurt, especially not for me." Snape turned away, cursing himself and her for making him promise. It made him look weak when he stepped down from a fight and...
A new thought struck him: he didn't have to get even with them using violence! There were other means available. A malicious smile twisted his face as he plotted his revenge...
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus stood on the platform at Hogwarts station and waved half-heartedly at the departing train. Florence waved from one of the back carriages and blew him a kiss before sitting down, out of sight.
Although he enjoyed holidays, Christmas was his least favourite because he had to share it with his sister. Every year, she met him at Hogwarts station and they took a port key back to their home in Lincolnshire, together.
Thankfully, in a couple of months, he would be taking his Apparating license and he wouldn't have to be picked up from school like a child anymore.
He wished that he was back at Hogwarts with Florence and that they didn't have to go anywhere but, unfortunately, she had already started the journey home to her loving family – something he didn't have.
Pushing the dark greasy hair that covered his face back with one hand, he caught sight of a familiar figure heading his way.
Dressed in her habitual black that made her look much older than her 29 years, Alexandra strode determinedly towards her little brother. Her long black hair was twisted severely into a tight topknot, and her darker-than-black eyes were fierce and unyielding. Nether-the-less, she swept her sibling into her arms and gave him a powerful hug that nearly winded him.
"Severus... there you are! I've been looking for you everywhere." She boomed in her strong voice. "Are you ready? Is that your luggage?" Without waiting for a reply, she muttered a few words and the baggage levitated. She gestured broadly for him to accompany her along the platform, the luggage following, towards a tall, skinny man who Severus recognised as his brother-in-law, Lycidas. With a quick greeting and a worried look at his wife, Lycidas took control of the luggage.
"We'd better be going. We're going to be late" He murmured, timidly, before Alexandra grasped his arm and pulled him along beside her. Severus walked behind.
While he crossed the platform, he allowed himself to think about his parents. He hadn't really known them – they had always been off on holiday or going out with friends, leaving him in the care of a reluctant sister, who was 12 years older and didn't want him hanging around.
His father had died, not soon after his mother, when he was eight. Both had grown old and weary of their extravagant pursuits but had no energy to care for their children. Severus had been put into the care of his sister and her new husband, Lycidas Lackadaisical.
Although he loved his sister, in the way all siblings love each other, the age gap between them was too wide to ever bridge. And the resentment she had felt as a teenager towards him could never fade.
"Pick up your feet, Severus! We have a long way to travel today..."
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Florence looked overhead as the owls came in with the mail. It was Valentine's day; everyone was eager to see if they had got anything and, although Florence didn't think Severus was the type to give cards, she hoped he'd make an exception for her.
Sure enough, she spotted her owl heading towards her with... TWO cards clutched tightly in its claws. Tizane, her owl, dropped them in front of her on the table: a white card with a silver heart in the corner and a blue card with hearts adorning the top edge. Both cards had "To Florence" written on in script.
Guessing that one of the cards was from Severus, she opened up the one with familiar writing: the white one. She eased out the card. The words "From Your Secret Valentine" were looped across the top and a giant red heart was decorating the rest of the card. Peering inside, she caught sight of initials printed at the bottom: "SB" SB? Did she know anyone with those initials? A thought dawned on her: Sirius!
Glad the curiosity was over, she looked at the other card, convinced Severus must have sent it. After all, who else would send her a Valentine? But she didn't recognise the handwriting on the envelope. She assured herself that it was probably disguised.
Peeling open the flap of the blue envelope, she opened the card's cover and... nothing! It wasn't signed; not even initials! Even so, she was sure Severus wouldn't have written his name.
Sighing with disappointment that the excitement was over, she put the card down and looked around her at the other students.
Her eyes fixed on Severus as he tucked the card she had given him inside his robes so that no one saw. She grinned a little: she didn't expect him to open it up in front of everyone. In fact, she preferred it this way.
Turning to her right, she watched as Heather blushed and ripped open her Valentine's day card:
"To Heather, my own secret valentine, With love, RL"
Heather's colour rose even more as she caught Florence looking at her.
"Ummm…aaaah…" She flushed with embarrassment and Florence's smile grew.
"I didn't know you and Remus…" Florence stopped teasing as she saw her friend was getting really flustered.
"Nor did I… until this morning!" Florence turned around towards the Gryffindor table and caught sight of Remus with an identical expression on his face but his was tinged with mortification. Florence, taking one last chance to tease, waved at him and smiled, ignoring his discomfort.
Turning towards the staff table, she spotted Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, unwrapping a small heart shaped box of Valentine socks while laughing with Professor Ripley.
Smiling to herself, she tucked Severus' card into her robes, next to her heart. She deposited the other Valentine's card in her robe pocket and patted it absentmindedly, wondering if Sirius would ever give up. Florence carried on eating her breakfast, feeling slightly disappointed that all the excitement was over so quickly.
Severus, looking over at the Ravenclaw table, saw that Florence had had two cards. Guilt rose briefly in his gut as he saw the disappointment on her face. He really should have made the effort to get her a card, at least. After all, she had got him one.
Fingering the Valentine in his robe pocket, he felt a smirk grow on his face. It was not his first Valentine's card. He had received many in previous years from younger Slytherin girls who thought they'd had a chance with him but he'd set them straight! This card meant a whole lot more than the rest put together and that's what worried him.
Looking back at Florence, he saw her put a card next to her heart and his temper rose. Was she seeing someone else? No one made a fool out of Severus Snape! A scowl settled across his features, replacing the short-lived smirk.
Looking around the hall at anything but Florence lovingly handling the card, Severus noticed Sirius Black staring fixedly at Florence and his scowl worsened considerably. If Florence was seeing Sirius he'd... He didn't know what he'd do, but it wouldn't be pleasant!
He caught Sirius' eye and gave him a glare that could freeze dragons' breath. Sirius retorted with a similar look before pointedly returning his gaze to his obsession.
Severus seethed with anger, his ears almost emitting steam. He spotted Florence looking at him with concern and his temper grew. He didn't need her concern...
Sirius focused his eyes back on Florence after returning Snape's glare. Who did he think he was? Her keeper? They weren't even going out! Thinking briefly about this, he was sure that Florence wouldn't make that greasy bastard her boyfriend. She knew better than that, surely!
But, looking at the expression on Florence's face as she gazed over at the Slytherin table, he wasn't so sure. He felt his heart sink as he saw her push his card aside in favour of another and felt his anger rise. How could she pick that nasty piece of work over him?
Sirius pushed his breakfast plate aside and tightened his hands into fists under the table
I don't give up that easily, he told himself and repeated the words to Snape in a cold stare.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus stalked along the corridor to his potions lesson. It was one of the only lessons he liked but today he was in no mood for it. He loitered in the corridor briefly, taking stock of the events that had gone by since the beginning of the year.
He had met Florence; he wasn't sure if it was good or bad because she brought out a weakness in him that he couldn't control. His mind's eye conjured up an image of her and, although she wasn't beautiful like Pandora Devine, one of his fellow students in Slytherin, he felt drawn to her in a way he couldn't explain. It was similar to the tug he had felt when he saw his first Veela but there was a difference: putting your fingers in your ears and humming loudly would not stop him being attracted to Florence.
Smiling slightly at the image, he looked out of the window towards the Quidditch Stadium. He could see the Ravenclaw team practising for their next match, against Gryffindor and he hoped, for once, that Ravenclaw would win. He couldn't stand Gryffindors!
Thinking about the odiousness of that house, he deliberated over his three worst enemies:
James Potter had always been clever. Clever, bold and... without common sense! He could do amazing things without trying and that annoyed Snape. Severus had had to work for his goals and still had been constantly criticised by his family. Sometimes he thought they were more ambitious then he was!
Sirius Black was too arrogant for his own good. Severus clenched his fist subconsciously as he thought about wiping that smug smile off of his face. He needed to be put in his place and Snape knew that he was the one to do it.
And to make it a complete trio, Remus Lupin had joined the gang. He snarled as he caught sight of Lupin through the window but was surprised when he saw Madam Pomfrey lead him towards the Whomping Willow. Curious as to what they were doing there, Severus moved closer to the glass but lost sight of them.
Maybe this was the chance he was waiting for! His face tightened in concentration as he started to plan, not seeing the silhouette that crept away, through the shadows.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Enchanting music filled the air and Florence felt herself drawn to the hypnotising sound. She moved her seat closer to the desk as if to absorb as much sound as possible. The melody ceased as quickly as it had started and she began to feel irritation line her stomach.
"You should never listen to a Siren's song alone or for a very long time as it could lead you to disaster. Many people in history have succumbed to the melodies they have emitted and have been killed. Sirens particularly favour sailors as you can see if you turn to your textbook, page 235."
Florence listened carefully to Professor Ripley's lecture and quickly turned the page when prompted. In truth, she was a little annoyed with herself for yielding to the music that way. Looking up at her favourite Professor, she saw Ripley look at her in sympathy, as if she knew what she was thinking. Florence smiled a little at her teacher before reverting back to the textbook.
"You can deal with a siren in very much the same way as a Veela – cover your ears! If you look at the third paragraph, you can see that Orpheus succeeded against them by doing that very thing!"
Florence skimmed her eyes down the page, pausing briefly at a very graphic picture of the creatures luring some poor unsuspecting sailors to their deaths. Feeling a little sickened by the sight of the half-women-half-bird shaped monsters, Florence set her thoughts on something a little more attractive: Severus!
She was a little worried about him – he'd been very distant the last time she'd seen him and he hadn't even made an effort to stop and say hello. There was something wrong but she couldn't put her finger on it. That bothered Florence because she'd always been very good at problem solving, but he seemed to be the only problem she couldn't crack. Sighing a little, Florence turned her attention back to the lesson.
"Right. We're going to be moving on next lesson to do some work on the Bunyip, so I'd like you all to write an 1000 word essay on Sirens, just so I can make sure you've been paying attention!"
There was a chorus of groans from the everyone in the class but Florence who looked forward to assignments for Defence Against the Dark Arts. The bell rang, causing all the pupils to start hurriedly packing away their things. "Don't forget! I want it in on Monday!"
"Florence?" A male voice held her back. She turned to face Callum Quinlan. "I don't suppose you'd help me with the essay? We've got another Quidditch practice coming up and Professor Soarley has told me I can't play unless I receive a good grade..."
Interrupting his very attractive Irish lilt, Florence smiled, "Of course! How about tonight? In the Ravenclaw Common Room after dinner?"
Callum nodded and grinned in reply before catching up with the short figure of Edwin Hawley, the Ravenclaw seeker.
"Florence? Hi!" James Potter ran up to her. He looked a little flustered.
"Hi James! How are you?" Florence smiled in welcome, while she swept her long chestnut hair into a ponytail.
"I'm in a little bit of a mess actually..."
Florence's face took on a concerned air. "What's wrong? Anything I can do?"
"I was hoping you'd say that! It's Lily..." The Gryffindor Seeker's face took on a more rosy hue when he mentioned the attractive redhead. "It's her birthday coming up and I don't have a clue what to buy her! I was wondering whether you could..."
"Help? Yes, of course! We could pop down to Hogsmeade this weekend – I'm sure we could find something without her noticing."
James' face lost it's worried expression and he smiled in relief. "Thanks Florence. It was just that... you were the only one I could ask. I'm sure Sirius wouldn't have a clue, and Remus..." He shrugged and Florence grinned at the thought of Sirius shopping for a girl! "How are things going with you at the moment?"
Florence paused, not wanting to mention Severus. She knew there was a fierce rivalry between them, mainly on Severus' side. He was extremely jealous of James, which saddened her. After all, James was a human being too! "Fine, just fine! How's Lily?"
Florence cunningly changed the subject to the girl James obviously adored. It was a plan that could not fail. Laughing at the blush that stained his face as he talked of Lily, Florence gave him a quick hug. He was so sweet!
James gave her a quick squeeze before letting her go. He ran a careless hand through his already mussed-up hair and grinned. "I'd better go. Got potions next." He made a funny face that made her laugh before dashing off down the corridor towards the dungeons.
Florence watched him go and pondered how anyone could hate the sweet-natured gangly boy. He was one of the nicest people she had ever met.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus added some mandrake root to the bubbling mixture and stirred it in. Looking at the curiously blue potion, he felt someone watching over his shoulder.
"Very good, Severus, as always." Professor Amalgamy peered through her half-moon spectacles down at the solution before moving to the next cauldron. Severus felt a stirring of pride and allowed a smirk to drift onto his face. He added a little more Fwooper spittle.
"Well done James! You seem to have anticipated my next move again. Exceptional work!" His satisfaction short-lived, Severus felt his fists tighten as he recognised that, once again, James Potter had beaten him, and at his favourite subject! He'd gone a step too far this time.
Someone passed him a note:
If you want to see where Remus is going, follow him and prod the large knot on the Whomping Willow
It wasn't signed. Severus looked around him. Who could have sent the note? He spotted only one person looking at him: Circe Icelus, but she had been stalking him for years! She couldn't have sent the note – she was too stupid to know what he was really after. Giving the Slytherin girl a scowl, he turned back to his cauldron.
The mixture was now a bright green, signifying its readiness. He called to the professor and, as she praised him for having his potion ready first, smirked nastily at Potter, not noticing the look of pure hatred Sirius was sending his way.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
"Sirens generally picked on sailors, didn't they?" Callum's handsome face was filled with confusion. Defence Against the Dark Arts was his worst subject so he was very grateful for any help that he was given. Especially when it came in the package that was Florence Findal. He looked at her as she explained about the sirens and watched as her face became more and more animated. He could tell that she loved the subject as much as he loved Quidditch and so was very glad to have her input. He watched as she ran her fingers through her chestnut hair and her green eyes danced with excitement.
"Callum? Are you listening?" She touched her hand to his shoulder and felt him jump. He looked at her guiltily.
"Sorry! Can you repeat that?" Florence sighed with exasperation before returning to her topic. Callum made a bit more of an effort to concentrate this time but failed miserably. He wondered what she would do if he asked her...
"Florence? Will you go out with me?" Callum interrupted her graphic description of how Sirens kill and stared at him in confusion.
"What?!"
"Will you go...? Oh, never mind!"
"Uhh... sorry Callum but... I already have a boyfriend." Florence gazed across at the burly boy in sympathy. "I'm really sorry!"
Callum looked a bit sad. "It's OK, Florence. It's just, after I sent you that Valentine's card, I thought..."
"Hold it! You sent me a Valentine's card?" Her face contorted with shock.
"Yeah... a little blue one with silver... Wait a minute! You didn't know it was from me?"
"No. You didn't sign it, you ninny! How was I supposed to know?"
"Well, you sort of held it to your chest and looked over at me. I just..."
"Oh no!" Florence groaned, slapped her hand to her forehead and ran from the room, leaving Callum gazing after her in amazement.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus paced up and down the corridor. He was too wired to sleep and he wanted to escape the rowdiness of the Slytherin common room.
He was still unsure about who had sent him that note but knew that he was going to act upon it, no matter who had. It was the only way he could find a weakness in Remus and, therefore, the whole lot of them.
His mouth tightened, as he thought of James, all smug and happy with his brains and his friends and his girlfriend who obviously adored him, but he grinned a little at the thought of taking all that away from him.
"Oooph!" He heard a cry as a small figure bumped into him.
"What do you think you're doing?! Watch where you're... Florence?"
"Severus? Wow! That was good timing!" She grinned up at him, her green eyes sparkling. They faded slightly as she saw the look on his face.
"What do you want?" He asked, coldly. He leaned forward and his dark hair covered his face, hiding his scornful expression,
"Severus? The Valentine's card... you didn't send it."
"Clearly!"
"I thought you did. I thought..."
"You what? And why would I do a thing like that? Me, sending Valentine's cards to Ravenclaws!" He snorted and Florence's face fell.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Severus." She turned and walked the way she came. Severus stood and watched her go, before pushing greasy strands of hair away from his face and walking back into the common room, slamming the door behind him.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
Severus crept out towards the Whomping Willow, carefully watching out in case Pringle saw him. The moonlight glinted off the shiny blackness of his hair as he strode quickly towards the violent tree. He could see the knot on the trunk but it was far out of reach.
Searching around on the ground, Snape found a longish stick and hoped it would work. He leaned as close to the tree as he dared and gave the knot a good prod.
The tree stood still and not a single branch moved. Staring in surprise, Severus noticed that a small gap had opened near the roots of the tree.
He crawled down into the hole and stopped. A long tunnel was in front of him. Snape wrinkled his nose slightly at the dank smell that filled the air. It was worse than the dungeons at the Snape Estate! The walls and ceilings were dripping with ground water and Severus slowly avoided the moisture as he started down the tunnel.
He hadn't gone very far before a low growl penetrated the silence and the hairs rose on the back of his neck. Peering into the darkness, he spotted a shape... a large shape looming at the end of the tunnel. Severus was frozen to the spot in fear, unable to escape. His eyes were fixed to the terrifying sight.
"Come on!" Snape felt a tug on his robes but he couldn't move. "What are you waiting for?!" He felt another tug on his robes, this time sharper and he turned slightly. The animal sensing his movements began to make its way down the tunnel at great speed and Severus was only just safe as the unknown boy dragged him out of the hole.
They staggered back with the momentum and watched the hole close to the great fury of the animal inside.
"Snape? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Severus fixed his ink-black eyes on the figure in front of him. The person who had saved his life. It was James Potter.
Brushing off the grass that covered him in an effort to disguise his fear and anger, Snape stood up and stared at Potter in fury.
"I suppose you thought that was funny did you? You and Black and Lupin! You thought you'd lead me into a trap – maybe to die! – and then you'd save my life so I'd owe you something" Snape was shaking with anger and James took a step back, adjusting his glasses on his nose.
"It was nothing like that, Snape. Sirius just thought..."
Snape had heard enough. He brushed past James, almost pushing him over in the process, and marched back to Hogwarts in a rage.
"Snape...!" Severus just ignored the anxious calls James was shouting after him. He went back into the fortress and marched straight up to Dumbledore's office.
"Professor Dumbledore!" Snape burst into his office after knocking shortly to announce his presence. He wasn't sure Dumbledore would still be there but he was hoping so.
Professor Dumbledore was sat at his desk, his phoenix, Fawkes, was sat quietly in his lap. He looked up with surprise and took in the bleeding wound that was existed on Snape's head.
"Severus? What happened?" Dumbledore's face was stern; his eyes had stopped twinkling.
"Potter... Black... Lupin... Whomping Willow... Werewolf!" Snape let all his feelings out in a big unintelligible rush, too annoyed to even think of calming down.
"Sit down, Severus!" Dumbledore had seen through the mumble and knew exactly what had happened. "What exactly did you see? Did you see Remus Lupin in his changed form?"
Snape sat down in the high-backed chair that stood opposite Dumbledore's desk. "Yes" he muttered. "Bu only a glimpse before Potter dragged me out"
"You must not tell anyone what you have seen."
Snape looked up in surprise. "Sir?"
"Listen to me. You must not tell anyone." Severus' face twisted into a scowl but Dumbledore kept his bright blue eyes on him in a determined stare. "Severus? Do you swear you will not tell a soul?"
"Yes, sir" Snape muttered. He should have known Dumbledore knew. After all, James Potter and his friends were practically his favourites!
"Now, go see Madame Pomfrey so she can take care of that cut on your head-"
Dumbledore's speech was cut off as James came into the room.
"Sorry, sir, but..."
"It's all sorted, James. Go back to your dormitory." James nodded with relief and left the room.
"Off you go, Severus" Dumbledore ordered with a steely look in his eyes. "And I must remind you that, were it not for Mr Potter, you would not be standing here now."
Snape scowled. As if he'd forget! He left the office and headed towards the medical wing.
~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~8~
A/N: Wow! This is our longest chapter ever!
Considering that we made this for reference for our other story: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night (like we have any other stories at the moment!) it might not be that good! But we still appreciate reviews and such like – it makes us feel better!