Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

It's Never Enough To Say You're Sorry

A/N: Whenever I have come up with names for my original characters, many times I have thought of them off the top of my head. And, usually, they stick like a magnet and their name feels right. There have been a few exceptions, but this has mostly been the case. I always know when a name feels right. I also know when I truly don't like a name. To be honest, I have always regretted calling this fanfic "Hearts are Blind", because it was such a generic name. I was very young when I started this (I think 16!) and I am 30 now. There are many things I wish I could go back and change (and many things I have and have yet to), but when it comes to names, you can't really change them. People get used to names, especially the name of the story! But what I'd like to mention is actually not about the title. It's about the name of a character. A very minor character, but it has bugged me for a long time now and I figured, you know what? Before he becomes more prominent, I should just bloody CHANGE HIS NAME. That's right. I am speaking of none other than... CHORTLE BOREALIS. What's that? You hardly remember him? Of course, you do! With a name like that? I've had readers question his name and for good reason. It was a ridiculous name. And I enjoy unique names, but Chortle was too unique. It was like WTF were you smoking at 16?! kind of unique. So, starting at this moment, and because the little one is about to enter back into the story (sorry for the spoiler, but you'd be really effing confused if I didn't disclose this information ahead of time), his name is changing... to Laurel. Yes, soak it in. Laurel Borealis. I think it has a ring to it and just enough uniqueness. And the moment I said it aloud, I knew it was the right name. Hopefully the change isn't too drastic for anyone (like anyone cares?! he's hardly been in it!) and I've tried to go back and edit his name into previous chapters. Hopefully I didn't miss any. If I did... damn, new readers are going to be so confused... Also, new readers are going to be reading this right now confused as shit, because they've always known him as Laurel... I think I should stop writing this author's note now.

It's Never Enough To Say You're Sorry

He wasn't surprised to find the Headmaster waiting for him when he got back to the castle. The old man stood at the top of the stairs leading up to the double doors. Wasn't he cold? Did he really feel the need to stand there, like a parent catching their child sneaking back home on a Saturday night? He was already not in the mood. He nearly just told him the truth when he asked where he'd been, because nothing seemed to matter in that moment. But he refrained, because he didn't want to cause either of them any more problems. You would think he was furious enough to not care if she was found in Hogsmeade... but...

But he loved her.

She had completely destroyed him and he loved her just the same, though part of him wished he didn't. Right now a large part of him wished he didn't...

"I was at Jasper's." His voice was surprisingly subdued, perhaps because he was so emotionally exhausted from the last couple of hours.

The Headmaster's piercing gaze did not lift. "At this hour?" He asked politely, but his expression was anything but polite.

"He's unwell." He wasn't lying. The man hadn't been well in years. "I was worried. I went to check on him."

"Oh?" Dumbledore raised his white eyebrows in what was supposed to be interest, but it just came off condescending. Or maybe Severus was just being sensitive. "Is he alright?"

"Fine." Severus said shortly and walked up the steps, past the man. "He'll live."

"Sure you don't want to send someone to look after him?" The man turned his head to watch him and then followed as he went through the doors. "If he's in a very bad way, he should have someone there with him—"