professor | r. lupin

❘༻Narcissa༺❘

All fun activities seemed to happen during the night at Hogwarts. All the sneaking with professors, students smuggling alcohol and other things which are strongly forbidden and trying out various potions on innocent first years. But not today. Today, the night was going to be nothing compared to the day.

Nancy had earned herself another detention, this time from professor Flitwick for falling asleep in class. She had barely slept for the past few days. There was only one person on her mind. She wished she could avoid his classes forever. She wasn't sure if the thing between them had ended because of what happened. Maybe he just needed time. It doesn't have to be the end. That thought kept her hope alive. Tears appeared in her eyes as soon as she saw him and she tried her best to walk past him unnoticed or to take a turn. She wanted to talk, she really did. She wanted to hug him and apologise to him. But she was scared. What would she even say?

I'm sorry that I love you?

I'm sorry that you make me happy?

I'm sorry that you made me a better person?

Will he ever return those words? Nancy was tired of one sided love. Yes, everyone wanted her. But she only wanted two people in her life. Fred Weasley and Severus Snape. Oh, how she loved Fred. But he didn't love her. He always had eyes for Dell only. Nancy was bitter. She hated Dell. What did he see in her? Nancy had prettier hair, prettier eyes, slimmer legs. How dare he fall in love with Dell? Then, she saw it. He fell for Dell's kindness. Fred never cared about appearance. He fell for Dell the moment he saw her running through the Great Hall during winter break with Christmas lights all over her and two shiny ornaments hanging from her ears. She was in her own little world, laughing with her friend Priya while Nancy watched bitterly from the table. Fred knew he had to get close to her. Luckily, Rose was there to tell him all the details about her and he easily won her heart.

Nancy stopped herself one day. Even though she was the one who knew everything about Fred, Dell was clearly the one who made him happy. She needed to start being happy for other people, otherwise she will lose everyone. Dell was one of the closest friends she had and Nancy couldn't lose her. Yes, she knew how Fred disliked ponytails. She knew how Fred moved his carrots away on his plate. She knew how much Fred despised green and Malfoy. She knew how much Fred loved to give his little sister headpats. But Dell knew how to make him laugh so loud that they often earned glares. She knew how to make him eat those carrots. She knew how to make him calm and push Malfoy away. Everything that Nancy couldn't. She never tried to separate them. If Fred was happy, she was happy. If Dell was happy, she was happy.

Then there was Severus. That night, she went inside the classroom expecting to leave it with weak legs. Instead, she left it with a full heart and butterflies. Nobody had ever listened to her the way he did. Nobody had ever shown so much understanding the way he did. One conversation and detention after another, one kiss after another, one night after another, she was starting to fall for him. It seemed like it was one sided again. She wondered if it was a usual thing for him to talk like that to students during detention. It couldn't be. All those moments they spent together during summer surely meant something.

Lost in the thoughts about him, Nancy didn't realise that she came right to his office. She needed him. No, not sexually. Even though she wouldn't complain. She needed to hold his face in her hands and ask what she is to him. The tears in his eyes that night are a proof that this isn't just anything to him. Maybe he doesn't love her like she loves him, but he has to have at least some feelings for her.

She caught a glance of the familiar black robe, then a black dress. Her heart started beating faster and she could already feel a lump in her throat. She gulped, trying to push the lump and the tears back. The redhead carefully sat down, then looked at the people inside. Severus was inside with a woman. Not just any woman. It was Narcissa Malfoy.