Salvation | Severus Snape

Chapter 1 - Meeting

Severus Snape shivered as a freezing gust of wind pushed his inky hair back, pulling his cloak tighter around his body. He glanced around, and fortunately the hallways were deserted as it was the beginning of the Christmas holidays, and no students were around in the early morning to notice his discomfort. Known as the 'bat of the dungeons', the Potions Master had a strict reputation to uphold and couldn't allow anyone to witness a single weakness, even if it was hardly noticeable.

"Stupid Dumbledore," grumbled Severus, "Telling me to come and meet him outside on a day like this. Where is he even?" As he trod onto the snow-blanketed grass of the courtyard, a faint tune of cascading notes skimmed past his ears. Severus gazed up ahead as the sound grew louder. To his surprise, before him sat a petite woman, running her fingers over a golden harp as her brown hair descended with the wind behind.

A surge of warmth built up in his body as the music of dawn captured him, each mellow note splashing tingles into his heart. Though her eyes were closed, he could hear her heavy breaths through the soft playing. The clear droplets that gleamed on her face, why, they were tears. She was... crying.

Severus stared at the weeping woman before him. In that moment, every fibre in his body wanted answers, answers to a million different questions. Who is she? Where did she come from? Why have I never seen her? Did Dumbledore know she would be here? Why is she crying?

Most of all, he wondered why the scenery around him was so bright this morning. The sky was a clearer cerulean than ever, and the soft snow was pure white, cloaking the bare trees with beautiful, round silhouettes. The creature before him was the most astonishing of all, for her deep hazel eyes now opened to meet his obsidian ones with a glimmer. As he approached her figure, he noticed that she wore an extremely thick fur coat covered in tiny snowflakes from the early snowfall.

When the woman's hands fell into her lap and she stood up, all the questions about her were pushed away into the back of his mind, and Severus could only bring himself to utter a simple statement. "Of all the years I've been here, I had no idea that the harp in the courtyard was not a statue, but could actually be played. What a mysterious school it is."

She threw her head back and laughed. Bewildered, he stood silently, letting the reverberations of her silvery voice sink in. When she finally restrained herself, the woman stood and held out her hand. "Katherine Cross, at your service," she said, a smile adorning her pallid face.

Severus studied her for several seconds before replying, "Severus Snape," and briefly taking her hand. He eyed her maroon scarf warily. By her appearance, he could tell she wasn't someone who could resist the cold. "What brings you out here at Hogwarts so early? I don't believe I've met you before."

Katherine placed a finger on her cheek with a distant look as she said, "I am actually the counsellor of Hogwarts. You probably don't know because I'm never present at dinners or staff meetings... well, not many know about me, but the students truly in need will always know to come to me." Abruptly, she grabbed his arm and leapt towards the centre of the courtyard, beaming. "Look! Look, it's snowing again!"

Never in his life had he seen a woman so delighted as this one. Didn't she know who he was? Here she was, easily laughing and making contact with the heartless bat of the dungeons when anyone else would've backed away from him immediately from fear or distrust. She danced in the snow, pulling him along, and he found the sight of her golden hair and eyelashes covered in snowflakes to be mesmerising. In front of this woman, Severus found that he was unable to recollect any of his thoughts. Nevertheless, he kept his stiff composure and soon withdrew from her grip.

"I refuse to participate in your childish behaviour," growled Severus, "We have just met, and you're already turning out to be the type of person I despise being around." Katherine turned around, ringlets of her hair whipping her face.