Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-22-

Edward Woods. A Muggle. My first love. The one my parents wouldn't accept because he isn't a Wizard. He's standing right there, seven meters away from me. "(Y/N)?" he walks towards me. My heart sinks. He remembers me?! That can't be! I..- "There you are! What have we talked about running into Mrs. Harris's house without permission?" Edward comes stand beside me, looking at the little girl. The girl frowns at him:"Lubi pomised me a cake!". Just when he is about to open his mouth, the front door opens slowly. "My, oh my... What do we have here?" gentle female voice hums. "Lubi!!" the little girl gasps happily. It's my aunt. "My apologies, Mrs. Harris. (Y/N) just took off when I happen to look the other way." Edward goes up to the girl and picks her up. (Y/N)?!

"Oh, that's alright, dear. It's nice to know I'm needed." Ruby laughs. Then, she sees me standing at the front yard, looking all stunned. "(Y/N)! You made it!" she exclaims with wide smile. Edward turns to me while holding the little girl:"Hm?". My heart keep pounding hard in my chest. For a quick moment aunt-Ruby shifts her eyes between me and him. I really don't know what to do or how to act. "Edward, this is my niece, (Y/N) (Y/L). She came here for Christmas." she explain. A smile raises up on Edward's face:"Oh, you are (Y/N) Mrs. Harris has been talking about.". "Y-yes! That's me, hahaha..." awkwardly I laugh. So he doesn't remember me...

The little girl turns to my aunt:"Lubi, Lubi! I want the cake!". "Hm? The cake?" she asks. Edward chuckles:"Oh, she told me earlier something about how you said you are going to bake a cake after we have moved in.". That makes her laugh:"Is that so? Well, I promise you little-(Y/N), I will bake you one after the holidays. But now, you need to spend Christmas with your mommy and daddy.". Mommy and daddy? "Aaww!" the little girl bends her back out of disappointment. Edward chuckles:"Life is full of disappointments, sweetheart.". A new voice with a hint of French accent enters the conversation:"There you are!". Hm? All of our heads turns right at the person who peeks out of the neighbor's house's front door. It's a woman with short blonde hair. She's quite pretty.

"Mommy!" the little girl - who apparently happens to have the same name as I do, yells. The woman chuckles:"I was wondering where you two went, since I couldn't see you at the backyard anymore.". "(Y/N) wanted to say 'hi' to Mrs. Harris and her niece." Edward explains. "Well, don't take too long. I've just got the kitchen sorted out from all of the boxes, and the food is about to be ready." she takes a step forward, so we can see her more clear. Looks like she's seven or eight months pregnant. "We will be right there, love." Edward smiles at her, eyes with full of love. The woman flashes a smile and goes back inside. All I can do is just stand here and watch all this happening.

My aunt then turns to look at me and sees how confused I am by all of this. "Well, what are you still standing there? Come! Come inside, it's cold!" she takes a step back and opens the door more for me to come in. Feels like I was invisible those couple of minutes and now I just became visible again. "Right, sorry..." I approach the house with all my bags and luggage. Ruby says the byes to Edward and to his daughter and gets inside, leaving the door open for me. There is a one small step at the front door, and one of my luggage's wheels happens to get stuck into it. Before I could react, Edward is quick to help:"Ups, here...". "Oh..- ! Thank you. Edward." I let out, feeling little bit awkward to say his name. "Anytime. (Y/N)." he smiles. Both of us stare into each others eyes in that quick moment. Those blue eyes... There is nothing in them. Nothing that used to be there. He doesn't remember. Why would he?

We say goodbyes and they start to head back to their home. As they are walking away, little-(Y/N) keeps staring at me over her father's shoulder. She then whispers to his ear, loud enough for me to hear:"She's pwetty, daddy.". Shy smile raises on my face. Edward laughs:"Guess that's pretty common for girls who are named (Y/N).". "But I'm (Y/N)." she looks confused. Then he began explaining to her how there can be more than just one person with same name and soon enough their conversation fades away the further they get. I just shook my head with that same shy smile and get inside aunt-Ruby's house. Apparently, Edward's grandmother - who used to be my aunt's neighbor, had to go live in nursing home. So now, Edward and his family bought the house not too long ago.

After I settled in, me and Ruby's husband - William, are waiting in the livingroom for the dinner to be ready. Ruby is very precise about her cooking and where the plates should go, so there is no reason for me to try to help her. Got many years of experience of that... "Here we go." I hand William a drawing. He puts on some glasses and see what I drew. "Oh, why would you look at that." he chuckles. By my best abilities, I drew him a picture of my niffler. Muggles can't see the magical creatures, so William always had to just use his imagination whenever we try to tell him what something looks like and such. "I have always wondered which House I would be sorted in if I ever went the school..." his voice sounds so dreamy. Me and aunt answer at the same time:"Gryffindor.".

The fact she was listening us from the kitchen makes me giggle. "Is Gryffindor and Slytherin a good match?" William asks amused. "Hmm, I believe they have been described as water and oil over the years." I chuckle. "That can't be good... Honey! I believe we haveto get a divorce since we aren't a good match, according to your school." he shouts at the kitchen's direction. "Brilliant! Then I can turn your office into my new wardrobe." she jokes back. He raise an eyebrow:"Who said you'd get the house?". "I just did!" she stated confidently. William shook his head while smiling and continues to read the news papers he was looking before. Watching these two makes me smile. The way they bicker in good spirit. The way they smile and look at each other when the other one isn't watching. After thirty-seven years of marriage... I want that.

Then I remember:"Oh, almost forgot; Hagrid told me to say 'hi' to you, Ruby.". "Rubeus?" she comes to the livingroom's doorway while wiping something off of her hands with a kitchen towel. They used to spend a lot of time together when they went the school. Almost as like sister and brother kinda way. But sadly, after Ruby decided to move in the Muggle World for good, they didn't see each other after that. Them keeping touch pretty much died down over the years. William raises his eyebrow in teasing way:"One of your ex-boyfriends?". Mischievous smirk raises up on aunt's face, which lets us know the next thing she's about to say, is said with full of sarcasm:"Oh, yes. Yes, indeed. Oh, how much I miss his long, curly beard... And those strong arms! Oh, my... How he used to just throw me around when we..-", "AUNT-RUBY! Please, I do not wanna hear about your and my co-worker's imaginary relationship." I cut her off. William just rolls his eyes, like he has used to such of things coming out of his wife's mouth.

Even Ruby goes back to the kitchen, she continues the conversation with us:"Bet there are some cute teachers in your school?". Don't know why, but my mind goes immediately to Snape. Blush comes up to my cheeks:"No. Not... Not really.". Luckily, William has given up on our conversation and just focuses on the papers in his hands. Thank Merlin, otherwise he'd see how red my face really is right now. My heart starts to pound faster and harder inside my chest just thinking about the Potions Master. What the heck is wrong with me?! Thinking it must be that little whiskey I had over thirty minutes ago with William when he offered me some. It's ridiculous how my body reacts this way towards him! Snape is a cold, cruel, self-centered, rude person, who... A flashback comes in how he embraced me when I was crying after founding out Remus is a werewolf. He is... He is a..- "Dinner's ready!" Ruby informs and my thoughts gets cut off.

The food is so delicious as always when aunt-Ruby is in the kitchen. To think this isn't even the Christmas Day, I'm already eating like a royalty! "You still have the apartment?" William asks about the place I lived in before going to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Swallowing the food in my mouth before answering:"No. No, I gave it up.". "Why?" Ruby frowns. "Well, it doesn't make any sense to pay rent while I'm in Hogwarts. Over six hundred pounds a month the time I'm not even there? Can you imagine?". "So, what are you going to do when Professor Sprout comes back?" my aunt asks. Just when I'm about to put some food in my mouth, I stop the movement. "I... I'm not sure yet." my voice goes small. Silence comes down to the dinner table. Ruby wipes her mouth with a napkin and puts it back onto her lap:"I mean, you are always welcome in here, sweetie. But...", "I'm not." I let out.

They both look slightly confused. "I mean, I'm not fully sure if I'm going come back to live... Here. In the Muggle World." I struggle with my words a bit. William turns to look at his wife, then me, then back to her. "...Are you sure?" she asks carefully. Slowly, I start nodding to myself:"I think so. Yeah. But that doesn't mean I won't come here to see you guys. Right?". Looking both of them to see what's on their mind. Gentle smile raises on her lips:"If you think you are ready to go back, I support your decision, (Y/N).". Relieved smile comes up to my face:"Thank you, Ruby.". Then, she turns to her husband:"Bet you ten pounds there is a man involved...". William nods while eating. "No more wine for you two!" I exclaim annoyed.