Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-24-

The holidays went quickly by. Even I have been having so much fun with my aunt and her husband, I'm glad to leave the Muggle World the next morning. My luggage and bags are being packed, ready for tomorrow. It's pretty late in the evening as I walk in an empty kitchen when I decided to make some snack beforehand for the train trip. A sandwich and some fruits would be nice. For the sandwich, I start cutting a cucumber. As I'm cutting the vegetable, my mind starts to wander. It goes from the moment I saw Edward and his family, to the moment how I left the castle and saw Hagrid waving at me from far. Wonder how Snape's Christmas went? Was he lonely..? Did he has anyone to spend it with? The thought him being all alone makes me sad. Unless, he has a girlfriend? Just then, I accidentally cut my finger:"Ah..-!". Right in that second, Ruby enters the kitchen:"What in the name of Merlin's beard are you doing, child?!".

Before I can say anything, she rushes to take a look at the finger:"Let me see...". The cut isn't that bad, but sure hurts like hell. "It's fine, aunt. Really." I try to reassure, but she goes to get the aid-kit. After she comes back with the kit, she starts cleaning the cut. It stings a bit. "I can do it by myself. I'm an adult, remember?" I chuckle. "Not to me." Ruby is so focused on putting the band-aid, she doesn't see how I stare at her. There is sadness in my eyes. It feels so unfair they never got children of their own, since my mother put a poison in her drink that prevents getting pregnant, after she heard they were trying to have a baby. Unfortunately, Ruby was pregnant at the time she took the poison and, well... They would have been great parents.

"There! All good." Ruby smiles after she gets the band-aid on its place. I stared at the light brown band-aid around my finger:"Thank you.". She turns to the cutting board:"No problem, sweetheart. Perhaps it'll be better if I..-", "No, I mean; Thank you, Ruby. For everything you and William have done for me." I insist. For a moment, she looks at me confused with a pause. "Did the knife get through your brain as well?" she asks. "Aunt!" I ordered her to be serious for one moment. Her face goes more serious as she is staring back at me. Almost as if she's holding the tears:"Of course, my love. Anything for you.". Ruby... I thud my body against hers to give her a hug.

We hold each other there quite sometime in silence as we let all the memories flash us by. One after another. Up till this moment. Wish I could make her see how awesome she truly is. Ruby then gently pushes me away, but keeps her hands on the sides of my arms while avoiding direct eye contact with me:"Come now... Go to your bed. You have an early morning ahead of you, after all.". It's clear she's trying to hide her tears. Warm smile raises on my face and I gave a light squeeze on her hand:"Good night, aunt-Ruby.". "Good night, dear." she nodded and goes back to the cutting board while I go climb up the stairs to get in my room. Not all Slytherins are bad. There is at least one good soul I know.

The next morning, aunt drove me to the train station. There are people walking and running to catch their train. "Are you sure you got everything?" Ruby asks while walking beside me. She insisted to come and see how I'll walk through the enchanted wall which leads to the Hogwarts Express. "For the eighth time; yes. I got everything I need." I roll my eyes. She huffed:"Are you sure? You do have the tendency to forget things easily..-", "I'm fine!" quickly, I stop walking and turn to face her. She stops immediately too and sees how irritated I am by the constant nagging. She looks troubled:"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just...", "I know. I know..." my voice gets more gentle. We share a shy smile and continue on walking in silence for a moment. I can see further away how there are some students already running through the wall and disappearing to the other side of it. "Ruby..." I start. "Yes, dear?" her eyes quickly visits on me, then back where we are heading.

Then I ask the question that has bothered me ever since I got here:"How did Edward's daughter got her name?". "I was began to worry if you were going to ever ask that or not..." she chuckles. Then I stop walking again, turn to her and wait her to tell me. She stops too, but won't turn to me:"To be honest, I'm not completely sure. I just talk about you so often, so I'm guessing that's where he and Emma got the idea.". Edward and Emma. They even sound perfect. Regardless I don't have any romantic feelings towards him anymore, I'm still curious about him and his life after I vanished from his life. Plaintive might be the better description how I feel when it comes to him, in the end of the day.