Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-27-

The next week comes around. It's a cold day in February, which means a cozy evening in front of the fireplace after the classes in the chamber! I'm all snuggled up under a blanket on sofa with hair up in messy bun and have cozy clothes on. Hot chocolate and a book waiting to be read on the coffee table. Sniffy tunnels his way in my lap to get comfortable. Ah... Wonderful. Just when I get to read couple chapters of the book, there is a knock on the door. Sniffy and I lift our heads up at the same time. Huh? Apparently, I didn't get up quickly enough, since the person on the other side of the door knocks again - this time little bit more aggressive. I swing the door open:"Yes?!". For my surprise, it's the Potions Master himself.

My heart skips a beat, but I keep pretty neutral face:"Se..- Hi.". He lifts familiar looking book in front of me:"I came to return this.". It's the Half Blood Prince's book. I blinked couple times faster than normal:"Oh, thank you.". Didn't think he would actually bring it back, since it's one of his classes textbooks... Snape keeps his hand out towards me, even I just took the book. I shift my gaze between him and the hand, confused why is he doing that. He raised an eyebrow:"I also came for the money.". Just remembered how I haven't payed his share of the bet yet:"Right! Ho-hold on. Give me a minute.". As I walk deeper into the chamber, Snape comes inside and closes the door behind him, so Sniffy won't escape.

"Have a seat. This might take a while..." I began and try to find the place I have stored the money I had earlier prepared. Sniffy must've hide them somewhere... Snape takes a seat other end of the sofa and looks down next to him to see how the niffler is staring right at him. Sniffy places his tiny hands on the pouch with the 'you are not taking what I have in here' - look. "Can I offer you anything to drink? Tea, perhaps? Or coffee?" I ask while still searching for the money. Snape turns to stare at the fire in the fireplace, hands neatly folded on his lap. "Whatever you have to offer." he answers with monotonic tone. I do remember I have seen him usually drinking coffee, so I go to the little kitchen area to make some:"Coming right up!".

For a moment or two, neither of us say anything. The sound of the dishes clinking, the fire dancing calmly in the fireplace, Sniffy making little noises as he jumps off of the sofa... It's quite nice. I keep my back facing him while pouring the coffee into a mug:"I, uh... I wanted to thank you.". Snape gives the side-eye, ready to hear more. Then I turn around and approach him the mug in my hand:"How you stand up for me when Umbridge came, and how...-", "It is not me you should aim the gratitude. Dumbledore and Minerva were after all the ones who got you out of the trouble." he says quickly. I hand him the mug and sit on the other side of the sofa:"Oh, so they were the ones who came up with the apprenticeship?". He brings the mug near to his lips:"Obviously.". I also take my mug from the coffee table and we drink the beverages in silence.

Snape then lowers the mug and glances down to the table in front of us. "Rehabilitation of the brain?" he reads the headline of the book's cover I was reading before he came in. Don't know if I should feel embarrassed or not he noticed it:"Y-yeah, you see..-", "I'm afraid there is no way to fix that naive brain of yours." he tantalizes. I gave him half irritated look in joking way:"Or that stone cold heart of yours.". There is that same small smirk on the corner of his mouth he likes to make after teasing me. I let out a sigh and look down the mug I'm holding:"Believe it or not. I used to be the top of my class. People even asked why I wasn't sorted in Ravenclaw back then.". For a second he looks slightly surprised, but quickly goes back to the neutral expression and takes a sip of his coffee:"Do tell what went wrong.". I lift my eyes to look at him, feeling little bit hesitant if I should tell him the truth or not.

Really don't know where to start, so I just go:"...My parents weren't the nicest people.". That doesn't seem to have any effect on him. "Some parents are like that." he says bluntly without looking at me. Then I bring my legs up against my chest and stare at the fireplace:"They got really upset I got sorted in Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin.". "Life is full of disappointments." Snape says half sarcastic way. "So much so they... Liked to punish me with this specific spell whenever they got really upset with me." my voice goes small towards the end. After saying that, I realized I haven't actually ever talked to anyone about my past. Wonder if I already talked too much?

This time, no sarcastic comment or anything from the Potions Master. He just stares at me, waiting for me to continue. "They say you'll end up in mental hospital if you get tortured enough with the spell. Guess for my luck, I didn't go mad. Instead I got trouble with reading and learning new things. Common known as 'dyslexia' in the Muggle World. Not only that, I easily forget things and come across as a duff." I reveal. Snape stays silent and keeps on listening. I force a smile on my face and chuckle:"So that's part of reason why I'm always so 'naive' or 'ignorant' in some cases.". Using the terms he has called me in the past. I don't really mind him calling me by those words. I just want him to know I'm not those things just because I'd be lazy or such. I'm really trying, I am.

Snape finally opens his mouth:"I assume your parents are in..-", "Azkaban. Yes." I nod without looking at him. Sniffy jumps on the sofa with us and tries to come onto my lap. I put down my legs so he can climb there:"You've probably heard about Death Eaters. My father - Harold (Y/L), tried to become part of them, but he never got in. Apparently, it's a very hard club to get into...". The man next to me watches as I pet the niffler on my lap. It looks like he wishes to say something, but just when my hand brushes against Sniffy's belly, my eyes widens. "I KNEW IT!!" I exclaimed. Both, Snape and Sniffy gets startled at the same time. I shoot up from the sofa and hold onto the niffler by the legs and shake him:"I knew you stole the money!". Coins and other shiny things starts to drop down from Sniffy's pouch onto the coffee table. "What am I going to do with you?" I mutter to myself as I try to empty him and sat back down.

While I'm struggling with the niffler, Snape shifts his eyes and sees how there are some tiny pieces of hair sticking out back of my neck. Feeling the urge to touch them, he reaches out his hand. Inches away from touching me, he ends up crunching the hand into a fist to stop himself in the last second. Sniffy runs other side of the room as I quickly gather the money together. "There! You can count them again, if you'd like." I offer his share in tiny bag with a smile. Potions Master stares at the money bag for a quick moment, then gets up without looking at me:"Keep them.". "Eh?" I get confused. He then starts heading out. "W-wait!" I go after him. Did I do something wrong? Snape keeps walking ahead of me, no matter how many times I asked him to stop or slow down. Damn, he is a fast walker.

When I finally catch up with him, I come right in front of him and place a hand against his chest:"Severus!". He stops right away and glares down on me. Realizing I might have across a touching barrier here, so I let go:"I..-", "There you are!" Minerva gasps out of relief. Both of our heads turn to see she's not alone, Lockhart is walking right behind her. They both rush to us. "I've been looking everywhere for you two!" Minerva frowns annoyed. "Looking us for what, exactly?" I ask. Lockhart's eyes goes down to the money bag I'm holding, then back up to me. Then I noticed how Umbridge is coming towards us other side of the corridor, so my automatic instinct is to hide the bag behind me. She'll lose her mind if she knew about the bet. Minerva shifts her gaze from me to Snape, looking all worried:"We have a problem.". Snape and I take a quick glance on each other before looking back to her. The Potions Master is the first one to open his mouth:"What kind of problem?".

Soon enough, all of the professors are gathered in Headmaster's Office - without the Headmaster himself. What's going on? Umbridge is as confused as the rest of us:"What is the meaning of this meeting? Where's Dumbledore?!". Minerva hands me a letter since I happen to be standing right beside her:"See for yourself.". "Huh?" I glance down the piece of paper and start reading what it says in silence. Others are waiting for me to say something. Won't take even a minute when Umbridge gets impatient:"Well, go on. Read it, so we can all know what is says!". Panic hits, since I'm not so good at reading, especially out loud to others:"I, uh..-", Snape snatches it out of my hands and starts reading it:"Dear Professors of Hogwarts, The Ministry has insisted my presence regarding the recent and future events. Since I have delayed the meeting for so long, I must leave as soon as possible. Therefor, Umbridge Dolores is the one to run the school as long I'm gone. Regards, Albus Dumbledore.". What the..?

Everyone seems to be slightly down by the news - except Umbridge herself, of course. She just smiles there satisfied. I can already see it from her eyes how she's planning on new ideas in her head. I glanced up to my friend next to me and whisper:"Thought you were the Deputy Headmistress.". Minerva leans a little bit towards me and whispers back:"Not when there is a Ministry in the house.". Then I turn back to look at the woman in pink, slightly worried what the days before us might hold. Umbridge takes a quick look at all of the professors:"Well? What are we all still standing here for? Get back to work.". The room quickly gets empty. As we all spread our own ways, I just watch how the Potions Master walks away from others with such long steps. But... What about the money?