The Healer // Severus Snape Love Story

2

Albus welcomes everyone to Hogwarts and the new students go through a sorting process to decide which house they will be in.

A hat that talks is set on each child's head and he eventually shouts out the name of the house the child is in. The four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, sit at separate tables vertically down the hall. They cheer and smile as a new student is placed in their house.

After the sorting Albus stands and begins to introduce the staff.

As he goes through each teacher he gets to the end and I glance over to the empty chair between me and who I believe to be a man named Hagrid.

"Professor Snape, the potions master, is unable to join us tonight as he is feeling slightly under the weather." Albus states. "I would also like to warmly welcome 2 new faculty members this year" He continues. Thank goodness I'm not the only new one at this school.

"Our new nurse in training, Reselda Raphael has joined this year and she will be in assistance to Madam Pomfrey" I stand up and shyly wave to the crowd as they clap. Surely some of them are likely wondering why I'm so young and not a student here.

"I would also like to welcome new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and renowned author, professor Gilderoy Lockhart" he says as a man with dirty blonde hair stands and smiles handsomely to the crowd. I roll my eyes as many of the young girls swoon and gleefully cheer at him as he bows and blows air kisses to the crowd. Show off. He takes his seat eventually at the far end of the table next to Professor Flitwick. As he pulls his chair in the he glances down the table and catches my eyes. He gives me a wink and flashes his pearly teeth my way. I shyly smile back, still unsure on how I feel about him..

Albus finishes by commencing the feast and food appears all over every inch of each table.  Without hesitation, the staff and students dig into the delicious looking meals before them.

I have never seen so much delicious looking food at one time. I gape in awe at the variety of items. I spoon myself a little bit of everything and slip Magna a bit of bread.

"He's pretty cute eh. What's this little fellers name here" Hagrid says petting Magna.

"His names Magna." I smile. "It's Latin for 'large'" I giggle, air quoting the word large.

Hagrid lets out a laugh. "Oh the irony" he sighs. "Well blimey he sure is adorable. I have a deep love creatures of all sorts myself."

I sit and listen to Hagrid tell stories of all the different creatures he has raised as well as listen to the other staff members converse and laugh amongst each other. My eyes wonder to the empty seat next to me and as I meet all the other staff members I begin to wonder who professor Snape could be.

As dinner concludes, and the students receive their time tables everyone slowly begins to matriculate out of the great hall and to their dorms for the night.

I smile and wave goodnight to all the other staff members and head back to my own dorm to catch up on some reading. I love reading with a passion. I absorbed any information from the wide array of books Albus had collected in the cottage. Anything between romantic novels to encyclopedic books. I loved them all.

Living in the cottage I never had much contact with the outside world. Every once in a while Albus would take me shopping in a little nearby town and that would be as far as I would socialize with people, or 'muggles' as Albus would call them. Aside from that reading became my escape from reality and boredom.

I also became very infatuated with nature. I loved the different animals that lived near the cottage and ever since the day I healed Magna, I enjoyed helping the other ones in need. Many seemed to regularly come around and keep me and Magna company on those long boring days, which, I could never complain about.

I smile to myself deep in thought as my beige suede heels click down the empty corridor. I finally realize Magna has flown away. Likely to check out the Owlery I told him about earlier. He seemed pretty excited about that.

Soon, I realize that in my daze I may have taken a wrong turn in search of my private dorm. I start my way down a dim lit passage and realize I've accidentally found my way to the dungeon area. I start to feel slightly uncomfortable as my pace slows down. Great, I'm lost. I spin on my heels in attempt to go back the way I came.

As soon as I turn and quickly start the other way I smash into a wall hard and fall on my knees onto the dirty floor.

"Ow" I mutter as I look up.

I realize I didn't hit a wall at all. I've actually ran into a person. Looking down at me, his dark black hair sits down on his shoulders and slightly in his face as his onyx eyes bore into my crystal blues.

"I am so sorry.." I begin "I got lost and—"

"Watch where your going you insolent little brat" he spits.

"Again I'm so sorry" I apologize.

His stone cold expression softens the tiniest bit and he offers his hand and I slowly stand up brushing my dress off. Perhaps he had seen the confusion and distress across my face.

"Thanks, I um—" I begin.

"You should be back in your dorm at this hour, students are not to be loitering around the dungeon, and I take it your not a Slytherin" he eyes me with one eyebrow raised, his voice hard yet smooth. Something about his voice alone gives me goosebumps I can't control.

"Well actually sir I'm not—"

Before I can even tell him I'm not even a student just a lost nurse trainee, he interrupts yet again. "Enough chit chat. I suggest you resign back to your dorm before I deduct points from your house.."

I breathe out in slight frustration, not realizing I was holding my breathe, as I brush past him.

Flustered, I head back the way I came and luckily find my way to the well lit corridor and soon my surroundings become more recognizable. I briskly walk to the large oak door I've familiarized as my new room. I whisper, "ibis", the password Albus set for my lock.

The door clicks and I step through. Relieved I finally found my own room, I see Magna preening his coat neatly. I slip into my silk night gown, tie my long hair up and flop hard into the large bed, face in the pillow and let out a grumble.

"What a long day Magna.." I breathe.

He chirps in absolute agreement.

"I ran into the most peculiar man.." I begin. I slightly ranted to Magna all about my encounter with the mysterious and rude man. After I finished with a huff we sat in silence for a few moments. I know it seems crazy to talk to an animal but confiding in Magna has always made me feel better. I swear I can understand him and any animal for that matter.

"His hand was cold, like ice cold" I state after the silence, suddenly sad pondering what could have possibly made him that cold. As uneasy as his rudeness initially made me feel, I thought back to his appearance and the way he looked at me trying to assume my "house". Something about him seemed alluring. I couldn't help but find the dark and mysterious man rather attractive apart from his discourtesy. And his voice.. his voice was so baritone and dare I say, sexy.

After a small moment of thought I shut the light off and whisper goodnight to Magna. I eventually fall asleep to the sound of crickets chirping in the distance as Magna stands close by in the moonlight peering through the window.