Harry Potter One Shots

Burn

All rights belong to the author, Groundswell

He looked up as the silent footsteps stopped not far away from him. As his eyes caught the red/golden scarf, brown eyes with glasses and black hair, he was about to get up, wand out, but something told him that James Potter had not come to start a fight. He was alone, and a strange air hung around him. They looked at each other for a long time, none of them doing anything but staring at each other.

As the silence continued, Severus started to wonder what exactly had brought Potter down there, but trying to read his expression didn't help. He was a closed book.

At last, Potter cleared his throat. "Sorry if I'm interrupting something."

Severus looked away. "What would you be interrupting?" he snarled.

Potter blinked. "Dunno," he muttered and shrugged. "You never know..."

A couple of seconds passed in which the wind could be heard before Severus had had enough. "So what do you want, Potter?"

He moved restlessly. "I umm..." He trailed off, clearly uncomfortable by the whole situation.

"Just spit it out. I don't have all day." Severus gazed back at him.

Potter took a deep breath and then looked up, meeting his eyes. "I know you love her."

The silence that followed his words even drowned the sound of the wind. Severus slowly licked his lips, then anger slowly bubbled to the surface.

"Oh you do, do you?" he spat. "Well, congratulations. Now that you know, you can go ahead and do what you do best. Gloat."

Potter seemed anxious. He switched his weight to his other foot and studied Severus a bit more. "No," he muttered at last. "That's actually not what I wanted to do."

That sounded so ridiculous that Severus almost laughed, but he restrained himself, eyes on the Gryffindor. "No?"

Potter sighed, looking over to the lake and then back at Severus again, "I really did not come here to brag or gloat as you might think."

Severus frowned. "Then why did you come?"

He sighed again and their eyes met. "To tell you that I'll take good care of her."

It took Severus off guard. He nearly dropped his jaw, but stopped at the last second. It was a stupid thing to lose his coolness now. He looked up at Potter through his hair. He seemed honest. Solemn. This was so wrong. Two enemies standing only a meter away without their wands out and talking peacefully to each other.

"I know you will," he said at last, and it annoyed him that it was true.

Potter smiled weakly. "I know you think I don't deserve her, but I'll do all that's in my power to make her happy."

"I know." He sighed. "So, are you trying to make some truce here?"

He laughed. It was a bitter and humorless laugh. "No chance in hell. You wouldn't do that either."

Severus snarled soundlessly. "No, I wouldn't."

Both of them were silent for some time. The wind seemed to catch on, and ripples and white foam could be seen on the lake. Severus sighed.

"So, are you going to tell me now what I did wrong?"

Potter slowly leaned against the tree. "No." He shook his head. "I think you already know."

True. His other friends, his path, the word 'Mudblood'. He had messed up hugely, but so slowly he hadn't seen it himself. She had, though, from the very beginning. She'd even warned him, told him she didn't want anything to do with it. But had he listened?