Prohibition | Severus Snape

Familiar Pleasantries

The hallways of Hogwart's were empty. The building was filled by the echos of ghosts and the crickets at the Black Lake. Sofia made her way through the open hallway. Hands crossed over her chest, she wrapped her sweater around herself as she made her way down towards her quarters. Before she could step on the staircase she noticed the dark sky. She was always mesmerised by the stars above Hogwarts. She couldn't help herself as she stepped up to the railing. Looking out into the lake she suddenly felt the need to sit on the grass. She often did that as a student and even as a teacher, especially during the warmer months of the year. Hopping over the railing she walked over to the lake. Feeling the soft grass under her heels she walked closer to the water. The lake was calm. The silence engulfed her. All she could hear was the sound of some bats flying around and the soft chirping of the crickets. Softly touching the freezing water with the tip of her finger she noticed movement a few feet in front of her. She watched as she saw the water move. Squinting her eyes she noticed the famous giant squid making its way to the surface. Smiling she remembered her old student days, as she often snuck out of her room to play with it. Although most students were utterly afraid of it, she had grown very fond of the creature. Especially since Hagrid always seemed to drag her out to socialize with it. She watched as it played in the distance, making the water around ripple with his tentacles. She was just about to sit down on the grass as she felt the dampness. Grunting she pulled out her wand, conjuring a small wooden bench, which seemed to have become a habit. Placing herself on the bench she pulled her legs up close to her chest. Sighing she closed her eyes letting her head drop, enjoying the soft breeze hir her skin. She focused on letting all of the anger she had accumulated prior, ease out of her body. She knew why Mr Parker's words had hurt her so much but she didn't want to admit it, even just to herself.

Meanwhile, Severus had walked out of Albus' office, attempting to follow her. As he made it down the hallway he noticed her small body on the wooden bench in the distance. Before coming over, he reminisced on the day he had unhexed her hair. Walking across the grass he made it towards the bench. He could see that she was clearly unaware of the fact that anyone was around her, as she had her head laid back, eyes firmly shut. As he walked in front of the bench, he saw her head jolt towards him. Sighing, he hesitantly sat next to her, leaving some distance in between them.

"There was no need to run off like that Sofia." Severus broke the silence as Sofia continued to look out towards the lake. Pulling her legs closer to her body she kissed her teeth.

"I didn't fancy staying there, that's all." She spoke.

"And why is that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Severus." Sofia snidely returned.

"Yes, I actually would." Sofia could tell by Severus' agitated deep tone of voice that he was no longer playing games with her. "What is bothering you Sofia?" He spoke again, this time softer. She felt him lean in closer to her, as he placed his palm on the bench. Sighing, Sofia decided to speak.

"That boy. His comment was just hit a little... rough." She listened as Severus scoffed at her.

"Is that it? The spoiled brat of a child is what made you so upset?"

"I am not upset!" Sofia eyed him as he rolled his eyes. She could feel him continue to stare at her as if waiting for her to speak. "Fine. As I'm sure you're aware, I haven't exactly had the best time in the muggle world. I've dealt with enough shit at the bar... And when I came to Hogwarts, I was hoping to eventually develop a stable career. And to be honest, almost 5 years down the line I'm still known as someone's over-glorified assistant and nothing more." Sofia could feel the hot tears welling up in her eyes. Looking to the side, she let a few tears slip as she subtly wiped them away. Severus' expression suddenly changed. His eyes softened as he watched Sofia struggle to speak. "It was just a shitty thing to say, that's all." She spoke into the distance. She felt Severus shift closer to her as she pretended to ignore him.