Fighting for love - Severus Snape fanfiction (BOOK TWO of A Magical Muggle)

Chapter 21

The vacant hallways were colder than Ana remembered. School had begun recently and the summer was definitely over, but even though throughout the day the sun was hot enough to raise the temperature, it was still 6 A.M., and the air was freezing. It might have rained during that night too, the floor outside was damp; ice framing on leaves was melting into droplets of water, harmoniously falling to the grass. If Ana wasn't in such a state of mind, she'd be admired by the cold beauty of that morning.

She embraced herself, rubbing her arms to warm up her body. Even though she was trembling, the shivers running down her spine were not due to the cold dawn.

The first sun rays were illuminating the grounds and the way it reflected on her path made her heart become tighter in her chest. 

She was back.

After almost 4 months, she was back.

If she was not wrong, 6 A.M. was the awakening hour for most of the teachers. They use that hour to prepare themselves for classes and for breakfast. Severus used to wake up that early and should be wandering the corridors soon if he had maintained his routine.

She wondered how much he changed in his life because of her absence.

Shaking her thoughts away, Ana knew she had to march through the corridors as fast as she could. Her objective: Minerva's office.

However, as she walked down the Gargoyle corridor, she stopped in her tracks, freezing in place.

The Stairwell Gargoyle was there, silent, as if it was judging her. Albus' office was a place that had always intrigued her, but since he died she was not able to enter it. She knew Minerva never dared to take it as hers, even though she was the headmistress. It remained there, untouched, as a sanctuary to the man who sacrificed so much to save them. Even his own life.

Yet Ana never found the strength in her to enter, to replay memories - painfully happy memories. The one that haunted her the most was the day Albus called her there to ask her to be his daughter. Probably one of the happiest days and happiest memories in that school.

At the same time, the idea of entering that office reminded her how she had, again, lost another dear person.

But only God knew how she needed Albus' advice.

She truly needed to see him, one more time.

Her steps were hesitant, but when the time came, her voice didn't break.

"Sherbet Lemon," she spoke to the Gargoyle guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office, hoping no one changed the password.

The Gargoyle immediately moved and exposed the circular stairwell.

Ana sighed in relief and, deliberately, climbed up the stairs and watched the dark office being illuminated by the torches on the wall automatically. 

Everything was as she remembered: the filled bookshelves, the strange objects, the noises, the smell... 

The pictures on the wall were sleeping. It was too early to make any noise and risk having them informing the other pictures about her presence. Soon the words of her arrival would reach Severus' ears, and, for now, that was the last thing she needed.

Her eyes wandered every corner of the room, stopping at her father's sleeping figure.

A sad smile appeared on her face, and she had to leave the office, otherwise, she'd speak to him and the pain in her heart told her she would lose all the strength and courage she was gathering to fight back. It was all too painful for her, but God knew how much she needed to talk to Albus. To listen to his voice.