Tarnished | Severus Snape [Book One]

Chapter Fifteen | You're Drunk

It's been a few weeks since the first day of the school year. I've gotten pretty use to the whole layout of Hogwarts, but getting to any destination was a work on my feet. Horace gave me the duty to grade the first to fourth years homework and though my desk was in the Potions Dungeons, I much prefer to grade them out by Hagrid's hut or the Black Lake.

Its been a while since I've conversated with Severus, I took his word on keeping my distance, which was difficult to begin with. Every time I saw him, I turned my back or at least gave a small greeting with a wave or a hello. He didn't seem to try and see me either, maybe it was the stress of the school year, but still it somewhat aggravated me.

I wish he wouldn't ignore me, I needed a friend, mainly someone to talk to. I have maintained a professional relationship along with a decent friendship with Horace, he also invited me to his Halloween Banquet with selected gifted students and professors.

I've also met the Muggle Studies Professor, Charity Burbage who was quite a few years older than me. She was nice and we had a lot to talk about. She loved the fact I lived in the muggle world most my life as she lives in the heart of London. It was nice talking to someone here that didn't know what a cassette player was.

Hogwarts was such an experience for me, I thought of Nana and how much she'd be proud that I was a Potions Assistant. Aside of Death Eaters and Snatchers, I had no problem. But, now I've been feeling that I wasn't alone, as though someone was looking over my shoulder. I assume it was the sudden changes in my life or the fact that this school had ghosts to begin with. But, I shook off the eery sensibility.

I sat behind a tree by the Black Lake. It was the late afternoon, around four-thirty and I was grading the second year homework. I wore my now favorite robes which was a deep purple cotton robe that fell over my bare shoulders. I had my legs crisscrossed and my hair blew in the chilly October wind, cursing me till the day I cut it off.

I saw a shadow overwhelming my sight and I looked up to be surprised by who was standing over me.

"Severus," I said holding my breath.

"I was curious enough to stop and see what you are doing," he said, leaning down on one knee.

"Grading papers, that's all." I said with a nervous smile. I tore my gaze off him and continued my work.

He was still there. I rolled my eyes and put my work down flustered and turned to him. "What do you want?" I ordered and he shot me a glare.

"Nothing," he growled and stood up, turning to leave. I groaned in frustration and stood up as well.

"Severus," I said in a desperation that had him turn around to me, "You've been ignoring me!"

He furrowed his eyebrows and scoffed, "Ignoring you? I've been swamped with work this whole month. I doubt that I've been evading you, much less you have been evading me."

"You told me to stay away and I did." I pointed out.

"Well, you've done great so far, so why not continue it?"

"What the bloody hell is your problem? If you're trying to push me away, then you're doing great yourself!"

I spun around to my papers and grabbed them vigorously, shoving them in a messy pile and pulled it towards my chest and stormed off, opposite from Severus. I didn't bother to look back, wondering why he had to be such an arse.

I walked through random halls until I made it to the fourth floor where Charity was probably laying about in her class. I barged through the door, throwing my papers loudly on one of the students' desks, grabbing a chair and dragging it to Charity's desk where she sat; laid back with her legs prompt on her desk reading Grimms Brothers. She eyed me in surprise and confusion as I roughly stopped the chair and sat in it quickly, crossing my legs and hands folded on my knees with an obviously fake smile.