Severus fought the tears trying to fall from his eyes as he looked at his lost friend in front of him.
He knew...
If he did this, he sealed their fate...
"I'm sorry." He choked out to her. "It's got to be now."
He gripped the wand in his hand tigh...
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November 1992
The Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match was set to take place the first Saturday of November.
Severus was only slightly annoyed with Mason at the moment. She kept insisting there was something she was meant to do, but couldn't remember what it was. Severus had assured her time and time again, there was nothing happening until the match on Saturday, but she was adamant.
"Severus! I swear there's something I can't remember! It's driving me mad, like a bell chiming in the back of my head."
"It's driving you mad? I have to keep hearing about this thing you can't remember!" He wanted to rip his hair out
He sighed "You just need to find something to take your mind off it."
He walked around his classroom putting left over ingredients away, pushing in chairs, and picking up any items left behind.
"Are you going to the quidditch match?" She asked him
"McGonagall and I have a standing bet, every year, I have to attend. Besides Draco's playing this year, I promised his father to make sure he plays well."
She jumped at the new topic "How is Draco? Is he nervous? I've seen him reading a lot of quidditch books in the library lately and-..... what? Why are you laughing?" She asked incredulously.
Severus continued to chuckle quietly "Nothing, just, someone once Akined you to a snake charmer. I'm just noticing what they meant."
"Snake Charmer!?" She cried in outrage "I charm everyone, not just snakes!"
Severus couldn't contain his small laugh at the dramatic girl.
"How's the Lockhart situation going by the way?" He asked her.
She groaned as she hit her head into his desk "Ughhhhh!"
"Still won't leave you alone?" He asked
"Merlin no! My only saving grace is that those Weasley twins keep showing up out of nowhere. Honestly, thank Merlin for them, he keeps trying to corner me everywhere I go. It's unnerving..."
Severus nodded at her "He did the same when we were in school, didn't matter he was two years younger than you, he still followed you around like a lost duckling."
Mason expulsed a rather unladylike snort "Great, so you're telling me it never ends? Perfect."
She rolled her eyes as they let the silence linger
She turned to him, curiosity in her eyes. "I wonder how the twins always manage to find me?"
Harry was starting to wonder where Fred and George were, they'd never be late to practice, Oliver would bite their heads off.
Suddenly two masses of red hair flew up the pitch, slightly out of breath, but still grinning.
"Sorry we're late, detention with Lockhart-"
"AGAIN!?" Oliver screamed
"He's so relaxed, how do you keep getting on his bad side?" Katie wondered at them
"Well" "We just always seem to" "Happen across him"
"Cornering Miss Night in the hallways" they said together.
"So naturally" "We come to her rescue"
"And give her an excuse to get out of there"
"But Lockhart fancies her see?" "So he keeps giving us detention"
"' Being a disruption ' he calls it." They finished.
The team stared at the two as they took in the information.
Harry didn't know Miss Night as well as the older students, since he couldn't take her class till the next year. The older students, especially the twins and Lee, all spoke highly of her though.
Neville even liked her and they were in the same year! She'd stolen him from a detention with Snape, and Neville said she was very pleasant.
Oliver looked at the twins, scrutinizing, before he spoke.
"I want to tell you to stop so you won't be late for practice anymore, but Miss Night helps me with strategies she's seen in similar muggle sports.... try not to get detention anymore though."
Harry watched from the side as the rest of the team got on with practice.
He'd wondered what it was about Miss Night that made everyone like her. Even Snape liked her, and he didn't like anyone...
It was a mystery he wasn't going to solve today though.
The day of the match came on fast for young Harry. He was nervous for the match, he'd be against Draco as seekers. From what he'd heard Draco wasn't a bad seeker either...
Harry was pushing the food around his plate that breakfast, he knew he should eat but he couldn't muster the will.
He'd seen McGonagall giving a stern pep talk to Wood a little earlier and somehow that made him more nervous.
He felt a hand land gently on his shoulder, when he turned around he saw Miss Night smiling down on him.
"Harry, first game of the season today, you excited?"
Harry had wanted to say 'yes he was excited' "Little nervous actually..."
Her smile softened as she looked at him "That's alright everyone gets a little nervous, Merlin knows I could never play Quidditch, you've already won half the battle!"
She leaned a little closer to him "I know for a fact even Draco is a little nervous, he's been reading Quidditch books in the library like a religion this last week. So don't worry too much."
The knowledge did make him feel a little better but "McGonagall really wants us to win this match, I don't want to disappoint her or the team..."
"And you won't! confidence and determination are the key to everything! Besides, I bet on you against Snape, and I don't know about you, but I'd really like to see him lose that bet."
Harry's spirits lifted a little till he remembered he was famous, people always bet on him. "Betting on the 'boy who lived' not sure if that was a wise choice" he said grimly
"Actually.." she smirked at him "I was betting on the youngest seeker in a century."
She patted his shoulder once before continuing on her way to the staff table.
The youngest seeker in a century, that was something he did by himself, not because of what his parents did for him.
She was betting on him for what he could do.
Well he certainly wasn't going to let her down now.
