Where Your Loyalties Lie - {Severus Snape x Reader}

-55-

The night goes on. Everyone here is having a great time. The students are more loose and not as intense as they were at the beginning. Perhaps some of them are feeling a bit too loose... The so called 'sophisticated' music has now changed into a little bit more party like music. Slowly, it came to our professors attention that few of the students are getting alcohol from somewhere. Of course, what can you expect from a party that is filled with teenagers? So, we professors decided to go and keep more intensively eye on them. Luckily, they are all spread out near the Great Hall's groundings, so none of us needs to go all the way other side of the castle to check if someone is stumbling over there. This night might get a lot longer than I originally thought.

Right outside of the Great Hall's big double doors, there are some girls and boys sitting on the stairs, chatting and laughing away. I approach the group and try to ask them if they have seen anyone that could be under the influence of alcohol. But as expected, they all shook their heads, saying that they don't have any idea. Then, I hear how a girl yells near by the Great Hall's doors:"Draco!! Come back here!". She looks pissed. Draco just whooshes right past me and the students, heading outside. The girl, Pansy Parkinson - who I believe is his date, stomps her foot once and breaks down crying in her light grey dress. Immediately she gets surrounded by her girl friends who tries to console her. But she quickly slaps their arms away and storms up the stairs. Hm, guess Severus was right about how these events usually ends. Then, my focus goes to the direction Draco went. Wonder if he's alright? I know he and I have had a bit rocky start, but... He is still a student and I'm a teacher. It is my duty to make sure he's alright. So, with that in my mind, I head outside as well.

Immediately when I step outside, I feel the cold winter weather on me. Brilliant. Why couldn't he storm off somewhere inside the castle?! Quickly, I shook my head and go look for him. There is some snow slowly falling from the above as I keep wandering around to find him while having arms crossed over my chest to bring some warmth. The music from inside can be heard all the way here, even the lyrics of the song aren't quite clear. "You..- What?!" someone screamed further away all of sudden. Huh? It was yet another girl's voice, followed by a boy's calm voice who seems to try to explain something. What in the Merlin's beard is going on here? Carefully, I approach the direction the noises are coming from, only to see that the boy who is trying to talk calmly to the girl is Mr. McLaggen. Can't really tell from my perspective who the girl is, since she has her back facing me.

Something tells me I shouldn't intervene, so I just stay hidden and watch them for a bit before I'll continue to go find Draco. "You can't be serious!" the girl in a powder purple puffy dress exclaims. Before McLaggen can say anything, the girl slaps him right across the face. Surprised by this, my eyes widens and a small, but sharp gasp comes out of me. Quickly, I brought a hand to cover my mouth. Hope they didn't hear me! Right after that, the girl storms off, clearly upset about something. McLaggen stays quiet and keeps his gaze down. It seems like he has been drinking something else other than pumpkin juice. For a second I struggle if I should just keep on walking and go look for Draco, but then I sigh and come out of from my hide:"Mr. McLaggen?". The boy's head snaps up to see me. He looks surprised:"P-Professor (Y/L).". "Are you alright?" I ask while approaching him. "Yes. I'm alright..." he gives a fade smile.

Now that I came closer, and the light from the torch near us hits right, I can see there is a red-ish mark on his cheek. Giving him compassionate face:"You seem to upset your date very badly?". "Nah, it's nothing. Girls are too sensitive. They can't handle the truth." he lift his head high and tries to smirk thru the pain. Yep, he's drunk. "Uh-huh... Care to tell me what that 'truth' might be?" I ask. McLaggen then raise his eyebrow a bit while sizing me up and down. Seeing him doing so makes me feel very awkward and weird inside. "Right. Maybe it'll be better if you don't. Have a good evening, Mr. McLaggen." I give a polite nod and turn around, ready to leave. "She got upset because I told her I like someone else." he suddenly tells me. Glancing over my shoulder a bit without stopping the walking:"Well, life is short. Maybe you should go look for her then.". "I'm already with her." he suddenly says. Whot?