Serendipity [Book 2]

Some Things Never Change

"Cross! Get down from there, immediately!" Ariella Cross pouted as Severus Snape glared at her. Ariella stood precariously on the railing that stood above the front hall.

"What sort of example are you setting?" The Potions Master sneered. His dark eyes followed her every movement.

"The good, sneaky kind Snark!" Ariella replied with a careless smile. Snape frowned. The nickname had been christened last year and she had been using it ever since.

"How mature." He muttered as she straightened out her robes. She wore a dark red dress that exposed her shoulders and perfectly accentuated her slim waist. He noticed the pair of black boots that covered her feet and scowled. She claimed they were lucky. He scoffed at the thought. She had been wearing the shoes last year and look where they had landed her.

"How long till the train gets here?" She asked, still smiling carelessly. Snape took her in her appearance greedily. Her skin had darkened to a soft tawny and her blonde curls had lightened considerably since their parting two months ago.

"2 more hours." He answered curtly, still studying her demeanor. From that distance, he couldn't tell if the injury she sustained last year had left a scar across the top of her forehead.

"Goody! I want to scare the first years!" A playful glint came to her amethyst eyes as Snape watched her.

"From atop there?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Ariella smiled before swinging her legs over the railing. Her eyes swept his form easily. As usual, Snape was clad in pure black. Only the buttons and clasps on his robes were silver. His hair hung limply around his face as he looked up at her. His long fingers were curled into fists at his sides.

"Yep! I'm going to jump down into the throng and go boo when Minerva takes 'em to be sorted!" She answered, giggling at the thought. Severus frowned. He could care less about the defenseless first years suffering her wrath. It was the woman teetering on the railing high above the ground that he was worried about. He scowled at how his heart raced as he watched her. She was foolishly Gryffindor in her actions, he noted disdainfully. He was painfully aware of how upset he had gotten when they had dragged her out of the Chamber of Secrets, covered in blood. Had it not been for Harry Potter, this foolish Gryffindor colleague of his would be dead. When she had awakened, he had screamed, cursed, and scared some sense into her. She had apologized tearfully and he had forgiven her that instant. Merlin knows how he loathed his weakness for the woman.

"Get down!" He scowled as she walked across the railing as if it were a balance beam. She grinned cheekily at him;; her eyes twinkled in mischief.

"Make me, snark!" She replied giddily as she giggled. He rolled his eyes before turning to leave.

"Hey Snape?" He looked up as she grew serious.

"What is it now, you foolish woman?" He asked with a sigh.

"What's with the dementors and aurors sweepin' Hogwarts? No one would tell me anything!" She ended with a pitiful whine, her eyes full of curiosity. Of course no one would tell this insanely happy woman that her ex best friend had escaped from Azkaban, that they feared he'd return to kill Harry and possibly her. He had gotten used to Ariella in the time she had been here. Acquaintances she had called them since he refused to be her friend. He did not want to see her die, but he also did not want her walking around clueless until someone accidentally let it slip to her.

"Haven't you read the Daily Prophet?" He asked.

"Nope. Don't like the sodding thing and the owls always bit me." She replied.

"Why?" She queried. He sighed inaudibly before answering.

"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban; they think he's going to..." Snape paused and his eyes widened as she started to fall.

"Stupid girl!" He cursed as he quickly levitated her, mere inches from the ground. She had fainted, he noted warily. Trust Ariella to take the news in the worse possible way.

"He's not going to reach you..." Severus Snape swore quietly. Minerva McGonagall stepped into the hall, gasping as her wide brown eyes landed on Ariella's immobile form.

"Severus! What happened?" She asked in worry. The older woman was fiercely protective of the blonde, as was almost every other professor. Severus thought even the ghosts, paintings and house-elves would fight to protect Ariella Cross. Hell, he wouldn't put it past the animals in the Forbidden Forest (AKA Centaurs, vampires, unicorns, threstrals, etc) to come to her rescue. He had learned that she was that kind of woman.

"She fell." Severus answered curtly, sneering at Ariella. Minerva nodded.

"Whatever for? Never mind..." She replied before tucking a stray gray hair behind her ear. She sighed before continuing.

"Take her to Poppy. Also, the train's running a bit late." She informed him before leaving him alone again. Severus snorted. The train could stay gone, he thought bitterly. Halfway to the hospital wing, Ariella stirred. Her eyes opened and she began to panic until she gained her bearings.

"Severus?" He grunted in reply, stopping. He gently set her on her feet.

"He hasn't really escaped, has he?" Ariella asked uncertainly. Severus could see the pain, fear and hatred she felt in her eyes. She was too easy to read in his opinion. He nodded. She took a sharp intake of breath before nodding.

"Thank you for catching me." She mumbled softly as Snape rolled his eyes. As if he was going to let her fall to her death, he thought sourly.

"Foolish girl..." He growled.

"The train has been delayed." He remarked just as she turned to leave and she turned to him in panic.

"What? Why? What happened?" Snape frowned at her hysteria. Over-emotional was a trait of the blonde that Severus despised.

"Nothing that I'm aware of. Calm yourself, woman." His tone was harsh, but laced with consolation. They were words meant to calm and soothe. She nodded slowly. Severus didn't mean to be cruel, she noted cheerfully. Sometimes his words just came out wrong, but he usually had the best intentions.

"Right, calm. Thanks, Snark." The carefree smile had returned but he could tell it was forced. She walked past him, her hand gliding across his shoulder. He couldn't for the life of him stand that look on her face.

"Do you know who's going to be the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher?" He asked as she paused and turned to face him. She shook her head, jostling her curls. She frowned as she thought of last year's DADA professor. Lockhart, she inwardly growled. He frowned.

"Lupin. Remus Lupin." Snape growled, earning her attention. Ariella's face lit up in immeasurable happiness at the name.

"My Remus Lupin?" She asked, hopeful. Snape nodded. Just as he thought she would, she squealed in joy and threw herself at him. Severus would never admit it but he enjoyed whatever brief physical contact Ariella provided him with. He'd never tell this to her face; pride wouldn't allow it. Her slender arms were wrapped around his neck and her face was buried in the crook of his neck. Her hair smelled of honeysuckle and lavender with a hint of strawberry. He could taste the sunshine on her skin. If he could brew her essence, he knew it would ease anyone's tattered soul. She pulled away far too soon for his liking but his face never betrayed his true feelings. He sneered at her display of affection.

"Thanks snark! That made my day!" She smiled brightly before hugging him once more and skipping to the Great Hall. He scowled at the cold that bit at him in her absence. Once Lupin was here, she'd forget all about him. After all, she had been apart of those insufferable Marauders. And he couldn't stop that pain from stabbing his heart at the thought.