calendars • marauders era

25

UPON REACHING THE SLYTHERIN COMMON ROOM,

Tessa immediately wanted to go back outside. She had spotted Severus Snape, but Severus Snape had seen her first.

"Tessa? Hey!"

Was he really talking to her?

"She hates my guts!"

Tessa laughed. She immediately knew what he meant (everyone did), and they launched into a passive-aggressive conversation on the topic.

"You've gotta treat her better, Severus. Don't call her nasty slurs, for starters."

He ignored the last part.

"She won't even talk to me, Teresa."

She raised an eyebrow. "And that's my fault?"

"No, no..." Snape dismissed. He looked a bit annoyed now," Although I never said it was, did I?" he snapped.

Tessa stayed composed.

"Okay then. That's good."

The two had nothing to say to each other and so they didn't say anything at all. Severus, apparently thinking of something, filled the space with his noise.

"You're dating Potter now, aren't you?"

Tessa looked him over. Was he trying to imply something?

"So what if I'm dating James?"

"Why?" he quickly replied.

Her forehead furrowed in confusion and she stared at him meanly but her eyes gave away a hint of confusion. Vulnerability.

Severus sneered.

"Why as in: why are you dating him?"

"It's none of your business."

"Exactly why I'm asking."

This is why you have no friends she thought.

"It's none of your business and it'll stay that way." She stated.

More thoughts floated around in her mind. Did he know? Was he messing with her? Did everyone know? Snape wasn't much, but he was good at getting into people's heads, messing with them.

"And plus," she broke the uneasy silence," I didn't come here to talk about me. We're both here because of Lily, because you want to be friends with Lily again. Am I right?"

He stared at her deeply, genuinely for once. He didn't put up his usual mask of arrogance or disdain. He looked sad, almost desperate.

"She's my only friend."

Tessa sighed. She understood the hurt that came from losing a friend and was about to offer a possible solution when Severus hastily cut her off.

"But now, I'm not even her friend anymore and so what's the point of even trying again?"

She stared at him in disbelief.

"Are you serious? Are you really going to sulk for the rest of your life over something you could quite obviously still mend?"

Tessa didn't expect this part, didn't expect him to react this way, but Severus left abruptly and stomped out of the Slyhterin Common Room, all the way to his dorm room.

If he didn't want to fix things, Tessa wasn't going to force him to.

She glanced at some first years, who seemed to have been watching the whole thing, and they smiled awkwardly and nervously. She just nodded before walking to her next class. This was nothing to fret about. There were more important things ahead. Tessa just hoped Severus wouldn't hold a grudge.

Although, she wouldn't be surprised if he did. It wouldn't be unusual of him.