Bewitched: A Severus Snape Story

The Ball

I hooked my arm in Bill's arm and posed awkwardly in Dumbledore's office.
He was taking our picture.
"A handsome couple! You'll appreciate this when you're older, Anastasia, dear."
I rolled my eyes.
"Uncle Albus we are going to be late!" I laughed.
"Oh hush! One more....and got it!"
He smiled and waved as we left his office.
"That wasn't weird at all. I can't believe you're related to Dumbledore and yet you didn't go here this whole time...how come you went to Ilvermorny?"
I shrugged.
"I guess my parents just liked living in America more than Britain."
"Tell me about them."
I really didn't want to talk about them so I decided to distract him.
"Your eyes are nice." I smiled up at him.
He took the bait.
"Your face is nice...I mean...bloody hell..."
I laughed.
"Come on, let's go in."
We stood at the doorway and made our entrance. Eyes darted to us. A Slytherin with a Gryffindor was unheard of.
"A lot of people are staring, Bill..."
"I'm the luckiest man at Hogwarts that's why they're staring..."
I rolled my eyes.
The first dance began. It was a waltz.
I looked and found Sarah and Hexwell dancing a little farther off. I pulled Bill along so we were dancing near them. They were kissing each other by the time we made it over there.
"Come up for air!" I yelled.
Sarah broke away from him, cheeks red.
"You look great!" I told her.
"You do too!" She smiled and then focused her attention back on the 'man of her dreams'. The dance ended and Bill and I went to find somewhere to sit down.
I looked around the room. McGonagall and Albus were talking in one corner. Sarah was all loved up on Hexwell. Penny and Tracy were with their dates. The Great Hall was decorated with beautiful ornate decorations. It was already a spooky place, so it's not like they had to do much to make it fit the theme. The ghosts danced in and out and through the students. I laughed as I watched them.
"It's a slow dance...want to?" He was holding out his hand. Some slow pop song was playing. I shrugged.
"Sure let's do it." I followed him onto the floor. He placed his hands on my waist and I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"So....why me? After you shot down half the school." He looked nervous.
"You seem sweet. And intelligent. And you're a nice guy. You didn't automatically expect me to say 'yes'."
"Oh no I really expected a rejection letter or you ignoring me altogether."
"Well I didn't, did I?"
"No...I'm glad."
I saw Snape against the wall watching us intently. He was staring at Bill and then made eye contact with me and turned away quickly. Why was he in a mood?
The song ended and I went to go sit down again. Sarah and Hexwell were sitting at a table, so I went to join them.
"I'll go get us some punch, be right back."
He got up and disappeared.
When he returned I took the glass out of his hands and raised it to my lips.
I felt the glass get knocked out of my hands and the red sticky liquid drenched my new clothes.
I looked up to see Snape across the room, wand in hand. He took off and went out the door. I was furious. He had shielded his mind from me.
"Stasia? What the hell?" Sarah called after me as I stomped right through the dance floor, Bill chasing me.
I got out my want and spun around once I entered the hallway.
"Not now. Bill." I raised the wand to his chest.
"See you later?" He frowned as I took off into a run.
My heels clacking on the stone I saw a black clad figure swoosh and turn a corner.
I sprinted after him.
"SNAPE! YOU GET BACK HERE!"
He spun around.
"Miss Dumbledore? What do you need?" He replied dryly.
"An explanation and an apology. You know what? Fuck you."
Snape clenched his jaw and grabbed my arms and pulled me into a closet.
"Ouch. What the hell, man?"
"What exactly do you think I did?" He narrowed his gaze.
"You spilled my punch! In front of everyone!"
"I did you a favor. Do you know what was going on in that boy's head? What he was planning that night?"
"He's a horny teenager, yeah I can probably imagine. Why were you even looking?"
"Why weren't you! He put something in your drink. I watched him. The little rat."
"Yeah...I know he did...." reached in my pocket for a flask of fire whiskey and wiggled it in Snape's face before taking a huge swig.
"I should give you a week of detention for that....breaking school rules...."
"It's not like I was hurting anyone! Just having a good time with a friend."
"You are leading him on! He honestly thinks you like him! How bloody dense can you possibly be?"
I raised my hand and it collided with his cheek.
"I was happy. I was having fun. I thought you were my friend and would be happy for me, Severus."
He looked down at the floor.
"I'm so terribly sorry, I was worried."
My expression softened. He really hadn't intended anything ill.
"Hey, look, it's cool. It's alright. It's no big deal. Look? Scourgify. I'm clean. I'm ready to go back in there and dance. We are good, see, Severus?"
He leaned up against the wall.
"I just don't want anything bad to happen to you. I realized that I overstepped...he's just a normal teenage boy. If you want to go be with him, go."
I took another swig of firewhiskey.
"I don't. Like I said I don't have feelings for him."
"Still got it bad for the mysterious tall dark and handsome man?"
"Severus....stop it." I felt my courage rising as I wobbled a little. My cheeks blazed crimson.
"Somebody's tipsy...." An amused smile played on his lips.
"Maybe a little... woah..." I wobbled as I tripped over something in ten dimly lit closet and he caught me in his arms.
I looked up at him, inches from his face. I leaned in until my forehead touched his.
I closed my eyes. I didn't move any farther and neither did he. I opened my eyes to see his were shut as well. I felt his heart race under his robes.
I pulled away and dusted myself off. Were we just about to... No.....
"See you tomorrow...I'm going to get back to Bill. I'm going to tell him I just want to be friends. You're right about me leading him on. Good night."
He followed me out of the closet and he stood there in silence and watched me as I walked away.