Snape x OC: It's All In The Walls Of Hogwarts

Count the stars.

The crowded room hustled and bustled with adults and children. The place was crowded and warm. Still though a smile stole the features of Grace. The fresh air was something that still shocked her as well as the amount of people that existed. For too many years it was just her and then for a while a few professors.

The snow was thick and coats were wrapped firmly around the bodies of those who dared venture. Reds, blues, greens and yellows kept the eye busy as they constantly moved. The fire was always well lit and the piano always playing. The Hog's Head was different to how it was when Grace was in there as a student but she loved it all the same. "Aberforth, must you insist on the goats?" The old man laughed quietly before patting her shoulder. "You can always quit." Her face was pulled back as the sides of her lips tensed and her eyebrows raised. "I am a Brown. We don't quit." The pair carried on with their work as they spoke and laughed. No amount of annoyance towards the goats could stop her from caring about him. "You may take the rest of the day off." Honey hair shook as she disagreed. "No, I need to work." A knowing smirk took his face and then he spoke. "Hogwarts is having a Hogsmeade weekend." Still the girl worked and pushed on. "Well, if I mattered then they would come to see me. I have to work, just as they do." The old man gave in and allowed her to do as she wished.

The day was coming to a close and the bell at the shop's door rang for the last time that night. "Right, I am off to bed." Aberforth announced. "It is only half eight." Either he didn't hear her or he ignored her. She knew him well enough to know that he just ignored her. "Lock up." Came from the old man and as the keys were picked up to lock it the small bell rang. "We are closed." Her wand was gripped tightly incase they tried something. Pretending not to be scared Grace turned, key in hand. A loud crash occurred as she spotted the human. "Is the shop closed or just you?" Not sure if it was an innuendo Grace retorted "I might work at a bar or tea shop, what ever it is called, but, I am not a whore." She was pointed and the man opened his eyes widely. The keys were picked up and the door approached. "If you would be so kind as to just tell me why you are here." Her voice was annoyed but Severus heard the hurt she tried to cover. "And you are the one locking me i..." he stopped as he realised she wasn't locking it but instead opening the door. He approached her and grabbed her chin with a thumb and a finger. "Don't. It is like taking a type two diabetic to a sweet shop." Snape had no clue what a diabetic was but knew that he shouldn't push her if she didn't want to. As he began leaving she spoke. "I-I" Grace seemed to be debating her next few words specifically. "I know that we were only really friends but you could have written to me. When I told the staff that I was free I wanted to see you but your eyes couldn't even move from the wall. A wall that was probably the furthest from me."

Snape's steps halted as he turned around. "You just left." He spoke harshly. "No, I said that I was leaving and then slowly left. Even Steven Hawking could have caught up with my slow pace and he is in a wheelchair." Not once did her voice lift any higher than usual but a threat was heard. "Oh Severus come in. You must be frozen. Goodness girl you are set on making this shop colder than your own heart." A playful elbow came his way as she laughed at the joke. The man in black entered and Aberforth locked the door. "You can leave when ever. I just feel safer this way. You know there is also a tunnel up to the school that way." The old man motioned to where the tunnel was and invited the pair to a living room before heading to bed.

"So, what have you been up to?" Snape didn't answer he just stared at her as if saying 'really?' her blue eyes sent the same message back. "What is the point? You are just an arrogant prick anyways." With a huff the woman stood and tried to walk away but his hand caught her wrist. "What happened to you? With Aberforth you are the Miss Brown I came to care for. Now you are being extremely arrogant." A raised eyebrow showed the hurt, defence and misery that she tried to cover with anger. "No, I am who I am." Snape sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You said 'what is the point?' You are right. Grace you are like a cat in a bath." As his cloak was pulled closer around him the man stood and bid a farewell.

A last moment of fake happiness came from the witch. "Severus, I have something for you." As he stared hesitantly back at the woman he saw a thimble. "What?" His voice was masked with forced resentment. "I know you too well Severus, you don't resent me. Besides, I read Peter Pan. I assume you have read it." The man nodded and then realised the symbolism. "A kiss?" She nodded and then took his hand. His palms were warm against her cold ones as she placed the metal in the centre of his hand and wrapped his fingers over it. "For you." Slowly the woman walked into a room that appeared to be her bedroom as a bed and wardrobe were visible from the small opening.

As the wizard began through the tunnel a man cleared his throat. "Aberforth." It was supposed to be a goodbye but Severus stopped with the other man's words. "Women say, do and mean all three completely separate things." Black eyes met older ones in hopes of an explanation but saw he wasn't going to give one. "I know you at least heard our conversation at the door. What did she mean by a diabetic and sweet a shop?" Curiosity and boredom came from the man furiously and rapidly. "A person can have diabetes through various ways. Type 2 is more specific. The one I assure you she was referring to is a common one. One way to get type two is to eat too much sugar that the body stops or negatively effects the production of insulin. You are smart enough to know what insulin is. You see taking a type 2 diabetic to a sweet shop means that they should not or cannot partake of the goodness. If they do they could die, get ill or need help. They of course desire above almost all else to just devour the sweets though."