A short one-shot ... NO SPOILERS
This came to me this morning and I sobbed sniffled my way through writing it. I hope you enjoy it.
The Book
It was just past midnight and fairly silent in the house, the only sound being the wind blowing through the copse of trees outside the large windows. A woman sat on the sofa in the dark, a book upon her lap. Trembling hands moved to the cover as if to open it but then simply stroked the binding instead. She couldn’t do it. Once she did ….
Tears filled her eyes. She had wavered between excitement and trepidation for months, and now that the moment was here, she was nervous and even a bit frightened. Reading the book would change things irrevocably, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet. And so, she sat on the sofa, simply staring at the cover.
She sniffled and then stilled. What was that sound? Slowly, she looked up. He was here, again - Severus Snape. The sight of him alone caused the unshed tears to course down her face. Would this be the last time she saw him?
He stared at her and murmured, “Good evening, my dear.”
~o0o~
Severus stood in a darkened corner of the room watching the woman who had become his friend - of a sort. It was hard to become very close when he was a fictional character and she was not, but they had managed. Looking at her rigid posture, her bowed head, and shaking hands, he knew something was wrong, and it had to do with The Book.
This woman, along with so many others, had been so … so … nice to him, providing him with seemingly limitless versions of the happy ending that his original Creator would never even consider. He had to wonder, once The Book was read, would they forget about him? Would he be alone again?
No. They had proven themselves to him over and over. Even after his Creator had forced him to kill Albus, they had remained his staunch supporters, poring over evidence and coming up with countless scenarios that would prove him innocent … or at least, not guilty. They trusted him, and now it was his turn to trust them.
Clearing his throat, he stepped into the room. “Good evening, my dear.”
~o0o~
She hastily wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with her hands, then reached for the requisite Puffs-with-aloe that she had placed next to her on the sofa.
“Severus, what … what are you doing here?” She would never be able to read the book with him here. What if he … what if JKR had … what would happen to him then?
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve come to bake biscuits,” he said snidely. “What do you think, woman? I’m here to see if you’ve read The Book yet.”
On a normal visit, she would have teasingly chastised him for taking a sarcastic tone with her, but tonight her heart just wasn’t in it. She sniffled again and whispered, “I just can’t open it, Severus. I’ve tried, but I just can’t.”
He crossed the room to stand in front of her, and folding his arms over his chest, he asked imperiously, “And why not? Are you a Hufflepuff?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Right. I forgot about that.” He seemed flustered for a moment before recovering and drawing himself to full height. “You will read The Book now, madam.”
She sulked like a firstie and responded stubbornly, “I don’t want to.” A stray tear slid down her cheek.
He knelt in front of her, and his long fingers plucked a tissue from the box. Tenderly, he dried her tears, his gentleness causing them to fall faster. “Yes, you do. Tell me - what is keeping you from reading it?”
Her eyes sought his, and she hesitantly whispered, “What will happen to you? Do you know?”
Something flashed in his dark eyes a moment before he rose from his crouched position to pace in front of her. “I do not. She may be my Creator, but now there are many versions of the original character. I belong to you. I will not be aware of my fate until you read The Book.”
“Oh.” That did not make her feel much better. In some ways, his fate now rested with her. If she no longer trusted him, believed in him, wrote about him … he would disappear.
Crap.
“Are you concerned that I will die?” he asked suddenly as he ceased his pacing.
Startled, she looked to him. He was casually plucking at a nonexistent string on his robes, his posture unusually rigid.
“Of course, I am!” she exclaimed, indignant that he would even ask such a thing.
“You have had ample time to prepare yourself for that possibility. There is something else bothering you.”
She stiffened and studiously avoided his gaze; it would not do for him to use Legilimency on her. “No. That’s all. Really.”
Out of the corner of one eye, she saw his face harden and his posture become even more rigid. “Do not lie to me.”
Her face crumpled - she hadn’t meant to hurt him. “I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.”
He was at her side in an instant, gathering her into a comforting hug. “You can tell me. We are friends, are we not?”
She nodded into his chest. “We are.”
“Then tell me.”
Taking consolation from his warm embrace, she took a deep breath. “What if I was wrong?” she asked. “What if you are … what if she has made you evil? I’ve always known you are on the side of the Light - but now that the final book is here, what if … what if you aren’t?”
His arms tightened around her. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I do!” she affirmed. Then she mumbled, “I don’t trust her.”
His lips twitched in amusement. “You know you will have to read it sooner or later. The outcome will not alter whilst you sit here snivelling.”
She nodded. Several minutes passed before she asked, “Will you stay with me as I read?”
“Yes, of course. There is no where I would rather be.”
“Thank you.” She ran a shaking hand over the book once more. With a deep breath she opened the cover, turned to Chapter One, and began to read.
The Book
It was just past midnight and fairly silent in the house, the only sound being the wind blowing through the copse of trees outside the large windows. A woman sat on the sofa in the dark, a book upon her lap. Trembling hands moved to the cover as if to open it but then simply stroked the binding instead. She couldn’t do it. Once she did ….
Tears filled her eyes. She had wavered between excitement and trepidation for months, and now that the moment was here, she was nervous and even a bit frightened. Reading the book would change things irrevocably, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet. And so, she sat on the sofa, simply staring at the cover.
She sniffled and then stilled. What was that sound? Slowly, she looked up. He was here, again - Severus Snape. The sight of him alone caused the unshed tears to course down her face. Would this be the last time she saw him?
He stared at her and murmured, “Good evening, my dear.”
~o0o~
Severus stood in a darkened corner of the room watching the woman who had become his friend - of a sort. It was hard to become very close when he was a fictional character and she was not, but they had managed. Looking at her rigid posture, her bowed head, and shaking hands, he knew something was wrong, and it had to do with The Book.
This woman, along with so many others, had been so … so … nice to him, providing him with seemingly limitless versions of the happy ending that his original Creator would never even consider. He had to wonder, once The Book was read, would they forget about him? Would he be alone again?
No. They had proven themselves to him over and over. Even after his Creator had forced him to kill Albus, they had remained his staunch supporters, poring over evidence and coming up with countless scenarios that would prove him innocent … or at least, not guilty. They trusted him, and now it was his turn to trust them.
Clearing his throat, he stepped into the room. “Good evening, my dear.”
~o0o~
She hastily wiped her tear-streaked cheeks with her hands, then reached for the requisite Puffs-with-aloe that she had placed next to her on the sofa.
“Severus, what … what are you doing here?” She would never be able to read the book with him here. What if he … what if JKR had … what would happen to him then?
He rolled his eyes. “I’ve come to bake biscuits,” he said snidely. “What do you think, woman? I’m here to see if you’ve read The Book yet.”
On a normal visit, she would have teasingly chastised him for taking a sarcastic tone with her, but tonight her heart just wasn’t in it. She sniffled again and whispered, “I just can’t open it, Severus. I’ve tried, but I just can’t.”
He crossed the room to stand in front of her, and folding his arms over his chest, he asked imperiously, “And why not? Are you a Hufflepuff?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Right. I forgot about that.” He seemed flustered for a moment before recovering and drawing himself to full height. “You will read The Book now, madam.”
She sulked like a firstie and responded stubbornly, “I don’t want to.” A stray tear slid down her cheek.
He knelt in front of her, and his long fingers plucked a tissue from the box. Tenderly, he dried her tears, his gentleness causing them to fall faster. “Yes, you do. Tell me - what is keeping you from reading it?”
Her eyes sought his, and she hesitantly whispered, “What will happen to you? Do you know?”
Something flashed in his dark eyes a moment before he rose from his crouched position to pace in front of her. “I do not. She may be my Creator, but now there are many versions of the original character. I belong to you. I will not be aware of my fate until you read The Book.”
“Oh.” That did not make her feel much better. In some ways, his fate now rested with her. If she no longer trusted him, believed in him, wrote about him … he would disappear.
Crap.
“Are you concerned that I will die?” he asked suddenly as he ceased his pacing.
Startled, she looked to him. He was casually plucking at a nonexistent string on his robes, his posture unusually rigid.
“Of course, I am!” she exclaimed, indignant that he would even ask such a thing.
“You have had ample time to prepare yourself for that possibility. There is something else bothering you.”
She stiffened and studiously avoided his gaze; it would not do for him to use Legilimency on her. “No. That’s all. Really.”
Out of the corner of one eye, she saw his face harden and his posture become even more rigid. “Do not lie to me.”
Her face crumpled - she hadn’t meant to hurt him. “I’m sorry. Please, forgive me.”
He was at her side in an instant, gathering her into a comforting hug. “You can tell me. We are friends, are we not?”
She nodded into his chest. “We are.”
“Then tell me.”
Taking consolation from his warm embrace, she took a deep breath. “What if I was wrong?” she asked. “What if you are … what if she has made you evil? I’ve always known you are on the side of the Light - but now that the final book is here, what if … what if you aren’t?”
His arms tightened around her. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course, I do!” she affirmed. Then she mumbled, “I don’t trust her.”
His lips twitched in amusement. “You know you will have to read it sooner or later. The outcome will not alter whilst you sit here snivelling.”
She nodded. Several minutes passed before she asked, “Will you stay with me as I read?”
“Yes, of course. There is no where I would rather be.”
“Thank you.” She ran a shaking hand over the book once more. With a deep breath she opened the cover, turned to Chapter One, and began to read.