“Good afternoon, Severus,” sounded the deep voice of Dumbledore. His blue eyes swept the room, taking in its disorderly state. Every inch of the floor was covered with something that did not belong there. The only pieces of furniture, a table and a chair, were overturned; books were scattered across the floor; photograph frames lay smashed, and there was Severus Snape himself, wearing a black robe and a scowl, his wand held loosely by his side. He raised his wand in one sweeping motion and the furniture lay in order, books flew to their respective shelves, the photograph frames mended themselves, and Severus arranged his face into an unfathomable expression.



He motioned for Dumbledore to sit down. Severus did not know what to say. He was annoyed with the Headmaster for turning up at his house without even a warning, but unsure of how to put it in words. Dumbledore, however, was humming a tune merrily and pretending that Severus did not exist. It seemed that Dumbledore was in no hurry to say whatever he had to say, but it was not the same with Severus. He had enough things on his mind without Dumbledore turning up at his house. Severus decided that whatever he had to say, it had better be quick.



Severus cleared his throat. “I didn’t quite expect to see you here, Professor,” he mumbled, making a stab at conversation.



“Ah,” Dumbledore chuckled. “But I admit I have a weird habit of turning up at all places I’m unwelcome.” His tone did not suggest that Severus was being rude to his teacher, though the Headmaster’s deep blue eyes made him feel quite uncomfortable.



He shifted in his seat. “No offence-”



“None taken,” Dumbledore cut him off.



Severus rolled his eyes. He had meant to say, ‘No offence meant, but what are you doing here?’ but trust Dumbledore to think he was apologizing for his previous comment.



“Is there a reason you are here, Headmaster?”



“Yes, Severus,” Dumbledore’s blue eyes did not leave his former student’s face. “Can you explain why your house was in disarray when I arrived?”



Severus looked down, suddenly very interested in the floor rug. He responded to the floor, unable to meet the Headmaster’s face for fear of interpretation of his thoughts. “It’s the house of a nineteen-year-old boy, after all.” He tried to grin, but ended up scowling.



Dumbledore chuckled again. “But it’s not always like that, is it?”



“No.” Severus looked up to meet his former teacher eyes, and Dumbledore had no need for Legilimency to discover that he was heart-broken.



“Severus,” he said, gently. “I know it is hard on you-”



“No.”



“Listen to me, Severus-”



“I do not wish to discuss this.” He made his statement plain and clear, his voice full of hatred for the man in front of him, and the woman in his heart.



Silence fell. Though Severus had made it obvious that he did not desire company, Dumbledore did not give any sign of departure.



“Well, if you’ve got nothing more to say-” began an irritated Severus.



“I’m afraid that I have got something to say,” interrupted Dumbledore. Although his tone was plain, there was a certain power that radiated from him; Severus fell silent. He nodded weakly.



“It would have been good manners to attend their wedding.” Severus gave the Headmaster a look of disbelief. Here he was, forlorn, and the Headmaster was teaching him manners. He had had no intention at all to attend her wedding with the man he hated the most.



“I know it’s hard on you,” repeated Dumbledore. He paused as though afraid of being interrupted again. When Severus remained silent, he continued, “but she did not love you as more than a friend.”



“How do you know?” Severus’ voice was bitter, his face clouded.



Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes crinkled. The nerve of that man to laugh at me. “It’s my business to know,” he said simply.



“Why not have a drink?” proposed Dumbledore, withdrawing his wand from his pocket.



Severus gave no indication of having heard him, but Dumbledore seemed take it for a ‘yes’. He waved his wand, and a bottle of red wine along with two crystal goblets appeared. He poured the wine into the goblets, forced one into Severus’ hand, and took one for himself. Severus sipped the wine, and though it tasted delicious, he put the goblet down, as it contradicted his mood. If he had to taste something that was in accordance with his state of mind, it had to be vinegar.



“She’s happy now, Severus,” said Dumbledore, “and that ought to please you.”



Severus did not respond as he continued to survey the goblet in front of him. “She was upset that you did not turn up.”



Severus looked up, forgetting his temporary deafness. “You were there?”



“I could not attend the wedding for various reasons, but I was lucky enough to meet her after the wedding. The first thing that she asked me was why you had not turned up.”



Severus could not believe his ears. “She said that?”



“I suggest you meet her personally.”



“I won’t,” he replied firmly, a steely resolve glittering in his black eyes. But that won’t erase the place she holds in my heart, he added to himself.





*





A tiny tear escaped her eyes and rolled onto her cheeks. Clothed in robes of deep red that clashed with her hair, she sat, staring through the window. She was not exactly looking at anything, though. The sun outside, sinking into the horizon, cast a reddish tinge on the lawn, which appeared a hasty blur to her. Her eyes were fixed on the scenario outside, her mind fixed elsewhere...



Why didn’t he come? she asked herself repeatedly. He had, after all, promised he would come though he and the groom, now her husband, were bitter rivals.



“Lily?” called a distant voice. It sounded familiar. Quickly she raised her hand to her cheek and wiped away the stray tear, straightened her hair, and stood up when the door opened. “What are you doing here? James-” Rosina left her sentence hanging in mid-air, and stared at Lily, a puzzled expression on her face.



“Lily?” she repeated softly. “What’s the matter?”



“Nothing.”



“I know there’s something wrong,” Rosina whispered, moving closer to Lily and peering into her face. “What is it?”



“Leave me alone,” Lily turned back to stare at the window. She did not want anyone to see her in tears.



Rosina moved forward to the see the face of her friend. “Lily,” she whispered.



“What do you want?” Lily asked, sounding a bit harsher than she had intended to. Whatever it was, she wanted it to be over with soon.



Her friend’s eyebrows were raised, and she took her time to answer the query. “James was looking for you.”



“I trust James to find his way up here,” Lily countered. She knew she was being harsh to her friend, and she did not deserve it, but Rosina was the only conduit to let out her anger.



She looked at Lily, disbelief etched on her face.



“I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like talking to you now.” Another tear escaped her eyes, and she cursed herself under her breath.



She moved closer to Lily, and lifted her hand to wipe off the tears, but Lily caught her hand. “You don’t deserve this. I was just stupid to think that he would come.”



Rosina’s face was blank. “Who?”



“Severus,” she whispered. It took a lot of her self-control to prevent tears from rolling down her cheeks at the sound of his name.



Rosina did not flinch at the sound of his name but only stared. When she spoke, her words were weighed. “Maybe he had work to do. Merlin knows he’s busy these days.”



Lily was not fooled. “He could have still turned up if he wanted to.”



“Lily, we don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s rarely seen even at Order meetings,” Rosina tried desperately to console her friend.



“If you think I’m going to believe that, you’re crazy,” Lily stated.



“Really, Lily,” Rosina tried hard to keep her anger in control, her face was flushed, always a dangerous signal. “Severus had no intention of turning up.”



Lily looked up, meeting Rosina’s stare. “What?” she whispered, unable to comprehend her friend’s words.



“I thought you would be able to figure out that much. Severus was, or should I say, is in love with you.”



“I don’t think-”



“Lily, you act like a fool. And I know him-”



“I know him better than you do.” Lily’s face was flustered. She absolutely refused to believe that Severus was in love with her. A common interest in Potions had made them friends, and whenever he spoke to her, he had always sounded like a friend.



Rosina glanced at her watch. “I need to go. Remember Lily, you always have Severus.” And with that strange comment, she vanished with a twirl of her robes.



“Lily?” sounded a voice. And to her amazement, she recognised it as Rosina’s voice. She was confused when Rosina opened the door. “Lily, I’ve been looking for you all day,” she complained.



“All-all day?”



“Yes, all day. James asked me to...” But Lily did not hear anything more. Her mind was racing. If Rosina was just coming in, who had been here in Rosina’s guise? And suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place. Severus must have used the Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Rosina. He had come after all and kept up his promise. Yet, he had not revealed himself. And his parting comment made sense now. Remember Lily, you always have Severus.



“Have you seen Severus lately?”



Rosina rolled her eyes. “I told you, he won’t come. Listen, Lily,” she pleaded, as her friend showed every sign of interruption. “He’s always been jealous of James, and in the duel for you, James won... again. That’s why he’s sulking. He’ll come around.”



Lily huffed. “He’d better. Mind you, I’ll never forgive him for pulling off something like this.”



But what Lily did not know was Severus did not have any intention of speaking to her again. Love had cost her a friend, forever.