ellipsical

Heh. My beta said that she wasn't imagining that I'd come up with this, but that she liked it a bit. And I actually enjoyed writing the dialogue for a change. Weird.

The downside - I've promised Rekka, sort of, to do a certain type of fic. Guess which kind. Oi!

Title: Not You
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I am SO broke, man! These characters aren't mine
Summary: Snape hears a heartfelt-plea
A/N: My Latin sucks, and I'm blanking on certain spells. Please point out if there's a better one I should have used.




“Go. I’ve not had the opportunity to test my new wand as yet, and I don’t believe it will do either of us much good if the first spell I cast with it were to be an Unforgivable.”

“But, sir –”

“Enough! You will leave my chambers now – with your pants on, if you please . . .”

“You’ve not even listened to me –”

“On the contrary, I think I’ve heard – and seen – quite enough. And, to be quite frank, I’ve not been overly impressed by the quality of your . . . arguments.”

“I love you! Don’t you understand that, you great, greasy bat?! I love you! I’ve gotten the nerve and the opportunity to say it and now you want to toss me out on my arse!”

“Flattery and tears will get you nowhere.”

“. . . Why are you being so cruel? I saw you on the battlefield – you were kind to me. We fought side-by-side, for Merlin’s sake! You saved my life –”

“It was my duty. The headmaster made my orders clear, and I followed them.”

“Did the headmaster tell you to cover my body with yours when the main Deatheater force swarmed our army? Did he tell you to help me off the battlefield when I was hurt? Did he order you to sit by my side until the mediwizards arrived to bind up my arm?”

“Albus impressed upon us all the desire to avoid needless bloodshed. I was near and you were injured. There is no more to my actions than that, I assure you.”

“Is it that you feel I’m too young? I’m of age, you know. Have been for awhile. I’m even a pretty bloody good wizard.”

“Of that I am all too aware.”

“Alright then, it’s not that I don’t know I’m not the sexiest bloke ever – not even the sexiest here in Hogwarts – but it’s not as if I’m completely hideous. Am I?”

“. . . You are not at all what I would consider 'hideous.' No.”

“Well, then, why not you and I? We’re both alone now, you know. We can care for one another –”

“You are not alone. You’ve your family still –”

“If you’re referring to Ron and Hermione, they’ve made it clear that they are living their own lives now. They’d rather me stay away . . . It seems as if everyone feels that way, even here. Dumbledore only took me on because he felt sorry for the way things turned out in the Final Battle. I know enough about Muggles, I suppose, but I’m sure he could have hired anyone to teach Muggle Studies. Only you are civil to me . . . you alone treat me as a colleague and as a man and as a capable wizard and as someone whose past consists more of his bloody dead parents and his bloody last name. Severus, please . . . please, just give me a chance! I’ll do anything.”

“You must go. Now. I do not wish to involve Albus in this – you could be sacked, you know, for tampering with my wards and traipsing amongst my things . . . wanking on my bloody bedcovers!”

“At least tell me why. If you don’t find me repugnant, and you respect me . . . then why not? I don’t feel as if you hate me . . .”

“I do not. Nor does anyone else, I would warrant, if you cared enough to assert yourself and try to speak with them.”

“You hardly talk to anyone except the headmaster.”

“That is different. My colleagues know me well enough to understand that my indifference is a sign of respect.”

“Oh. I can understand that, actually.”

“And if I respect you, it is because I feel you worthy of it, as both a peer and as an intelligent young man. Perhaps I was mistaken in my assessment of you?”

“No!"

“You are also wrong in one other respect – I am not alone. There is . . . someone.”

“Someone? A lover, you mean?”

“That would be correct.”

“. . . I . . . really? You . . . do I know . . . no, wait. Don’t answer that.”

“I was not planning to.”

“Serious, is it?”

“Quite.”

“I . . . see. Well. I . . . I . . . I am glad for you, Severus. I do care for you, and I’m in your debt for saving my life. Er . . . is he . . . well, he’s a wizard, I suppose?”

“Yes . . .”

“He fought in the Final Battle, then? And he survived?”

“Yes . . .”

“Is he your age? Was he in the Order?”

“N- . . . That, I believe, is none of your concern!”

“I suppose not. He . . . makes you happy?”

“Indeed.”

“Oh.”

“Indeed.”

“. . . You’re serious about this, aren’t you? You’re not just saying this to ease me off, let me down gently?”

“After the sheer cheek you’ve exhibited today, I’ve no reason to make anything easy for you, I believe we can both agree. But, if it pleases you, I swear on my wand that I am in earnest.”

“I . . . see.”

“Hmm.”

“I . . . suppose then I’d better get dressed. It wouldn’t do for him to, er, floo in and see you, and see me . . . right. I’ll just get my pants on, then?”

“An excellent suggestion.”

“I don’t know what I was about, coming here. I’m sorry to have made you uncomfortable. I thought . . . oh, bugger what I thought. I feel a proper fool.”

“As you should – for indulging in reckless, self-effacing, needless pitymongering. You’re young, rather intelligent, brave, or I am much mistaken . . . and decidedly not repulsive. You needn’t be alone unless you wish it . . . so if you are, then there is no one to blame but yourself.”

“I . . . maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve spent much too much time assuming that everyone still despises me for what I’ve done in the past. Maybe some of them do, but . . . I’ve let my fear of being rejected out of hand isolate me, I think.”

“Indeed.”

“I . . . Merlin. I’m such a bleeding fool. Thank you, Severus. That was . . . thank you. Er, my glasses . . . ah! There they are. Thank you. I feel – strangely enough – loads better now, and I’ve not even had a proper wank – er, sorry. Mind, I still wouldn’t mind a romp with you, and if you and your bloke don’t work out, perhaps –”

“The door, Mr. Weasley, is that way. Please do not make it necessary for me to cast you out of it.”

“Right. I’m going . . . thank you again, Professor. I . . . well, I’ll see you in the Great Hall at dinner?”

“You will, at that. Good day, Percy.”

“Good day, Severus.”

**

“So . . . we’re "serious," eh? I guess I really did hear you say ‘I love you’ the other night.”

“For the love of . . .! Oh, for Merlin’s sake, you and that infernal cloak! How long have you been skulking about over there?”

“Long enough. I came in after my sixth-year DADA class. I wanted to give you a lovely surprise, but Percy got in ahead of me. I would have tried to talk to him, but then I would have had to explain why I was here. I thought maybe he wanted to return a book . . . When he started wanking, I thought I’d choke from trying not to let him hear me laugh!”

“Remind me to cast a thorough cleansing charm on the bedcovers.”

“You were brilliant with him, you know. Ron tried to mend things with him at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley’s funeral, but he said Percy wouldn’t even look at him. We all knew he hadn't gotten over the death of the twins and Ginny, but I don’t think any of us knew he was still feeling this depressed. ”

“Yes . . . depressed enough to want to jump into bed with his former potions professor. Alert the asylum at St. Mungo’s to make up another bed.”

“Don’t be a git. All I’m saying is that we all thought when Percy came to work here, he was feeing a bit better, but obviously he wasn’t. I do have to admire his, uhm, ingenuity, though. I wasn’t much more subtle or inventive in trying to get into your trousers.”

“As I recall, I wasn’t wearing trousers, or anything at all, at the moment you decided to pounce on me. I . . . don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked Auror Tonks for missing her target with that dissolvere charm.”

“I did. I’m still sending her flowers. . . . So . . . you weren’t tempted then to just give Perce a shag to shut him up about it? He’s still a bit of a tosser, but it’s not as if Percy’s a bad-looking bloke – as you yourself pointed out.”

“You'd do well to wipe that smirk off your face, Mr. Potter. His so-called ardor for me is merely a wish to find another mentor. He has lost Fudge and he has lost his father. Dumbledore is kind to him, but there is no real warmth on either of their parts. Mr. Weasley simply desired me to fill the void.”

“I never thought of it that way.”

“Also, I don’t fancy freckles.”

“Ah.”

“And I’ve my hands full enough with one infuriating prat of a Gryffindor – I don’t desire another.”

“Mmm.”

“And . . . ahem . . . you did hear me correctly the other night . . .”

“I did?”

“Indeed.”

“. . . Oh. I love you, too, you know. You did know, right?”

“ . . . Ah, of course. But it is rather gratifying to hear you say it without fearing that you are simply parroting something you heard through a veil of slumber . . .”

“I’ll make sure to say it more often, then. . . . You know, Percy will go mad thinking about who your bloke might be. Right now, he’s probably going through the wizarding registry trying to figure out who it is.”

“Well, if it will keep himself and his bits out of my bed, then I don’t begrudge him his hobby.”

“You’re really an amazing, caring man, Severus Snape.”

“And you and that blasted cloak were just leaving, I believe, Professor Potter.”

“I have a better idea. Dissolvere!”

“. . . Was that really necessary?”

“Hm, well, you tell me, Severus, in another hour or two . . .”

end