Sweet misunderstandings, pt I
"For Merlin's sake, why is she taking so long?" He sighs through gritted teeth. It had been five whole hours waiting for her to arrive. He let the note slip through the door of her chambers. He didn't dare ask her in person, but he couldn't have mistaken the signs.
"I'm telling Lucius to stick his signs in a dragon's ass," he thought.
It was a Christmas party at the ministry a couple of weeks prior, and the American delegation was invited as a special guest, and with them, her, the American witch who hunted his mind. A short presentation first about the security of muggles and wizards alike after Voldemort's demise. She was one of the speakers. Of course she was. She used to work in some kind of special division in the auror department at MACUSA. He didn't ask for details. She herself wasn't one to snoop on his business and history, and he respected her for that and applied the same treatment to her. But the question of why she agreed to teach muggle studies across the ocean lingered in his mind.
They talked, but not too much, just the usual back and forth remarks that made his mind race and his heart full. Her mind with one thousand and one replies for every remark of his, her bouncing hair, her curves, her smile...
"You've been staring at her all night, Snape."
"Malfoy."
"Mind if you share it with the class?"
"Yes!" responded Snape with a venomous tone.
"You know? She's been eyeing you too. " escaped from Lucius' lips as he lifted his eyebrow, carefully searching Severus' face for some kind of reaction.
"Of course she does, she has eyes, you eye people with them, and she happened to exchange a couple of words with me about work."
"Is it work that they call it these days?"
"Just cut to the point, Lucius!" It sounded more like a hiss than articulate speech.
"It's visible from the astronomy tower that she fancies, and you obviously have for her more than collegial thoughts."
Severus rolls his eyes and side glances at Lucius.
"I'm just saying there are visible signs. I might have last dated like 15 years ago, but I had my fair share of romantic encounters to guarantee you a 100% chance of success if you ask her out."
And so he did. He left her a note this afternoon asking for her presence in his quarters at 7.30pm and it was almost ten minutes past twelve in the morning and not even an owl's feather was seen carrying her rejection or at least her excuses.
There were noises in the corridor coming from the depths of the dungeon. Footsteps. It must be that Potter boy. Ever since he started going to Hogwarts, merely a semester ago, he had been following his father's path precisely.
He left his rooms with the wand pointed forward.
"Lumos!" A pair of voices resounded in the corridor.
"Severus!"
"Ana!"
"So now it's Ana, huh?" hurt noticeably in her voice as she kept her tears from falling. "I wait for you, like one of your teenage dunderheads that you teach, thinking that maybe he's in the forest or the greenhouses since you weren't at dinner. It's not the first time he goes there to restock his supplies." I was worried sick that maybe he had an accident and was in the hospital ward when I saw how late it got. But no, he was in his rooms, lounging, of course, and not giving a damn that I was waiting in his office making a fool of myself and going out of my mind as the time went on. "
"My office? I made it clear in the note I left you."
"Note?" she interrupted.
"Yes, a note, Ana.."
"It's Anastasia for you."
"Since when?"
"Since you decided to make fun of me." A small pale tear was now making its way down her right cheek, visible in the glow of both their wands.
If you let me explain it, Anastasia, maybe it wouldn't seem like I'm making fun of you. I was just.. "he gestures towards his semi-closed door through which she caught a glimpse of a table with what looked like a bottle of wine, a pair of wine glasses, and some plates that might contain anything as far as you were concerned."
"You were waiting for someone... I'm sorry. "
"What are you sorry about, you're.."
"Does she look pretty?" He was getting mad at her constant interruptions, but he felt himself crumble seeing her so devastated. What in Merlin's name was going on in that mind of hers? "Do I know her?"
"Yes, to both". And at this point, he figured out what all the fuss was about while a huge grin settled on his face.
"May I ask who she is?". The last word was barely spoken, and while his grin remained, concern now made its way into his eyes.
"You really have no idea, do you?"
"Would I be asking you just for the sake of conversation?"
"I was waiting for you, Ana." He wanted to make sure she understood how serious all this was for him.
"Very funny!"
"Believe it or not, this is the truth. Now it's your turn. What were you doing in my office? "
"Collecting flies and contemplating suicide... I was waiting for you, of course," she said, giving him the smallest hint of a smile.
"So it looks like we were engaged in a similar activity of sorts. So.. "
"I want to tell you something," the sound of their conjoined voices.
"At three?" He nodded in agreement with her question.
"1..." , "...2"
"...3 Ilikeyou!" they both exhaled at the same time.