When Worlds Collide

Chapter Three: The sad

Severus Snape thought back on the last week. He'd been quick to distinguish the start of year enthusiasm in most of his students with his harsh tongue. The dismal repetition of the school year always put him in a foul mood when he had to re-enter it once more in September. Even confined to the dungeons, the farthest possible from any student mirth, Severus still felt bogged down by the cheerfulness of the school.

You chose this, Severus, he thought to himself. This was your escape plan.

It was true, he had absolutely no right to complain about his condition at Hogwarts. He had been the one seduced by Lord Voldemort's power, he was the one who came here for salvation when he couldn't take it anymore. Action precedes essense. This was his own doing.

Still...he could brood if he wanted to.

It was nine o'clock, saturday evening. Severus paced his room, despair licking at his heels. This was his ritual. Before he had a break down he would pace his room, thinking furiously of all his woes and then chastizing himself for even considering self-pity. After this came the drinking, which usually led to inebriation and, eventually, a comatose slumber. Severus was nearing the end of the pacing stage.

At the end of one long stalk across his room he came to stand before a tall wooden cabinet. He reached out his shaking hand and opened the door to the cabinet, pulling out a bottle of unidentifiable, yet clearly alcoholic liquid. Severus pulled out the stopper as he reclined into his chair before the fire. It was lively and leaping, yet never warming. Severus' chambers were permanently chilled.

With a shiver the professor took a swig of the liquor. It burned down his throat. Taking the bottle away from his mouth he lowered it to his lap and stared into the fire. What had become of him?

In school, during the first phase of his life at Hogwarts, Severus had never been popular. Potter and Black had unceasingly teased him, for no real reason. But the torture he had endured from his classmates was nothing to the torture he endured at home. Every single night Severus' father would abuse his mother and him. The bruises that he carried away from these beatings, however, were nothing to the emotional scars he still bore. Together with his abuse at home, and alienation at school, Severus became a dark, cynical man. However, despite his vile external character, somehow he'd gained the love of a woman.

Her name was Arienette. Severus met her at university, he attended Hawkwing's University of Alchemy after Hogwarts and had been apprenticed for two years before joining the Death Eaters. Arienette was bold and outspoken, traits that Severus looked to avoid in females. But she had won him over. They were partners in concocting some of the most advanced potions known to the wizarding world and when it came to potion-making, Arienette was a professional. She was goofy and carefree outside the classroom, but when it came down to work, she was completely focused. Severus' respect for her abilities grew into admiration and eventually he came to care for her.

For reasons still unknown to Severus, Arienette had taken an instant fancy to him. She strived for his affections throughout their first year at school, but it was not until they were appointed potions partners that Severus began to reciprocate her feelings. They fell in love and were in a relationship for six years before it went sour.

It was the year before Severus joined the Death Eaters that the relationship fell apart. He had expressed his wish to Arienette to join the rising dark wizard. Arienette had been disgusted. She had always known that Severus Snape was a bit of a sour wizard, but never had she thought that her love could join the ranks of that madman! Severus had assumed that showing Arienette his comittment to Voldemort's cause would prove his readiness to settledown and provide for her. How wrong he had been. She broke it off soon after his announcement.

Severus sat, in his room at Hogwarts, thinking about these deeds and the mistake he had made. He'd never get her back. She was lost to him.

The bottle was empty. He looked through its opening and felt the thing was mocking him silently. He threw it into the fire and clumsily left his room. Only slightly intoxicated, Severus was able to navigate the dungeons without much difficulty. After he had almost come upon two first years heading toward the Slytherin common room, he stuck to the shadows, fearful of coming into contact with the innocent students of Hogwarts.

Eventually Severus stopped his walking and remained standing in one spot for a very long time. It had been so long that the shadow he stood in now seemed eternal, he could not see anything beyond the darkness; he began to panic. It was a flash of white that brought him to his senses. He stared as Draco Malfoy made his way, fists clenched and jaw set, down the corridor and toward the stairwell that led to the rest of the castle.

Severus Snape contemplated the innocence of Hogwarts' students for a very long time after that, before slowly turning back to his chambers and opening up another bottle.

Chapter Four:

She hadn't even noticed that he was leaving until she felt a sudden sense of loss. Ginny, whose eyes had been content for the last few hours to look out at the changing night sky, now turned her face inward to look at the vacant space of air that Draco had inhabited only moments before. He was gone. She looked down the corridor and saw his receding form making its way back to the dungeons. She allowed herself to let out a surprisingly girlish sigh as she raised her right hand to touch the spot on her left shoulder where Draco's hand had rested. She thought about the feel of his lips barely grazing the top of her head. What had just happened?

Ginny was more confused than she had ever been in her life. Draco Malfoy did not comfort crying girls in dark hallways. And certainly not crying Weasley girls! How could Draco Malfoy, the same boy who had tormented Ginny and her brothers for years, be the person to fill the void in her chest that had been growing since her first year? All this confusion, all these questions, left Ginny feeling quite overwhelmed, and more than a little anxious to get to her next 7th year magical healing class.

Ginny Weasley was not much of a student. She struggled in potions and astronomy and only just got by in many of her other classes. It was not until the discovery of Ginny's talent in magical healing that she began to feel she had some purpose at Hogwarts. Ginny was so gifted in this subject that she had been promoted to a seventh year course.

Unfortunately for Ginny, she was in a Slytherin healing class. Draco Malfoy had been scathing in his insults of the youngest Weasley. He felt threatened by having the younger girl in his class, she supposed, because he kept his comments limited to insulting her abilities in other subjects.

Now, as she shakily stood and made her way up to Gryffindor tower, Ginny considered the night's events and couldn't wait for her next healing class. She figured that she would get some answers from Draco's behavior.

If he acts differently...I'll know to make something of this.

She hadn't realized how far she'd traveled during her contemplations until she found herself staring at an expectant, and rather irritable looking, fat lady. Ginny muttered the password and the portrait swung open, accompanied by the lady's cursing of student's out of bed at all hours of the night. She climbed through the portrait hole, and silently made her way up to bed.

She was asleep before her head touched the pillow.

Draco Malfoy and Ginny Weasley were not seen at breakfast on sunday morning. Ginny lay asleep, curled up in her bed in Gryffindor tower. Draco lay on his back with one hand under his head, fast asleep in his room in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Ginny's mind dwelled on stormy eyes, Draco's on a sea of red curls.

It wasn't until 11:30 that Ginny stirred from her sleep. She felt completely rested, and the weight that had been bogging her down all week seemed to have been lifted. She hopped out of bed, feeling carefree and grabbed some clothes to take with her to the shower. After she had cleaned up and dressed, Ginny headed down to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Ginny!" Hermione almost shouted when the redhead approached the Gryffindor table."I haven't seen you since you stormed out of the Great Hall last night! Why were you in such a hurry?"

"Oh...I er-well all your talk of homework and classes reminded me that I hadn't even started my own homework. So I hurried off to get some work done," Ginny replied lamely."You're such a good influence on me 'Mione..."

Hermione didn't quite buy the excuse and Ginny knew it, but was relieved to see that Hermione was letting the subject go.

"Well you missed a spirited Quidditch debate down in the common room. Oh and your brother received an advanced supply of the Twins' latest gag sweets. Trust me...you don't want to know."

Ginny had lost her friend somewhere between Quidditch debate and the Twins. It was at that point that a certain blonde Slytherin entered the Great Hall. Draco swept past the Gryffindor table to his own table and sat down between Crabbe and Goyle. His eyes scanned the lunch crowd until they came to rest on her. Completely indifferent. Ginny stared back at Draco and felt herself quail under his gaze. There was absolutely no emotion in his eyes at all; he just looked at her as if she were a piece of furniture.

No...don't. Don't, don't, don't. Go away you stupid-

Ginny attempted to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes. Finally she pointedly looked away from Draco and gave her attention back to Hermione.

It had been his decision, after examining in detail the events of the previous night, that he should simply act as if nothing had happened. Draco could not give a reasonable answer to himself as to why on Earth he had felt so compelled to comfort the Weasley girl. And he certainly could not explain the focus of his dreams after finally falling to sleep. He had spent an hour after awaking that afternoon deliberating as to what sort of actions to take. The news from his father was not absent in his decision-making. He still didn't feel right about that Arthur Weasley business, but he couldn't spurn his father, he still felt some loyalty to him. The best thing to do would be to remain as normal as possible. Getting involved with the girl now was a bad idea.

He convinced himself of all these things before entering the Hall for lunch, but when he saw Ginny's eyes fill up with tears at his harsh look, he knew that this would never work. He was furious that this mudblood enthusiast could have such a huge effect on him. He actually felt his heart wrenching when he thought of the pain he'd caused her. He couldn't allow himself to think of the ramifications of his father's actions. Oh God...

He was in trouble.