My Last Breath

Chapter One

The 'Hex'

Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was
I love you and I'm not afraid

Can you hear me?
Can you feel me in your arms

Holding my last breath?
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you

Sweet rapture and life,
It ends here tonight.

I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest
Hiding in a hollow tree

I know you hear me,
I can taste it in your tears.

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you.

Sweet rapture and life,
It ends here tonight.

Closing your eyes
You pray your dreams will leave you here,
But still you wake and know the truth -
No one's there.

Say goodnight, don't be afraid
Calling me, holding me, as you fade to black.

Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are my thoughts of you
Sweet rapture and life,
It ends here tonight.

Bustling around the Transfiguration classroom, being the normal busybody she was, Professor Minerva McGonagall was startled to find she had company. She looked up at none other than Severus Snape, who was glaring at her menacingly.

"I do believe this belongs to you."

He was directing a 15 year old boy by the shoulder. The scrawny, raven-haired young boy winced at the hand. Minerva noted this, and groaned inwardly. What did he do now?

"Severus, what has Mr. Potter done now?"

She watched Snape tighten his hold on the teenager, and she felt the boy was about to blow.

"Nevermind, I'll handle him."

The Potions Professor released the boy, rather reluctantly.

"I feel it's fit that I stay, to evaluate his punishment."

She rolled her eyes. Not arguing, she had Potter explain to her what had happened. Apparently, he had been caught, wandering around in the halls with his wand pointed at everything that rounded a corner. He explained that Draco Malfoy had told him to meet him there and never showed up. She shot a glance at Severus.

"I do believe this also calls for a punishment on Draco'spart as well. He got Mr. Potter into this mess."

Snape rolled his eyes, and nodded.clean

"I'll dock 10 points from the house. Now, about Mr. Potter...?"

She thought about this for a moment.

"How about 20 points and a detention? Sounds fair."

He didn't nod, but he pushed Potter out, with a demand to go back to his dorm. He'd get his punishment in the morning. He sat down, and glared.

"I don't find it fair."

She sighed, and her mind went back to work.

"Fine. How about 20 points,and a Potions assignment? Anything could be better than that."

Snape smirked. Minerva might be a softie, but he liked how her mind worked. She got up for a second, and went to her cabinet. She drew out a bottle of sherry, and poured herself a glass. She glanced at the professor behind her.

"Want some? I recently found it when I was cleaning things out yesterday. A student gave it to me, a thank you present."

She waited for a reply, and got one rather quickly. She poured another glass, and gave it him. She sat down, and took a sip.

"So, about that punishment. Any good this time?"

"Professor, I like the way your mind works. Perfect."

She smiled, a rarity for her. She took another sip, and watched the potions professor. He looked up.

"This is quite good. Who got this for you, I'm sure I'd remember him or her."

"Her. Jennifer Herd. She was the brightest student I've ever had, but Miss. Granger is certainly rivaling that."

He nodded, and took another sip.

"Well, I'm glad you decided to share it with me." That surprised her. He surprised himself. He shrugged, and finished up. By this time, Minerva had relaxed and sat back. She reached back, and pulled the holder she used for the bun, and shook her hair loose. Severus watched.

Hermione Granger came flying at the two teenage boys, who were skimming over each other's homework. Hermione looked down approvingly, and she sat down. She looked like she had something good on her hands.

"Did you see Professor McGonagall today? She let her hair down!"

Ron nodded absentmindedly, and went back to correcting something.

"She looks quite pretty, to tell you the truth."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No common sense. She looks much better with it down."

"Would you two please shut up? I'm trying to correct this damn thing, but I can't read Ron's handwriting. It's giving me a headache" Harry'ssharp reply startled the two 5^th years, but nevertheless, shut them up.

Later that day, as they were heading from Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione came running up again.

"Something's up, Professor McGonagall wasn't her normal, stern self today."

Before Harry could reply, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, and a hand flew to her mouth. Harry and Ron stopped, and looked at her, alarmed.

"Hermione...? What the hell has gotten int--"

They stopped, once they caught was Hermione was staring at. Snape. A rather clean Snape, for that matter. They entered cautiously, and sat down. His appearance was different, and his nasty demeanor towards the Gryffindors was gone. Neville got through a class without melting something or hurting someone. This seemed to amuse Ron.

" I thought he got laid or something last night!"

That earned him a smack upside the head from Hermione, and a stifled laugh from Harry.

As they were leaving, Harry was thinking things over. Who else was behaving differently today? His eyes widened.

"Guys, I'm wondering if the teachers were hexed or something...?"

Hermione squeaked, and her eyes grew wide with realization. She wheeled.

"We have to go see Dumbledore. Now."

Harry groaned, and pounded the nearest wall.

"I can't! I have a detention with Snape! Tell me what happens!"

He rushed off in the direction that he came in, cursing at himself. If he was late, he was dead. He glanced at his watch. Fuck, 5 minutes late. He ran into the potions room, panting hard. He looked up, and was met with the eyes of Snape. He winced.

"Get to work on the assignment."

Taken aback, he glanced at him. Was he feeling okay? Something was up.

"Yes, sir. I'll get on it."

He began assembling things, and his potions professor stood. He had a look of urgency on his face, and he glanced to Harry.

"I'll be back."

Severus Snape was stalking towards the Transfiguration classroom. He noticed that, all day, he hadn't felt as miserable and angry. Quite on the contrary. He had been feeling better about everything. Actually, he had been feeling rather good since he saw Minerva the other day. That's when it had hit him: the old bitch had hexed him. He knocked on the door, to find a very red eyed Transfiguration professor looking at him. He noticed her hair down, and started to think she looked mighty pretty like that. With a shake of his head, he got down to business.

"Why the hell did you hex me?"

She sat down.

"Me? Hex you? Why in Merlin's name would I do that?"

"Because you despise me?"

"And? That gives me no real reason to hex you. I'm a respected person, Severus, I don't know why you'd accuse me of such a thing!"

Her shoulders were shaking again, and Snape immediately felt ashamed and stupid. He got up, and pulled the woman to her feet. Her blue eyes gazed into the black ones of the Potions professor, and when he pulled her into an embrace, she didn't pull back.

[A/N] Well, there you go. The whole hexed thing came from the story I mentioned in the Authors Update. I had nothing better,I'm an uncreative retard, LOL. If she minds, she can contact me, and I will promptly remove it and try again. JKR characters do not belong to me, and the Evanescence song you will see at the beginning of each chapter is My Last Breath, hence the title. That'll all become clear near the end.