- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- Astronomy Tower
- Characters:
- Severus Snape
- Genres:
- Romance Drama
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Spoilers:
- Goblet of Fire
- Stats:
-
Published: 12/01/2002Updated: 12/01/2002Words: 18,303Chapters: 11Hits: 4,218
To Find Where We Belong
Wolfie Jinn
- Story Summary:
- The meeting of a Muggle and a Wizard with two similar temperaments and interests leads to an even more interesting romance. (prequel to You Belong to Me and Where You Belong - sense a theme yet?) - Set before and during The Goblet of Fire.
Chapter 04
- Posted:
- 12/01/2002
- Hits:
- 286
- Author's Note:
- I know nothing about chemistry or chemicals. Just take note of this now. If any reader does just hold your tongue. I wasn't interested enough to delve deeply into the subject. Science and math bore me to tears. Oh, and the British phone number and phone etiquette is a mystery to me (other than what shows up on BBC America's shows), as well as emergency and hospital stuff, so I improvised. I don't think I did *too* bad.
Part Four
Dear Severus,
Hope you are well. I wish I could say otherwise myself. The experiment failed so miserably that both Patrick and I were fired. I'm currently looking for more work, but have not much hope of it. I have a teaching certificate and am considering teaching secondary, though it's been sometime since I've done so. I have an interview with a school in West London but I'm thinking of taking cue from you and teaching at a private school. What do you think?
I hope you don't think me forward writing to you like this. I know we exchanged addresses and spent a lovely evening together, but as I hadn't heard from you since, I thought perhaps it was merely a fling or something. At the risk of sounding naive, I want to tell you that to me it was not and I'd be very flattered if you would consider a correspondance with me and perhaps meet up again one weekend afternoon when you can?
Sincerely,
Clara MacKenzie
Clara,
My apologies for not writing sooner. The school year has started out with my school hosting a special international event and I've had to help in its final organizational stages. Security for this event is tight due to the nature of some of the people involved. Plus my new crop of students seem to be denser than normal, if you'll forgive my moment of cynicism. I've had little personal time until the past two days.
I am, however, relieved that you have written me and I am sorry about your loss of position. I do, though, believe you would make an excellent teacher and suggest you pursue that course if it interests you. As you know, it is not an easy profession but it has its rewards when a student finally gets the point of a lesson. (I seem to get fewer and fewer of those moments it seems.)
I do not think you are forward at all. In fact, allow me to ask if you are free two Saturdays from now. I will in London to pick up special supplies and will be staying the weekend. Would you care to, as my students say, hang out that afternoon? Please let me know by return post.
Yrs.
Severus Snape
Severus,
Meet me at the cafe across from the inn you stayed at that Saturday morning at ten. I have an interview the Friday before, which I hope will go well, at a small girls finishing school just a few miles north of London. Wish me luck!
I am relieved that you did not think I was being pushy when I asked if you were, well, still interested in me. While my friends assure me there is nothing wrong with me, I know that many people only see my limp. It's a relief that you are not one of those people.
My mother and father came to visit shortly after I was terminated from August Chemco and found your address. I was using it as a bookmark in a novel. :) Needless to say, I had to make some fast answers to some nosy questions. I hope you do not mind that I referred to you as a very good friend?
Sincerely,
Clara "Severus?" He looked up to see Professor Minerva McGonagall frowning at him. "The meeting is getting ready to start."
"Of course, coming, Minerva," he said, hastily shoving Clara's letter into his robes. McGonagall eyed his pocket suspiciously but refrained from comment. As they walked down the corridor toward the staffroom where the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was having a staff meeting concerning the upcoming Tri-Wizard Tournament, he casually asked, "Minerva, do you know if any of your students would be open to having questions concerning Muggle life asked of them by me?"
McGonagall gaped at him in shock a moment and then shrugged. "Perhaps Miss Granger. She comes from well-heeled parents. They are dentists, you know." Severus was surprised at this news, one would think dentists would have better care of their daughter's rabbit-like features. "She is no doubt well-versed in aspects of Muggle life."
He cleared his throat, unaccountably nervous despite himself. If he wasn't so curious to know what those two dots and closing parentheses meant, he'd drop the subject altogether. "Well, perhaps Miss Granger might not be the best. Anyone else?"
McGonagall stopped a few feet from the staffroom door and glared at him. "What is this about, Severus?" she demanded imperiously.
Much to his disgust and mortification, Severus blushed bright red. "I have a Muggle friend," he muttered softly. "There's a strange mark in the letter and I cannot fathom it's meaning. I'm sure its some Muggle thing but can't figure it out."
McGonagall's eyes gleamed merrily at him. "May I see the letter?" she asked eagerly.
"No," he snapped defensively, "but perhaps you'll know the symbol if I showed it to you?"
McGonagall considered him a moment and then grinned teasingly. "Why certainly, Severus!"
They went into the staffroom and Severus walked over to the small chalk board at the front of the room. The other teachers who had already assembled watched with interest as Severus drew the two dots and parentheses as he'd seen in Clara's letter. "Now," he groused at McGonagall who was staring at the symbol blankly, "can you tell me what that means?"
McGonagall stared at it as if it were the sign of the devil. "Well, er, no -" she started to say.
"I can, Professor Snape!" squeaked the pygmy-sized Charms professor, Flitwick. Snape turned eagerly to him. "It's a happy face turned side-ways. My sister married a Muggle who uses computers. He sends letters on it all the time and that's one of the symbols he uses to show he's smiling, laughing or joking to one of his correspondants. Fascinating thing, these computers. They play games on them, as well as ...." Flitwick continued talking but Severus tuned him out. He'd gotten his answer.
He also ignored McGonagall's thoughtful looks throughout the meeting.
September 2
September 4
September 12
Severus stared at the letter and grinned to himself. He rather liked the last line though for the life of him he couldn't say why. The two dots and the parentheses bothered him though. He knew it meant something but had no clue what.