Chapter 23: An Ode to Despair

Head Girl Room, Hogwarts...

Hermione Granger had been lying in bed for hour clutching the potions book Sebastian gave her tightly to her chest as the tears continued to fall onto her pillow. She had missed the raven haired wizard so much that crying seemed to be the only way to ease the pain. She had not left her room the entire weekend, not even to venture into the library that she loved so much. Ginny, Harry, and Ron had been worried about her. All three of them had been utterly shocked when even Draco Malfoy asked about her. It had been Monday morning and classes would start soon. Hermione knew she had to get up and start putting the pieces back together of what was her life.

"You really miss him." said Ginny stating the obvious.

Hermione nodded wiping even more tears from her eyes.

Ginny sighed.

"I guess I miss him too." she said. "He was a fun bloke to be around from time to time."

Hermione tried to smile but it came out weak.

Ginny looked over the sad state that had been her best friend.

"You know I don't believe he would want you to sit here crying like this." she said trying to be helpful.

Hermione shook her head.

"No." she replied softly. "He wouldn't."

Ginny sat down on her own bed as Hermione sat up in hers.

"What would he say if he saw you like this?" asked Ginny.

Hermione thought for a moment, considered Sebastian's personality and then replied.

"He'd say that I was being a rather insufferable and foolish Gryffindor for spending my days crying about a situation that is out of my hands." she replied. "He'd also mock me to no end about the counter-productivity of this method and suggest that I try a new approach."

Ginny laughed.

"Yep that sounds about right." she replied. "Slytherin to the core."

Hermione smiled at her friend understanding now what she had been trying to do.

"Yes." she said thinking of Sebastian affectionately. "Yes he is."

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The Great Hall, Hogwarts...

Harry had been staring at his plate for what seemed like hours. He had not had much of an appetite as of late. Given all that had happened no one could really blame him. He had been carrying the weight of a secret that he couldn't even reveal to the two people that it effected. Seeing Hermione's sadness had only made it worse for him. Ron had been watching Harry for quite a while. It was easy to see that Sebastian's absence had effected him as well. The red head wizard had not been himself much either.

"Y-You think he's alright?" asked Neville looking up from his own plate.

His dark eyes had been marred by sadness. It was clear to see that he missed Sebastian as well.

"H-He's fine." said Harry not looking up from his plate.

"How do you know?" asked Neville. "Have you talked to him?"

"N-No." replied Harry still not meeting his eyes. "I-I just know."

Neville nodded and went back to his meal without another word.

"You've been awful quite lately mate." said Ron.

"I just didn't feel like talking." replied Harry evenly.

"Kind of like Mione doesn't feel like doing much of anything." said Ron.

Harry pushed more food around on his plate.

"I've never seen her like this." continued Ron. "D-Do you reckon she really loved that bloke Sebastian?"

Harry's cheeks flushed and he did not meet Ron's eyes.

"I-I don't want to talk about this." said Harry.

All talk seemed to cease once Hermione Granger entered the hall with Ginny Weasley.

She had looked a little like her usual self with just a hint of sadness behind her amber eyes. The Gryffindor witch took her seat between Harry and Ron. The ring Sebastian had left for her had been on her finger. She took a moment to look over at the Slytherin table where Sebastian had usually been seated.

"He's not here." said Harry.

Hermione turned to look at him.

"I know." she replied.

"I'm sorry." said Harry.

"It's not your fault." replied Hermione.

The green eyed wizard looked back down at his plate.

Draco Malfoy had given Hermione a half smiled when she glanced in his direction. She returned it just the same and began eating her breakfast. Ron nodded in Draco's direction and the Slytherin acknowledged him as well. Harry did not meet Draco's gaze but instead shifted his eyes toward the staff table.

"Still looking for Professor Snape?" asked Hermione.

Harry nodded confirming her question although she had known the real reason why.

"He's here." replied Harry. "Just not at breakfast."

"How do you know?" asked Ginny.

Harry sighed.

"I just know." replied Harry.

From the staff table Dumbledore had been observing them. He noted how sad Draco and the other appeared when they arrived and they all seemed to have little to no appetite, even Ron Weasley had a hard time putting away his breakfast. The Headmaster's blue eyes had been gleaming when Harry Potter looked up at the staff table where Professor Snape usually sat. It had been just as empty as the seat formerly occupied by Mr. Prince at the Slytherin table.

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Transfiguration Classroom, Hogwarts...

Professor McGonagall found herself staring at the empty seat where Sebastian once sat in her class. It had been the last place the young Slytherin occupied since his departure. None of the other students wanted to sit in the seat with the rumors going around that Sebastian had used dark magic. Draco had been just fine with that. He had not wanted anyone to have Sebastian's seat to begin with. The Transfigurations Professor had seen quite a few changes in the students closest to Sebastian Prince as of late. Ron had spent more time working than he had staring into space. Harry never wanted to meet her eyes during lecture, busily scribbling notes. Hermione had not been as vocal about her knowledge or as grand in her display of it. She simply said the correct answer and went back to working glancing at Sebastian's chair from time to time.

Professor McGonagall had noticed the ring she wore on her finger. It had been similar to the one Sebastian had worn since his birthday. Ginny had been more quiet as usual. Pansy and Draco actually seemed to pay attention in class and had been making stellar marks so far. The mood of the class had been so somber that the professor occasionally had to look up from her own work to make sure that this was not the result of some elaborate prank. When nothing happened she had no idea of wither to be contented or unnerved by this.

It was as if some of the students had lost some of their flare, especially Hermione and Draco. The resident class clown and the know-it-all had clearly not been at their best and Mr. Prince's absence had effected them both greatly. Poor Harry couldn't seem to concentrate with all of his emotions bottled up at once. He had been bound by oath not to reveal the truth to anyone and it clearly wasn't sitting well with the young wizard.

Transfigurations class ended on a rather somber note.

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The Corridors, Hogwarts...

Black robes billowed like unfurled clouds as a lean pale wizard draped in all black attire made his way down the long hall. His lank raven hair rose and fell and fell against his surprisingly broad shoulders. There was a look of utter fury behind his obsidian eyes. The expression on his sallow pale face had been a blank mask as he continued toward his destination in long brisk strides. He had been so lost in trying to restrain his fury that he had not seen when a student crossed his path with her bushy sandy brown hair buried within the pages of a book. In an instant they collided with her crashing to the floor with her book in tow.

"Why don't you watch where you are going!" said the irate pale wizard.

The bushy haired witch scrambled to her feet.

"I'm sorry..." she said collecting her book. "I didn't mean to..."

Amber eyes met obsidian and a look of shock spread across the young witch's face.

"P-Professor Snape." she gasped unable to take her eyes off him.

Professor Severus Snape glared down at the amber eyed bushy haired witch.

"Miss Granger." he said not at all hiding the disdain in his tone. "Why am I not surprised?"

Hermione collected herself and tried not to stare at the pale wizard. He had looked so much like Sebastian it was hard for her not to. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on something else to keep the tears from falling that collected in the corners of her eyes.

"I-I said I was sorry, Professor Snape." she replied evenly.

"Gryffindors." muttered Snape still given to relative annoyance.

Hermione had felt the rage swell in her chest at this remark. For some reason he had really gotten under her skin.

"I've already apologized Professor, there was no need to be rude." she said matter-of-factly.

Snape glared at the young witch. He had already been in a black mood to start with and now this know-it-all Gryffindor chit was giving him cheek. A low growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he towered over the young witch.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" he said irate.

Hermione couldn't believe any of this was happening.

"What for?" she asked outraged.

"For not looking where you are going in the corridors." replied Snape bitterly.

Before Hermione could say anything else the dour Potions Professor had swiftly continued on where he had been going leaving only a the trail of his billowing robes behind.

"Slytherin Git." said Hermione in a bitter tone of her own.

She had never spoken about a professor before in that manner. When it came to defending the actions of the man during the war with Voldemort she had been one of the firsts to reason that his behavior was because of his role as a spy. Now there was no excuse. Having finally come to the same conclusion about The Potions Master's behavior as everyone else she simply classified him as nothing more than a git.

Hermione made her way toward Gryffindor tower. If there was ever a moment where she really missed Sebastian this had been it. She looked down at her book feeling the worn green cover with her finger tips the title had been The Complete History of Potions, By Dorian Ranclodd.

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The Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts...

Severus Snape's mood had only gotten worse when he arrived at The Headmaster's office. The scent of lemon had been unnerving as the pale wizard made his way inside. Dumbledore had been sitting at his desk with an eerily pleasant smile on his face and that unnerving twinkle behind his blue eyes. Snape had not liked dealing with The Headmaster much since the war had ended. He had been completely happy to go on about his day without being summoned before the old wizard.

"You asked for me, Headmaster?" he asked in a emotionless tone.

"Ah...Severus." said Dumbledore pleasantly. "Come my boy...join me for a moment."

Snape suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He hated when the Headmaster called him his "boy". The man had not paid one iota of attention when he was a student nor did he bother with him when Sirius Black tried to get him killed by the werewolf Lupin. The Potions Master chose to ignore his rage for the moment and made his way over to a walk. He leaned against it and folded his arms across his lean chest.

"What's the point of this?" he asked not hiding his annoyance in the least.

"I simply wanted to know how you were feeling, Severus." said Dumbledore eyeing him with a good deal of concern and focus.

"I'm fine." replied Snape clearly annoyed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?...first Poppy...then Minerva...after she gave me a what I could swear was a dirty look...even Potter kept staring at me this morning...and now you."

Dumbledore simply smiled at him. His usual unnerving smile that offered warmness to fools and made the weary unnerved once he'd flashed it.

"Did you manage to locate LeStrange at least?" he asked changing the subject.

"No." replied Snape a bit flustered. "Although I have no doubt that the slippery bastard is lying in wait."

Dumbledore nodded at this news figuring along similar lines.

Snape had suddenly thought of something.

"Do you have any idea why Lucius thought it best to keep me prisoner in The Shrieking Shack when he could have simply taken me to Poppy?" he asked with an arched brow.

Dumbledore looked at him confused.

"The Shrieking Shack?" he asked almost in disbelief.

"Don't play daft with me old man." replied Snape. "I remember trying to save that idiot from his own stupidity and the next thing I knew I awoke in The Shrieking Shack after what seemed like months."

"I can't imagine why that is Severus." replied Dumbledore evenly. "Perhaps, you should speak with Lucius on this matter."

Snape watched The Headmaster intently. He had not believed for one second that the old man was innocent in all of this. If it had been anyone else he would have entered their mind and rooted around until he found out the truth, but Dumbledore was quite powerful when it came to mind magic and the Potions Master had no real interest in being bombarded with his eccentric defense mechanisms.

"Anything else?" he asked in a bored tone.

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Nothing that I can think of." he replied in a pleasant tone.

Snape had been more than happy to get out of the office. He had made it a point to avoid the place since his days as Headmaster of Hogwarts. He had been more miserable than when he had been a teenager in this place. Of course having teacher and students rebel and complain twenty four hours a day and the dark lord breathing down his neck didn't help matters.

"One more thing, Severus." called Dumbledore as Snape took one step out of it.

"Yes?" he asked in an annoyed manner turning his attention back to the older wizard.

"Welcome back." replied Dumbledore still in the same pleasant manner.

Snape nodded stiffly and continued out of the door. The Headmaster watched him disappear behind the large wood door and smiled to himself. The twinkle still in his blue eyes.

"Well Fawkes, It seems our Potions Master has truly returned." he said pleasantly.

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Head Girl Room, Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts...

Ginny Weasley had been treated to yet another melt down from none other than Hermione Granger. The red head witch watched as her friend stormed into their room, slammed the door, and threw down her knapsack, the only thing she managed to treat kindly in light of her temper had been the potions book Sebastian had given her, which she sat down on her end table carefully and then went back into the troves of her fit.

"Stupid Greasy Slytherin Git." said Hermione greatly annoyed.

Ginny smiled.

Evidently her friend had been more like her usual self since earlier.

"Let me guess...tall, pale, imposing brow, lank raven hair and robes that billow when he walks." she said trying not to appear pleased.

Hermione nodded.

Ginny's powers of perception had been at their finest.

"What has Professor Snape done this time?" asked Ginny.

"The git took twenty points from me because I accidentally ran into him in the corridor." said Hermione.

"Just got back and already taking no prisoners." said Ginny shaking her head. "Well, what do you expect it's Snape, he loathes human contact...perhaps your skin burned him or something."

The young witches laughed at this.

"Probably." agreed Hermione seeing the humor in it. "He's still a git thought."

Ginny nodded.

"Was there ever any doubt?" she asked. "The man's been a git his whole life."

Hermione smiled.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"Nothing." replied Hermione innocently.

"That didn't sound like nothing." said Ginny eyeing her suspiciously for a few moments.

"I was just thinking how much he reminded me of Sebastian." said Hermione doing a bit of reflecting.

Ginny smiled this time doing a bit of the same.

"Well, he is his father." she reasoned.

Hermione got a thought in the back of her already impulsively driven mind.

"Maybe...maybe he knows where he is?" she said suddenly hopeful.

"Maybe." replied Ginny. "I wouldn't hold out much hope of it though."

Hermione had tuned out the last of her words. She had been determined to get Professor Snape to tell her where Sebastian was. Maybe even get him to give the Slytherin git a message for her. She missed him terribly and gaining the favor of the snarky potions professor had not been too much of a burden in the wake of what she truly wanted.