"He's forgotten..........." (Y/n) letting out a loud and irritated grunt, as the painting of her great aunt, Esmeralda finally said what everyone else was thinking.

"He is only half an hour late........" (Y/n) retorted, as she continued to sit at the table that had been set out for two, with the best cutlery and China and ornate candlestick that held dark green candles, that were slowly melting away.

"It has actually been an hour, my dear.........." Her great grandmother, Hortence's portrait corrected. She and the other paintings looking at one another as, (Y/n)'s head dropped into her hands; the tears, despite herself, refusing to stop falling now.

She should have known that it was a foolish endeavour from the outset. She should have known that anything with Severus would never work. Even after all these years, his affection for Lily had not faded, and she doubted that it ever would. And who was she to think that she could compete with the ghost of Lily Evans? She was nothing special, just a half-blood witch that had taken over Severus' potions class. Just a normal, ordinary, everyday witch, that obviously could not command the same love and devotion in the dark professor's heart, as a woman that had married another man. A man that had put Severus through so much in his youth. Yet she thought it had been a good year they had spent together. It nice to see Severus actually smile and let down some of the walls that he had built up around his heart; though it would appear that she had not made as big a dent in the walls, as she had thought. This supposed to be the dinner for their first anniversary together; and even though he had assured her that he would be at her rooms in Hogwarts, after an hour, it would seem as though all the warnings from her relatives, from those that knew the pair and didn't want to see her hurt, were right.

"We told you, sweet one, that he didn't deserve you. Perhaps now you will see sense and find a wizard that loves you, and only you; not one that can only think of a dead woman............"

"Grandfather........you should not say such things." The witch scolded the portrait, before she pushed away with the tears with the heels of her palms, and slowly got to her feet. A wave of her wand sending all the cutlery and China back to their places in a cupboard.

"But........you are right, you were all right, I should have known better. I should have known that a Death Eater who changed sides to become a member of the Order of the Phoenix because of Lily's death, could never love me. I just foolishly hoped that if I loved him enough; if I showed him how much I cared, he might just allow me in, a little. That he might give me some of that love he still felt for her. Yet obviously, what I thought, was wrong. Severus' heart will always belong to Lily. And my heart.......well, my heart will mend in time." She continued, blowing out the candles, before moving to sit in one of the large armchairs by the fire.

"Perhaps this is the push I need to leave Hogwarts. I did always want to travel the world, see other wonderful places and maybe find some of the magical beasts that I read so much about when I was a child. It's the last day of term tomorrow, and I have no more classes, so what is holding me back? Nothing now..........and the more distance I put between myself and Severus, the easier it will be for me to move on. And Severus..........well, the only thing he will care about, is that he will have to find a new potions master for next term." (Y/n) sighed, as she continued to look into the dancing flames of the fire. Reaching for one of the blankets that sat on the arm of the other chair, pulling it around her.

"Yes.........that is what I will do.............."

                                                  >>--------------------------------------<<

Severus raised his head, his bleary eyes struggling to focus for a moment. A groan leaving his lips, as he heard a bang on his office door that seemed to echo in his brain. He had fallen asleep again with his head resting on his desk, doing his best to catch up with the mounds of paperwork that he had to deal with. The master slowly getting to his feet and straightening out his creased robes, before making his way to the door, as another knock rang out.

"Minerva..........?" He questioned, as he looked at the older witch. His brows furrowing, as the Head of Transfiguration handed him an envelope.

"What..........?"

"It's from (Y/n). She asked if I would give it to you, before she left." The older witch explained, giving him a rather unpleasant glare before walking off; not allowing him a chance to ask anything further. Severus looking at the envelope; his eyes widening as he remembered where he should have been, what he should have been doing the night before. The once professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, finding himself running through the halls of the castle; ignoring the looks of the shocked students, as he quickly made his way to (Y/n)'s rooms. Cursing himself for forgetting about the night that they were supposed to spend together, to celebrate a year of them seeing one another; of them being something more than headmaster and teacher. The year, quite unexpected for Severus; the son of Eileen Prince taken aback by the fact that another woman that was as wonderful as Lily had been, might have feelings for him. And he had to confess that he himself had felt something in his heart begin to stir; had begun to think that perhaps love may not remain something that only others would know. But as he got to the rooms of the potion's professor, the door wide open and all her personal possessions, gone; leaving only an empty room, he realised that getting too caught up in what he had been doing and forgetting about their dinner, might have just put his chance of knowing something more than a friendship with another soul, out of his reach. Severus taking a seat in one of the chairs that sat next to the now cold fire. His slender fingers carefully opening the envelope, before pulling out the paper from inside and reading it.

To the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Severus Snape.

Dear sir,

Please consider this my resignation from the position of Potion's Master, as of the time that you received this letter.

Given the circumstances, I believe that it is best, not only for myself, but also Hogwarts, if I were to find new opportunities, elsewhere. I apologise for the abrupt nature of my departure, and do hope that it will not cause you issues with the next term..............

On a more personal note........I am sorry that I could not be what you needed Severus. I am sorry that I could not be Lily. I did my best to show you that there was someone else in this world that could love you; that could be there and care for only you, and who hoped that you might be willing to just give a little of the love you had for Lily, to her. Yet clearly, everything I tried, was not enough; your heart will always belong to Lily Evans, and I will always just be me. There will forever be a place for you in my heart, Severus Snape; and I hope that in the future, when it is mended, we might be able to meet again and talk as friends. But until then, it is better that I just leave. I am sure that it will not take you long to forget; yet for me........for me, I will never truly forget. The last year, even if you didn't know it, even if you didn't see it, was something I will always cherish. Take care of yourself, Severus.

Yours always,

(Y/n).

Severus reading the last part of the letter, over and over again; not realising that tears were making their way down his cheeks, as the room seemed to get colder; or perhaps it was just the chill that had taken over his heart. The headmaster carefully folding the letter and placing it in his robes, before he reached out and took one of the blankets that had been left on the arm of the other chair; wrapping it around himself, before leaning his head back and contemplating what his life would be like, now that he had lost another woman he cared for. That he may just be destined to be alone........always.