Scarlet froze dead in her tracks. It was like her body was now taking control. She slowly turned around and saw him there, sitting up, his hand outstretched as if he could pull her back all the way there.

Severus had a surprised expression on his face, feeling ever so stupid for even calling out to this mystery girl. Well, whoever she was, he had to continue what he was doing, or else he'll just mess up his reputation of being intimidating in first impressions. Not that it was working.

"Do you need anything? I can fetch some pumpkin juice if y-" she asked before he cut her off. "No. I don't need anything." Scarlet furrowed her eyebrows. Then what does he want? Me to do a salsa?

"Then I have to go-"

She was about to open the door before he interrupted again.

"I want to know who you are!"

His voice echoed across the entire hall as if there were several of him, repeating what he just said.

Severus wanted to slap himself in the face until he'll be unconscious again. Did he seriously just... say that?! What was wrong with him?! He shouldn't be- argh!

"You want to know who I am?" Scarlet asked. But what made Severus' heart flutter was when a small little amused smile began to appear on her lips. It wasn't that she forgot he didn't know who she was, but it was the fact that he sounded so needy when he cried out to her.

This time, he didn't reply. He simply nodded his head shyly, then face-palmed himself.

Scarlet snorted abruptly, which she stopped by putting a hand over her mouth. But it was too late. He already heard her.

"Are you laughing at me?" he shouted all the way from his bed. "Of course not!"

"Are you really going to make us talk like this? Shouting at each other as if you're at the other side of the world?" She laughed again but much more audible to him now. Though she couldn't see it, he had a hidden smirk on his face.

"Do you really want me to go there?"

"Do you really want both of us to have soar throats tomorrow?"

Severus's sarcasm never failed to make her laugh when he wanted to, and this time, he sure didn't fail.

Another short laugh escaped her lips. She didn't even notice she did, she just... she just did like old times.

Was it something that was in her laugh that seem so familiar?

Like a déjà vu.

A sound he heard so long ago.

Or ever so recently...?

"Fine, as you wish, your highness."

It was painful, to be honest. Like you still don't know how you got back to square one. Scarlet didn't even know whether to cry or laugh as Severus had no idea what was beneath all this. They were in love before, but now... it was as if someone pressed restart and Scarlet just wanted to burn an entire forest down searching for whoever dare do this to him.

But it was still an accident.

"Don't you dare! This is... This is all your fault!" -"But it's yours as well." ---"Really? What are ye gonna do? Kill me? Go ahead and prove to everybody you're a murderer! You don't even know if that Snape guy is faking, but look at you here ready to maim!" ---"Oooh, niffler caught your tongue? Admit it, Scarlet Carter, you're one of the reasons why you're boyfriend is unconscious. You're just too afraid to say you hurt him!" ---"Go ahead, kill me. Isn't that what you intend? To avenge Severus after he's confirmed 'injured' by you? He's not even dead yet! Is this how caring you are, Scarlet?" ---"All of these'don't's and your nonsense'don't you dare's! Can't you see? You're ready to kill me yourself! Be ashamed to turn into 'Mistress Malaine'!"

Her feet made their own way again back to Severus' bed. It was terrifying to imagine what he was going to tell her or if this was all a mean joke. She just wanted her Sev back. She didn't know why, but she just felt too tired to make him not only remember who she really was, but at the same time wait if he was ever going to love her again.

I already told you: It was painful.

"Finally you made it. Most people would probably tremble and fall on their feet while approaching me so that's very impressive start," Severus said with his famous smirk. Scarlet's mouth was open, as if the words were going to walk out themselves. "Um, so why did you make me stay? I-I'm sure for a man like you, you'd prefer to be in the presence of people you are... let's just say familiar with." Scarlet praised Merlin for letting her complete a sentence without saying anything further embarrassing.

"If I dictated those words, word by word, I think you're saying: Why am I here because I want to leave." He raised his eyebrow and crossed his arms like a little child that made Scarlet snort again, which she also covered with her hand cupping her mouth. "I am telling you, miss, I'm not a comedy wizard, so in the name of Merlin's beard would please you stop laughing."

"I'm sorry!" Scarlet bursted into a fit of giggles making Severus sigh exasperatedly. "You know, there's some reasons why you'd laugh uncontrollably."

"Oh, really?" she asked, smiling. It made him smile as well. "Yes. 1) You're hexed with Rictumsepra. 2) I have something on my face. Or..." his voice trailed off to tempt her asking. She couldn't hold it in and blurted out, "Or?!"

"You're in front of someone you fancy."

Well, it's true.

Scarlet prayed Severus didn't hear her thought. Gladly, he didn't, but there was an awkward aroma in the air as the man waited for her reply. "Well?" She snapped out of her thought immediately. Stuttering for the right words, she ended up with a clumsy sentence. "W-What makes you...What makes you think I'm hexed, you have something on your face... or fancy you?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not the professor for relationships, nor am I man of one. Though, your nervousness makes me quite suspicious." She raised her eyebrow at him, then so did he at her. "But really, Professor Snape, why did you make me stay? I reckon this isn't the conversation you were planning."

Severus seemed amused as he smirked yet again, and shifted on his bed more comfortably. "No, actually," his eyes locked with hers and Scarlet felt like she couldn't pull away, "but I wanted to... talk to you with what on Merlin's beard was happening earlier."

"Oh, um, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Then tell me what you want to talk about before things get more awkward."

"It just occurred to me after you left my bed was that why you were crying."

Oh shit.

For Scarlet (and with anyone who would ever agree with her), it wasn't normal that Severus acted like this. Like he was... soft. She knew he wasn't in laughing gas or Babbling Beverage, Befuddlement Draught, or maybe the Essence of Insanity- but anyways, she always knew that with Severus' nature, meeting new people always consisted of making things awkward and looking intimidating.

He wouldn't be asking why they were crying. Actually, he'd probably make the person cry even more.

But it wasn't with Scarlet's case. Not only with right now, but ever since she was around 7, 11, and... yes, right now.

Was it something in her?

Meh.

"I... wasn't crying!" Scarlet lied, and it was obvious Severus knew. "It's true. I've noticed," he told her making her huff. He chuckled at her recent stubbornness. "Fine. I did."

She watched him tilt his head in a confusing matter that didn't need to say "Why?"

"It's nothing, really. I just went through a little drama last night and I just had to let it all out. Coincidentally, I was visiting you."

Severus wiggled both eyebrows. "Of course. Then why was everyone so confused of how I do not know who you are?" There was a few seconds before Scarlet replied. "Because, well, you were my professor during my years at Hogwarts. I was one of the top students of your class, but you must've forgot who I was. I mean, I don't blame you."

"Impossible. I still recall all the best witches and wizards in my classes ever since I started working in Hogwarts. You were probably under Slughorn's care."

"Nonsense. I was only 2 years younger than Harry Potter's year. Slughorn has already resigned years before I've arrived."

"Well then-"

"Did you make me stay for us to argue?"

He was beginning to be pissed off as she did, but in a good way, if it makes sense. He found it both silly and strange for him to act this way. He missed talking like this, like a normal conversation without having to worry about anything. As if he hasn't in years, though like he just did yesterday.

"Forgive me, for I didn't." The statement seemed just so sarcastic for Scarlet that she began to laugh again. This time, though, Severus didn't bother her. He just listened until she stopped. "To change the subject, why not tell me why you were crying."

"Er..."

"Unless you don't want to talk about it," he quickly followed when he noticed her hesitate.

Scarlet's face softened after realizing he was being soft and sweet all along. He wasn't only trying to scare her off, but maybe this was progress. If she had to start all over again, then so be it. Screw mourning over useless shit shat by the Niffler.

"Since you're being so... so not-sarcastic-and-scary-Professor-Snape, then I'll agree to spill what I have." Severus's mouth fell open at her nickname for him, and he couldn't admit, but he giggled. "'Not-sarcastic-and-scary-Professor-Snape'? Is this a thing going on between my students that I don't know about?"

"I'll tell it to you now, but you'd torture the poor things," she muttered with a grin. "Hell yeah, I will- Stop changing the subject!" Severus shouted that his voice echoed again across the hall.

"Alright, alright, please don't get us in trouble. Madam Pomfrey would go nuts..."

"Proceed. Now."

"Fine, it was just a few days before today... and me and my... boyfriend arrived at Hogwarts, yeah."

"You sound unsure."

"I'm trying to find the right words to explain it. Then, um, I began to see these... nightmares. About, er, him and I breaking up. Yup. We were in a fight. I was worried since he didn't believe me, then..."

"Yes?"

"We did. One night. Last night, actually. A several feet before the Forbidden Forest, he... he broke up with me. And I was just... depressed and confused that's why I've fallen late arriving to see you here in the Hospital Wing. I was bawling my eyes out."

"You're not lying about any of this, hmm?"

"N-No."

"I have no choice but to believe what you have to say, then."

Severus watched Scarlet slowly begin to feel all drowsy and sad. He always couldn't deal with people like these, acting both sad and rude in front of him. His hand was supposed to hold hers, but the message got interpreted wrong in his mind to his hand. He accidentally tapped her hand from too much nervousness and Scarlet was, of course, surprised for such a strange thing to do.

"Hmm?" She turned back to him. He shook his head, unable to say anything in his defense and just curtained his face with his long hair.

"I'm sorry that you've broken up with your boyfriend."

The witch was taken aback by his words. Severus apologizing?! What else did she not know about her boyfriend?! Goodness Merlin...

"You don't need to feel sorry. Really. I can take care of myself."

"He's quite the brute to ever feel the need to break up with you, and I'm honest. I'm probably high right now, but I've just met you, and whoever was your boyfriend was a douche."

-Severus calling himself a douche. Checked off from Scarlet Carter's Bucket List.

"If you feel any tired, you can leave if you wish," Severus said that his voice seemed to forced to say it. Scarlet knew he didn't probably want to be left alone to mope in a creaky hospital bed. "It's alright. I can stay. Are you tired?"

"Now that you've arrived, not really."

"That feels more like an honor than a compliment, to be honest."

"Is it?"

"From you, yes."

"You don't mind talking more a bit until dawn?"

"Of course not. So, where do you want to start, Professor Severus Snape?"

//||\\//||\\//||\\

I swear in Merlin's beard I will die because of typing a chapter all in one go.

But anyways,

FORGIVE ME FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER 😫

You guys know how I always fall back on updates or just randomly pop up out of nowhere, so I think it's my time...

... to explain why before all of you begin to stop reading this story:

- Writers block, of course. The little devil 😈 he is likes to make my mind go fcking blank.

- I haven't completed the chapter and still editing it. 📖

- I'm busy with family outings or school shenanigans. ✈️/🚗

And - I probs am in a place where there's no wifi. 😒

(-Just to add: I'm currenlty moving houses 🏠 ➡️ 🏡, and my second home does not have a wifi router yet so I might take a while to update when we go to the mall just to have wifi before it's installed.)

Oh, and one more thing:

Besides being angry at me for making Severus completely forget who Scarlet Carter is (and I understand, I also hate myself, don't worry), is the story going on a right track so far? Is it, let's just say, making sense (but I mean it's written by me so it's either, not-so-horrible, doesn't make sense, or absolute trash so yep)?

Yes? No? You don't know? Thank you for your feeeeeeedbaaaaaaaack.

(Pardon grammar errors or typos, since I've gone through this chapter several times but it's kinda late and I'm tired so I'll check tomorrow to edit 👌)

🙌 POTTERHEAD OVER AND OUT 🙌