Cherish Forever
Number Sixteen
Piper couldn’t move. She couldn’t talk. If anyone else were there, they would say she resembled a statue, with her mouth open and eyes wide. A million and one things were running through her mind, all at once. Snape wouldn’t look at her; his eyes were watching anything but her.
When Piper finally had the courage to speak, her voice came out squeaky, like a mouse, “I- I have to go,” With that, she turned around, and ran back to the Great Hall, nearly tripping on the way. She wasn’t sure what to think. She knew one thing, though. She needed to tell someone. She knew she couldn’t bear this on her own, but who to tell?
“Piper! Oi, Piper!”
Piper turned and saw Ron waving to her. She attempted a smile, but she felt as if it came out fake.
Ron walked up to her and gave her a confused look, "You alright, mate? You look sort of flustered."
She contemplated telling Ron about everything that just happened. She felt like she could trust him in not telling anybody else, "Uh, Ron, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"
Ron nodded and led her to the now vacant balcony, "What's wrong, Piper?" He laid a hand on hers for encouragement.
Piper then proceeded to explain everything. About everything that had just transpired, and everything that she had been feeling. She didn't stop for a second until she had everything off her chest. As she finished, she took a deep breath, and looked at Ron, expecting him to burst out laughing.
To her surprise, he didn't. He sent her a sympathetic smile and spread his arms out for a hug, which Piper did not deny, "Wow, Piper this must be so overwhelming for you."
"I don't know what to do, Ron. I mean," Piper bit her lip, "What do I do?"
"Well, what-" Ron started.
"There you guys are!" Hermione interrupted from behind, Harry following, "Harry and I have been looking for you. The ball's almost over, we really should get going. What are you doing out here?"
"Nothing, Hermione. Just enjoying the view," Piper looked at Ron, her eyes begging him to follow along. She wasn't in the mood for relaying everything again. At least not tonight.
Ron sighed, silently agreeing, "Yeah, nothing. Come on, let's go."
Harry and Hermione glanced between the two and exchanged confused looks, but decided to let it go. The four friends started their walk back to the Common Room, chattering about the event. Piper was the only quiet one. She threw in some words here and there, but she couldn't stop thinking about tonight's events. She couldn't believe the mysterious masked man had been Professor Snape. Sure, she had noticed he had been acting differently toward her this term, but she had never expected this. She started thinking about how awkward it was going to be at the next DADA class. What if he asks to talk to me after class? Piper thought. What will I-
Piper was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't notice the step that was in front of her. She tripped over it and fell, yelping in surprise. Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately stopped to make sure she was okay.
"Piper, what is wrong with you?" Harry asked as he helped her back to her feet.
"What are you talking about?" Piper wiped off some dirt from her bottom and continued walking up the stairs, "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You've been acting weird ever since we left the balcony. You have barely said ten words, and you're usually the talkative one here," Hermione crossed her arms and looked at Piper, concerned. They had reached the Fat Lady's painting.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked in her lazy tone.
"Look, if she says there's nothing wrong, then I believe her. Now let's go to bed, I'm exhausted," Ron turned to the Fat Lady, "Baubles."
Piper mouthed a quick "thank you" to Ron and headed inside, followed by everyone else. Piper and Hermione bid goodnight to the boys and retired to the girls' dorm.
As Piper layed down on her bed, hoping this was all just a terrible dream, she heard Hermione whisper, "Piper?"
"Yes, mate?"
There was a small pause before Hermione sighed, "Never mind. Goodnight," Piper heard Hermione turn in her bed.
"Goodnight."
When Piper finally had the courage to speak, her voice came out squeaky, like a mouse, “I- I have to go,” With that, she turned around, and ran back to the Great Hall, nearly tripping on the way. She wasn’t sure what to think. She knew one thing, though. She needed to tell someone. She knew she couldn’t bear this on her own, but who to tell?
“Piper! Oi, Piper!”
Piper turned and saw Ron waving to her. She attempted a smile, but she felt as if it came out fake.
Ron walked up to her and gave her a confused look, "You alright, mate? You look sort of flustered."
She contemplated telling Ron about everything that just happened. She felt like she could trust him in not telling anybody else, "Uh, Ron, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"
Ron nodded and led her to the now vacant balcony, "What's wrong, Piper?" He laid a hand on hers for encouragement.
Piper then proceeded to explain everything. About everything that had just transpired, and everything that she had been feeling. She didn't stop for a second until she had everything off her chest. As she finished, she took a deep breath, and looked at Ron, expecting him to burst out laughing.
To her surprise, he didn't. He sent her a sympathetic smile and spread his arms out for a hug, which Piper did not deny, "Wow, Piper this must be so overwhelming for you."
"I don't know what to do, Ron. I mean," Piper bit her lip, "What do I do?"
"Well, what-" Ron started.
"There you guys are!" Hermione interrupted from behind, Harry following, "Harry and I have been looking for you. The ball's almost over, we really should get going. What are you doing out here?"
"Nothing, Hermione. Just enjoying the view," Piper looked at Ron, her eyes begging him to follow along. She wasn't in the mood for relaying everything again. At least not tonight.
Ron sighed, silently agreeing, "Yeah, nothing. Come on, let's go."
Harry and Hermione glanced between the two and exchanged confused looks, but decided to let it go. The four friends started their walk back to the Common Room, chattering about the event. Piper was the only quiet one. She threw in some words here and there, but she couldn't stop thinking about tonight's events. She couldn't believe the mysterious masked man had been Professor Snape. Sure, she had noticed he had been acting differently toward her this term, but she had never expected this. She started thinking about how awkward it was going to be at the next DADA class. What if he asks to talk to me after class? Piper thought. What will I-
Piper was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't notice the step that was in front of her. She tripped over it and fell, yelping in surprise. Harry, Ron, and Hermione immediately stopped to make sure she was okay.
"Piper, what is wrong with you?" Harry asked as he helped her back to her feet.
"What are you talking about?" Piper wiped off some dirt from her bottom and continued walking up the stairs, "I'm fine."
"No, you're not. You've been acting weird ever since we left the balcony. You have barely said ten words, and you're usually the talkative one here," Hermione crossed her arms and looked at Piper, concerned. They had reached the Fat Lady's painting.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked in her lazy tone.
"Look, if she says there's nothing wrong, then I believe her. Now let's go to bed, I'm exhausted," Ron turned to the Fat Lady, "Baubles."
Piper mouthed a quick "thank you" to Ron and headed inside, followed by everyone else. Piper and Hermione bid goodnight to the boys and retired to the girls' dorm.
As Piper layed down on her bed, hoping this was all just a terrible dream, she heard Hermione whisper, "Piper?"
"Yes, mate?"
There was a small pause before Hermione sighed, "Never mind. Goodnight," Piper heard Hermione turn in her bed.
"Goodnight."