Snape x OC: It's All In The Walls Of Hogwarts

Day after day.

The floor was cold but a warm heart was all that was needed as the days ticked on. The two adults did not speak like they had the first day but it was acceptable. Snape had taken to ignoring her and it drove Grace up the wall. Her shouts and incessant complaints would not stir him. "I shall sing the song of my people" what followed was not natural and resulted in a silencing charm being cast and she just started moving wildly making his eyes constantly flick up to view the random movements. The day was boring and when the charm wore off she began genuinely singing but it only annoyed the man more. "If you would just set me free I would be gone." Still no response came and so the girl just sat and then laid on her back. Legs were above her body as they were resting on one wall each. Her wide spread legs made Snape cover the hole with a bookcase with the flick of his wand.

That was all a week ago. Still the girl sat in utter black as he refused to move the cover. She didn't make a noise but just slept, grateful for the distraction. After the week had passed a bright light shone from the opening. "Miss Brown." His voice was annoyed but not as annoyed as she definitely was and so there she stubbornly sat. She was in the small 'room' and so he had no proof that she was there. "MISS BROWN!" As his patience depleted her determination grew. After nearly an hour he huffed and walked off. He would try later. His threats didn't work on her and so he left her to be alone in the dark. To his complete surprise though a soft voice sang an almost lullaby but it stopped quickly and her light steps were audible as he watched her walk to the entrance and kneel down. "Severus." With a short nod he was greeted by her. "I have a few methods. Do you love anyone?" Her head shook 'no' and so he turned a page. "Are you part something else, goblin, hag?" The last word was more for him and a tear slipped at his painful words. "No, completely human." He huffed and turned another page. "This would be easier if Matthew was still alive." She wasn't supposed to hear it but she did and fear crept up her spine causing a tingling sensation.

"Do you at least have a clue as to the spell he used?" It was late as the clock struck one in the morning. The questions had run out and Snape huffed in defeat. "No, look, it is late, you have classes in a few hours, go to bed Severus." The man wasn't told twice as he got to his feat and left to sleep. Despite all the words that he had spoken only one had stuck. 'Hag'. Grace hadn't seen herself for decades. Almost half her life had been spent in the chamber of depression. Tears slipped down her face as the facts came to her. She hadn't washed, brushed her teeth, even brushed her hair even for 17 years. She was bound to look uglier than usual.

Weeks passed with small conversations between the pair, few were personal and boredom had struck the girl right where it always did. The cold floor was where she slept and by that point she was used to the pain of the stone as a bed. A few times she was caught by the brooding professor asleep but he quickly learnt to ignore her. A few spells were tried urgently and yet there was no real result. Weeks became months and then a year then another passed. The time spent together was passed in utter silence aside from a few mutterings. Despite the silence being ideal and normal for the man the woman being silent unnerved him. Her chatter stopped and for nearly a year he hadn't heard her voice. No one had as she left to stand or sleep in the lonely box room that was all she had. Professors regularly visited but it was uncommon for her to even enter the hall to see them. There was no longer hope in the eyes of the young girl. Severus saw that same light as the one when she went to kill herself.

"You have been quiet for exactly a year now. I mean tomorrow is your birthday." Poppy coaxed but the girl didn't even enter the hall. "You are so stubborn." The woman left with annoyance flowing through her. Little did anyone else know that she had been rocking in her room for almost the entire year as tears dropped pitifully down her cheeks and onto the floor. An odd sniff was sounded but Snape never heard. "Right, I have a thought but you have to come to me." Severus cast to the witch and so with bright red eyes and an obvious stream of tears she got to the entrance. As it turns out the healer hadn't left the room just joined all the other adults who had taught her as a student. Her red eyes were obvious as her face became lit by sun and candles. A long wooden stick pointed at her barrier that kept freedom from her. He muttered but only a few fizzles came from his wand.

Her figure began retreating back to the hole of a room when a slightly desperate professor stopped her. "What has you so upset?" At first Grace was going to ignore the question but decided that it would do no harm. "I have spent more birthdays in here. I have no life, everyone is dead and for two years now Severus and all of you haven't been able to find an effective spell. I, I just felt so much hope in escaping here, this prison but all I have is gotten my hopes up for them to only be dashed. I look like a hag and never again will I be able to feel human contact. I can't even hug someone. I want food, the taste, the feeling of not being hungry. I might not need food but I haven't felt pleasantly fed or well slept since I got in here. I want to wear more clothes. All I have is me." Tears and sobs stopped the thought from continuing. The staff were surprised but Severus just left to the other side of the office and grabbed a book. The other staff felt awkward and so decided to leave together.

"I have a thought but it might take time." Grace had given up and so just agreed. "Severus, can I ask you something? If you feel uncomfortable then feel free to say no or just ignore me." His concern for the witch was certain and so out of fear of pushing her away he agreed. "Fine, if you ask me if I really think you look like a hag you do not. Quite the opposite." A small smile played on her lips as she spoke carefully. The compliment made her unable to stop smiling though and Snape noticed making him feel a flutter deep within. "Can, can you tell me the story of Lily. The woman you spoke of before you knew I existed." Severus found himself unable to move, breath, blink until she spoke again. "Don't worry. I know it was too far." Her slouched shoulders made him suddenly react. "We went to school together. We lived close to one another, I didn't have the best childhood she showed me love. I soon developed feelings for her. She didn't feel the same way, Gryffindor, and she was friends with some boys that didn't treat me too well. One day she stood up for me against them and I felt embarrassed. I called her a, a mud-blood. We stopped being friends. I also chose a dark path, death eater. After a few years I heard a prophecy. It resulted in her death. I decided to help Albus destroy Voldemort as I asked for a chance to redeem myself." Wide and 'loving? No, not loving' eyes watched him as he spoke. "I had no idea that you were so brave." Her voice held an awe. "Well, let me try practice this spell." Off he went to do some research on the last resort.