The next morning, as the air around him gave a faint ripple, Snape swung his wand to dispel the array of charms layered over his four-poster bed: the All-Round Protection Charm and the Safe-Guarding Charm.
Today was yet another sunny and beautiful day. In the Great Hall, the enchanted ceiling was clear and pure, as blue as the petals of a cornflower.
He decided he would properly enjoy this first leisurely Sunday after the O.W.L. exams.
Naturally, a fine day ought to begin with good food.
Just as Snape filled a plate with bacon, ham, and sausages, preparing to dig in, Patrick Abbott sat down across from him.
"You need to eat some vegetables too. That's good for your health."
As he spoke, Abbott added some cauliflower and cabbage onto his own plate.
"Mary told me this. She said that Muggles have whole fields of study about healthy eating. If you only eat meat, you'll get sick."
Snape was somewhat surprised. In all of fifth year, Abbott had never spoken so many words to him combined.
"I-uh-thank you."
He had actually forgotten about balanced nutrition, with his whole mind bent only on eating meat to grow stronger.
"You-"
"-That's what Mary told me too. Yesterday was really surprising."
Abbott held his fork, and when he saw the puzzled expression on Snape's face, he added,
"I'm just curious, why did you do that? It didn't seem like you at all."
Snape cursed silently. Why did everyone have to care so much about details? Why wasn't there a single fool?
He set down his knife and said, "What happened by the lake the other day, I suppose you know."
Seeing Abbott nod, Snape continued in his usual flat tone, "That was not a pleasant experience.
"Afterward, I thought for a long time. I cannot tolerate even more unpleasant things happening. Whether to me or to anyone else.
"I have made mistakes before. But I want to change, not to continue as I was."
Snape turned one palm upward in a small gesture toward Abbott.
"I suppose you don't have any reason to refuse someone the chance to change for the better, do you?"
"Well..." Abbott said awkwardly, "Severus, I suppose not. That's good. I was just a little surprised, that's all."
"But, Abbott," Snape added some vegetables to his plate as well, "are you very close with Mary? Why do you care about these things?"
At that, Abbott seemed to blush slightly. "Oh... she's my friend..."
"Yes, of course." Snape took a long gulp of pumpkin juice, a faint smile on his face. "She's a very kind girl."
After eating his fill, he planned to go for a walk around the grounds. Considering his other two "friends" clearly would no longer accompany him, he turned to Abbott.
"Want to walk the grounds with me? On such a sunny day, we ought to be outside."
The gentle sunlight bathed the lawns, surrounded by relaxed students.
Some lay sprawled in the grass sunbathing, others chatted cheerfully in small groups, and some sat in the shade of trees reading books and papers.
Thin wisps of smoke drifted from the chimney of a small hut in the distance, dispersing over the dark green canopy of the Forbidden Forest.
The two of them strolled slowly downhill, blades of grass rippling like waves under their feet.
"Severus..."
Abbott noticed how Snape deliberately kept his steps away from the lakeside and couldn't help but speak.
"I mean... since you've changed so much... maybe... maybe you could try to make peace with Potter and-"
"No." Snape stopped walking, turned, and faced Abbott coldly. "No, Abbott.
"I can choose to change myself. But that does not mean I have to change for the sake of other people's mistakes.
"Neither I nor anyone else deserves to be treated like that.
"In this, Potter is no different from Avery and Mulciber. Would you try to persuade Mary to reconcile with them?"
Flustered and nervous, Abbott stammered, "S-sorry, Severus.
"That wasn't what I meant, I only..." His voice grew quieter and quieter.
Snape suddenly turned and walked toward the lake.
Abbott hurried after him.
The lake and the sky seemed to merge into one, both a pale blue tinged with violet light.
A giant squid lay lazily in the warm shallows, basking in the sun, while a few students swam in the lake accompanied by the great creature.
Keeping up his pace, Snape's voice floated back over his shoulder.
"Let's stay by the lake for a while."
He crouched down, gently brushing one of the squid's tentacles with his fingers, then glanced sideways at his companion.
"Why are you in Slytherin, Abbott? I don't see any Slytherin traits in you."
"Oh," Abbott crouched down beside him, "I'm pure-blood. My whole family is pure-blood."
Gazing at the pearly surface of the lake, Abbott continued almost as if talking to himself.
"My grandfather and father both told me I was destined to be in Slytherin.
"Though the Sorting Hat did recommend me for other Houses, I told it I wanted Slytherin, and it respected my choice."
"Was that your choice?"
Abbott sighed. "I know what you mean. Maybe not...
"But the Sorting Hat never suggested Gryffindor. And I didn't have enough courage to refuse Slytherin..."
Together, they stared silently at the clear, blue lake.
A sudden image arose in Snape's mind:
Professor McGonagall, stern-faced, holding a roll of parchment, calling out the very first name:
"Hannah Abbott!"
A girl with two golden pigtails stumbled out of the line and sat on the tall stool.
A patched, tattered wizard's hat was lowered onto her head. After a short pause, the Hat cried:
"Hufflepuff!"
For the first time in a long while, Snape felt genuine happiness and so he chuckled to himself.
"If you ever have a child, you must respect her right to make her own choice."
"I think I would." Abbott replied, then asked in puzzlement, "But why 'her'?"
"Who knows!" Snape burst out laughing and stood up. "Abbott, I think Hufflepuff would have suited you better.
"By the way, the spell that lets you hang someone upside down is Levicorpus. The counter-spell is Liberacorpus. It's a nonverbal spell."
Abbott struggled to stand, his legs numb from crouching.
"Ouch... why are you telling me this?"
"Just in case."
Another one of those odd remarks.
"Come on, let's head back. It's nearly mealtime."