Everything I Own

by Christi Talmer
 
 
 

You sheltered me from harm
you kept me warm
you kept me warm
you gave my life to me
you set me free
You set me free...
 

Severus Snape looked up from his work and around the stacks to find out who was making the commotion. He couldn't see who it was, so he got up and sneaked to the edge of the stacks and found one of his seventh-years, Draco Malfoy. Always a star student...pehaps he could let him off on a warning this time. Discussing something with... oh, what were those two's names? Crabbe and Goyle, that was it. Snape leaned in closer, so  as to hear a bit of the conversation. Perhaps Potter was up to some more mischief... He was startled, then, to hear the real topic of the discussion. Hermione Granger? The Gryffindor? Snape smiled wickedly. Perhaps it was she who was up to something...She was too smart for her own good.

"Y-you like her?" Goyle stared at Malfoy in disbelief.

From behind the stack, Snape's mouth fell open silently.

"But why?" Crabbe asked, shocked. "She's a filthy little Mudblood, shown you up in class as often as possible...why?"

The 17-year old Draco Malfoy shrugged and grinned. He had grown up better than expected, considering his father. "I really don't know. I just do. Call it fate if you want to." He grinned again, then looked at the two and frowned. "Pick your jaws
up off of the floor already. I'm seventeen years old, I can think for myself. I'm not deranged or ill. Good god, you'd think I
said I was the Queen of England."

Indeed, the two (three?) could not have been more stunned if he had declared that he was the Queen. Snape decided it was time to get back to work and tiptoed back to his seat, only to find he could not concentrate. Why does Draco's situation make me remember her? Because it was exactly the same...
 

The finest years I ever knew
were all the years I had with you

I would give everything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
just to have you back again
 

Later that evening, Snape called Draco to his office. "Yes, sir?" the lad asked, a bit puzzled. "You wanted me to come?"

"Yes, I did. While in the library earlier this evening, I overheard and interesting conversation..." Draco's jaw was the one
to drop this time.

"Don't worry, Draco, I won't condemn the relationship, nor tell her how you feel...Unless you do not tell her yourself by
this time tomorrow."

"Wh-what, Professor?"

"Tell her how you feel about her tomorrow night, or you will wish you had."

"Why are you doing this to me? Just leave my personal life alone!" He was angry now, his eyes flashing. Snape sighed,
but Malfoy did not.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to an armchair in front of his desk. "When I was here at Hogwarts, I was in this very house. There was a girl in Gryffindor named Rebecca, and I was very much impressed by her. I met her in my first year, and encountered her quite a bit during all my years. I always wanted to ask her to go to the dances we had then with me, but held back. I never let on that I liked her, and seventh year came and went, as did Rebecca. I have never met another woman who makes me feel the way Rebecca did."
 

You taught me how to love
what a time
what a time
you never said too much, but
still you showed the way
and I knew from watching you
that nobody else could ever know
the part of me that can't let go
 

Draco gaped at his teacher. "I know it must be hard to believe. Severus Snape, the cold, cruel Potions master, in love? It
can and does happen to everyone. Go after her, Draco." Draco nodded mutely and left his teacher, who he had once thought heartless, contemplating his own heart as well as Draco's.
 

I would give everything I own
I'd give up my life, my heart, my home
I would give everything I own
just to have you back again

Is there someone you know
loving them so
taking them all for granted
you may lose them one day
someone takes them away and they don't hear the words you long to say
 

Draco looked around the corner and sighed. There she was. Thankfully, Potter and Weasley weren't escorting her around
the school again. Probably asleep, Draco thought. It is late. But why is she up...tomorrow's Saturday...

He took a deep breath and started around the corner, but stopped. She was writing in something...it looked like a diary.
He sneaked closer, to try and figure out what she was writing.
 

Dear Diary,

How can I explain everything on one sheet of paper? All of these emotions are pouring out of me...I don't know why.
Maybe writing about them will help ...I will start from the beginning, if there is one. I don't know when it started, but I
think I am in love with my enemy. How it happened, I don't know. But I truly think I am in love with Draco Malfoy, the
boy I've loved to hate for the past seven years. Somehow, I think that if we were friends, I would never feel this way...
this isn't helping at all. I know what would help, but everyone would never be able to accept that I loved someone who
was a Slytherin and so cruel to Harry, Ron and I over the years...I don't know what to do...
 

This was all Draco could read, because his eyes were blurred with tears of happiness. She really likes me! This thought
empowerred him, and he marched right over to the table where Hermione was sitting. "Hermione, I need to talk to you," he said, startling her and making her drop her quill and notebook.

"D-Draco, what is it? Why are you up so late?" she blushed, trying to find the right words. "Well...I guess the samee
reason you are, Hermione..." Now it was Draco who was blushing.

Her head perked up, eyes hopeful, but doubtful. "You mean..."

"Hermione, I have loved you ever since I first saw you, but this year...I've finally realized it." Hermione could not answer,
because she was crying too now, but they were happy tears.

"Shhh, it's all right," Draco said, reaching for her and holding her tight, tears streaming down his face freely now.

"But... it can never work out..." Hermione backed up to look in his eyes.

"Well, too bad. We can make it work, no matter what the others think." Hermione was practically bawling now, and Draco
held her for a long while.

Neither saw Snape crawling away through the stacks, a grin on his face despite the tears in his eyes.
 

Everything I own
everything I own

Y'know,baby, my love for you will always be true...that's right...'cause there is no me without you.

I would give everything I own
Nobody could love you, love you, love you, like I do
and I would give everything I own
I'd give up my life my heart my home
I would give up everything i own
just to have you back again
 

Across the school in their separate dormitories, Draco and Hermione rolled over in their beds, overcome with longing for
the one thing they could not have; each other.
 

Just to have you back again.
 
 
 

This is kinda sad, isn't it? Sorry; I'm still working on happy endings. Did it make you cry? Made me nearly cry while I was
working on it...sigh. If you liked crying, go talk to my pal Gillian Sanderson... she's a very angst-y writer. Wanna find out
more about people getting hooked up? Check out Secret Exchanges; I am writing it, have chapters 1-6 out now. Thanx!