"No, anyone but him!" Liko looked at her in confusion. "Celestia, this man is the best you have! He can help you, he worked on a similar case before he knows the perfect cure." Celestia sat thinking.

"I can't risk it Liko..."
"Celly you are hiding something, tell me what is it that's bothering you?" Celestia looked at him and smiled, "It's nothing. I can't go on with this. Just replenish the previous potion and I will be on my way. I have bothered you enough." Liko walked towards her and hugged her, "Never ever have you ever bothered me. For me you are like my sister. If ever anything happens and you need me you will not hesitate, Promise me!" Celestia looked up she had tears in her eyes, "I promise." Liko smiled, "Now go on I will make those potions, but again don't you want to cure it?" Celestia walked towards the door, "No Liko, it's something I will have to deal with." With that she walked towards the tea fields, she sat there near the tree. Looking at the lovely sunset, the fiery light that speckled the sky comforted her. But in the sky she saw an owl that came flying towards her. It dropped a letter and waited by her side. Celestia opened the letter.

Celestia,

I have many things to tell you but I may fall short of words. It's true when they say if someone is with us we don't realize their importance but now that you are not here, I find numerous reasons to think of you each day, each minute each and every moment. You told me to wait for you, and I shall but there is something I need to tell you. There are a few things you need to know. I know you have a lot of information about me, but there are certain things that I haven't disclosed to anyone and I will never. But somewhere deep in my heart, I wish for you to know them, I wish for you to truly know me for who I am. This feeling I have for you is so foreign for me... but somewhere I feel I felt this before, this sickly feeling. I can't explain it to you... I apologize for I sound too indistinguishable. It's been a month since I have seen you. Could we meet? Just for a few minutes...

Severus.

Celestia folded the letter then looked at the owl, "I don't have a letter to send back, you can leave." Owl turned and flapped its wings and flew into the horizon. Celestia felt perturbed, What did he want to tell her? What was this letter about? Xiu walked behind her and grabbed the letter from her hand, "Uh huh, I have many things to tell you but I may fall short of words. Its true when they say if someone is with us we don't realize their importance but now that you are not here, I find numerous reasons to think of you each day, each minute each and every mome...." Xiu ran with the letter reading it out loud. "Xiu, give me my letter back!" Celestia ran behind her. She was finally about to catch Xiu, but she tripped and fell taking Xiu with her. Celestia quickly grabbed the letter, "That's private Xiu!!" Xiu looked at her and pouted, "Till date there is not a single guy who's been in your life who you have not told me about. What's  so special about this one that you don't want to share any information?" Celestia laid in the grass, "Nothing Xiu." Xiu sat up and stared at Celestia, "Wait a minute, has Celestia Hamilton actually fallen for a guy and not the other way round?" Xiu sat there smirking and wiggling her eyebrows. "Er... What a load of rubbish!"
"Wait, you hesistated, you like him, you like him a lot don't you?" Xiu elbowed Celestia.

"Xiu enough of this..." She got up, "I'm leaving in a few hours, bye." Celestia walked back to the house, she walked to her room and packed her bag. She sat on the bed with the letter in her hand. "I don't like him, I can't!"
"Yes you can!" Xiu walked in.

"Xiu leave me alone!" Celestia got up and and walked towards the dresser she sat on the chair and picked up the brush on the dresser.

"Celly you deserve to be happy, tell me a little about this Severus Snake!"
"Its Snape. You are not going to let this go, What do you want to know?"

"Well, how does he look like? How is he?"
"Have you ever seen a colour that's darker than black... or maybe just a bat."
"Whoaaa is he an animagus?" Celestia started laughing, "No, just a person who loves the colour black too much, I have never seen him wearing any other colour. He's just....different. I haven't met anyone like him, I like talking to him, I really like to spend time with him..." Celestia looked at Xiu she was smiling, "You really like him Celly! When are you introducing him to me?"
"Never, he will run far away from me if he ever meets you!" they both laughed at this. Liko walked in with a suitcase, "Are you ready to leave, Celly?"
"Yes, all done." He handed her the suitcase with the potions, "This should be sufficient for at least a year, take care of yourself okay?"
"Don't worry brother she has Severus Snape to take care of her." Liko looked at Celestia, "How do you..."
"Long story..."

Severus sat in the potions classroom sorting through a few papers, the headmistress had suggested him to add a few extra things in the syllabus. So he was jotting down the new advanced potions. He had also been keenly interested in a letter he received from a colleague about a potion, but he hadn't received any reply for it. He waited for sometime he knew Celestia would reply to his letter. But it had been over five hours he should have got the reply. Anxious he got up and walked towards the owlry. He walked inside to see his owl, but no letter. "Didn't she give you a letter, Iona?" the owl shook her head in negation. Oh well great Severus Snape write a letter tell her you have feelings for her that will definitely work! Damn it! He thought as he walked back to his room. He opened the door to see Celestia sitting on the sofa reading a book. She turned to look at him. She smiled, "Hello!" Severus just stared blankly Celestia walked towards him, "Hello, its me!"
"You're here, I didn't expect you to be here!" Celestia was bewildered, "So, do you want me to leave I can come another time.." she walked past him towards the door, "NO, I didn't mean it like that. Its just I didn't get a reply for my letter. Are you here for sometime?" She smiled again, "I am here. My trip is over." Severus pulled her into a warm hug. He held onto her for the longest time. "I would be lying if I said I didn't miss you!" Severus smiled, "I'm glad I wrote that letter." Celestia kissed him softly, "I...missed you too." They sat on the sofa discussing her trip and all that had happened at Hogwarts, time seemed to have stopped or was it rushing, it just didn't matter they both were here they could see each other, they could be with each other.

"Severus, what is it that you wanted to tell me?" Severus hesitated a little, "Would you like some wine?"
"Sure." Severus poured her a glass of wine. They sat there for sometime the silence was very gauche. "Severus what is it?" Severus took a deep breath. "My childhood, it wasn't the one you would expect. My father was a muggle and my mother she was a pure blood witch. My father hated magic and anything related to it. He didn't like me reading about it. My entire childhood was full of malevolence. Nothing seemed good, I thought I would end up dead or too beaten up to do anything I didn't have a single happy memory, but then I met someone. Someone who helped me, who gave me happy memories. Someone I fell in love with. She was so pure and beautiful. A very kind soul, and me I was a dark soul. I felt I would spend the rest of my life with her. To be with her made me feel less vice, made me feel I had some good in me. Made me feel I deserved a friend like her, deserved happiness after a long time..." Severus looked down his hair covered his face. Celestia moved towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder, "So what happened to her?" Severus shut his eyes, "I don't know why do I always do this, I destroyed the only friendship I had, I broke our bond, I did something I shouldn't have. I fell so low for power, I became the reason she died. My only happiness I led her to death, I ruined everything. I wish I were dead."
"Severus, I..." he stopped her, "Just hear me out, I am telling you this is because I don't think I deserve to feel happiness again, I felt so for so many years. But when I met you, I got to know you. Celestia I feel happy again, I feel like living again, will you be there for me?" he looked up at her. Celestia's heart ached when those words came out of his mouth. She couldn't say anything, she moved closer to him. Their lips met she could taste the saltiness from his tears or were they her's she couldn't tell. She opened her eyes, Severus' eyes were still closed, a person who she felt was of stoic resignation his expressions gave it all out today all the pain. She felt her heart sink at this, "Severus, please let go of these memories, sometimes letting go is the only way to heal then holding on. Please let go of it, its causing your heart nothing but pain. Look at me Severus, please." He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her, She smiled, "I will be here Severus for you, don't worry." Severus hugged her he held onto to her as if his life depended on it. Celestia waited for Severus to fall asleep before she left. He held her hand. She slowly removed her hand from his tight grip and walked towards the door, she took one last look at him then walked towards her room. She sat on the sofa, she felt his pain, the pain of taking a decision that destroyed everything she loved she had done the same. She was also broken, she also felt she did not deserve to be happy. Celestia I feel happy again, I feel like living again, will you be there for me? This kept playing in her mind , the way he looked at her the way he felt for her. She closed her eyes, "I can't take it anymore, I can't !" a letter flew out of her fireplace. She knew who it would be from she got up and picked the letter.

Meet me near the Black Lake now.

She scrunched the letter in her hand. Then grabbed her coat and walked towards the black lake. She sat on the tree stump.

"Missed me darling?" Rita walked out from behind the tree. Celestia just looked at her. "Now love tell me what have I missed?" Celestia gave her the information about his parents, also his frequent visits to the brothel before the war.

"This is just splendid! Anything else?" Celestia looked at her, "Ther...Nothing." Rita smiled and disappeared. Celestia sat there wondering what was to happen if Rita would come to know about his past about that girl who he loved and lost. She wondered if that girl was Serena...

What was to happen now...?

(AN) (̶◉͛‿◉̶)
Hello guys. I hope that the story is getting interesting.....!! Please do comment and vote. Always waiting for your feedback! Writing this chapter was a bit tough, to make Severus express his feelings is so very challenging!!
✿Thank you for your lovely support!!✿ ☜(ˆ▿ˆc)
Have a lovely day ahead,
Take care.
Love,
Ria💕

P.S. The song is Heroes by David Bowie, may his soul rest in peace!