You Were Loved

January, 1983

"Albus, what is this news about Miss Devon?" he asked the Headmaster, barging in his office the first day back.

"Why, Severus, I never knew you cared!" Dumbledore said with a teasing smile.

Snape rolled his eyes. "I attended school with her. I knew her when she was a little first year. She is, according to the staff, one of the best Defense students we've had in quite a while. She practically could teach the blasted class! Why has she left?" he demanded.

Dumbledore resumed reading his magazine absent-mindedly and said, "Miss Devon has been offered an early release to Durmstrang. She will be studying Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Headmaster there. I believe you know him, Severus, Igor Karkaroff?"

Snape turned white as a sheet with potent rage. "Karkaroff! That man is a cretin! He's just been pardoned from Azkaban! She'll be destroyed. That place is literally bursting at the seams with Death Eaters...Death Eaters he has recruited!"

Dumbledore looked at the young wizard with confusion.

Snape sighed dramatically. "She's always been drawn to the dark, Albus. Fuck! How could you let her go? You should have consulted me!" He leaned over Dumbledore's desk in pain.

"I wouldn't worry too much for Miss Devon, Severus," he replied cooly. She will have gained much experience and wisdom I'm sure before we have to worry about Tom's return."

"You have no idea of when, how long...anything!" Snape accused.

"I do know when a young wizard is getting to be too big for his britches, Severus," said Dumbledore sternly. "Now sit!"

Snape sat down. He did not like the sound of this...not at all!

"I'm going to speak plainly to you, Severus. I know all about your and Miss Devon's relationship. I've kept quiet since you are so very young and have been in so much pain since Lily's death. After all, she was 17 and you were 21 at the time it began. Not a crime, although ethically, it is deplorable! I also decided to keep silent because I knew you were students here together, but, Severus, you were hardly equals at the time!"

"But you have made her an equal now. However, Miss Devon has a single-mindedness concerning you that betrays her age. I must admit I am deeply ashamed of your use of her, Severus, when you and I know where you heart truly lies. However, she came to me with this opportunity with enthusiasm. I thought perhaps she was trying to run away from an unhappy love affair gone sour. But, she did not exhibit any signs of being heart-broken. Then when I pointedly asked her..."

Snape looked up at the Headmaster in horror. "Tell me you did not do this!" he begged.

"Severus, my boy, I did. I had to. I needed to know the truth. I could not have this girl going off into a foreign land, studying such a dangerous field, with a dangerous mentor to boot, without knowing if she were stable in her mind to make that decision. What if she had taken this on because she couldn't face you anymore after having been thrown out of your bed? That's hardly a reason to take on a demanding and grueling apprenticeship she'll be undertaking at Durmstrang! But when I asked, she smiled and said that she knew about Lily, that your affair began the night of her death and carried on to the end of the last school year, but that she had to go. That in the long-run it would be better for all parties. She said she realized she would never be of any use in the future staying here. She said she did not believe Tom was gone forever, and she has 'much to accomplish.' I was rather impressed."

Snape shook his head in shock. "That girl is a fool!" he hissed. Then he got up and left, slamming the door and his thoughts of Miss Devon behind him. Surely, she is dead, or will be soon.

Dumbledore let the matter rest. Miss Devon was not to be spoken of again for twelve more years.

***

June, 1995

The Order of the Phoenix held its meeting at number twelve, Grimmauld Place in London. It was the family home of Sirius Black. The gathering was subdued. Cedric Diggory was dead, and Voldemort was back. Snape sat giving his report of his first meeting with the newly risen Dark Lord. Every member in attendance was entranced by every word he said.

"Of course, the Dark Lord was furious to find out that Karkaroff had vanished. I had the opportunity while Igor was here to learn interesting facts about Durmstrang. As some of you who are a part of the staff at Hogwarts know, Durmstrang does not follow our line of curriculum. The Dark Arts permeate everything the students learn. I would not be surprised at all to see soon among the newest batch of Death Eaters the best and brightest of Durmstrang."

Dumbledore interjected at this point tentatively. "Severus, what of things...what is the state of the school now that Igor is gone? Do we have any friends among the throngs of potential Death Eaters there?"

Fuck! Fuck! Bloody Fuck!

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and stated cautiously, "As you are aware, Albus, there are many Dark Arts teachers. I recall a passing mention of a younger professor who had done quite well for herself at Durmstrang. She is British. I will see if she turns up or if she is mentioned at any meetings."

"Do you know her name, Severus?" asked Lupin.

Fuck! Fuck! Double Fuck!

"I believe her name to be Alissa Devon."

"Devon," said Sirius searchingly. "Alissa Devon...black-haired, pale, Gryffindor!" he slapped his hand on the table and barked a laugh. "You remember her, Remus? That girl was a scrapper!" He turned viciously to Snape and licked his lips.

Remus nodded and kept his head down.

"You remember her, Snivellus! She couldn't wait to fight right by your side!" Sirius laughed derisively.

Snape bolted upright, wand out at the ready. Sirus followed in a heartbeat.

"Oh, will the both of you stop this idiocy this instant!" snapped Minerva. "Severus, Sirius, explain yourselves!"

The two enemies warily lowered their wands and sat down.

Sirius' eyes glittered maliciously as he began to speak. "Old Snivelly here had a little shadow his sixth and seventh year. It was quite touching. She thought it was rather 'rude' of James and I to fight against Snape two-to-one. She was a sight!" He broke out in a broad smile, his eyes shining in remembering his glory days. "She was this tiny little Gryffindor. Long black hair like old Snape minus the grease of course..."

"Sirius," Lupin hissed. Snape was ready to blow again if Sirius did not get to his point and soon!

"Well, she was just enthralled by Defense Against the Dark Arts. She loved watching us fight. One day, she jumped out and pointed her wand at us. Sixth years! This little firstie stood next to Snape and just let us have it! After that, we promised we would no longer gang-up on poor Snape. So I stepped aside since it was James Snape had the real hard-on for," he said as he grinned malevolently.

Snape bolted up again and hexed Black, sealing his mouth shut. The Order members went into a rage, some against Sirius and some against Snape. Dumbledore calmed them all down and ordered Snape to take off the hex. Once released, Sirius was livid and went to retaliate.

"What's wrong, Snivellus? Truth hit too close to home?" Sirius said maliciously.

"That is an interesting choice of words, Black, 'close to home,' since you can not do otherwise!" Snape snarled.

"Fuck you, you slime ball!" Sirius roared.

"Why don't you just sit and behave like a good little puppy?" Snape whispered softly.

"Oh, shut it!" snapped McGonagall in exasperation. "This exhibition is disgraceful, even for you two! So will you both please refrain from acting like a pair of ruddy jackasses!"

Dumbledore waved his hand and both Snape and Sirius' wands soared into his hands.

"I most heartily concur, Minerva! There will be no more of that, boys!" he said reprovingly. "Until you can prove to me you can act like the honorable men I know you are both capable of being, these shall stay with me." He patted his front pocket where the wands were safely tucked away. "And, Severus, don't try any Nonverbal Summoning Charms. I shall know!" he warned.

Snape glowered at the old wizard.

"Well, all in all, an extremely interesting development. I do recall Miss Devon, as I'm sure you do as well, Minerva," Albus mused.

McGonagall was tight-lipped in fury as she glared at each of the "men" before her. It took her a couple of minutes to regain her composure.

"Yes, Albus. Alissa Devon was an exceptional Defense student from what I had been told. However, she was not an exceptional Tranfiguration student. But she was a true Gryffindor. Brave, decisive, strong, and knew her own mind. She decided to leave Hogwarts in the end of her first term of her seventh year to take an early apprenticeship at Durmstrang with Karkaroff. She was most excited. I was, as you well know, Albus, extrememly concerned for her for obvious reasons. And I had hoped to keep up our correspondence, but I never heard from her again." She continued to glare at her former students.

Kingsley spoke up. "What year was this, Albus?"

"It was the year after Tom fell that the decision was made. She left for Durmstrang in January of 1983 right after the New Year. She was eighteen."

"Wow, twelve years," Bill muttered. "Seems like yesterday."

Everyone looked over at the eldest Weasley Boy. "What? I was a firstie in '82. I just remember a very serious dark-haired girl who was in another universe as far as I was concerned. She was pretty, in a dark sort of way, but dead scary."

"Well, I think that is all we can do for tonight," announced Dumbledore. "Meeting adjourned!"

Snape jumped up from his seat and left in a fury. He was incensed! Nothing good was going to come of this! He recalled Igor bragging about his precious school and telling him about Alissa.

She is very well suited for Durmstrang; always has been. She was a joy to teach. She had already an interesting approach to her dueling style. Much like yours, Severus. She is subtle. The problem is with the boys. She is always dealing with some lovesick boy. I will never take on another woman apprentice. They are too damn mean.

Snape had always wondered what he meant by that.

A/N: Next up, Severus will see Alissa after twelve years. How has she changed? How will Severus react to her showing up at an Order Meeting? Is she to be trusted?

Thanks to my beta, MadBrilliant!