Wolf's Lullaby
Disclaimer: I also don't own Harry Potter and I'm not making money off of any of this
Wolfs Lullaby
Chapter 2
Severus' head was pounding and he felt like his entire skull just cracked open like a melon against a rock. He reached up and tenderly pressed his fingers against the back of his skull before he opened his eyes, his vision bombarded by white.
The Hospital Wing, perfect.
This place was not his favorite, even when he knew he was hurt he often went to his own room and healed himself there. His head disagreed with him and pain erupted from behind his eyes and Severus shut them tight, dear heavens above what hit him! He sat up carefully and instantly regretted it and lay back down. His head throbbed, badly, and the only thing he wanted was sweet unconsciousness once more.
"Severus, are you awake?" Poppy's voice cut through him like a knife and he whimpered, damn it! Poppy quickly dimmed the lights and was at his side, pulling his hands from his head and checking him over, running her wand over his head. "Severus there is nothing wrong."
"Bloody hell there isn't!" Severus snarled as he clutched his head, he felt like it was going to split open. Poppy rushed off again, heading for the potions cabinet to fetch a head ache reliever. Severus was groaning in agony when she got back, curled up in a ball with his arms around his head.
"Severus, Severus take this," Poppy urged and Severus only curled tighter into his ball, he looked absolutely pathetic but his head must be killing him. "Severus, Severus can you hear me?"
Severus could barely hear himself think let along the woman trying to get his attention, white light was flared behind his eyelids and his head felt like it was on fire. He desperately tried to fight his way back to the waking world, this semi-consciousness was only making things worse.
Don't
Severus stopped and felt as if that hot white light encased his entire body, wrapping him in a white fire. Severus struggled, his body felt like it was in the middle of a furnace.
Don't fight it, don't fight me
"Who are you?" Severus hissed and felt that heat blaze around him and he couldn't fight it anymore, it was swallowing him whole. The white blaze swirled and moved around him and a face appeared, his face!
I am you, Severus, and you are me
"Impossible," Severus breathed and the face disappeared and formed again into the great beast he had been running from, "You…"
Don't fight me
Severus felt his body go lax and his struggling stopped, instantly he felt that burning fill him, surround him and swallow him, binding him into a constant unbearable heat and then, it was gone.
Severus' eyes snapped open and he sat up instantly, as if suddenly startled by a nightmare. Poppy was shaking him, asking him questions but he heard nothing. His eyes flicked from one thing to another, his fingers flexed and relaxed at his side and everything just looked so damn…clear.
"Severus!" Poppy screeched and Severus look at her and blinked, wow, were her eyes always that bright, "Severus are you alright?"
"I…I don't know…" Severus looked about again, his eyes scanning everything and anything, like a blind man who suddenly got his vision back. Poppy checked him out and sighed, everything was fine, his head was perfectly alright, his eyes were fine but Severus looked like he was about to explode a few moments ago.
"Well I don't know what is wrong with you, but you seem fine," Poppy huffed, curious on what caused such pain and then suddenly vanish as if nothing happened, "If you feel at all funny, you come back here, now off with you."
Severus looked at her before he got out of bed, gathering his robe and heading for the great hall for breakfast, by the way the sun came through the windows, he guessed it was early morning. His eyes kept dancing about the hall though, the slightest glimmer from the armour, the sparkle of something shiny the sun hit or a small flicker of light off glass his eyes caught it. Once in the Great Hall Severus felt his heart beat faster and he peered about, this place was absolutely beautiful! His eyes flicked from the tiny pieces of shiny stone that the sun caught, the glow of metal from the candle holders and wall mounts, the shine from everything made the great hall glow. Severus snapped out of it, he'd been in there a million times, how was this any different.
"Professor," Granger's voice sounded and Severus blinked and eyed her at her table and glided towards her, "Sir, are you alright?"
"Quite Miss. Granger, I was unable to return your book to you, come to me after class and I will return it to you," Severus spoke carefully and Granger tilted her head at him in the most curious of fashions, as if looking at him for the first time. "Granger?"
"Sir…are you sure you're alright?" This was Weasley talking and Severus shifted his gaze to the youngest male sibling, "I mean…you hit your head pretty hard and all."
"I assure you Weasley, you will be seeing me in class today," Snape hissed and the young man shrunk back.
"But sir, I don't mean to offend, but…have you taken a look in a mirror?" Hermione spoke and now Snape was getting annoyed, he didn't want to make a scene in front of the entire school but this girl was getting on his nerves.
"What are you talking about Granger?" He growled and the young woman flinched and looked at her red haired friend who was also looking rather edgy "Spit it out!"
"Sir, your eyes are different," Weasley said in a rush and Snape blinked several times.
"My eyes are perfectly fine…Granger!" He snapped as the young woman pushed him into a pool of light and then quickly handed him a pocket mirror. Severus's eyes widened at the golden orbs that looked back from his reflection. "What the hell…"
"We noticed when we saw you standing there sir…" Hermione said "Your eyes were practically glowing." Severus looked at the mirror and back at Granger "They went back to brown when you came out from the light…and…sir!" Severus had dropped the mirror and turned, leaving the Great Hall in a rush, his robe falling from his shoulders as he rounded the corner.
"Albus?" Minerva looked at the old man and saw his eyes dull ever so slightly, "Albus what is going on?"
"I don't know Minerva," Albus spoke slowly, "and I don't like it."
Severus had run right out of the school, his feet rushing towards the Forbidden Forest on their own accord. Severus felt the wind whip at his face and the grass smelt wonderful and he wanted to just roll in it. He squashed that urge and found himself in the middle of the woods, looking for the culprit of this change.
"I know you're in here! What did you do to me?" He cried out and whirled about, "You, you good for nothing animal, where are you!"
The sound of crushing leaves and snapped twigs made Severus whip around and his eyes narrowed as the large wolf looked down at him, the light glinting off his fur and his eyes were a deep black void and Severus stared.
You are not alone in your suffering the wolf spoke; I felt your pain as if it were my own
"And my eyes! What about them?" Severus snarled and the wolf stepped closer, bowing his great head and looking at Severus with his own golden pools, the light catching them just right.
My eyes and your eyes are one in the same, I see as you see, I feel as you feel, I am you and you are me.
"No," Severus hissed "I will not be bound to some…monster,"
I am not a monster!The wolf growled, teeth bared and his eyes glinting and Severus stepped back and the wolf followed, head still bowed to look him in the eyes. Tell me, are you not a monster in your own right, have you not killed with your paws, have you not cursed with your tongue, and you not hated with your heart, does that not make you a monster?Severus looked up at the creature and felt pain swell in his chest and the wolf sighed and sat down, still looking at him, but like me, have you not loved with that same heart, blessed with that same tongue and healed with those same paws? Have you not charmed a wound away and yet also cause pain with the same lips, did you not brew poisons with those fingers and yet also make cures with the same spoon, have you not loved so deeply it hurt and also hate with the same passion? Yes, I know of it all Severus, and I weep for you and also howl with joy, for you can be saved, and I will save you, and you me, and together my race.
"I don't understand," Severus spoke and looked into those golden eyes, the darkness of the forest making them a dull brown, were his own back to their normal colour now that he was shaded?
Yes you do, look within your heart Severus, and you will remember the creature leaned down and pressed his large nose on Severus' head and the man tensed because this animal could swallow him whole if he wanted too I will not eat you Severus.
"Stay out of my head," Severus drawled and he heard the creature chuckle, a soothing, wild sound that made his mind fall deep into itself.
Our minds are of one mind, we are one, and I know your fears, The wolf pulled away and looked down at Severus from his great height and gave a sort of smile, one that was not seen but felt. When you are ready, you will call me again. The animal turned and vanished back into the woods, leaving Severus feeling confused and strangely alone.
Classes were awkward because Severus was in a kind of trance as he walked between the students watching them with all his attention but only half his heart. He couldn't seem to clear his mind of that great animal, those large eyes haunted him and all he could do was pretend that it wasn't bothering him. Now Severus didn't let anyone get away with foolishness, no, but he didn't take any points that day, or give detentions, actually, the worst he did was raise his voice at some second year and only because he blew himself up. The rest of the day though he seemed almost tame.
"Sir?" The timid voice of Granger made him look up from the very book she came to pick up.
"Come in Granger," He drawled and closed the book and watched the young woman step towards his desk, Potter and Weasley watching from the door. Severus picked up the reading material and handed it to her with ease and she took it gratefully.
"Sir, I don't mean to pry…"
"Then don't Miss. Granger," Severus said smoothly and the young woman snapped her mouth shut with a click. Severus looked up at her, the candle light on his desk caught his eyes in a strange way, making them flicker between molten gold to a swirling brown. Hermione would have stared at them if they weren't obviously angry.
"Good day sir," She said and turned, heading back to her friends and they all vanished around the corner, their footsteps disappearing soon after. Severus leaned back in his chair and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"I need a drink," He mumbled and stood, planning on taking a shower before he headed for dinner, it was still early and he didn't have any detentions. Once in his quarters Severus stripped and headed for the bathroom and turned the water up and stepped into the spray, turning up his face to the water. The heat calmed him considerably and the head ache that had been building vanished without a trace, leaving him relaxed and warm. Severus would have just stood there if he had the time but he washed, making sure to try and get his hair somewhat clean and stepped out of the shower and toweled off, roughly drying his hair as he made his way to his bedroom. He quickly dressed and brushed his hair, drying it off with a spell and found his liquor cabinet, pulling out a glass and some strong whiskey.
Severus sat back in his chair and poured himself a glass before he flicked his wand and a fire blazed to life. He took a careful swig of the liquor and sighed as the taste burned down his throat and licked a stray drop off his lip. He could taste everything about the liquid, the sweetness of it and the thickness running over his tongue, another change thanks to that animal. Severus leaned back against the leather of his chair, his mind slowly drifting away from him as the warmth of the fire sank deep into his muscles and body, the alcohol relaxing him. There was no surprise that Severus Snape then felt tired, his eyes slowly drifting closed and his mind quietly shutting off. Severus didn't even feel his glass slip from his fingers, falling to the floor in a clatter of glass before his head lulled to the side in a peaceful slumber.
AN: I needed to freaking end the chapter! Otherwise if would be huge! R&R!
