Micah had her face in her hands, sobbing. She hadn't meant to say it. She was so stupid. She thought of Scott, and his horrible, bloody screaming, and it just came out. Lucius deserved it, she knew. But not then, and certainly not right there. She screamed furiously, pounding the tree beside her with small fists. There was no getting out of this. Lucius would shout murder, and she would be landed in Azkaban. Her knuckles bloodied, but she didn't stop. And when Severus grabbed her shoulders and turned her around, she started on him.
"Stop it!" He shouted, holding her at arms length. She swipe furiously at him, ripping her nails across his cheek. "I'm sorry! I tried to stop them. I did!" She didn't stop. "Listen to me!" He pleaded. She broke down, collapsing to the ground. He held her wrists, so she crouched awkwardly, her arms pulled up while she strained to lay on the ground. "Stop, please Micky."
"Murderer!" She wailed. He shook his head desperately, catching her around the waist as she lunged for the water. "You killed him. You killed him for no reason. What did he do to you?" The brilliant sunlight was oddly unrealistic as the scene unfolded, Micah screaming and sobbing, Severus trying to reign her in away from the lake she desperately struggled to reach. "Please, Severus!" She begged. "Please let me be with him. I need him. I love him." Frantically, Severus pulled her back, tripping over a rock and accidentally pushing her into the tree. He bent to help her up.
"Leave her alone." Severus froze. He stood, turning slowly. Sirius had his wand out, pointed at Severus with a look of cool authority and utter contempt. Severus stared fiercely at him. He stepped back to help Micah, who was crouched by the tree. "I said, leave her alone!" Sirius shouted reproachfully. "Christ, Snape, has all the grease blocked out your ears? Don't you listen?"
"Get out of it, Black." Severus snarled. He reached for Micah's hand, but suddenly found an invisible wall around her. "What's this?" He exclaimed hotly. "I said get out of it. Let me get to her!" Sirius snickered. Severus felt an invisible, and very strong, hand pushing on his chest until he was ankle deep in water. "Micah, come here." He ordered. Micah stood precariously, casting a fearful look at the bear-like Sirius. "Here." He beckoned again, stretching his hand as far as he could before hitting the wall. "Its okay, Micky. Please come here." She started to reach out, but Sirius pushed Severus back farther. Severus tried to jerk his feet from the mud.
"He's trying to hurt you Micah." Sirius warned, his concentration solely on Severus and keeping him away from the girl. She stopped, looking between the two. "Don't you remember last- when Lucius was with him?" Sirius caught himself before saying 'last night'. "I bet he isn't as nice as then." Severus was too busy concentrating on his feet to catch the near slip, but Micah furrowed her brow curiously at him. He was big, with shaggy black hair and a loping grace. With strange silver eyes. "He'll hurt you. I heard you talking to him. He killed someone, didn't he? What's to stop him from killing you?" Micah looked unsure. Severus furiously wrenched one foot from the mud, wobbling treacherously.
"Shut it, Black!" He shouted. "You don't know what you're talking about!" His nosy, stupid classmate paid him no attention. "Micky, please!" Severus appealed, gazing at her sadly. "I would never have hurt you, or Scott. Think. Please. Did you ever see me raise my wand once?" She paused again. "You just don't understand what it's like. I should've done something, anything, I could do for him if they wouldn't have killed both of us on the spot."
"You should've died." She croaked hoarsely. "Rather than him. I would have gladly gone in his place." Severus watched her with his miserably dark eyes. Those inconsolably black eyes. She could see, in the black depths, that it really wasn't his fault. That didn't make it any better. "Why didn't you just kill me?"
"It wasn't- I- Lucius-" He tried desperately, before rounding on Sirius. "Will you go away, Black?" He yelled irately. Sirius had an amused, saddened expression on his face. He held his hand out, and Micah took it. She walked away with him, not sparing him a second glance. He was able to move a few seconds later, and he trudged out of the mud. He watched Micah's retreating back disdainfully.
"It's not my fault that Scott is dead!" He shouted. He saw Micah pause. She turned slightly. "It isn't my fault, Micah. You just want someone to blame because you know, secretly, that if you hadn't been such a slut with Lucius and his playmates, they never would've figured out about him!" Micah's back was rigidly frozen, and it took a moment of urging from Sirius and a well aimed hex that sent Severus flying to the middle of the lake to get her moving again. By the time Severus had swam to shore, both of them were gone. He squeezed the excess water out of his robes before going back to the castle
