IX.
The following evening Severus was nowhere to be found in the common room. Syrulia began to feel bored, sitting there by herself. She had already finished all of her assignments, so she was simply lounging in front of the fire staring into it. Finally boredom got the better of her, and she decided to go look for either Avery or Severus. She wondered past a group of first years entering the common room giggling, and then made her way down the corridor to the stairs. As she reached the top of the stairwell she heard a familiar sound. It was Avery's amused chuckle, but something about it sounded odd.
Syrulia felt confused, and as she rounded the corner in search of him she spotted two dark figures in the shadow of an empty classroom doorway. The castle was so dimly lit in this corridor that she could not make out who was there or what they were doing. She slowly moved closer to the doorway, hoping to see who was there. As she got closer she was shocked by what she saw.
Avery was there, but no study partner. Instead she found Avery leaning against the wall, a strange girl snogging him with her hand down his trousers. She couldn't help but gasp as she took in the scene, and the sound caused Avery to open his eyes. He saw her standing there and realized he had been caught. Tears blinded Syrulia as she turned and ran towards the Slytherin common room. She barely managed to utter the password through her growing sobs.
Trying to hide her face she made a b-line for the girls dorms. However a strong hand grasped her arm, suddenly turning her to the side. Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined it was Avery already having caught up to her. When she looked up she found Severus instead. He looked down at her, his eyes barely concealing his concern. "What happened," Severus inquired. Syrulia couldn't speak, all she could do was force a weak smile and shake her head. Severus' grip loosened immediately, and she pulled away from him, fleeing to the safety of her bed once more.
