I never quite understood how rumors spread so quickly, it had been less than 24 hours. It's like a massive game of telephone, and extreme exaggeration is bound to happen. That being said, what was once boys will be boys was now a hate bandwagon. I was still salty from yesterday's events, I knew not to take insults to heart, but that didn't mean they didn't hurt. Severus wouldn't take credit for his work, but he was the one who started the rumor mill by calling the boy out in the middle of class, leaving the rest of the students to speculate what had happened in the brief 30 seconds of interaction. And his house didn't look too kindly on him, I mean 70 points was a lot, and he was in Slytherin. Never in the history of ever, had Severus deducted more than 10 points to a student in his house, the boy had broken a record, one our house would never quite recover from.

I spoke to Severus about the boy's punishment, but he was adamant that he had made the right call, however dodgy his morals could be, I couldn't bring myself to argue with him, not when he was doing it for me. It felt nice though, Sev no longer acted as though I was the enemy, and it seemed crazy that he was always there when I needed him. But running over those thoughts a few times, I realized that it was rather fishy, was he spying on me? I glanced up to the high table, but his attention was solely focused on Albus.

The two were engaged in quite a somber conversation, Remus even chimed in, and the look on Severus' face was one of consideration and contemplation, that never happened between those two, they were mortal enemies, despite it being one-sided. Oh, I guess Severus could hold a long ass grudge. The only one who looked remotely calm, was Albus, well from an outside perspective they all seemed calm, but I knew something was amiss. Minerva herself looked put off by the conversation, her hands resting in her lap, she had yet to touch her food, expression grim. And as our eyes met, she made a point to look away. Okay.

My attention refocused to Viktor who groaned in frustration tapping his wand like there was no tomorrow. His eyes glaring at the pages of his N.E.W.T textbook as if there was something wrong with them. "Stop glaring at your textbook like that. You're not Superman."

"Superman?" he questioned.

"Nevermind."

"Not all of us are prodigies," Viktor sneered. I remained silent, unable to defend myself, and it wasn't my fault I was stuck here! But Viktor did not need to know that.

"Well, why don't you calm down for starters, yeah?" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he calmed, he looked to me awaiting further instructions. I couldn't quite blame him, non-verbal spells were truly a hassle, but once you got the hang of them, it was a breeze. "Before casting a non-verbal spell, you should cast it verbally. With a clear image in mind, picture every vivid detail and then let your muscle memory do the work." He nodded grabbing his wand, with a flick of his wrist he recited the spell, and sure enough, he conjured up a paper bird, and I smiled. The bird burned into ashes and Viktor concentrated his wand waving effortlessly, no words escaped his mouth, and the results were underwhelming, nothing happened. He frowned visibly frustrated and growled under his breath. A chuckle slipped my lips, not meaning to offend him, but it was cute.

"Well, it won't always work on the first try, go on, give it another go," I ushered. He groaned in pure misery and continued to wave his wand, trying to conjure up a paper bird wordlessly. I gathered my textbooks preparing to leave when Viktor stopped me.

"You do it," he snapped, but as commanding as he tried to sound, it came out as a plea, and I sat back down. I wasn't thinking straight and waved my hand, but luckily Severus grabbed my wrist canceling my non-verbal incantation.

"Miss Salazar, perhaps you should leave the great hall intact." I nodded not looking at him as I regarded Viktor who frowned at Snape. My wand was still tucked in my combat boot, and I glanced to my hand, there was a vast difference between non-verbal magic and wandless magic, and part of me let out a shaky breath, thankful Severus had stopped me. Crisis averted.

In the end, I used my wand, showing Viktor how to properly cast a non-verbal spell, but I still couldn't get over the mistake I almost made. I only knew simple wandless spells, but nonetheless, no student should be able to perform wandless magic, even in seventh year, the chances of that were slim, and I did not need to the extra attention. It spelled trouble, and trouble always got me scolded, I knew that from experience. I somehow got stuck helping a group of fourth years with their transfiguration, and I cursed my good heart wishing it could burn in hell, along with those textbooks.

On my way to Hagrid's hut, I was ambushed by the twins, and they leisurely wrapped their arms around my shoulders, swaying me along with them. "Can I help you two gentlemen?"

"Actually dear Rynne,"

"You can." The twins smirked, and from the looks on their faces, I shook my head.

"It better not be a prank," I said sternly, whipping around to face the two devilish pranksters, arms folded in a disapproving manner.

"Believe or not, it isn't a prank." Their honesty shocked me, and their eyes did not waver, and I sighed knowing I was getting dragged into yet another ruckus.

"Fine," I groaned. "And what do I have to do?"

"Absolutely nothing-"

"Just stand there and look pretty," Fred instructed. George worked on my hair, fluffing it up slightly, tossing strands in disarray.

"Disheveled enough, won't you say so, Fred?"

"Indeed!" The twins snickered. "Now stand right there, and try not to move." I nodded glancing at the two, and then, Fred leaned in, his lips brushing my ear and I tensed.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, trying to push him off.

"Trying to confirm-"

"Weasleys you never cease to amaze me," a velvety voice rang through the hall. Severus rested a hand on Fred's shoulder, looking rather annoyed. With a defeated sigh, Severus grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him away, the two shared a look that wasn't quite hostile, but meaningful, and I glanced between them. Had I missed something? I glanced to George, who held back a snicker, but his eyes approved and I wondered what the hell was happening. "Dreadfully repetitive," he muttered to himself.

"Let's go, George!" Fred beamed happily, his smirk too wide for me to feel any sense of comfort. I shook my head and glanced to Sev.

"Did you-I'm sorry what was that? Since when are you, two friends?" I asked holding onto his sleeve, knowing he would pull a fast one on me, given the opportunity.

"We are not friends," he snapped, but there was something in his eyes, was that guilt? Nuh-uh Severus Snape did not do guilt.

"Should I be concerned? You didn't shout, and you didn't give him detention, you weren't even rough with him. Are you feeling sick? Is it that time of the month?" He rose a brow then, a wicked smirk almost tugging at his lips, almost. "What?"

"Rough," he whispered to himself. His eyes examined me, and clearing his throat, he fixed my hair and adjusted my uniform in three quick motions. I scowled, disgusted by how graceful he could be at times, perhaps he got it from my father, those two did talk a lot. I noticed his eyes were still on me and I patted my hair consciously, my nerves growing on edge.

"What?" Without a word, he flourished his robes and away he walked. Damn it. He pulled a fast one on me. Since when did Severus learn to charm his way out of situations? No that meant I was easily charmed-wait was I? I shook my thoughts away and headed to Hagrid's hut determined to get through the day with the remainder of my sanity intact.

I sat in Alchemy nursing my wound from Herbology as I observed Professor Snape. I thought he had been in a good mood, but perhaps I had deceived myself. I did not imagine the look he gave Fred though, and Severus would never in a lifetime miss out on the opportunity to take points away from Gryffindor. What the hell was happening, was this opposite day? No, Severus was still the same condescending bastard as always. I intertwined my fingers, resting my chin on them, glancing him up and down, his clothes were normal I guess. His face holding his usual platonic scowl as he lectured about the delicacy that came with Alchemy. His eyes met mine, a visible frown on his features, and I averted my eyes jotting down random words in my notebook, hoping he would interpret the act as me taking notes. What was he hiding?

Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, a bit more grumpy than usual, but I assumed Tom was to blame for that. On that note, however, when Tom was involved, Severus usual held a murderous glint in his eyes, but for now, that was not the case. I glanced down at my doodles, adding a mustache to my poorly drawn Mona Lisa and pouted. "Five points from Slytherin and detention. Pay Attention." Snape drawled, slamming his textbook on the edge of my table. I jumped then, genuinely caught off guard, the desk shaking from the impact. God Damn.

Roaming the halls, countless students discussed the latest escapees from Azkaban, and I rubbed my arm uncomfortably. "You shouldn't let news like that get to you," Remus smiled, falling into step with me. He whipped out a square of chocolate, and discretely slipped it to me.

"Says the dodgy man trying to smuggle me chocolate," I smirked.

"Dodgy?" He pressed a hand to his chest, his gentle eyes peering down at me.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" His eyes were practically bloodshot, and the dark circles didn't make him any more lively. "You look half-dead."

"Wasn't I always?" he joked, and I opened my mouth, but quieted myself unsure what to say. I wasn't planning on joking about the matter, but if that was how he was going to cope with his situation, who was I to judge, I was the same way.

"Dessert before dinner, you're a bad influence," I winked plopping the rest of the chocolate into my mouth before parting ways with the werewolf.

"You must be rubbing off on me," he teased, and I gave the man a crooked smile before disappearing around the corner. Had to admit, he had good taste. At least I knew what to get him for his birthday, a large basket full of chocolates.

Having heard so little, my fingers stiffened as I read the daily prophet, having forgotten to do so this morning. Students were not exaggerating, more than a dozen escapees had managed to escape, and Azkaban was starting to look like a joke. Five Death Eater raids had taken place this week, and it was only Wednesday. Darkness was creeping up the stairs, and it brought a chill to my bones. Even with all the Dementors and Aurors on duty, I couldn't help but feel like we were fighting a losing battle. Dread washed over me recalling the mutiny that had taken place just months ago. Tom was not wasting a single second.

After dinner, I ran after Albus, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. "Sir, can we talk?"

"Of course," the headmaster smiled beckoning for me to follow him, the gesture not reaching his eyes as he led me up the stone gargoyle steps leading up to his office. I did not expect company and glanced between Minerva and Severus, who in turn stared at me. Severus shot Albus a disapproving glare. I took a seat beside Minerva not all too thrilled that the headmaster already had company. And I don't know what Severus had against chairs, but he remained standing, looming menacingly behind me, hands gripping the back of the armchair.

"I see you already have company," I commenced piercing through the tense silence.

"Will that be a problem?" Albus smiled, his eyes challenging Severus, but Minerva was already prepared to take her to leave.

"I suppose not," I said quietly. The tense silence returned, and I could only speculate that they were waiting for me to speak. Great, added pressure. And I already knew where this conversation was headed, with Severus in the room. "He'll be coming after me."

"And?" Severus snapped, his tone already ruling out any possibility of compromise. And this is why I wanted to speak to the headmaster alone, but I also knew that as cunning as Severus was, he would find out, one way or another. I collected my thoughts, tapping my index finger against my thigh.

"I don't want to endanger anyone."

"That line has already been-" I glared at Severus.

"Rynne, you being here is to keep you safe," Albus spoke softly, his voice firm and unyielding as he took a seat.

"So endangering hundreds of lives justifies my well-being? Have you perhaps forgotten what happened at the world cup?" I questioned rising to my feet baffled by how calm he was. Was he not bothered in the least? "Albus, he's back, and more fearsome than ever. He grows stronger every day. I can feel him, prodding around my mind, waiting for an opening, invading any privacy I once held dear." The room turned silent. They knew I was right, and it made no sense to endanger hundreds for the sake of one unimportant girl. I wasn't as brilliant as any of the wizards in this room if anything I was a failure, to myself and my family. What had I ever done in my 22 years of life? I slept around and did some shady things in my youth, lousy decision making, ones that ultimately led to the rise of the Dark Lord we all knew and feared. Severus pressed a hand to his clothed forearm, the Dark Mark lying underneath.

"Albus, the poor girl, doesn't want any more blood on her hands," Minerva pleaded, and for once, I was relieved that someone understood where I came from. It was one thing taking the life of someone who deserved it, I was by no means pure, but being responsible for the death of innocents, the cut ran deep, and it flowed with guilt that haunted me every night. I did not want to feel like that again because I could hardly forgive myself as it was.

"I will not allow this!" Severus hissed, his fists slamming onto Albus' desk. "You want to just throw her into the hands of the enemy?" He glanced at me, eyes burning with fury. "What they'll do to her..." he trailed off, his voice cracking, and he found himself unable to finish his sentence. Minerva looked down to her hands, fingers fidgeting nervously as she chipped away at her nails. I recalled the night of my birthday, and the wine glass filled with blood, and I shuddered.

"This moral dilemma is ridiculous; I won't let you pick me over anyone else. I don't care if I carry the Slytherin name-" I paused, falling back in my seat as I realized that this was much bigger than me, Tom would come whether or not I was present, and now I felt like an idiot for my outburst. I didn't matter, in the least, I was just a pawn in this tiresome game of chess. Albus set a hand on Severus' shoulder, and the Potions Master calmed himself, taking a seat.

"And as much as you do not want blood on your hands, no one here wishes to have your blood on their hands," Albus reasoned. I nodded taking my leave to cool off. I understood where everyone was coming from, but I couldn't bring myself to agree with anyone, not even myself. My feet carried me to the owlery, unsure what I was expecting in this gloomy weather. No black owl, and no letter, it had been weeks, and life was not as kind as to fall into my favor. A lone white owl sat perched, staring at me intently, wondering what a human was doing up here at this hour, and I couldn't provide that answer myself.

If my father was good at anything, it was hiding, and I found myself tempted to leave, to find him, but a part of me didn't want to leave. I had no strong connections here, but if I were to leave...my heart throbbed...and I knew the reason why. It would eat me out alive. "You're thinking of running off...again," a velvety voice spoke, his voice softer than usual. I offered no response and turned my back to him, staring at the wall. "Your mental walls are down." Right, of course, they were. He always did this anyway. I shouldn't even be surprised anymore.

In a fit of anger, I whipped around, digging around in his head, surprisingly he didn't stop, his defenses were not up, and as soon as I entered, I retreated. It felt wrong to prowl around in that mind of his, the darkness that lurked there was similar to my own, which was the exact reason why I did not want to know. My opinion of him would not change, we've both done unspeakable things, but I was better off not knowing. It felt almost like trespassing, he had handed me the key, but I was not ready to open the door. Not yet anyway.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure me out," I stated acutely aware of who I was bashing on, but it was true, as cunning as some might think I was, in the end, I was straightforward, honest to my grey morals and ethics.

"At least we agree on something." And here we go again, round and round we go. Asshole. I thought better than lashing out, I had better things to do than defend my honor, and he would expect me to lash out. Perhaps I shouldn't be so straightforward. He had no qualms brushing me off and turning the tide of the conversations, what was stopping me?

"Does it hurt?" I asked. He tilted his head, seeming surprised yet confused at the same time. I looked at his arm and took hold of his wrist unfastening his buttons. He didn't stop me which I found odd; he was very reserved when it came to his mark, I already knew where it was, it was the act of having to look at it that haunted him. Of all the mistakes that could not undo themselves, the crimes and murders he had committed, all of them sealed inside a patch of faded ink that slowly beat back to life.

"That doesn't concern you." His words held no harshness, but there was something in his tone that bothered me. I, on the other hand, was glad I didn't have a mark of my own, due to a series of fortunate events, I never had to be branded like a cow.

"Well that's too bad," I whispered squeezing his hand. "I think it does." I closed my eyes feeling his pain as my own for a brief second.

"How noble," he sneered squeezing back. It was far from affectionate, however, and I found myself trapped in his grasp. "Stop blaming yourself, you sound pathetic. I am as responsible as you hold yourself." I did not see that one coming, and that grave expression of his, I don't think I'd ever seen it before. I couldn't help but laugh feeling his grip loosen. "What?"

"I hope to be as valiant as you someday, Severus." His eyes darkened, but I was not mocking him in any way, rather the opposite. I intertwined my fingers with his, leaning in, my mind racing along with my heart, both in agreement that this was a bad idea, but my body was moving on its own, telling me it was or never. His eyes were fixed on mine, almost challenging me to follow through with my actions, rather than pushing me away, he too was leaning in, and I couldn't quite come to terms with that. Our hands were still intertwined, and I began to question myself, but all thoughts came to a halt as his hand rested on my shoulder.

Albus cleared his throat, and I pulled away, heat creeping up my cheeks. My heart lurched, and I glanced down at our intertwined fingers, flailing my hand away, hiding them behind my person. What was I doing-or thinking? I think there's something wrong with me. Probably. Severus' eyes darted to the archway leading into the owlery, Albus smiling softly, his eyes twinkling with mirth. What terrible timing, no knowing Albus, he had interrupted on purpose and I shot the old man a dirty look fully aware of what he had just done. That, however, would not stop my embarrassment.

"What?" Severus barked, his fists clenched, genuine anger brewing in that disrespectful tone of his.

"I was hoping to talk to Rynne. Alone." Both men glanced at me, and I stared past Albus, not wishing to make eye contact with either of them. I just wanted to disappear and pretend this moment had never happened. After throwing the headmaster a withering glare, Snape left, his robes billowing menacingly behind him.

"Seems as though I have upset him," Albus chuckled attempting and failing to cover that grin of his. Severus wasn't the only one that I contemplated putting my fists to good use for once. But instead, I groaned wishing to be removed from the picture altogether, scowling at this cunning old man.

"That was so embarrassing, why would you do that?" I cried out mortified of the consequences of my actions. The headmaster smiled, clasping his hands together behind his back as he swayed gently in the archway observing me. And slowly, that playfulness in his eyes was replaced with the same expression he held this morning.

"Dark times lie ahead, Rynne. Every decision you make, you have to be ready." Had he caught on to my hesitance, just great. It did feel odd, for the longest time, this is what I had wanted from Severus, but not quite in such a tangible way. It was just a kiss, and I had received and given plenty over the years, but this was the first time I felt so hesitant. Was I too fearful of what would happen next? I'd like to believe I was ready, but perhaps I wasn't. To his merit, the headmaster was right, and I nodded my thanks cupping my hands. With a soft and caring smile, Albus exited the owlery, and I found myself trailing at his heels.

"I don't feel ready," I admitted, the words gushing from my lips.

"Tom?"

"More than just Tom," I clarified coming to a full stop, clutching onto the old man's sleeve.

"You don't have to be ready this second; when the time comes, you will be ready. No one is truly alone."

"You say that with much confidence."

"I have a reason to believe, as do you," Albus reassured, his hand squeezing my shoulder affectionately.

"That does not stop the uncertainty."

"There will be a time when we must choose between doing what is easy and what is right. But remember, always follow your heart."

"Thank you for those words, professor," I smiled appealing to his slightly younger days. But as they say, a true master is an eternal student. The headmaster went on his way, humming to himself as he strode down the corridor, leaving me to my thoughts. Perhaps I was overthinking the what ifs, would it be so bad to let go? Let the river flow in whichever direction it wants, up or down, left or right, and where I end up...well that's a story for another time.

The next morning I sat on the docks of the black lake, observing the small waves crashing against the shore. Something was charming about the black waters, swaying without a care in the world, a true enigma, one of beauty. Talking about an enigma, a tentacle emerged from the water, but just one. I was skeptical at first, wary of what may come next, but I heard the Giant Squid was rather docile, and wouldn't hurt a fly without reason. I suppose even the biggest of beasts get lonely.

I tickled the tentacle, gasping as it sprayed me with ink and water, looks like they didn't squirt only for predators, gross. I pet the limb awkwardly, providing comfort to the lone creature, I doubt the Merfolks and Grindylows provided much camaraderie, poor little guy. However fun it may have been to spend quality time with the squid, my uniform suffered, and I couldn't remove the stains with magic. Lovely.

Not only was I late to potions, but I was also wearing an ink-stained uniform, my dress shirt more so afflicted than my skirt. As I stood in the doorway, all eyes on me, Severus nearly dropped the textbook he was holding an incredulous look on his face as he examined me. One that turned to irritation very quickly, and then he shut his book, the sound echoing through the classroom. Oh no. "What in bloody Merlin's beard-five points from Slytherin and detention, now take your seat. And please, clean yourself up, you slob." Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I actually considered walking right back out that door, but Severus' wrath was not to be trifled with, so I took a seat and kept my mouth shut.

"Turn to page 236, and begin," he drawled, voice and eyes directed fully at me, was he angry? I hope it wasn't about the kiss; my heart could only hold so much regret. I averted my eyes feeling particularly shy and turned to page 236, staring at the potion we would be brewing. Amortentia. A girl raised her hand, and Severus pointed to her, his attention drawn elsewhere. "Yes?"

"Sir, we brewed this potion in our sixth year-"

"Hmm, as they say, practice makes perfect, perhaps you could use this time to polish up on your inadequacy." Yikes, someone was feeling a bit brutish today. "Same for you, Miss Salazar." Why was he getting snappy at me? I hadn't done anything...well not today, at least. I immediately got to work, ignoring the heavyweight in my heart. Picking out my ingredients, one by one, I began to follow directions, brewing the potion with care. I finished in record time, hardly remembering doing the work, I supposed the potion master had rubbed off on me, I was becoming quite the brewer, if only it were beer, but alas. The familiar mother of pearl sheen and spiral-like steam let me know I had brewed the potion correctly.

"Amortentia," Snape began. "The most powerful love potion in the world, it causes the affected to have an unhealthy obsession-or infatuation as some might say-with the giver of the potion, therefore making said potion unspeakably dangerous...in the wrong hands. Therefore, none of you will be leaving this room with even a drop of it." Severus walked around the room, observing us like a hawk. He seemed pleased no one had screwed up yet, and as instructed, I bottled the liquid in two small vials and let them rest in the vial holder awaiting further instructions. "Amortentia has no known smell as it varies from person to person." Once every student had finished, one by one, he began to call up students, and a boy was the first to walk to the front of the class, handling his two vials with care. Severus unlidded his brew, the boy leaning in to get a whiff of perfection at its finest. "Well, what do you smell?"

"Peaches, walnuts, and..." The boy stepped away from the potion blushing. Some students seemed too embarrassed to share with the class and were given a free pass, the Potions Master feeling generous today, but uncharacteristically impatient. How odd. And finally, I was called up. I handed Severus my two vials taking a quick sniff at the potion, leaning down so my bangs covered my eyes, and discretely I glanced to him, not lifting my head.

"It smells like Firewhiskey, spices, and..." I trailed off adding the much-needed tension. "And a dash of condescending sarcasm," I whispered chuckling to myself. In truth, I smelled nothing in his presence, but having fun was one of my good features. He, however, did not look so amused and slapped the back of my head in front of the class, scowling. I burst out laughing backing away quickly holding the back of my head with a cocky grin.

"Five points from Slytherin," he muttered. "For your cheek." A few snickers went around, but I didn't mind, it was a moment to relish. His withering glare fell on me, and I smiled innocently, luckily for me, a girl rose her hand, and I breathed easy knowing his attention had been drawn elsewhere.

"What do you smell professor?" He took a sniff himself, his eyes darkening as they fell on me. Scary.

"That would seem to be none of your business," he shot back coldly, and I thinned my lips. And moody too. "Class dismissed. Not you Salazar, you are not excused." Uh-oh.

"Yes?" I asked the smugness far from gone, and it would remain for at least a few more seconds. With a wave of his hand, the door closed, and my smile quickly faltered. "H-Hey, I was just j-" He pulled me into him, my chest flush against his, I couldn't recall the last time we had been this close...willingly. He held me in place, and I grew more nervous by the second. "What are you-!" I heard him inhale and froze, but as soon as he had grabbed me, he let me go, and I jumped away whipping around to meet his stare. My cheeks flushing under the circumstances, damn him, why did he always make me feel like this.

"You had a stain on your shirt," he said calmly, but his eyes were very calculative. I glanced down, and sure enough, the ink was gone. How did he..? Looking closely, however, I saw a small smile playing on his lips and frowned. "You're dismissed."

"Weirdo," I mumbled grabbing my bag and heading out the door.

"You okay Rynne, you look quite flustered," Fred commented, a devious smirk crossing his lips as I sat down beside him.

"Y-Yeah I'm fine, I just...I don't know, people are just weird," I sighed resting my head on the table. I looked up to the high table, Albus flashing me a knowing smirk, and I groaned turning my head away. That damn old geezer always knowing everything.

Hope you enjoyed ^^