Chapter 10

Maria woke up along her roommates, Lucinda Talkalot and Bryony Shafiq. The trio prepared themselves for the day. Once they were ready, they went downstairs and chatted a little in the Common Room. Severus was nowhere to be seen. However, their morning conversation was cut short by Regulus Black. He appeared nervous and kept fidgeting. He also looked a paler than usual.

"Maria, may I talk to you?" he asked with urgency in his voice.

Maria frowned and the pair walked towards a more private part of the room.

"What is it?" asked the girl with freckles.

Just taking in his appearance was making her nervous too.

Regulus took a big breath, as if to calm his nerves, and whispered in a very low voice, so that no one else could hear him, "Severus is about to make a big mistake."

Maria's features showed confusion.

"Pardon? What mistake? I don't know what you're talking about…"

He stared at the ground and blurted out, "He's going to become a Death Eater."

Maria's eyes widened. She knew Severus Snape had been Death Eater in the beginning, but then he had givenhis life for Dumbledore's cause. He became a spy and played an important role in Voldemort's defeat. Books and professors never told why he joined the Death Eaters in the first place. She doubted anyone but the same Snape ever knew the real answer. Ruiz hadn't expected him to join them while he was still attending school, though. Why would he? Maria didn't understand it. With her presence, they actually had a chance, small as it was, to finally end Voldemort's reign before it went too far. What was the reason he had decided to do something so drastic? Why hadn't he told her? Severus wasn't like Mulciber, was he? He didn't believe in blood purity. He had said so, but what if it was a lie? What if Lily and the marauders had been right all this time? Maria's mind kept questioning about these topics without getting feasible answers. The muggleborn was at loss and couldn't help but feel angry and betrayed. This was too overwhelming.

"How do you know it?" she demanded.

Regulus gulped and murmured, "Because he and I are getting the mark in the same day. I heard Avery say so…"

Maria was starting to get headache. She rubbed her temples and hissed, with hurt in her voice, even though she wasn't that surprised, "Why? Why have you decided to join these people?"

He shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand… I have no choice… But Severus does! He doesn't know that I am aware of it… Please you have to help him!"

Maria sighed and took Regulus's hand. She was trying not only to appease him, but also to tranquilize her own nerves too.

"If you had a choice, would you join them?"

"I don't know," he replied after swallowing hard.

Maria's eyes were starting to get tearful because of the helplessness she was feeling at the moment. She saw nothing but a confused and trapped boy in front of her.

"Okay… Thank you for telling me, Regulus. I'll do whatever I can to stop this madness… And not only for Severus, but for you too."

"There's nothing you can do for me…" he said in a defeated tone while shaking his head.

"I can still try," she insisted.

Regulus went away, leaving Maria to her thoughts. Her arms were folded across her chest and she was leaning on the wall. A lump was forming in her throat and the witch looked like she was about to cry.

"Maria?" somebody called out.

It was Severus. Maria tried to smile at him, but her grin didn't reach her eyes. Severus noticed it and it made him furrow his frow in confusion and worry.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really…" she uttered. "But it doesn't matter. We should have breakfast and go to class." She made to leave, but Severus grabbed her arm, preventing her from going anywhere.

"If you're not fine you don't have to go to class… I'll take notes for you…" he offered.

He recalled the other time he had done that for her. She hated missing class, that's what she had said. Her eyes weren't shining like usual right now. There was something off with her and Severus preferred that she rested.

Maria shut her eyes and took big breaths, but didn't reply.

"Maria? Come on, what's wrong? You look like you're about to burst into tears… Tell me."

Snape had only meant to help his new friend. It hadn't been long since they had met, but he cherished her a lot and he hated seeing her in such a state.

Ruiz was feeling more overwhelmed by the moment. There he was, the guy she cared so much for had decided to join the Death Eaters and was now offering to take notes for her and comfort her. What was he playing at? She couldn't take it anymore, so she exploded, "It's neither the time nor the place to talk about it, Severus! Stop annoying me and telling me what to do!"

The half-blood wizard was hurt by her words, so his expression, which had shown concern until that moment, turned into a cold one. So that was what he got when he tried to be helpful and caring for once in his life? Now he was angry.

"Fine! Have it your way!" he squeaked, and stomped off the room.

Maria stood there, trying to focus on her breathing and forget about everything else. A few minutes later, she went to the Great Hall. She spotted the black hair from Severus, but didn't feel like sitting next to him. She was just too edgy and knew emotions weren't something Snape was good at. It could lead them to cause a scene and that was the last thing she needed. She spotted Bryony and Lucinda and decided to join them instead. Maybe this way she'd think of something else for a while.

"Hi! May I join you?" Maria asked politely.

"Sure! But don't you prefer sitting with Snape? You always do…" observed Lucinda.

"Yes, well. We've had a little misunderstanding…"

"Oh! I'm sorry. What happened?" Bryony asked, ready for some gossip.

Ruiz shrugged and mumbled, "I don't want to talk about it."

The expression on her face took Bryony and Lucinda aback. They were used to seeing a cheerful, helpful and a sometimes sassy Maria, but today, the Spanish girl's face showed sadness, regret, impotence and fear. They didn't understand it. Just a few minutes ago, before Maria talked to Regulus, she was looking just fine.

"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to intrude. It's just that since you are his friend, Severus has acted differently. He's more open and smiles more… It would be a pity if he lost you…" Lucinda whispered.

"Don't worry. I need a little time, but I'm sure we'll work it out…" assured Maria, altough her tone hadn't been as convincing as she would have wished for.

Severus was watching their little interaction from afar. It made him feel jealous. He was mad at himself now: how could he feel angry at Ruiz and at the same time be envious because she wasn't by his side?

The classes went by and Maria tried to stick around the marauders, Lily, Lucinda and Bryony; avoiding her slytherin friend at all costs. When their last class reached its end though, Maria got up and finally approached Severus.

"We have to talk," she commanded.

"Really? I had the impression that wasn't your intention… With you ignoring me all day and all…" he said with sarcasm in his voice, although one could also detect a hint of hurt.

"Ugh! I'm sorry, okay? I needed to think. We have to go somewhere private… Please."

"Stop annoying me and telling me what to do, Ruiz," he mocked her.

That sentence had hurt him profoundly and now he saw she was also hurt by it. He assumed he'd feel better by saying it, but he felt worse when he saw her anguished reaction.

"I-I'm sorry… Please, it's important…"

She seemed to have a lump in her throat, yet he paid it no attention and made his way to the door. Just when Maria thought that he was going to completely ignore her, he turned around and snarled, "Didn't you want to go somewhere more private?"

Their way towards the Room of Requirement had been tense to say the least. They entered the room quietly and it transformed into a flowering field, as the last time they went in. It seemed like both of them needed to breathe fresh air and the room granted them just that. Both stared at each other's eyes for a few minutes, neither uttering a single word.

"You wanted to talk, so talk," Severus snapped, finally breaking the silence.

Maria held her gaze and bluntly claimed, "I know you are going to become a Death Eater."

His coal eyes widened in shock and he wasn't able to say anything. Her eyes were tearful, just like they had been that morning when he had found her in the Common Room. She must have discovered it this morning, he thought. All at once, the attitude she had displayed towards him during the day made sense.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" she asked in disbelief.

"H-How do you know?" he managed to let out.

"Please! That's what matters the least!" she shrieked. "What the hell is wrong with you, Severus? How could you do this to me?"

She was letting out all her fury now and some tears had started to stream down her face.

"You don't get it…"

"Oh, that's rich! I don't get why the guy who claimed to be my friend has suddenly joined the people who would gladly kill me without giving it a second thought just because my parents are muggles! It's strange that I don't understand it, isn't it?" she shouted with irony.

"Maria, listen…"

He tried to grab her hand in order to appease her, but she slapped him hard on the face, making him put a hand on his stinging cheek.

"Don't touch me!" she threatened.

That did it, he exploded, "I did it for you, dammit! I did it to protect you! Mulciber made a deal with me! Now that I've accepted to become a Death Eater, he won't hurt you again! Can't you see?! I can't lose you! I won't lose you! I care too much to let you go… I already saw you in your blood pool once! I was bloody terrified! I dream of it every night! If I have to become a Death Eater to prevent something like that, so be it! I don't care! I won't take risks with you! I just want to keep you safe… I think I love you, damn it…"

The Spanish girl felt her heart beating faster and stronger than usual. By the end of his outburst, Severus's eyes had gotten a little tearful. "I love you… And it scares me to death," he repeated in a defeated tone.

Maria was overwhelmed by hundreds of contradictory emotions: guilt, adoration, anger, happiness, helplessness, disbelief… It made her feel a knot in her stomach. On impulse, she tiptoed, shut her eyes and clumsily crushed her lips to his while she grabbed his head and yanked him even closer to her body. Snape had his eyes opened in shock. When his brain finally registered what was happening, he closed them and started to kiss her back. Words couldn't describe how good that felt. Snape put his arms on her slim waist and pulled her even closer to him. This made her gasp; making her mouth slightly open and giving him the permission he needed to explore it. As their tongues danced around each other, Maria let out a low moan of pleasure which drove Severus wild. He wanted to hear that sound again. Before he could though, Maria broke the kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily and Severus kept his arms around her, while Maria opted for putting his palms on his chest.

Maria panted while shaking her head, "Severus Snape, you are definitely the dumbest guy of the school…"

He was still out of breath, so he didn't reply. His mind was too busy processing that Maria Ruiz, the most beautiful and charming slytherin girl in the world, had just kissed him willingly. It made Snape blush a little. Did it mean she felt the same towards him?

"Gosh, Severus… Why did you have to do it?" she asked with sadness.

"I'm not going to repeat the speech, Ruiz, if that's what you are after…" he teased.

She nudged him playfully. "You know what I mean…"

Severus sighed, "They threatened me… If I didn't join them, they would hurt you once again… They were planning something bad…"

She bit her lip and blurted out, "We have to tell Dumbledore…"

"What?! We were doing just fine without him and you told me the twat wouldn't know!" he complained, pushing her away.

"If you call joining the Death Eaters doing just fine, then there is clearly something wrong with you, Severus."

"I can handle them," he reassured her.

"I know. You were a Death Eater that joined Dumbledore and spied for him for years, but that doesn't mean that this time around I'm going to let you go through it…"

He was starting to get angry again. "Then I'll be a spy again! Haven't you listened to me? I care for you! It's the only way!"

"I care for you too! That's why we need to tell Dumbledore! He's the only one who can help! Besides, Regulus is joining them as well. If he does, he will die. Please, Severus… I don't know if I can handle waiting for you at night knowing you are in Death Eater's meetings and worrying about whether you'd come back… I don't want to find out either…"

Severus looked troubled.

"I don't know what you have against the headmaster, but I don't see any other way. You becoming a bloody Death Eater is not an option for me…" she added.

Severus sighed and reluctantly conceded, "Fine. If that's what you want… I won't let those imbeciles touch you, Maria."

The witch smiled brightly at him and gave him a peck on the lips. Her smile was contagious and soon he found himself grinning right back at her. All of sudden, she frowned and put her hand on the cheek she had just slapped a few minutes before, caressing it delicately.

"Sorry about that…"

"Don't worry, I probably deserved it anyway…"

She smiled sadly and kissed his cheek. Before she could pull away though, Severus had already turned his head, and pulled her towards him smoothly, pressing their lips together. This time, the kiss wasn't as passionate. It was gentle and slow, but it still made him feel butterflies in his stomach. When they broke the kiss, they rested their foreheads together.

"I don't know what you've made to me…" he confessed.

"What do you mean?"

"It's been a week, Maria. And I already have strong feelings for you…"

She bit her lip and mumbled, "I know, I'm confused at my own feelings too… This is new for me, but I've felt like this since the night we snuck out to the library, when Filch came…"

"You did?"

"Yes."

"Me too…"

There was an awkward silence which was broken by Maria, "This is getting too cheesy even for me…"

Snape chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Ditto. So what now?"

"Now we tell Dumbledore that Mulciber and his crew threatened you and that you found yourself agreeing to save me, but that you really don't want to join them… We should also mention Regulus."

"And about the future thing?" he wondered.

"You don't want him to know, do you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He shook his head. "If he knew, he'd use us to end the war. We'd be his little pawns…"

Maria sighed and babbled, "I guess we could skip that detail then… But if it the situation worsens, we tell him. Understood?"

Severus nodded.

"Good."

Just as they left the room of the flowering field, they found themselves face to face with Lily, Peter, James, Remus and Sirius. Potter held a parchment which looked like a map on his hand.

"What exactly is this room, Maria? What were you doing there?" Lily demanded.

Even though the question had been directed at the brown-eyed girl, Lily was also giving Snape glances, as if asking him too. The five gryffindors were confused and expecting an answer.

Joder, thought Maria. Now what? [Joder = fuck]