The rest of the night was uneasy, mainly for Shylock's dramatic tone when he'd spoken to them, as if he thought this was all hilarious, putting them, or at least Severus on edge. But also because no one had any clothes to change into, they all seemed clueless and fumbled awkwardly about the tent, no one wanting to either sleep naked or fully clothed. In the end Penelope, the Scottish red head, decided first, stripping down to her bra and pants. She began to climb into a top bunk, her fatty thighs shaking with each step before jumping down again and punching Baldwin in the face for wolf whistling. That made Severus stop staring. He decided to sleep in his black cloak, wishing his normal clothes hadn't been left on a cold cliff top in England. He climbed onto a top bunk, watching the fireball grow dim through the still open tent flap. A hand grasped at his mattress making him jump, it continued to hit the bed searching for him. Knowing it could only be Selina, he held out his hand to her which she grasped tightly.
"Night, night Sev."
"Night Selina."
The field stretch as far as the eye could see, rolling hills of lush tall grass that swayed in a gentle breeze that Severus couldn't feel. In bending grass tuffs, nibbling at the long stems were Muggles, pink flesh spotted with patches of rough brown fur, their long fleshy ears drooping down the sides of their faces, hopping around awkwardly on their legs. A couple close to him looked up at him and he could see their small square pink noses and whiskers yet their eyes were still round and human-like, oddly out of place on their deformed faces. They stared at him for a few moments longer before going back to grazing. It was like he was in a bubble, the grass parting for him before his legs could touch it as he walked through the unending field of uninterested Muggles.
A sudden echoing bang made the Muggles all look up, standing up on their knees, though Severus felt nothing, knowing that whatever it was wouldn't hurt him. The uproar started off in the far distance; the loud bangs of gunshots, the squeals of Muggles the sound of flesh hitting stone. Then he saw them, black specks on the horizon, cackling madly as they grabbed the dumbfounded muggles, the sound of gunshots signalling the slaughter that was happening. The muggles surrounding him started to scurry away, some hopping away on all fours, some running, but the hunters were fast and soon were shooting at muggles around Severus, some close enough to holding them down, crushing their necks and skulls with boots and bats. The animalistic squealing turned into a ruckus of human screaming as everyone he'd ever known massacred the defenceless muggles that howled and cried but did nothing to stop their fate.
"Oi boy," it was his father, holding the shoulder of a blind old Muggle, a gun of the back of their head, "stop being such a pussy. It's just a rabbit." The blind man neck exploded outwards, blood and speckles of his flesh spattered the grass.
No can't you see, Severus wanted to yell, they're people.
"Don't worry Sev," Selina picked up a red faced balling baby, lifting it over her head "they're just animals." She brought it down with all her might.
"Is that really how you see me?"
The scene frozen and melted away as he turned around to face Selina, the real Selina. She was wearing a yellow dress, her hair long and curled, her face unblemished, glowing in this dream world.
"Um," his noise of confusion echoed around…. "where are we?" he asked noticing that they were no longer in the grassland.
Selina looked around the black abyss that they were somehow standing on and shrugged, "I don't know, I sometimes bring Shylock here when he has nightmares."
"Shylock has nightmares?"
"I think we all do."
Selina started skipping away from him, he followed slightly behind, watching the only light source dance ahead of him.
"Do you remember that rabbit?" he asked once she stopped, though it didn't look like they'd moved, the abyss being unchanging.
"Yep, dad smashed its head in. it wouldn't have lived anyway." She shrugged, "I'm surprised you actually cared about it," she added, almost questioningly.
"You were the one who cried."
"Yes but you are the one having nightmares about it."
"I'm having nightmares about more than that." He hadn't meant to say it out loud, "I guess if this is inside my head, then anything I think inside my head I say out loud."
Selina giggled, "yes you'll get used to it. It took me and Shylock a while."
"Yeah but…if this is real, how can you do this?"
"Um…I'm not sure, I can only do it when you're asleep, it's kind of cool." She grinned,
"How?"
"Well I learnt legilimency, it comes from that…I think," she laughed shyly, staring at her feet.
"This can't be real."
Selina shrugged, "believe what you want."
"So... when did you join? When did he make you join?"
"Not long after we killed mum and father. I think Shylock had been one of them for longer but he never said."
"Did they make- no don't think about it."
Selina shook her head exasperatedly, smiling sadly, "Probably, whatever it is you don't want to say."
He sighed, "you shouldn't be here."
"Maybe, but here I am."
"You don't have to, you could leave."
When she laughed it was cold and hard, "yes, I can just hand in my resignation and they'll just let me go."
"You could at least get away from Shylock, he's… you shouldn't…he deserves to die- God damit!"
Selina looked horrified, "he's our brother!"
"He's hurting you or…doing worse."
"He's just scared; I'm trying to help him. You should too."
"Just and Fair, still a Hufflepuff."
"Yes, but is that bad?"
"We're surrounded by murders, it's hardly what you need."
"I can take care of myself, I'm surprisingly clever."
"I know," he smiled, "I will kill him. God this is annoying."
"Why?" she whined, making Severus feel unjustly guilty,
"He's hurt you," as she opened her mouth to argue he added, "he's the reason I went to Azkaban, just because he needs to kill someone to get off!"
"No, it's…not like that, he…the Professor knew something, nothing bad, what Shylock is doing isn't illegal just…people would hate him if they knew."
"The professor knew…what?"
"I can't tell you," she looked panicked now, backing away into the abyss, leaving Severus to squint at her through the darkness.
"Wait Selina!"
"Get some sleep brother." She left, leaving only darkness.