Veronica was up and gone before anyone else in the morning. Irma came in to check on her around seven but found her bed empty and made with a neat little note on the duvet.
Went for a run, will be back soon. Don't worry.
Veronica.
"I'm telling you, something is off. Veronica wouldn't just up and leave like that, she plan it and let someone know." Irma said at the breakfast table.
Meanwhile Veronica traversed the rocky shore of the Black Lake in a dark blue track suit with her hair tightly tied back. The cold in the air didn't bother her, in fact she hardly noticed it.
She just desperately needed to get out of the castle. She had her wand with her and her hand was never far from it at all times, but other than that she just needed to clear her head.
The sound of the small waves blown onto the shore relaxed her a little as she kept a steady pace, heart rate picking up a little as her feet hit the gravel at a tempo consistent with her pulse. Tired on the natural silence she hummed a nonsensical tune to drown out her own thoughts.
Along her humming she stumbled on a tune of an old rhyme she and her sister used to sing together. It was about the different children born on each day of the week. But Veronica would always be teased because she was born on a Wednesday, which according to the rhyme, was full of woe.
It was silly children's games and they soon would grow out of them, but now as a grown adults she could acknowledge the aptness of the description.
But enough of that, she shook herself and picked up her pace once more.
After running herself ragged she finally collapsed on the farthest side of the lake in a rocky juncture between water and dense forest.
She sat on the ground, catching her breath and coughing slightly as she looked out over the water. For a moment she was struck by the beauty of it. It was like a pane of glass swirled with dark blues, grey, greens, and black.
The silence was serene, comforting even. If the ground hadn't been covered in sharp rocks she would have even considered just lying there for a while and letting whatever feelings she had rule her body for a little bit and then return to the castle with a clear head.
Back at the castle Severus arrived at the head table looking considerably less than eager to be there until he saw Veronica's seat empty. However, this didn't make him feel any better, it only meant he could avoid the tension for now.
He didn't bother asking where she was, as it would seem Irma was already dishing out to Remus.
"I'm not sure she should be out there, and she was gone before everyone was up. Who knows how long she's been out there."
"Maybe she just needs to clear her head." Remus suggested with a shrug.
Severus paused a moment before something in his mind snapped to instant attention.
Sirius Black.
"Where is she?" He said suddenly.
"I- I don't know, the note just said went for a run." Irma sputtered, surprised but his sudden outburst. "Why, what's wrong?"
She could be anywhere, Severus thought.
As he made for the exit, across the lake Veronica was still lounging on the shore with a contented sigh. The solitude of nature reminded her of the family cabin. Maybe, she thought, I should go back there soon.
Behind her she heard the snap of a twig and she turned to look into the dense, shadowy woods. Something about the stillness of the tree trunks and the silence of the air made goosebumps run up her skin.
It was an unnatural silence, no birds, no breeze, no falling branches hitting the ground.
It was as if she were looking at a photograph of the forest and not the real thing.
Slowly she stood up without letting her eyes leave the forest, her heart beat was slow but heavy and hard behind her ribs.
Was the movement she saw? Or was it just her imagination?
A second snap of a twig told her something was close, but she couldn't see it, which made it even more disconcerting.
Taking a step back towards the edge of the water she swallowed hard and debated whether she should remain still, or run and risk a chase.
Severus reached the shore of the Black lake and found Veronica's shoe prints still pressed into the mud. She must have run around the lake, but she should have made it back by now if she had.
He started following her foot prints about a quarter of the way around the lake before pausing and doubling his pace.
A set on paw prints had curved out of the woods and lined up with her shoe prints. They were large and clearly bore long nails that left their own in print in the mud.
He was not as quick as he used to be, but Severus figured he had to be getting close by now. The closer he got he saw a figure on the shore growing large and standing stone still on the beach.
She was staring into the woods with her back to him. There was a strain in her shoulders and legs that made her look like a skittish deer ready to flee in a moment.
He was tempted to call out her name but all the same feared someone or something around them would hear.
Veronica felt eyes watching her but was too anxious to look around. Holding her breath she waited for anything to happen with a hand on her wand.
Severus drew closer, wand out and at the ready.
Crack.
The sound of the twig rang out like a start bell and Veronica shot off down the beach at a sprint.
Severus, unaware of his own blunder, dashed after her. His eyes flitted to the woods every now and then, trying to make out any shape behind the trees between them.
Veronica's calves burned as did her lungs as they struggled to pull in and push out air. Her vision blurred and she could only make out the path before her. Which was extremely unfortunate, as her foot snagged a depression in the rocky shore and she toppled to the ground and rolled across the rough rocks.
Her arms crossed over her face as she rolled and stopped. The only sound she heard was her own shallow breath and to her horror, approaching footfall on the rocks.
Face down and too scared to try and run again, Veronica's hand slowly crept down to her leg and pull out her wand and waited for the foot fall to get closer.
Severus watched her fall and froze for a split second before doubling the pace and reaching her in a few seconds. She wasn't moving, hardly breathing it seemed. Fearing she was hurt or unconscious Severus pulled out his wand and slowly knelt down to roll her over.
Veronica only had to feel a large hand on her shoulder to roll over and lash out violently. She managed one non-verbal hex that missed by a mile before her wand was knocked out of her hand. Welding her eyes shut she kicked and hit hard while screaming, landing a few good blows until a pair of hands pinned her wrists to her chest and shook her hard.
"Veronica Stop it! Now!" A familiar voice barked and she froze instantly. Slowly the grip eased off her wrists and she forced her eyes open, at first it was too bright to see but her eyes adjusted to the light and she swallowed hard.
"Severus?"
The man's face was stone, hard and unreadable. Wordlessly he gripped Veronica's upper arm and hauled her to her feet.
Veronica began to say something but he stepped away.
"Don't" he hissed. "Not a single word from you, do you understand me?"
She felt a cold rush down to her stomach as he looked her up and down hatefully.
"How dare you?" He growled. "This is either the most idiotic or the cruelest thing you could have done! You stupid, stupid woman, why don't you ever think before you do things?!"
His voice grew louder and angrier as he spoke and he began to shake her in a hard grip.
"You could have been seriously hurt, you could have been murdered! There would have been no one to help you, how can I keep you safe if you keep doing things like this?"
He ran out of things to say without repeating himself, now he could only shake with fury until he calmed down enough to notice she too was shaking.
Not shaking, trembling.
Her head was bent to the ground, her shoulders slumped and her knees were bent almost as if she were mid collapse or cowering away from him.
"Veronica?"
He loosened what he now realized was an excessive grip and swallowed hard.
Was she…crying?
It was soft at first, sniffling, and when the sound became audible she bent over as if to hide her face as hot tears of fear, embarrassment, and relief ran down her face.
He didn't know what to do.
He'd made people cry before but he's never had to deal with the aftermath.
"I…please don't cr-" He was cut off as she threw herself into his body and clasped her arms around him. She didn't say anything, she only cried until her shoulders where shaking and her breath rattled in her lungs.
When it appeared that she was done she pulled away and swallowed without looking up.
"Are you alright?" He asked quietly and she nodded almost helplessly and shoved her hands in her pockets.
"Sorry I hit you." She muttered and scanned the ground for her wand, kneeling to pick it up and shoving it in her pocket as well. Severus rubbed his jaw where her fist connected that would probably bruise without treatment and nodded.
"I know, I'm sorry I shout at you."
"It's okay." She whispered. "Why did you come find me?"
"What do you mean?" Severus quirked a brow and watched her shuffled.
"Nothing." She turned slightly "never mind. We should go back."
She said nothing as he escorted her back and they made for the hospital wing immediately, Veronica for minor bruising and scrapes, Severus for bruising on his jaw.
"Severus!" Remus ran into the hospital wing. "Thank God! You need to come quick, both of you."
"What's wrong?" Severus stood and Veronica watched them with wide eyes.
"He's been spotted…in Hogwarts. All the students are being gathered in the Great Hall" Remus explained, not having to state who he was.
Severus stiffened and looked to Veronica who went as pale as a ghost.
Not hesitating, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along after himself and Remus, keeping his eyes on the scarred, tawny haired professor at all times. There was no way in heaven or earth he was leaving Veronica alone with him now.
Severus didn't care if he had to handcuff himself to Veronica, there had been too many close calls.
"Severus!"
"What?" He whipped around and she stared at him contritely.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault." She whimpered. "It was a mistake for me to come to Hogwarts."
Severus stopped, as did Remus until Severus motioned for him to keep moving. "What are you talking about?"
"You were right, I never should have left the castle. And now he's here, I'm sorry. I never meant to…"
Severus stopped her by covering her mouth with his hand a moment and pulling away when she stopped.
"Veronica I need to tell you something."
"Yes?"
"You give yourself far too much credit." He informed her and pulled her along. "Now keep up."