Several hours later Freddie was still out by the Whomping Willow. She was concentrating on a large pool of water and she didn't notice anyone approaching until he was right behind her.
"What are you doing out here all alone, little girl?" he asked in a low voice, making her jump. She whirled around, wand at the ready, but it was only Snape.
"Oh," she said on exhale, lowering her wand. "Hi. Sorry."
"I didn't mean to scare you," he said with a smirk.
"I wasn't scared! I was startled," she said insistently and his smirk widened. "You're lucky I didn't hex you."
"That would be a shame, considering you could get into big trouble for attacking a teacher. I'd say that's a month of detention, at least."
"You wouldn't give me a whole month of detention."
"I might," he said airily, walking towards the Whomping Willow. He glanced down at the glowing line on the ground and scoffed before stepping over it.
"Wait!" she began, alarmed. "What are you-?"
She trailed off as he stepped briskly over to the trunk of the tree, dodging a swinging limb with a swiftness that impressed her. He whisked out his wand and prodded a spot on the trunk. The tree froze, it's branch poised to strike, but it didn't move an inch. It couldn't.
"Hey how did you do that?" she demanded, stepping over the line to inspect the tree. "Daniel and I tried to do that for years but no spell ever worked on it!"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he said with a teasing sneer.
"Yes! Please? What spell did you use?"
"I don't know," he said with a dramatic flair. "It's a secret."
"I'm a very good secret-keeper," she said, grinning up at him. She started to step closer to him, then remembered where they were and turned back to the tree.
"I suppose there's no harm in telling you...as long as you do not reveal this secret to anyone else, or tell anyone that I am the one who showed you."
"I wouldn't do that to you," she said, affronted, but he smiled at her, his dark eyes glittering. He glanced around quickly, then faced the tree. He twirled his wand thoughtfully but didn't say anything.
"Come on, Severus, tell me the spell," she pleaded.
"Well..." he said slowly, drawing it out. She stomped her foot impatiently and he chuckled at her. "The truth is, it isn't a spell at all."
"It's not?"
"No, it's a knot."
"Huh?" she asked, confused.
"A knot," he repeated, lightly kicking a spot on the trunk of the tree with his boot. "See that there? All you have to do is prod it, poke it."
"With my wand?"
"With anything. Your wand, your finger, a stick. I recommend using a long branch to access it if you aren't quick enough to dodge the branches or you'll find yourself with a few broken bones."
"Wow!" she said. "How do you know all this?"
"I'm a man of many secrets," he said with a small, twisted smile. "Would you like to know another secret?"
"Yes!" she said eagerly and he chuckled. He cast a furtive glance around them and so did she. Fortunately there was no one even remotely close to them. Hagrid had gone from his garden and there wasn't a good view of the Quidditch pitch or the lake from where they were.
"Follow me," he murmured, moving along the twisted roots of the willow tree. Suddenly he crouched and slid himself into an opening among the roots she'd never noticed before.
"What in the world?" she murmured to herself then, glancing around once more, she slid herself into the hole beneath the tree.
She slid several feet down an earthy slope until her feet hit the solid ground. It was pitch black and when she tried to straighten up she hit her head on something hard.
"Youch!" she said, dropping to a crouch and rubbing her head. "Severus? Where are you?"
"Here," he said softly, his voice close to her ear, much closer than she expected. She heard a rustling sound then a light appeared as he wordlessly lit his wand tip. "Keep your head down and follow me."
"Where are we?" she asked, following close on his heels. He was hunched over moving as quickly as one could in such a cramped space. The tunnel was made totally of dirt, like it had been dug by an enormous badger, and Freddie feared it might collapse on them at any moment, burying them alive.
"In a tunnel," he answered dryly.
"A tunnel to where?"
"You ask too many questions. Just wait and see."
"Hmph."
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever. Periodically the passed through spots that had been reinforced with wood. Who did that? She wondered. Who built this place, and why? Where does it lead? Are we still on Hogwarts grounds?
Suddenly the tunnel sloped upwards and peering over Snape's shoulder she could see a dim light ahead of them. Excited and burning with curiousity she bumped into him accidentally, causing him to stumble.
"Watch it!" he snapped, startling her. She stopped and a moment later so did he.
"I'm sorry," he said and he sounded sincere. "I did not mean to sound so-"
"Snarky?" she provided and he grunted an acquiescence. "It's okay. I know it's your default mode."
"Hmph," he said but gave her a small smile over his shoulder. "Come along, little girl. We're almost there."
"Where is 'there'?" she pestered.
"You will see."
Finally the tunnel opened up and they crawled out into a dusty, disorganized room. The wallpaper was peeling and ripped in places. There were stains on the walls and floors. Furniture was torn apart in so many pieces it was hard to tell what it had been originally. The floorboard creaked as they moved and a door to the right swung open slowly. Freddie raised her wand defensively but there was nothing beyond the door but a deserted shadowy hallway.
"Is this...what is this place?" she asked. "Are we still at Hogwarts?"
"Hogsmeade," he said. "In a building that is known as the Shrieking Shack."
"Oh yeah. That old place," she said, looking around. "It's condemned, isn't it? It's supposed to be haunted, right, with restless evil spirits?"
"Ridiculous rumors," he said. "But necessary. It isn't actually all that old. The shack and the tree known as the Whomping Willow – as well as the hidden passage – were erected the year that I started Hogwarts."
"Really?" she asked, intrigued. "Why?"
"I suppose there is no harm in telling you," he said, leaning against the door jamb. "It was intended to contain a werewolf every month."
"A werewolf?" she gasped. "You mean one of your classmates was an actual werewolf?"
"Indeed. A Gryffindor boy. The Shrieking Shack was built to keep him away from the castle and the town during the full moon. There was no Wolfsbane Potion back then, no relief from the effects of lycanthropy."
"Wow," she murmured. "So when you told me you'd come face to face with a werewolf, you were serious?"
"Deadly serious. In this very building – just up the stairs," he said severely. "Would you like to see?"
"What's up there?" she asked cautiously, following him into the dark hallway. He didn't answer but smiled back at her as he led the way with his wand held aloft. The staircase at the end of the hall was crumbling and looked as though it hadn't been used in decades – and she realized it probably hadn't. The werewolf had likely graduated the same year Snape had. Still the building around them seemed to creak and groan. She thought she heard an eerie howl coming from the floor above them and she grabbed the back of Snape's cloak nervously.
"Scared?" he taunted without looking back.
"No," she said crossly. "I just, uh, I don't want to fall through the stairs."
"There's nothing to be afraid of," he assured her. "The building is bewitched to be as frightening as possible, to keep people from trespassing."
"I'm not afraid," she insisted. "How did they keep him from escaping? Did they chain him up? Did he ever kill anyone?"
"To my knowledge he never killed anyone, but then that's not the sort of information I'd be privy to. We were not friends, not by a long shot. He was a Gryffindor, and a goody two-shoes to boot. He was a Prefect, then Head Boy. He would rat anyone out, except for his three best friends who were the worst of the worst," he said and she could hear the scowl in his voice. "They were the reason I was nearly killed."
"How did it happen?"
"I didn't know that Lupin was a werewolf – no one did, except the Professors and his three friends. One of his friends, Sirius Black – he's in Azkaban now, where he belongs, by the way-" Freddie shuddered at the mention of the prison as he continued. "Black told me how to get past the Whomping Willow on the night of the full moon. He didn't tell me what I would find at the end of the passageway. One of their other friends realized what my death would entail and came after me. He dragged me back out of the passageway but not before I caught a glimpse of the monster upstairs."
"Wow," she murmured. "...What do you mean he realized what your death would entail?"
"He tried to paint himself as the hero who 'saved my life'," he scoffed. "But I know the only reason he did it was to save his friends' skin. If Lupin had killed me, a student, there's no way the Ministry would have allowed Dumbledore to keep him enrolled in school. And if it had been discovered that Black had a hand in it, he would have been expelled and possibly sent to Azkaban. Which, as I said, he ended up in anyway."
"What did he get sent to Azkaban for?" she asked curiously.
"You ask too many questions," he said as they reached the landing. It was dark and dank. It smelled of dust and mildew. Freddie peered around him and by the light of his wand she saw more broken furniture and a few ripped up floorboards.
"This is where it happened," Snape said in a low voice. "I was standing here when Potter grabbed my leg and dragged me back down the stairs. But not before I saw the creature – there." He indicated a door that was open just a crack. The house around them gave a loud groan and Freddie shrank back. Snape laughed softly and she cursed herself inwardly. There's nothing to be afraid of, she told herself. The werewolf is long gone, the building's just bewitched.
Determined not to be scared, she straightened up and moved past him. She lit her wand tip and gripped it tightly before kicking the door open with her foot. The door hit the wall with a bang so loud she jumped and stumbled back into Snape who caught her in his arms, laughing.
"Brave Gryffindor you are not," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "Lucky for you I do not care for Gryffindors."
"Do you care for me?" she whispered, frozen in his grasp. Her heart was pounding and it had nothing to do with fear.
"What do you think?" he murmured, then kissed her. Her legs went weak and she stumbled back against the door frame. He started to press his body against hers but when he felt the kneazle squirm in his bag between them he pulled away. He kissed her lips once more before releasing her. She leaned back, feeling dizzy from the kiss. She opened the bag around her neck to check on Ziggy. He was squirming around but seemed fine. She checked her watch. It was time for him to eat again.
Snape had stepped past her into the room. She looked in and saw it was a bedroom. It was dark and dusty like the rest of the house. It was dominated by a large four poster bed that would have been magnificent had it not been covered in dust. Snape was standing in the middle of the room, looking around at the deep scratches on the wall.
"I need to feed Ziggy," she said softly. He didn't seem to hear her so she used her wand to siphon a few layers of dust off the bed and sat down. She let the kitten crawl around while she prepared the syringe with his food.
"He killed thirteen people," Snape said softly.
"Who?" she asked, looking up from the kitten.
"Sirius Black. He betrayed the Potters location to the Dark Lord," he said, his voice tight. "After the Dark Lord killed them and was vanquished by the child, Black killed one of the wizards who went after him, as well as 12 muggle witnesses. That's why he is in Azkaban."
"So it was James Potter who saved your life? Harry Potter's father?" she asked. And the man who Lily ended up marrying, she thought silently.
"My life wouldn't have needed saving if it weren't for him and his friends!" he snapped, his face flushed an ugly shade of red. His sudden anger startled her and she accidentally yanked the dropper from Ziggy's mouth, spraying unicorn milk across the old bedspread.
"Damn it," she swore and the kitten began to mew piteously. She quickly drew up more milk and cast a furtive glance at Snape who had turned away from her. She didn't say anything but kept her gaze on her task. Clearly James Potter was a sensitive subject for him and she wasn't about to press him farther on it. And she wasn't about to apologize when he was the one who brought it up in the first place.
When Ziggy finished eating she cleaned the dropper with her wand and stowed the supplies away back in the pocket of her robe. She watched the kitten crawl around the bed for a while until he yawned and curled up near her thigh.
"We shouldn't be here," Snape muttered. She glanced up at him but he wasn't looking at her, he was still staring at a gash on the wall. She scooped Ziggy up gently and put him back in the bag around her neck, then stood up. Still he didn't look at her but started down the rickety staircase. She looked at the spot on the bed where she'd spilled the priceless unicorn milk. Such a waste, she thought, feeling a surge of anger as she looked at Snape's retreating back. Annoyed she started to follow him down the stairs. He was almost at the bottom when he jerked forward and fell, landing hard on the dusty floor.
"Are you okay?" she asked, alarmed, hurrying down after him.
"Tripped." he muttered, getting to his feet. He cursed and brushed the dirt from his robes. He continued on his way without even looking at her. Freddie tightened her grip on her wand and bit her lip. Had he really tripped? Or had she done something without meaning to, caused him to trip, because she was angry?
She took a deep, steadying breath and crouched down to follow him back through the passageway. She employed her Occlumency to calm herself and began reciting the steps for a Calming Draught in her mind. She couldn't remember the last time she'd used her magic without meaning to. She couldn't stand the thought that she might have used it against him. Add six drops of fluxweed oil to one pint of water. Split the bloodroot stems lengthwise with your knives and scrape out all fluid and fibrous material from inside the stems. Crush with mortar and pestle-
"We shouldn't have come down here," she heard Snape mutter to himself.
"Then why did we?" she snapped before she could stop herself. He didn't answer and she exhaled sharply.
Add to cauldron, she continued mentally. Stir slowly until a light steam rises from the cauldron, alternating clockwise and counterclockwise stirring. Mince the Valerian root and add it to the potion. Add calendula pollen, stirring three times clockwise.
"I don't know what I was thinking," he said finally. "I'm sorry."
She didn't answer. She was still reciting the recipe in her head, trying not to be angry. When he stopped, still crouched over in the tunnel, she ran into him. She knew they weren't to the exit yet, they had to be about halfway. He turned around awkwardly in the small space to face her.
"I'm sorry," he said again. "Nothing good ever happens in that place."
She shrugged, not really sure what he wanted her to say.
"Well," she said. "We aren't there anymore. So it's fine. Right?"
"Right," he said, a small smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "...I saw you out here by the tree and I thought we could slip away, just for a moment. The headmaster went to the Ministry after lunch and... but then it brought back too many memories. Unpleasant ones."
"It's fine," she assured him. "We can go. Just forget it."
"I wish I could," he murmured, so soft she could barely hear him. He leaned back against the wall of the tunnel then slid down to a sitting position. She knelt beside him, setting her lit wand on the ground beside them. She'd never seen him quite like this. Something was bothering him, clearly – thoughts of James or Lily, or Sirius Black, she didn't know. His mind was closed to her, his face a blank mask. She tilted her head slightly, then slipped the bag from around her neck and placed it next to her wand.
"Are you-?" she trailed off. Clearly he wasn't okay but what could she do? She sat down next to him and leaned against him. After a moment he looked at her and the corners of his mouth twitched in a slight smile. He put an arm around her and pulled her close to him. She buried her face in his chest and he hugged her tight.
"...Do you think anyone will find us here?" she asked after a few minutes.
"No," he said, resting his chin on top of her head. He trailed his fingers down her back, sending shivers of pleasure through her. "No one comes down here. They have no reason to."
"So," she said, tilting her head up to look at him. "You could kiss me here? And no one would cacth us?"
"I could," he said, the smile now fully formed on his mouth. He slipped his hand beneath her sweater and his cold fingertips on her bare flesh made her jump. He chuckled softly and dipped his head to kiss her. She melted into his kiss and before long found herself straddling his lap. She tried to lose herself in the moment but there was still something bothering her in the back of her mind. She didn't think he could tell, but then he broke the kiss.
"What's wrong?" he asked, pressing his forehead to hers. His dark eyes bored into hers in the dim light and she bit her lip. Should she tell him? When she didn't speak he pinched her back lightly, causing her to yelp.
"I think I made you trip," she blurted out.
"What?" he scoffed.
"On the stairs. I was annoyed and I think I might have accidentally made you trip. With my magic," she said guiltily, looking away. He removed one hand from under her sweater and touched her chin, tilting her face back up.
"You didn't trip me, little girl. My shoe caught on a loose board."
"Are you sure?" she asked, distressed.
"Very sure," he said, kissing her nose. "I would have felt your magic."
"I'm sorry," she said.
"I just said you didn't do anything. Why are you sorry?"
"For getting angry in the first place."
"Do not be sorry," he said, kissing her face again. "I can be a very frustrating man. I know this. I am sorry that I snapped at you. You didn't do anything wrong. That place, I just..." He was silent for a moment. "I am not a good man. I can be very difficult."
"I know," she murmured. "I love you anyway."
Her heart jolted as she realized what she'd just said, the thing she had been trying so hard not to say for the last several months. She started to pull away but he held her tight. The light of her wand extinguished, leaving them in pure darkness. She felt his hand move from her face to twine in her hair. He kissed her, hard and hungry, and she let him guide her back onto the dirt floor to make love.