"When the pain of hate is bitter..."

A heart of moonstone. This stone represents several things, but in the form of a heart its meaning was clear. I carefully took it out of her blue box, opened the palm of my hand and let it fall there. His blue and white reflections showed off his name, and in the moonlight he looked even more beautiful. I bit my lower lip thinking who would have left me the gift and without being seen. I was so intrigued that I didn't even think about hanging it around my neck, if I knew who it had been, I would gladly and proudly wear it. But the note had no signature, and all the neighbors handed me their gifts. Maybe, just maybe Izzie had stopped hating me deeply and... No, that theory was absurd, although I couldn't get any more possible authors of the assault on my bedroom. My window was wide open, letting in cool night air, scented with roses and pine. The backyard had lost all its color, until it looked like a black-and-white movie in the moonlight. It was so full tonight, so bright and special. I stuck my head out the window, followed by my arms resting on the wooden sill. I took one last look at the pendant, which was locked in the palm of my left hand. His reflections were so hypnotic that it was impossible for me to stop looking at him. But something disturbed my beautiful thought and the chirping of crickets in the bushes.

A long black shadow was placed under the white wooden arch of the garden, where my mother had made the white roses bloom this year. He was wearing a black or dark robe, along with the hood covering his head from prying eyes, except mine. The figure lifted his hand when he felt me looking at him and motioned for me to come down there. I quickly turned around to find my dress. Flowing with flirty ruffles, it was pastel yellow, and on one of its straps was a strategically placed bow. From the chair waiting at the foot of my bed, I jumped up and was back at the bedside table. I opened the drawer and immediately found my olive-colored wand there, along with some important papers I had stashed away.

I had no time to waste, he was down there with the white roses on his head. I didn't know if he was bringing bad news or just coming to see Isobel (who wasn't here). The nerves did not let me breathe well. Remembering the brightness of his black eyes burning with desire made me exhale sharply, since he gave me that kiss the image of him in my mind had changed completely. And now this pendant... What was I to think? What had he done out of courtesy or politeness? Or to trick me and achieve his purposes?

I looked out the window already dressed, hopeful, I looked for his figure under the silver moon, and without making sense he was no longer there. I climbed on my window sill, dodging the small cacti that were growing quietly, and jumped again; Even before I did, I had already cast the same spell that I had used to escape just a few days ago. I landed softly without hurting myself, it was a great trick to escape from anywhere. As a child it was not so easy for me to go down that window, I had to hold on very well to the vines and to the tube that my mother removed when she realized what I was doing.

Despite the moon, the night was dark. I walked about ten steps to the wooden arch, where the white roses were. That arch gave way to a small square of grass, the bushes delimited the land and the bench in the back was where mom went when she needed to be alone. Right there stood the figure in black. Seeing him there made my heart race. Why couldn't I just hug him and tell him I loved him? But it was a fact that that man was not for me, our paths had crossed but we were not destined. I swallowed hard trying to steel myself, put on my most serious expression and went to meet him at the bank. I moved further and further trying to control my stubborn emotions with every step. Snape didn't move but I knew very well that he could hear me go. I stopped next to him, he stood completely still, admiring how a red rose on a bush bloomed little by little.

―Professor Snape...

―Take a seat Rosenberg, what I have to tell you will not please you.

Barely understanding, I sat down on the stone bench as he instructed, his face expressionless as he gazed at the bushes full of red and white roses. He seemed disenchanted to be there with me or so it seemed to me. He released a content sigh, turning around crossing both hands on his back. I was beginning to get impatient, my leg was already moving on its own, hitting the ground loudly. I held my thigh with one of my hands and realized that I still hadn't thanked him for his gift. The blood burned on my cheeks and a shy smile appeared on my lips.

―Thanks for the gift.

I raised the arm that held the pendant and the chain, that heart shone in shades of blue. Snape removed his hood, turned around slowly until our eyes made contact, I saw how bewilderment reigned in his thoughts and then found the logic and rebuked me with these words:

―That was not for you. ―he said annoyed.

I immediately felt like the dumbest girl on the planet. I had forgotten which of the two he preferred, and it wasn't exactly me. A tremendous knot formed in my stomach when I heard his annoyed tone. I lowered my arm not knowing what to do, the pendant hadn't been given to me but to Izzie. Surely he had been in the wrong room by leaving it in a hurry.

―I… I'm sorry. ―I tried to say as he continued to look at me accusingly.

He didn't say anything, just pouted his thin lips in disgust. We started the conversation badly. I stood up and extended my arm to give him the pendant, with an unusual movement he grabbed it and looked at me sternly again. I was very embarrassed and to top it off my action had made him more furious. He had saved my life, he had my heart and now I too would lose all my sanity because of him. He took my arm and turned me sharply until I turned around facing the bench. He had surprised me in a few seconds. Blue reflections descended from my forehead to pass through my eyes, the pendant was suspended from my neck while Severus closed the clasp. His fingers were cold and rough, raising the hairs on the back of my neck easily.

―Keep it, it doesn't matter.

In an unpredictable outburst, he ran his hands under my armpits searching and finding my chest. He barely caressed my breasts. I could feel the arousal. He pressed his body against mine, it was too cold, but I just wanted him not to let go of me no matter what happened. I didn't mind being his doll, his piece of meat, his bunny, as long as I could feel his breath on my ear. I was so excited that I could die right there and not give a damn. He kissed my neck gently, while his large cold hands caressed my chest. I couldn't resist anymore, I brought my hands to his and pressed them even more against me. I needed him more than ever.

―That's not why I came here, Elinor. ―he whispered in my ear.

After the new rejection of him I was completely upset. I broke free of his embrace and went back to sit across from him on the bench, watching the moon change places as time passed. He put his hands behind his back and watched me change position as I grew more and more impatient.

―I hope you didn't mind. ―he said in a deep voice, trying to smile.

―I'm not. You can say whatever, I hear you sir. ―I said jaded and insolent.

Snape sighed, looked to the side, then began to speak. But as he had already said before, it was not a pleasant thing.

―It's about your sister, Rosenberg.

When I heard those words my foot stopped trembling with impatience and all my attention fell on him. I looked at him blankly, expecting to hear that something horrible had happened to Izzie at Susan's house and I hadn't been able to help it.

―What's wrong with Isobel? Is she okay? ―I asked anxiously.

―Yes, she's sleeping in the guest room at Mr. and Mrs. Wells's house. But what I have to tell you, I'm pretty sure is true. And if so, you are in mortal danger.

―But what are you saying? Speak at once, Professor Snape. ―I said more and more scared.

―Your sister… possibly, she is the architect of everything that happened at Hogwarts just a week ago. I have been observing her day after day, that change in her appearance was due to a mental overexertion, which possibly prevented part of the faculty from discovering her plans. I still don't know how she did some things, like for example getting into the forbidden section or who told her about Saint Meh. But don't worry Rosenberg, the truth has nowhere to hide.

His words had shocked me. Had my sister Isobel been the author of the horror we had experienced? She was a cruel, bitter and unpleasant girl, she liked to have all the boys she wanted and from time to time we would get into fights but... Was she really a murderer?

―You are seriously mistaken, sir. ―I said trying to reason logically.

―Do you think so? What are you basing yourself on to contradict me, Rosenberg? Everything fits, she wanted to join the Death Eater side, she wanted to show that she had power and strength. Those three were just her henchmen, her perfect decoy. They took my image obviously out of revenge, when I told her that she wouldn't have the slightest chance of it, and the most curious thing was that she was saved that night because we gave her an amulet. Are you going to defend her, miss?

―With tooth and nail! I don't care about your inquiries, or everything you've said. She is my sister, she is not a murderer.

―Open your eyes, Elinor! In the forest they betrayed your sister as the only one to blame for this whole affair. But she has done something so that those three don't report her to justice. Your sister wants to join the mark, all Death Eaters are murderers and traitors.

―Even you, sir?

Defiant and furious, I blurted out those words to make him go into a rage. The expression on his face changed instantly. His brows immediately furrowed, and his upper lip began to tremble in anger. I had never seen such a reaction from him, he had never lost his cool but I guess I had hit him where it hurt the most. Angrily and without hesitation he approached me, grabbed my arm tightly and dragged me towards him. He barely gave me time to react against his wishes, when then, it happened that the scene around us became blurred, the smells disappeared along with the moonbeams. Snape had transported us somewhere else. It was a dark room, a window let through the light of the moonlit night. I took off from him, taking my wand and pointing cautiously at him, ''lumos'' I said in a whisper provoked by tension and surprise. But I knew that room very well, it was Izzie's bedroom. Electric light flooded the bedroom as soon as Snape touched the switch. He grabbed my arm again and forced me to walk to my sister's trunk in front of the wooden cabinet. Then he violently dropped me on the ground. He was tired of me, as much as I was of him.

―Open it, aren't you so sure about her? So let's get out of doubt.

Snape made a turn of the wrist pronouncing a few words, from the lock I heard a ''click'' and I knew that this time there was no possible escape. My hands were sweating, I was so afraid of finding the truth that I preferred to close my eyes and forget this whole matter of Saint Meh. I opened Isobel's trunk, and at first glance there was nothing, it was empty. I looked at Snape a little calmer but he wasn't going to give up. He came up to me and said again:

―Reveal your secrets.

Just as he said, the trunk unfolded a false lid at the bottom, revealing some papers and the pendant that I had given to my sister. My breath caught, my head began to ache, and I felt that at any moment I would end up bursting into tears. Well, I already knew that she had been hiding something. I reached out and picked up one of the papers, it was greenish in color and seemed to have been ripped from somewhere. In its title it said ''Realization and ingredients'', its page number was 482; the first missing in Saint Meh's book.

It had been her. She couldn't have these pages by chance, far from it. A few tears slid down my cheek, followed by moans and a heartbreaking cry. My own sister had been to blame for the kidnappings, the rapes, the beatings, and even my own death. Why? Had I been so mean to her to deserve death? Didn't I love her more than my life? Why? I didn't know, it was something I didn't understand, but it hurt me so much that I couldn't stop crying.

―I have to take those pages with me, they are crucial evidence. ―Snape said without expressing surprise or delight.

―Aren't you going to accuse her? ―I said between sobs.

―I have no choice Rosenberg, she is a murderer.

That said, he took the four pages of the book, together with the protection pendant to reappear and expose my sister in the ministry.

―You can't do it, sir. ―I said trying not to cry. ―You promised me, you said you would help her. You have to protect her.

Without realizing it I was at his feet, I was holding his robe tightly to prevent him from leaving. I had to do it for her, she needed me. She had made mistakes but it wasn't her fault.

―If you don't do your part, I won't do mine either, sir. ―I didn't know what else to say to him.

Professor Snape stopped looking me in the eye, it would be a real shame to see me crawling at his feet begging for mercy for a murderess. But did it matter?

―Okay... We'll talk about this when you get back to the castle. Don't let your sister out of your sight Rosenberg, I'm warning you.

As soon as he finished telling me that, he reluctantly handed me the pages and the pendant, he wasn't used to not getting his way. He disappeared from Isobel's room in an instant and I was left alone again. I put the things in the trunk where we found them. I didn't know if I had done the right thing, Snape had put all the pieces together perfectly, there was no possible flaw in his suspicion. My sister was a murderer, and she had tried to kill me. A wave of bitter rage ran through my body, impotence, rage, fury... I pounded on the trunk with my fists. She was a bloody murderer and this wasn't going to stay that way. There before her bed I swore on Alice's memory that she would not get away with it. My mind became twisted, so much rage seeking revenge for the blood spilled and the nights of fear passed. In my musings of madness and suffering came the answer, to pay for all the pain caused by Isobel Jane Rosenberg... she had to die.

"When the pain of hate is bitter, it can let you die slowly"