Sunday. Today was Sunday, and while her sleep schedule was off, Allosia
actually found herself feeling better. She belonged at Hogwarts regardless
of her rocky starts both then and now. Flying and talking to Dumbledore
had reminded her of that.
She took it on faith, because it was the only currency she had, that Snape would return this evening, that he would be alright and even somewhat satisfied in his continued role as a secret and necessary hero. She suspected they would always snarl at each other in the halls, but that every few weeks they would drink too much and reminisce about their pasts.
And so Allosia went through her Sunday tired, but hopeful, believing that her construction of the world would make it so, but anyone who wasn't trying to ignore it, as she was, could see, that the energy was all nervous.
Snape moaned hoarsely. He could no longer remember when he had given up screaming. It might have been hours, and it might have been minutes ago. He knew that everything hurt, and that while Voldemort had no intention of killing him this time, he might, very well by accident.
"I know you think you have no choice to disobey me from time to time, Severus, to keep up your charade. But it doesn't make it acceptable. You are so very smart, you should understand that," came Voldemort's hissing voice.
Snape wouldn't have dared look at him even if he could find a way to raise his head. "Yes, my lord," he choked out, only to hear Voldemort laugh.
"It seems the potions master still knows who his master is."
Snape winced inwardly at that, a small barb, but hitting far too many places at once. He wondered, absently at the source of the blood taste in his mouth before briefly losing consciousness only to be awakened again by the Cruciatus. He absently wondered how he was going to teach tomorrow before fixing on an odd memory to hold him through the pain. Every nerve was so alert in the throws of the unforgivable curse that he somehow was able to feel the exact texture of Allosia's hair leaving his hand twenty years ago. And at that he laughed, softly and bitterly through his tears and blood.
Lucius Malfoy leaned his head against that of Goyle and whispered, "He always does that eventually. I suspect he likes it." Malfoy smiled then, and ran his fingers over his lips in blatantly sensual thought.
Albus Dumbledore watched Allosia Hemrand's mood deteriorate over dinner. She went from almost giddy to sullen and nervous over the course of an hour and a half, but at least she didn't excuse herself from the table, and he was glad of that. Community is all there was in times like these.
He touched her shoulder, gently as dessert was finishing up. "Would you like company," and when she looked at him blankly he added, "waiting."
She nodded then, and he leaned down to whisper to her. "I have some things to do, but then I'll bring us some hot chocolate."
Allosia turned and smiled again. She silently blessed Hogwarts for never changing.
"I must confess some amazement at how quickly you two have patched things up," Dumbledore said, but it was clear his intent was to pry.
"Well, we haven't actually. We spoke at length, because it was getting ridiculous. It was actually really awful." She turned her head to look at him then. "I wound up slapping him."
Dumbledore had the decency to look shocked instead of amused. "May I ask why?"
"It's best that you didn't. And then he explained to me, everything I didn't have it in me to figure out as a child. I was so young, it scares me."
"He was very young too, Allosia."
"He didn't seem it. I can't imagine him being as lost and foolhardy as I was."
"I knew him as a first year, I can assure you, Severus was once in fact something recognizable as a child."
Allosia smiled, but it was weak. "So then he asked me about my life, of which there was pathetically little to tell, and then we sat there quietly, drinking, most of the night."
"Did he tell you about Gage?"
"Yeah. It makes it worse somehow. I feel like I've hurt them both now."
Dumbledore signed audibly, his was of telling her she was being foolish without having to say it.
They sat in silence for a long time afterwards, until an owl dropped a note into Dumbledore's lap. He looked at it gravely and then turned to Allosia. "I need to go attend to this, but if you need anything, I am here for you."
She looked alarmed.
"It's not about Severus. I will tell you, if I hear anything." And with that he turned, and walked back to the castle.
For the second time in as many days, Allosia whispered, "good night, Headmaster," and gathered her robes around her to wait.
She took it on faith, because it was the only currency she had, that Snape would return this evening, that he would be alright and even somewhat satisfied in his continued role as a secret and necessary hero. She suspected they would always snarl at each other in the halls, but that every few weeks they would drink too much and reminisce about their pasts.
And so Allosia went through her Sunday tired, but hopeful, believing that her construction of the world would make it so, but anyone who wasn't trying to ignore it, as she was, could see, that the energy was all nervous.
Snape moaned hoarsely. He could no longer remember when he had given up screaming. It might have been hours, and it might have been minutes ago. He knew that everything hurt, and that while Voldemort had no intention of killing him this time, he might, very well by accident.
"I know you think you have no choice to disobey me from time to time, Severus, to keep up your charade. But it doesn't make it acceptable. You are so very smart, you should understand that," came Voldemort's hissing voice.
Snape wouldn't have dared look at him even if he could find a way to raise his head. "Yes, my lord," he choked out, only to hear Voldemort laugh.
"It seems the potions master still knows who his master is."
Snape winced inwardly at that, a small barb, but hitting far too many places at once. He wondered, absently at the source of the blood taste in his mouth before briefly losing consciousness only to be awakened again by the Cruciatus. He absently wondered how he was going to teach tomorrow before fixing on an odd memory to hold him through the pain. Every nerve was so alert in the throws of the unforgivable curse that he somehow was able to feel the exact texture of Allosia's hair leaving his hand twenty years ago. And at that he laughed, softly and bitterly through his tears and blood.
Lucius Malfoy leaned his head against that of Goyle and whispered, "He always does that eventually. I suspect he likes it." Malfoy smiled then, and ran his fingers over his lips in blatantly sensual thought.
Albus Dumbledore watched Allosia Hemrand's mood deteriorate over dinner. She went from almost giddy to sullen and nervous over the course of an hour and a half, but at least she didn't excuse herself from the table, and he was glad of that. Community is all there was in times like these.
He touched her shoulder, gently as dessert was finishing up. "Would you like company," and when she looked at him blankly he added, "waiting."
She nodded then, and he leaned down to whisper to her. "I have some things to do, but then I'll bring us some hot chocolate."
Allosia turned and smiled again. She silently blessed Hogwarts for never changing.
"I must confess some amazement at how quickly you two have patched things up," Dumbledore said, but it was clear his intent was to pry.
"Well, we haven't actually. We spoke at length, because it was getting ridiculous. It was actually really awful." She turned her head to look at him then. "I wound up slapping him."
Dumbledore had the decency to look shocked instead of amused. "May I ask why?"
"It's best that you didn't. And then he explained to me, everything I didn't have it in me to figure out as a child. I was so young, it scares me."
"He was very young too, Allosia."
"He didn't seem it. I can't imagine him being as lost and foolhardy as I was."
"I knew him as a first year, I can assure you, Severus was once in fact something recognizable as a child."
Allosia smiled, but it was weak. "So then he asked me about my life, of which there was pathetically little to tell, and then we sat there quietly, drinking, most of the night."
"Did he tell you about Gage?"
"Yeah. It makes it worse somehow. I feel like I've hurt them both now."
Dumbledore signed audibly, his was of telling her she was being foolish without having to say it.
They sat in silence for a long time afterwards, until an owl dropped a note into Dumbledore's lap. He looked at it gravely and then turned to Allosia. "I need to go attend to this, but if you need anything, I am here for you."
She looked alarmed.
"It's not about Severus. I will tell you, if I hear anything." And with that he turned, and walked back to the castle.
For the second time in as many days, Allosia whispered, "good night, Headmaster," and gathered her robes around her to wait.
