To Tell The Truth

He held the kiss until he couldn't take the burning in his arm anymore. He broke away gasping. A look of concern passed over Vexus' face "Are you all right?"

"Yes I'm fine" He wanted to kiss her again but wasn't sure if he could take the pain again. He spoke in a raspy voice. "Let me help you lie down and we'll talk." She didn't argue, when he grabbed her it had disturbed her shoulder and she was glad to relax against the pillows.

He stood there then sat down and took her hand in his. "I want you to know that I care so much about you. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I loved you." He wasn't sure where he was going with this "But I think that we should spend a day or two away from each other. We've been too close and what just happened proves it."

Vexus' eyes had widened and then narrowed as he spoke. "So you think that was just a result of being 'too close'? And now that this has happened you think that running away is the answer?" She didn't believe it. All these years, all her life she hadn't ever felt anything so intense as that kiss and now he was going to take it from her. Just like that.

Snape was unsure about what to say. If he told her the truth about the Mark, he would have to tell her the truth about Voldemort. If he decided to pursue the relationship she would find out about the Mark eventually. He couldn't stand the pain, she would notice, and he would have to tell her the truth about Voldemort. Or he could break her heart and not allow it to go any further. Stop it right now; spare them both the pain of the truth.

'I hate my life' he thought 'I really do. With everything else, now this.'

He looked down at her hand in his 'the Mark must only react when she touches it or when there is more intimate contact.' he thought idly

Vexus was watching him closely, she knew he was hiding something and was sure that what he had said was just to protect whatever secret it was that he held. She had felt the way he had held her and kissed her. There was no way to deny that, unless it was to hide something. "Professor," she started

"Call me Severus. I think that you should right now."

"Fine, Severus" she let it roll of her tongue "I think that we both know that there is more going on here than what meets the eye. Why don't you just tell me the real reason you want to get away?" She hoped that it didn't sound too pleading.

He looked at her again. She was so strong, he had been watching for years and he knew that the times he had been with her were the best. They went together. She was the light to his darkness. He was the darkness behind her light. But now that he realized what he had, he was going to let it go. 'I cannot let her know about the Dark Lord. It would ruin her.'

"Severus?" her voice did not betray the horrible feeling she had in her stomach "please tell me that we're both wrong here. That I don't think there are any secrets and you don't think that we've just spent too much time together. Please."

He looked up at her as she continued, "That was the first time in my life that I ever really felt anything. Don't take that from me." She was not going to cry she told herself.

He leaned over and kissed her.  Immediately the Mark burned again. He quickly sat back and decided what he must do.

"I didn't feel anything."

He stood up and walked out of the room. There was no sound other that that of his robes flying out behind him.

Back in the room Vexus broke down completely and cried with total abandon for the first time in her life.

Snape walked quickly towards Dumbledore's chambers. He beat loudly on the door and waited for it to open. When the door swung open he almost ran inside. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in a chair by the fire reading. "What's happened?"

"She has to be moved." he didn't intend to tell the Headmaster about the kiss. "Earlier, I had my arm exposed. She accidentally touched the Mark and it reacted to her touch." He hadn't sat down he just wanted to get this over with "I think that she should be moved, I don't want to risk any incidents and have her find out about the Dark Lord now."

Albus closed the book and frowned "She will find out one day. But I agree that now is not the best time." he sighed, "May she at least sleep there tonight. I got a message from Madam Pomfrey, and she'll be here in the morning. There is no sense in moving Vexus tonight." Snape swallowed "Will you at least sit with her or rather us?" Dumbledore thought for a moment.

"I must have been awful Severus. Seeing the Mark again, and from such an innocent source. I know that you have feelings for her." Snape sharply inhaled. "You wouldn't be asking this unless you did. And it's fine. She'll be moved, I just hope that you've made the right decision," he looked over his glasses "for both of you."

Severus waited while Albus got a different dressing gown on and then led the way back down to his chambers. When they got there Vexus was sound asleep, she had apparently cried herself out. Dumbledore looked at her face and shook his head. "Whatever it was Severus," he looked to Snape "I hope that it was as good as this is bad."

Severus hadn't approached the bed he didn't want to get too close. At the headmasters question he whispered "a kiss."

Dumbledore nodded and said "the Mark?"

"On fire."

"Very well." he sat down in the chair that was closest to the bed and Snape sat in the one that was the furthest away. He sat facing her though. When it came time for the potion he filled the cup and left the room while Dumbledore woke Vexus and made her drink. Snape stood outside listening, but she never asked where he was or why the older wizard was there. In the morning Madam Pomfrey arrived and after an examination she confirmed what Snape had found. The collarbone was broken and the foot had a couple fractures, otherwise Vexus was fine. The nurse did mention that the potion had helped, it had kept Vexus out of pain and there was virtually no swelling. Snape was not there when they took Vexus to the hospital wing. And he did not visit her either.

Finally the term started and Vexus was healed up enough to attend the feast. She met up with Teresa and had to put her hand up to stop the hug. "I told you, it's still tender!" she was smiling. "It's so good to see you."

"I was worried." Teresa smiled back and helped Vexus sit down. From the staff table Snape watched and waited for her to look in his direction. She never did.

The following morning she arrived exactly five minutes early for her first class assisting him. He was sitting at his desk and looked up when he noticed her standing in front of his desk. When she started talking there was nothing in her voice for him to tell what she was feeling. "I will only say this once, Professor. And if it sounds like I am being rude, well I am. Do what you will with that. We will never speak of what happened. I have forgotten if there was any significance in what happened between us other than the fact it illustrated how wrong I was about you. I will not be wrong again. I request that our conversations be limited to nothing more than the classes. I don't want to talk about anything with you. Not the weather, not Quidditch, not dinner or anything else. I hope that you'll have enough consideration to respect this request." she had finished and stood there looking him in the eye. He leaned back in the chair and answered "Fine."

That was all. She turned around and took a seat at the back of the room to observe the class until she was needed.

Vexus never told Teresa about the kiss she just said that he had been extremely nasty towards her and that was the end of it. Teresa didn't push for more. This was their seventh and final year at the school and they both had a full schedule. Vexus was taking advanced Arithmacy, Astronomy, History of Magic (it was more like a special study class though. All they worked on was a single thesis all year. Hers was to be 10 rolls of parchment on "The Founding of the American Colonies and Subsequent Events That Immediately Concerned the Magic Community." Teresa called it a report on the Salem witch trails. Vexus insisted that it sounded better with her title.) They were busy and Vexus even more so by the time Quidditch started. Slytherin was tearing up the other teams and every time Professor Snape had to attend a game he got a sick feeling. The incident with the bludger had actually made Vexus a better player. She dodged and ducked so much it was like nobody could get near her. She had been right about the players she moved up and there was another boy on the team named Marcus who looked set to be captain one day. The team was strong and a good foundation had been build for the next few years.

Vexus spent Christmas with Teresa that year and they had a great time. Half was spent with Vexus' parents and half with Teresa's family. It looked like after graduation Teresa would be going home to work in her parents shop. It was an ancient bookstore and they all knew one day it would belong to Teresa.

As the term started to wind down, Vexus had to spend more time with Snape. She had been right about the Second years and on the day they brewed the new potion she had to clean up 7 melted cauldrons. Snape never said anything much to her. He was determined to honor her request. Until the day she was again patrolling the desks and saw a first year Hufflepuff about to make a rather large mess. "Sean, are you sure you want to do that?" She asked him.

Snape looked up from where he was standing inspecting another student. He watched Vexus grin at the boy as he looked over the ingredient list. Suddenly Snape was struck with a rather intense shot of jealousy. 'What right does that fool have to receive her help and have her smile at him like that?'

He spoke "Vexus, you will have detention this evening." She gaped at him and then recovered enough to ask "Excuse me Professor, did you say detention?" her voice was neutral but he could see the familiar spark in her eyes.

"Yes and twenty points if you keep arguing with me."

"May I ask why?"

"You know not to do the work for the students. Particularly those who might benefit from a cauldron exploding in their face. Twenty points from your house." he held her gaze. The students were at a loss. They were scared out of their wits of Snape, but they all liked Vexus. She had assisted many of them much more that she had Sean. Vexus looked at the floor and Snape smirked.

After the class she approached him "What will I be doing this evening?" There was nothing in her voice again.

He didn't turn around from where he was writing on the blackboard. "You will be polishing everything in the trophy case. BY hand. You're excused." She wanted to scream at him, tear his hair out, anything. Instead she glared at the back of his head for a moment and left.

"He gave you detention?" Teresa didn't believe her ears. She knew that what ever had happened between Vexus and Snape must've been bad. Now she thought that it must've been much worse than what Vexus let on. Her friend was sitting next to her waiting for Professor McGonagall to arrive for their Advanced Transfiguration class.

"Detention. I will be polishing the trophies." she screwed up her face "by hand, No magic. The bastard."

Teresa laughed "Well, good luck."

Vexus stuck her tongue out just as Professor McGonagall entered the room.

That night as she was finishing up the trophy case something caught her eye....a name....... Riddle.

Snape had actually been asleep in his room when there was a thunderous banging on the door and he heard someone shouting "Open up! I know you're in there!!!!" He jumped up and pulled on his robes just as the doors were flung open. Vexus was standing there looking like she had been running all over the castle. 'Which she probably has' he thought absently. He was about to ask what in the hell was she doing when she yelled at him "You need to change your password and" She was approaching him now "Who the hell is Tom Riddle?"

Snape felt his blood run cold. She had been polishing the trophies, but he didn't think that she was still trying to figure out the name. He quickly sought to gain control of the situation. "YOU have some explaining to do, bursting into a teachers chambers uninvited." She was nose to nose with him now. "I asked 'Who is Tom Riddle?'"

He stepped back from her and asked, "So you think that's who your father is? Why?"

"Well it makes sense." She was trying to speak slowly and not pour it all out "What do riddles do?"

Snape looked puzzled "I don't know what?"

She sneered, "They vex us. Vexus, get it? It was right in front of me the whole time." She had been pacing now she stopped and looked at the Professor "Who was Tom Riddle?"

He was stunned that she didn't already know. As much as she had read about Voldemort and she hadn't put it together yet." His silence was grinding on her already frazzled nerves and she was yelling again before she could stop it "WHO WAS TOM RIDDLE?"

"Voldemort." he said as he slumped down into a chair. He looked up at her and saw that she had gone white. Her hands were shaking "No. That's a lie. Voldemort killed my parents. Liar!" she was yelling again.

"I wouldn't lie to you about this. I swear, you may ask the headmaster. He, Professor McGonagall and myself are the only ones who know." he felt so tired.

"Tell me everything. Right now." she stood over him one hand on each arm of the chair. When he looked into her eyes it seemed that they were so sad.

"I was a Death Eater and I had turned. I was acting as a spy for Dumbledore when your mother came here with you. We worked out a plan to make it seem like you were dead. I knew that Voldemort was planning on killing you both." he paused for a breath. It was so unlike him to spill his guts like this "The Dark Lord hadn't even let you be named, he was convinced that you had no magic talent. I passed the potion to your mother who gave it to you. It worked. Voldemort thought your mother had killed you. So he killed her. You got your name when he picked you up. He looked at you and said Vexus."

"You were there?"

"Yes"

"What happened then?"

"I recovered your body, administered the antidote and passed you to Minerva. She took you to the orphanage."

She stepped back from the chair "How did they know my name?"

"I told Minerva and she told them."

She narrowed her eyes at him "Why? Why did you pin me with the name?"

He sighed and put his head in his hands "I knew it was the only thing he'd ever given you. I thought you should get something from him."

She suddenly felt like her arms were made of lead. Everything she knew was forever altered. She sank down to the floor and sat there. Vexus looked at Snape  "Is that why you did what you did?"

He knew what she was talking about and nodded. 'May as well tell her the whole truth.' he thought.

He stood up and walked over to her. He sat down next to her and began unbuttoning his left sleeve. He rolled it up and she could make out the faint outlines of the Mark. She stared at it as he explained. "When you touched my arm, you happened to touch the mark. When you did it changed, just the way it had when the Dark Lord touched it. And when we kissed."

"It changed." she reached out towards his outstretched arm. Snape almost flinched back but held himself steady. He understood that she had to see herself. He felt her fingertips on his skin and immediately afterwards the sharp burning sensation. They both watched the mark turn black. She snatched her hand back and sat there cradling her hand in her lap. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You didn't know. And I think that the only reason is just because he was your father, I know you enough to know you haven't gone into the Dark arts."

They sat there in silence for a few moments before Snape spoke again "Vexus, please. You can't help who your parents were. There's nothing you can do to change it." He moved a little closer to her. "You can't let this ruin everything you've worked for."

She stood up and looked down at him "Professor, you have no idea what you're talking about." There was an odd detached look in her eyes and Snape tried to place where he had seen that look before. He inhaled sharply as he remembered: Voldemort. She was speaking again. "Do you know what I can do? Would you like a little demonstration?" Suddenly he was jerked up from the floor like puppet. She never took her eyes from his. He was suspended in the air and couldn't even move to struggle. "Vexus, what are you doing?" he tried not to sound scared. "Just stop."

"I don't want you to get hurt," she whispered

Then she started mumbling what sounded like several spells run together. He watched as everything in his room began flying off the shelves. A fire erupted in the fireplace and he watched as chairs flung themselves up against the walls and things whizzed by his ears. She didn't stop until the room had been demolished. The only things untouched were the two of them, the ceiling, floor and walls. He felt his feet touch down and the grip on him relax. Before he could say anything she put her finger to her lips and stepped closer to him. Her eyes still had the same gleam "Impressed? Well it's so much easier to destroy than create after all. Watch this."

She started mumbling again and it was like time had reversed. The splintered chairs came back together, the fire went out with a flash. Jars reassembled themselves in mid air before landing right back where they had been before.

He gaped at her. She looked a little tired when she spoke again "It takes a lot out of me, and it's taken a long time to get to this point. I don't even use the wand half the time. Unless I am just tired or the surroundings require it." She looked at the room, back just as it had been before "This is what scares me: If I can do all that, what happens if Voldemort finds a way back? If he finds out about me? Do you think he would pass up the opportunity to use me?" She shivered "I won't say that I forgive you for not telling me before now. And I don't forgive you for what you did to me. I will thank you for saving my life. However now I wonder if it had been better if I had been killed with my mother."

Severus stood before her trying to take in what she had just said. "What are you going to do, Vexus?"

"I am leaving, Severus."

"What?"

She sighed and suddenly looked much, much older than she was. "I am going to leave. I think that it is better for everyone if I go away. I will leave and live like a muggle. No magic. No reasons for Voldemort to even know I exist. It's better that way."

"You can't make a discoing like that so fast." he was stunned "Let's go see Dumbledore and find out what he thinks"

Snape was standing with his back to the door, which had been left open, and turned when a new voice spoke "Severus, she is correct."

Albus Dumbledore was standing in the doorway. "Did you see?" asked Snape.

"I only saw the restoration, but I'd wager the destruction was a pretty good show." he didn't smile as he spoke. He turned to Vexus "You are free to complete the year, of course."

She had her head down and didn't look up "No, I don't think so. I should go tonight."

Dumbledore looked sad and nodded. "Very well, good luck. I will keep in touch." He was gone.

To Snape it seemed that it wasn't real. None of this was actually happening. He looked at Vexus. She had raised her head and was watching him.

"I'm sorry it's all turned out this way." she had tears in her eyes but they didn't escape.

"Don't go."

"You said you didn't feel anything, remember?"

"I lied."

"Well, it wasn't the first one was it?" she had regained her control and started for the door.

As she brushed by him he wanted to reach out and stop her. He didn't move as he felt her robes swoosh by.

She walked down the corridor and to the castle entrance. Then across the lawn, out the gate and she was gone. There was no sound but the soft chirping of crickets and the wind in the trees.