Please note, that I do not own the character of Severus Snape, or any other magical lingo. This is a Severus/OC story. Samantha is my own creation.
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Chapter 9:
The door swung open and a quiet patter of feet reached the foot of the bed. Samantha stirred in her sleep, detecting a presence in the room. Groggily, she sat up, rubbing her head with a hand. She still ached. A wide-eyed house elf stood at the foot of the bed, barely able to peek above the mattress.
"I…I brings you clothes, Miss." The house elf carefully rounded the bed and walked towards the desk. He placed the clothes on the desk chair, and took the black dress with him. Samantha almost stopped him, but she remembered that wasn't even her dress.
"Thank you."
"The Master is waiting. He says you is to have a hot bath. It's ready for you, Miss." With the dress clenched in one hand, the house elf walked backward to the door. He slipped out, looking nervously at Samantha as she rose from the bed. She stretched and winced at the throbbing pain in her head. She'd woken up once more in the night, drenched in sweat, from another dark dream.
Samantha looked down at herself and blushed. She immediately realized why the house elf was acting so…strange. She was only in her underwear. Black lace underwear. She blushed even more.
Samantha tried to figure out how she'd walk down the hall to her bath. The elf took the dress from the day before, though she wouldn't have wanted to ruin it with her sweaty body. Of course, she didn't mind ruining it by sleeping in it, she reminded herself. She didn't want to put on the fresh set of clothes on the chair. She wanted to save those for when she was clean and refreshed.
She walked to his cabinet. She scanned the clothes in there, and sighed, not wanting to ruin any of Severus' fine clothes. But they're his old "fine clothes" so he wouldn't mind so much…She reached for the black button-up shirt she'd worn days earlier. She slipped it over her black underclothes and tiptoed to the door.
Opening the door, she peeked into the hall, noticing it was quite clear. She emerged from the room, turning to close the door softly behind her, when Severus' voice boomed from down the hall.
"Miss Smill…" He stopped. He took in her soft form, wearing his black shirt once again, her skin covered in a light sheen. When she turned to look at him, she saw his face flush. She felt her own face redden, too, in embarrassment. Severus cleared his throat, and instead of saying whatever he wanted to, he strode to the stairway and nearly flew down the stairs.
Letting out a slow breath, Samantha proceeded down the hall to her left. Good thing she'd put on the shirt.
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Samantha luxuriated in the hot bath. The room scented softly by the potion she'd poured into the water. It was labeled "Cucumber and Melon" and sniffing it had determined it was the obvious choice for today's bath.
The ache in her head subsided. She noticed that the aches in her body were also a distant memory. She shuddered remembering the way her muscles contracted after each wave of pain swept her mind. And their hands.
She was a Death Eater. Nothing could change that. She knew there was no way to erase the taint of the Dark Mark from her arm. The skull and snake. She winced, remembering the burning sensation when the Mark was delivered. She couldn't. She wouldn't ever use her abilities. She'd shut away her Dark powers. Never to use them again. She dreaded knowing she wielded dangerous and dishonorable magic. Her alarm wouldn't subside.
Samantha closed her eyes, laying back into the water, submerging all of her body, except her face. The hot water shattered the frozen fears in her body, in her mind. She felt a deep warmth creep into her body. A warmth that reminded her of something.
Her eyes fluttered open as she realized what that something was. Severus. His embrace. She sighed, trying to sink deeper into the bath. Deeper into his embrace. His cold, dark eyes may seem blank and distant, but he cannot hide his passion that she felt in his physical touch. Remembering all his scathing words, she wondered what he may be hiding.
He and Dumbledore definitely shared some secret. She certainly didn't expect Severus to share anything with her, but she wondered what that would be like.
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Samantha, clean and dressed, approached the library. This appeared to be Severus' favorite meeting room. She was about to knock on one of the double doors, when the other banged open. Severus stood in the doorway, as if about to step out and yell at someone. He turned his head, surprised, to see Samantha, hand still raised about to knock.
Severus was shaking with fury. His face was flushed. His eyes roamed up and down her body. Samantha followed his eyes, taking in her appearance.
A pair of black pants and a soft gray sweater. He'd conjured them himself.
Her feet were sore from wearing the boots all night, so she walked down barefoot.
She ran a hand through her wet hair, trying to comb it out with her fingers.
Watching Severus slowly bring his eyes up to hers, she gripped a strand tightly.
There was a strange pained expression on his face. A definite inner struggle. Still trembling, he turned, shut the library door, and gestured for her to follow him, as he walked towards the front entrance hall.
A small house elf greeted us at the door. She offered him his black robe, which he pulled on over his trousers and black shirt. Over this, he layered a thick gray cloak.
He opened the front doors, and he turned to look at Samantha.
"Where are you going?" Samantha stood at the foot of the stairs, looking unsure and feeling shaky. She tried to casually bring her arm to rest on the banister and missed, nearly losing her balance. Severus sneered at her clumsiness.
"Not just me, Miss Smill, you are coming as well." Without giving her a chance to get her boots, or even grab a cloak, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the open door, into a sheet of cold rain.
Confused, Samantha turned back to the doors, to see the house elf closing them. Her feet splashed in the small icy puddles collecting along the walkway. She blinked her eyes trying to keep the water out of her eyes. Her face scrunched up, burning with the tingle of the freezing rain.
By the time they went through the gate, she was completely soaked and nearly running to keep up with the pace Severus set, heading north along the road away from the estate. The only source of warmth for her shivering body was a large hand wrapped around her wrist.
Samantha tried to read his expression. What was he doing? What is going on? Samantha tugged on her wrist, trying to free herself from his vice-like grip. He didn't relent. He didn't even look back at her. She struggled only a little bit more, trying to dig her feet into the ground. Severus slowed slightly, but didn't even turn his head to acknowledge the girl he was dragging along.
"Severus, what are you doing?" She shouted over the pounding rain. A flash of lightening illuminated the sky. Samantha screamed, though her voice nearly drowned out by the storm. Severus stopped.
"Severus! What are you doing?!" Samantha shrieked, tugging at her wrist again, if only to get him to turn and look at her. He didn't move. He stood there, face turned away from hers. His hood was up, protecting him from the full brunt of the weather. It was a few minutes before he stirred out of the trance that froze him in place.
Without a word, he continued. His grip was a little less…harsh. It was still firm, and forced Samantha to keep up with his long strides.
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It was hours of walking before Severus stopped. Samantha felt nearly delirious. She couldn't feel anything; not her legs, arms, not her nose, her ears, not her fingers, her feet…she'd collected many wounds on the soles of her feet along the road.
The lightening that continuously streaked across the sky no longer seemed to bother Samantha. At first she screamed in surprise after each flash. But the cold, her exhaustion, and the burden of her conflicting emotions kept her from caring after a while. The explosions of light in the sky didn't even make her flinch.
So when Severus stopped, Samantha hardly realized he had. She continued walking and his hand pulled her to a stop. The sky lit up with a blaze of blue light. Samantha dropped to her knees. Her wet sweater clung to her body, the pants stiff and uncomfortable. Her hair fell in her face, as she sagged lower to the ground.
Samantha didn't even care that she was sitting in mud. She didn't even care when Severus finally released her hand. She felt sick to her stomach. Her head ached hard. Her skin burned. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on why Severus was doing this.
The test. This was her test. What is she supposed to do? Prove her loyalty? By submitting to torture? What is going on…
"Severus, what is going on?"
"Miss Smill," Severus raised his wand towards her, "Hurt me."
Stunned, she shot her head up. She stared at him, blinking furiously in the rain. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make sense of what he said….Hurt him?
"Hurt me. Now," he brought the wand to her head. He was posed ready to hex her. What was going on? She felt that sick feeling in her stomach. Her head started to droop.
"Last time. Defend yourself, hurt me." She didn't move from the mud. She didn't even know how she could hurt him.
Dark magic. She knew that's what he wanted. He wanted her to break her will and use her evil powers on him. She shuddered at the thought of harming him. Of course, that wouldn't stop him from –
Samantha's mind was ripped from her head. Her soul from her heart. At first she couldn't comprehend what was happening. She felt like she was writhing on the ground in front of innumerable Death Eaters, subject to their hate. It took her a few moments to focus on the confusing sensations her body experienced. The chilly pelting of rain. The wind ripping through her clothes. The mud cushioning her body on the ground.
The unmistakable voice that was, quite calmly, cursing her. Severus. She knew those curses. She knew them to be of the Dark Arts. She even knew how to defend against them. But her body wouldn't react. And she didn't want it to.
Here was her well-deserved punishment. Severus, the one man she'd trusted with her life, was tearing her spirit from her body.
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After what seemed like hours to Samantha, though she acknowledged the possibility that it was merely seconds, the curses stopped. The pain didn't fade as quickly. She lay frozen on her back in the mud, her body uncontrollably twitching.
Severus stood tall above her. His hood was down, pushed back, and his dark locks were drenched from the rain. The wind slightly tousled his hair, whipping through his robes and cloak. He still looked as majestic as she'd first seen him. Elegant. Dark. Dangerous. She certainly knew that now.
She tried to use her voice, but nothing came out. He'd silenced her. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the water and mud splashed on her face. He stood, still and tall, avoiding looking at her. He looked sick. A flash of lightening startled him.
"Miss Smill," he said, wiping one hand over his face, water sloshing all over him, "You've passed your test."
As if she were waiting to hear only this, Samantha nodded and passed out cold in the mud.
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Alright, another thrilling installment! She's passed, so what does that entail for her now? How will she react to Severus now? And what about him and his emotions? We'll see.
Also, if you've read, PLEASE take a second to review. Say "hi"….or "yay"….or "boo"
Whatever you want! Comment, complain, criticize. Suggestions, ideas, questions!!! Write to me, people! :-) I'd really appreciate some input. It'll also encourage me to write more…that is…if you want me to write more…
--Eclipsed Planet
