Authoritrix Notes: I hate to be a hypocritical ermine of doom, but I have
to add in an OC. Oh! This chapter gets a little 'Ek! How could you?' if you
will. This one came a long way from its original version in my notebook,
which only goes to show you after you play Wack-A-Rat on willard.com you
turn a little grotesquely violent. oO Sorry.
Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter. J.K.Rowling owns them. I didn't do it. I'm only messing with the story line a bit, and bringing some much UN- needed pain to the characters. Several characters are mine in this chapter, and I'd like to think Nekomi, Scruffy, and Elf-Boy for their help in the naming of them.
Key: // \\ Memories/Other ' 'Thoughts " " Quotes [Naturally]
--------------
UNTITLED
Chapter 3: "That Which is Broken/Libraries"
By: TRSolarCat/RocketSolarCat
--------------
//Severus I want to give you something. I think you know why I am giving this to you.\\ His father's voice played back to him, in it's silky deep tone.
//Mother's--! \\ He was in his father's lap, as they sat one night after dinner sometime after his mother died. The fire was going heating the whole room, as they sat in it's glow Snape felt his father's arms go around him until they were freely in front. There his father held the necklace, the necklace he'd wear on his neck for four years without incident.
//Yes, it is. I'm going to give you this in full confidence you know how to take care of it. Another thing, don't take it off, Severus, you might not understand this but don't worry.\\ His father delicately handed it too him, Snape's eyes were wide in wonder, something of his mother's was going to be his. Severus was too young to remember his mother when she was alive, and just getting something of hers meant more to him then all other things did back then. Now it didn't seem so important to him, except for one factor:
He broke it.
Long after he'd bandaged his nose, counted the bruises on his neck, and done the best he could to calm his fears, the necklace was still broken. He figured it happened when he was trying to get away from Tom Riddle that night. Everything about that night bothered him, in which it would any normal human being. Several days after, he still couldn't shake it from his mind.
After class from that day forward, Snape found himself walking almost absent-mindedly down the halls of Hogwarts towards the library. Sitting alone, in the darkest corner of the massive room, at a rustic old table. Most of the times he'd begin these trips by going down an aisle and pulling out several books at random and returning to the table, which no one dared claim their own before he had. Most of the other people, including the librarian knew well that Severus Snape was sitting there, and no one ever took anything off that desk.
Reading everything he could about the great wizards of the past, guilds, and sometimes even getting into the muggle religious leaders- searching through everything he could for even a resemblance to the name Riddle had spoken. Nothing even came close to 'Voldemort', there was no record of anything named that.
Snape knew then that he'd either have to ask someone, which seemed out of the question, (seemingly that it might cause suspicion to fall onto him) or that he might check in the 'Restricted Area'. The 'Restricted Area' was off limits to all in Hogwarts except the seventh year students, the only seventh year Snape had known was Tom Riddle, himself, and that seemed as deadly as it was useless to ask him.
It had just so happened that on one day's journey to the library Snape had become so frustrated with everything currently happening that he threw his books aside. As they scattered the floor with several heavy thuds, he realized someone was near the exact spot in which his books had fallen. Looking up he noticed a blond-haired Gryffindor girl calmly picking up the books he'd just thrown astray. As she approached he put on his normal outward appearance, hiding his frustration; she leaned over and put them back on the desk calmly. Then, straightening she didn't move from the side of the table. After she'd been there for a moment Snape asked angerly,"What do you want? If you' re looking for me to be grateful, you're mistaken."
Snape had gotten used to the jeering remarks which most of the other students made towards him, perhaps his heart had now hardened slightly more than he had realized.
"That's not a very pleasant thing to say to a lady."She wasn't upset,"Severus, your always sitting over here alone and--"
"What about it?"He snapped, but looked up into her eyes just then seeing something that reminded him of Dumbledore he quickly turned his eyes away once more. He hated those eyes,"I don't suppose you' d care if I did, anyhow."
"Well!"She sounded mad this time, putting her hands upon her hips,"Mr. Snape, if that's the way you are going to be, then I guess I won't invite you to come over and sit with us."
Another wave of guilt just hit the black-haired boy, just as it had when he found out Dumbledore knew he was lying. As the girl turned, her curly blond hair swishing, she got several steps away before Snape called her back,"Lily! Wait, Lily."
The Gryffindor turned around quickly, as if Snape had done something she didn't expect,"You remember my name?"
He nodded, then began to make an apology hastily before the girl had anything else to say in response,"I might have been too eager to be left alone just now, Lily. I feel like I was frustrated, but don't think it was towards you."
"Is that what you call an apology?"Lily laughed, giving him a skeptical look,"Well, Mr. Snape, I don't know how to take that. Is that a 'yes' you will join us, or a 'no'?"
Lily made a slight gesture towards a small table, several away from Snape's own. At the table sat four other Gryffindors, as Snape glanced at them past Lily at the table he caught one of them in eye contact. Dark brown hair that looked rugged out of place, yet clean robes, glasses, and a suspicious look in his eye as he looked back at Snape. Snape knew from these characteristics the boy could only belong to the Potter family, another wizard family as rich as Malfoy's and his own. Out of all the families in the wizarding world the Potters has seemed the most odd to Snape. Certainly people said the same about his own, but something about the Potters was different.
As Lily stood prattling about some odd subject, most likely potions, Snape unintentionally couldn't recall a word; he was too worried about Potter. Potter had gotten to his feet and was coming straight for them.
"Aye, Lily!"He cheerfully said as he approached, putting an arm around Lily's shoulder, the girl returned the gesture with a smile.
"Hey, James, how is the report coming along? Did Remus find anything in 'Hogwarts: A History' yet?"She asked then turned back to Snape, as if she'd forgotten him being there then suddenly remembered,"Oh! I'd like you to meet Snape, James, you know from Double Potions?"
Potter's eyes grew at the mention of Snape's name, and then he turned Lily around by the shoulders,"Nice to meet you. Lily lets go. I think he did find something."
"James, don't be rude!"She yelled as Potter took a hold of her and started to push her back towards the table, she called back to Snape,"Bye, Severus! I'll see you in--well, later!"
Without a parting word to her, Snape picked up the latest book he was finishing and headed to the librarian's desk. Holding the book tight to his chest as he walked out into the hallway, turning the corner he felt something hit him. Falling back, he looked up to see who had run into him-- there stood Lucius Malfoy rubbing his side, his face was screwed up in a painful whence.
"Watch it you--!"He stopped short, realizing who he'd run into, a thin smile crossed his face,"Well, well look who it is! Snape...brushing up on your 'predictions', I suppose?"
Getting up he gave a menacing glare to Malfoy,"If I had do you think I would have run into you?"
"You have a point."Lucius put a hand through his blond hair, absentmindedly as he rolled his eyes, "Anyway, what were you doing?"
"Not your concern."Snape shot back, he owed nothing to Lucius, except maybe to punch him in the nose for speaking of his mother so rudely at the Great Hall.
"Calm down."The blond laughed, suddenly his smile turned genuine,"I hear your family was into the Dark Arts as well. We've got something in common, after all."
Severus could barely believe what was going on next.
"Has your father taught you the Unforgiveables?"Lucius asked curiously, as he seen Snape was giving him a confused look suddenly,"Are you a good dueler?"
"What?"Croaked Snape, in disbelief, as Lucius began to have a one- sided conversation with him.
Malfoys were always notorious for being the talkative type, Severus' father had always told him a Malfoy could talk his way out of anything. Severus himself had been to many dinner parties, and heard the Malfoys giving toast and saying beginning speeches that were several minutes long. But as he watched Lucius talk he began to wonder if this wasn't only a gift of the Malfoys but the eighth wonder of the world.
Feeling his lip curl up in a disgusted look, he couldn't help but stare at Lucius' gapping mouth as he continued to converse, mainly with himself. Shaking his head Severus heard the last of Lucius' words,"..So if you ever need a Second tell me, sorry about that whole Great Hall thing..."
"A..lright.."He nodded, his face still scrunched up in the grimace he had worn through the entire ordeal.
Behind Lucius came the tall brown-haired Avery, as Snape seen him approach his disgusted face slacked slightly. Avery leaned over Malfoy, seeming to wink at Snape as he half yelled,"Hey, Lucius, we ready to go?"
'Go?' Snape quickly wondered, as the blond nodded in agreement to the boy giving Snape a casual wave of departure before walking past him towards the hallway's end.
Giving a lazy glance to his book, he still clutched to his chest, he began to walk on down the opposite direction. Not getting two steps before he heard an abrupt cough that purposely got his attention. Turning he spotted a middle-aged man, with red eyes and gray shoulder length hair, and a pair of black-framed glasses pushed to the end of his nose. Instantly recognizing him, Snape waited for his approach. A slow prowling walk, he began to speak before completely reaching Snape,"Mr. Snape, I suppose you've either forgotten your way or your watch."
"Sir?"
"The Quidditch Pitch is that way, where your fellow house members were going, Mr. Snape."The man's silky voice didn't rise, looking down with his cat-like eyes at Snape, a curious eye-brow rose as he went on,"You do remember today is the Quidditch finals don't you, Mr. Snape?"
He had forgotten, turning around quickly, he headed for the pitch calling back,"Thank you, Professor Aveon!"
Seeing the man's parting gaze through the ruffled locks of his black hair Snape turned the corner quickly.
Professor Aveon was the head of Slytherin also the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, from Snape's first impression; he appeared to be a strange man with a blunt way of speaking to a person. Much like Snape's own father, more so than anyone else in Hogwarts, Aveon reminded him of his father--demanding much respect and not tolerant of any so-called 'horse play' in class. Not only that, but Aveon also carried himself the same manner his father did, head high, an intimidating smirk--his eyes looking straight into the eyes of the person he was talking to like a bird of prey looked at a meal.
Aveon didn't have much to say to the other staff members, at least in front of the students, taking second in most conversations with McGonagall, Trelawney, and even Dumbledore. Dumbledore could usually strike a willing or non-willing conversation with almost anyone, to not be able to squeeze one out of the DADA teacher must have been a defeat for the old professor.
Snape turned his thoughts from the cat-eyed teacher to finding the passage leading to the Quidditch Pitch, finally arriving at its openly massive gates. Cheering over-come most of Severus' ears, the crowd was roaring. The massive green field stood save the Quidditch teacher, Madam Vergas--wife to the Herbology teacher she too had a job at Hogwarts-- holding the black Quidditch chest to her side. Snape slowly walked towards the towering Slytherin booth standing tall with the others closest to the gates, he didn't take his eyes from Madam Vargas as she bent down with the box, placing it on the green.
The announcers voice sounded off from the small riser placed in front of the teacher's towering booth,"This is Lillian Jordan as today's announcer sitting in for Clarence Hillbrook who's took today off because-- ."
A teacher was clearly giving her a look that made the young girl's voice speed up,"--Today is Gryffindor verses Slytherin, the final match of the school year. Who will win the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup of 1976? Here come the play'rs now!"
Then, from both sides of the stadium, the Quidditch player shot out of their waiting rooms. Speeding quickly in loops around the grounds, curving in impressive maneuvers as the crowd began to cheer once more, in a frenzy waving the colors of Slytherin on small cloth flags.
The announcer gave a quick overview of the players, although the only name Snape recalled was 'Riddle', he'd known prior to this occasion Tom was in Quidditch, as a Beater, but now it seemed important. He watched Tom gracefully float to the inner circle of the field, without a single stunt or move to impress the crowd.
".And now a word from Madam Vargas!"The announcer ended the line-up the static increased as Madam Vargas came over the speaker.
A thick French accent she rose up her arms,"I vant a nice cl'an game-- Slytherins as well!"
From his seat Severus watched as Madam Vargas kicked the locking mechanism on the black box, as the top fell backwards, something shot off over the Gryffindor tower, another other the Ravenclaw. Snape realized it was the Bludgers, when his eyes fell back on the green the players were shooting off in all directions. Severus' eyes stayed with Tom as best he could, watching him whirl around from the direction of the Gryffindor tower, and dive for the Gryffindor rings. Meanwhile a blond Gryffindor girl had the ball and was weaving through the Slytherins who were in a furious siege against her. Seeing Tom in front of her, blocking her shot to the ring, she quickly dove down circling around she tossing it into the air, a Gryffindor boy from somewhere Snape couldn't see grabbed it, sending it into the goal as Tom twisted around to go after the girl.
"Goal for Gryffindor!"Rang the announcer, clearly she was a Gryffindor herself,"Oh! What's this it seems Gloria Enigma, the Slytherin Seeker, has located the Golden Snitch! She's diving in for it!"
Severus' eyes quickly went from Tom towards the direction of the diving Gloria, the brown-haired girl as she jetted quickly after the speeding ball of gold. Instantly the Gryffindor seeker was on her tail, trailing her as she twisted through the towers. Knocking Gloria several times the Gryffindor couldn't rattle the girl's concentration. Suddenly, in a smooth movement Gloria lost her, and then a Bludger knocked the Gryffindor astray--a Bludger Tom hit at her, Snape noticed quickly. Tom came in near the other Slytherin as if to protect her, as she resumed in her chase of the Snitch getting closer to the ground almost inches from it. Above them, another goal was won for Gryffindor, but was hardly noticeable to anyone because Gloria was within inches of the Snitch. Tom suddenly veered off, making a lazy circle and heading towards the Gryffindor rings. The other Slytherin kept her course on the Snitch, Snape realized she was struggling to catch it. Gloria began to balance her broom with her legs, taking both hands after the Snitch, gaining speed even then as she neared the end of the field. Snape barely saw that she had it in her hands, only needing to close them and the golden ball would be in her palms; Suddenly the broom's head feel into the ground, lifting her off it head first into the ground. Gloria's head hit first, her neck making a rough jerk as it went into the Quidditch field. Skidding several times, until she came to a halt--an almost instant silence fell over the entire field.
"Is she moving?"A girl behind Severus asked, as she quickly got up pushing through him to get to the front of the raisers.
"Oh, my god! She isn't! Gloria!"
//And she never will again.\\A voice inside Snape's mind told him, it didn't sound foreign, yet it seemed as though it was something that had been placed inside his head, that suddenly fired.
Now the entire Slytherin booth was in a panicking sense of dread. Severus' eyes stayed glued to the motionless girl's body on the field. From the corner of his vision he saw Madam Vargas approaching in a run.
//What's the use in running, you can't get away. No one ever gets away...\\He heard it again, he tried to push these thoughts from his head, another voice then came through him seeming to be randomly fired,//Your mother was always so--.\\
Snape closed his eyes quickly, wishing the voices away, as he reopened them he seen Professor McGonagall and Professor Aveon also running towards the girls body. The game had long since ceased, the other players gathered around the area the girl had fallen. The two professors pushed their way into the circle--Snape couldn't see Gloria's body anymore.
//Poison them, Severus, they don't deserve an easy death--You've sent us all to hell, Severus, don't you understand--a person can only live without hope for so long, then it becomes something unbearable they can't deal with it. Can't you give me anymore hope then that, haven't you--!\\
His eyes were growing clouded, the people on the field below him became blurred. Just spots in his eyes.
"Stop."He whispered, slowly dragging his hands over his ears in one fluid motion, pressing the palms deep into his head, as if to force the noise out of his head. No longer able to see the players, field, or even the people in front of him--he closed his eyes as the blurs around him began to make his head whirl.
"No, no, no--"His voice seemed so far from him, the voices wouldn't go away though he begged for them to. He felt something on his shoulder, a warmth that was never there before, like when his father gave him the necklace a void was filled--except he didn't find happiness in this one. Feeling the strength back in him he reopened his eyes slowly, seeing first the blond-haired Malfoy. Lucius had him be the shoulders, saying something; Avery was behind him with a worried look about him.
"Snape! Snape, come out of it already!"Lucius shook him once more, Snape's neck stiffened as he realized what was going on. He brushed Lucius' hand off quickly regaining his wits,"Snape! Oh, gods, I thought you were gone for a minute there.."
"We got'a go, Lucius."
"Why are you always in a hurry to get somewhere, Avery."Snape heard himself say, his head still reeled in and out of a dizziness that gave his vision spots of black.
"Well, Snape, if you'd been with us the whole time you'd know Dippet called for all students to return to the dormitories."Avery snapped angrily, as he took one of Snape's arms pulling him into a stand, as Lucius backed away.
"So she's dead?"Glancing at the field once more, he saw the players were scattered about the area, most in the arms of the other players crying from Snape's view. He saw the teachers gathered in the circle still over the place where the girl, Gloria, had fallen. She wasn't there anymore; just the long up-heaved stretch of earth and her shattered broomstick.
--------------------
Deep into the rest of the day, almost through the night no person was allowed out of his or her common room. Caged with in their confining rooms the students were surrounded with this gloom. Especially the Slytherin house, whose Head of House had yet to return, and were most deeply impacted.
Severus confined himself to his bed, sitting on it he read page after page on the book he'd taken from the library, keeping his mind there. Hearing occasionally the sound of a Slytherin girl crying frantic sobs or the sound of someone suspecting fowl play for some reason or other.
When Andvarinaut flew into the open window at the end of the room, resting on her perch he stopped his reading only to bay her a calm 'hello'. Running his hands through her feathers before she began to munch on the latest catch she had come across.
Time passed slowly, no one came looking for Snape and he devoured the book till the very last pages, glancing at the clock he decided to rest though it was only eight-thirty. Sluggishly putting on his nighttime clothing covered by a dark green bathrobe, before letting his owl out for the night. Watching the owl sail into the night, on her giant wings he stared at the sky.
He made an angry scowl, even their twinkle reminded him.
Pulling out the necklace he broke the chain off in a quick flicking of his wrist preparing almost to throw it. Stopping even before his arm went anywhere he glanced at it again, this time with harsh eyes,"What's so great about this? I should by all means just get rid of it."
'Then what? Tell father you forgot it? It was stolen? You broke it?'
Instead he turned with it, and flopped down onto his bed, his reflection in it was shattered as the necklace was. He put it quickly on the table beside the bed disgusted he didn't want to see its shine anymore. Throwing back the sheets, crawling under--he threw his robe aside towards a chair near the window, hoping it would stay in place.
He wasn't in much of a mood for dealing with these problems. Tom Riddle was the only problem he needed to deal with; His father was away from him for now, and Gloria Enigma was not his friend or even acquaintances so he could care less about her death.
Deciding that Snape finally closed his eyes, hoping for a full night of rest and the hopes of tomorrow being able to forget the accident that happened today and shake the feeling in his conscious that told him: 'there is something wrong'.
----------------
Authoritrix notes: Ended weird, only because I had to make it shorter because I split it into two chapters..Be grateful, anyhow, please r/r if you feel so inclined. It does a lot for me as far as motivation goes.
Next Chapter: "Accusations" --Subject to change(s)
Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter. J.K.Rowling owns them. I didn't do it. I'm only messing with the story line a bit, and bringing some much UN- needed pain to the characters. Several characters are mine in this chapter, and I'd like to think Nekomi, Scruffy, and Elf-Boy for their help in the naming of them.
Key: // \\ Memories/Other ' 'Thoughts " " Quotes [Naturally]
--------------
UNTITLED
Chapter 3: "That Which is Broken/Libraries"
By: TRSolarCat/RocketSolarCat
--------------
//Severus I want to give you something. I think you know why I am giving this to you.\\ His father's voice played back to him, in it's silky deep tone.
//Mother's--! \\ He was in his father's lap, as they sat one night after dinner sometime after his mother died. The fire was going heating the whole room, as they sat in it's glow Snape felt his father's arms go around him until they were freely in front. There his father held the necklace, the necklace he'd wear on his neck for four years without incident.
//Yes, it is. I'm going to give you this in full confidence you know how to take care of it. Another thing, don't take it off, Severus, you might not understand this but don't worry.\\ His father delicately handed it too him, Snape's eyes were wide in wonder, something of his mother's was going to be his. Severus was too young to remember his mother when she was alive, and just getting something of hers meant more to him then all other things did back then. Now it didn't seem so important to him, except for one factor:
He broke it.
Long after he'd bandaged his nose, counted the bruises on his neck, and done the best he could to calm his fears, the necklace was still broken. He figured it happened when he was trying to get away from Tom Riddle that night. Everything about that night bothered him, in which it would any normal human being. Several days after, he still couldn't shake it from his mind.
After class from that day forward, Snape found himself walking almost absent-mindedly down the halls of Hogwarts towards the library. Sitting alone, in the darkest corner of the massive room, at a rustic old table. Most of the times he'd begin these trips by going down an aisle and pulling out several books at random and returning to the table, which no one dared claim their own before he had. Most of the other people, including the librarian knew well that Severus Snape was sitting there, and no one ever took anything off that desk.
Reading everything he could about the great wizards of the past, guilds, and sometimes even getting into the muggle religious leaders- searching through everything he could for even a resemblance to the name Riddle had spoken. Nothing even came close to 'Voldemort', there was no record of anything named that.
Snape knew then that he'd either have to ask someone, which seemed out of the question, (seemingly that it might cause suspicion to fall onto him) or that he might check in the 'Restricted Area'. The 'Restricted Area' was off limits to all in Hogwarts except the seventh year students, the only seventh year Snape had known was Tom Riddle, himself, and that seemed as deadly as it was useless to ask him.
It had just so happened that on one day's journey to the library Snape had become so frustrated with everything currently happening that he threw his books aside. As they scattered the floor with several heavy thuds, he realized someone was near the exact spot in which his books had fallen. Looking up he noticed a blond-haired Gryffindor girl calmly picking up the books he'd just thrown astray. As she approached he put on his normal outward appearance, hiding his frustration; she leaned over and put them back on the desk calmly. Then, straightening she didn't move from the side of the table. After she'd been there for a moment Snape asked angerly,"What do you want? If you' re looking for me to be grateful, you're mistaken."
Snape had gotten used to the jeering remarks which most of the other students made towards him, perhaps his heart had now hardened slightly more than he had realized.
"That's not a very pleasant thing to say to a lady."She wasn't upset,"Severus, your always sitting over here alone and--"
"What about it?"He snapped, but looked up into her eyes just then seeing something that reminded him of Dumbledore he quickly turned his eyes away once more. He hated those eyes,"I don't suppose you' d care if I did, anyhow."
"Well!"She sounded mad this time, putting her hands upon her hips,"Mr. Snape, if that's the way you are going to be, then I guess I won't invite you to come over and sit with us."
Another wave of guilt just hit the black-haired boy, just as it had when he found out Dumbledore knew he was lying. As the girl turned, her curly blond hair swishing, she got several steps away before Snape called her back,"Lily! Wait, Lily."
The Gryffindor turned around quickly, as if Snape had done something she didn't expect,"You remember my name?"
He nodded, then began to make an apology hastily before the girl had anything else to say in response,"I might have been too eager to be left alone just now, Lily. I feel like I was frustrated, but don't think it was towards you."
"Is that what you call an apology?"Lily laughed, giving him a skeptical look,"Well, Mr. Snape, I don't know how to take that. Is that a 'yes' you will join us, or a 'no'?"
Lily made a slight gesture towards a small table, several away from Snape's own. At the table sat four other Gryffindors, as Snape glanced at them past Lily at the table he caught one of them in eye contact. Dark brown hair that looked rugged out of place, yet clean robes, glasses, and a suspicious look in his eye as he looked back at Snape. Snape knew from these characteristics the boy could only belong to the Potter family, another wizard family as rich as Malfoy's and his own. Out of all the families in the wizarding world the Potters has seemed the most odd to Snape. Certainly people said the same about his own, but something about the Potters was different.
As Lily stood prattling about some odd subject, most likely potions, Snape unintentionally couldn't recall a word; he was too worried about Potter. Potter had gotten to his feet and was coming straight for them.
"Aye, Lily!"He cheerfully said as he approached, putting an arm around Lily's shoulder, the girl returned the gesture with a smile.
"Hey, James, how is the report coming along? Did Remus find anything in 'Hogwarts: A History' yet?"She asked then turned back to Snape, as if she'd forgotten him being there then suddenly remembered,"Oh! I'd like you to meet Snape, James, you know from Double Potions?"
Potter's eyes grew at the mention of Snape's name, and then he turned Lily around by the shoulders,"Nice to meet you. Lily lets go. I think he did find something."
"James, don't be rude!"She yelled as Potter took a hold of her and started to push her back towards the table, she called back to Snape,"Bye, Severus! I'll see you in--well, later!"
Without a parting word to her, Snape picked up the latest book he was finishing and headed to the librarian's desk. Holding the book tight to his chest as he walked out into the hallway, turning the corner he felt something hit him. Falling back, he looked up to see who had run into him-- there stood Lucius Malfoy rubbing his side, his face was screwed up in a painful whence.
"Watch it you--!"He stopped short, realizing who he'd run into, a thin smile crossed his face,"Well, well look who it is! Snape...brushing up on your 'predictions', I suppose?"
Getting up he gave a menacing glare to Malfoy,"If I had do you think I would have run into you?"
"You have a point."Lucius put a hand through his blond hair, absentmindedly as he rolled his eyes, "Anyway, what were you doing?"
"Not your concern."Snape shot back, he owed nothing to Lucius, except maybe to punch him in the nose for speaking of his mother so rudely at the Great Hall.
"Calm down."The blond laughed, suddenly his smile turned genuine,"I hear your family was into the Dark Arts as well. We've got something in common, after all."
Severus could barely believe what was going on next.
"Has your father taught you the Unforgiveables?"Lucius asked curiously, as he seen Snape was giving him a confused look suddenly,"Are you a good dueler?"
"What?"Croaked Snape, in disbelief, as Lucius began to have a one- sided conversation with him.
Malfoys were always notorious for being the talkative type, Severus' father had always told him a Malfoy could talk his way out of anything. Severus himself had been to many dinner parties, and heard the Malfoys giving toast and saying beginning speeches that were several minutes long. But as he watched Lucius talk he began to wonder if this wasn't only a gift of the Malfoys but the eighth wonder of the world.
Feeling his lip curl up in a disgusted look, he couldn't help but stare at Lucius' gapping mouth as he continued to converse, mainly with himself. Shaking his head Severus heard the last of Lucius' words,"..So if you ever need a Second tell me, sorry about that whole Great Hall thing..."
"A..lright.."He nodded, his face still scrunched up in the grimace he had worn through the entire ordeal.
Behind Lucius came the tall brown-haired Avery, as Snape seen him approach his disgusted face slacked slightly. Avery leaned over Malfoy, seeming to wink at Snape as he half yelled,"Hey, Lucius, we ready to go?"
'Go?' Snape quickly wondered, as the blond nodded in agreement to the boy giving Snape a casual wave of departure before walking past him towards the hallway's end.
Giving a lazy glance to his book, he still clutched to his chest, he began to walk on down the opposite direction. Not getting two steps before he heard an abrupt cough that purposely got his attention. Turning he spotted a middle-aged man, with red eyes and gray shoulder length hair, and a pair of black-framed glasses pushed to the end of his nose. Instantly recognizing him, Snape waited for his approach. A slow prowling walk, he began to speak before completely reaching Snape,"Mr. Snape, I suppose you've either forgotten your way or your watch."
"Sir?"
"The Quidditch Pitch is that way, where your fellow house members were going, Mr. Snape."The man's silky voice didn't rise, looking down with his cat-like eyes at Snape, a curious eye-brow rose as he went on,"You do remember today is the Quidditch finals don't you, Mr. Snape?"
He had forgotten, turning around quickly, he headed for the pitch calling back,"Thank you, Professor Aveon!"
Seeing the man's parting gaze through the ruffled locks of his black hair Snape turned the corner quickly.
Professor Aveon was the head of Slytherin also the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, from Snape's first impression; he appeared to be a strange man with a blunt way of speaking to a person. Much like Snape's own father, more so than anyone else in Hogwarts, Aveon reminded him of his father--demanding much respect and not tolerant of any so-called 'horse play' in class. Not only that, but Aveon also carried himself the same manner his father did, head high, an intimidating smirk--his eyes looking straight into the eyes of the person he was talking to like a bird of prey looked at a meal.
Aveon didn't have much to say to the other staff members, at least in front of the students, taking second in most conversations with McGonagall, Trelawney, and even Dumbledore. Dumbledore could usually strike a willing or non-willing conversation with almost anyone, to not be able to squeeze one out of the DADA teacher must have been a defeat for the old professor.
Snape turned his thoughts from the cat-eyed teacher to finding the passage leading to the Quidditch Pitch, finally arriving at its openly massive gates. Cheering over-come most of Severus' ears, the crowd was roaring. The massive green field stood save the Quidditch teacher, Madam Vergas--wife to the Herbology teacher she too had a job at Hogwarts-- holding the black Quidditch chest to her side. Snape slowly walked towards the towering Slytherin booth standing tall with the others closest to the gates, he didn't take his eyes from Madam Vargas as she bent down with the box, placing it on the green.
The announcers voice sounded off from the small riser placed in front of the teacher's towering booth,"This is Lillian Jordan as today's announcer sitting in for Clarence Hillbrook who's took today off because-- ."
A teacher was clearly giving her a look that made the young girl's voice speed up,"--Today is Gryffindor verses Slytherin, the final match of the school year. Who will win the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup of 1976? Here come the play'rs now!"
Then, from both sides of the stadium, the Quidditch player shot out of their waiting rooms. Speeding quickly in loops around the grounds, curving in impressive maneuvers as the crowd began to cheer once more, in a frenzy waving the colors of Slytherin on small cloth flags.
The announcer gave a quick overview of the players, although the only name Snape recalled was 'Riddle', he'd known prior to this occasion Tom was in Quidditch, as a Beater, but now it seemed important. He watched Tom gracefully float to the inner circle of the field, without a single stunt or move to impress the crowd.
".And now a word from Madam Vargas!"The announcer ended the line-up the static increased as Madam Vargas came over the speaker.
A thick French accent she rose up her arms,"I vant a nice cl'an game-- Slytherins as well!"
From his seat Severus watched as Madam Vargas kicked the locking mechanism on the black box, as the top fell backwards, something shot off over the Gryffindor tower, another other the Ravenclaw. Snape realized it was the Bludgers, when his eyes fell back on the green the players were shooting off in all directions. Severus' eyes stayed with Tom as best he could, watching him whirl around from the direction of the Gryffindor tower, and dive for the Gryffindor rings. Meanwhile a blond Gryffindor girl had the ball and was weaving through the Slytherins who were in a furious siege against her. Seeing Tom in front of her, blocking her shot to the ring, she quickly dove down circling around she tossing it into the air, a Gryffindor boy from somewhere Snape couldn't see grabbed it, sending it into the goal as Tom twisted around to go after the girl.
"Goal for Gryffindor!"Rang the announcer, clearly she was a Gryffindor herself,"Oh! What's this it seems Gloria Enigma, the Slytherin Seeker, has located the Golden Snitch! She's diving in for it!"
Severus' eyes quickly went from Tom towards the direction of the diving Gloria, the brown-haired girl as she jetted quickly after the speeding ball of gold. Instantly the Gryffindor seeker was on her tail, trailing her as she twisted through the towers. Knocking Gloria several times the Gryffindor couldn't rattle the girl's concentration. Suddenly, in a smooth movement Gloria lost her, and then a Bludger knocked the Gryffindor astray--a Bludger Tom hit at her, Snape noticed quickly. Tom came in near the other Slytherin as if to protect her, as she resumed in her chase of the Snitch getting closer to the ground almost inches from it. Above them, another goal was won for Gryffindor, but was hardly noticeable to anyone because Gloria was within inches of the Snitch. Tom suddenly veered off, making a lazy circle and heading towards the Gryffindor rings. The other Slytherin kept her course on the Snitch, Snape realized she was struggling to catch it. Gloria began to balance her broom with her legs, taking both hands after the Snitch, gaining speed even then as she neared the end of the field. Snape barely saw that she had it in her hands, only needing to close them and the golden ball would be in her palms; Suddenly the broom's head feel into the ground, lifting her off it head first into the ground. Gloria's head hit first, her neck making a rough jerk as it went into the Quidditch field. Skidding several times, until she came to a halt--an almost instant silence fell over the entire field.
"Is she moving?"A girl behind Severus asked, as she quickly got up pushing through him to get to the front of the raisers.
"Oh, my god! She isn't! Gloria!"
//And she never will again.\\A voice inside Snape's mind told him, it didn't sound foreign, yet it seemed as though it was something that had been placed inside his head, that suddenly fired.
Now the entire Slytherin booth was in a panicking sense of dread. Severus' eyes stayed glued to the motionless girl's body on the field. From the corner of his vision he saw Madam Vargas approaching in a run.
//What's the use in running, you can't get away. No one ever gets away...\\He heard it again, he tried to push these thoughts from his head, another voice then came through him seeming to be randomly fired,//Your mother was always so--.\\
Snape closed his eyes quickly, wishing the voices away, as he reopened them he seen Professor McGonagall and Professor Aveon also running towards the girls body. The game had long since ceased, the other players gathered around the area the girl had fallen. The two professors pushed their way into the circle--Snape couldn't see Gloria's body anymore.
//Poison them, Severus, they don't deserve an easy death--You've sent us all to hell, Severus, don't you understand--a person can only live without hope for so long, then it becomes something unbearable they can't deal with it. Can't you give me anymore hope then that, haven't you--!\\
His eyes were growing clouded, the people on the field below him became blurred. Just spots in his eyes.
"Stop."He whispered, slowly dragging his hands over his ears in one fluid motion, pressing the palms deep into his head, as if to force the noise out of his head. No longer able to see the players, field, or even the people in front of him--he closed his eyes as the blurs around him began to make his head whirl.
"No, no, no--"His voice seemed so far from him, the voices wouldn't go away though he begged for them to. He felt something on his shoulder, a warmth that was never there before, like when his father gave him the necklace a void was filled--except he didn't find happiness in this one. Feeling the strength back in him he reopened his eyes slowly, seeing first the blond-haired Malfoy. Lucius had him be the shoulders, saying something; Avery was behind him with a worried look about him.
"Snape! Snape, come out of it already!"Lucius shook him once more, Snape's neck stiffened as he realized what was going on. He brushed Lucius' hand off quickly regaining his wits,"Snape! Oh, gods, I thought you were gone for a minute there.."
"We got'a go, Lucius."
"Why are you always in a hurry to get somewhere, Avery."Snape heard himself say, his head still reeled in and out of a dizziness that gave his vision spots of black.
"Well, Snape, if you'd been with us the whole time you'd know Dippet called for all students to return to the dormitories."Avery snapped angrily, as he took one of Snape's arms pulling him into a stand, as Lucius backed away.
"So she's dead?"Glancing at the field once more, he saw the players were scattered about the area, most in the arms of the other players crying from Snape's view. He saw the teachers gathered in the circle still over the place where the girl, Gloria, had fallen. She wasn't there anymore; just the long up-heaved stretch of earth and her shattered broomstick.
--------------------
Deep into the rest of the day, almost through the night no person was allowed out of his or her common room. Caged with in their confining rooms the students were surrounded with this gloom. Especially the Slytherin house, whose Head of House had yet to return, and were most deeply impacted.
Severus confined himself to his bed, sitting on it he read page after page on the book he'd taken from the library, keeping his mind there. Hearing occasionally the sound of a Slytherin girl crying frantic sobs or the sound of someone suspecting fowl play for some reason or other.
When Andvarinaut flew into the open window at the end of the room, resting on her perch he stopped his reading only to bay her a calm 'hello'. Running his hands through her feathers before she began to munch on the latest catch she had come across.
Time passed slowly, no one came looking for Snape and he devoured the book till the very last pages, glancing at the clock he decided to rest though it was only eight-thirty. Sluggishly putting on his nighttime clothing covered by a dark green bathrobe, before letting his owl out for the night. Watching the owl sail into the night, on her giant wings he stared at the sky.
He made an angry scowl, even their twinkle reminded him.
Pulling out the necklace he broke the chain off in a quick flicking of his wrist preparing almost to throw it. Stopping even before his arm went anywhere he glanced at it again, this time with harsh eyes,"What's so great about this? I should by all means just get rid of it."
'Then what? Tell father you forgot it? It was stolen? You broke it?'
Instead he turned with it, and flopped down onto his bed, his reflection in it was shattered as the necklace was. He put it quickly on the table beside the bed disgusted he didn't want to see its shine anymore. Throwing back the sheets, crawling under--he threw his robe aside towards a chair near the window, hoping it would stay in place.
He wasn't in much of a mood for dealing with these problems. Tom Riddle was the only problem he needed to deal with; His father was away from him for now, and Gloria Enigma was not his friend or even acquaintances so he could care less about her death.
Deciding that Snape finally closed his eyes, hoping for a full night of rest and the hopes of tomorrow being able to forget the accident that happened today and shake the feeling in his conscious that told him: 'there is something wrong'.
----------------
Authoritrix notes: Ended weird, only because I had to make it shorter because I split it into two chapters..Be grateful, anyhow, please r/r if you feel so inclined. It does a lot for me as far as motivation goes.
Next Chapter: "Accusations" --Subject to change(s)