The Shrieking Shack
Severus peered around the corner. The hallway was empty. He quickly ran to the bathroom door and after a glance over both shoulders slipped inside. It was a girl's bathroom, but Severus knew that except for Moaning Myrtle no one ever entered it. Myrtle usually ignored him when he used her bathroom to brew dangerous and illegal potions. As long as he stayed out of her stall she was content to sit and mope while he stirred the ingredients in his cauldron.
This time he had no potion to brew. He had stayed up late doing homework in the Slytherin common room, waiting for everyone to go to bed before sneaking out.
Now he brushed his teeth and washed his face in the empty bathroom, silent except for Myrtle's whimpering. He couldn't risk some one walking in on him. When he gargled with mouth wash she floated through the stall door, her misery temporarily overcome by curiosity.
"What are you doing?" she asked, peering at his face through her thick glasses. He ignored her. When he started to fix his hair her eyes widened. "Are you going.on a date? With someone special?" she asked slyly. She giggled.
"I guess you could say that," answered Severus. He practiced grinning at himself in the mirror, trying to make his face look less strict and more playful, like Sirius's. He wasn't having much success, as his face naturally fell into a scowl.
"Who is it?" demanded Myrtle.
"No one you know." He gave his hair one final pat. "Why don't you mind your own business?"
He ignored Myrtle, who was glaring daggers at him, as he walked out the door.
He went through the halls quickly, ducking into an empty classroom whenever he heard footsteps ahead. As there were few people out this late at night, he was out the front entrance before he knew it. He shivered in the chilly night air, pulling his cloak tight as he walked across the grounds towards the tree.
He found a long tree branch and pressed the knot Sirius had told him to. The door opened for him magically as easily as Sirius had said it would.
He walked slowly down the tunnel, his pulse increasing in rate with each step. He could picture Sirius ahead waiting for him. Sirius warm and firm in his arms, Sirius's tickling kisses, Sirius's hot breath in his ear. He shivered in delight.
He was halfway down the tunnel when he heard the door opening behind him. He ran back in joy - that must be Sirius. He halted when he came face to face with James.
James grabbed Severus's arm and started pulling him towards the entrance. "You've got to get out of here right now!" James insisted.
"What's going on?" Severus demanded. He resisted James's pull. Something was very wrong here - his daydreams had quickly turned into insane nightmares.
"Run!" shouted James, pushing him ahead. It had to be some sort of joke - it had to be! But Severus ran anyway, his heart pounding in his ears. He heard something behind him, but didn't turn around.
The night air was shockingly cold compared to the warmth of the tunnel (or maybe it had just been Severus). He turned around and peered into the tunnel one last time as the door closed shut. He saw it then, bounding down the tunnel towards the closing door, highlighted by the light streaming in from the full moon. The door closed in the werewolf's face, which was twisted into a bloodthirsty snarl.
The two boys stood in the silent night, breathing hard and starring at the closed door which now blended into the tree. Three figures ran towards them. Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and Peter starred at him wordlessly, fear etched onto their faces.
Peter leaned over and put his hands on his knees, trying to regain his breath. "I guess Remus didn't get him," gasped a very relieved Peter.
Severus was speechless. Remus! If these two knew, Sirius had surely known. His Love had tried to kill him. He had knowingly sent Severus to a horrific death of being ripped apart by a werewolf. Why?! Severus shook with rage, his face contorted in fury. He gripped his hands so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, causing blood to seep through his fingers and gather at his knuckles.
"That bastard Sirius tried to kill me!" he shrieked. But his fury was no match for the stronger emotion that swept through his entire body: betrayal. He would never lover again, ever. His heart shattered into a million pieces and became as cold as the night around him. He felt a new level of violence peak inside him that he had never felt before.
He would hate Sirius for as long as he lived.
He would never love him again.
Severus peered around the corner. The hallway was empty. He quickly ran to the bathroom door and after a glance over both shoulders slipped inside. It was a girl's bathroom, but Severus knew that except for Moaning Myrtle no one ever entered it. Myrtle usually ignored him when he used her bathroom to brew dangerous and illegal potions. As long as he stayed out of her stall she was content to sit and mope while he stirred the ingredients in his cauldron.
This time he had no potion to brew. He had stayed up late doing homework in the Slytherin common room, waiting for everyone to go to bed before sneaking out.
Now he brushed his teeth and washed his face in the empty bathroom, silent except for Myrtle's whimpering. He couldn't risk some one walking in on him. When he gargled with mouth wash she floated through the stall door, her misery temporarily overcome by curiosity.
"What are you doing?" she asked, peering at his face through her thick glasses. He ignored her. When he started to fix his hair her eyes widened. "Are you going.on a date? With someone special?" she asked slyly. She giggled.
"I guess you could say that," answered Severus. He practiced grinning at himself in the mirror, trying to make his face look less strict and more playful, like Sirius's. He wasn't having much success, as his face naturally fell into a scowl.
"Who is it?" demanded Myrtle.
"No one you know." He gave his hair one final pat. "Why don't you mind your own business?"
He ignored Myrtle, who was glaring daggers at him, as he walked out the door.
He went through the halls quickly, ducking into an empty classroom whenever he heard footsteps ahead. As there were few people out this late at night, he was out the front entrance before he knew it. He shivered in the chilly night air, pulling his cloak tight as he walked across the grounds towards the tree.
He found a long tree branch and pressed the knot Sirius had told him to. The door opened for him magically as easily as Sirius had said it would.
He walked slowly down the tunnel, his pulse increasing in rate with each step. He could picture Sirius ahead waiting for him. Sirius warm and firm in his arms, Sirius's tickling kisses, Sirius's hot breath in his ear. He shivered in delight.
He was halfway down the tunnel when he heard the door opening behind him. He ran back in joy - that must be Sirius. He halted when he came face to face with James.
James grabbed Severus's arm and started pulling him towards the entrance. "You've got to get out of here right now!" James insisted.
"What's going on?" Severus demanded. He resisted James's pull. Something was very wrong here - his daydreams had quickly turned into insane nightmares.
"Run!" shouted James, pushing him ahead. It had to be some sort of joke - it had to be! But Severus ran anyway, his heart pounding in his ears. He heard something behind him, but didn't turn around.
The night air was shockingly cold compared to the warmth of the tunnel (or maybe it had just been Severus). He turned around and peered into the tunnel one last time as the door closed shut. He saw it then, bounding down the tunnel towards the closing door, highlighted by the light streaming in from the full moon. The door closed in the werewolf's face, which was twisted into a bloodthirsty snarl.
The two boys stood in the silent night, breathing hard and starring at the closed door which now blended into the tree. Three figures ran towards them. Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and Peter starred at him wordlessly, fear etched onto their faces.
Peter leaned over and put his hands on his knees, trying to regain his breath. "I guess Remus didn't get him," gasped a very relieved Peter.
Severus was speechless. Remus! If these two knew, Sirius had surely known. His Love had tried to kill him. He had knowingly sent Severus to a horrific death of being ripped apart by a werewolf. Why?! Severus shook with rage, his face contorted in fury. He gripped his hands so tightly that his nails dug into his skin, causing blood to seep through his fingers and gather at his knuckles.
"That bastard Sirius tried to kill me!" he shrieked. But his fury was no match for the stronger emotion that swept through his entire body: betrayal. He would never lover again, ever. His heart shattered into a million pieces and became as cold as the night around him. He felt a new level of violence peak inside him that he had never felt before.
He would hate Sirius for as long as he lived.
He would never love him again.