Chapter 5: Bad News and Worse Mistakes
Snape wasn't surprised when an owl delivered him a letter the following day, but he only opened it when he was all alone.
"Dear old fellow:
There's another deatheater at Hogwarts and she's the one wh- you
told us-had died. Ypu let Stella Rageard escape and that proves
our theory that you weren't sincere at all. You both are traitors and
the Dark Lord doesn't want you alive, so get ready for death. You have
made very wrong choices during your life, Severus.
The Deatheaters"
He sighed and threw the piece of parchment into the fireplace. He didn't want to tell Stella because it wouldn't change anything. What was to happen?, he wondered. He told Dumbledore that they knew the truth and he couldn't spy on them any longer. He could only wait until the Ministeries of Magic of the United Kingdom started to fight together against Voldemort. He could only try to protect her, couldn't he?
* * *
'Well, Potter, I think your friend Lady Raven is on a target now', said Draco Malfoy after Potion Class.
'What are you talking about?', groaned Harry.
'You weren't the only one who saw her that night', he sneered. 'She used to be a bad girl, did you know?'
'What are you trying to say, Malfoy?', asked Hermione.
'I say that she once was a Deatheater, and now she's a traitor. She may die soon'.
'You son of a bitch!', said Harry, clunching his fists. 'You will be expelled of this school, you bastard!'.
Draco went on through the corridor and the three friends stared at each other.
'Lady Raven and Snape are in danger', said Hermione.
'Everybody is, in fact', added Ron.
'They committed the terrible sin of chosing something better…is there no justice in the world??, cried Harry.
* * *
"It's like my nightmares are going to come true", Stella thought, while flying to the dungeon in the afternoon. "I tried to forget everything, to forget them, but I wasn't able to. I needed to come back to this place…I'm safe here. And Severus is being so kind to me…He…I don't know. Let's wait".
Those days Snape looked more embittered than ever. He needed to take a strong Sleeping Potion at nights, and stared bitterly at Stella every time she asked something. All his inner wounds had started bleeding again and he thought that the girl wouldn't understand, no matter how much she wanted to know. She feel clueless and lonely, not daring even to disturb the man whom she…respected so much.
Some nights later, however, he started showing the secondary effects of the Potion. It made one's dreams be traduced into words, so everyone could hear them. Stella was grabbing her pillow-in an effort to forget her fears- when she suddenly heard it.
'Why?', Snape mumbled, his face showing intense pain.
Stella got up and looked at him, her heart trembling.
'Why…you…marry…her? You…I care for…you…don't leave me…James'.
She felt more surprise than she had ever experimented. "So that was it", she thought. "You made everyone believe that you hated each other, Severus. But if you loved him, you must have suffered a great deal".
'James…you fool…dead', he said in a hurt, soft voice that couldn't belong to the Snape whom everybody knew.
"I'm not him, so perhaps I don't have a chance. You would never love a raven".
* * *
The woman didn't stay by Snape's side the following morning. He flew throughout the castle and tried to distract herself of her sad feelings. She remembered every happy moment she had spent inside the ancient building, laughing, running and learning new skills day after day. She had been Prefect and Head Girl of Slytherin, people loved her for her beauty and her bright mind. Even that…Gryffindor gang…respected her.
'Severus', he said, when dinner was over.
He raised his eyes from a book and frowned. In fact, he was asking himself why the girl hadn't stayed at his side like she always did. What was wrong with her?
'I guess you…forgot the secondary effects of your Sleeping Potion'.
'Why do you said that'.
'You spoke in dreams last night. I couldn't sleep and I heard you, though I really didn't mean to. You mentioned someone and I wondered if…'
'What?', he uttered, his expression becoming very grave.
'If you have…I mean…forgotten him…James Potter', she muttered.
Snape went pale. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets because Stella had found out and touched his only weakness. The secret he had kept all his life had been revealed unconsciously. That was too much for him.
'I believe that you must have felt very lonely and I…', she continued.
'Shut up!!', he shouted in rage, standing up. 'You don't know anything!! Do you think you can come here and meddle in things that aren't your concern? You can't! It's none of your business!!'
She stepped back, panicked, but then regained her composure.
'I will bother you no longer!', she cried. 'I'll go and deal with my own problems'.
She turned into a raven again and flew as fast as she could…out of the castle. Snape calmed down and felt a bit guilty for his bad temper. He walked out of the dungeon and looked for her, but she wasn't anywhere. If she had left Hogwarts, the Deatheaters would trap her at last. He suddenly remembered something that his ex-lover told him once: 'A friend is a person who tries to release you from loneliness'. Perhaps Stella wanted that and he hadn't given her a chance.
He ran into Dumbledore's office.
'Headmaster! I must go!'
'What happens?', he said.
'It's Stella!' She's gone! They may find her'.
'Is she gone? Why?'
'I was…perhaps…mean and…'
'I guess I understand', the older man sighed. 'Will you go on your own?'
'Of course. I'll bring her back'.
He rode a broomstick and departed, hoping that he would find her before Voldemort did.
(To be continued…)
* * *
Note: I'm glad that some of you like this, though I'd be happier with more reviews ahem ahem. Lots of kizzes to my lovely Ginger. Oh and if you can beta-read this for me, please e-mail me (note: a beta-reader is a native-speaker, in this case of English, who can check the mistakes and spelling of a non-native English speaker , as I am for example). Kizzes to you all!