Second Chances



Chapter 04: That Hurt!



He was cold. Although the trees provided some shelter from the icy wind, the warming charm on his robes fought a loosing battle against the frost in the air. And he was getting tired. He didn't know for how long he had been walking, just that he had covered a fair distance and was well into the wood by now.

And he felt like something was watching him. Ever since he had passed the first trees, he couldn't get rid of the feeling of eyes following his every move.

But so far nothing had happened.

'Must really be my lucky day.' he thought ironically.

Maybe it would yet be the cold that finally got him. His body ceased from aching bit by bit and he knew what that meant.

Slowly, the sound of running water made its way into his weary mind and he noticed his throat was still raw and dry from the Cruciatus. Changing direction, he followed the soft murmur to a clearing and spotted a brook. Kneeing down, he dipped his good hand into the water, gasping at the chilling sensation, cupped some of the cold liquid and leaned down to drink. It was icy and sweet and surprisingly made him feel better. More alive.

When he looked up again, he found himself staring into the yellow eyes of a huge black wolf on the other side of the brook.

For a moment he froze in shock, before fear made him jump up and back.

'Why? Why a werewolf of all the dark creatures in the blasted forest? Lucky day, my ass!'

He had planned on dying calmly and in all of the little dignity he had left , but the hungry eyes of the predator brought back the memory of another night, another pair of eyes looking at him in the same fashion. Terror flooded him as he continued to move backwards, certain that the beast would leap at him the moment he turned his back on it.

The werewolf's yellow gaze never left him as it lazily hopped over the brook and approached him slowly.

When his back hit a trunk, he knew it was over. He would die know. The werewolf started to growl and bared its fangs at him. It knew, too.

He saw it tense, preparing for the final strike, and taking a step forward he stood and closed his eyes in defeat.

He heard it jump at him and...

... a scream?

There was no time to analyze the sound any farther as the werewolf's body crushed into him, smashed him hard into the tree and sent him to the ground.

'That hurt!'

The world around him started to fade.

The last thing he saw was the blurred image of a beautiful woman with dark red hair and brilliant green eyes.

"Lily?" he tried to whisper.

'Perhaps dying is not so bad after all...'

Then darkness claimed him and for once, he welcomed it.

***************

A/N: That's an evil cliffie, I know. Bad me. *grin*
And because of that, I've already posted the next chapter. Did Severus survive the attack? Read on to find out...



Greetings,
Scheckie