Chapter Eighteen: Snape's Revelation
Fred kissed her again before he was to walk away and Professor Snape opened his office door before the two had part. He was livid.
"Detention, Mr. Weasley. And if I ever so much as catch you trying to do that to Miss Black again, it will be much worse."
"I'll wait for you Clarice."
With that, Fred leaned against the wall across the hall from Snape's office while Snape and Clarice walked inside. Snape slammed the door behind them.
"Why would you let the Weasley boy hurt you the way Malfoy did, Clarice?"
"Fred wasn't hurting me Professor. I love him."
"You are too young to understand love."
"No, I'm not. I know that the thought of anyone touching me since the Malfoys has sent me into the shakes. I know that I have wanted to die to escape the pain and shame that I now live with. However, I know that when Fred holds me I feel safe, like I can make it thru this and have things as close to normal as I can ever get them. When Fred kisses me, my stomach flips. I feel like nothing else in the world matters. Please, Professor, don't threaten him and make him do detention with you. He loves me too."
"Clarice, when are you going to refer to me by my proper name?"
"When you learn to understand that I am not the baby that you remember."
Snape flinched. He had not expected her to say anything of the sort. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was acting like this with Fred Weasley because he wanted her to be the baby that he would tell stories to so as to get her to go to sleep. So much time had passed and now she was nearly an of-age witch. He missed so much of her life. Could it be that the baby he once cradled now was in love with a young man?
"I'm sorry, Clarice. I will do my best. I don't want to fight with you."
"That's alright Severus. You just need to realize that I am not a loner. I know that you may not like the Weasleys but they are my best friends in the magical world and have been for five years. I am not going to shun them just because you are my godfather. Especially since I am in love with one of them."
"I will learn to accept that. You are nearly of-age. You are old enough to make decisions on who you see fit to keep in your life. Now this is not why you are here. I want to know, how you are feeling."
"Actually, right now, I feel better than I did a few days ago. As a matter of fact," she pulled the shards of glass she had in her pocket out, "get rid of these for me. I'm gonna try to talk to people instead. I don't want to die. Fred and you and Dumbledore, you guys have all given me reason to try to stick around for awhile longer. I just wish I knew what made me finally admit to what had actually happened."
"Veritaserum."
"The truth potion?"
"Yes."
"What about it?"
"I slipped it into the goblet that Madam Pomfrey made you drink when you awoke."
"Why?"
"Because I knew you needed to be taken away from the Malfoys and would not tell the truth because you were scared. I tried to convince Ms. Falcon to put you in my care, but she would not do so without reason. She needed to know the truth for your safety."
Clarice did not know how to feel about this. Snape had forced her to say things that she didn't want to say. However, since he did, she didn't have to live with the Malfoys and she doesn't feel so depressed anymore. She even found the strength to tell Fred how she felt about him. Maybe it was for the best that Snape had made her tell the truth.
"I'm not mad. More good than bad has come from your making me be honest. Just never again. Unless I'm gonna die, don't make me drink that. Next time I'll get mad at you. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Severus, why are you so against people being in love?" I mean just the thought that I might love Fred sends you into a right state...one that makes me believe you don't believe in love."
"I was in love once, Clarice."
"What happened to her?"
"She wanted to follow a different path in life. She did not believe that my path was the best for her and she is no longer with me."
"Who was she?"
"Her name was Cecelia. She was a very beautiful woman. I loved her with all my heart. She was the best thing to happen to me."
"What happened?"
"When she found out that I worked for the Dark Lord, she decided she could not have anything to do with me. Because of that, she was killed by some of the other Death Eaters. I did not know what was going to happen until I came home to find her dead in my bed."
"I'm sorry, Severus. I had no idea that the Death Eaters would do something against you. I knew you were one of them."
"I was, but no longer."
"I understand your loss. When the Dementors came near me, I relieved Mum and Dad's final moments of life."
"I'm sorry, Clarice."
"It's not your fault."
"Why don't you return to your dormitory? I'm sure Mr. Weasley is still waiting for you."
"Yes he is."
"Let him know that he does not have to do detention, however, if he hurts you, he will face worse."
"Don't threaten him. I might get mad and hex you."
"I have a quicker wand."
"We'll see. Good-night, Severus."
"Good-night, Clarice."
Clarice walked out of the office and right into Fred's arms. Snape was actually going to leave them be. That made the day even better. She could be with the person she loved without her godfather being angry. She just let him hold her for a few moments before heading to Gryffindor Tower.
Fred kissed her again before he was to walk away and Professor Snape opened his office door before the two had part. He was livid.
"Detention, Mr. Weasley. And if I ever so much as catch you trying to do that to Miss Black again, it will be much worse."
"I'll wait for you Clarice."
With that, Fred leaned against the wall across the hall from Snape's office while Snape and Clarice walked inside. Snape slammed the door behind them.
"Why would you let the Weasley boy hurt you the way Malfoy did, Clarice?"
"Fred wasn't hurting me Professor. I love him."
"You are too young to understand love."
"No, I'm not. I know that the thought of anyone touching me since the Malfoys has sent me into the shakes. I know that I have wanted to die to escape the pain and shame that I now live with. However, I know that when Fred holds me I feel safe, like I can make it thru this and have things as close to normal as I can ever get them. When Fred kisses me, my stomach flips. I feel like nothing else in the world matters. Please, Professor, don't threaten him and make him do detention with you. He loves me too."
"Clarice, when are you going to refer to me by my proper name?"
"When you learn to understand that I am not the baby that you remember."
Snape flinched. He had not expected her to say anything of the sort. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was acting like this with Fred Weasley because he wanted her to be the baby that he would tell stories to so as to get her to go to sleep. So much time had passed and now she was nearly an of-age witch. He missed so much of her life. Could it be that the baby he once cradled now was in love with a young man?
"I'm sorry, Clarice. I will do my best. I don't want to fight with you."
"That's alright Severus. You just need to realize that I am not a loner. I know that you may not like the Weasleys but they are my best friends in the magical world and have been for five years. I am not going to shun them just because you are my godfather. Especially since I am in love with one of them."
"I will learn to accept that. You are nearly of-age. You are old enough to make decisions on who you see fit to keep in your life. Now this is not why you are here. I want to know, how you are feeling."
"Actually, right now, I feel better than I did a few days ago. As a matter of fact," she pulled the shards of glass she had in her pocket out, "get rid of these for me. I'm gonna try to talk to people instead. I don't want to die. Fred and you and Dumbledore, you guys have all given me reason to try to stick around for awhile longer. I just wish I knew what made me finally admit to what had actually happened."
"Veritaserum."
"The truth potion?"
"Yes."
"What about it?"
"I slipped it into the goblet that Madam Pomfrey made you drink when you awoke."
"Why?"
"Because I knew you needed to be taken away from the Malfoys and would not tell the truth because you were scared. I tried to convince Ms. Falcon to put you in my care, but she would not do so without reason. She needed to know the truth for your safety."
Clarice did not know how to feel about this. Snape had forced her to say things that she didn't want to say. However, since he did, she didn't have to live with the Malfoys and she doesn't feel so depressed anymore. She even found the strength to tell Fred how she felt about him. Maybe it was for the best that Snape had made her tell the truth.
"I'm not mad. More good than bad has come from your making me be honest. Just never again. Unless I'm gonna die, don't make me drink that. Next time I'll get mad at you. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Severus, why are you so against people being in love?" I mean just the thought that I might love Fred sends you into a right state...one that makes me believe you don't believe in love."
"I was in love once, Clarice."
"What happened to her?"
"She wanted to follow a different path in life. She did not believe that my path was the best for her and she is no longer with me."
"Who was she?"
"Her name was Cecelia. She was a very beautiful woman. I loved her with all my heart. She was the best thing to happen to me."
"What happened?"
"When she found out that I worked for the Dark Lord, she decided she could not have anything to do with me. Because of that, she was killed by some of the other Death Eaters. I did not know what was going to happen until I came home to find her dead in my bed."
"I'm sorry, Severus. I had no idea that the Death Eaters would do something against you. I knew you were one of them."
"I was, but no longer."
"I understand your loss. When the Dementors came near me, I relieved Mum and Dad's final moments of life."
"I'm sorry, Clarice."
"It's not your fault."
"Why don't you return to your dormitory? I'm sure Mr. Weasley is still waiting for you."
"Yes he is."
"Let him know that he does not have to do detention, however, if he hurts you, he will face worse."
"Don't threaten him. I might get mad and hex you."
"I have a quicker wand."
"We'll see. Good-night, Severus."
"Good-night, Clarice."
Clarice walked out of the office and right into Fred's arms. Snape was actually going to leave them be. That made the day even better. She could be with the person she loved without her godfather being angry. She just let him hold her for a few moments before heading to Gryffindor Tower.