Chapter Four.
Serverus stood dumbstruck; he had walked up and down the corridor outside Amber's rooms four times before he had mustered the courage to knock on the door and when he finally had here she was; a picture of despair. This was not how he was used to seeing her, at school nothing could remove her smile from her face and yet here she was the picture of despair. His mind raced what should he do?
"Hold her you fool!" a part of his mind shouted.
"Walk away!" Screamed that peevish part of him that she had wounded so long ago.
He reached out for her delicate frame carefully, he expected her to pull away in disgust but to his surprise and delight she fell into his embrace and wept as if her heart would break. He began to stroke her hair in what he hoped was a gesture of comfort; he wanted to take her pain away. To staunch this well of tears; to hurt whoever had hurt her so badly, Lupin he thought to himself angrily.
"Shhh, it will be okay." He whispered. His heart felt heavy, whatever was hurting her he recognised as a hurt that could not be easily healed.
"No it won't!" She sobbed into his chest, she was shaking violently, Snape guided her into her room and closed the door, and students were beginning to walk down the corridor. He sat her down on the bed but did not stop holding her, he was afraid that he would wake up and it would be a dream.
"It will never be okay again, James, Lily and Peter are dead, my brother is as good as dead in that hell hole and I've hurt my best friend and the man I love so much that they'll never forgive me!" she shuddered with emotion.
'They'll'? The word jolted in his mind, could she mean what he thought she did? Then which was he? The best friend or the man she loved? Dare he hope? Now was not the time to pursue the issue but he stored it away for future reference.
Amber suddenly lifted her tear stained face to his;
"Oh Serverus can you ever forgive me?" She pleaded as she touched his cheek tenderly, tears still rolling down her now flushed cheeks. "I never meant to hurt you! I never meant to hurt anyone!"
His heart lurched into his throat;
"Of course I can!" He breathed pulling her into a tight embrace, why was she the only woman who didn't stir his contempt? How was she able to control him so completely? He didn't care, he was living for now and at that moment of time a beautiful and wonderful woman was encircled in his arms asking him to forgive her.
Hope rose in his heart, perhaps there was hope for their friendship after all!
Serverus stood dumbstruck; he had walked up and down the corridor outside Amber's rooms four times before he had mustered the courage to knock on the door and when he finally had here she was; a picture of despair. This was not how he was used to seeing her, at school nothing could remove her smile from her face and yet here she was the picture of despair. His mind raced what should he do?
"Hold her you fool!" a part of his mind shouted.
"Walk away!" Screamed that peevish part of him that she had wounded so long ago.
He reached out for her delicate frame carefully, he expected her to pull away in disgust but to his surprise and delight she fell into his embrace and wept as if her heart would break. He began to stroke her hair in what he hoped was a gesture of comfort; he wanted to take her pain away. To staunch this well of tears; to hurt whoever had hurt her so badly, Lupin he thought to himself angrily.
"Shhh, it will be okay." He whispered. His heart felt heavy, whatever was hurting her he recognised as a hurt that could not be easily healed.
"No it won't!" She sobbed into his chest, she was shaking violently, Snape guided her into her room and closed the door, and students were beginning to walk down the corridor. He sat her down on the bed but did not stop holding her, he was afraid that he would wake up and it would be a dream.
"It will never be okay again, James, Lily and Peter are dead, my brother is as good as dead in that hell hole and I've hurt my best friend and the man I love so much that they'll never forgive me!" she shuddered with emotion.
'They'll'? The word jolted in his mind, could she mean what he thought she did? Then which was he? The best friend or the man she loved? Dare he hope? Now was not the time to pursue the issue but he stored it away for future reference.
Amber suddenly lifted her tear stained face to his;
"Oh Serverus can you ever forgive me?" She pleaded as she touched his cheek tenderly, tears still rolling down her now flushed cheeks. "I never meant to hurt you! I never meant to hurt anyone!"
His heart lurched into his throat;
"Of course I can!" He breathed pulling her into a tight embrace, why was she the only woman who didn't stir his contempt? How was she able to control him so completely? He didn't care, he was living for now and at that moment of time a beautiful and wonderful woman was encircled in his arms asking him to forgive her.
Hope rose in his heart, perhaps there was hope for their friendship after all!