-THE LOVE LETTER
CHAPTER 12 : The meeting
The meeting took place in one of Malfoy's many mansions. Snape was getting impatient with the pace things were taking. He wasn't getting any new hints on Voldemort's plans nor he was able to concentrate himself in concealing his own emotions. The Dark Lord was a powerful Legilimens and if he wasn't careful, his mind would be open and clear for the dark wizard's full view.
The time he was dreading finally arrived, when Voldemort demanded his report on Dumbledore's next step. He of course had already some misleading information ready to disclose and started to relate in detail, the twisted story he and the Headmaster had previously fabricated. But his concentration wasn't good enough, he felt the probing on his mind, the forceful invasion the Dark Lord was inflicting on him, and try as he might, for the first time in all these years, he wasn't capable to keep the walls he so easily built around his mind.
Before he could even blink, he found himself on the floor, while Voldemort pointed his wand at him. His whole body, burning in pain.
"Well, well, well, Severusss... I never thought that you of all people," said Voldemort, burying his red slits of eyes on Snape's pale complexion, now contorted with pain.
Malfoy approached curious. "What is it my Lord?"
"It seems that our beloved spy works both ways, to be more precise, works against uss," Voldemort hissed.
Malfoy's eyes glinted with triumph as he regarded Snape on the floor. "Do you want me to take care of him, my Lord?"
Voldemort paced a little, debating what punishment would be more suited to their traitor. He knew he could probe even further and find more details about his enemies. He finally said, "Lock him downstairs, he will be of use for us later after the meeting is over."
Walking toward Snape, Voldemort said in a whisper, "Don't worry, Severusss, I won't forget you."
Snape managed to look up at the man he despised so greatly and didn't look away. He wasn't going to bow to him anymore, he was going to suffer for it, but he wouldn't be a coward.
Malfoy grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door, along with another pair of Death Eaters. Snape was still in pain from Voldemort's attack, but he was slowly regaining his strength. As they walked the long corridor in the direction of the mansion's dungeon, his mind was running miles per second, after a way out of that situation.
He checked the two men walking behind them and then Malfoy who was holding his arm. Stupid Malfoy had forgotten to retrieve his wand, which made things easier. But if he cursed Malfoy, the other two would promptly curse him back and he was an easy target.
When they got to the door that led down to the dungeon, he saw his chance there. Before Malfoy could force him through the door, he pulled his arm and then pushed Malfoy down the stairs. It was so fast that it took the two other man, some seconds to react. Snape got his wand out and started cursing them, as he ran through the corridor. The men shot back, but Snape was able to duck the flash of light that came his way.
By this time, Malfoy had recovered himself from the fall and came bursting with anger after him. The mansion had wards similar to the ones at Hogwarts, that made it impossible to apparate to or from there. So his only way was to run out of there until he reached a point where he could apparate. Once outside, Malfoy was able to strike him with a curse that threw him to the ground, the three men charged after him with their wands directed at him. He quickly turned around and still from the ground he disarmed the two others, but not Malfoy.
Snape got to his feet quickly and started to run toward the gates, Malfoy cursed him again, this time hitting him on his back. He fell to his knees and dragged himself through the gate until the wards were off. Another two flashes of light hit him on the same spot. The other two men had retrieved their wands back and were the ones to give the final blows. Snape collapsed to the humid ground, closing his eyes and using the last bit of energy left in him, he wished himself out of there.
With a loud pop, he apparated back.
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It was past 11 am when Hagrid heard Fang whimper, making his way to the gates around Hogwarts grounds.
"What is it with ye today boy, heh?" Hagrid came after him carrying his weight heavily, trying to catch up with the anxious dog.
The dog whimpered more and looked forward in the direction of the trees. Hagrid took one look and saw a little black form in the distance. Making his way cautiously, he soon recognized what it was and immediately ran to it.
The students that were practicing quidditch, gaped in horror when they saw Hagrid carrying the lifeless form of Professor snape on his shoulder.
Madam Pomfrey gasped when she saw Hagrid walk in. "Put him on this bed!"
She immediately scanned his injuries with her wand and her worried expression, showed it wasn't good. "Go fetch the Headmaster, Hagrid!"
A few minutes later, Dumbledore and McGonagall were in the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey looked sadly at them. "If he escapes this one, it's out of pure luck!"
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It had been two weeks since Snape had returned to from his last encounter with the Death Eaters, and he was still unconscious. Nothing Madam Pomfrey did was showing any signs of improvement. She had done her best to heal his external injuries, but the quantity of curses his body had suffered were too many and too deep to be healed.
Only after another week, Pomfrey was going about her daily scan through his body, to see if her treatment had improved his recovery when she heard a faint groan.
"Severus?"
He grimaced as if in pain and slowly opened his eyes.
"Oh Thank God, Severus!" The witch ran to the fireplace and throwing floo powder in it, she summoned Dumbledore.
The Headmaster came as quickly as possible and after Pomfrey forced a healing potion down Snape's throat, she let them talk.
"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked sitting next to his bed.
"I don't know... how long?" Snape suddenly remembered Lavinia and started to panic.
The old man looked uncomfortable at that question, obviously not wanting to answer it.
"How long have I been here, Albus?" Snape's voice sounded hoarse, but gaining strength at every word.
"Three weeks," said Dumbledore looking at him sadly.
"What? No... no, I..." Snape was feeling as if his heart was going to stop.
Lavinia was probably dead. He failed to save her. He shouldn't have gone to that meeting. If only he could...
He looked at Dumbledore. "I still can go back can't I, it doesn't matter, I can still use the time-turner!"
The old man considered for a moment, "I believe that since you couldn't be there on time, the best thing to do is to find out what happened first, so you can be able to save her without interfering with the course of other lives."
"How am I going to find out..." Snape's expression changed as he remembered one detail, there was a way to know everything. At least worth a try. And if he did, he could trace a plan to get her. But even then he couldn't shake the sinking feeling that she could be dead and he wasn't there to help her, how terrified she must have been, thinking he failed her...
He wanted to kick himself for that mistake. The very thought of her suffering made him want to scream.
Against Madam Pomfrey's will, he left the infirmary the next day. He felt weird and empty somehow. It was like nothing was the same anymore.
Upon entering his chambers, he stared at the fireplace. Afraid to look inside, afraid of what he might find in it. He slowly walked toward the hearth and reaching his trembling hand into it, he grabbed the box. It was there. His heart raced as he brought the box out. It was terribly dirty with black dust. The metal was stained as if it had been burned...
He opened it slowly to find an almost torched letter inside. The remains of a melted pen were glued to the bottom. He took a deep breath and opened the letter. The crease between his eyebrows ever so deep. If someone could see him now, and he was thankful no one could, they would see his usual emotionless mask turn into a show of diverse emotions. Every word he read, the expression on his face turned more passionate and desperately sad.
"""" Dear Severus,
I know you told me to wait, and I know I don't really have much of a choice, but it's been four days, and I got no reply from you.
I don't mind if you don't have a solution just yet, I just want to hear from you, to know everything is alright. I really miss reading your words. I love you. God! it feels so good and so right to say it, to write it... I love you Severus, and I don't care how long it takes, I will be waiting.
John said he's going to be out of town tomorrow night. I know exactly where he's going, and I could care less. I could care less about everything in this world. I only care about you and I miss you s... """
The bottom of the letter had been burned and he couldn't read any further. He closed his eyes in a mix of sadness and pure anger. The last part of the letter mentioned her husband was staying out of town, and that must have been part of his plan to burn the house. His hands turned into fists and he got up to put on his robe. He was going to fix this now.
He fled out of the room with his robes billowing after him. Out of reach of the wards, he apparated.
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The building was grey and depressing as anything. Snape climbed the stairs to the entrance and went to a desk where a policewoman was seated staring at a surveying camera.
"Excuse me, Would it be possible for me to visit one of the patients?"
The woman looked up at him and turned to the computer. "What's the patient's name?"
Snape's lips thinned as he forced himself to say the name. "John Lewis."
"Are you a family member?"
"No," Snape replied.
"What's the reason for the visit?" the woman inquired.
"He used to be a friend of my family, " he said shortly.
The woman stood up and took a key chain. She walked to heavy a door with a small window in it. She opened the door and let Snape in, directing him to the next desk. An elderly nurse with thick glasses, that reminded him of Trelawney's, asked, "May I help you?"
"I'm here to see John Lewis, " he said.
The nursed squeezed her eyes, in an attempt to see him better, which was clearly a waste of time. If those glasses couldn't help her, no squeezing would.
"Well, there's a first time for everything, " she said with a chuckle.
"I beg your pardon," Snape replied.
"Well, I've been working here for almost thirty years, and you are the first visitor John has ever got!" she said.
"Really? I can't imagine why, " Snape said sarcastically. Although the woman didn't seem to notice his tone.
Snape thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know why he was put in a psychiatric prison?"
The nurse screwed up her face trying to remember. "It was such a long time ago, it seems like, right after he set fire to the house, he was interrogated several times, but his story didn't make any sense. I can't remember what it was that he said, but the police tried to make him confess on the disappearance of his wife and he wouldn't say what he did to her, he kept going around the same story over and over, until they decided he was insane."
She shook her head and then continued, "He used to blabber about that story when he got here, but after some time he just shut himself, and rarely speaks anymore."
They walked the rest of the way silently, Snape was trying to understand it but it really didn't make any sense.
They walked through long corridors and climbed stairs until they got to double swinging doors, and passed through a big room with several old men seated watching TV or looking out the window, vaguely aware of what was outside. Some seemed to be talking to themselves. Snape looked at the whole scene with a little trace of pity, but it was hard for him to feel compassion for inmates who probably committed some horrible crime and became insane or the other way around. This was a prison after all, nobody here could be considered a good soul, poor souls maybe, but not good.
They stopped in front of a little cell, the door was opened and Snape could see an old man seated in a brown leather chair. He had his back to the door and was staring at the window. Snape could only see the back of his head.
The nurse walked up to him and said, "John? You have a visitor."
The old man didn't move a muscle, completely ignoring the nurse. She smiled slightly and looked back at Snape. "It takes a while but he eventually speaks. He has his moods, if you know what I mean." She winked at Snape and left the two of them alone.
Snape pulled out a chair and sat fairly far from the man, in an angle the man could only see him if he turned his head far to the side.
Snape gathered all the control he could, even though he really wanted to curse him to death, and asked in a cold voice, "What can you tell me about Lavinia?"
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