Disclaimer: The characters in this story (except Julius) and the universe in which they exist are the sole property of JK Rowling. The plot is mine and was created just for fun.
Chapter 20 - Confrontation
Snape sighed after he closed the door behind Julius, standing there for a moment with his hand lingering upon the door knob, his eyes closed, wondering when he was going to wake up from this nightmare. That is what this had to be, a horrible dream caused by too many nights without sleep. He was, after all, Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts, the one who kept everything to himself, carefully hidden, locked behind doors to which even he did not have the key.
Perhaps that was his problem, he mused. He had become so supremely confident in his ability to put up barriers that he overlooked the chance that perhaps someone else would know how to pick the lock. And now he found himself wide open and vulnerable, unable to stir from this oppressive hallucination for the singular distressing reason that it was real. Draco Malfoy, of all people who had to solve the secret equation, he thought bitterly.
Turning the knob on the door, he made his way out into the darkened halls of the dungeon, and strode purposefully towards the entrance to the Slytherin rooms, passing like a black shadow in the dim torchlight. The few portraits that hung upon the dungeon walls snored peacefully in their slumber as he proceeded, approaching the hidden door. Whispering the password, he pushed it open and stepped within, pausing for a moment to allow his sable eyes to adjust to the unlit expanse. Draco slept in the left upper dorm and the potions professor made his way up the winding stone stairway, turning the knob on the door and making his way inside.
Malfoy was sleeping quietly in his bed, the green Slytherin coverlet pulled tightly up to his neck as if the boy was afraid that something might snatch him out of the dark. He wasn't that far off tonight. Professor Snape frowned, looking down upon the towheaded trouble-maker and grasped the edge of the coverlet, pulling it down to Malfoy's ankles in one quick motion.
The sudden movement awakened Draco instantly, and he nearly screamed as the dark figure of the potions master loomed above him, but Snape quickly covered the boy's mouth with his hand.
He whispered menacingly, "Get up," grabbing the collar of his student's nightshirt and dragged him from the warmth of his bed, pushing him in the direction of the doorway, causing the half-asleep boy to stumble, nearly running into the frame.
Noting the unsteadiness of the Slytherin's gait, the professor grasped the back of the boy's shirt and guided him forcefully down the stairs and out into the hall, caring little about the boy's murmured protests. For the second time in as many months, Snape shoved Malfoy into his office, allowing the boy to trip over his own feet and fall to the floor, knocking the breath out of him.
"Explain yourself, Mr. Malfoy," Snape growled, advancing towards Draco's fallen figure, towering over him, his shady eyes shimmering like black ice.
Draco rolled over and sat up, blinking sleepily at the professor standing over him, his face revealing his confusion. "Explain, sir?"
The professor reached down to pull Draco up and thrust him hard against the wall, replying angrily, "I believe you know exactly to what I am referring, Mr. Malfoy."
Apparently his head hitting the wall was enough to finally release the Slytherin from his stupor, as he answered nervously, "Oh… that. I guess you and DeVere… or should I say Snape had a bit of a chat?"
"You might say that," Snape returned menaciously, as he leaned in towards the blond-haired boy, Draco's eyes widening in fear. "Who else have you told? Crabbe? Goyle?"
Malfoy shook his head in denial, but he squirmed, grimacing under the intimidating stare of his potions teacher as he revealed, "My father."
Noting the drastic change in the Slytherin Head's face, which turned from a raging red to a murderous white at his admission, he added quickly, "He… he told me that you were losing your mind, that if I saw anything strange to… to let him know. When you started giving us detentions and taking off points…" Malfoy was near panicking now, "…you never did that before, Professor."
"How long?" Snape sneered, grasping Draco's collar tighter within his hand, twisting the shirt so that it nearly strangled him.
"Sir?" Draco rasped, barely able to expel enough breath to speak. His face was beginning to go pale.
"How long ago did you notify your father?" Snape repeated slowly, his grip continuing tightly, leaning his head forward until his nose was nearly touching the frightened boy's face.
"Two days… by owl," the blond boy squeaked, white spots appearing before his eyes as the world around him spun, feeling faint.
Snape released the boy, allowing him to spill onto the floor, gasping for breath as the potions master contemplated this bit of news. Two days. If he was lucky, the owl would not find the man for at least a week, as the Death Eater was supposedly in hiding since he broke out of Azkaban over the last summer, a rather easy feat since the dementors had shown their unwillingness to guard the wizard prison any longer. Snape was surprised he had shown up at the school a few months ago, however, as the Ministry still had its Aurors on the lookout for the escaped prisoners.
Severus paced back and forth across the office, his mind on his own problems as Draco coughed and choked on the floor, staring at the professor with wide fearful eyes, afraid to move from the spot.
It is all my fault, he thought bitterly to himself as he sank into his chair behind his desk, his dark eyes held upon the ceiling, fighting back tears of frustration. If only I had kept my distance; if only I hadn't allowed myself to care, none of this would have happened. But I had to be the boy's father. I had to be something more than I deserved to be.
"Mr. Malfoy," he started with an unnatural calm, like the eye of a hurricane, "if I hear that this has gotten out to anyone else… anyone at all," and then looked deeply into the Slytherin boy's eyes, his own filled with deadly seriousness, "when your father arrives -- and I am sure he shall -- he will find not a single hair from your head, for I will have left no trace of your former existence. Is that understood?"
Draco's eyes widened further, his jaw suddenly slack, knowing in his own mind that the potions master had indeed gone mad. With a quivering voice, he nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Now you will get back to your dormitory, where you shall remain until I give permission for you to leave."
"Yes, sir," Draco murmured, quickly rising to his feet and darting from the office.
Snape sat there quietly for a few moments, staring out into space, overwhelmed by everything that had transpired. He needed to speak to the headmaster, the man who was his own father-figure, though he would never admit it. He felt helpless, unsure of what actions to take, unable to find a viable escape from horrible nightmare that was his life.
Julius quietly entered the Ravenclaw common room, thankful that it was so late and therefore dark and deserted. He had no wish to answer any questions, as he knew there would be if anyone saw his face at this moment. Hi heart seemed both empty and overfull at the same time, if that was possible, his head aching with the replays that flickered over and over again in his mind.
Careful to step lightly lest he wake his housemates, he crept into his dorm room and stretched out onto the bed, not bothering to change out of his clothes, knowing that sleep would be far from taking him this night. He laid there with his dark eyes staring into the blindness of night for several hours, battling with the myriad emotions that flip-flopped in every direction.
He should be happy, overjoyed at the fact that his father was alive, that he had at least one living relative left in his life, but instead he found himself torn between the admiration he had felt for his potions teacher and the horror of finding out the truth of his father's past.
His father had been a Death Eater, a murderer, and a spy. He was ordered to kill one of his best friend's parents, and Harry himself. Gods, what if he had gone through with it? The thought made the potions master's son sick to his stomach, and he turned over onto his side, clutching his abdomen.
The Dark Lord thought that he was dead. What would happen to both him and his father if he found out the truth? Would Voldemort come after him again?
It was all too much to bear, and he turned his face into his pillow, concealing his quaking sobs from the others who shared the room. Gripping it tightly in his long fingers, he wrapped his arms about it, embracing it, desperately wishing that his father, the one he had always dreamed about, was there to embrace him back.
A/N: Hello all, I apologise for the lack of italics in this chapter, as ff.net seems to have changed their editing process.
Thank you to all who reviewed. I am glad, as always, that you are enjoying this story. I am writing this for you guys. Cheers! Laurie
Chapter 20 - Confrontation
Snape sighed after he closed the door behind Julius, standing there for a moment with his hand lingering upon the door knob, his eyes closed, wondering when he was going to wake up from this nightmare. That is what this had to be, a horrible dream caused by too many nights without sleep. He was, after all, Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts, the one who kept everything to himself, carefully hidden, locked behind doors to which even he did not have the key.
Perhaps that was his problem, he mused. He had become so supremely confident in his ability to put up barriers that he overlooked the chance that perhaps someone else would know how to pick the lock. And now he found himself wide open and vulnerable, unable to stir from this oppressive hallucination for the singular distressing reason that it was real. Draco Malfoy, of all people who had to solve the secret equation, he thought bitterly.
Turning the knob on the door, he made his way out into the darkened halls of the dungeon, and strode purposefully towards the entrance to the Slytherin rooms, passing like a black shadow in the dim torchlight. The few portraits that hung upon the dungeon walls snored peacefully in their slumber as he proceeded, approaching the hidden door. Whispering the password, he pushed it open and stepped within, pausing for a moment to allow his sable eyes to adjust to the unlit expanse. Draco slept in the left upper dorm and the potions professor made his way up the winding stone stairway, turning the knob on the door and making his way inside.
Malfoy was sleeping quietly in his bed, the green Slytherin coverlet pulled tightly up to his neck as if the boy was afraid that something might snatch him out of the dark. He wasn't that far off tonight. Professor Snape frowned, looking down upon the towheaded trouble-maker and grasped the edge of the coverlet, pulling it down to Malfoy's ankles in one quick motion.
The sudden movement awakened Draco instantly, and he nearly screamed as the dark figure of the potions master loomed above him, but Snape quickly covered the boy's mouth with his hand.
He whispered menacingly, "Get up," grabbing the collar of his student's nightshirt and dragged him from the warmth of his bed, pushing him in the direction of the doorway, causing the half-asleep boy to stumble, nearly running into the frame.
Noting the unsteadiness of the Slytherin's gait, the professor grasped the back of the boy's shirt and guided him forcefully down the stairs and out into the hall, caring little about the boy's murmured protests. For the second time in as many months, Snape shoved Malfoy into his office, allowing the boy to trip over his own feet and fall to the floor, knocking the breath out of him.
"Explain yourself, Mr. Malfoy," Snape growled, advancing towards Draco's fallen figure, towering over him, his shady eyes shimmering like black ice.
Draco rolled over and sat up, blinking sleepily at the professor standing over him, his face revealing his confusion. "Explain, sir?"
The professor reached down to pull Draco up and thrust him hard against the wall, replying angrily, "I believe you know exactly to what I am referring, Mr. Malfoy."
Apparently his head hitting the wall was enough to finally release the Slytherin from his stupor, as he answered nervously, "Oh… that. I guess you and DeVere… or should I say Snape had a bit of a chat?"
"You might say that," Snape returned menaciously, as he leaned in towards the blond-haired boy, Draco's eyes widening in fear. "Who else have you told? Crabbe? Goyle?"
Malfoy shook his head in denial, but he squirmed, grimacing under the intimidating stare of his potions teacher as he revealed, "My father."
Noting the drastic change in the Slytherin Head's face, which turned from a raging red to a murderous white at his admission, he added quickly, "He… he told me that you were losing your mind, that if I saw anything strange to… to let him know. When you started giving us detentions and taking off points…" Malfoy was near panicking now, "…you never did that before, Professor."
"How long?" Snape sneered, grasping Draco's collar tighter within his hand, twisting the shirt so that it nearly strangled him.
"Sir?" Draco rasped, barely able to expel enough breath to speak. His face was beginning to go pale.
"How long ago did you notify your father?" Snape repeated slowly, his grip continuing tightly, leaning his head forward until his nose was nearly touching the frightened boy's face.
"Two days… by owl," the blond boy squeaked, white spots appearing before his eyes as the world around him spun, feeling faint.
Snape released the boy, allowing him to spill onto the floor, gasping for breath as the potions master contemplated this bit of news. Two days. If he was lucky, the owl would not find the man for at least a week, as the Death Eater was supposedly in hiding since he broke out of Azkaban over the last summer, a rather easy feat since the dementors had shown their unwillingness to guard the wizard prison any longer. Snape was surprised he had shown up at the school a few months ago, however, as the Ministry still had its Aurors on the lookout for the escaped prisoners.
Severus paced back and forth across the office, his mind on his own problems as Draco coughed and choked on the floor, staring at the professor with wide fearful eyes, afraid to move from the spot.
It is all my fault, he thought bitterly to himself as he sank into his chair behind his desk, his dark eyes held upon the ceiling, fighting back tears of frustration. If only I had kept my distance; if only I hadn't allowed myself to care, none of this would have happened. But I had to be the boy's father. I had to be something more than I deserved to be.
"Mr. Malfoy," he started with an unnatural calm, like the eye of a hurricane, "if I hear that this has gotten out to anyone else… anyone at all," and then looked deeply into the Slytherin boy's eyes, his own filled with deadly seriousness, "when your father arrives -- and I am sure he shall -- he will find not a single hair from your head, for I will have left no trace of your former existence. Is that understood?"
Draco's eyes widened further, his jaw suddenly slack, knowing in his own mind that the potions master had indeed gone mad. With a quivering voice, he nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Now you will get back to your dormitory, where you shall remain until I give permission for you to leave."
"Yes, sir," Draco murmured, quickly rising to his feet and darting from the office.
Snape sat there quietly for a few moments, staring out into space, overwhelmed by everything that had transpired. He needed to speak to the headmaster, the man who was his own father-figure, though he would never admit it. He felt helpless, unsure of what actions to take, unable to find a viable escape from horrible nightmare that was his life.
Julius quietly entered the Ravenclaw common room, thankful that it was so late and therefore dark and deserted. He had no wish to answer any questions, as he knew there would be if anyone saw his face at this moment. Hi heart seemed both empty and overfull at the same time, if that was possible, his head aching with the replays that flickered over and over again in his mind.
Careful to step lightly lest he wake his housemates, he crept into his dorm room and stretched out onto the bed, not bothering to change out of his clothes, knowing that sleep would be far from taking him this night. He laid there with his dark eyes staring into the blindness of night for several hours, battling with the myriad emotions that flip-flopped in every direction.
He should be happy, overjoyed at the fact that his father was alive, that he had at least one living relative left in his life, but instead he found himself torn between the admiration he had felt for his potions teacher and the horror of finding out the truth of his father's past.
His father had been a Death Eater, a murderer, and a spy. He was ordered to kill one of his best friend's parents, and Harry himself. Gods, what if he had gone through with it? The thought made the potions master's son sick to his stomach, and he turned over onto his side, clutching his abdomen.
The Dark Lord thought that he was dead. What would happen to both him and his father if he found out the truth? Would Voldemort come after him again?
It was all too much to bear, and he turned his face into his pillow, concealing his quaking sobs from the others who shared the room. Gripping it tightly in his long fingers, he wrapped his arms about it, embracing it, desperately wishing that his father, the one he had always dreamed about, was there to embrace him back.
A/N: Hello all, I apologise for the lack of italics in this chapter, as ff.net seems to have changed their editing process.
Thank you to all who reviewed. I am glad, as always, that you are enjoying this story. I am writing this for you guys. Cheers! Laurie